How many lumens is enough lumens?
- Thread starter ev13wt
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
StarHalo
Flashaholic
The more the merrier; the Zebralight SC52 nudges past the 500 lumen mark when powered with a Li-ion, for a 1xAA light, that's fantastic. The SC600II's 900 lumens is better obviously, assuming you have the extra pocket space and don't mind Li-ion -only operation.
The only truly flood-and-throw option is HID; these are usually quite large, they burn through batteries quickly, and you can't turn them on/off quickly. The Stanley model in my sigline is roughly eight pounds and about the size of a basketball, however it has a massive 160-degree spill with a hotspot that lights objects a half mile away. Hence the phrase "big gun light".
Focusing mechanisms are generally frowned upon because they don't work well with LEDs and tend to be unreliable/aren't sealed so well.
After discovering that 1000+ is needed to overcome ambient light when under a semi trailer during the day and still see what I want to see. Minimum i'd go with is about 10 or 20 lumen. Moonlight or firefly is useless to me.
Thanks Star, appreciate the feedback. 8lb HID is definately out the question for me.. lol
Watching a few video's on utube, some that look like potential for what I'am looking for are
Zebra sc600 This one seem to have good fill and considerate it a mid range
Fennix tk35 ^^ sames as above
Xtar s1 >>> Like the fact its beam is not intense and seems to blend with the good fill and has really good reach
Jetbeam RRT 3 >>> Like the good fill on this one but has really good reach
Am I on the right track, any other suggestions.
Watching a few video's on utube, some that look like potential for what I'am looking for are
Zebra sc600 This one seem to have good fill and considerate it a mid range
Fennix tk35 ^^ sames as above
Xtar s1 >>> Like the fact its beam is not intense and seems to blend with the good fill and has really good reach
Jetbeam RRT 3 >>> Like the good fill on this one but has really good reach
Am I on the right track, any other suggestions.
Last edited:
StarHalo
Flashaholic
The ideal solution is two lights. Your floody/close up light just needs to have good low modes and a broad beam; The thrower will have a narrow beam and need the insane output.
AloofObserver
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2013
- Messages
- 4
I'm no expert by I'd go with these figures (min-max):
Walking the dog in suburbia? 30-200 lumen
Camping site? 1-350 lumen
General in-house use? 1-100 lumen
2 day blackout? 1-350 lumen...
Car breaks down? Flat tire at night? 30-600 lumen
Walking in the woods? 100-600 lumen
EDC? 1-600 lumen... ideally you want as many modes as is practical.
I tend to agree with some of those saying that setting a max is misguided. It's better to have more than enough than not enough. My figures however are assuming that nothing exceptional is going to happen so the max is the point beyond which I suspect you will not need more.
Walking the dog in suburbia? 30-200 lumen
Camping site? 1-350 lumen
General in-house use? 1-100 lumen
2 day blackout? 1-350 lumen...
Car breaks down? Flat tire at night? 30-600 lumen
Walking in the woods? 100-600 lumen
EDC? 1-600 lumen... ideally you want as many modes as is practical.
I tend to agree with some of those saying that setting a max is misguided. It's better to have more than enough than not enough. My figures however are assuming that nothing exceptional is going to happen so the max is the point beyond which I suspect you will not need more.
Last edited:
Sukram
Newly Enlightened
We can make a bright light dimmer, but we can't always make a dim light brighter 
degarb
Flashlight Enthusiast
The lumen number depends on the optic. A better question is needed lux, then how much juice you allow your self to spend which then allow you to widen the optic (hotspot and corona). The more electrons you have to spend, the more flood you can afford to buy. Detail vision, is concentrated in the center of vision (say, 15 ish degrees, from my research).
I have concluded 1000 candela (center brightness lux at 1 meter) is minimal for arm length work (I like and need good detail; however, you may be happy with less if you are more interested in movement than detail, contrast and color.). This, 1000 candela, we achieved in 2005 with the lux1 (and good reflector) and a good sized battery source. At double this distance, 4x the lux (called the inverse square law). At triple arm length (rougly 9 foot), 9x this lux, and 16x this lux for 12 foot. Beyond this, yes you can see, but I would not stake my reputation on seeing everything one see's in the daytime.
Personally, I won't mess with lights that cannot produce a steady amount of light for at least 8 hours. By doing this, I can use the lights on a daily basis, and thus, will have them charged and within arms reach in an emergency. For decades I had 1-2 running lights, but every emergency, the batteries were dead, the unit was corroded, or I could not remember where I had them stored. Since the high powered leds hit stores in 2005, and the advent of lights that run 8 hours (you must mod out the batter supply of cheaper 3 AAA lights), I am never without light.
I have concluded 1000 candela (center brightness lux at 1 meter) is minimal for arm length work (I like and need good detail; however, you may be happy with less if you are more interested in movement than detail, contrast and color.). This, 1000 candela, we achieved in 2005 with the lux1 (and good reflector) and a good sized battery source. At double this distance, 4x the lux (called the inverse square law). At triple arm length (rougly 9 foot), 9x this lux, and 16x this lux for 12 foot. Beyond this, yes you can see, but I would not stake my reputation on seeing everything one see's in the daytime.
Personally, I won't mess with lights that cannot produce a steady amount of light for at least 8 hours. By doing this, I can use the lights on a daily basis, and thus, will have them charged and within arms reach in an emergency. For decades I had 1-2 running lights, but every emergency, the batteries were dead, the unit was corroded, or I could not remember where I had them stored. Since the high powered leds hit stores in 2005, and the advent of lights that run 8 hours (you must mod out the batter supply of cheaper 3 AAA lights), I am never without light.
Last edited:
xevious
Flashlight Enthusiast
Re: Lumens and lux
I'm in agreement that any good quality 3-mode (minimum) light with several modes ranging from 10~25 lumens low to 120~200 lumens high will be plenty capable of dealing with all of the scenarios outlined. And if you want to step up a little from there, get a continuously variable light so you can adjust for exactly the amount of light you really need.
I'm in agreement that any good quality 3-mode (minimum) light with several modes ranging from 10~25 lumens low to 120~200 lumens high will be plenty capable of dealing with all of the scenarios outlined. And if you want to step up a little from there, get a continuously variable light so you can adjust for exactly the amount of light you really need.
Sounds like the Eagletac G25C2-mkII with the flip-up diffuser is right up your alley.
XM-L2 emitter, close to 1000 lumen output. 20,000cd for throw, flip the diffuser down and you've got a nice area flood. Decent mode spacing from ~7 lumens to almost 1000.
Max
degarb
Flashlight Enthusiast
I've just got a Thrunite TN12, the lowest setting of 0.3lm is just about right for me, when trying to get to the toilet in the middle of the night without fully waking yourself up. LOL
It's other outputs of 20,280,800 and 1050 seem to cover everything else that I need a torch for.
It's other outputs of 20,280,800 and 1050 seem to cover everything else that I need a torch for.
ForrestChump
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2014
- Messages
- 3,097
More.
bright star
Newly Enlightened
I find 10 to 700 lumens more than covers;s everything. That being said i have 2900 lumen;s on standby, You know just in case. 
Walking the dog in suburbia?
-around 100-200 if it,s well focused.
Camping site? around 2 -15, max 15 if its a floody one. Dont want high lux to screw my (or other pepoles) night adapted eyes too much.
General in-house use?
-Plenty. Got all this ambient light at home to overcome, and no nightvision is needed later.
2 day blackout?
-Live in the arctic, so use candles, will also help with heating. In summer we got the sun up 24h a day so it wont turn dark anyway. In my 36 years, the longest blackout i have seen was 12 hours, so i have yet to experience a 2 day one
Car breaks down? Flat tire at night?
-A lot, More is better. Not to see what im doing, but for the other cars to see me sitting next to the car. And if i need a light, it means its a time of the year when it's cold outside, so it's nice to have a bright "handwarmer".
Walking in the woods?
-same as camping. Prefer my night adapted eyes over any light. So the light is used only to light up my steps right in front of me.
It lets me see waypoints like mountaintops etc kilometers away. If you play around with tousands of lumens, you will only see whats in your "small" bubble of light. In general if im outdoors for a long period, less is more. My two worst walks down from a mounitian was when i only had a one mode 50K lux handheld, and once a friend of mine had a 2000 lumen one, with bad pwm on the low modes. So had to choose between pest or cholera...
EDC?
0,1 - 100, (aaa keychain lights)
-around 100-200 if it,s well focused.
Camping site? around 2 -15, max 15 if its a floody one. Dont want high lux to screw my (or other pepoles) night adapted eyes too much.
General in-house use?
-Plenty. Got all this ambient light at home to overcome, and no nightvision is needed later.
2 day blackout?
-Live in the arctic, so use candles, will also help with heating. In summer we got the sun up 24h a day so it wont turn dark anyway. In my 36 years, the longest blackout i have seen was 12 hours, so i have yet to experience a 2 day one
Car breaks down? Flat tire at night?
-A lot, More is better. Not to see what im doing, but for the other cars to see me sitting next to the car. And if i need a light, it means its a time of the year when it's cold outside, so it's nice to have a bright "handwarmer".
Walking in the woods?
-same as camping. Prefer my night adapted eyes over any light. So the light is used only to light up my steps right in front of me.
It lets me see waypoints like mountaintops etc kilometers away. If you play around with tousands of lumens, you will only see whats in your "small" bubble of light. In general if im outdoors for a long period, less is more. My two worst walks down from a mounitian was when i only had a one mode 50K lux handheld, and once a friend of mine had a 2000 lumen one, with bad pwm on the low modes. So had to choose between pest or cholera...
EDC?
0,1 - 100, (aaa keychain lights)
JerryM
Flashlight Enthusiast
25 to 200 outside each night going to the barn or to my truck, 1000 or more when I hear or think I hear critters in the night.
Living out in the sticks I want to see more then just eye reflections I wanna see what those eyes are on at 100 yards.
I've had power outages for days so I have many forms of light besides rechargeable, and oil lamps with mantles also produce heat.
Living out in the sticks I want to see more then just eye reflections I wanna see what those eyes are on at 100 yards.
I've had power outages for days so I have many forms of light besides rechargeable, and oil lamps with mantles also produce heat.
recDNA
Flashaholic
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
- Messages
- 8,761
For a floody light I like close to 1000. For a focused beam I like 500.
Anybodysguess
Newly Enlightened
I have a fenix E41 floody with a hot spot for throw, 1000 Lumens on Turbo.
I have found this sufficient for anything I have wanted to do, reaches as far as you want it to for all normal situations, nice flood for closer. Its low is only 20, but I have a 5 lumen capable (still not quite low enough) floody edc (Olight oPen) that I use when I need less.
I have found this sufficient for anything I have wanted to do, reaches as far as you want it to for all normal situations, nice flood for closer. Its low is only 20, but I have a 5 lumen capable (still not quite low enough) floody edc (Olight oPen) that I use when I need less.
wjv
Enlightened
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2012
- Messages
- 962
I live in a semi-rural area (1 acre lots)
When I walk my dog I'll use between 20-50 lumens depending on the flashlight (LD22 @50 lumens, LD50 @25 lumens)
Inside the house it's typically 25 lumens or less.
Power outage - 10-50 lumens depending on the size of the room.
Our "house lights" are a 50 lumen MagLite (3xAAA) and a couple Fenix LD22s (3, 50, 105, 215 lumens)
Camp site 50-200 lumens depending on activity
Inside lava tubes 100-200 lumens with a floody beam
Walking in the woods 100-300 depending on environment, density of trees and such.
Reading a menu in a dark restaurant 1-5 lumens
Reading a book @ home or in the camper 30-50 lumens - floody
EDC is my Spark SG5 (1, 8, 40, 110, 280 lumens) and is a pseudo mule. The reflector is dull grey, not silver/chrome.
Have several lights with more lumens (i.e. 1,800 lumen LD50), but have not yet found an actually legitimate use for the higher setting other than "just having fun". . If I worked in search & rescue or as a cop I could see actually needing a light with 800+ lumens.
When I walk my dog I'll use between 20-50 lumens depending on the flashlight (LD22 @50 lumens, LD50 @25 lumens)
Inside the house it's typically 25 lumens or less.
Power outage - 10-50 lumens depending on the size of the room.
Our "house lights" are a 50 lumen MagLite (3xAAA) and a couple Fenix LD22s (3, 50, 105, 215 lumens)
Camp site 50-200 lumens depending on activity
Inside lava tubes 100-200 lumens with a floody beam
Walking in the woods 100-300 depending on environment, density of trees and such.
Reading a menu in a dark restaurant 1-5 lumens
Reading a book @ home or in the camper 30-50 lumens - floody
EDC is my Spark SG5 (1, 8, 40, 110, 280 lumens) and is a pseudo mule. The reflector is dull grey, not silver/chrome.
Have several lights with more lumens (i.e. 1,800 lumen LD50), but have not yet found an actually legitimate use for the higher setting other than "just having fun". . If I worked in search & rescue or as a cop I could see actually needing a light with 800+ lumens.
Last edited:
