How Many Lumens Is Too Many?

[Abraham]

KD5NRH,

Thanks!

I just spit coffee all over the keyboard and monitor!

(it was a great belly laugh after)

[The Annoyed Man]

Everybody has their favorites. For a long time, I had a Surefire E2L Outdoorsman, which was an 80 lumen light at that time. They use that designation for a completely different flashlight these days, but it was essentially the same as their current "E1L" model, but with two CR123 batteries instead of one. We still have it, and I gave it to my wife.

Also, as a side note, I hate flashlight on/off buttons that control three light levels + strobe + coffeemaker and who knows what else. An on/off button should turn on the light when pressed, and shut it off when released. No clicking, just press. No press twice for High, three times for strobe, etc. Just press on, release off. Modes should be controlled by other switches, or turning the bezel or something.

See, I'm the other way, but it is because I use my flashlight in a lot of different situations, where varying amounts of light are desirable. My daily carry light is a 4Sevens Quark X1232, which I think I paid about $60-$70 for at a gunshow 4 or 5 years ago. They don't make this model anymore, but I really like this light. In fact, I'm planning on getting another one similar to it to keep in my car, and a third to stash in my go-bag.

Here are the modes:

• One click gives 360 lumen of light. Two clicks gives a rapid 360 lumen strobe.
• Rotate the bezel 90º (counter-clockwise if you're facing the lens), One click gives off a "moonlight" beam of .2 lumen (yes, "point" 2).....just enough to avoid stubbing your toe in the dark, but not enough to read by or to wake up your wife who is a soft sleeper. Clicks 2 through 4 give brighter and brighter beams (5, 26, & 60 lumen). The fifth click gives a slow-blinking beacon at full power for signaling purposes.

I rarely turn on the strobe or the signaling beacon, except to make sure that they still work. But I primarily use either the full 360 lumen beam, or the 'moonlight' beam, and I use both of those fairly regularly. In fact, I use the moonlight setting pretty much every night, as I usually come to bed after my wife has gone to bed, and I don't want to wake her up.

So overall, I find this flashlight to be very useful, and I do actually use more than just the "high-beam" setting. It is a great light to take camping.

If my needs were purely tactical, I might prefer another light, but it is a general use light, so.....

As far as weapon lights go, all three of mine are not more than maybe 150 lumen. All have a strobe capability, but honestly, I rarely ever turn any of them on, let alone use the strobe. One is mounted on a handgun, and the other on an AR Carbine, and the third is not in use at the moment.

[ELB]

Also, as a side note, I hate flashlight on/off buttons that control three light levels + strobe + coffeemaker and who knows what else. An on/off button should turn on the light when pressed, and shut it off when released. No clicking, just press. No press twice for High, three times for strobe, etc. Just press on, release off. Modes should be controlled by other switches, or turning the bezel or something.

See, I'm the other way, but it is because I use my flashlight in a lot of different situations, where varying amounts of light are desirable. My daily carry light is a 4Sevens Quark X1232, which I think I paid about $60-$70 for at a gunshow 4 or 5 years ago. They don't make this model anymore, but I really like this light. In fact, I'm planning on getting another one similar to it to keep in my car, and a third to stash in my go-bag.

I am OK with all the modes on a general use flashlight, I have one I carry myself and I find it handy to have the low (11 lumen) and high (730 lumen) both, and I am ok with clicking the switch to move between them (would like to eliminate the middle power tho).

But for a weapon light or tactical handheld, that on/off button should have just one function -- don't need to add opportunities to do the wrong thing.

[anygunanywhere]

Aren't lumens about the same as horsepower? Too many lumens is just about right?

"Too much horsepower is just right." - Carroll Shelby

"I love horsepower" - Carroll Shelby.

"Its a massive motor in a tiny, lightweight car." - Carroll Shelby

[C-dub]

I have a Kill Light XLR250 mounted on my M4 at my bedside with the 1400 lumen strobe. I do not have white or very reflective walls and have gone through the house with it late at night to see how that would work. It works amazing!

I also got the changeable thing where I can change the white light to green if I ever get to do any hog hunting at night.

I have a 180 lumen light mounted on my G21SF, also at my bedside. So, whichever one I can grab first with have a light.

And another flashlight with a 300 lumen strobe also at the bedside.