If I remember Streamlight's specs correctly, the Stinger XT has the same brightness as a Stinger. A friend of mine bought a Stinger and when I compared it to my 6P, it wasn't as bright! Since another friend of mine has the 8X which was way brighter than my 6P, the transitive property would indicate that the 8X is way brighter than the Stinger. One caveat is that I don't know the state of charge on the Stinger, although the rechargable battery pack should have a fairly flat voltage discharge rate.
One other complaint that I have with the stinger is that the reflector makes those Mag-Lite-like wedge dark spots when you play with the focus.
Actually, on a rechargable light that would see close up work as well as distance use, the focusing capability is convenient. I wouldn't mind having both the 8X (or the 8NX since I have no aversion to polymer) and the Stinger.
gm