Advice on Small Flashlight <$200?

I've been looking at making my first high powered flashlight purchase and decided I wanted to start small, so I looked at the 4Sevens Malestrom S12 and the ThruNite Scorpion as options.

I know almost nothing about high powered flashlights and the last time I bought a flash light it was probably a sharper image incandescent sitting at 15 lumen or less. The 4sevens is 5.7 inches, chubby, and 800 lumens with a proprietary battery (26650 I think), while the thrunite pumps out 750 lumens with more available batteries and some nifty tactical aspects.

the S12 runs about $200 counting the battery and charger which are otherwise sold separately (kind of cruel for a proprietary battery), while the Scorpion V2 sells for about $150 but I can't confirm it comes with batteries either.

I'd like to know if there are other flashlights I should look into before finalizing my purchase, and I have to ask, what is a "thrower"? Is that just a flashlight with a long range? :thinking:

edit: is this too expensive for budget flashlights? I can't afford a Lupine ($500), much less a Polarion ($2000+), and I'm actually trying to go as cheap as possible for something close to 800 lumens.

shintashi said:

...I'd like to know if there are other flashlights I should look into before finalizing my purchase, and I have to ask, what is a "thrower"? Is that just a flashlight with a long range? :thinking:...

Click to expand...

Another torch you should consider? Yes, the Fenix TK35!
For the price range, it's a seriously good light. Good throw, useful spill, excellent runtimes, great UI, rugged and well built...
And another one to seriously consider is the Zebralight SC600. Another winner, also with excellent runtimes, modes of operation, UI, etc. Not much throw but a very useful spill.
The TK35 is 820 lumens max, and about $110.
The SC600 is 750 lumens max, and about $95.
Both are IPX-8 waterproof and made of quality aircraft aluminium that has been type III hard anodized, etc, etc.

Throw is about how tightly a beam is focused, and therefore how far the beam throws. At one extreme you have laser beams, which are all throw, no spill; and at the other extreme you have house light bulbs, which are all spill, no throw.
This thread could be helpful: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?277224-The-Welcome-Mat-a-FAQ
It explains about hotspot, corona, and spill; amongst other helpful nuggets of info.

the TK35 is definitely bright and cheap enough, but its a bit bulky. The SC600 is appealing because it's small (looking for something 5.7" or less) and looks like it can fit weaver mounts (a plus in my book). I'm trying to find something a bit closer to everyday carry, although it doesn't have to be as small as a Preon - I have cargo pockets.

zebralight SC60W is what i carry everyday (NOT Sc600 thats a different light but that is also a good option), I believe its safe to say the majority of CPF'ers think of 18650 (battery) as one of the best form/size factor vs run time and output.

You may be new but i will mention it, There are 2 different zebralight sc60 and sc60W that W means neutral white, it started an entire trend and most people including myself will never buy another flashlight unless its in neutral. It takes away the blue and adds reds and yellows to create a more natural color.

No matter what you choose, from your past lights you are going to poop your pants first time to turn on any of these. 15lumans doesnt even compare.

Good Luck! and welcome to CPF!

None of the lights mentioned in this thread come with batteries or chargers. Most mentioned on CPF do not.

I don't know what kind of pants you wear but I find the Maelstrom X10 (nearly the same size lights as the S12) way too big to EDC. The SC600 may be your best bet but you also mentioned throw. Do you want good throw? If so, then you don't want an SC600 (or any Zebralight because they are all floody).

That's the problem with the XM-L emitter...if you want throw you need a big enough head to capture and redirect all those lumens. The X10 is about as small as you're gonna get with an XM-L and still have a good amount of throw (aspherical lenses aside._ The SC600 is going to be nowhere close to what most would consider to be a thrower.

That said, the X10, for throw, is going to be a much better choice than the S12.