I have seen lots of lights especially the small ones getting thousand lumens but can produce Max output for a very short period eg. Emisar D4. Don’t get me wrong, I’m deciding whether to get the D4 or not, but just wondering if I should go for the one with reasonable output. A few seconds of burst just doesn’t seem useful at all.
Why need higher lumens while it can last only a few seconds before stepping down or getting too hot?
used lower mode… higher lumens is just another option
u can by lower lumens light and settle with it
or you can buy high lumens light, used reasonable output and have option to go high if u need to
Those Turbo lumens, though for short periods of time only, catches the attention of people.
Marketing ploy I will say.
Just fun to play with cutting edge tech. Flashlights are fun…and a marvel of physics. Simple and complex at the same time…one of a human’s most useful and powerful tools at your fingertips. For my entire life I always had two store bought flashlights…one in the house, one in the car and this fulfilled every casual need. One doesn’t need to have dozens of expensive flashlights to look in the closet, under the car seat, or to walk to your tent at the campsite.
These super lights are the result of pushing the current boundaries and seeing what can be done.
Is a minute of turbo useful? Maybe…but all the modes under it certainly are. I don’t drive my sports car at 200 mph ever, but it certainly cruises around at legal speeds VERY nicely.
The D4 is a very nice show-your-friends, scare-the-neighbors pocket light…buy it for fun!
If we based every purchase on pure practicality, everything would be boring. I don’t like being bored.
for bragging rights…. the 1 minute-er stud… make that the 5 second-er stud lol
iffn you have to ask…
then you don’t need/want it
I never could justify having anymore than a couple flashlights, when I joined BLF. Since hanging around and reading, following what’s going on, things catch my attention. I can’t help it if I wanted one. Rinse/repeat-Rinse/repeat-Rinse/repeat over the course of my time here. All the input from the members sort of fuels my liking. I just happen to like a lot of what I see! LOL Over time I graduated and relaxed. Become more selective in my wants as I moved into the higher output and further throwers. So I have a few lights. With more on the way. Having the high lumens, it’s a “WOW” thing when you light it off. Or something that makes you chuckle, like Giggles, the BLF-GT. Not necessarily practical, but OH BOY!! I gotta have that!!
It’s a good thing I don’t drink. My liver would be black. HAHA!!
Buy what you like, OP. There’s a lot more bad habits one could be doing, that’s for sure 
Since I’m often on my bike, here’s the area I need(want?) to light up before turning into at night. That’s my house with the green roof on the far end.
Here’s the area sufficiently lighted up with my A6. A few minutes is quite enough to see if anything is there.
and therefore your A6 is your only light?
Well no, but it’s the one I have in the pocket most often. I have carried a convoy S3 for 5 years and it served me well too. I just had a friend who needed it more than I did so I gave it to him. I haven’t been here(BLF) for around that time too. I came back to find another light to replace the S3 and now I have a couple more lights than I originally planned to get. 
More power!!
Time for another light
Enabler!
I use it for short bursts only, for seeing things farther out. Turbo modes when used excessively for close range, dilate my vision and make it harder to see… not easier.
It has very little to do with a need. It’s mostly a want. If you want it, get it. If you dont want it, dont get it.
Very good question if you ask me
Makes no sense for me either for such short times
Say >30sec maybe…but shorter definitely not
Last time I tried to see how fast my car would go was in my 96 Saab 900se turbo. Spedo read 147 before I had to let off. Not safe, not practical… But damn it was fun. Would I have drove it at 147 for an hour straight? Hell no. Bring that light up to 3000 lumens and hold it til it doesn’t feel safe then turn her down a notch
I once bought a pair of strap wrenches, a smaller and bigger one. They BOTH had a bottle opener on the end of them. I mean who needs to open two beers at once??
Generally I find bottle opener as a useless function, unless you work as a waiter