How do you all pick your lights?

I am problobly like many of you, when I am considering a new light, I quickly goto to this, flashlight reviews, and any other site I can find to "get the specs!"

I first bought a p61 lamp for my Surefire 6p long ago because I saw that it was 120 lumens instead of 60. It did (and still does not) apear to be twice as bright as the p60 lamp. I just like its bigger hotspot and brighter sidespill enough to keep putting batts in it.

My question is: Am I looking for the wrong thing when I "just look for specs?" There are always more people looking at the 'led' section than the 'incandescent' or 'hid', even though the later two have brighter lights. What am I missing? Are there great lights out there that I don't look twice at just because something elso is brighter? What do you all look for? I am looking forward to being re-enlightened.

Hope this helps: I have purchased a lot of SF lights and have found their drawback is a lack of regulation of the same brightness over time. The new regulated LED's from Streamlight (4AA Luxeon), Pelican 2390 (3W Luxeon regulated), seem to be a much better value for a technologically advanced light.

I currently use a Pelican 2330 (1W non-regulated) and like the beam, throw and color a lot. I believe the regulated version of this light - the 2390 -would be close to the "perfect light".

LED regulated flashlights are a great, recent, positive innovation as it allows the flashlight to maintain the same brightness after 1+ hour of use, just about as bright as when you first put the batteries in and turned it on. This is a big advantage, especially if you are using the flashlight for an extended duration such as in search and rescue operations or just hiking a trail after dark.

These are defintely worth considering when shopping for a good flashlight.

:laughing:

I read a lot. So many times I already know what to expect. When I find something that I think might suit me, I usually ask a few others about their experiences with said light before purchasing. Needless to say, I tend to end up with lights I am satisfied with.

I have had a pretty good run of lights which I am happy with. I also do quite alot of reading and this gets you the experience of others which is what makes CPF such a good resource. Everyone is different but I like the slightly more unusual and less common lights and hope that if I get a good body on a light I can turn my hand to modding the light whent the new technology comes in.

Hello Woodrow,

When picking a light, I follow this line of reasoning:

Fit
Form
Function
Performance
Price

Fit: Does it fit in my hand, pocket, on my key chain, in my tool box, in my glove box, etc.

Form: LED, incandescent, or other. Spot, flood, or combination, etc.

Function: Ease of use. If it has a menu, how do you access the different options. How does it turn on, head twisty, tail twisty, side button, tail button, etc. What batteries does it use and how easy is it to change them. Does the light have some way of keeping it from rolling off a bench.

Performance: This is where I look at the specifications. Most of my use is trying to identify an object at a distance. The most important number for me is throw, closely followed by run time.

Price: Now that I have identified what I want, can I afford it, and where is the best deal on it.

Now I can go to flashlight reviews and see what choices fall into the ranges I am looking at.

Tom

For me, it is a visit to Flashlightreviews.com first followed by a lot of time here. While I look at the specs, I also read the comments carefully. I find Doug's comments to easily be as useful as any specification, and the comments here can be a huge dollar saver as well.

I check this site about as often as I can.

Often, because a light gets/got lots of praise, I'll get one.

Often, because I can and it's there, I'll get a light at a brick and mortar store. Again it is usually a light that gets/got lots of praise.

I have fallen head over heels for LED lights! Some of my faves are Fenix P1, SL PP 4AA and 3C LUX, Electrolumens XM3, M*gled 2,3AA, 2,3 and 4 C/D etc.

The last few lights I've gotten including the P1 I had to beg and plead to get!!!!

As where I work is pretty much a break even or less proposition, and is the most often condition of my life!

For me, I pick flashlights base on the size, the runtime, and the number of batteries it uses. I perfer flashlights that use an even number of batteries.

Like many have said, I read about them and zero in on the ones that get the most praise. If they're in my price range, then I try to rationalize a reason for yet another light. :laughing:

Geoff

I'd like to add one more point to what has already been said. Don't always go by just one person's likes or dislikes. Try to get an overall view of the majority opinion. If most people really like a particular brand/model, then you probably will too.

- This is EXACTLY why CPF is here -




.... to get a cross section of tastes, opinions, hard facts, conjecture, reviews and information. I go to CPF first and foremost. No matter what light, no matter how expensive, no matter how obscure, no matter if it was released 20 years ago, or 10 weeks from today, someone will have information on it, compatibility, opinions, prices and reviews. You can decide whether or not a light is worth checking out for yourself from the info here. Because after all, you are the ultimate test. If a light is even half worth checking out, someone here will share your taste in lights, and chances are you'll enjoy it. You can also tell if a light is failing, if people have had horrible experiences trying to get customer service for it, then you can steer clear of it, or at least wait until the manufacturer releases new revisions.

woodrow said:

My question is: Am I looking for the wrong thing when I "just look for specs?"

Click to expand...

I think so. There's so much more to a light than what's brightest. I compare it to a nitro-burning dragster(Mag ROP....or whatever's brightest at the moment, not too current on that kind of thing.). It's the most powerful and a blast to drive........for that 1/4 mile. But you wouldn't want to take it to the store for a gallon of milk. The simple, reliable, if somewhat boring, Honda Civic(Inova, Fenix, SL PP Lux, Surefire E series, MiniMagLED, etc.) usually makes a much better choice for daily usage.

This is how I see it, anyway.

:buddies:

carrot said:

I read a lot. So many times I already know what to expect. When I find something that I think might suit me, I usually ask a few others about their experiences with said light before purchasing. Needless to say, I tend to end up with lights I am satisfied with.

Click to expand...

I put a lot of faith in what Carrot and JS and a few of the other "CPF Titans" say about a light.

W.

Thanks for everyone's input. I will try to put it to good use. I think I might pick up a Streamlight 3c lux light. It will be nice to have something that will run more than 20 minutes plus Brightguy has not heard from me in a while.

brad

Flashlightreviews then I head over here and search for first hand exp.

I love LEDs there's no other technology that can deliver the runtime(regulation), reliablity, brightness in super small packages. Look at the new Fenix's such as the P1D-CE and HDS EDC series.

I challenge you to get an incan that can do 60 or 120+ lumens for more than 20mins and stay constant for the 20 mins and do it with 1 CR123.

My Boss/Uncles brother was in the shop today and crying about always having dead lights. I showed him some LEDs and told him where to get some.

He THINKS that we don't get good fresh batteries around here, but then he COULD be getting batteries at dollar stores... I'm plenty satisfied with Rayovacs at Walmart myself.

If I could afford it he'd have at least a Minim*G LED 2AA with Lith AAs in it!!! I might make him buy one anyway!

If it's not LED, I'm not interested.
I am focusing on lights containing the Cree XR-E.

I'd make an exception for a really floody Luxeon lottery winner,
but most lights seek to contain the Luxeon's natural floodiness with reflectors.

Lights like this don't seem to be covered on flashlightreviews yet.

I too use this forum as my primary source of info for a new light purchase. If I read here that people like the light I look at flashlight reviews to see if it meets all my criteria. I mostly buy common lights that people have a lot of experience with. I would never have as many quality lights as I do with the CPF and Flashlight Reviews. Thanks everyone!:rock: