Will be attending a Low Light Course, searching for a hand held light with 1000 lumens. On Amazon, the number 1 complaint is the advertised lumens is BS.
Any recommendations?
Thanks
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Will be attending a Low Light Course, searching for a hand held light with 1000 lumens. On Amazon, the number 1 complaint is the advertised lumens is BS.
Any recommendations?
Thanks
For a handheld light, I use an Elzetta Charlie. Its rated for 900 lumens. I’d also look hard at one of Surefire’s offerings. Some of those meet your requirements, and beyond. There are others that I don’t have experience with that other posters may.
SureFire Fury Dual Fuel Tactical. 1500 lumens with the 18650 rechargeable battery is what I currently carry.
Looking to replace it with the Modlite PLH 18650 handheld at some point.
I wouldn’t tie yourself to a specific lumen count. Not all lights are equal so a 600 lumen G2X tactical will be far better than any number of 1k lumen amazon cheapies. I just took a low light course last weekend with a G2X and it worked great. The indoor range doesn’t go past 25 yds so if it went past that, I’d probably look at the new Stiletto Pro or one of the Fury lights. Surefire X300U is the standard for a WML.
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The G2x is what I used before the Elzetta, and it is as viable now as it was then.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wake27
Yeah I’ve never used the Elzettas, but I’ve had these two G2Xs for several years. They usually live in the vehicles as emergency lights and are just a great all around option. The Raven pocket clip is a solid little addition and has come in handy several times when walking the dogs. Unfortunately I took the non-tactical version to the class, so I had to hit it twice for a high output and didn’t have the clip on that one. Dumb mistake, but I prefer the WML anyways.Quote:
Originally Posted by 1168
OP, are you going straight handheld or using both?
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I wasn't even 1/2 way through the original post before Elzetta Charlie (with AVS Spot Head) entered my mind.
Accidentally latching the switch on is highly unlikely, the high/low tailcap delivers a very useful amount of light when needed. It delivers a great mix of throw and spill.
Don't buy a thing right now, it is not quite available yet but the next thing is going to be laser flashlights. This one has over a million candela.
https://www.amazon.com/ACEBEAM-W30-T...language=en_US
I assume you already have a WML? If not then an X300U or TLR1 HL if you are on a budget.
Before I recommend something, what is your intended use? Just for SD use? Other? Is USB rechargeable Ok or do you just want to use CR123 batteries?
Also nowadays with any quality light there is no reason to worry about total or actual lumens.
Dennis.
Gross.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Bullseye
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Surefire EDC-LT2, you can get it on Amazon for about 120.00 with a box of batteries.
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On the slide to the big 80, if needed, want to blind someone getting into my shit at home or vehicle breakdown. Need every edge i can get, therefore I figured 1000 lumes would workQuote:
Originally Posted by Dennis
Unfortunately blinding effects can vary by person and situation with no guarantees on how someone will react. Although I do believe more light is always better, you need to practice how to use it. Lights are so bright nowadays you don't need to point them straight ahead to light the way, especially into white walls or mirrors... The floor or ceiling should be your default unless otherwise required.
I have owned every generation of Surefire light and pretty much every other brand but for the past few years I have been using Klarus tactical lights which offer much more usability and are easily USB rechargeable. They have true Tactical switching where you always get full power or strobe when you press but with easily selectable lower powers. There are various sizes depending on your preference.
Largest size, lumens, and runtime. Not belt concealable. I carry one on my duty vest.
- klarus XT21X 4000 Lumens https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TCFWD2B..._qLk1DbNQAVX3G
Smaller but with a large head, so not easily belt concealable.
- Klarus XT11X 3200 Lumens https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FNDD3QF..._NMk1DbVDRBZ3E
Same large head but with easier to use tailswitch which unfortunately precludes use in a Kydex belt holster.
- Klarus 360X3 3200 Lumens, 360 Degree Omni-Directional Dual Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KFZCXTR..._KNk1Db6EM3FMV
Concealable. My off duty EDC.
- Klarus XT2CR 1600 Lumens https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074L29HRV..._2Qk1Db0M4ZCW5
I think you are talking about LEP (laser excitation phosphor) lights. Yes they throw very far, but they don't have much in the way of spill so for the class that he is going to...no bueno.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Bullseye
I see you have discovered the Klarus line....Kudos...I have mentioned many times that they have the best tactical UI on the market and I still think so. My original XT11 was a complete workhorse and lived way past the abuse I put it through, while outperforming its Surefire counterparts for less money.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis
I've been very happy with my Streamlight Pro Tac HL x.
I carried a SF Fury PX3 for years at work and was very satisfied with it. Just upgraded it with a Fury DF that is better.
It's not the lumen rating one should look at, it's how bright the light actually is. This is a measure of luminous intensity, which is best indicated by a light's candela rating;Quote:
Originally Posted by platoonDaddy
https://i.ibb.co/gvDp0bK/luminance-i...inous-flux.png
- Lumens is a measure of luminous flux (total output of the light in all directions)
- Candela is a measure of luminous intensity (how bright the light appears as a point source)
- Lux is a measure luminance (how brightly a target is illuminated)
Note that when measured at a distance of one meter, candela and lux render the same rating. Most flashlight manufacturers who rate their lights by lux (Malkoff, for example) take the measurement at one meter. So for the purposes of this discussion, we should use the candela or lux rating of a light to determine (1) how bright it will appear to someone looking at it and (2) how far the beam will illuminate a target.
For a WML on a carbine, I would absolutely look for the most candela/lux and ignore lumens. The Modlite OKW light (680 lumens/69,000 candela) is a superb choice for this use, and is also available as a handheld.
If you are looking for a light that can be both handheld or weapon mounted, the selection may seem endless. In that case, I would get the light with the most candela with the following features;
- A simple UI, preferably a momentary-only tailcap switch (like the Surefire Z41) and single-output only. I would generally avoid programmable lights.
- Robust construction, a brand with an established track record in LE or Mil use.
The Elzetta, Modlite and Surefire lights previously mentioned would be good choices, and to that list I would add Malkoff. For a carbine course where targets may need to be illuminated at a distance, I would look for something with at least 30,000 candela.
I'm a Malkoff fan so here are a few lights you may want to look at;
Hound Dog 18650 - 1,000 lumens/29,000 lux. HD 18650 head and MD2 body (about $200). This setup would run on a single 18650 rechargeable cell;
https://i.ibb.co/7JXHJSX/bfwml-1.jpg
Hound Dog Super - 1,700 lumens/75,000 lux. HD Super head and MD3 body (about $300). This setup would run on a pair of 18500 Li-ion rechargeable cells;
https://i.ibb.co/J3pNFwP/flhds-1.jpg
There is also an endless selection of cheaper Chinese imports, some better than others but none as good as the tier-1 brands listed above.
I hope this helps!
Edit to add beam shots
Here are some beam shots I think will be helpful;
https://i.ibb.co/PTdFh8p/okw-1.jpg
- Modlite OKW = 680 lumens/69,000 candela
- Modlite PLH = 1,500 lumens/29,000 candela
- Surefire DF = 1,500 lumens/15,000 candela (est.)
The following were taken at a distance of 21 feet.
Malkoff Bodyguard - 1,000 lumens/12,000 lux (est.);
https://i.ibb.co/XkBvgvf/beamshotmbgv2.jpg
Malkoff MD3-M91T - 750 lumens/19,000 lux;
https://i.ibb.co/0JY28QP/beamshotm91t.jpg
Malkoff Hound Dog Super - 1,700 lumens/75,000 lux;
https://i.ibb.co/WK958Mc/beamshothds.jpg
Looking at the above beam shots, it's useful to compare the ratio of candela/lux to lumens: the higher the ratio, the more focused the beam is resulting in a brighter hot spot with less intensity in the spill. But even lights like the Modlite OKW and Malkoff Hound Dog Super have wide spill that is bright enough to maintain situational awareness (able to illuminate targets at close range).
Much will depend on usage. For a WML on a carbine, I'd go with a higher ratio of candela to lumens (more tightly focused beam to illuminate targets at greater distances). For a WML on a handgun or shotgun, I'd go with a lower ratio (more even illumination across the beam), but would still want to maintain around 20,000 candela for blinding effect.
There is no shortage of lights that can meet these specs. The biggest concerns are (1) simple to use under stress; (2) that will stand up to abuse and (3) work every time without fail the way they are expected to.
Surefire EDCL2-T. Single push button that gives 5 lumens when pressed lightly, and 1200 when pressed hard. No double click or hand jive to get different levels. 5 is great for near and details and saying "Hello", while the 1200 is good for "F off".
I just picked up a SureFire E2D Defender Ultra E2DLU that has 1000 Lumens. I've carried an older version of the LED Defender for probably 8 or 10 years, and just gifted it to my son, who needed something for a low light shoot with his department real quick. (he's a rookie officer, just starting out) I had thought the the old one powerful, (200 or 300 lumens) but this new one is mind boggling how bright it is, and how far it will throw the light.
The new Modlite PLHv2 @ 1,350 lumens/54,000 candela is looking pretty promising.Quote:
Originally Posted by Canonshooter
The numbers make it seem as if it would compare closely with the OWL, which would be nice for users that like the OWL’s beam, but can’t work around its form factor.Quote:
Originally Posted by titsonritz
After getting a Modlite handheld body I haven't been interested in anything else. I have both the PLH and OKW heads.
Any love for Olight products (handheld) not for mounting on a carbine?
I have an older Olight S10. Great light to hide in the pocket and edc.Quote:
Originally Posted by hotrodder636
My buddy who is a pilot has the M2R Warrior and the Warrior X. He loves them. He got the Warior X because the M2R was more floody then he needed and he couldn't see the top of his tail as well as he liked for aircraft inspections. The Warrior X does that for him no problem.
I would also put some love out there for the Klarus XT series. It served me well for a number of years taking some serious abuse. The dual switch tailcap UI is the best I have used so far.