I bought it because it is nearly impossible to tell where the swirl marks are on my S2000 unless it is night time and I am in the city or underground parking garage with those amberISH street lights then all the defects can be seen. And it looks bad, especially the hood.

I washed the S2K yesterday and started looking for imperfections with the light. It is still nearly impossible to see them. So I went over to Neighbors new M5 and was able to see imperfections quit well on his Blue Paint. Now I think even on darker paints I might not be using it well.

In some photos I see here people are able to capture serrious swirls with the Spotlight + Digital Camera. I can't even do that with my eye. WTF

 

I'm having better luck with the Fenix TK11 that I bought from Detailer's Domain. It sounds like a lot of money for a flashlight, and I suppose it is, but HOLY COW is that thing bright. I'm able to see defects in broad daylight with it. I've got the Brinkmann, and it helps me see stuff, but the Fenix is definitely better.

It's also kind of fun to be able to shine a flashlight half a block away from your house during the night.

 

 

LOL Birkmann is freaking bright too. I was like WHAAAT. This is crazy.

 

wait....so you couldn't see the swirls in your car, so you went out and bought a new light to make them stand out more?!?!?! Shoulda just bought a berlina, you can see swirls a mile away at midnight

 

lol, had a black car. Never again. Unless a killer deal.

 

This is so true... I'm still a complete noob in this whole detailing game and when I took a serious evaluation of my paint I couldn't believe how bad it was. You have to love black...

 

i'd take the fenix too

i have a brinkmann and i will have to say that it sucks... a lot

 

I thought so too. But by comparison, the words escape me for how to describe how impossibly bright the little Fenix is. I think the Brinkmann is more of a floodlight - puts out a large, wide pattern of light. The Fenix focuses it in a small, confined area.

Spotting defects with any of these things can be tricky though. I find it helpful to move the light around, changing the angle at which it reflects into my field of vision. Keep playing around with it.

 

never used the Fenix but I have the Brinkmann. My car is gpw and if I use both bulbs on the brinkmann, it's too damn bright to see anything. I found that by using one bulb and angle the light so it's not shooting directly at the area I'm observing, I can see imperfections a little easier.