Hello guys,
I would like to get advice for my flashlight collection and also for real use, since I hate chasing after maximum lumens and their use is just for “showing off” for a minute…(often not even that).
I would like a really strong and powerful flashlight, which provides the maximum possible performance and I can really use it for search and rescue, hiking, etc. According to chatgpt, the flashlight with the highest continuous performance is the Fenix PD 36R pro, see below. Is this really the case and is there nothing better? I remind you, I’m not looking for a flashlight to “show off” with lumens, but with really longlasting but powerful lighting.
Fenix PD36R Pro: This flashlight delivers a maximum of 2,800 lumens and has a beam distance of 380 meters. It features five brightness levels and a strobe mode. Importantly, it offers a long battery life, with up to 42 hours of runtime in Eco mode. In its highest 2,800-lumen mode, it can maintain brightness for 0.5 hours. It’s USB-C rechargeable and has a 21700 rechargeable li-ion battery. It’s also IP68 waterproof and shock-resistant.
This is absolutely incorrect. It will output the full 2800lm for a minute or so maybe. Then thermal throttle will kick in and reduce output.
Now what you are looking for is efficiency. Look for anything with a xhp70.3 and boost driver. I don’t know the size you need but for a smaller light I recommend the Convoy M21B with XHP70.3 HI and since you want maximum efficiency I’d go for the 6500k color temperature.
For something medium sized probably a Convoy 3x21B, again with the XHP70.3 HI 6500k. Uses 3 21700 for up to 15.000mAh and still compact enough to carry in a jacket pocket.
ChatGPT was wrong. But on official website, Fenix claims it can sustaint at 2800lm for half hour… Why do you think it is impossible?
I don’t look for any particular size… in small size I already have Astrolux EC01 and Sofirn IF25a and astrolux FT02s so there is probably nothing much better.
Exactly as you write, I’m looking for the most efficiency of a powerful FL. I found myself an Acebeam X75, they claim it goes to 12,000lm 27min(and before that 7min at 21k. I guess there is nothing better, or is there? Does anyone have experience with the X75?
I guess there is nothing better, or is there? Does anyone have experience with the X75?
Please take some time to investigate who is saying what, before you assume it’s something like the whole truth.
Taking the values of the manufacturer for granted is a bit like a butcher who is certifying the meat he sells himself.
The values below are what people who know their business found when they tested your fav light.
The values are listed in order: Fenix-specs, turn-on, 30 seconds, 10 minutes,
Hopefully Microsoft will teach ChatGPT to investigate deeper and don’t trust manufacturers.
Do you guys still have any other suggestion which current FL is the most efficient, say under 500USD and a size that can be worn normally without the use of a back strap, i.e. at most a bit bigger than the X75?
This is the problem with ChatGPT, it’s not as helpful as real-world reviews.
As a general rule choose two things from the list below:
Powerful
Compact
Long run-time
You need to work out how much light you’re going to need, how long for, and how much size / weight do you want to carry. What exactly is it that you’re wanting to use the light for, and what are you using for that purpose at the moment?
Do you actually need 3000lm? I live on a farm, there’s no artificial light so at night it gets dark. About 300lm is plenty for me getting around outside and that will light up the yard which is about 20m x 40m plenty well enough to see everything in it.
FWIW, the light I would take with me hiking is not the same light I would use for search and rescue. A searchlight is going to be too cumbersome to want to carry on a hike and too much light for trying to read a map for example.
Just about every quality light will have a turbo that ramps down quickly. This is due to physics. LEDs and batteries are capable of quite high output. But this output generates waste heat that most flashlights cannot vacate fast enough to maintain high lumens. So they are designed to ramp down to avoid overheating.
Lights best able to maintain higher lumens tend to have efficient body design or active cooling to help shed waste heat.
Some decent choices:
Zebralight sc600 IV plus hi - not sure about sustained output, but I suspect maybe 600 lumens based on previous similar models. Fairly efficient led and excellent body design. A bit large for pants pocket edc but it works.
Wuben x1: per reviews, maintains 2400 lumens for 115 minutes. One of the smallest lights with active cooling (a fan). Much too large for edc though, but might work with a belt pouch or jacket pocket.
Note that lumens aren’t everything, tint, color temperature, cri, and throw may be more important for your use.
The thing to understand about generative language models is that no matter how impressive they appear to be, they’re essentially fancy autocomplete. They have no concept of facts, only which words are likely to follow the previous words in their training data. They are not, and probably cannot be a good source of product recommendations, at least not without a whole bunch of fine-tuning specifically for that purpose.
To recommend flashlights, we need to start from constraints. How big can the flashlight be? How much money can you spend on it? Is it OK if it uses a cooling fan?
Well a lot depends on the sustained brightness. If you need high (like over 2500 Lumens-thats a lot) for over 10 minutes you’ll need something like:
Fenix LR80R
Fenix LR60R
Wuben A1
Wuben X1
Lumintop Mach (i tested the 3x21700 version-theres a new one with a huge battery that does better slightly)
Imalent SR32
Imalent SR16
Imalent MS18
Acebeam x75
Thrunite TN50
NexTorch Saint Torch 30C
Thing is these are big, heavy lights and all cost over $150 up to about $700. If you want something pocketable, you’ll be limited to the X1. Smaller than that and the max sustained output is going to be around 1100-1500 Lumens (which is still good) for about 60 minutes at best.
Thrunite TC20 V1
Thrunite T2
Convoy L21A with xhp70.x
Convoy M3 C
Thrunite Catapult Pro
Acebeam L35
I’m sorry I didn’t properly introduce myself at the beginning. I am no newcomer to the FL world. It’s just that 20 years ago I had more time to spend on it. I have these pieces in my collection:
Astrolux MF04, BlitzWolf BW-ET11, Convoy S11, Fenix CL25R, Fenix CL30, Fenix TK35, Fenix TK41,Fenix L2D Q5 Premium, Fenix HL30, Imalent DM21T, Imalent DT70, JetBeam DDR30, JetBeam E10R, Lumintop EDC05C, Sunwayman T60CS, Sunwayman D40A, Nitecore Concept 1, Nitecore SRT7, Nitecore SRT9, Nitecore Tube, Nitecore TIP Christmas Edition, Nitecore TIP CRI, Nitecore EA4, Nitecore EA45S, Nitecore EC4, Nitecore LR30, Nitecore TM26GT, Olight SR95 Intimidator, Olight i3ee OS, PETZL TIKKA+, Wuben TO50R, Wuben E05
However, I would like to upgrade a bit and for rescue searching(forest, bad terrain, mountains, etc) have a FL with decent power and batterylife . So far I’m very interested in the Wuben X1 and the acebeam X75. As I wrote, sized to be worn without shoulder straps. Budget up to 500USD. I don’t like the Imalent brand, I don’t have many objections to the others, but I prefer the high end brands rather than the budget ones, as long as they have added value of course
Of course it is fine to use cooling fan!
Seems that my new flood king will be Wuben X1. And so far I mostly like Acebeam X75 from what has been mentioned here as my new throw king
“Well, there’s your problem right there”. A language model is intended to give plausible-sounding answers, mostly based on a scrape of the internet. Thjey do not understand facts, maths, physics, or anything else. It is not an instance of a sentient being running somewhere, it’s way closer to a more advanced version of Clippy. Asking for product advice in particular is a bad idea, since the dataset is not only old and outdated, but it also has no way of telling marketing bumf from actual data.
Lumintops Mach 46950 can sustain very high output for a long time, but not like the LR40 or 50Rs can. Thise are quite a big bigger though. I think in this size single or 2x21700 the X1 is going to be the best option. The others arw all 3x or 4x21700 lights. The other I’d look at is the Thrunite TN50. I tested it and it sustains good output for a long time.
The E75 (at least the one I tested with NW 519As) wasn’t anything special…about 1000 lumens for 1+ hours. Maybe the CW version does better? The Convoy M3C and even m21c do better for a single led.
For a 21700 light with 35mm head, sustained 1000 lumens high CRI and 1500 lumens 70CRI is pretty impressive. The M21C and M3C are a significant increase in size over the E75 and thus not really comparable.