The Lumen sweet spot

Trying to get an idea on the sweet spot you think a 400 to 800 lumen light should have, (a level you would like to see included besides the high and the low.)

With many lights now over 500 lumens, some have several levels of output and others have only two.

For example the Zebra SC600 has several levels, while the JetBeam BC40 has two, (800 and 130) and the new Surefire Fury also has two (500 and 15).

For me the sweet spot is around 200 lumens and should be included in lights with higher outputs.

i like a survival mode (5) then a low (20ish) then a high (300-400) then a turbo for temp stuff (800+)

My light only needs 3 modes: Hi, Max, and Turbo

GordoJones88 said:

My light only needs 3 modes: Hi, Max, and Turbo

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That made me lol - Did you type it out or did you cut and paste from your sig?


I'm a new flashaholic, but I'm finding that I like a light that turns on to medium, and includes low and high modes as well. My HDS 170 Executive Clicky is my current favorite. I also like a super low low for nighttime house roaming, but that comes from a different light.

I guess my lumen sweet spot depends on where I am, but if I had to choose just one I'd say 150 - bright enough for my old tired eyes, and I can always cover it up if I need less.

For me, the sweet spot is around 40-80 lumens. Enough for outdoor applications and plenty for indoor applications, while retaining excellent runtimes.

I also like a light having a low low like 0.2 lumens, and a high of 200-400 lumens. Over 400 lumes I see heat dissipation and other limitations creeping in.

For me, a great general purpose 2xCR123 light would have a low low of 0.2, a medium of 60 lumens, and a high of 200-350 lumens. Covers all bases and provides a nice spread.

My HDS Rotary seems to get most use in this area, for general purpose. Sometimes I reach for the Malkoff M61LL.

Quiksilver said:

For me, the sweet spot is around 40-80 lumens. Enough for outdoor applications and plenty for indoor applications, while retaining excellent runtimes.

I also like a light having a low low like 0.2 lumens, and a high of 200-400 lumens. Over 400 lumes I see heat dissipation and other limitations creeping in.

For me, a great general purpose 2xCR123 light would have a low low of 0.2, a medium of 60 lumens, and a high of 200-350 lumens. Covers all bases and provides a nice spread.

My HDS Rotary seems to get most use in this area, for general purpose. Sometimes I reach for the Malkoff M61LL.

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That's about where I'm at too, although I prefer a little higher for the low, probably around 2 lumens. The medium and high are the same general range that I like.

My sweet spot is definitely around 200 lumens with a runtime of at least 2 hours. I can get almost anything done with that except:
nightly navigation (0.2 lumens)
night time hiking (20 lumens)
and just go crazy (give me the max output that can last 1.5 to 2 hours)

My preferences are close to Cataract's. For a single output light I like about 60 lumens, a Malkoff M61WLL. It's a little bright for close work and not as much throw for spotting but definitely workable, efficient and highly reliable.

Stepping to dual output, I find that my practical sweet spot was nailed by Surefire on the LX2, around 20 lumens for low. I've programmed this on my HDSs. This level is good for up close work with an F04 and for general walking around. Coupled with this I want instant access to high like the LX2 and HDS, 150-200 lumens. I would take more but this usually results in too much of a weight and size penalty.

Three output levels starts really optimizing applications. I like a sub lumen output for preserving night vision and not disturbing others at night. One of my HDS EDCs is programmed for initial turn on at this level.

Lastly, a fourth level of ~5 lumens is a great reading light and battery life extender. Four levels is why I carry an HDS for EDC and general purposes. I own lights with UIs with more levels like Fenix, Zebra and Quark, but find I hardly ever use them and wish they could be hidden away along with the blinky modes.

Is there really such a thing as a lumen sweet spot? Don't we all use different lumen levels for different purposes?

In the old days, when the 2xAA MiniMag incan was a kind of indoors standard, 5-10 lumens was plenty. The classic 1xAAA Arc and subsequent replacements (Fenix E01 and similar lights) basically reproduced that level but in an even smaller formfactor.

Eventually the LEDs got so much better that they probably pushed that up, now somewhere in the 20-60 lumen range for indoors use unless you are doing something really close-up like reading, when its the type of light output that matters (flood preferred).

Outdoors, unless under very dark adapted conditions and probably no need to see very far out, you are talking 60-120, and 200 for some medium distance viewing ability (plus some throw).

Of course, having multi-level output emitters puts all these choices at the palm of your hand, so you can just change at a whim.

If you insist on simplicity, perhaps single output lights, then: 60 indoors, or 10-20 for reading, and outdoors, 140 for runtime, 220 for throw and mid distance spotting. Far out spotting then 500+ lumens...

60+ Lumens for at least 8hrs

200 ish for 2 hours or so.

I like multiple output lights set up according to the idea of 2x visibility = 4x lumens.
.5 lumens (approx)
2 lumens (approx)
8 lumens
30 lumens
120 lumens

3.75, 15, 60, 240, 960, etc.
-Makes lots of sense to me.

I don't think there is a sweet spot. I like multilevel lights because they work for different applications, meaning I don't have to carry more lights for each and every task. I like a 3-5 lumen low for reading, trips to the bathroom at night, walking around camp, emergencies, and stargazing (this level is best if it lasts for days, preferably a week or more). I like a 25-30 lumen medium for night hikes and backpacking (this has to last all night). I like a 50-100 lumen high for bike riding and trail running (preferably at least 4 hours at this level). A turbo should be at least 200 lumens for at least an hour (200 lumens is about the sweet spot as more output requires an l.e.d. with less throw and the main uses for this level require throw).

My original sweet spot concept was a Ra EDC Rotary (five years before they were invented, mind you) with only three levels on the dial - 6, 60, and 600 lumens off an IMR cell. Given the rather massive current requirements with older emitters at such levels, I have just amended my original plan to use an IMR 18350 and a Cree XM-L. Technology marches on, and all.

Hooked on Fenix said:

I don't think there is a sweet spot. I like multilevel lights because they work for different applications, meaning I don't have to carry more lights for each and every task. I like a 3-5 lumen low for reading, trips to the bathroom at night, walking around camp, emergencies, and stargazing (this level is best if it lasts for days, preferably a week or more). I like a 25-30 lumen medium for night hikes and backpacking (this has to last all night). I like a 50-100 lumen high for bike riding and trail running (preferably at least 4 hours at this level). A turbo should be at least 200 lumens for at least an hour (200 lumens is about the sweet spot as more output requires an l.e.d. with less throw and the main uses for this level require throw).

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I have pretty much turned toward this opinion as well. I really prefer a multi-mode light with a low that is just enough to act as a night light, or find something you dropped in a movie theater; a medium that is your general use level, and a high for when you really need it. IMHO, many multi-mode lights--especially the 3-mode that are quite popular--have a low that is too high. One that really got it right is the ITP A1, with 1.8 lm, 35 lm, and 190 lm levels.

A2, LX2, L1 have the best UI
Press lightly for low 5-15, hardly for hi 80-200
The only things you need

This thread can actually have quite a bit of relevance to some incan users while LEDs get ever brighter. I have my fair share of LED and incan lights but prefer incans due to their tint and 'swappability' in some lights.

Like many here, I don't have just one light and so the 'sweet spot' is actually dependant on function. Around the house and indoors, I'd say 2 to 10 or 20 lumens is much more than enough, perhaps even less. However, my main reason for being in this hobby has always been to shine my lights outdoors mostly in some darker urban areas and that's where around 200 or so lumens is just right. I seriously would not prefer anything much brighter than that. Fortunately, my M4 and M6 lights provide that kind of output for around an hour and are just 'right' for my uses. Have been using them for years. With a diffuser, they are also surprisingly good to use indoors and light up entire rooms without much glare and without having to ceiling bounce.

I've found that anything much more than 200-300 lumens in residential areas will be likely to spill into surrounding parts that may **** people off or gather unwanted attention. I'd like to be as unobtrusive as possible. I have to travel to a forest in order to use a HID in peace so I know a few thousand lumens is overkill. Depending on how dense a forest is, the few thousand lumens of a HID with a diffuser can actually be very very useful. All depends on the situation and if you want one light to do everything or prefer different individual lights for a specialised function.