Flashlights & output

[Walkman]

In my holiday gift thread, Eclipse pointed me towards two illumination devices. Both look like they would do the job, but the specs are confusing.

How does one judge how bright a flashlight is anymore? Is 35 lumens pretty good? I see some flashlights that have over 150 lumens. Are those going to blind anyone in the power of the sun?

I've Googled and all I get is definitions of what lumens are vs. candlepower and beam distance and yada yada yada. That really doesn't answer my question. So for the sake of my next FTX, I need advice on how to figure this out. I have to budget my christmas money from my mother-in-law. 

(BTW-the flashlight Eclipse pointed me to looks very cool, I just want to make sure I understand how bright it will be.)

[Eclipse]

Here's a guide that seems to have good general info: http://www.coastportland.com/ebooks/led-flashlight-guide.pdf

For comparison, a projector that can be used in normal business lighting has to be 2500 lumens +.

Those pico projectors that are sparsely available are in the range of 50.

Most of the "throw-away" LED flashlights you can get on the counter at the parts store for $5 have 10+ LEDs because
the LEDs themselves are crap - poor output and poor life.  The best flashlights and headlamps usually have only
1 or two elements, but a super-high quality element from Nichia or Kyocera.

From poking around, it looks to me that 100 Lumens is about the lowest you'd want to go in a tactical light.

All I can say is that the one I'm recommending is the brightest [darn] thing I've ever used, I've used it a ton,
and took it full into the eyes with new batteries on Christmas when I turned it on by accident.

[♠SARKID♠]

There's a lot of factors that go into it.  Just because a light has 150 lumens doesn't mean it does a good job throwing or focusing that light.  There's no real industry standard for testing/grading flashlights so its kind of a wild card.  Companies are free to fluff the numbers a bit.  The way I go about it is to never buy a flashlight I haven't seen used in person.

BTW your link is broken.

[Noble Six]

Wal-mart advertised a 500 lumen flashlight for $50 a 250 lumen for $25 and a 100 lumen for about $10 this weekend.

[Larry Mangum]

I have a cree LED flashlight that has a focused beam that emitts a 1000 lumens in high mode. In low mode it puts out I would guess 500 lumens and has a stobe mode as well. I paid around $65 for it.  I found it at the local gun show, however tmart.com sells LED flashlights that can put out as much as 1200 lumens.

[HGjunkie]

NEBO makes great LED flashlights, they're really bright and mine has a green light/white light/red laser switcher.

[Eclipse]

I have a cree LED flashlight that has a focused beam that emitts a 1000 lumens in high mode. In low mode it puts out I would guess 500 lumens and has a stobe mode as well. I paid around $65 for it.  I found it at the local gun show, however tmart.com sells LED flashlights that can put out as much as 1200 lumens.

Cree is another top-tier manufacturer of flashlights.

[sardak]

There's no real industry standard for testing/grading flashlights so its kind of a wild card.

Yea, there is. ANSI-NEMA FL1.

How does one judge how bright a flashlight is anymore? Is 35 lumens pretty good? I see some flashlights that have over 150 lumens. Are those going to blind anyone in the power of the sun? I've Googled and all I get is definitions of what lumens are vs. candlepower and beam distance and yada yada yada.

Unfortunately, unless you read the yada yada yada, then the only basis for making a decision is what other people say, which is nothing more than you have now. The fact that a light has a 100 lumens (bright) vs (35 not so bright) doesn't mean much, nor does saying so and so makes good lights. I suggest you read as a minimum pages 10 to17 (though page 14 can be skipped) of Eclipse's reference: http://www.coastportland.com/ebooks/led-flashlight-guide.pdf which is pretty straightforward and simple.

Mike

[SPD6696]

In my work as a Police Officer, I have abandoned the classic, rechargeable, full-size Streamlight (some use Maglights).  I have completely switched to the Streamlight Poytac LED.  It's small.  It's bright.  It uses CR123 batts, so, I don't have to worry about charging time.  It weighs very little.  Here is a good place to get them.   This light has on/off, no reduced power or strobe functions.  But, that is my preference for work.  It may not be best for CAP field operations.   These are 130 lumens, and I find they are very  adequate for my work, and seem to be a better illumination source than my old Streamlight. 

http://www.lapolicegear.com/streamlight-polytac-led-flashlight.html

I know several other Officers that swear by Fenix lights.  Many of their models have brightness level and strobe function selections.  They are somewhat economical.  A multifunction light may be useful for CAP.

http://www.lapolicegear.com/fenix-light-flashlights.html

For camping/outdoors, I like a combination of a high output small light, like the Polytac, and a decent headlamp, like the Princeton Tec Fuel.  you can use the highoutput light for searching, etc, and the headlamp for camp chores and admin tasks.

http://www.cabelas.com/headlamps-princeton-tec-fuel-headlamp-5.shtml?WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=847399&rid=40&mr:trackingCode=AA6871BE-F551-E111-BC1B-001B21631C34&mr:referralID=NA&mr:adType=pla&mr:ad=22326173471&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=22549717391

[Walkman]

The fact that a light has a 100 lumens (bright) vs (35 not so bright) doesn't mean much...

Bingo! I've bought flashlights in the past thinking they would be decent, only to find they aren't as bright as I want. Unless I have some sort of visual reference, it hard to judge what's "bright enough". Some of it is subjective, for sure.

[Eclipse]

The other common denominator is that you definitely get what you pay for with LEDs.

[Eclipse]

Walkman asked me for a pic or two of real-world comparison, so here you go - I didn't get the TMFTA for nothing.

These are taken ~18' from a white-painted door.

Left is a venerable Mag light (5xC), right the Energizer Hardcase (2xAA) (both with fresh batteries):


Now in the middle is the Coast HL7 (3xAAA):


All three are focused as tight as they will go.

I was a little surprised that the Hardcase didn't do better compared to the Mag light -
two issues.  One, the Hardcase comes with Lithium batteries, which might produce
a brighter light, these are standard alkaline (it doesn't seem quite as bright as when I first got it),
second, of course, is the Mag light is an 18" brick, and it also rolls (which it almost did off the trash can
when I took these just now), while the Hardcase is light, small, and also has red, blue and
infrared lights as well as the white.

The HL7 is just simply a piece of the sun, hands down, though not necessarily the best form factor for
every situation.

[N7MOG]

I use daily and am very happy with......a MiniMag AA LED.  Like an old Timex, takes a licking and keeps on ticking.  Only around $20 @ your favorite MartMart.
Bill Collister
SDWG DC

[Walkman]

Walkman asked me for a pic or two of real-world comparison, so here you go - I didn't get the TMFTA for nothing.

These are taken ~18' from a white-painted door.

Perfect! Exactly what I needed. Thank you.

[Larry Mangum]

I should also have mentioned that the cree LED is utilizes an 8 watt LED.

[vento]

I only see Merry Christmas by Mickey Mouse!  :angel:

[starshippe]

   heres a streamlight ds with the c4 element on a stop sign at 100 yards. at full power u have less than two hours, but there are three power levels available.

bill

[Майор Хаткевич]

Its snowing in the picture!

[Airman De Ruiter]

Another factor that you're going to want to consider is durability. It doesn't matter if you have the power of the sun harnessed into a cylinder if when it falls out of hand, it breaks. I know that Surefire's are extremely durable and I know their lumen ratings are spot on, if not, underrated.