Hi all, I thought all i needed was the small Rovyvon A1 that I bought, but then i discovered this forum, Reddit pages, Int-Outdoors, Fireflies….now other lights have sparked an interest.
Ive done a lot of research these past weeks but I still dont know the answer to this:
Are there any flashlights that can maintain an output of 1000lm for approx 30-45 mins, quite floody but good distance, and pocketable. Budget not the issue, just a light that can be used for bright and wide dog walking in pitch dark fields.
my answer to this - i only have one light, the 650lm Rovyvon A1. it’s small, but not enough distance. so from that i decided i wanted higher, which will give a longer distance. am i wrong?
Consider a slightly-less-pocketable light for distance instead of more lumens. A few hundred lumens in a more focused beam will do much better than brute force if you’re runtime / heat constrained. Convoy L21B (cslnm) is what I use. Around 90 mins runtime on 50% (I set 50% as max for longer runtime and no heat concerns when I loan it out) and spotlights out to several hundred meters.
Otherwise you’ll be fighting against physics with heat vs runtime vs pocketability.
A lot of compact lights that claim 1000lumens and massive distance are leaning pretty hard into marketing.
You might end up liking those lights. But they won’t do what you are asking for. For more distance you need a larger optic. More lumens is not an efficient way of getting more distance.
A larger light will also handle the heat better and thusly allow higher outputs for longer.
The D1 Mini with an SST-40 would probably suit more range, good close up beam and handle a reasonably high output while maintaining a compact pocket friendly size.
The Convoy M21b is slightly larger and heavier. But the 21700 will longer runtimes. A bit more mass and surface area is also good for high sustained outputs. Again SST-40 or maybe a Nichia 519.
Zebralight SC700d would be worth a look as a premium light. Arguably some of the best thermal regulation on the market. Giving the high sustained outputs. But you could probably buy 5 Convoys for the price of the Zebralight.
Hey chicken drumstick, i just watched your Emisar D1 SBT90.2 review. An expensive emitter, is this better (for my requirements) than the SST-40 that you suggested? There are so many options on the website I must admit to being lost (other than I know 5000k is around daylight, higher is more cool).
It may be a little on the large side - but the Thrunite TC20 V2 might fit the bill. It can maintain well over 1000 lumens for around an hour, and is pretty floody. Comes with a case but no clip unfortunately.
E70 is great, if you get the 5000k or Hi CRI option. I would personally recommend the Fenix LR35R, USB C, Battery check, Pocket clip , 2x 21700 means double run time. perfect light for all night use.
I probably need to wait for another payday, but I’m tempted to order an SST-20 4000k D1 Mini.
The SBT.90 was partly my want for a light with this emitter. I’d previously looked at the Lumintop X9L which also uses the SBT90 for similar money. However the D1 is slightly more pocket friendly, so I went with it instead.
The SBT90.2 is somewhat overkill in some ways. The beam is a little ringy on a while wall. But I wanted something with a very broad depth of abilities. It has a low (not quite a moonlight IMO), and a big enough hot spot to read with or use up close. But crank it up and it can light up a large area AND at distance. Few other setups can do this, they usually only offer one or the other (distance or big area).
When I’m across the farm or over the fields, the ability to light up the entire field or barn can be quite useful. It gets super hot on a turbo, but having 4000 lumens even for a handful of seconds is most impressive. High is more useful, although it’ll still get hot.
The only real negative aside from the price is the tint is not great on the SBT90.2 (at least my one). It isn’t terrible, but I do really love the warmer 4000k other emitters offer. Which is why I didn’t go for the SFT-40 either, very cool or somewhat blue in some photos I’ve seen.
I think the SST-40 would be a nice beam, not too throwy but still useful distance and a pleasant beam a bit like an XM-L/XM-L2 light. Although I think I’d like the SST-20 more, as you can get it in 4000k and high 90+ CRI. The SST-20 is more sized like an XP-G emitter. And in this host should make for a medium range thrower (circa 50,000cd vs 29,000cd for the SST-40), but with the trade off of less lumens.
I’m glad I’ve got the SBT90.2 version, although I probably wouldn’t buy another. But I don’t have any regrets. Had I gone for something else, I’d still end up desiring adding the SBT90.2 to my collection one way or another.
I don’t have one of these, but a review I found via Google compares one to an Astrolux EA01, which I do have. They look similar sized and I’d guess similar weight.
I’d say they are more coat pocket carry than jean pocket carry. A 26650 tube is pretty fat (think D cell battery). It also adds considerably weight and heft to the torch.
