Navigating dark rooms

[kmonroe]

1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?
Online

2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!
Up to $250

3) Format:
Flashlight; maybe headlamp

4) Size:
Capable of pocket carry

5) Emitter/Light source:
LED

6) Manufacturer:
Doesn't matter

7) What power source do you want to use?

Anything with long runtime

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).

Need to navigate dark room with (sleeping) patient in bed and medical equipment around; would like to be able to raise lumens when out of the room

9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.

Flood

9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light(check all that apply)

~ 3 - 5 yards

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).

~120 minutes

11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.

Very important

12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):

Minimal twitchiness; low- hi is fine. I have a Malkoff Houndog and like the tail click with head hi-low UI.


14)Material/Finish/Coating
I like AL or brass

15) Water resistance
IPX 7

16) Storage conditions
In house

 

[archimedes]

Re: Dark room light

Could you please clarify your title ... is this specifically for a photography darkroom, or just for lighting up a "dark room" (in other words, more general use) ... ?

 

[peter yetman]

Re: Dark room light

Assuming you don't want to light up the town, go to the HDS site's Custom page...

You can order a red one (LE) for 251 dollars.
P

 

[LeanBurn]

Re: Dark room light

OP says:

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).

Need to navigate dark room with (sleeping) patient in bed and medical equipment around; would like to be able to raise lumens when out of the room

I might suggest a ThruNite Ti4 penlight for its shirt pocket carry ability, very low Firefly mode at 0.3L for 137hours, yet the ability to output 252L for nearly an hour. The AAA batteries are found everywhere and AAA re-chargeables are easily found and affordable as needed. Tons of reviews online and very affordable at less than $20.

 

[Poppy]

Re: Dark room light

As leanburn suggests, you don't need much light to light up a small room.
IMO, sublumen lights, don't offer enough light unless my eyes are fully dark adjusted which takes too much time when coming from another room that had the lights on. I would prefer a low of 1-3 lumens.

A couple of the single AAA lights I was going to recommend are no longer in production.

I would also prefer a neutral white, tint in the led. Perhaps a nichia 219.

lights you might consider are the lumintop HL AAA (a right angle head light with a low of 1.5 lumens) There is a lot to be said about the versatility of an angle head light;
and the lumintop tool with a low of 5 lumins

 

[vadimax]

Re: Dark room light

I would offer to have a look at a Lumintop IYP365

You may choose a cheaper (aluminum) or nicer (brass, titanium) body, but the most important — Nichia 219B emitter which, I guess, is the best possible solution if you need an authentic color representation. This is an old LED, but nothing is better in high CRI (color rendition index) area than this one. Most natural colors guaranteed.

 

[Poppy]

Re: Dark room light

Another light that you might consider is the imalent HR20
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ew-Imalent-HR20-XP-L-HI-Rechargeable-Headlamp

It has a rotary adjustable output that ranges from 1 lumen to 1000 lumens.
It has a built in USB recharging port.

 

[Modernflame]

Re: Dark room light

My first thought was Malkoff Wildcat, but it seems like I already suggested that to you on another thread. If that's not your thing, you might consider a Surefire UM2 Baby Dominator. Arms Unlimited has them on sale right now for $199. I don't own one but it's a variable output light that is supposed to provide good peripheral illumination. The UI consists of a clicky on/off tail cap switch and a selector ring near the bezel.

 

[Keitho]

I'll suggest Zebralight's newer lights, with each level programmable from .06 lumens up to max. So if you want it to turn on at some version of "low", you can choose how low you want. If you don't need turbo, no need to assign it to any level. I'll also suggest higher CRI LED. That gives you the AA SC53c, or the soon-to-release SC64c. The 53 is smaller and could run on alkaline in a pinch; the 64 has much longer runtime on 18650 cells and is slightly larger. I'm personally waiting impatiently for the SC64c for the runtime and high CRI in a tiny package...

 

[arKmm]

Re: Dark room light

I would offer to have a look at a Lumintop IYP365

My suggestion also.

 

[terjee]

I have both the IYP365 and Zebralights, and both are good choices.

Personal preference would be the Zebralights. There's a lot more energy available, meaning less battery worries.

The UI is also (IMHO) more comfortable for this. Using low mode, a double-click of the side switch would toggle between L1, and L2, where you can select L2 level. That allows you to pick the level you'd like in a patients room for L2, and use the higher L1 for navigating in the hall. Simple double click to switch between them, and low risk of accidentally giving off a lot of light while switching.

They also have headlamps with the same UI.

 

[arKmm]

I don't like to make my work tool too expensive otherwise you worry about them too much.

Consider the Streamlight Protac EMS. Does what you need, but comes in well under budget.