The last one to turn off the incandescent...

[zipplet]

Good post Tomcat!. I completely agree. Right now I only have LED lights and a couple of rubbish (2xAA) incans, but I have my first decent incan on the way to me (an A2 aviator). Both can live alongside each other and the user should pick the light for the task.

Some LEDs such as the cree neutral white and nichia high CRI LEDs are beginning to blur the gap.

 

[cl0123]

...I prefer to grade the technologies according to the job and buy accordingly.

Tomcat,

My compliments. Pretty much my sentiments as well. Very logical and well-versed thread and helped this novice. As a matter of fact, I am also scanning through the various threads trying to understand this so-called grey area, or the three CR123-powered flashlights. I was first marvelled by what a 2-cell light can do (over my old Maglites) and now wondering what would be the gains to go with a 3-cell.

Current strategy of selecting candlepower gears still focus on hardwares that are compatible with both the LED and incandescent formats, personally. My incan bulbs are still safely stowed away just in case if even my backup LEDs fail.

Ironically, I just decided to dip myself into the M6 territory this weekend. Go figure? Hey, it's a nice hobby!

With Aloha,

Clarence

 

[seery]

I got rid of my last incandescent (Surefire M6) about a year ago. I see little need for 500 lumens except on rare occassions in which case I now turn to HID. LED's are now coming out with higher CRI's which is yet another nail in the coffin for incandescents.

+1

I also sold the last of my M6's and rely heavily on HID when big light is needed.

 

[cernobila]

Just got back from a three day camping trip.....and guess what, I only used my incans in the late evenings and also at midnight while exploring the local forest trails. Sorry I lied, I did use one of my LED lights inside the car when looking for something under the seats.....You cant beat the color of a nice incan out in the country side. those rabits looked like rabits and the deer, well what can I say, it did not look sickly or anything like that.....Thank god I still have my incans.....I too lock mine up, but I have the key in a safe place.

 

[Illum]

I love thew great outdoors, for that reason I'm hesitant to give up the incandescents.

For outdoor photography, white light does NOT equate to white tint. LEDs are horrible for photo lighting and doesn't penetrate as far as that of incan light in foggy conditions. I just returned from a trip to Maggie Valley, North Carolina and my conclusions after a couple days walking at night: the L4 can go back on the shelf, the E2L is okay [awesome light for runtime], the A2 is the best light I've used that is pocketable.

my main light was the 2D ROP High, I can't say I will ever give up the incans yet:nana:

 

[FlashKat]

I prefer LED's, but I have had the urge to buy incandescents. I still prefer my Wolf Eyes M90 Rattlesnake with a EO-13 more than a P7 LED. I also like my Surefire E2E.

 

[dudemar]

Is it only me, but are you also starting to retire your incandescent flashlights?

Not a chance. As powerful as LEDs are nowadays, it just doesn't throw as far as an incandescent. I tried lighting a phone pole with my Pila 250 lumen Q5, but I was barely able to see it. I projected light onto the same phone poll with a Pila 200 lumen incan, I lit it up no problem.

Incans will always have a place in my hands. While LEDs take longer to burn out, the sheer throw of the incan will be difficult to overcome.

 

[jzmtl]

I tried lighting a phone pole with my Pila 250 lumen Q5, but I was barely able to see it. I projected light onto the same phone poll with a Pila 200 lumen incan, I lit it up no problem.

Really? Do they use the same reflector?

 

[Raoul_Duke]

LED's have definatley caught up in 1, and 2 cell ( RCR123) sized light....( but I have a feeling that may change in the next few months )

I have 1 + 2 cell cree led's and while they are nice and handy, but it doesnt compete against my regular EDC of a 2D mag 150W hotwire, or the 6C 150W hotwire that rides in my car with a 6D 20W hotwire for a longer runtime.

Hotwires provide real light.

Untill they make a P7 dropin for surefire sized lights (P60) I'm not interested in giving up my P91.

 

[socom1970]

I cycle my SureFire incans (M6, M4, M3, 9P, 6P, E2D, E2E, MilkyA2-WH, A2-GN) through my EDC lineup about equally with my LED's (M6/KL6, M3/KL2, U2, E2DL, E1B, L4, E2E/MilkyKL1, MilkyHDS U60 GT, Milky/Leef Gotham, Mr. Bulk DragonHeart) and enjoy all of them.

I kind of wish people would stop talking about incans as though they are obsolete. They are NOT obsolete, just not "new on the block" like LED's or HID's. I have many great, respectable incans and many great, respectable LED's. I like both technologies for many reasons. They both have their benefits and detriments. I like the benefits of LED's BIG TIME. However, I also like the benefits of incans BIG TIME as well. I will be using both technologies for MANY years to come.

 

[dudemar]

Really? Do they use the same reflector?

Yep, orange peel.

 

[ElGreco]

My G3, along with Lumens Factory, will always have its own appeal for me. It was my first surefire and it has never done me wrong, while aging beautifully.

My only complaint about battery life and cost was soundly solved by Lumens Factory and AW, so i've got nothing left to complain about. My incandesant is easily the light I trust will do what I need it to do.

 

[Culhain]

Thanks all for the interesting discussion.

I rarely see true darkness and as a result use my lights under a mix of commercial grade outdoor lighting. Until I bought the Malkoff unit, LEDs were worthless under my conditions. The Malkoff was the first LED that I tried that could provide useful illumination and actually punch through the ambient light. Gradually, I became aware that I was sometimes missing details that were not standing out while using the Malkoff.

Recently, I got a good deal on a demo unit SF 8-AX Commander, dropped it into a Maxpedition baton holder and have been carrying it in addition to my 6P Malkoff. Funny thing, indoors my Fenix P1-CE provides all the light I need and outdoors I keep reaching for the SF Commander. The Commander is not quite as bright, to my eyes, as the 6P Malkoff, but the light that it provides is more useful in illuminating the details. The 6P is now mostly a backup light.

As LEDs continue to get better and their full potential is reached, I believe that they will make incans obsolete. Until then, incans still excel in many applications.

Tonight, I worked with a Fire Department truck and medic unit ( 7 people),
two local Police units (three people) and our own patrol unit (1 person). All of them carried incan lights. MagLite, Pelican and Streamlight were the brands in use.

 

[FlashSpyJ]

I started out with a ASP Triad I (incandescent). After that I found LEDs!
Whoho! I was instantly hooked! I bought only LED lights!
But after a while I kinda fell back to incan lights, I really like the color rendition, but I really dont like the runtimes. Bought a SF A2, 9P, 6P..
Now I have sold them all but the 9P, I will never sell that light, I run it with a LF EO-9 and 17500 batts. I will always have at least one incan for more serious lighting shores. LEDs are great for camping, long time usage, indoors etc. But they really suck to use outside in the nature!
Until they develop a LED light with the same color rendition I wont leave for camping whit out at least two lights....

 

[MSI]

Just bought an E1E for fun the other day to compare it to the similar sized LEDs. Would have loved it when I was a kid, but now I'll stick with my LEDs. However, no LED beats the large incans, but since they are large they stay home most of the time.

 

[loszabo]

Wow, what a great thread... Thanks for all the input so far!:candle:

I kind of wish people would stop talking about incans as though they are obsolete. They are NOT obsolete, just not "new on the block" like LED's or HID's. I have many great, respectable incans and many great, respectable LED's. I like both technologies for many reasons. They both have their benefits and detriments. I like the benefits of LED's BIG TIME. However, I also like the benefits of incans BIG TIME as well. I will be using both technologies for MANY years to come.

I wanted to know what you guys think in general. No technical discussion about efficienies, etc. I just wanted to find out if I'm the only one on CPF retiring his incans. I would not call them "obsolete" either. It's just that I don't use them anymore, because my LEDs are better suited for my task.

I give you an example: I wanted my M2 with the P61 as a powerful incan in addition to my Insight H2X LED. What happened? After two days I replaced the P61 with the P60L... So, I felt guilty and got a SC1 to carry the P61 with me. Next, I've stopped using the SC1, because I have better spare cell carriers. Being one week with the M2, I didn't even miss the opportunity to change it back to the P61.

 

[dougie]

Whatever our personal preferences LED & HID lighting is where the future is. Incandescent flashlights are no longer a viable investment for manufacturers and there are few (if any) who are now bringing any new small incandescent flashlights to market. From a reliability perspective LED's reign supreme although I concede there are always exceptions!

My personal criteria for a flashlight is that it as reliable as possible and provides as long a run time as possible without changing batteries. It should provide a good a beam profile and reasonable colour rendition. For these purposes a 6P sized light running a P60L lamp covers 90% of my requirements. If I need to illuminate a large area a Malkoff M60L with a beam diffuser cover does the job and does it well. I can't imagine that there is any incandescent flashlight that would do the same and provide me with the same benefits.

Although it may be a few years down the line there will inevitably come a time when commercial outlets will cease to carry incandescent lights or bulbs and for those who still use them they'll pay a premium for the pleasure.The future is bright but it won't be incandescent!

 

[gallagho]

I take both

For country walks I quite often have an LED torch in one hand for their long runtimes, and spotlight rustlings etc with the M6 in my other hand. Best of both worlds...

 

[ugrey]

Incan lamp assemblies/bulbs in 6 volt flashlights do not make sense anymore. They don't make much sense in 9 volt flashlights either. I have two 6V incans left, one is a P61 in my G2. The other is my E2e. It is waiting for a KX2 head. I have 2 9V incans left, one is a P91 in my G3 and the other is my M3. The M3 will have a KL9 LED head put on it when SF releases them. It should be awhile before my 12Ps and M4s get LEDs and a long time for my M6 to see an LED. But, I am sure their days are numbered too.

 

[JNewell]

Mildly interesting data point. A local SF B&M is around the corner from a major event venue. They sell a lot of G2 lights to stagehands and riggers. Reason? They won't buy LED lights because (they tell the B&M guys) they can't tell the different wire colors apart if they use an LED light - they need incans.