Bogus1 said:
If you want THE brightest light for flood and smallest size it is probably an Aleph LuxV driven high enough to cause heat problems. With a 2 stage you can turn it down though and only use it on bright for bursts.
George makes great boards but we are talking about the flashlight as well. Even so, immediately on tap without further scrolling through a UI the chameleon has 5 levels, the VB-16 3W has 26. In addition the VB doesn't have the tiny side switch issue and in fact has both side switches AND a tail clicky switch. Without having to buy extra tubes, the tube on the VB is modular so it can run 18650, 17670, 2 X 123s, 2 X R123s, 1 X R123, or even 1 X 123 without buying any extra parts. Of what value I'm not sure, but it comes with a lanyard and a pouch. We are discussing the $45 VB-16 vs. the ??? chameleon that can only run on a single R123, unless you buy extra parts, but still its voltage range is a single Li-ion. The VB voltage range is 3-8.4 volts. However as this thread is about brightest, the VB appears to be driven harder at 3.5 watts on high, and as both lights are running TXO* bins, the VB will likely put out more light than the chameleon running at 1000ma. These are real world advantages even ignoring price. Both of these lights run 27mm reflectors so they aren't the smallest anyhow. It appears a LuxV VB will be coming out and when that happens it will bury the chameleon in terms of brightness at the expense of throw. I appreciate the innovation embodied in the VB lights and it has brought this to new buyers at this price. Unless there are esthetic or other considerations the chameleon meets for a buyer it's hard to argue with the facts. A light costing 3 times as much (or more) might be worth it just because you prefer using it however and you'll never know until you try.
From owning both a LionCub and a LionHeart I have found that 5 levels of brightness is faster and more practical than needing 16, 24 or more. The new Chameleon provides true regulation and no pwm (correct me if I am wrong) on all five levels. Plus you can use differnt current tables, so if you wish you can also over drive the star in the light. The swith on the Lion Heart/Cub/Chameleon is a side switch and not an "issue" but a feature. Some people like it just as some people prefer twisties and clickies.
By the way - the comment about Fords and Ferraris was pretty funny.
I think in the end when you are looking for a light, you gotta look at many things. When you are buying a McGizmo, a Mr. Bulk, an ORB Light, a Gattling, a Larry Light, etc etc, you are paying money for items that may not necessarily greatly improve usability, but cater to needs beauty, feel, balance, and overall appearance characteristics. If all you need is just a variable light like the aforementioned VB-16 then there it is! There is a whole market of mass produced lights like the QIII, the Fenix, the VB 16, the SF G2, the SL LED, UK PP Luxeons, and on and on and on that are much more affordable due to mass production, materials, labor, electronics, etc etc etc etc that are fantastic lights and they are much more within the price range of more buyers.
Good luck in your search!