Are you flood or throw?

Im kinda drawn to throw but am interested in owning a flood light, what do you prefer and what benefits do flood have over throw in terms of real world use.

Or is throw better ?

I tend to get a kick out of seeing how far a light can beam

It really depends on the use. This is why I have lights with a lot of throw, lights with mostly flood and many in between.

I prefer flood or wide spots for indoor use where even illumination of close areas benefits not blinding yourself with a bright spot being reflected back at you or only seeing a small dot.

Outdoors a prefer medium to long throwing lights as they let you reach out there and see things at a distance.

The one light I've not found particular use for are throwers with little to no side spill. These may benefit in certain situations like boating or long distance spotting. For my uses I prefer side spill to illuminate the area close by me while being able to reach out further (mostly trails, beach, etc).

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond said:

It really depends on the use. This is why I have lights with a lot of throw, lights with mostly flood and many in between.

I prefer flood or wide spots for indoor use where even illumination of close areas benefits not blinding yourself with a bright spot being reflected back at you or only seeing a small dot.

Outdoors a prefer medium to long throwing lights as they let you reach out there and see things at a distance.

The one light I've not found particular use for are throwers with little to no side spill. These may benefit in certain situations like boating or long distance spotting. For my uses I prefer side spill to illuminate the area close by me while being able to reach out further (mostly trails, beach, etc).

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I think this is kinda what im looking for!

What lights would be good for this, im looking at the Nitecore TM16GT would this be a good choice or are there better out there?

Thanks

Go with a light that has both,the Niwalker MM18,but it's not a small light.

I have all the bases covered but i find flood far more useful, flood with reach down to sheer output is a winner for me.......................

A great combination is my favorite.

But I do like the pencil beam for some uses. Especially in lights that throw without a bunch of lumens. You get that distance covered while your night adapted vision stays intact for close up conditions while moving from point A to B. Great for wide open areas like the beach or a vast field without close objects that cause that reflected pencil beam to poke you in the eye.

As stated the flooder is great for close up work and when walking in crowded conditions like dark urban areas or woods.

But the combo of reflectors by Malkoff and PK to name a couple give you pretty good throw with a spill that illuminates your peripherals.
I think the Malkoff M61NL offers the best throw and spill combo while providing a less than harsh tint than pure white with enough cool to appear brighter than a warm.
The 'lack' of lumens keeps self blinding to a minimum while having a spot that throws far enough for most conditions.

I have no need to see small stuff far away. I need to have my immediate environs all lit up. Flood, for me. The TN36UTvn is the bees knees, for me, in the power flooder department.

I would like to add a nice thrower to my collection, but the money that I set aside for a very heavy, very large head diameter light with less lumens ends up being spent on yet another flooder.

I think the TN40 or TM16 would make a nice power thrower.

Mid-weight thrower: M43 Meteor XP-G2 dedomed should fit the bill.

Flashlights are like rifle cartridges. Up front shut down power versus long range. To get both, a heavier cartridge is needed.

Skeeterg said:

Go with a light that has both,the Niwalker MM18,but it's not a small light.

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Thanks this light looks amazing!

I can understand the appeal of a super thrower, but in reality can you make out something in daylight 300m away? Sure you can see it, but man or woman? goodie or baddy? Well I can't, so I'd rather have something that throws, but gives nice spill. I walk my dogs with a Malkoff Hound Dog, it shows me what's ahead and lights the ground where I'm going to tread. Try it with a pencil beam and you'll tread in a lot of poop, unless of course you scoop.
P

Edit: by the look of your other threads, you are looking for a monster. Forget I spoke.

outofthedarkness said:

I think this is kinda what im looking for!

What lights would be good for this, im looking at the Nitecore TM16GT would this be a good choice or are there better out there?

Thanks

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I don't have any Nitecore lights at the moment but I'll give you a few I have for each situation:

Indoor flood:
Tri-EDC (any maker - but I prefer a programmable driver like the DrJone lucidrv2) style light with 3 x LEDs and a frosted narrow Carclo optic.
HDS Rotary
Small AAA light - LF2XT and Prometheus Beta ZR v2

Medium throw:
HDS Rotary (get's bright enough to be useful outdoors as well as in)
Zebralight SC600 MkIII HI

Long throw:
EagleTac MX30L3 - XHP50 based light.

As I was thinking about what I have I realize that I don't have much in the outdoor thrower range. I don't need it that frequently that one good light fits the bill. I have a FireFoxes4 HID which amazing throw but isn't very practical for day to day use - really fun light though.

If you are looking at the TM16GT I would seriously recommend you check out Vinh 54's light here: http://skylumen.com/collections/v54-lights?page=1. I've had the Acebeam K60 and it's a heck of a light - just a bit large for me to carry around so I let it go.

Overal the beam from a malkoff M61 about does it. A mix of flood with some throw. Dang. I am such a junkie.

I prefer flood
Well most of the time i don't need to look very far
I use very powerful flooder (2000+ lm) and it just light up everything close to me but it still powerful enough to light up in a nice distance+ in the distance the hotspot is so big it light up very large are so i don't see in the distance just a small dot
It's prefect for riding my bike in very dark places

But i am planing to buy new flashlight and it might be a powerful thrower (i want a amll sigle 18650 light a new edc headlamp or a thrower and i have to choose )

I have only one "thrower" (cigar shaped light) and hardly ever use it since I don't use lights outside that much. I don't like the intense hotspot of this light for indoor, general useage.
I have lights with good throw/spill combo for indoors (I love my Zebralight SC5w) and like this combo but always wondered about flood lights and I still don't like hotspots in general.
I "recently" got an Armytek and Zebralight flood headlamp and love the use indoors and for close range outdoors. But when I head something in the dark that I want to see, these headlamps just don't really cut it.

I usually prefer just carrying one light so kinda torn. Flood is just so nice for 99% of my usage..but nice to be able to have light that reaches far for those 1%...

Probably gonna have to be flood for me. I like triples or quads you can fit in your pocket. Most of my light usage is task oriented stuff. But, I do have some throwers. They are the most "fun" if you will. Not to mention, they seem to really impress non flashlight people.

For me it's flood also. I bought a few throwers in the past, but since I use flashlights for close range/indoor use for over 95% of the time, they quickly prove to be 'useless'... As in easily being blinded by the tiny, bright hotspot.

My latest purchases were : Fenix TK35 UE, E35 UE and FD40, all floody lights, and I love them to bits as they fit my needs perfectly.

Throwers for me. My usage is 90% outdoors and half of that is long range. K70, TN32UT or T6 ( all vn). For something pocketable, vn in S200C2, TX25C or SDmini.

If I need a flooder for close up stuff, the PT16/18 (vn) triples are great, or the Manker E14 quad with Nichias. If I need light on a large area outside then I use the sun.

I was initially all revved up for the idea of throw and was going to make purchases based on the interest in wielding a hundred meter light saber outdoors.

But after speaking with a zebralight employee and being asked a number of questions about my real uses, I realized that a floody light was more useful. Walking in the woods, taking the dogs for a walk at dusk, reading in a tent or reading when my wife is sleeping are much better suited for my frosted lens zebralight.

I also bought an SC600 HI for when I want to pinpoint exactly where that skunk is or to see exactly what kind of owl is up that tree and for spotting things at the outer reaches of my failing eyesight.

I know the HI isn't a super powered throw light like larger and more dedicated lights but it suits me for the smaller percentage of time I want a more focused beam. For the majority of the time I'll enjoy my floody light.

We used to own a stable full of flooders and throwers, but the Acebeam K60 changed all that.

The K60 is used for everything except EDC.

All my lights are floody, less than 100m, except my Mag-lite which punches its massive 30 lumens is over 200m...but I have difficulty making out in great detail anything smaller than a human at that range.

I sadly have been a thrower
but life tells me I need to be a lantern