HighlanderNorth
Flashlight Enthusiast
I didnt buy my 1st higher quality LED light til 13 months ago. That was a good time to start buying or collecting LED lights because of the improvements in technology and the number of brands out there, etc. But I think now would be an even better time to start.
If I would've started buying LED lights 3-5-7 years ago, I'd probably be disappointed right now with the lights I owned. They might have nice external design, and they might be tough and all, but they would be somewhere between marginally obsolete to supremely obsolete from a technology standpoint. There are probably a few exceptions, but for the most part I think that would be true.
When I look at the lights I've bought in the past year, I can say for sure that they wont be supremely obsolete and/or lacking in serious power/brightness in 3-5-7 years. I am sure they will make the LED's more efficient and come out with at least 1-3 new LED's in that time, but the ones I own now will still be very bright by any reasonable standard. I cant say that for most lights made 5 years ago. Also, there is a limit to how bright an EDC sized light can get while still able to dissipate the heat so it doesnt overheat and damage the circuitry, and I think with many lights, that limit has pretty much been reached already. That wasnt the case 3-5-7 years ago, and there was still much room for increased brightness and power in most EDC sized lights and larger.
Obviously if you ask this same question in 5 years, that will be an even better time to start buying LED lights, but I just dont think that there will be as big a difference between today's lights and future lights in 5 years, compared to the difference between lights made 5 years ago and lights made now. What do you think, is this the best time ever for beginning an LED light collection vs past years? The only way I think that future lights can improve in brightness as much as they have in recent years, is if they design a new LED that has dramatically reduced heat production.
Also, whats the problem with PWM? Do you really notice it and is it really annoying or problematic?:shrug:
If I would've started buying LED lights 3-5-7 years ago, I'd probably be disappointed right now with the lights I owned. They might have nice external design, and they might be tough and all, but they would be somewhere between marginally obsolete to supremely obsolete from a technology standpoint. There are probably a few exceptions, but for the most part I think that would be true.
When I look at the lights I've bought in the past year, I can say for sure that they wont be supremely obsolete and/or lacking in serious power/brightness in 3-5-7 years. I am sure they will make the LED's more efficient and come out with at least 1-3 new LED's in that time, but the ones I own now will still be very bright by any reasonable standard. I cant say that for most lights made 5 years ago. Also, there is a limit to how bright an EDC sized light can get while still able to dissipate the heat so it doesnt overheat and damage the circuitry, and I think with many lights, that limit has pretty much been reached already. That wasnt the case 3-5-7 years ago, and there was still much room for increased brightness and power in most EDC sized lights and larger.
Obviously if you ask this same question in 5 years, that will be an even better time to start buying LED lights, but I just dont think that there will be as big a difference between today's lights and future lights in 5 years, compared to the difference between lights made 5 years ago and lights made now. What do you think, is this the best time ever for beginning an LED light collection vs past years? The only way I think that future lights can improve in brightness as much as they have in recent years, is if they design a new LED that has dramatically reduced heat production.
Also, whats the problem with PWM? Do you really notice it and is it really annoying or problematic?:shrug:
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