Show your dim incans

[chillinn]

I somehow slipped into a nap around 4:30PM, woke 3 hours later in the dark, but with really nice dark adaptation. Normally, I carry, and use constantly after dark, an LF E2 Classic LF Elite with SF diffuser and LF twisty z52 w/ NH1832 button top running SF "6V" 0.51A MN02 for about 4 hours of 20Lm-12Lm, and, used occasionally, an LF E1 Classic SF Elite SF z52 w/ Keeppower UH1835P running Tad Customs' E Socket and 3.7V 1.2A A3712 bipin lamp for about about hour of 80Lm-40Lm.

But this evening, since my eyes were already ready for the dark already, I grabbed some different lights.

• Malkoff 2AA body, LF smoothie and SF diffuser w/ 2x AA NiMH running Tad Customs' E socket and 6V 1A A6010 bipin lamp for about 2 hours of 4Lm-1Lm. This is the main light, basically stays on all the time, and I'll swap cells a few times.
• fivemega E head E tail 18350 body, SF Elite and SF diffuser, LightSaver Miser w/ Keeppower UH1835P running SF "6V" 0.51A MN02 for over 2 hours of 20Lm-12Lm on high, 4 hours of 10Lm-6Lm on medium, and 8 hours of 3.5Lm-1Lm on low, and I mostly use on low, cell lasts all night.
• Malkoff 1AA body, SF Elite with brass bezel and convex lens w/ Vapcell H10 running SF "6V" 0.51A MN02 for about 2 hours of 20Lm-12Lm. This is the backup, so generally I won't be swapping cells.

I used to take good pictures in the dark with an SLR and pushed film. This is the best I can do with low lumens and a Gen 5 iPad mini camera.

I really like these lights. Ordinarily, I only use the Malkoff 2AA when I wake up before dawn for at most a couple hours, so it is a real treat to get to use it all night.

What incans do you guys use to preserve your dark adaptation?

 

[glockboy]

How about a Maglite 2AA incan, twist the head and put in on the bottom, use it as a candle.

 

[chillinn]

It's got great runtime, but it's a little more than three times brighter than you'd want to preserve already well- dark adapted eyes. But there are levels of dark adaptation, and it's just the right amount of light to see and keep an intermediate dark adaptation. Personally, I think candle-mode is overrated, as the light goes everywhere, including always into your eyes, unless it can be placed up high enough or hung upside down above eye-level.

 

[glockboy]

You can scotch tape around the head.

 

[Megalamuffin]

Mag solitaire with dc fix is the perfect brightness for dark adapted half asleep eyes.

 

[chillinn]

with dc fix

What's that, Megalamuffun?

 

[Megalamuffin]

It's a diffuser film you cut out of a sheet. I got a couple different grades of it from BLF.

The results are very good. I prefer the dc fix that retains some throw, total flood is not what you want on a 2 lumen light.