You guys must be sick and tired of these newbe questions
If we were, then we wouldn't bother answering them.
When I started a few years ago ,the standard in my industry was the Stremlight ultrastinger,270 lumens I think ...I really like the light.....but have become confused with alot of new terms that I am hearing about...throw ...flood.
"Throw" is how far the brightest portion of a flashlight's beam (the "hotspot" if there is one) can "reach out" to provide a usable level of illumination; it is based on light intensity per area/angle. Flood or floodiness generally refers to the width of an area (measured numerically as an angle) the beam illuminates; if the beam has a dimmer area around the hotspot, then the outer portion of the beam is specifically called the "spill," and floodiness could then refer more specifically to how wide the hotspot is instead (the wider the hotspot, the floodier the beam).
More simply put, throw is all about distance, while flood is for a wider, more even spread of light (usually for close-up work). Flashlight beams can have one or both of these qualities, depending on their patterns. For reference, your UltraStinger is definitely more of a thrower than a flooder.
I actually heard of a home inspector recommending a fenix that had 600-or 700 lumens and was a little light (compared to my ultrastinger)Is it possible for such a little light to put out that much ?
Yes, because modern "power LED" emitters are far more efficient than the incandescent bulb used in the UltraStinger. On the other hand, it is difficult for a more compact flashlight--especially one that uses an LED--to throw as far as the UltraStinger (incandescents have an advantage in throw due to smaller emitter size and higher surface brightness). Its total output may be far greater, but the hotspot is so spread out (floodier) that it doesn't necessarily reach as far, at least with the same level of intensity.
My main question for you is: do you need the hotspot to be as intense as that of the UltraStinger? (i.e. does the new flashlight have to match it in throw?) Imagine a greater amount of light that is spread out so that it's significantly less intense at the center. Would this be better or worse overall?
When I started my search a few years ago the ultra stinger was a pretty bright light...but now I am wondering if there is something beter out there ...brighter?? more compact??.
Brighter and more compact with similar or greater runtime is easy to achieve these days with LEDs, but achieving equal or greater throw would probably take a flashlight of similar size (at least the head diameter).
I need to be able to have a strong long beam as mentioned earlier but a light that would illuminate an area would be benificial as well. I dont mind a "bigger" light like I have now but if a smaller light would fit the bill that would be great. I like some of the features out there now like 3 modes of operation to cut down on battery life etc.... I want rechargable batteries , preferably with some kind of rapid car charger as my stinger is only good for 60 mins. I would be good up to 150.00-175.00...Thanks to all that will considergoing here again....
Let's look at some examples to give you an idea of what's available.
First up is the Fenix TK41, which outputs about 800 lumens for about 2 hours, and is slightly shorter but fatter than the UltraStinger. I've gone conservative with this option in that it throws even farther than the UltraStinger, in case you need that (you couldn't complain, anyway
). Its main drawback is that it takes eight AA NiMH rechargeable cells, which makes it cumbersome to recharge.
Then there is the larger (5.5" longer) Fenix TK60, which is very similar except for its size and the fact that it takes four D cells, which should give it significantly greater runtime (if you use real, full-capacity NiMH D cells).
On the other hand, if you want something more compact there is the Fenix TK35, which is a couple of inches shorter than the TK41 and has a slightly smaller head. Its total output is similar at 820 lumens, but runtime is shorter at an hour and a half, and its hotspot is more spread out and less intense, even than the UltraStinger's, which trades off some throw (only 6% less than the UltraStinger, though) for a much wider, floodier hotspot. This flashlight uses either four CR123A primary cells or two 18650 Li-ion rechargeables, which take some knowledge and care to use safely.
So what do you think?