Question: For what purpose do you use your high lumen output lights?

[Stress_Test]

One potential use I could think of is as an impromptu video light. Recording video in dark areas takes a LOT of light if you don't want the image quality to be crap.

I actually tried this for a little while just messing around mostly, to see what light might work for video in a pinch. I quickly discovered that the beam profile is a problem. Any hotspot from the beam will look really exaggerated on video, so the light needs to be as completely diffuse as possible.

So I tried the old Scotch tape trick, but that knocks down the effective lumens quite a bit (and still doesn't quite eliminate the hotspot brightness entirely). And of course, with a diffuse light, it doesn't illuminate very far away.

So yeah, I could see needing a very high output flashlight in that case since it typically will need to be diffused. I eventually got a COB (Big Larry) light to try out because I had nothing in that category at all (good excuse, right?). Great lighting profile, but the other issues warrant a separate thread. It works pretty well as an across-the-room-distance video light though.

Could buy an actual video light, I know, but the ones I've seen for DSLR hotshoes don't look that impressive, and the cost of a REAL video light is probably obscene.

 

[hsa]

The COB is a good idea. I would bet if you keep looking you could find something that works. The Big Larry is great for under the hood of a car.

 

[LED1982]

I use high output on my lights when I need to flood an area with light. The beam shape is much more important to me than max lumens. A high power flooder is much more useful to me than a 1000 yard thrower. The malkoff hound dog super is a great compromise for me as it's bright throws good and is not a pencil beam. The new WC minus the diffuser film is also one of my favorites.

I'm happy to be a new Malkoff cult member lol, I just bought both of those but they're still in the mail. Did you get cool white or neutral versions? I like cool white more than a lot of people who bash it, however once I found out that Hound Dogs and Wildcats have cool whites that are supposed to be warmer than their numbers suggest I definitely chose the cool white options for each.

 

[Chicken Drumstick]

If you're lucky, you'll never need to defend yourself. If you're very UNLUCKY, the first chance might also be your last...

Risky area??? Guess I might consider living somewhere less likely to need to defend myself.

 

[Monocrom]

Risky area??? Guess I might consider living somewhere less likely to need to defend myself.

That would be the Moon.
Planet Earth is filled with way too many human-beings to not be a threatening place, anywhere. Except Siberia. But they have massive 4-legged predators, instead of the 2-legged kind. Plus, the predators in Siberia are a lot more intelligent.

 

[Chicken Drumstick]

That would be the Moon.
Planet Earth is filled with way too many human-beings to not be a threatening place, anywhere. Except Siberia. But they have massive 4-legged predators, instead of the 2-legged kind. Plus, the predators in Siberia are a lot more intelligent.

I don't think so.

I don't live in the USA. But have visited many times. I know you have a constitutional right to bear arms etc etc. But that is quite rare once you go beyond the country boarder of the USA and into the wider world.

Living where I am (and I'm sure many other parts of the world), it is almost incomprehensible that you'd need to defend yourself every-time you step out of your front door, or even when sat in your home.

 

[hsa]

I think he does it for a living. Not sure.

 

[Monocrom]

I don't think so.

I don't live in the USA. But have visited many times. I know you have a constitutional right to bear arms etc etc. But that is quite rare once you go beyond the country boarder of the USA and into the wider world.

Living where I am (and I'm sure many other parts of the world), it is almost incomprehensible that you'd need to defend yourself every-time you step out of your front door, or even when sat in your home.

Actually a person's right to defend themselves and their loved ones is a universal one. Has nothing to do with the Constitution nor the 2nd Amendment. Has nothing to do with what tools are used for that purpose. I have numerous friends, associates, and acquaintances in different parts of the UK. All of us understand that it's a cultural difference between the general mentality in the UK and the US. Nothing more.

I've also traveled. One thing we can agree on is that things are indeed different outside of the US. One village near Belize was terrorized by a two-legged predator who preyed on the little ones. The citizens found out who it was, and turned him over to the proper authorities. Actually, wait; I'm remembering that improperly. It was the authorities who found out who he was, local citizens assembled outside the jail. The Captain and his deputy decided to take a lunch break. "Accidentally" left the doors unlocked. Including the cell door. Coming back over two hours later, seems the prisoner had escaped. Also, a large bon-fire had been recently put out. Seems a rather large animal had been completely roasted, judging by the remains. Seems the meat wasn't seen as edible by those who set the fire. And clearly, it was severely overcooked.

That's how things occur in other parts of the world. I love visiting countries, meeting new people. They find out I'm American, they love to brag about how much safer their nation is, compared to mine. How they don't need to defend themselves. I always ask them about their police force. Do they carry guns? Obviously yes. Is their homicide squad made up of only two elderly detectives who share a desk in a closet-sized office? Do they rarely get calls to investigate a suspicious death? And, 999 times out of 1,000 are those deaths simply accidents that weren't obvious, suicides without a note left behind? Is that the case?

Well no, they have a full homicide division about the same size as the ones we have in American cities. I don't go around intentionally shattering their outlook on Life. As I said, those close to me who live in various parts of the UK, all of us know it boils down to cultural differences. Nothing more. None of them believe that the world outside of America is made up of only good, kind-hearted people who are complete strangers to violence. They know better.

 

[Lumen83]

Living where I am (and I'm sure many other parts of the world), it is almost incomprehensible that you'd need to defend yourself every-time you step out of your front door, or even when sat in your home.

It is the same where I am, and for almost all of the United States. Almost all of our violent crime occurs in our nation's inner cities. Our rural areas are among the safest and most peaceful places to live in the world. And the vast majority of the US is rural. The idea that someone needs to defend themselves every time they step out of their door or in their home is crazy, and that isn't what anyone thinks like. Well, maybe some crazy people do. But most people who have a means or ability to defend themselves, do it out of taking responsibility for their own life and safety in the rare event that they may need to. Bad things do happen to good people. Even in rural America. Even in Rural England or Australia.

A person talking about a non-lethal means to defend themself isn't a bad thing. And that person shouldn't be scrutinized for it.

 

[LED1982]

I don't think so.

I don't live in the USA. But have visited many times. I know you have a constitutional right to bear arms etc etc. But that is quite rare once you go beyond the country boarder of the USA and into the wider world.

Living where I am (and I'm sure many other parts of the world), it is almost incomprehensible that you'd need to defend yourself every-time you step out of your front door, or even when sat in your home.

It only takes one situation to change your entire life. But it's possible to escape such a fate if you are carrying. One of my favorite movie quotes is from Fallen, awesome movie…

"There are moments which mark your life. Moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same and time is divided into two parts, before this, and after this..."

 

[radellaf]

My main use for my 1500+ lumen lights is if I want to take a photos or short videos indoors. The house is very dim, which is cool most of the time, but cameras really don't like it. Ceiling bouncing a bright light works a treat.

 

[Stress_Test]

My main use for my 1500+ lumen lights is if I want to take a photos or short videos indoors. The house is very dim, which is cool most of the time, but cameras really don't like it. Ceiling bouncing a bright light works a treat.

Yeah, ceiling bounce is a good option in some indoor areas, I forgot about that. And that does take a pretty bright light. I shot a photo a while back with a SolarForce 1-cell XM-L setup that was maybe 200-ish lumens but that was barely adequate on ceiling bounce. Of course, I was using 400-speed film at the time but that's a separate issue.

 

[radellaf]

It's easier to light up something like one or two SC700 (~1500lm) lights off the ceiling, here, instead of buying more torchieres with 800-1600lm bulbs (3-way LED bulbs are neat) that I wouldn't use very often. Considering that I have more than a dozen 1000+ lm lights within easy reach

I did just get a dedicated on-camera video light panel (yet untried). Light modifiers and/or reflectors for the flashlights would be better, of course, but I'm not serious about it enough to justify the expense or set-up time. Maybe if I didn't have white ceilings, I would.

 

[Sabrewulf]

I live on some 6 acres, and very hilly and with large boulders. Coyotes enter the yard and it's good to be able to spot them from a distance.

Also I do a lot of camping and the high lumens is very nice to have.

I hear flashlight enthusiasts look down on people who want high lumen, why I don't know, it's my needs not yours.

I like high lumens to be an option for the lights I buy, but moon light is just as important.

 

[LED1982]

Well I ordered (but haven't yet received) my first ever LEP. Funny that the reasons people give for hating on them is actually the beneficial use that I see in them, their pencil thin beam profile. I will find it advantageous at drawing minimal attention, and having the least chance to accidentally blind someone, while giving me the best long distance spotting ability.

Also, I think that it is the best insurance policy in case I'm in trouble and need to be found. Unlike it drawing minimal attention when used horizontally, it will be the best at disclosing my location if I fire it up into the air vertically. I never had a broken leg by myself in the middle of nowhere before so I'm not sure how a radio rescue would go down (radio even more important than a flashlight!!) but I imagine that an LEP straight up into the sky can only help the situation (or if the radio fails).

 

[LED1982]

I hear flashlight enthusiasts look down on people who want high lumen, why I don't know, it's my needs nor yours.

I like high lumens to be an option for the lights I buy, but moon light is just as important.

Oh there's definitely a camp of flashlight enthusiasts who love it! Lol I haven't been into high lumen flooders for years, but it's unbelievable how much they have come along. In passing I saw one or two had cooling fans now, and some impressive heat sink techniques that I didn't research.

I definitely don't look down on massive lumens, I just both prefer throw, and recognize the big heat challenges of massive lumen flooders (whereas it's way easier to get a thrower to maintain max output indefinitely). Of course it's a moot point anyway if you aren't interested in keeping the flooder in turbo mode for an extended period.

 

[bykfixer]

I hear flashlight enthusiasts look down on people who want high lumen, why I don't know, it's my needs nor yours.

Look down on people who want high lumens? Some just question the urge to have so much output. Often because the unelightened are led to believe that more lumens always equals better, which leads to marketing folks exagerating or even flat out fibbing in order to gain market share often using sub-par products or out right junk.

 

[Stress_Test]

Not opposed to high lumens, but I absolutely detest the current marketing BS where they advertise "2000 lumen pocket light!!!" and then in the fine print far below, you find out it drops down to 400 or so after a minute.

It's ironic that the ANSI standard was meant to create transparency and accuracy to these ratings, but then manufacturers immediately realized they could take advantage of the short measurement time for output, and just have their lights take a huge step down after a minute or two but still market the light as a "2000" lumen light (or whatever) when in reality it's a 400 lumen light that happens to have a short burst mode.


Dang, I'm turning into the Clint Eastwood of flashlights......NOW GET OFF MY LAWN!!!

 

[Olumin]

Yeah I think its mostly the misleading marketing around it as well as cheap chinese lights claiming "100.000 lumens" to then deliver 300.
Well made high output lights serve their purpose & im sure are indispensable for some people, but I think most people actually need a lot less light then they think they do.

 

[Stress_Test]

I have found that if you're trying to get the attention of an emergency vehicle (ambulance) in the city, you'll probably need a crazy-bright flashlight, unless they happen to be looking right at you at the time.

There are just too many other competing light sources in a busy city area: street lights, sidewalk lights, storefront lights, other vehicle lights, etc etc.

If you're behind the vehicle you'd have to have something really overpowering, like helicopter search-light level of brightness, to overpower everything else enough to get their attention.

Now, is there a light like that which can be carried around easily, or even EDC'd? Don't know <shrug>