Will You Help Me Choose My Flashlight?

[CPFMan]

There's so many flashlights out there I don't know what to choose. I need you help. Thanks guys!! Money is not a factor in choosing a light. It doesn't matter if its bulb, led, waterproof, weather resistant, shockproof,etc. It has to be a EDC:

1) Best Throw:
2) Best floodlight:
3) Best runtime:

Your feedback is highly appreciated. I'll be edcing all three lights mentioned on the criteria above.

Thanks... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[davidefromitaly]

best throw: SL TL-3 xenon (also excellent spill) but is a bit big... you can try the TL-2, less performance but much smaller

best flood: SF L4 or nuwai (Q-III like, i don't remember the reference) lux V. if you want a smaller light the Q-III is quite good

best runtime: all depend on how many watt can output the battery and how many watt take the led (or the bulb). the nuwai tm-115x, ALX-032L, SL TT, all in low mode offer a lot of runtime, it's hard to obtain a lot of light with a lot of runtime in a small package

 

[Hoghead]

1: Pelican M6
2: Surefire L4
3: /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif I'm not sure mine is a ARC4 on level 16. Before I had the ARC4 it was a Surefire A2.

You could combine throw and runtime with a Surefire A2 or you could combine flood and runtime with a Surefire L2.

The incandescent of the A2 has decent throw and is regulated. The LEDs have something like 15 to 20 hour runtime.

The L2 on high has a flood beam similar to the L4 and the low beam has a runtime of about 8 hours.

The runtime of some of the lights with vairable brightness is very long.

As I proof read my post I think you could do very well with a A2 and a L2.

If these are to large you might want,
1: Surefire E2e
2: TW4 (AKA E1e/KL4)
3: CMG Infinity

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I wear jeans and a belt. I find I can carry up to a Stinger on my belt. I have carried SF G2, SL TT2L, and other stuff.

It will be a long and painful process, but you might want what I carry (have for months and will for as far into the future as I can see!). A M*glite Minim*g loaded up with a Lambda 3W High Dome Drop In Pill, a glass lense and a Kroll tail switch.

It makes a NICE WHITE Spot of decent size with AWESOME spill. It will defocus to a soft flood (but I find the spill to be good most of the time). It will reach across the street in this neighborhood (maybe 75-100feet) and show me what's over there. It will run approx. 2 good hours on NimH cells of about 2000mAh capacity. Mine has been used intermitently for nearly a month on the same NimH and hasn't lost brightness yet as near as I can tell.

There is a loooong wait to get the Lambda (look here! caution it's a 30 page thread! for how to get it)

Hope this helps! That TT2L is also a pretty nice light especially for the $$$.

 

[CPFMan]

Thanks guys!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif

 

[sithjedi333]

Since money is not a factor...

1) Best Throw: Aleph 3 on 2x123, you can wear it using the belt tab attachment
2) Best floodlight: Surefire U2
3) Best runtime: Something with multiple light level settings, Aleph, U2, Lionheart and HDS (when it comes out) come to mind.

 

[tvodrd]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
1. Maxabeam
2. Sleeper (mod)
3. Milky Candle (mod)

EDC?- There are folks on this forum who would not surprise me! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Oh, and CPFman, Welcome!

Larry

 

[MaxaBaker]

throw: new Megaray
flood: as above, the Sleeper
runtime: some crazy LED light with several thousand hour battery life
EDC: My personal choice would probably be a Surefire E2e

Good Luck /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

 

[KevinL]

throw: Maglite-based Lux3 mod with 52mm bezel (I've measured 300 meters, some got 400, another one got 550 meters)

flood: Surefire Beast - 20 SF123A cells, 90 minutes, 2000 lumens, this is not a typo.

runtime: 6D Maglite loaded with alkaline D's running a step-down converter, or, CMG Infinity classic red.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

OK, forget all of those, since those are the ridiculously impractical options (even though they meet the stated objectives /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif) On to the more practical advice.

EDC - usually, size and weight are going to be a concern. I think sithjedi333 nailed it very well, because the Aleph 3 is the smallest ultra-long-throw light. Throwers usually have large reflectors to go along with them.

The U2 is one of the best all-around close-range lights, though expensive. A suitable replacement is the L4, which I as pushing to a colleague last night who wants something smaller, cheaper, and does not need six output levels.

Runtime is always inversely proportional to brightness and almost always directly proportional to size. The U2 will fill this need very nicely on level 1, but if that's not what you want, then consider the two-stage tailcaps for the L4/Aleph (fits both), the McE2S. This will enable you to reduce the power of the light for extended runtime when you don't need so much brightness, and with just a bit more pressure, step up to full power for those moments where you do.

 

[Cornkid]

I would think that the beast has the highest throw due to its high lumens. ( Lux being Lumens/m^2)

-tom

 

[thesurefire]

Throw: Alpha 3 head on 3x123s running a X bin 5 Watt
Flood: L4 With McE2S switch
runtime: CMG infinity, or lion heart on low

 

[AuroraLite]

For EDC-able lights, here are my 2 cents:

Best throw: TL3, Adeph3, Pelican M6
Best flood: X5, Minimag with Newbeam Opalec
Best runtime: Gerber infinity, Lightwave tec1000, Opalec

 

[MaxaBaker]

Wow. Old post. But, I just saw this.

cornkid, the Beast definitly does not have the most flood. The Sleeper puts probably 3-4 times as much flood-ing light.