Again, just curious, on an average DAY, what do you use your EDC light for?
Why low mode first on LED lights? Suggestions?
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Again, just curious, on an average DAY, what do you use your EDC light for?
I also prefer l/m/h. In fact, I won't even consider one that goes h/m/l. It's not that hard to cycle up if you need it. But coming on high is a pita if you're already dark adapted. Especially these new triple and quad die drop-ins. Why on freakin earth I would ever want 1600 lumens coming on first in any situation is beyond me.
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No, it isn't. The human body is AMAZING at adapting. JUST TODAY, I did a little test with a 300 lumen light (S-mini), while working in a fairly dark basement. I wanted to test to see if there was any validity to all the talk about using a light in HIGH ruining your "night vision". I was checking things out in a small dark corner of the basement, even made sure to shine on a reflective surface, less than 4' from my eyes, and then immediately after turning the light off, I counted how many seconds it took for my eyes to adjust to the level in which they could see prior to turning the light on in the first place (my normal night vision). It took THREE seconds. That's all. 3 little seconds for my eyes to re-adapt. Hardly the problem that many make it out to be. Now I realize that we all have different eyes, but I'm guessing I don't have super-human eyes that are capable of re-adjusting any faster than the average fellow. I did this test 3 times.
Anyway, I find it interesting to read that the number one reason, it seems, for wanting a light to turn on in low, has to do with "night vision". Personally, I have never had any kind of "night vision" problems and I have always used my lights at full brightness, whether it's in the dark, camping or hiking, or whether it's during the day in a basement, crawl space, or attic. This is not to say that I find no value in low settings. They have their time and place for sure.
I do understand the need for L-M-H if one is working in a movie theater, or the cockpit of a plane, etc., but I'm just not seeing a lot of PRACTICAL examples of how one actually uses their EDC lights during the course of a normal DAY. The theories don't add up to real life. Could it be that most folks wear glasses and that this is somehow related to their L-M-H choice? Could it be that most "flashaholics" don't really USE their lights a whole lot during the day and that their primary use is during bedtime? There have been several comments about the latter, which leads me to belive that their lights don't see a lot of use during the day. If this is the case, then I can certainly see the desire to prefer a L-M-H, in an effort to not disrupt the much needed sleep of their partner.
I don't know. Just asking.
Jonny
You wouldn't, nor would most folks. We were talking about little AA EDC lights that typically have no more than 100 lumens. Hardly a blinding situation.
If you're eyes are dark adapted, it takes considerably longer than 3 sec to readjust. Several minutes actually.
I read that the reason "pirates"/sailors wore an eye patch is precisely because they needed to preserver the night vision in at least one eye for when they went below deck. Don't know if that's true or not, but it makes sense.
I read that the reason "pirates"/sailors wore an eye patch is precisely because they needed to preserver the night vision in at least one eye for when they went below deck. Don't know if that's true or not, but it makes sense.
Then your eyes weren't actually dark adjusted before the lights went on. The rhodopsin (a photopigment) in the rods of your retina (the photocells responsible for low light sight) bleach out when exposed to light and take take up to 30 minutes to fully regenerate.
For your described usage, I completely agree; 80-200 lumen range is just right for all my 'daylight' type usage (depending on beam flood or focus). Attic, basement, garage, etc. Unless I'm working up real close, the little AAA EDC is on max. If you want a light that comes on at 100+ lumen, just find one dedicated light and be done with it.
For dark adaption, your 'basement test' of vision is not even close to the mark. You will need a much darker environment to see what it's all about. Many city dwellers who can't see more than the brightest stars in the sky will not find dark enough conditions outdoors at night to know what this is about. Everywhere is a street light or porch light to spoil your night vision anyway.
Hunting deep sky objects with a telescope is one example where you would absolutely need to preserve your night vision. (don't know if many around here are doing that...)
For night use outdoors, it's about balance. The flashlight only lights a relatively small area. The brighter it is, the more your pupils contract and night vision ability is compromised, the less you see outside of the lighted area. This is where only enough light as is required is an advantage.
If this stuff isn't important to you; no big deal, it's not your problem. Use and choose your light for your usage.
Most of the big lumen big throw light are no use to me either.
For dark adaption, your 'basement test' of vision is not even close to the mark. You will need a much darker environment to see what it's all about. Many city dwellers who can't see more than the brightest stars in the sky will not find dark enough conditions outdoors at night to know what this is about. Everywhere is a street light or porch light to spoil your night vision anyway.
Hunting deep sky objects with a telescope is one example where you would absolutely need to preserve your night vision. (don't know if many around here are doing that...)
For night use outdoors, it's about balance. The flashlight only lights a relatively small area. The brighter it is, the more your pupils contract and night vision ability is compromised, the less you see outside of the lighted area. This is where only enough light as is required is an advantage.
If this stuff isn't important to you; no big deal, it's not your problem. Use and choose your light for your usage.
Most of the big lumen big throw light are no use to me either.
Dr. Strangelove
Enlightened
Wise words from PCC. Since there are so many different UI available, simply choose one that suits your needs. We could debate this forever and never come to a mutually agreeable conclusion.
the.Mtn.Man
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If it only took three seconds to readjust then your eyes really weren't dark adapted in the first place, at least not to any significant extent, and/or the corner wasn't especially dark. If your eyes were truly dark adapted then 300 lumens should have appeared searingly bright and taken several seconds for your eyes to adapt to in the first place, and after shutting off the light, it should have appeared pitch black for several seconds afterwards and taken several minutes more for your eyes to regain their previous acuity.
That is to say I question the validity of your test.
As for my everyday flashlight use, it varies greatly, so having quick access to several different brightness levels is important, and for my purposes, I find starting on low and cycling up to the desired level to be preferable to the risk of starting with too much light and having to back it off. I think, too, that being in the habit of starting on low and increasing the brightness will have you ultimately using a lower brightnesses than if you started on high and backed down, so practicably it will increase the run time of your batteries.
I'm not sure how much value all this theoretical lingo has to the ACTUAL everyday usage of a guy with average eyesite, with an average job. My "test" was in a REAL environment which a LOT of guys are in, while at work, with their flashlights. It was a realistic example of what happens when a guy decides to use HIGH beam in an "everyday carry" situation. What happened was that I was able to see with much better clarity while the light was on, and then, only for 3 mere seconds, was I "blinded" after the light was turned off. The point was that the "night vision" stuff would likely NEVER be a problem for the average user, during an average day.
It should be noted that a "flashaholic" is not necessarily one who USES their lights a LOT, but rather, one who is addicted to buying more and more flashlights. In other words, it is quite possible that MOST "flashaholics" may be very knowledgeable about things written on paper, and yet rarely USE their lights for practical applications (developing a realization that things in the real world are not as they are on paper). Given that the number one reason (?) for low mode first has been to avoid waking their partner at night, this seems to be the case. I don't know.
It's an interesting discussion, but in the end, it's not a matter of right or wrong. It's a matter of preference, based on that particular persons daily needs. I happen to need LIGHT, and plenty of it, in order to see as much detail as I need to see. As for night time use (say, getting up for a bathroom run), and avoiding a bright blast of light on my wife while she sleeps, I have found that I don't need ANY flashlight. I live somewhat in the country, and yet there is still, typically, plenty of artificial light of some sort, to allow safe navigation through the house without the need for a flashlight. I can only imagine how much easier this would be for city folk. So I am fully aware of making do with as little light as possible. But when you need to SEE, clearly, why waste an expensive light on low mode. Buy an Eveready for $1.99.
Keep in mind that my "test" was NOT intended to be an example of one being lost in the woods at night. It was intended to represent an EDC situation. I doubt the average fellow is in environments darker than a dark basement, during the course of an average day (typical EDC use). No doubt there are far greater extremes of darkness that some guys may be in regularly, but we are talking about NORMAL EDC type stuff by the average flashlight owner - situations that would cause one to pull their lights out of their pockets during the course of the day.
I happen to live outside the city in an area that I can appreiciate the beauty of millions of stars, so I know what you mean. And when I want more darkness (more starlight), I head north, into the Canadian wilderness, where there are no artificial lights of any kind, except for what I take.
It's all in fun. Just chattin' with fellow flashaholics. No harm done. I can accept that I am certainly in the minority.
Jonny
The S-mini would seem to me the ideal carry for your needs. Just set the memory for medium (it's about 100 lumen) and you have a nice compact, long running EDC. Not much bigger than most single AA lights.
I like my S-mini too.
the.Mtn.Man
Flashlight Enthusiast
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I'm not sure what profit there is to your condescending tone, as if you're the only person on these forums who uses your flashlight in the real-world. While a lot of folks here are collectors, they also carry and use their flashlights on a daily basis, so your experiences are not somehow more "correct" than theirs.
Thing is, nobody is saying or even implying that high power is not useful in some situations, but the question was asked why some (apparently most) people prefer low as default, and the question has been answered. To suggest that we only hold this opinion based on "things written on paper" rather than our own practical experience is absurd.
So much for all that money I spent getting a degree in biological science. They didn't even teach me about REAL anatomy and physiology!
This is a great post.
I usually set my multimode lights to come on in low and ramp up if needed. For most tasks 10-20 lumens does the trick and one or two clicks to get to 200 or so is hardly a trial. Ramping down seems silly to me.
FWIW: I have my EDC set to start on low. Quite often I work on things up close, and would rather have to click twice to turn it up than flash myself and have to blink for a few minutes before I can work again.
Also, in the middle of the night when I grab the light from my bedside table I can turn it on in the hazyness of pseudo-consciousness and not worry about blinding myself or scaring the crap out of my wife.
For me, for an EDC, start on low is mandatory.
For my big outdoor lights, start on high is the way to go.
Also, in the middle of the night when I grab the light from my bedside table I can turn it on in the hazyness of pseudo-consciousness and not worry about blinding myself or scaring the crap out of my wife.
For me, for an EDC, start on low is mandatory.
For my big outdoor lights, start on high is the way to go.
Joe Talmadge
Flashlight Enthusiast
Since I'm also a lone voice in the wilderness
, I'll re-iterate my point from earlier: for me, the mere fact that someone is talking about an order means they're tolerating a mediocre, our-engineers-are-barely-even-trying UI. These days, there are loads of well-designed UIs out there, from rings to Aeon-style or NC EZ-style twist-through to clever single-button approaches like HDS or ZL or Photon or any other number. For me, the problem isn't the order of the modes, the problem is that there's an order at all ... don't accept mediocrity in your UI, and you'll be much happier. Of course, if you'd done that, we wouldn't be having this fun thread; instead, everyone who has that light would simply be turning it on in the right level for them, and we'd all have to find something else to complain about Since I'm also a lone voice in the wilderness
I'm quite happy with my UI's thanks all the same.
I want a light that I know, without a flicker of doubt, will always start at the same level. After that I'm not fussy, and being able to program medium mode to be 120 or 121 lumens doesn't mean much to me.
I want tiny lumens first, and reasonable medium next, and then everything it has to offer after that.
Hmmm... Three modes, starts on low, no mode memory. Not mediocre. Perfect.
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