I've been carrying an Armytek Wizard Pro XM-L2 (Warm) for several years now. Recently however I lost it, so now it needs to be replaced. I'm convinced I lost it because the pocket clip would loosen over time and need to be bent back to securely grab my pants pocket.
I really liked its low at 0.5lm but mostly used it at ~250lm. Occasionally I would use the Max mode at 1200lm. Often enough that I might miss a super-bright mode. I liked the headlamp features but would typically not have the headlamp band convenient so would end up holding the clip in my mouth/on my collar/or making use of the rotating clip and flat bottom to get the lamp pointed where I needed it.
I've still got my charger and spare 18650 battery, so probably want to stick with that. I also liked the flashing button. It allowed me to find my flashlight after dropping it plenty of times. And once allowed me to recover it after it fell out of my pocket before. Of course this time, I'm pretty sure it got buried in the mud and will not be found again.
I've not kept up with flashlight news since late 2013, when I bought this, so all my knowledge is out of date and I'm looking for recommendations from more knowledge people.
My questionnaire:
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
____This will be mail-order or Online (location doesn't matter).
2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
____Up to $200.
3) Format:
____I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).
4) Size:
____TINY - Every day carry (2-4 inches).
5) Emitter/Light source:
____LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
6) Manufacturer:
____I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
7) What power source do you want to use?
____I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18650).
7a) If you have selected a rechargeable option
____I want a separate/stand-alone charger (this involves removing the batteries to charge)
8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is not a happy experience).
____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (1-10 lumens).
____I want search and rescue type illumination (800+ lumens).
_√__SPECIAL NOTE: Burst/Turbo mode Category - There are several lights that will run at a super bright maximum for a very limited period (usually 5-10 minutes) and then will "step-down" to a lower level for thermal control. Check here if this is acceptable.
9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.
____Wide Flood: I want a defined flood area for semi-close tasks like after-dark campsite tasks or working on a car.
____Narrow Flood: I want a sharply defined flood area that will project some distance for tasks like trail walking.
____Wide Throw: I want a beam with a noticeable hot-center for distance throw and a significant amount of "side-spill". Good for rough trail hiking, search and rescue, and general distance work.
9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
____Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
____30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous output).
____90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.
____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):
____Any size switch will do.
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
____I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
14)Material/Finish/Coating
____I don't care.
15) Water resistance
____IPX4 (Splash resistant)
____IPX7 (Waterproof to 1 meter/30min)
16) Storage conditions
____Other_____My pocket____________________________________ ____
17) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any/all below.
____Pocket/belt clip
I really liked its low at 0.5lm but mostly used it at ~250lm. Occasionally I would use the Max mode at 1200lm. Often enough that I might miss a super-bright mode. I liked the headlamp features but would typically not have the headlamp band convenient so would end up holding the clip in my mouth/on my collar/or making use of the rotating clip and flat bottom to get the lamp pointed where I needed it.
I've still got my charger and spare 18650 battery, so probably want to stick with that. I also liked the flashing button. It allowed me to find my flashlight after dropping it plenty of times. And once allowed me to recover it after it fell out of my pocket before. Of course this time, I'm pretty sure it got buried in the mud and will not be found again.
I've not kept up with flashlight news since late 2013, when I bought this, so all my knowledge is out of date and I'm looking for recommendations from more knowledge people.
My questionnaire:
1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
____This will be mail-order or Online (location doesn't matter).
2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
____Up to $200.
3) Format:
____I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).
4) Size:
____TINY - Every day carry (2-4 inches).
5) Emitter/Light source:
____LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
6) Manufacturer:
____I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
7) What power source do you want to use?
____I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18650).
7a) If you have selected a rechargeable option
____I want a separate/stand-alone charger (this involves removing the batteries to charge)
8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is not a happy experience).
____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (1-10 lumens).
____I want search and rescue type illumination (800+ lumens).
_√__SPECIAL NOTE: Burst/Turbo mode Category - There are several lights that will run at a super bright maximum for a very limited period (usually 5-10 minutes) and then will "step-down" to a lower level for thermal control. Check here if this is acceptable.
9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.
____Wide Flood: I want a defined flood area for semi-close tasks like after-dark campsite tasks or working on a car.
____Narrow Flood: I want a sharply defined flood area that will project some distance for tasks like trail walking.
____Wide Throw: I want a beam with a noticeable hot-center for distance throw and a significant amount of "side-spill". Good for rough trail hiking, search and rescue, and general distance work.
9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
____Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
____30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous output).
____90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.
____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):
____Any size switch will do.
13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.
____I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
14)Material/Finish/Coating
____I don't care.
15) Water resistance
____IPX4 (Splash resistant)
____IPX7 (Waterproof to 1 meter/30min)
16) Storage conditions
____Other_____My pocket____________________________________ ____
17) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any/all below.
____Pocket/belt clip
