maglite have never be fabulous flashlight . this have not change . what you get here be good value at $ 16 . mag give you a modest size package that take a very common cell size -lrb- aax2 -rrb- . be metal thus reasonably durable and water resistant . have a fairly good led in the current generation maglite , a Luxeon rebel -lrb- last generation maglite have a terrible led -rrb- . the Luxeon rebel be old technology , and not up to the standard of a modern cree in efficiency or output . the LED 's output be good for what it be , and a nice neutral white with a usable beam . the mode be a nice touch : full\/half\/strobe \/ so . all of these production decision be fine in a light at this price . the reason this product lose a star be the lame plastic lens . I have be through many round of MagLites over the year , they tend to stand up to abuse well , but the lens get scratch , pit , and dirty beyond cleaning or repair . it then must be replace , which be a hassle . a better -lrb- read more durable and scratch resistant -rrb- lens would make this a five star product . I end up purchase a nice glass ar coated lens for my mini-mag , and its service life have extend considerably . I love the mini-mag as a backup light for its cost effective illumination , and will continue to use it with custom lens .