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On the left: SureFire M951 with an incandescent bulb, rated for 65 lumen.
On the right: Surefire X300 with an LED bulb, rated for 170 lumen.
Yup, 170 is brighter.
The X300 is also smaller and lighter.
I keep wondering, "how many lumen are enough lumen?"
Because I never have any trouble seeing what I'm doing with much dimmer less focused lights when I'm creeping around the house late at night trying not to wake The Lovely Harvey.
I think that 65 suffices, to be honest. What's the case for a light you'll be spending as much time as the bad guy being blind from when you flick it on?
I think the Lumens-War is over 'enough lumens not to step on Legos on the floor' or 'enough lumens to make the enemy's face melt like a Nazi in the Ark scene of "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
ReplyDeleteI mean, for indoor or short-range use, low lumens seems to be okay. But if you're doing the whole Omega Man thingy, much lumens is a good thing. Short-range, low lumens. Long-range (up the block, across the pasture, jacklighting coyotes or gators from a half-mile away,) many-more lumens is a good thing.
So... well... It's what you are looking to do.
TactiCool (tm) Garritroopers probably want that flashlight that can set newspapers on fire from a half mile away will enjoy super-bright lights on their $5,500 tacticool MP4geries.
I have an olight s1r baton. It has all sorts of different modes and brightness levels. I find I use the 1.5 lumin the most for moving around a dark house.
ReplyDeleteAt that level it has a 15day run time