How much light do you need for EDC?

How much light/runtime do you find you need from your EDC flashlight?

I have an L2D, and I've just ordered an L1D body to use for EDC. I thought about a P?D for the extra lumens but higher cost, but then I noticed people are still using older CR123A-cell flashlights with the same or less brightness/runtimes than the new AA Crees. An L1D on max seems to have double the lumens and longer runtime of an older L1T on max, but I'm sure people found their performance quite adequate for EDC in their time- Has our lumen `requirement' really changed since two or three years ago?


For example, in my research I noticed that the US$250 CR123A HDS EDC U60 on `max' is 37min to 50% @44.3, but the US$55 1xAA L1D-CE on an NiMH on `max' is 1h 50min to 50% @44.5.
Judging by some threads on this forum however, people still carry these stock U60's and similar-output lights for EDC, which leads me to believe that a) it's difficult to justify CR123 lights when something in 2yrs will do the same on cheap AA's, and b) there's an `ideal' brightness/runtime for everyday lights.
Thoughts?

Personally, I EDC a P3D - CE because I can use the lowest setting for wandering around the house at night, and when I need to do something in a room but don't want to bother others by turning on the light I can set it to high and point it at the ceiling. It's nice to see what's rustling in the distance when walking, too. If you're only wandering around inside at night, then a low-output, 1-setting light is fine.

were you around for the little blimp on the LED-tech radar involving the transition from Luxeons to Crees and SSC LEDs? that could explain a lot of things.

you research is good but didn't take into account that the two year difference in LED technology. QUickbeam noted the date of his tests for a reason.

the Novatacs, a variation of the HDS, is to which you should be comparing the LID-CE.

270winchester said:

were you around for the little blimp on the LED-tech radar involving the transition from Luxeons to Crees and SSC LEDs? that could explain a lot of things.
you research is good but didn't take into account that the two year difference in LED technology. QUickbeam noted the date of his tests for a reason.
the Novatacs, a variation of the HDS, is to which you should be comparing the LID-CE.

Click to expand...

No I thought I made the age comparison quite obvious in both paragraphs. In fact my key point was that there are many people that don't seem to be dumping older torches for something brighter or longer run-time, hence the question `how much do light/runtime do you need for EDC'.

Biggoggs said:

No I thought I made the age comparison quite obvious in both paragraphs. In fact my key point was that there are many people that don't seem to be dumping older torches for something brighter or longer run-time, hence the question `how much do light/runtime do you need for EDC'.

Click to expand...

A lot of people have had their HDSs upgraded for more runtime at the same brightness with a high max. I did. The result is fantastic. No need to buy another whole light every time a new bin is "offered" by Fenix. Most of my Lux lights stay the way they are because they work and are well built. I would rather have a few lights i can depend on rather than dozens of different variety of the same basic thing.

Biggogs - I take it you mean people stiil carry UNMODDED old CR123A led lights as EDC despite the fact that they are out powered by even quite cheap AA and even AAA lights available currently, due to advances in technology.

Probably true, but with sound reasons...

1) We grow attached to our EDCs and are loath to part with them. I know I'm guilty of this, I find my ARC First Run Cyan Lux 1 is such a thing of beauty and perfection, that I can't leave it at home ( It's always on my belt in a holster) OR countenance modding it for the much brighter Cree Cyan LED. This is sentimentality and I am profoundly guilty of it!

2) We are attached to our old EDCs and we can't afford the upgrades, or carry them out ourselves. This is financial or due to personal abilities or sheer laziness. Me too I'm afraid.

3) We carry our old EDCs as well as new stuff. Me me me me me!!!...Unmodded ARC on the left, L1D CE on the right, Flupic and new led (SSC USW0H P4) modded ARC LS in trouser pocket ( Bombelman Mod, not me!!)

4) We spent so much on our old EDCs we can't quite believe they're obsolete after only a couple of years - or much much less, so we fetishize them with a worth they no longer have. (yep, me as well) Which means we have lots of old LUX 1 or 3 or 5 torches which sit in boxes/drawers/shelves/whatever until we chuck em or give them away to charity shops ( Not me yet, I still have most of them ).

5) After all, you only need enough light to see in the dark, don't you?


To sum up, we hoard old stuff as well as new?

Is it possible to make the insane sound sane and logical?

Remember to hug your torches once a day...

Be lucky...

<< there are many people that don't seem to be dumping older torches for something brighter or longer run-time, hence the question `how much do light/runtime do you need for EDC'. >>


For me, if it isn't broken, why fix it? Yes, I am tempted by some of the newer lights and I probably will upgrade in time. But I am very happy with the lights that I have. They do the job and they do it well. For me, the cost incurred in upgrading currently exceeds the return I will receive. I can purchase a LOT of batteries for the price of even a modest new light. For others who may use their lights on a daily basis for work it may be cost effective to upgrade, or there may be a benefit to them in increased output. Others may like to upgrade "just because."

Most of the time all the light I need is given by my Fenix E0 or Arc AAA. Lately I've been also carrying a Proton or a Rexlight, but they're mostly just taking up pocket space. Just a little light seems to be enough.

Geoff

Hmmm...... using the theory that the best flashlight is the one you have when you REALLY need it.... I would say that my EDC is probably one of the most important lights I own, and as such I would prefer to have as much flexibility in brightness and runtime as is currently possible.

Following that logic, I've opted for the NovaTac 120P, with a Jetbeam CL-E as backup (with of course a Miller Modded ARC AAA Cree as 2nd backup, and a Lighthound give away keychain coin cell as 3rd backup).

With something like the NovaTac, I have the option of extremely long runtimes if that is what is called for, with occasional bursts of bright light when needed.

While I don't think the older HDS models are obsolete, part of the fun of this particular hobby is watching the technology evolve, and being able to have the newest/best available.

I think that's why the Fenix lights are so appealing. They seem to offer the latest advances in lighting technology wrapped up in a nice, robust package at a price point that makes it affordable to keep up with the rapidly changing world of portable lighting.

So, is the question how much light do I need, or how much do I want? I need very little, I want a lot.

Most of the time for me a Fenix L1T on low or a Peak Matterhorn is enough to get by. Sometimes I prefer a bit more light and I find that the 45 lumens from the new E2L is plenty for everything short of specialized tasks like spotting at distance. I find it to be an excellent balance of output and runtime.

I am one of those guys who is havnig their HDS updated with the LED of the week. However, my motives is more output but rather longer runtimes. With the efficiency of the new emitter I can ratchet the levels way down on the HDS and achieve much better runtimes at brightnesses comparable to the original settings.

i personally EDC a fenix P3D and P2D, i always have a backup light just incase...

How much light depends on what you use it for. I am not in a Job where I need to EDC high lumens but it's nice to have hence the reason I EDC multilevel lights. 90% of the time the low on my McLux III PD-S (around 3-5 lumens) is enough for most tasks but its good to have the 50 lumens if needed. Likewise when I carry my HDS and Novatacs.
I was in my backyard a few nights ago using my Novatac on low when I heard some noise aroung the side of my house. With a press of the button 120 lumens showed some racoons in my garbage. The light scared them off. Not an extreme use of the light but I would also take it backpacking, portaging etc. I know a Fenix could do the same thing but there are more to lights than brightness and runtime. (I'm not knocking Fenix)

In my own experience, for EDC, I don't really need that much light, if any at all. For those finding the keylight moments or walking down a dark hallway, I really don't need 100lumens, my cellphone is actually more than plenty bright for those situations. And for those everyday situations, I wouldnt really want those +100 lumens scorcher, lighting up a whole cinema or drawing unneccesary attention elsewhere. So I can totally understand people who EDC older techs, it's more than enough for most cases. On the other hand, CPFrs are by definition nuts (I mean come one, who else would join a forum for flashlights ), we strive for the best. And it's always fun to whip out a tiny light and blow friends away. But for most uses, I would guess an old school Arc would be more than enough.

I have exceptionally good night vision, the light emitted by the LED status lights on my power strips and the ringlight on my PowerBook G4's AC adapter are more than enough for nighttime navigation, in fact i have to cover up the pulsing sleep lights on my 'Book and G4 Mirror Door tower, or they make it hard for me to sleep

as far as flashlights go, the Arc AAA-P (5-7 lumens) or the Aviatrix LED's (3-4 lumens) are enough for me for nighttime navigation, in fact, i prefer the sanded red LED of my A2 Aviatrix for late-night bathroom runs

that said, I *do* carry brighter lights, my A2's incan beam (75ish lumens) and my E1L-SR (90-100ish lumens) are my EDC's, but are more for bragging rights (especialy the E1L-SR)

If I need retina-melting performance, there's the 10MCP Thor in the car, or my MagCharger, but neither one are particularly EDC'able

during the day, I mainly use the E1L-SR, to find the errant dropped screw, or peer inside a darkened tower case, mainly because it's so small and pocketable, but also because for my purposes, I need lots of lumens from an LED to overcome the ambient daylight, once night has fallen and I'm back at home, I can get around easily with very little light

I also don't understand the "If it's not Cree/SSC, it's worthless" obsession here on CPF, my Luxeon and 5MM lights work just as well as they did before the Cree/SSC/Rebel/K2 "revolution", and I have no need or desire to replace a perfectly good, usable light just because it's emitter is "outdated"

out of all my lights, which consist of 5MM Nichias, 1W and 3W Luxes, I only have one Cree light (a Lighthound 6P drop-in) and one SSC (E1L-SR), and of those two, the Cree'd 6P lives in my Bugout bag, all my illumination needs are met with 5MM Nichias, Incan and one single SSC

so for me, at least, brighter is not always better, gimme runtime any day

I need 60+ lumens.. and actually use 10 lumens most of the time.

I probably have 100+ lumens on my HDS and still only use 10lumens, but now 10lumens lasts for much longer.

Biggoggs said:

Judging by some threads on this forum however, people still carry these stock U60's and similar-output lights for EDC

Click to expand...

Unfortunately for your comparison, the U60 and Fenix models are not in the same league. I was researching the U60's draw a few weeks ago and it seemed to me to come down to two things:

1) There is more to capability than just lumens and run time. Henry (the U60's creator) did such a job combining interface flexibility (programmability) with durability, that other lights are pedestrian in comparison.

2) There's more to products than peformance. Like a heavy duty version of Lummi's Raw or Wee, the U60's are a sought after, hand made, limited edition treasure. A modern Mustang can out drag a 60's Ferrari, but which would you rather have in your garage?

There's a post around here somewhere with a single picture that explains it with 1000 words...


... found the picture at least:

I use either my optics Inova X1, or my Fenix L0P SE for EDC pocket carry along with two PhotonII microlights on my keychain. Runtime is way more important than lumens for me personally.

At night I will often drop an X0 or Ultrafire C3 in my hip pocket for backup if I think I may need a few more lumens.

i still use my Nuwai Q3 as my EDC. i also have a CPF VB 16 and an eternal light.

i'm quite happy with them. although i dont own any cree rebel or seoul led's, i still have better lights than 99% of the population.

i'm looking at the newer leds....but i will wait till streamlight, princeton, or UK offer them before i take the plunge.

I think the E2L will be fine if I get that…the G2's ok, but the battery thing is really getting to me…
It would be nice if Surefire releases the L5 KX5, that would be a *nice* light when they pull it off…
Have a good one,
Flash