Are we being bombarded with new flashlights too often?

[TITAN1833]

Do you think as I do! wer're constantly being bombarded with the same technology over and over again.It seems to me we are,I'm beginning to think maybe manufacturers should take a breather until they come up with something entirely new,what do you think!should they?

My point! since joining CPF I have seen very little change,I mean I started here with a A19 xre have we really moved on so much?I don't think so the A19 XRE was a fantastic flashlight.In three years I still find that light hard to beat for throw"in a small light" and Iv'e had a few since!

Maybe manufacturers hands are tied? as it seems led technology has to progress first IMO this is true of course with tints and bins,

but these come as a premium price in most cases.But that also comes with a problem LOL it is becoming like you need a degree in science Q5 ,J bin tint, VF?? huh!all I want to know is how many lumens how long it will run and what colour rendition I get.:devil:

Now! I will reel my neck in and put on my :tinfoil:

 

[xcel730]

I agree.

How many Q5 flashlights out there that has approximately the same output, features and battery types? They may change a function here and there and change the design of the body, but that's about it.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

We need to keep in mind that flashlights are a niche market for l.e.d. manufacturers. The big money is in residential and commercial lighting, and car headlights. L.e.d.s have reached efficiencies greater than florescent lights with 5-6 times the bulb life. L.e.d.s have reached an efficiency sweet spot that finally allows them to be used practically in these highly profitable markets. L.e.d. makers are now working on color rendition, packaging l.e.d.s together (like Cree MC-E), and mass production to bring down the costs, all so they can make a profit. While this means a slowdown of higher bin l.e.d.s being produced, it also means l.e.d.s are getting cheaper, l.e.d. lights will get brighter due to l.e.d. packaging, and the Luxeon lottery will soon be a thing of the past. I know we want higher efficiencies, but we're getting better, brighter lights at a cheaper price and more options to chose from. Packaging l.e.d.s provides an increase in efficiency at higher brightness levels as opposed to one l.e.d. being driven harder at the same brightness level so even without higher bins, we can still get higher efficiency to a degree. Let's try to look at the situation as the glass is half full.

 

[Lightcrazycanuck]

Do you think as I do! wer're constantly being bombarded with the same technology over and over again.It seems to me we are,I'm beginning to think maybe manufacturers should take a breather until they come up with something entirely new,what do you think!should they?

My point! since joining CPF I have seen very little change,I mean I started here with a A19 xre have we really moved on so much?I don't think so the A19 XRE was a fantastic flashlight.In three years I still find that light hard to beat for throw"in a small light" and Iv'e had a few since!

Maybe manufacturers hands are tied? as it seems led technology has to progress first IMO this is true of course with tints and bins,

but these come as a premium price in most cases.But that also comes with a problem LOL it is becoming like you need a degree in science Q5 ,J bin tint, VF?? huh!all I want to know is how many lumens how long it will run and what colour rendition I get.:devil:

Now! I will reel my neck in and put on my :tinfoil:

+1

It's all a money grab.

 

[powernoodle]

My point! since joining CPF I have seen very little change

I see it just the opposite. Not that long ago, a Surefire 6P was king. Now its basically a dinosaur, and you can get the same 60 lumens out of a regulated AAA that doesn't pop a filament when you drop it. We used to giggle like Catholic school girls at the thought of an 80 lumen CR123 light. Now days we get an alleged 200+ out of a 2xAAA Fenix, or way more out of an MC-E quad die. I have a Tiablo ACE that we could have never imagined just a year or two ago.

So, I think things have really advanced in a relatively short period of time.

As for being bombarded with new lights, we are not under any obligation to buy anything, right? So I say bring it on. The competition promotes brighter and more efficient LED technology. JMO.

:twothumbs

 

[GreyShark]

I like to see new products unless they (A) stink or (B) are more of the same.

 

[Ajay]

As for being bombarded with new lights, we are not under any obligation to buy anything, right? So I say bring it on. The competition promotes brighter and more efficient LED technology. JMO.

I couldn't agree more Powernoodle.

Not that long ago, a Surefire 6P was king. Now its basically a dinosaur

True the 6p is a dinosaur but it's a fantastic platform for future upgrades. I just bought a 6p incan, a bored out 18650 body, novatac clip and Q5 drop-in. It's still a good choice for a rugged and reliable light (or at least the body is).

There are flashaholics in this forum who I am sure think the LED flashlight market is moving too slow for their liking and others like me who think the pace is just about right. However I would like to see LEDs replace lights in homes and offices ASAP. More CREE's for me to play with!:devil:

 

[GreyShark]

I think it would be more accurate to say the P60, P60L and type II anodizing are obsolescent. The 6P itself is still a great host if you're looking for a pocketable, watertight, very strong light.

 

[cave dave]

What gets my goat is that manufactures coud put out something unique like a 1AA headlamp with a reflector and multimodes, but instead they just produce another "me too" light.

Look if you are just gonna produce a Fenix L1D clone, turn the head 90 deg and put it in a jackstrap and you will actually have something to be proud of that UL backpackers will go gaga over, not an also ran.

 

[kramer5150]

until someone makes a light that meets these criteria I say keep em' coming...

-Type-III
-1x18650
-Water shallow submersible
-Flat regulation
-200+L high, 65L med, 5L low
-USA made
-Smooth, ring-free beam designed more for flood than spot
-Cylinder-tube shaped, no bezel flair
-$100 ballpark

 

[Big_Ed]

My wallet says yes, but in all seriousness, better to have too many choices, than too few. If they build it, someone probably will buy it. Especially if it's a decent light.

 

[Illum]

I see it just the opposite. Not that long ago, a Surefire 6P was king. Now its basically a dinosaur, and you can get the same 60 lumens out of a regulated AAA that doesn't pop a filament when you drop it.

you should see the time when the dorcy 1AAA was the mandatory light to own and a CC trek was like the King of lights

Continued demand for new innovations drives our economy, continued demand for better LEDs caused companies to shell out investments for development to make it happen. Once that gets there, we start demanding them used in portable gear...so the developers take to it putting new LEDs in new flashlights, new designers go into the field in search of opportunities and here we are.

so, yeah... I agree:nana:

 

[powernoodle]

True the 6p is a dinosaur but it's a fantastic platform for future upgrades.

Thats true. I have about half a dozen of them in various flavors, and just stuck a Malkoff M60 MC-E in one of them, which brought it back to life.

My point, though, was that I can remember when a 6P was "da bomb" and just about the coolest thing out there. And that was not that long ago.

 

[Flying Turtle]

As for being bombarded with new lights, we are not under any obligation to buy anything, right? So I say bring it on. The competition promotes brighter and more efficient LED technology. JMO.

My sentiments, too. It's all just business, and it makes things better for us. Might make decisions tougher, but more fun.

Geoff

 

[jp2515]

As for being bombarded with new lights, we are not under any obligation to buy anything, right? So I say bring it on. The competition promotes brighter and more efficient LED technology. JMO.

:twothumbs

I agree. Some manufacturers like to put out the latest and greatest lights while others need a little poke to get them more competitive. Anyways, competition benefits us the consumers.

 

[saabgoblin]

What percentage of the population thinks about a flashlight on a daily basis, let alone posts on a forum board dedicated to flashlights and led technology? Maybe we are bombarding ourselves salivating over our keyboards eagerly and impatiently awaiting the next advance but it certainly is fun in a perverse and sadistic way, I wouldn't change a thing other than increasing my disposable income level.

 

[baterija]

How frantic can we as early adopters on the cutting edge get about the small differences? Think about all the people here that have very strong opinions over a small difference (lens material, power source, tail standing, order of levels in a UI, beam pattern, choice of light levels in a UI, clip, knurling, LED tint bin, etc). The devil is in the details. Add all of those little details together and you can get thousands of combinations that are similar but sell or don't sell to any given individual. Even some of the ones sold get modded after purchase because the options weren't quite right for one of us.

 

[JNewell]

Compared to what? Cellphones? Computers? TVs? C'mon and join us in the 21st century!!!

 

[makapuu]

I enjoy having a lot of lights to choose from.
The chatter threads become very active and interesting when new lights pop up.
The only thing that gives me headaches is when I purchase a light, then something I like better emerges before I even receive the light.