Zebralight SC5w. Brightest 1xAA on the market (500 lumens). Great mode selection, programmable, excellent UI. Small light, that can be pocketed. If you want a bit smaller (but give up some brightness unless you run it on a 14500), the Zebralight SC52w.
Go for an “AA” size, or perhaps a multi-ce;ll “AAA”. A single “AAA” doesn’t make for a good worklight without an extra cell or two in your pocket, just not enough ‘juice’. And since you’re doing pocket carry, have a good look at the clip. Some “deep carry” types won’t handle thick seams like blue jeans and Carhartt’s have. If your thumb and forefinger are nimble, you can work a “twisty” switch with one hand but that takes practice. I find side-switches self-activate too much with pants pocket carry and climbing/walking into obstructions but they might do OK in a shirt pocket.
My worklight is an Manker/BLF A6 but that’s a lot bigger and needs an 18650 LiIon. It can light a whole room or drop down to a glow, and it’s good for a few hours runtime on the middle modes (it has 7 levels). It’s good for the house repairs I do including inspecting the far end of an attic or crawlspace. It stays in the truck with a spare cell unless I need it but pockets OK when I do use it. Too big to always have it there at work since I need the pocket space for various tools. I’ll be looking for an “AA/14500” worklight one of these days when funds allow myself.
Phil
Hello!
- OLIGHT i3E EOS What about this one? Just took a peek at it instinctively…
- TANK007 E09 1*LED 120LM 3-Mode Memory EDC LED Flashlight
Cheers ^:)
Astrolux A01 is a fine AAA back up for your situation. The JetBeam MK is good for an AA, or the Eagle Eye X2R for a USB rechargeable 18650 light under $20…
Sams club has a ten pack of Duracell AA/AAA NiMh for $20 that seems worth it…
Let us know what you settle on, and there are a bunch of good lights on here, so keep looking!
Jetbeam Jet-1 MK is not a pure flodder. Has mode memory but goes low, mid, high. Twisty with no switch. No strobe or S.O.S. Welcome to BLF.
A very nice AAA flashlight is the Lumintop Tool AAA black aluminum version. Always starts on mid mode. Mid, low, high is mode order. No strobe or blinkies. I own a few and they are great little flashlights. You can find the lumintop at this link at great price. They are more exspensive versions on this list so be sure to look for the lowest priced black aluminum version.
+1
2 differing suggestions.
AAA+ (2 x AAA…penlight) - for the money, Thorfire PF04, at $20. I’ve got one and really like it for the price. Got a true moonlight…210 lumens at top end. It lights up pretty well at just over 50 ft…but it’s a bit floody (maaaaybe too diffused…but not sure what your need would be) at that distance.
AA - was “going” to recommend the Nitecore EA11. I love the UI, decent balance of flood to throw IMHO. The reason I said “going to” is because I tested it with an Eneloop (standard, not pro) and it really wasn’t any more impressive than the Thorfire PF04 or my SK-68 clone on AA NiMh. I had forgotten this because I always run it 14500’s and that really kicks up the output while still keeping a couple of very usable low modes. So, I might recommend the Manker E11 for the money (I don’t think this has been recommended yet). I don’t have one yet, but based on reviews, seems pretty strong. I think it runs around 400 lumens on AA (may be specific to NiMh though) and double that if you get frisky with a 14500. Can get in NW or CW from Amazon US right now for $29.95.
Random backup light. Nitecore TIP. Just got one recently and I am quite impressed with the output. On turbo, it outdoes my SK-68 clone running on a 14500. USB rechargeable, battery status indicator, simple UI, lightweight. It all flood….not a lot of throw, but it will light up my whole back yard on turbo fairly nicely.
An other single AA flashlight is the Thrunite T10 (Aluminum) XP-G2 169 Lumens. It is sold at: http://www.illumn.com/special-deals/thrunite-t10-aluminum-xp-g2-169-lumens-1-x-aa.html
What makes it special is it is both a twisty and a switch controlled flashlight. Modes are low, medium, high with mode memory. It comes with an light cone and attachable pocket clip. It is the most exspensive flashlight that I have recommended thus far at $19.16. I own two.
To further complicate the issue consider the Jetbeam JET- µ. It is identical to the Jet-1 MK but uses 1 single AAA battery. Alkaline or Eneloop style battery only. Manufacture link: http://www.jetbeamlight.com/ShowProducts.asp?ID=98
Banggood link: JETbeam JET- μ XP-G2 135LM AAA Mini LED Taschenlampe Sale - Banggood Deutschland sold out-arrival notice-arrival notice
Andrew and Amanda link: Jetbeam JET-Mu (JET- µ) flashlight CREE XP-G2 LED -135 Lumens -uses AAA battery
And yes I own this flashlight and have shopped at both stores. 
+1
But remember the e09 is very nice but suffers from slow speed PWM disease. Some people are immune to PWM others are not. I own two of these flashlights.
Lastly I offer these two flashlights I found on sale last week while suffering the web. I do not own either model but I own other AA powered flashlights purchased from Solarforce’s online store. Good company.
http://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/products/solarforce-x2-full-stainless-steel-flashlight-1pc-x-aa
http://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/products/solarforce-x3-full-stainless-steel-flashlight-1pc-x-aaa
Stainless steel flashlights on sale. Not what you were looking for in regards of output always starting on low. But they are unique and cheap. Maybe if there are any owners of either flashlight out in web world they could comment on these two products.
The distance ratings allowed under the ANSI FL 1 standard are optimistic, to say the least. They give the distance at which only 0.25 lux reaches the target. For night-adapted eyes, that may be a sufficient amount of illumination. For most flashlight uses, however, it is not enough.
Most flashlight owners, therefore, find that they need to scale down the published ANSI figures. I typically divide by 4. That gives the distance at which 4 lux reach target. Another effective conversion is to take the ANSI rating in meters, and just pretend it is feet. With this method, we see that a flashlight that is rated for 50 meters under FL 1 will probably meet your needs for 50 feet of throw.
Once you have the distance you want, it is easy to convert that to candela. To get an ANSI FL 1 distance rating of 50 meters requires a beam intensity of 650 candela. That is a modest requirement. There are many good flashlights that can satisfy it.
My own preference in a small flashlight is for high CRI. By high, I mean above 90 (Ra). Since there won't be a ton of lumens anyway, I figure I should demand good color rendition.
The L3 Illumination L11C Nichia 219B flashlight runs on 1xAA, has high-CRI, and meets your throw requirements. Flashlight reviewer selfbuilt tested its predecessor, the L10 Nichia 219B, and found that it produced more than a thousand candela. The 4-mode version of the L11C has great mode spacing. Moonlight, Low, Medium and High, produce, respectively, 0.9, 3, 30, and 140 lumens.
I also have the 1xAAA Astrolux A01. It is a 3-mode flashlight that tops out at around 87 lumens. It is a fine high-CRI twisty, but I doubt it will meet your throw requirements. Running on Eneloop NiMH, BLF member maukka measured throw at only 41 meters. That translates into a usable 41 feet of throw. I rarely try to see that far with mine. Dividing 41 meters by 4 gives 10.25 meters, which is only 33.6 feet. That's about how far I can see using the A01.
The ZebraLight SC5Fd is another flashlight that is worth considering. CRI is only around 85 (Ra), but given the many positive reviews of the ZebraLight, I am willing to overlook that. 
As yet, I do not own the SC5Fd.
To get the most out of any AA or AAA flashlight, you cannot use alkaline batteries. They just don't have enough oomph to maintain high output. Here is a comparison against NiMH:
This runtime chart by Trevilux was originally published here.
I recommend Eneloop, Eneloop Pro, or the equivalent.
You might want to get in on the Lumintop ED25 group buy since it really is a very decent price to ignore.
GB here:
I just read your initial post. I thought you were looking for a high quality single battery inexpensive flashlight. Just wanted to give you a good selection to choose from. Since you need a higher performing light for work makes my suggestions inappropriate. Good luck finding the right light for you.
This AA-powered light is fairly round…
…
Sorry…
…Couldn’t resist…
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The Olight S1A Baton has an auto-off. The FourSevens Smart Quark QS2A-X has an off timer but you need the app. Neither one is what I would consider a “budget” light.
Why not a zoomie like an SK68 (AA) or SK98 (18650)?
If you’re dead-set on AAs, the ’68 would seem to fit the bill: floody when retracted, batsignal hotspot with zero spill when zoomed. Multi-modes, too.
No auto-off, though.
Most SK68’s now have the crappy LB emitters but a few may still have a real Cree, have’t seen any news on that since I bought my UniqueFire a couple years back (it had a real Cree then but a single mode). It’s a very thick light for that cell size so not as ‘pocketable’ as most AA format lights. They’re available rather cheaply though so it may be worth a try. Runtime on H would be a couple hours before dimming substantially.
Phil