Yes, I really like this type of switch light. I gifted some Sofirn C8F’s last Christmas and those switches light up only when you turn the light on and even then only for 5 seconds. Such a solution is a waste of the LED’s, in my opinion, as they neither help you locate the switch with the light turned on nor help you locate the light with the light turned off. I gave one to my father and the switch light annoys me every time I happen to use it.
I physically lock out the FT03 on the shelf, so the switch light doesn’t operate all the time. The switch light doesn’t consume much power, though, and some people probably leave it on to help locate the light in a dark room, but I agree that the green switch encourages or reminds the user to physically lock out the light. I keep my FT03 in its holster, so there’s no reason to leave the switch light on.
This light is actually pretty low on mass, but that’s one reason it’s inexpensive. The FT03 is known to heat up pretty quickly compared with other lights its size, but I never have a problem with heat. I don’t use turbo for long periods of time, though, and mostly use high (top of ramp) unless I’m wanting maximum distance.
Yes, the FT03 SST40 is not a flood light, but I walk with it almost every night. For me, the spill is fine for lighting the ground ahead. I tend to prefer throwy lights as bright flooders seem to have more suppression of my night vision. In fact, I see no purpose for super-bright flooders that produce a “wall of light”, other than showing off to friends, as those lights produce a super high-contrast scene with only a over-lit near-field area and entirely dark far-field and peripheral.
The FT03 XHP50.2 might be more to your liking as it’s brighter and floodier while still shooting a good distance. At sale or coupon prices, it’s not unreasonable to own both . These are superb budget lights for people that prefer a more “classic” flashlight size and shape or who just want better runtime than 18650 tube lights. Though there’s not a Muggle mode, anyone can learn to use this light as the basic controls are intuitive. If switched to stepped grouping, pretty much anyone can use the FT03 without instructions other than “don’t shine it in anyone’s eyes.”
The Astrolux EC01 is also a great budget light and will fit into smaller pockets than the FT03. If you don’t want the XHP50.2 in the FT03, you might try that emitter in the EC01. I intend to get one, eventually.