Who do you consider to be the innovators and who are the laggards?

Hi all,

I'm new to the flashlight scene and I'm trying to wrap my head around the different companies in the field.
One question I can't answer is; which companies are the innovators and who would be seen as conservative or is there really not a big difference between them?

Say for example Cree puts out a new LED. Who would you expect to jump right on with a new model? And who will wait see how it holds out in practice?

You've probably seen some version of this;


Who do you consider to be the innovators, early adopters, early majority, later majority and laggards?

Hope to pick your brain on this and gain some insights.

Laggards? Maglite, led lenser.
Innovators, too many to single out just one or two

Ima laggard so by the time the laggards make change I'm just buying the old version...
I still buy incan flashlights.

I'm sure it may be controversial but Surefire: Laggard.

I can buy a 500lm Surefire for £250. Or a flashlight like an SRT7 that's twice as bright, with an innovative (and in my opinion, revolutionary) control ring, RGB LEDS built in, well made, better strike bezel... for under £100.

It's like Surefire doesn't acknowledge the existence of fierce competition, and is lagging behind just like Maglite.

Yeah, the SRT7 is a terrific light. Also the smaller SRT3 is pretty nice too.

bykfixer said:

Ima laggard so by the time the laggards make change I'm just buying the old version...
I still buy incan flashlights.

Click to expand...

LOL

Me too. I sorta actively collect old Incans and have a lot of Mags and other brands. I recently inventoried them and for the non-Mags I have 47 different lights by 33 different makers/labels, 58 counting dupes. For the Mags I have 69 lights in various sizes and colors, 90 including dupes. So yeah, I still like Incans.

^^ agreed Magellan.
Todays jewelry is tomorrows junk I say....

Next week...75% off! Yay!!!

4Sevens use to be tops, but it seems like they have been frozen in time with their outputs and run times (yes I know there were some legal issues)

Fenix use to be my "go to" favorite, but they are now middle of the road lights. High quality, but lacking in things like super lows (sub-lumen) and REALLY long throwers. They have improved run times, but not as much as some other brands. They were great when I didn't have a lot of lights. But now it's harder to justify another Fenix when it just an minor upgrade from an existing light i.e. PD32 -> PD32UE -> PD32 2016

Olight and Nitcore seem to be on a upswing. New features and good quality. Olight has been divesting themselves from the "green tint" monster that it use to be known for.

ArmyTek seems to be sliding in quality and feature. No more programmable lights and lots of complaints that they seem to not be hitting their claimed specs and quality.

Zebra seems to be coming out with some new light that continue to push the performance envelope. And from what I have read, the "tint lottery" is more a thing of the past with them.

I love my Spark SG-5. A "AA" with good output and run time that provides almost mule like beams, but can be converted to a mid-range light in ~15 seconds. Bu I haven't seen anything new or improved from them in a year or more!

Laggards I'd say Maglite and Surefire. I like my Surefires, but I'm not compelled to buy anything new they slowly roll out with. I suppose SF knows what makes them money and are content with that.

Not really a fanboy of any particular brand, but while a lot of Eagletac, Fenix, Thrunite, Olight, Nitecore, etc models seem to be slight tweaks of each other's designs in body styling and UI, I feel Zebralight has some of the more different lights out there with unique styling, size, and UI. It seems they cater more to the afi and strive with each iteration to get smaller, brighter, and more efficient. ZL has its niche though so you're not gonna find uber tactical lights or mega throwers there. Hats off to Olight too being the first(I think) company to use dedomed emitters to increase throw.

Maglite are very arrogant and slow and ride with there name but if it works for them good luck.
Led Lenser are probably the best at marketing in the torch world with huge retail sales world wide.
Fenix to me are the most active in getting something out to market.

Xtar, Klarus and Fenix are innovating


maglite def is craptastic

Folks...Mag Lite is like a pin stripe suit.
They don't have to innovate to stay profitable. What they sell is still popular with the masses.

Laggard? Most would say yes...but I'd be willing to bet a pepsi that at least 10x more homes have a Mag than Fenix, Olights and Nitecores combined.

Those other companies have painted themselves into a corner where they have to stay innovative to survive.

Some could argue that Malkoff and Elzetta are laggards in terms of new ideas every 75 days. Yet they still survive...and thrive with time tested ideas and products that flat out work...same with Mag Lite. They're playing in a different league than all these fashionable best thing since last Monday lights.

I'm not knocking the innovative as fast as rabbits multiply lights. On the contrary...they've made the others up their game and also made it so folks like me can go to Wally World and scoop up some mighty fine flashlights made by binocular companies or tent makers for great prices.

I say win-win in terms of both innovators and laggards. The market is better off due to both.

wjv said:

4Sevens use to be tops, but it seems like they have been frozen in time with their outputs and run times (yes I know there were some legal issues)

Fenix use to be my "go to" favorite, but they are now middle of the road lights. High quality, but lacking in things like super lows (sub-lumen) and REALLY long throwers. They have improved run times, but not as much as some other brands. They were great when I didn't have a lot of lights. But now it's harder to justify another Fenix when it just an minor upgrade from an existing light i.e. PD32 -> PD32UE -> PD32 2016

Olight and Nitcore seem to be on a upswing. New features and good quality. Olight has been divesting themselves from the "green tint" monster that it use to be known for.

ArmyTek seems to be sliding in quality and feature. No more programmable lights and lots of complaints that they seem to not be hitting their claimed specs and quality.

Zebra seems to be coming out with some new light that continue to push the performance envelope. And from what I have read, the "tint lottery" is more a thing of the past with them.

Click to expand...

Well this sums up everything I was going to post lol

bykfixer said:

Folks...Mag Lite is like a pin stripe suit.
They don't have to innovate to stay profitable. What they sell is still popular with the masses.

Laggard? Most would say yes...but I'd be willing to bet a pepsi that at least 10x more homes have a Mag than Fenix, Olights and Nitecores combined.

Those other companies have painted themselves into a corner where they have to stay innovative to survive.

Some could argue that Malkoff and Elzetta are laggards in terms of new ideas every 75 days. Yet they still survive...and thrive with time tested ideas and products that flat out work...same with Mag Lite. They're playing in a different league than all these fashionable best thing since last Monday lights.

I'm not knocking the innovative as fast as rabbits multiply lights. On the contrary...they've made the others up their game and also made it so folks like me can go to Wally World and scoop up some mighty fine flashlights made by binocular companies or tent makers for great prices.

I say win-win in terms of both innovators and laggards. The market is better off due to both.

Click to expand...

I share the same thoughts. I myself do not buy maglites but they are perfect for 90% of the people going into walmart to buy a light. They need a light they know they can trust to work every time (well maglite does that unless the batteries corrode), is fairly affordable, and is "bright". They don't care about tint, UI, battery type, candela, led type etc. and that is fine and dandy. My only complaint is it seems Fenix though is starting to take the same approach of sitting back and profiting off their reputation of a quality light at a competitive price and not worry about innovations. It has been asked hundreds of times for them to include more neutral tint options and moonlight modes yet they refuse too. Now they are making off the wall statements that the XPL HI is only good for small to medium size lights and not big lights so by that account I doubt we will be seeing a factory 300k candela thrower from them anytime soon. I do think Fenix has the best headlamps and bicycle light options going right now thought.

I think there's also a case of 'too much innovation'. The Nitecore range is so vast it makes your head spin, and makes it difficult to pick out the gems. And that's coming from someone whose last three purchases were Nitecore, and I'm very happy with them, so I have no axe to grind.