Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in Histor

[I'VE CORRECTED THE LIST NOW] Hello folks! This is my first post on Cpf, lovecpfso I thought what a good way to introduce myself with a little contribution in Flashlight history. I've been compiling a list of many 'Firsts' in the flashlight world.. as you can see I am indeed a flashoholic! Enjoy the list and please feel free to add more innovations and pass it around!

First Flashlight invented - 1898 in USA Joshua Lionel Cowen (non LED of course!)
First forward Clicky flashlight - Maglite C,D cells in 1979:laughing:
First High flux LED mass marketed light - Arc LS in 2001
First programmable light - Eternalight
First flashlight using TIR (total internal refraction) lens - First Surefire TIR was the KL1 head, first TIR light.. Arc LS with the NX05 optic.
First dual stage switching LED light - Surefire L1.. press for low beam.. press further for high beam. Best UI ever!
First Carbon Fiber body flashight - Inova Inforce (I never thought it would be possible!)
First high flux colored LED flashlight - Surefire Kroma
First orange peel reflector used - Surefire 6P
First light to utilize two-way clip - Surefire Backup (can be carried bezel up or down)
First Flashlight to use CR123 batteries - Surefire 6P original
First light to use crenelated strike bezel - Surefire M6

First infinitely variable output, twist-action light - Surefire Titan IIRC the TITAN prototype was first
First multi-level mass-market LED light? - Photon Microlight 3 LRI industries
First twist to turn on/off, light - Maglite mini
First flashlight to adjust output by twisting selector ring - Surefire U2
First White LED keychain light? - Photon Microlight?
First flashlight to use current regulation - HDS Systems 1998 (though was only 15 lumens regulated!
First flashlight to use AR lens coating - Arc LS
First flashlight to use HA-III coating - Surefire
First light using diamond knurling - Surefire
First AA LED Flashlight - Turtlelite 1 in year 2000
First HIGH Flux AA LED Flashlight - Arc LS
First Focusable Flashlight - Wing Star 2 Cell Chrome 3 Color in 1958 (non LED of course!)

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

Welcome to CPF, Zdenka.

Interesting first post - I expect there will some replies listing other flashlight "firsts", and maybe others correcting any mistakes you may have made.

I'll move it to General Flashlight Discussion.

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

First infinitely variable twist-action light - Surefire Titan
wasn't the Gatlight first? not sure...

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

First high flux LED powered by 1xAA - Fenix L1

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

I'm sure the Gatlight had that kind of interface before SF Titan did.

Wouldn't the Arc LS with the NX05 also be the first to use a TIR optic? It's also only the first mass produced light to use High power LEDs. I remember there being other lights to use LEDs before Arc LS.

The Novatac P is for sure not the first programmable light.
It'd either be one of Mr. Bulk's lights or the Arc4.

The Indium Smart was the first light programmable via USB and to feature a USB port.

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

Welcome :wave:

Some corrections, AFAIK:



First LED mass marketed light - Arc LS in 2001 No, there were LED lights before. The LS was the first "high power" LED light
First programmable light - Novatac P series No ... there were others before. There was the Arc4, but maybe there were even earlier ones.
First light to use TIR lens - Surefire L2 (total internal reflective lens) The SF L2 uses a refelctor. The first SF TIR was the KL1 head, but the first TIR light I remember was indeed the Arc LS with the NX05 optic.
First dual stage switching LED light - Surefire L2.. press for low beam.. press further for high beam. Best UI ever! That would be the SF L1.
First Multi-colored LED light - Surefire Kroma There have been other before that, but not of that quality.
First flashlight to use CR123 batteries - Surefire M series... or was it HDS systems, somebody help! :idea: SF 6P original
First light to use crenelated strike bezel - Surefire M5 This light does not exist. It is Size15's dream :nana:
First 200 Lumen led for use in flashlight - achieved by Cree industry or Seoul? INvalid question, as there is no "200lm LED" per se. We on CPF had lights of that brightness years ago (LuxV lights), but not with the efficacy of the current LEDs of course
First infinitely variable twist-action light - Surefire Titan IIRC the TITAN prototype was first, but the Gatlight was produced earlier. I could be wrong though.
First multi-output LED light? - Photon Microlight 3 LRI industries I highly doubt that, but can't prove it.
First light to adjust output by twisting bezel - Surefire U2 The U2 adjusts the output with a magnetic selector ring, not sith a bezel twist.
First LED keychain light? - Photon Microlight No.
First light to use regulation - HDS Systems 1998 (though was only 15 lumens regulated! :lol: ) No. Even the Arc LS used constant current regulation. The LS was one hell of a pioneer light.
First light to use anti-reflective lens coating - Arc LS No.
First light to use HA-III coating - HDS Systems 1998 No. Surefire *should* get that trophy, but that is an educated guess.
First light using diamond knurling - Arc LS SF.


Although I rthink the single most innovative company is SureFire. They have the biggest R&D of the industry, and their prototypes are amazing. They are the tech leaders of the industry by far, the only "little" problem is that they are terrible when it comes to actually produce the cool stuff.

bernie

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

Was maglite or streamlight the first for anything?

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

Kiessling said:

Welcome :wave:

Some corrections, AFAIK:

Click to expand...

hahah! :nana: Thanks for the correction Kiessling, I seem to have mostly mixed up Surefires and Arc Ls.. I better do some more research, then! Yes, it's nice to join CPF!! hello everyone!

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

First forward clicky light - might be an Eveready back in 80's! :lol: ----Clickie tailcap was intro'd on Streamlight's Scorpion in 1994-ish, though Laser Devices (NOT SF-Laser Products) may have had a model, they designed the Scorpion for SL.
First LED mass marketed light - Arc LS in 2001 --There were junky LED based lights available for several years before the ARC.
First programmable light - Novatac P series --? Not sure about this one.
First light to use TIR lens - Surefire L2 (total internal reflective lens)--I believe Inova's TIROS pre-dates SF's use of a "TIR"
First dual stage switching LED light - Surefire L2.. press for low beam.. press further for high beam. Best UI ever!--SF's L1
First Carbon Fiber body light - Inova Inforce (I never thought it would be possible!)--Yup, but it isn't really "carbon fiber." It's more of a composite.
First Multi-colored LED light - Surefire Kroma--Nope. There were several multi-colored lights available, but SF's was the first from a premium company.
First orange peel reflector used - Surefire 6P--OP reflectors date back decades.
First light to utilize two-way clip - Surefire Backup (can be carried bezel up or down)--Nope. Streamlight intro'd a clip on the Scorpion Model in the late 90's.
First flashlight to use CR123 batteries - Surefire M series... or was it HDS systems, somebody help! :idea: --Surefire's 6C.
First light to use crenelated strike bezel - Surefire M5--Probably true, and it started a yucky trend....
First 200 Lumen led for use in flashlight - achieved by Cree industry or Seoul?--Odd question, but the Lux V's were hitting that a few years ago.
First infinitely variable twist-action light - Surefire Titan--? Not sure.
First multi-output LED light? - Photon Microlight 3 LRI industries--Possibly...
First twist to turn on/off, light - Maglite mini.. maybe?--Maglite's AA or Teknalite produced several models, but not sure if they pre-dated the Mag.
First light to adjust output by twisting bezel - Surefire U2--Nope, not the U2. Not sure. I *think* Bison Sportlight may have had a model that did this, but was sued out of business by Maglite (Bisonlight was started by one of Maglica's sons).
First LED keychain light? - Photon Microlight--No way. They've been available years before the Photon, though they were instrumental with refining the genre past a "gas station" keychain light.
First light to use regulation - HDS Systems 1998 (though was only 15 lumens regulated! :lol: )--Tough one. Not sure.
First light to use anti-reflective lens coating - Arc LS--Nope, been used before the ARC.
First light to use HA-III coating - HDS Systems 1998--SF's HAIII may have pre-dated the HDS. Not sure when the M-series SF's were intro'd, but they were the first SF's to use HAIII coatings.
First light using diamond knurling - Arc LS--Diamond knurling has been around since the late 60's, and was used on the Kel-Lites (the first "modern" duty light).

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

american lockpicker said:

Was maglite or streamlight the first for anything?

Click to expand...

I think Maglite was the first good flashlight back then. Type II anodise, focussing system, reliable and tough.

bernie

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

hello everyone! I've now made the necessary corrections on my first post, so please take a look! :twothumbs Kiessling, you seem to know a lot about the flashlight industry, do you by any chance work in one? Anyways, I digged deeper and I found out the first high flux LED light to use regulation was indeed by HDS systems. Here's a link to it's website: http://ralights.com/index.php?id=Pioneer

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

It wasn't HDS, it was the ARC LS. HDS used a clusrter of 5mm back then.

I don't work in the industry, I am a doctor. I have been here for a long time and just regurgutate what I have learned on this site. I joined when the ARC LS was rather new

bernie

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

I think the Fenix L1T might have been one of the earlier lights to change modes by twisting the bezel (not a selector ring).

What about the first AA powered high power LED light?

I think the person who started HDS was also a part of ARC a while back, so he had a hand in that light.

You can also check out the Flashlight Museum.

:welcome:

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

Here's a line of lights that were programmable, multi-level and trhey even had a multi-color light that predates the Kroma and all the other fancy-shmancy lights you named:

Eternalights.

One example:

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

The Eternalights look very interesting! Are they using the high-flux colored LED such as those used in Kroma, as that's what I was describing. Okay, I've modded my first post to reflect the 'programmable section'

Gunner12 said:

What about the first AA powered high power LED light?

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Well I have found the first AA LED light is the Turtle 1 http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/turtle.htm

The Led museum has a lot of neat information on the earlier LED flashlights!

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

Good thread. It brings back memories. I had forgotten about some of Arc's firsts while I almost come to expect it from Surefire.

I think this one is still missing from the master list:
First infinitely variable twist-action light
Either Gatlight or the Spy, I can't remember which was first.

The Eternalight always reminded me of a garage door opener....

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

The Spy had 6 defined levels, so I think the Gatlight might take the prize for the first infinitely variable twist light.

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

What about the first programmable infinitely variable light - NiteCore Defender Infinity

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

Marduke said:

What about the first programmable infinitely variable light - NiteCore Defender Infinity

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Well, I think if I started to list flashlights which are a combination of features, then the list would suddenly get very big, because you can get many combination of features from my list! Eg... The First 2xAAA light with a forward clicky, that uses 2 LED and emits over 45 Lumens, and is HA-II coating.

The list would then be too Trivial :nana: So I figured I shall stick to the innovative basic features.

Re: Most Innovative Flashlight Companies in History

Zdenka said:

...HA-II coating. ...

Click to expand...

No Such Thing! HA II doesn't exist. HA means hard anodizing, which is type III anodizing. Type II anodizing, which most lights like Maglite have, is just type II. People see HA III and automatically think that HA stands for anodizing. It doesn't! It stands for HARD Anodizing (hence the H).

Sorry, one of my pet peeves, similar to the alarming amount of people who refer to spill as flood. Spill is the light around the hotspot. Flood is a type of beam, a beam pattern.

What about first first light turned on a lathe, first plastic bodied light?

Many of the earlier lights have a lens, so maybe a "first light with a lens"?