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Which factors will you consider for your next TACTICAL Flashlight?

klight

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
342
Which Factors
will you consider
when purchasing your next
TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT?
🤔🤔


What Percentage
of importance
will you give to these factors?

High Lumens
Long Beam Distance
Easy to Operate
Price
Reliablity
Long Runtime
Brand
Cost of Performance
Appearance
Low Temperature/Good Heat Dissipation
Other

🤔🤔


 
Last edited:

ChibiM

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 27, 2009
Messages
936
Location
Holland
For a life or death situation I would only care about 1 thing: Press that button and have max output. In situation where you can't think clearly anymore, the worst thing to happen is a light in Electronic Lockout Mode, or accidentally accessing in a programming mode by pressing the switch multiple times.

1. Reliability
2. Easy to operate (you shouldn't have to remember the UI)
3. High Lumens
4. Long beam distance
 

stephenk

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 13, 2015
Messages
761
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Single frequency strobe (instead of that awful alternating frequency strobe) would be better for light painting photographers - which is quite an increasing market (one light painter now has 190k instagram followers).
 

LeanBurn

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
1,355
Location
Alberta
Price, Reliability, Tint (CRI), simple modes with firefly (sub 1 lumen mode).
 

grinsefalle

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 18, 2006
Messages
198
Location
Germany/Bavaria
Personally I use a tactical flashlight at work as a police officer. With this background, these are my factors to consider, when I buy a new duty flashlight:

1. reliability.
2. reliability.
Yes, that is the most important thing. The light has to work. I don't want to think about, if the flashlight may fail on duty.
3. easy to operate.
Same thing. The light has to work and I don't want to think about, which button I have to press how many times. Start with high mode every time, easy to switch modes. No bells and whistles, no fancy stuff.
4. Lumen output / beam distance / runtime
Well, these should be at a reasonable level. No dragster with a crazy amount of lumen, which will decrease the runtime, increase the chance of killing the driver or other components, blinding myself,... Depending on the beam pattern, about 1000-1500 lumens in a medium wide beam with good capabilities in short to medium distances is a nice package for a edc-duty-light carried on the belt.
5. size
A edc light should have a small head. We have to carry a lot of things on the belt, the seats in our cars are quite narrow - the smaller the light is, the more comfortable it is for me. A flashlight, which is carried in the bag in the car can be bigger.
6. price / brand..
The brand is not this important. But I buy lights from brands, which have a good reputation or have proven, that they are able to build good flashlights. Regarding the price: of course it is a difference between paying around 100 EUr or 300 EUR. In the "normal" price range (100-150 EUR) I am willing to pay 10 EUR more for getting the better light.
If some lights are on the same level, then some other aspects will decisively: anti-roll feature, very grippy design (not slippery, e.g. rubber used on the 360x1), led tint....


greetings
Michael
 

PartyPete

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 14, 2015
Messages
486
Tactical is such a broad term. It could mean anything really. However, for me a "tactical" light comes down to fast deployment and operating; a quick and instinctive means of operation.

Personally I like:

* 4-6 inches long with a pocket clip
* max of at least 500 lumens
* tail switch with momentary capability
* mode memory
* strobe is fine but preferably "hidden"
* uniform beam with good flood/throw
* reliable
* decent IPX rating
* good knurling
 
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