In a multimode light, what mode would you use 90% of the time for normal tasks? How many lumind approx? The reason I ask is because many of the multi mode lights come on in low or high or a med that is too low or bright for most of us.
To me, it seems a med mode of 30-50 lumins would provide enough light to do 90% of the things I need a light for for EDC. If the first mode is too bright or dim, it is just a waste of time to have to cycle through to get the one you want.
I am thinking about the ITP Eos in particular. It comes on in med but the med is too dim to use so I have to cycle all the way to high which is too bright and has a short runtime.
I was just wondering if there is a consenses on lumin power for first mode.
60-80 is fine for most tasks IMO. My Thrunite Ti is getting quite the workout since I bought it. I use it all the time. The 3 lumen low is great for a lot of things but for all around, unless it’s really, really dark, the high mode is great for most things. It even lights up an easy 30 yds away and is great for a quick “what was that scan?”.For night adjusted eyes it’s just too much and the 3 lumen is a great starting mode. Nice thing about the Ti is that either mode is just as easy as the other to start in when you want it.
FYI, my integrated sphere shows output as 3lm & 80lm (ThruNite claims 3 & 60)
There’s no consensus because everyone has different needs.
For me, I use my light mostly at night so I want a Low output in the 3-5 lumens range (OTF or out the front of the light) which is good for walking around in darkness like on a campsite or in the backyard. For a trail walk at night with trip hazards or more light to see more distance, 30-50 lumens is plenty for me. Some people are fine with 0.2-0.5 lumens “moonlight” mode in darkness for simple tasks like getting another beer out of the cooler.
I also like my lights to come on in Low mode first or at least remember the modes so I don’t blind myself or others with too much light in a dark area. I can always click to increase the brightness if I need more light for any given task.
I also find neutral white tints much better suited to outdoor use than cool white, so the lumens rating can be a little higher like 5-7 and 50-70 for Low/Med output as the warmer tints have apparent lower output levels.
My perfect light is one with a Low of 3, Med of 30, High/Max of 300+ lumens OTF. With neutral white tint, medium throw and lots of spill, and no memory so it always starts in Low. No PWM so no flickering at any level, just constant current which helps with run times. No flashing modes or at least hidden. Clicky switch, not twisty. Crenelated bezel so I see it’s on when headstanding. Able to tailstand well. Smallish form factor using a single 18650 cell with voltage protection around 3.0v cutoff. Anti-roll head or grip ring. Etc. The closest I’ve found so far is the Lumintop ED20 NW which is what I use and carry most of the time. The only thing it falls short with is the Low is about 7-8 lumens and could be a bit lower, and the Low output is PWM driven so it flickers when pointed at a fan or running water. Other than that, it’s a great light.
I’d like to get a dropin from E1320 for a Solarforce L2P with the levels mentioned, but so far his specs don’t quite match what I need. It’s close, but not close enough yet.
.2 to 120 lumens with a tight beam, or 1-500 lumens for floody.
My EDC is a programable light called an HDS 120 hi cri. .08-120 lumens and I can pick four modes to program in. My back up to that which I use 5% of the time is the Zebralight Sc600 for 750 lumens. Almost never need it but it’s there as a backup.
Sunwayman V11r, V10a or M11r also do the job of EDC very well
my zlt sc600 fits the EDC bill nicely…covers the range of .1 lumens all the way to 750 lumens…the 65 lumen medium is perfect for almost everything…i’ve yet to find another light that does it like the sc600…
although my Ti is awesome also for a keychain light…
My old EDC was a Novatac 120P (U.S. made). Pick what you want. It did it all. However, it was only 120 lumens. My current EDC is a Oveready modified C2 host with a 3 speed (High, medium, low) P60 format H3 light engine from Torchlabs. The 1400 lumens (high) is usually to much so most of the time I use medium which is 30% of 1400L or 420L. Low is 1% or 14L. There are 2 versions of the H3 (H,M,L and L,M,H ) and I have them both. Neither of them meet my goal of “the perfect EDC light”.
Don’t get me wrong. Everybody knows the C2 is a great host and the mods by Oveready only make it better. I think I would be happier if I could program the 3 levels of the drop-in to whatever I want, whenever I want it. Maybe what I’m looking for is a Novatac/HDS 1400P. Someday.
Lots of good comments above, but as you ask how many lumens my answer has to be ALL of them . . as many as I can store in my pocket.
I regularly like/use all of the following levels:
Firefly (2100 & Ti)
3 –5 (Ti & Fauxton)
~10 (T10)
50-100 (2100 & Ti & T10)
~200 (2100)
~500 (fallback, 2100)
XML Full blast (2100)
When we look at frequency, we can look at the # of times a level is used, and also the amount of time the light is on.
I use full/fallback and 50-100 frequently, but not for much time. I use 3-5 very frequently, but it’s too much for long term use. And I probably use 10 and 200ish less frequently but they tend to be my more extended uses.
Firefly tends to be used mostly for a few quick cases until it is needed for long-term use. I’d probably use it more if I spent more extended time outdoors at night . . or with a power loss.
One other thing: I carry lights for preparedness, so I always want as much fresh energy capacity in a small package as possible. I tend to swap in freshly recharged batteries fairly often. To me, the AA and AAA are backup lights. They also help to fill in levels not on my primary light.
