I'm not sure whether I understand your post but normally step-downs have nothing to do with tactical vs outdoor applications. Even if Fenix have now started using words like "tactical" for obvious marketing purposes, Fenix lights have always been outdoor-oriented products.
I think step-downs are unavoidable if they want to drive a 1x18650 light that hard and still keep a decent performance. My HL55 - which is a headlamp - meant for outdoor use or at least not a tactical one and it steps down.
IMHO, the way the flashlight market works, if Fenix had come out with a 800-lumen TK16, they would have had a hard to make good sales as there are already many lights on the market which are that bright.
What strikes me is that flashlight manufacturers have always underestimated the importance of one-hand operation for outdoor activities. I'm an outdoor enthusiast and I try to always pick tools that allow some kind of one-hand-operation, be it knives, multi-tools, flashlights, phones, or GPS units. It's not because I have two arms that both my hands are always free at all times! Not to mention potential emergency situations where I'd be alone and with one my hands or arms injured - situations I nearly found myself in on more than one occasion after a nasty fall while mountain running in bad weather: what do I do? Wait for a deer to come and help me opening tools or press that shiny-looking, fancy side switch my neighbor was so impressed with?
So far the TK16 seems a good light though I agree with those who argue that it would have been nice to be able to preset the starting brightness level to be always on high or low ecc.
