Using more light than is necessary

I've been using Fenix lights for about 12 months now. Most of the time, what I use a light for can be done on low mode, but I find myself using high mode more and more, especially as the AA lights now have rechargeables. I just can't explain it. The other night, I was navigating around the house with a TK10 on max.

Does anyone else do this or is everyone sensible and just use the appropriate light level for the task at hand.

What others have referred to in the past as "light culture" is an interesting difference among people. I find it even more interesting that your preference has actually changed over time for the same application. I have always been a "use just enough light" type with my flashlights and still remain so. Then again, I also don't like to blast my music either. Maybe it's all related.

I think about 99% of us here are guilty of that. If you think about it, everyone got along fine for a good 100 years or so with just 5-10 lumens of a dim yellow incan, and last I checked nighttime hasn't gotten significantly darker recently :candle:


And when using rechargeables, you have guilt-free lumens. You don't feel bad about using the light on max because you aren't wasting any batteries. Just pop them on the charger for a couple hours and you're good to go again.


Guilt-free lumens is indeed great!

I typically use my Fenix L2D Q5 on low. :shrug:

Marduke said:

Guilt-free lumens is indeed great!

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Ah, I forgot about the guilt free lumens. I may stick to using "just enough light" most of the time in terms of brightness, but I have no qualms about using my lights a lot or leaving them on a long time since I use rechargeables. I'm definitely "guilty" of using my lights in situations where it might not necessary (anyone else take a shower with just the light from their flashlight, instead of turning on the room lights?) :naughty:

If you wake up in the middle of the night with bleary eyes, I doubt you will want to use the brightest setting on your light for navigating around the house. Our pupils are able to function with incredibly large amounts of lumens (sunlight) as well as relatively low amounts (.01 lumens in a completely dark room). But I have noticed that my eyes are more greedy for light right at dusk and if I have just left my computer or a well lit room. However, it is the opposite if I have night adapted eyes, or have just woken up.

OceanView said:

Ah, I forgot about the guilt free lumens. I may stick to using "just enough light" most of the time in terms of brightness, but I have no qualms about using my lights a lot or leaving them on a long time since I use rechargeables. I'm definitely "guilty" of using my lights in situations where it might not necessary (anyone else take a shower with just the light from their flashlight, instead of turning on the room lights?) :naughty:

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I am guilty of doing that. In fact, I just got some RCR123As in for my Peak Rainier, so maybe I'll do it right now!

I agree with the poster two posts above. If I have to navigate at night, I use my trusty ARC because it puts out a small amount of light for a long time, but with night adapted eyes, its easy to see clearly. During the day, I use my dexlight(running on rechargeable AA) on high for dark places. My strongest light that runs on CR123A primaries is only used for lowlight situations outdoors, and it is used sparingly. So yes I am guilty of it, but I am working on not becoming addicted to it!

Marduke said:

I think about 99% of us here are guilty of that. If you think about it, everyone got along fine for a good 100 years or so with just 5-10 lumens of a dim yellow incan, and last I checked nighttime hasn't gotten significantly darker recently :candle:


And when using rechargeables, you have guilt-free lumens. You don't feel bad about using the light on max because you aren't wasting any batteries. Just pop them on the charger for a couple hours and you're good to go again.


Guilt-free lumens is indeed great!

Click to expand...

I'm guilty....

I was going to say pretty much everything Marduke said, but he already said it. Instead I'll just say

Ditto!

How ever many lumens I think I need for a task, I'll triple it.

Guilty, but proud of it!:nana:……. I a mean no I never use more then is needed, why would you think that?

Sometimes but not usually. My Surefire Kroma is probably my most used light as it's the one on my nightstand and accompanies me around the house at night. I like it because it doesn't mess with my night vision and doesn't wake the wife which is key to survival.

However I have a question (probably a dumb question that I already know the answer to but anyway)

So, how many of you fore go turning on a light in the house just so you can use one of your flashlights instead? I do it all the time as it gives me an excuse to use them. We don't need no stinkin house lights.

hmmmm, if the sun isnt overkill in the day time to "get around by"
then 100-200+ lumens at night actually seems to little...

Crenshaw

umc said:

However I have a question (probably a dumb question that I already know the answer to but anyway)

So, how many of you fore go turning on a light in the house just so you can use one of your flashlights instead? I do it all the time as it gives me an excuse to use them. We don't need no stinkin house lights.

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Guilty :duck:

I like to think I'm saving power by not turning on all the light fixtures. It also saves some stumbling around the house looking for that lightswitch in a dark room. With your flashlight, your entire journey is illuminated :candle:

MORE is BETTER! Unless, I've just opened my eyes after a good nights sleep. Then I use moderation.

Crenshaw said:

hmmmm, if the sun isnt overkill in the day time to "get around by"
then 100-200+ lumens at night actually seems to little...

Crenshaw

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Yes! Some of the best logic ive ever heard!

Wise man say using too much light in bedroom at night waking up wife cause sleeping in living room.

lyrrag

I rarely use primaries, only in my Novatac and Milky L1 which both have sufficient efficiency so that I worry not about wasting batteries/money.

If I was camping and hiking, or perhaps a blackout condition where future situation is unknown, then I'd think twice. But most of the time, it's just so much fun to blast away.

I use my P7 Mag around the house. Once you start, you can't stop.

My family blasts around the house with my 120T(no matter how many times I try to show them how to "click"), however, even with RCR's, I like to use just enough lumens to get by. My current edc (lunaSol) has a floody beam at the lower level, so I'm "forced" to use less lumens due to having a better close up beam at my disposal. I do love having the floody low on, then use the Q4 when i need some punch!

Mayo

I always thought I was guilty of this - my only multimode flashlight (if you don't count the IQ switch; it's only occasionally attached) is a Jetbeam, and it spends its life on high, except when it's on low for not waking people up.

I always thought more was better, until I got a Surefire 6P - at which point I was satisfied. And a ROP, at which point I couldn't actually hold the light to use it close-up, so it didn't matter. And a Malkoff, at which point I was quite capable of blinding myself from retinal pigment depletion.

And really, that's the only actual limiting factor.