OK, lights are about tradeoffs, and I don't think you quite got the survey. (Or maybe you did.)
1. How frequently do you plan to use the light - for example:
- nightly
- weekly
- occasional as need arises
2. How far would you typically carry the light?
- very short distances (like around the house)
- short distances (a few blocks, at most like walking the dog)
- moderate distances
- LONG distances (more than a mile)
- doesn't matter - it'll be in a vehicle
3. How would you carry your light when not in use:
- I wouldn't - it would be on a shelf / drawer / etc.
- It would be on my belt
- It would be in my vehicle
4. Would your use of the light be professional in nature?
Can you sort of describe what you commonly do with a light? (walk the go, go on hikes, security or police work, etc.?)
An 800 lumen light is extremely bright. (It is a decent fraction of a car headlight!) You'll have no night vision at all after using such a light. There are definitely applications for a light like that, and they are also just plain fun. However, they also tend to be relatively large. (On the other hand, you can fit something several times brighter than your maglight unobtrusively in your pants pocket.)
Anyway, what you're going to do is helpful to understand, because the needs of someone who's walking their dog are really different from a hiker, and these are different from law enforcement, military, or search and rescue.
Do you want rechargeable batteries? (Generally primary, non-rechargeable, batteries are a better choice - however, if you are going to use your light nightly, primary batteries can be expensive.) Are you comfortable buying stuff mail order - you can buy "exotic" batteries economically that way. For some people this is UNDESIRABLE, and they want to be able to use common batteries, like AA cells.
In terms of the durability of the light, how likely is your safety or that of someone else to depend on the function of the light. Some examples:
- not at all - you use it to light up stuff around the house or walking the dog along a fairly well lit street.
- sometimes - you won't use the light often, but you'll use it during emergencies, so when you grab it, it better work.
- often - you'll use it quite regularly for police work or some other type of public safety
- 100% - for example you'll use the light caving or or for search and rescue. If the light fails, someone probably dies. Probably you.
There really are a huge number of choices, so understanding what you want to do is just so helpful. Based on what you wrote, I'd likely recommend something large, heavy, possibly expensive, and very probably not really what you need.
I know this is all pretty confusing at first, and hey, it's like just a freakin' flashlight, how hard can this be? But think about how many different types of hammers there are. I mean, if you said "I need a hammer, recommend one", well, it would be hard to tell you what to do there either because there are just so many choices.
Best of luck!
