Good temporary way to optically decrease brightness of your flashlight?

yohandsome · Oct 15, 2012

If your flashlights modes are a tad too bright, perhaps you want a moonlight mode or a lower brightness medium mode, what would be the way to achieve that?

Could you use some kind of semi transparent material and stick it to the glass? What'd work well?

AnAppleSnail · Oct 15, 2012

To make the smallest change in beam pattern, make yourself a series of pinhole filters. Small dots spread over the face of an opaque object on the flashlight lets you get VERY low output without greatly changing the relative throw. You'll need to use something opaque like foil. Most plastics aren't opaque enough. This gets you ludicrously dim outputs with 1-10 small holes.

Norm · Oct 15, 2012

If it's just temporary, I put my fingers over the lens and let some light shine through.

Norm

yohandsome · Oct 15, 2012

Norm: Temporary might be the wrong word, reversible is better. Something that'll attach to the glass/front of the light.

Applesnail: I was looking for a thank you button but didn't find one, so thanks! Sounds like exactly what I need. So I imagine thick alu foil could work well for this?

AnAppleSnail · Oct 15, 2012

yohandsome said:
Applesnail: I was looking for a thank you button but didn't find one, so thanks! Sounds like exactly what I need. So I imagine thick alu foil could work well for this?

Yes. I'm on a trip now, but I made a mockup with a gum wrapper and a chapstick cap. There is a slight 'speckling' effect if your holes are larger than optimal, but it works.

RAM2 · Oct 15, 2012

[QUOTE=If it's just temporary, I put my fingers over the lens and let some light shine through.[/QUOTE

Norm's digital filter gets my vote.:thumbsup:

bbrins · Oct 15, 2012

Norm said:
If it's just temporary, I put my fingers over the lens and let some light shine through.

Norm

This works pretty good as long as you aren't carrying a Wicked Lasers Torch or something like that.

I do this occasionally if I need to get around in the dark house late at night and don't want to wake anybody.

ElectronGuru · Oct 15, 2012

There's a tint changing thread, with color circles (add yellow to make less blue). The same technique should work with tint. Flashlight sunglasses.

tam17 · Oct 15, 2012

Wrap my fingers around the bezel. Infinite brightness control, NAV-friendly and works even with a single-mode 500lm F/L

Cheers

eh4 · Oct 15, 2012

Obscuring the lens somehow seems to be the winning proposition, whether foil or finger.
The finger method is especially useful when you want a moon light mode and aren't completely certain that the light is set to turn on at the right low mode.

hellokitty[hk] · Oct 16, 2012

Tissues?
You can put them over and hold them with a rubber band.
Also diffuses the beam.

PCC · Oct 16, 2012

A variation on Norm's finger method, I ball my fist around the head of the light, obscuring as much as I can then slowly open my fist to allow just as much light as I need out. The great thing about methods that use your fingers or hands is that you always have them available with you and you never have to try to remember bringing them along with you.

If you are hell bent on using an add-on to dim your lights then how about inexpensive neutral density lenses as used in photography? They come in more than a few different sizes and aren't that expensive if purchased on that online auction site.

yohandsome · Oct 16, 2012

PCC said:
A variation on Norm's finger method, I ball my fist around the head of the light, obscuring as much as I can then slowly open my fist to allow just as much light as I need out. The great thing about methods that use your fingers or hands is that you always have them available with you and you never have to try to remember bringing them along with you.

If you are hell bent on using an add-on to dim your lights then how about inexpensive neutral density lenses as used in photography? They come in more than a few different sizes and aren't that expensive if purchased on that online auction site.

I need to hold the light at the back, so I can't use my fingers, can you show me such a lens?

enomosiki · Oct 16, 2012

Get one of those opaque roll of tape and put it over the bezel. It should lower the output and spread the beam out.

Apply more as needed.

tam17 · Oct 16, 2012

That. Tape, or better, self-adhesive tint (smoke, whatever) translucent PVC film. Cut to required diameter and store inside the flashlight.

Cheers

HighlanderNorth · Oct 16, 2012

Norm said:
If it's just temporary, I put my fingers over the lens and let some light shine through.

Norm

^But do you have any simpler, less complex methods than that? LOL

Kestrel · Oct 16, 2012

Norm said:
If it's just temporary, I put my fingers over the lens and let some light shine through.

RAM2 said:
Norm's digital filter gets my vote.:thumbsup:

ooo Good double entendre.

Flying Turtle · Oct 16, 2012

Press 'n Seal food wrap or just scotch tape will also reduce output and are easy to remove.

Geoff

greatscoot · Oct 16, 2012

I have used a waterbottle cap for an "E" series size bezel. Fits perfect and is a great diffuser to. You can also tint them with a marker.

PCC · Oct 16, 2012

yohandsome said:
can you show me such a lens?

Do a Google search for "neutral density filter".

Good temporary way to optically decrease brightness of your flashlight?

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