Flashlight for working in theatres

I'm an event technician working mainly in theatres, and have been trying to find a flashlight that suits my needs.
Would appreciate help with finding my ideal flashlight as I have been searching for a while and have had no luck so far, though it is probably cause I'm picky!

To summarise my desires, I would like my flashlight:
- To be focus-able
- Have a long throw at tight focus and minimal spill
- Wide mode doesn't need the throw distance though would like an even beam
- Need at least a blue secondary LED, any additional colours a welcome bonus
- Variable brightness, can be smooth or incremental
- Not too bulky as it would be living on my belt in a holster
- An integrated laser pointer would be amazing but not necessary.

Here is a list of flashlights that have come close to being ideal so you can get an idea of what I am after:
- Nitecore SRT5
- Nitecore SRT7GT
- Nitecore CB6
- This random light from amazon
- Eagletac D25LC2 Color
- Samlite 20281-SL
- BORUiT BC09
- SureFire Aviator

I really appreciate any help/feedback, and if my requests are outrageous, please let me know how/why and alternatives to them.


==================Flashlight Recommendation Checklist================

1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

____I would like to purchase the light in person from a brick and mortar store. I am located in ______________.
__X__This will be mail-order or Online (location doesn't matter).


2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!

____I don't know yet
____Up to $25.
____Up to $50.
____Up to $100.
____Up to $200.
____Up to $300.
__X__Essentially unlimited.


3) Format:

____I am not sure, please help me decide.
__X__I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).
____I want a self-contained headlamp.
____I want a headlamp with an external pack/power source.
____I want a mounted light (typically for a bicycle or vehicle)
____I want a lantern/area light.
____I want a portable spotlight (it may have an external power source).
____Other ____________________________________________


4) Size:

____MICRO - Keychain size.
__X__TINY - Every day carry (2-4 inches).
__X__SMALL - Every day carry (4-7 inches).
____MEDIUM - Holster/belt ring carry. (>7 inches)
____LARGE - Big enough to need its own travel case.
____I don’t know/I don't care.


5) Emitter/Light source:

__X__LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
____Incandescent (known for superior color rendition)
____HID (known for max output, but often at the expense of size)
____I don't know.


6) Manufacturer:

__X__I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
__X__I would like a light from a specialty manufacturer (Possibly limited run/Custom).
__X__I am interested in assembling my own components. (for example a “host” or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a “drop-in” emitter from another source).


7) What power source do you want to use?

____I intend to use "Primary"/Disposable Alkaline batteries based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D sized cells common to most stores.
____I intend to use "Primary"/Disposable Lithium batteries based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D and CR123 sized cells common to most stores (often a cold weather or long storage choice).
__X__I intend to use Rechargeable cells (NiMH or NiCD) based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D sized cells common to most stores.
__X__I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18500 or 18650 Li-Ion, RCR123, et-al).
__X__I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery pack.
____I don't know/I need more information on power sources.

7a) If you have selected a rechargeable option
____I want a light that plugs directly into the wall (literally with prongs built into the light)
__X__I want a light that has a recharging adapter (your typical "wall wart")
____I want a light that snaps into a cradle (usually mounted on a wall)
__X__I want a separate/stand-alone charger (this involves removing the batteries to charge)
____I don't care


8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is not a happy experience).

____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (1-10 lumens).
____I want an indoor "blackout" light (15-50 lumens)
____I want to confidently walk around an unlit/unpaved rural area (60-150 lumens).
__X__I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
____I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).
____I want search and rescue type illumination (800+ lumens).

____SPECIAL NOTE: Burst/Turbo mode Category - There are several lights that will run at a super bright maximum for a very limited period (usually 5-10 minutes) and then will "step-down" to a lower level for thermal control. Check here if this is acceptable.


9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.

____All Flood: I am doing "arms length" tasks like reading and campsite cooking.
__X__Wide Flood: I want a defined flood area for semi-close tasks like after-dark campsite tasks or working on a car.
____Narrow Flood: I want a sharply defined flood area that will project some distance for tasks like trail walking.
____Wide Throw: I want a beam with a noticeable hot-center for distance throw and a significant amount of "side-spill". Good for rough trail hiking, search and rescue, and general distance work.
__X__Narrow Throw: I want a beam with a very tight "hot center" and minimal "side-spill". Good for distance viewing, fog, and looking through dense undergrowth.
____Turbohead: I want a far-distance projector with a sharply focused spot of light and minimal or zero side-spill. Good for extreme distance and impressing your friends.

I need to be able to change the focus on the light from a "Narrow throw" to a "Wide Flood", though less picky about the how wide it goes.

9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
____Less than 1 yard/meter (reading, other close work)
____Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
____5-20 yards/meters (check out a noise in the backyard)
____30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
__X__50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
____150+ yards (I am searching from a helicopter)

This is at the smallest focus point. When the light is flooded, less distance is desirable.

10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous output).

____Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods)
____30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
__x__90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
____3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).




11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase “you get what you pay for” is very accurate for flashlights.

____Not Important (A “night-stand” light).
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood).
____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
__x__Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
____I don’t know.


12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):

____Any size switch will do.
____I need a BIG switch (I'll be using gloves or have very large hands or coordination issues).
____I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).
____I want a reverse clicky (For use with multi-mode/level lights).
____I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).
____I want a twisty switch (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap is loosened).
____I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).
____I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today’s high end lights).
____I want a remote switch (usually found on high-end bicycle headlights)
____I don't care.
__X__I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________________.


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

____A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me.
____I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
__X__I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
__X__I want a programmable light.
__X__I want a selector ring. OPTIONAL FOR ME
____I want a strobe mode. (Oscillating pattern to confuse/blind aka "Police Mode")
____I want SOS mode. (blinks in ...---... emergency pattern)
____I want a beacon mode. (Regular flashes at full power to show location.)
____I don’t care.
____I don’t know.

Preferably no strobe options as I don't want/need to draw attention to myself.

14)Material/Finish/Coating

____Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly).
__x__Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today’s higher end flashlights).
__X__Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
__X__Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
____I don’t care.
____I don’t know.
____Other, please specify____________.

15) Water resistance
____None needed
__X__IPX4 (Splash resistant)
____IPX7 (Waterproof to 1 meter/30min)
____IPX8 (Submersible to greater than 1 meter for 4 hours)

16) Storage conditions
__X__In house (temperature/climate controlled environment)
____Emergency kit (long standby periods)
____Automobile glove-box (wide temperature swings, long standby periods, critical reliability)
____Other_________________________________________ ____


17) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any/all below.

____Red filter (for preserving night vision).
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________).
__X__Dedicated R/G/B secondary LEDs.
____“Hybrid” light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
__X__Pocket/belt clip
__X__Holster
__X__Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Crenulated bezel
____Non-sparking, Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments

A laser pointer integrated would also be amazing.
I need at least a blue secondary LED, though happy with more colours. Do not need to be super bright.

Hello and welcome to CPF

Your post above has been approved, in lightly edited form, as outside sales links are not allowed in this subforum

I have never been able to find a light that Zooms that is not just a gimmick really.
No serious light that is of the quality that I need exists that I have tried so far.
Although funny enough the Mag AA that we all used to carry was not a terrible Zooming light and while readily available now too offers little more than that n the field.

Another typical gimmick is colored LEDs in general although the Nitecore that you list offers both colors and infinite rotary output control in one light and though I have not yet pulled the trigger on one they have been on my Radar too for the same reasons as yours mostly.

I mostly carry an HDS 18650 Rotary and my EDC Zebralight SC 64w for Events.
I can easily also carry a diffuser of some kind or just stick a gel on them if I really need a color and these lights are both about as bombproof and still fully adjustable as they come.
The Rotary is really the most intuitive control interface that I know of and also still allows for a few other direct access to preset levels which can be pretty handy in event use to me.
The ZL is pretty small for the considerable output and it too is crazy programmable enough to make it really useful for production work for sure.

I have been trying out the Emisar D4 for this too and they sell a thrower version but as with any thrower it will have a big and deep head and might be tough to carry in the field.
These lights have a lot of promise I think and the interface seems pretty easy to get used to but for me change is just bad in general and I an slow to make them here.

I also have tried and really liked the Convoy lights and they are so cheap that you can try them for yourself and see how you like them.
The S2+ is an amazing area light while the S8 is a crazy great pencil like beam but with a terrific interface with lots of customization to get it just like you want it.

Regardless of your choices I NEVER carry just a single light and neither should anyone else who is serious about his work and has to be certain there will always be light as needed.
If nothing else getting 2 lights that use the same battery just means you will have a spare battery when needed and eventually you will need both a spare battery and light!

The Convoys are so cheap that you can always carry spares and even lend them out if needed and not suffer too much too.

This is what I have settled into and luckily I can carry these every day whether doing a Gig or not and never need to get ready if something just comes up.

YMMV obviously.

Oh and Welcome!

If you want choices then you came to the right place.

How far do you need to see? Most of them lights you mentioned throw well over 100 yards. So your not talking about a movie theater right?

[h=1]Funny I came across this light this morning. You can find it on aliexpress. I don't have this light but do like jaxman in general. Their quality is fairly good.
may worth a look.

JAXMAN 4 band RGB and White light Optical Zoom inspection flashlight[/h]

AVService said:

I have never been able to find a light that Zooms that is not just a gimmick really.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that seems to be what I've found, which is a bit frustrating. None of the high end brands seem to offer this, which surprises me a bit as I thought it would be a sought after feature.

And I don't mind the extra LEDs being gimmicky as they don't need to be amazing as I will mostly be using them in relative darkness.

I would prefer to not have to carry several torches or filters for them, mainly to due to the fact I do a lot of harness/rigging work, so we try to minimise the amount of stuff we take up with us.
Though now that I think about it, I always have a headtorch (albeit a pretty average one atm), so I may settle for a narrow throw fixed beam torch and use the headtorch for short and wide throws for now, though would still love to have that perfect torch.

I do like the Convoy S8 most out of the ones you suggested. One thing I did notice about some of your suggestions is no lanyard point, which is a must for me doing stuff at height.

I really do appreciate your detailed response! It gave me some things to think about. And thank you for the welcome.

thermal guy said:

How far do you need to see? Most of them lights you mentioned throw well over 100 yards. So your not talking about a movie theater right?

Click to expand...

Nope! I am talking about live theatre or event spaces, like musicals, band gigs, plays, festivals, etc.



cp2315, thanks for the suggestion! It looks like it may be a bit underpowered for my needs unfortunately.