How many lumens are you actually using for work or play?

[watchdog2001]

With all the discussion of new and powerful flashlights (including both LED and incandescent), I'm curious how many high lumen flashlights are more for "collecting and show-off" rather than for practical use. Of all the lights I own from the Streamlight Ultra-Stinger to the Arc-AAA P, I find myself using the Arc-AAA P (5.5 to 7 lumens) the most when doing quick repairs around the house or auto. On the other hand, when camping or night fishing (play), I find myself using my Streamlight TL-2 LED gen 1 (28 lumens). Both "low" lumen lights get the jobs done... Maybe I'm old fashion and don't want to step up in lumens

What are you guys using for your work or play?

 

[adirondackdestroyer]

With all the discussion of new and powerful flashlights (including both LED and incandescent), I'm curious how many high lumen flashlights are more for "collecting and show-off" rather than for practical use. Of all the lights I own from the Streamlight Ultra-Stinger to the Arc-AAA P, I find myself using the Arc-AAA P (5.5 to 7 lumens) the most when doing quick repairs around the house or auto. On the other hand, when camping or night fishing (play), I find myself using my Streamlight TL-2 LED gen 1 (40 lumens). Both "low" lumen lights get the jobs done... Maybe I'm old fashion and don't want to step up in lumens

What are you guys using for your work or play?

I guess you could say I use mine more to play with rather than to actually use. If I was a practical person I could probabley get by with a single multi mode light (ex. Olight T10) and never need another light my entire life. I find the flashlights with multi modes are very useful in that they can give super high output if needed, or low output to give super long runtimes if they are needed.
I do think that if you live in a rural area that having at least one insanely bright (1,000+ lumens) light is essential. Just to be safe if something goes bump in the night or you hear something outside.

 

[Dances with Flashlight]

I'm with you, Watchdog. Since I have no work-related need for a special purpose light, I find that my Arc AAA-P, which is always handy, is perfect for the little tasks that arise constantly. In fact, having that light makes tasks I previously performed without any extra light far easier, and I think this is part of the reason that it has become for me as indispensible as my glasses.

If I had a special purpose need as many CPF'ers do, as a LEO, e.g., I'm certain I'd select something with all the right features and plenty of extra lumens.

On the other hand, I do like to see those Crees light up the trees in the neighborhood. For play, there's no such thing as too much light, and this is how all my other lights actually get used.

 

[Oddjob]

Day to day I like about 5 to 10 lumens for most tasks. Outdoors when camping etc. I like around 50 or more. I could get by with 5 to 10 for everything but when you have access to really high levels, why not have some fun?

 

[Sub_Umbra]

I have some bright lights for security and medical use but they don't get much use in minutes of runtime. Very little.

My "light culture" is very different than that of most CPFers. I've worked a couple careers where I had to train to accomplish technical tasks in the dark or under light so dim that most at CPF would find it impossible to comprehend. My wife is the same way. We use very dim lights for nearly everything.

As an example, I EDC a re-programmed HDS EDC Basic 60 with the following settings:

• Primary 20 (0.08 lumens)
• Secondary 16 (0.33 lumens)
• MIN 9 (3.7 lumens)
• Max 5 (10 lumens)
• Force Primary

Note my highest setting is only 1/6 of max output.

The other light I EDC is a Photon Freedom in NV green. It has a covert nose of my own design which constrains the beam far more than the stock covert nose. I run the light on one CR2032 instead of two CR2016 cells -- with only half the voltage it's only half as bright as stock (not counting the nose). This is actually the light I use most often. "Discretion is the better part of valor."

Light Culture is a very interesting topic to me and I find it interesting that so many are totally unaware of light cultures different from their own and don't seem to believe it when told that not all use light in the same way.

 

[JasonC8301]

I use my SF C3 with P90 for darn near anything and everything outside my house because thats my primary light stashed in a coat pocket. NYC ambient light is plenty so I do need more lumens than the L1 on high.

I use a SF Cree L1 on low to navigate around my house.

I sold all my 500+ lumen lights. No real need for them in my situation.

 

[kramer5150]

Around the house ~10-20 lumens
Around the house outside ~45 Lumens
Outdoors general ~100-150 in a tight-ish beam.

 

[Zenster]

Around the house ~10-20 lumens
Around the house outside ~45 Lumens
Outdoors general ~100-150 in a tight-ish beam.

I also agree with the idea of using less lumens than may be available (most my lights are 175+ capable), but mainly because of the insane runtimes doing so can give you.
One good example is my L2D-CD/Q5 where it will light up my entire back yard with 175 lumens, but at it's low 12 lumen setting (brighter than most who posted here like), it will run for over 50 hours and STILL almost light up my whole back yard, and that's why I like lower lumen settings; the Runtimes. It's all about the runtimes with still impressive lighting.

It really is amazing how the technology has so quickly gone beyond the basic need of what flashlights are used for and gone into almost searchlight territory... and all from a 6" (or less) little tube thing that you can slip in your pocket and forget about it.

I know a lot of you "kids" take these kinds of things for granted, but I'm a long way from young, and when I compare what I have now to what I had in the early 60's, I continue to be amazed.

 

[depusm12]

I use my NovaTaC 120P on low or my McLux PD araound the house. At work I use my Pelican 7060 (130 Lumens), Insight Typhoon Seoul P4(160+ lumens IIRC) , or my SF Z2/C2 with Malkoff P60 Q2. Extreme light is my TigerLight AKA the Deputy puting out 550 lumens from 4 Seoul P4's.

 

[Hans]

My "light culture" is very different than that of most CPFers. <snip>
As an example, I EDC a re-programmed HDS EDC Basic 60 with the following settings:

[*] Primary 20 (0.08 lumens)

[*] Secondary 16 (0.33 lumens)

[*] MIN 9 (3.7 lumens)

[*] Max 5 (10 lumens)

[*] Force Primary

I've got slightly different priorities. I've also got a few very bright lights, but even on the lights I use on a daily basis I sometimes need somewhat higher levels. However, I most often use my lights set to 7-10 lumens, that's more than enough for my purposes. I only use higher levels when really necessary.

My settings on the HDS are:
Primary: 8 lumens
Secondary: 25 lumens
Min: 0.08 lumens (perfect with night-adapted eyes)
Max: 42 lumens

I rarely use my Zebralight on the high level, it's usually the lowest level (2.6 lumens), and when I'm doing some work it's usually on the medium level (13 lumens). On the LOD CE, the light I use most often, I usually use the lowest level (which could be a bit lower).

I hope more manufacturers will realize how important a low low level is for many people. There are plenty of bright lights about, but only a very few that offer low levels that are really low enough. Fenix is a good example for that. On virtually all of their lights the low isn't low enough which limits the usefulness of their lights a lot.

Hans

 

[FlashSpyJ]

I mostly use my EDC which are the Fenix L2T/L1T v2 w P2D body, this is a two mode light, the low is fine for most tasks, but I find myself using the high mode more than the low. I think I use the light more to light something up rather than perfomring tasks in dark places.

 

[Fallingwater]

I never buy any light if I don't plan on using it, and I've always considered collections pointless.

If I'm indoors I use either a 1AAA 1-5mm-LED light (grey one from QCG) or the low mode of my MTE Rebel 100. They are both useful for electronics work, computer repair and such.

Outdoors, for seeing where I'm going and such, I click the MTE to high. I've found I rarely use medium mode.

I've no idea about the lumen figures though.

Looking forward to getting the NDI...

 

[Sub_Umbra]

...when I compare what I have now to what I had in the early 60's, I continue to be amazed.

Me, too.

 

[Everett]

This is a great thread topic. I have recently been moving towards multi-mode lights, but I find that all I ever use is maximum and minimum. Outdoors: ~100-150 lumens; Indoors: ~3 lumens, but I'd go lower if my lights allowed it. The NDI is perfect for my needs; I only wish the minimum was a bit lower.

 

[kramer5150]

I am kind of surprised too at this little consensus. I am finding that I just dont really need anything higher than ~15L indoors. I am ball-parking that estimate though, since my understanding is that an incandescent minimag is ~11L, and my lowest output LED torch is just a little brighter than that minimag.

 

[2xTrinity]

In order of most often used (and, coincidentally, dimmest to brightest):

Liteflux LF2 Cree (Q5) -- lowest possible setting.
Only a fraction of a lumen, in what I would consider a "narrow flood" pattern -- much more useful than the spot beam of the photon freedom, which was my previous EDC for years, even though the freedom could be similarly dimmed. Perfect for looking through drawers/shelves indoors. Outside, in a true dark environmnet with night adapted visoin, it's can light up wide areas similar to a dim moonlight -- just enough to see my way without stumbling.

Liteflux LF2 -- 33% output
Around 40 lumens w/ 10440s, enough to light up a typical room with ceiling bounce, or seeing my way around outdoors in a light polluted place (night vision doesn't apply).

Liteflux LF2 -- 100% output
Not often used, aside from showing off, but it has come in handy on unexpected occasions when searching for dropped/lost items such as keys on a beach or field. It's nice to have a >100 lumen light with me at all times for instances like this.

8W 1x18650 Xenon, Forward Clicky
The light was build from left-over parts from different projects. This is the light I usually bring if I expect to need a flashlight outdoors, on hikes, etc. Good general purpose incan, runs guilt free for 50mins on a 18650.

2C Mag ROP-Hi
Focusable with a MOP reflector. I've acutally used the light "de-focused" as a portable halogen work-light for things like wiring up sound equipment and cables in dark, hard to reach places. I've also used it to signal drivers where they need to pull off from a main road at night for get-togethers. (by light up myself, or a key sign/landmark, not pointing it at drivers)

Amondotech N30 HID
Similar applications to the ROP. Brighter/longer running (75min vs 45, about 3x the output), with a plastic bowl as a diffuser it makes a good portable worklight. Not used as often as the ROP as it's less portable, and lacks momentary-on.

 

[Patriot]

I usually use the first setting on my LOD CEs with 10440. I guess that's roughly 75 lumens. Sometimes I have more light than I need but I'm not in a situation where I have an interest in conserving power to increase run-time. In this case it doesn't matter that I have more than I need. This is how most of my light usage is. I can accomplish many tasks with nothing more than the light of a full moon, but that doesn't mean that I'm always going to chose the minimum amount of light necessary to get the job done. I normally have 10 times the amount of light that I need, so I use it.

When I take my evening walks at night it possible to navigate without the use of a flashlight at all. Switching on a P3D Q5 then seems very bright and I can see a few more things that I couldn't see before while also seeing further. Switching on my WiseLED 1500 or 3200 lumen HID makes the P3D seem like a fart in a windstorm and also lets me see hundreds of yards. I can see animals like coyotes, javelina, rabbits, and squirrels at great distances. I can see other people, dogs, even bats and owls flying through the air. Therefore I tend to always walk with "big bore" lights which produce thousands of lumens. Having more light than you actually need makes tasks easier and can even reveal things that you would never see if you used just the amount of light that is necessary.

Of course, in a "survival" situation or some other scenario where conserving power would be beneficial, I'd use the least amount of light possible to accomplish a task.

 

[watchdog2001]

I'm surprised at the small number of lumens used on the low end, I thought I was an exception being content with my Arc-AAA P (for general indoor tasks) yet a bunch of you also feel 5 to 10 lumens get the job done quite effectively.

With my newly acquired Surefire E2L Cree (45 lumens), my Streamlight TL-2 LED (28 lumens) is going to be somewhat retired and put on standby in the wife's car glovebox replacing my first "real" flashlight, a Streamlight Scorpion (as I've grown to appreciate the reliability of LED based lights). During my nighttime outdoor tasks (camping, night fishing and other general needs), I feel the E2L Cree will serve me well.

John

 

[USM0083]

I carry two lights on duty (LEO). A G2Z with a cree dropin @ 140 lumens, and a Tiablo A8S with 210 lumens. I don't count the Quiglite in my breast pocket.

 

[RecycledElectron]

Everything from a CL-E on low to a Olight T20 Q5 on high.
Indoors a CL-E's normally plenty, outdoors my Olight or another thrower like my Xtar or RC-F4.