Kestrel
Flashaholic
LOL, can you turn down your avatar? It's hurting my night vision. :nana:
Brightness Isn't Everything
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It is funny....i find myself pulling out my older 5mm cluster lights for up close work because the bounce back from the newer cree's and Li-Io driven rebels are hurting my eyes........😎
bluepilgrim
Enlightened
Much of this comes down to what you want to look at and what the ambient light is and other sources in the area are, which your light has to compete with.
Henk_Lu
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm also looking for a very low Low in a light, which only a few lights can really offer.
Brightness is cool for shock and awe, but if you really think about it, situations where you NEED the full brightness of your light are rare. I don't talk about LEOs seeking for fugitives by night in a forest of course, I mean normal operation.
With a programmable light, brihtness has a postive side-effect however. At a given brightness, the new version of alight with double output compared to the older one will run much longer. This is true at least for LEDs, which get more efficient with each generation.
Very important is the beam. I preffer the brightness well spread across the whole beam to a very bright hotspot. Yes, you may say I preffer flood over throw. A light with a well-lit spill may seem less bright to somebody who doesn't know what Lumens are than a weaker light which only offers a bright hotspot.
If I repeat things that have been said already here I apologize, I just discovered the thread and have no time to read everything...
Brightness is cool for shock and awe, but if you really think about it, situations where you NEED the full brightness of your light are rare. I don't talk about LEOs seeking for fugitives by night in a forest of course, I mean normal operation.
With a programmable light, brihtness has a postive side-effect however. At a given brightness, the new version of alight with double output compared to the older one will run much longer. This is true at least for LEDs, which get more efficient with each generation.
Very important is the beam. I preffer the brightness well spread across the whole beam to a very bright hotspot. Yes, you may say I preffer flood over throw. A light with a well-lit spill may seem less bright to somebody who doesn't know what Lumens are than a weaker light which only offers a bright hotspot.
If I repeat things that have been said already here I apologize, I just discovered the thread and have no time to read everything...
kaichu dento
Flashaholic
Let's not let this topic die until the low levels available become capable of satisfying all ranges of needs, particularly those of us who really crave levels that allow extreme low battery drain and matching light levels for those times that we don't need more than a lighted match that won't blow out.
I have at present only one light that will go as low as I'd like all my lights to go, but it's my Titan and much as I like it, it's not my favorite except when it comes to wanting only a smidgen of light.
I have at present only one light that will go as low as I'd like all my lights to go, but it's my Titan and much as I like it, it's not my favorite except when it comes to wanting only a smidgen of light.
AMD64Blondie
Flashlight Enthusiast
The Lightwave 4000 is the perfect example of this. Not too blindingly bright...but the runtime is off the charts.(I once got 3 months of intermittent use from 3 Duracell alkaline D batteries..)
dymonite69
Newly Enlightened
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- Feb 14, 2010
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Wouldn't it be good if CPF had an interactive product selector like this:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp
Portability/Weight?
Runtime?
Spot distance?
Flood distance and breadth?
Durability?
Colour rendition?
Candle mode?
Clip?
Upgradeability?
Modes?
Regulated?
And out popped several recommendation that you could review
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp
Portability/Weight?
Runtime?
Spot distance?
Flood distance and breadth?
Durability?
Colour rendition?
Candle mode?
Clip?
Upgradeability?
Modes?
Regulated?
And out popped several recommendation that you could review
carrot
Flashaholic
Sure would be. I volunteer you to be Grand Master of Database Keeping.
A bit of irony here- Maglite may be listening with the introduction of the XL100 and its 8 second no movement moon mode and the accelerometer dimmer. Kind of like a reliable solitare. There IS a definate need for lower output/ long runtime torches IMO.
GarageBoy
Flashlight Enthusiast
Efficiency is everything
If it's not as bright, I want it to run THAT much longer
Of course, I want a well built light too, but if the circuit sucks (think Jetbeam's Jet-Mu) and I can't get it easily modded, it's a deal breaker
Beam quality is not so important to me, as long as it doesn't look like a defocused M@g
Low can be done with a separate, 5mm LED light
And as a member during the dark days of Lux Is, brighter IS better
If it's not as bright, I want it to run THAT much longer
Of course, I want a well built light too, but if the circuit sucks (think Jetbeam's Jet-Mu) and I can't get it easily modded, it's a deal breaker
Beam quality is not so important to me, as long as it doesn't look like a defocused M@g
Low can be done with a separate, 5mm LED light
And as a member during the dark days of Lux Is, brighter IS better
jcw122
Enlightened
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- Jun 19, 2009
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I chose my 4Sevens Quark because I found out brightness isn't everything. I liked the idea of better color rendition over brightness, BUT it's not like I'm going to go out and purchase a light that is significantly dimmer but has good color rendition, that's just stupid.
Brigadier
Enlightened
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2008
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- 900
The things I really like about my Novatac 85T's are:
1. UI - very nice. All 4 modes very accessible one handed.
2. Beam color and shape
3. The low is .3 lumens, nice for at night.
I also like the fact that my Jet-III M will go even lower than the 85T.:thumbsup:
Versatility.
1. UI - very nice. All 4 modes very accessible one handed.
2. Beam color and shape
3. The low is .3 lumens, nice for at night.
I also like the fact that my Jet-III M will go even lower than the 85T.:thumbsup:
Versatility.
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Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing.
That's for sports (Henry Russell ("Red") Sander) and later by Vince Lombardi).
For me (and perhaps a few others):
Brightness isn't everything; it's the only thing.
aehaas
That's for sports (Henry Russell ("Red") Sander) and later by Vince Lombardi).
For me (and perhaps a few others):
Brightness isn't everything; it's the only thing.
aehaas
OK, I will end this thread. 😀
Bear in mind why we use flashlights at all. So, with that in mind:
Brightness isn't everything. Having ENOUGH brightness is everything. The rest is just gravy.
You need enough brightness to do what you set out to do, or else there was no point in bringing a flashlight at all. But not all jobs need to same amount, or even the same distribution, of light. And depending on what you're doing, too much light can be just as bad as not enough.
So there.
Bear in mind why we use flashlights at all. So, with that in mind:
Brightness isn't everything. Having ENOUGH brightness is everything. The rest is just gravy.
You need enough brightness to do what you set out to do, or else there was no point in bringing a flashlight at all. But not all jobs need to same amount, or even the same distribution, of light. And depending on what you're doing, too much light can be just as bad as not enough.
So there.
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carrot
Flashaholic
I guess I am being misunderstood, despite people several pages ago understanding. I am not saying brightness is unimportant.
kaichu dento
Flashaholic
Yep... the right amount of brightness is what sets the winning lights apart from others and sometimes the right amount of light is a very gentle floody beam or even the red emitter on a Photon Pro or 85Tr.
Yeah! I like all my motorized vehicles to have accelerator actuators and like my lights the same way! Right speed/brightness is determined by circumstances!
We know that Carrot, but the ones who are misinterpreting you are getting lonelier by the day. Compared to even a year ago I think the understanding of proper brightness level is starting to sink in.
M6 is a pretty cool light from what I hear but can you imagine using it to look at your watch lying in your sleeping bag! Burnt retinas!
Saint_Dogbert
Enlightened
I like a wide range of brightness; this was what lead me to choose the Quark 2AA. Having both a very low low, good max and some well-placed levels in between gives you capability and options. Options are good. I also like to have the ability to extend run-times, which a low output makes possible.
bluepilgrim
Enlightened
Flashlight user interfaces still have a way to go. Imagine turning on a ceiling light in the living room but instead of having a dimmer with a knob or toggle switch you have to push a button and hold it in for some length of time instead of moving it to some position -- and it being hard to get just the level you want so you might need to try it a few times. I doubt we would see many houses with dimmer switches if they were like that.
That we do use dimmer switches all the time indicates how important it is to have the level we want -- and to get there quickly and easily.
That we do use dimmer switches all the time indicates how important it is to have the level we want -- and to get there quickly and easily.
kaichu dento
Flashaholic
Excellent analogy! Just imagine if all we had for house lighting was high intensity spots stuck on high! :sick2:
M@elstrom
Flashlight Enthusiast
Retina burning brightness isn't everything... but it can be depending on the application, efficiency, reliability, upgrade-ability, quality of construction, frequency of emitted light, user configurability & aftermarket support are all equal IMHO, I mean what's the point of owning a PH50-in-a-6P if I can't feed it or replace & upgrade components as necessary/desired :thumbsup:
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