Opinions on multi-stage lighting

I'm just curious what other people's opinions are on multi-stage lighting. Is it just gimicky? Is it poorly implemented as well?

My opinion, I could see wanting to have a 2 or 3 stage light, but 5 to 7? is that a little much, who needs strobe mode?

Most of these multi-stage lights seem poorly implemented too, having to click your way through the stages every time you turn the light on in order to get to the desired stage seems wrong from an end user's perspective. All of these lights, the expensive ones anyways, should have a dial on the light (something like turning the end cap tighter) so that you can choose your stage before the light is even turned on, and it will always stay in that stage until you move the dial. Some start out in the wrong stage too. Why start on low? the order should be medium->low->high (if a dial's not possible).

Any thoughts? Am I the only one who thinks multi-stage flashlights aren't implemented right?

I have a MillerMods 3-level L0P that I use every day. It goes Lo-Med-Hi which suits me perfectly since I use low 90% of the time.

For a digitally controlled light I like the way the nFlex works. It comes on at the last used setting or you can get it to come on dim (by holding instead of pressing the button). Having to step through levels every time would not suit me, unless the first one happened to be my normal brightness.

Greg

i love my l2

I use low a lot and use high for when i am in pitch black and need to see farther or when my friends are not paying attention.

I like having different levels to choose from. Two will do, but just barely. Three is better and four is great. That's about the number of levels actually used on my U2, and is the number of presets of the HDS U60. More choice doesn't really hurt anything, IMO. However lights that require scrolling though a certain number of levels (e.g., 64 or 100) are imprecise with a single button interface in my experience. A dial would help that.

I've never had any real problems with multi-click interfaces. My favorite is probably the V2 Lion Cub firmware. The setting I use this on gives five choices of levels.

The ring selector on the U2 may well be my favorite, it's at least a contender. I like being able to adjust the brightness before the light is even on, which the U2 does. Another interface that I find better than single button level adjustment is the up/down two button interface on the VB-16 lights. There are other variants of this light as well, VB-32, etc.

As to strobes, the only use I've ever had for the one on the Gladius is as an attention getter on dark streets with no sidewalks during dog walks at night. I hope to never have to use it for defense, just signaling. The SOS on the HDS may be a lifesaver some day, who knows?

As to the brightness a light turns on at, or the order it adjusts, that's a subjective thing. People's needs or preferences will be different, or even change.

I just got a Gatlight and having continuous levels with a knob rocks!

Can't wait for version 3 I too love the U2's selector ring design.

I like multi-stage lighting and with high output LEDs available, you need the ability to turn it down.

My first multi-stage light was my nFlex equipped Mag LuxV modded light. One momentary switch and a light press turns it on to the last level used. Press for between half a second and 1.5 seconds for force low with pressing over 1.5 seconds for force high. Press the button anytime the light is on to cycle through the 8 levels of current regulated brightness. I sent the light to my brother and he let his wife use it with no instructions of how it worked. She figured it out after a minute or two and liked the operation.

The L1D CE interface makes a lot of sense to me. Want low? Keep the bezel in normal position and click to turn on in low. Want max output? Rotate the bezel to "turbo" and click the light on. If you want medium, strobe etc simply tap the tail switch to change modes. Easy to use when grabbing the light in the dark, twist the bezel to ensure you have high or low enabled and click the switch. No surprises.

I would like to see a light with an on/off switch surrounded by a ring with a lever on it.
The lever would have slight detents at one or three locations.
All the way to the left would be low, single detent would be medium, three detents would be middle low, medium, medium high and all teh way to the right would be high.
Anything in between could also be selected if you really needed a medium, but not to high medium...
One thumb operation and no push, wait, cha, cha, cha.

I like multi-stage lighting.
I think it is mandatory on hi-output lights, and it gives nice capacity to either tailor the light to your changing needs, and provides the ability to go into battery saving modes if you need to.

I prefer tail clickie lights, and I think clicking between brightness settings is perfect for me.
I would not prefer bezel mounted adjustments.
Nor would I prefer switch location on the body shaft.

I do think that Mike Painter's suggestion above with a clickie tailswitch and a ring around that would suit me, though. As long as I can do everything from the tail.

These days you'll have so many lights to choose, why do you bother you with this question?
I own several lights for different purposes. 1level lights with clickys and twistys, 2 level lights very simple and reliable with resistors, full regulated multilevel lights also with strobe and SOS.

I love them all.

Choose lights which you like and don't buy the others.

Best regards

_____
Tom