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Anyone here interested in flashlights?
One of my biggest hobbies is collecting flashlights. I guess I don't really "collect" them as much buy ones I want and sell ones I stop using.
Is anyone here also a flashlight aficionado, or would like to be?
https://xkcd.com/1603/
Low-effort comment, I know, but very relevant.
No, but I was into building DIY lasers at one point, and there's a lot of overlap between candlepowerforums and photonlexicon/laserpointerforums. So, I've kinda grown to appreciate flashlights.
Don't own any. Would like to. What would you recommend as a really bright, very compact, entry level flashlight that can fit easily in a pocket, runs off one battery, maybe a 18650, preferably something smaller like a 14450 or something. Doesn't have to have all kinds of crazy modes either, I'd sorta prefer just an on/off switch. I probably won't need to use a SOS function ever in my life, and if I do, at that point I'm probably willing to live with the inconvenience of having to pulse it out by hand.
As for multiple modes, just get one with mode memory. I've never known anyone except the elderly to be bothered by them.
The r/flashlight community likes to recommend the Wowtac A1S on a budget, but it's sorta disappeared from Amazon right now. What's your budget, anyway?
I was hoping for something in the $20-30 range, but $40 isn't out of the question.
Edit: further clarification, I'm looking for something small, yet bright. Easy to fit into a pocket, but at least, idk, 800 real lumens. Also not a big fan of aggressive tacticool styling, just sorta looking for something small, a bit bigger than would fit on a keychain sort of thing. I'd appreciate any recommendation you might have, thanks!
I'd consider the Thrunite T10 for a small AA light (won't nearly hit 800lm), or maybe an Armytek Tiara C1 Pro for a slightly wider one. (They have an A1 Pro with a slightly skinnier, slightly longer battery, or a C2 Pro with an 18650 cell, which is just a bit longer than the C1.) If you get anything at Armytek, there's a 50% off coupon expiring (I think) tonight: "tyfsw". I personally have a Wizard Pro v3 (among many other non-Armytek, of course) and I've just ordered a Partner C4 Pro with that coupon. I can give other recommendations if you don't like these.
Don't hesitate to hit me up if you have any other questions!
Hmm, the Armytek (edit: prime) C1 and C2 seem really appealing, though the C2 is 123mm long. That's practically double the length of an 18650, which is a bit much.
One thing I don't get is the regular version of the (edit: prime) C1 is the same price as the magnet USB version, even though the magnet USB version comes with a battery, and is much brighter (970lm vs 650lm). And presumably it has a charger built in that operates off USB, whereas the standard version looks like it doesn't include a charger, you'd need to buy one, and it'd probably plug into the wall. Seems like a no-brainer to get the USB one. Am I missing something?
Yes, actually. The former (what you called the regular version) is the Prime v2, which looks like it has "FULL Stabilization". That means as the battery drains the light won't get any dimmer, and it'll have full capability until it actually dies. It also has a few niceties that enthusiasts like, such as trapezoidal threads, but for most people, (and even me, probably), the magnet USB one would make for a nicer everyday light, especially with the included battery and magnet charger. At $23 plus shipping (with that coupon), the Magnet USB lights can't be beat, IMO. Also note they're rated for 10m drop, 10m underwater, guaranteed for 10 years. Their customer service response speed has been shit lately but when you get through they stick to their warranty.
Edit: Please do notice that there is the Tiara C2, Elf C2, Prime C2, Partner C2, etc. The C# and A# indicate the length, not the model.
Hey so I ended up buying the Prime C1 Magnet USB. Figured I'd give a quick review in case anyone stumbles across this thread later.
So, this is my first time buying an "enthusiast" flashlight. Overall it's a fantastic light, and I can see why flashlight people like this brand. On the other hand, there are some design decisions I think are stupid, but an enthusiast, or someone buying this for a specific application might enjoy. For what it's worth, this model does have trapezoidal threads and a constant power driver.
So to start off with, the pros, the build quality on this thing is superb. Very nice finish (I can't tell if it's some kind of matte powder coat or just really good anodization). Very sturdy and solid. Apparently it's very waterproof. The lens feels like polycarbonate, but I tried and I can't scratch it. The magnetic charger makes very solid contact and shouldn't come loose if bumped while charging.
Onto the cons. Some of these are, imho, just bad design decisions, but others are probably just that I'm an ignorant slob who doesn't appreciate the finer things in flashlights. I've been using this thing for a few weeks now, and several things have annoyed me, to the point where I almost regret my purchase.
Some of the more minor complaints are my own fault, like the beam shape, I should have read that it says 20 degrees, and realized that's a very narrow spot. I'd really prefer to have something with more flood, so I could, say, illuminate my campsite by putting my flashlight in a tree. This light is good if you want to see something a hundred yards away, not if you want to light up an area more than ten feet wide.
The body of the flashlight is entirely round, no flat surfaces, so if you put it on a desk it will roll off. To combat this, you need to add the clip. Great clip, btw, all stainless steel, very well made, but as an EDC light, I don't want the clip snagging on things in my pocket, which it often does. I'd much prefer a lanyard hole, which this light does not have.
And so, on the topic of putting the thing in my pocket, I'm really hesitant to do so, since the magnetic charger AND the flashlight both have quite powerful magnets in them. I didn't realize this, but it makes it so it sticks to your keys, loose change, and it demagnitizes credit cards. Very bad for an EDC light. Very good if you want to stick it to something metal, so like if you need to work on your car in the dark, stick this to the inside of your hood or something. I can see how useful this could be, but not for my use case. I'm never going to have a metal surface to stick things to in the woods when I'm hiking or camping etc.
The quarter-twist-to-charge feature seems silly to me, seems like a good way to wear out the o-rings. How is this necessary? I doubt this will be an actual problem, but it seems like an annoying design decision. The other issue is the cable, which is not the same quality as everything else here, it feels very cheap and chintzy. (Edit: And also, the charge circuitry is actually built into the magnetic cable, not the flashlight, so I can't just improvise with by gluing a usb cable to a washer or something) When this breaks I think I'll be forced to buy a new one from Armytek, which is really inconvenient and probably expensive. The charger is only covered for 2 years instead of 10.
The warranty seems very good, on the surface, but doesn't cover the switch, connectors, battery, or charger. I fully expect the switch is the weakest part of the entire light. As soon as there's a hole in the rubber dome, the light will no longer be waterproof, and is not covered by warranty. So there's that.
Lastly, and this is really superficial, the text on the thing is really douchey. I was kinda hoping it would be easy to scratch off or something, but I think I'm going to paint over it. Adding "Brightest for city" and fake "award fronds" to your supposedly canadian-made light makes it look very cheap and chinesey.
Anyway, all said, it's a good light, and given the build quality I'd say it's definitely worth what I paid. I don't think I can recommend it as an EDC light that you carry in your pocket though. If I had to pay full price for this, I think I could have found a light that suits me better by buying 5 different ebay flashlights for the same price.
First of all, as for the printing, yeah, it's dumb.
Second, the Prime and Partner lines are known to have bad TIR lens choices. That is, they waste a lot of output by losing it inside the head of the light before it even escapes the front. If you want, I can hook you up with a fellow enthusiast who has a handful of 5-degree and 60-degree versions of the proper lens; this would also solve your complaint about it not being floody enough. :) Only downside is you need to remove the bezel (often involves scratching it by using a wrench) and lose the thin protective lens (the proper TIR lenses are slightly taller).
I did this with my Partner C4 Pro. Works like a charm.
A 60-degree lens sounds fantastic, if only for the beam profile. If it means I get extra brightness out of it, and/or possibly less heat in the turbo setting, that'd be icing on the cake!
How would I get in touch with this enthusiast friend of yours?
I've sent you a PM with his contact info.
Thank you! He's told me this is where he got the lenses:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/CREE-lens-Diameter-20mm-5-degrees-Smooth-surface-LED-Lens-XPE-XPG-lens-3535-Lens/1323039915.html
Thanks for the link! Wasn't sure quite where he bought them.
For several years, I did a lot of caving, exploring old mines, that kind of thing. This was around 2003-2007, or thereabouts. Incandescents were still where it was at for overall output, though high-powered LEDs were starting to become a thing. Luxeon Stars used to still roam the world, sorted by color bin, lol. Right at the very end Crees and SSCs started to show up, which were slightly more efficient and also a lot more uniform in terms of color output.
I still have my main light from back then, a 2D maglite that's had almost every possible part replaced - some sort of large LED adapter, an aluminum reflector, a new tailcap spring, new lens... I still have some aspherical lenses for it, plus a protective tall bezel, for if I ever want to turn it into a hand-held spotlight, but that's not very practical most of the time, and very heavy. Also my backup light, a Surefire 6P that's gotten a new tailcap, new head/bezel/lens, some third-party SSC dropin, and a 17640 or whatever they're called, the next size down from an 18650. (The body isn't bored.) I've been using that for the last decade as a bicycle headlight, and it's still going strong, and still on the same battery I bought for it in about 2006...
No, but fleshlights on the other hand...
While I wouldn't call myself an enthusiast, I do get a kick out of well made tech and do a lot of walking, so I do have a very powerful, focusable Cree torch and my fiancée still mocks me for the time I put into researching my head torch.
Oh, my friend, I have much to teach you... :)
Let me know if you'd like to delve into high quality flashlights sometime.
Haha, it was powerful enough to be clearly seen several miles away across a bog once, and it illuminates everything I need it to on a moonless night. I'm not trying to make the forest glow. :D
Most people aren't, haha. Nothing wrong with it if it fits your purposes. :)
Not really, but one of my favourite Youtubers (Aquachigger, he’s a metal detectorist, river “treasure” recoverist and cave explorer) is a bit obsessed with them and does the occasional review on ones he gets sent. So you might get a kick out of his content too.
My first 18650 light was a Thrunite. Good stuff!
Oh, hey... Aquachigger just posted another video earlier today about a new, insanely bright, 25,000 Lumen Flashlight that just came out on the market that I thought you might enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns0yBWROMw4
Ah yeah, the X9R. $600 MSRP, $450 for release haha. It's certainly a very fancy and impressive light that I wish I had the budget for. :)
My wife and I have a running joke that wearing my petzl head torch increases my sexual magnetism to some sort of legendary peak.