Has Your "Taste" In Lights Changed With Time

Witterings

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Dec 15, 2015
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I 1st got into lights when The Boss bought me a cheapish LED Xmas stocking filler that was just about bright enough to use for plinking at some targets in an evening with an air gun.

This got me into lights where I discovered Zoomies and wouldn't look at anything else as that was the main purpose I wanted them for and they seemed to fit the bill best with a whiter light appearing to be brighter.

I then discovered there was a difference between torches with flood and throw so started buying throwers ... again mainly so I could use them for doing a bit of plinking in the evenings but this also happened to coincide with me taking the dog out for a walk after work in the dark when the Mrs damaged her calf and couldn't walk her during the day and I realised I quite enjoyed going out for a walk at that time of day and the darkness almost made it really peaceful.

I guess just with me trying to find more and more pocketable torches, the smaller ones generally also had wider beams and weren't quite so throwy and over time I discovered I preferred that for everyday use .... I think this is partly because thrower you don't get to see so well closer up where there could be a much more immediate threat than something far away and so the wider beam gives a greater feeling of comfort.

I also staring realising a warmer tint was generally that much easier on the eye especially when used for a period of time.

I just think it's quite strange how my tastes have gone full circle almost to the extent of being the exact opposite of what I started out initially liking and at one time a torch could only be a zoomie and I wouldn't consider anything else and yet now the ones I have just sit in a drawer unused and I'd never buy another .... and whilst the throwers are brilliant for a purpose I'd never take one out for an everyday walk now and would always buy neutral white rather than cool unless I wanted it for a specific purpose.

Just thought I'd post and see if others have had a similar journey and see if their preferences have change with time as well???
 

Tribull

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Witterings, I too have found a love for warmer tints since starting my journey. I have also found that I'm gravitating to 100 and lower lumen lights, although that has become limiting in a normal sized torch. With Malkoff being about the only USA option.
 

tops2

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I started out similar to most in wanting the brightest (cool) "white" lights while sticking to AA/AAA lights. Luckily I bought a neutral white light as my second light (Zebralight SC5w with a creamy tint). It took some getting used to the "warmness"..but then going to the cool white of my Olight S1 had me converted to neutral white. The beam of my SC5w was also floody enough that made me realize I lean towards floodier lights with not as defined hotspot. Shortly after I got my first high CRI light, BLF 348 and wanted only higher CRI lights for a while.

Around the same time, Illumn had a good deal on a Thrunite TN12 2014, so I said screw it and bought that light along with my first set of 18650 batteries.

Now a days, I mostly prefer a multilevel floodier lights that has "high enough" CRI light thats around 4500k-5000k, with a good low or moonlight level. I've pretty much retired most lights I've bought. The only ones I really use is my Nitecore TIP CRI when I'm at home and Zebralight SC62w if I'm out after dark. I do use my Zebralight H600Fd at home too from time to time..but my TIP CRI gets the most use as its much smaller and comfortable in my pockets at home. My Olight S1 is my daytime pocket EDC as its plenty bright and long enough runtimes, especially at lower levels. My most used levels is usually around 50-100 lumens (and moonlight level in middle of the night).

If I could only pick one light, I'll settle for the SC62w for the versatility of the light. If I could pick a second, I'd pick my H600Fd for the high CRI and flood.

After my last purchase at the end of 2016 of my SC62w, I'm in a happy, satisifed place. I do want to try a warm light (~4000k), but I didn't like my previous experience with them at lower levels. Aside from the newer Zebralights with new UI, my wallet is safe! :twothumbs
 

Ozythemandias

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I started appreciating customs a lot more. That, and I stopped chasing output.
 

hiuintahs

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I mostly chase high efficiency lights. After getting a data logging light meter, I test every light for run time. Having the brightest doesn't get me excited as that means low battery life. I'm satisfied with just a hand full of lights anymore. Beyond that, they start duplicating each other.
 

StarHalo

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It changes until you arrive at what works.

Having a pocket flashlight that covers 4-5 orders of magnitude output difference is very helpful, since you don't often need UltraTurboInsane mode.

Warm light for power outages, nothing's more demoralizing than entering a room during an outage lit by what appears to be garage workshop or dentist's chair lighting. Warm light is cozy and welcoming, and every little bit of comfort helps during trying times.

You can still get some just-for-fun lights, just realize ahead of time that's what they are.
 

harro

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The taste has just matured over time to the larger flooder and thrower ( just my thing, not saying there's anything wrong with other sizes of lights ) . Tint wise, i dont mind a cool tint, but not with obvious blue. Latest purchase has been the MK35 Manker in NW. A really nice thrower with a good tint, and gives the K70 a big ' hurry up '. Dont mind some of the current ' exotic metal ' smaller lights either, some really nice stuff there!! I'd definitely look at a ti Nichia 219 light from any maker, possibly with trits, although its hard to get trits into Aus, as our govt believes they're bad for our health......
 

camelight

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When i started buying higher quality flashlights i was all about the lumens and i prefferd floody lights
But after i bout my klarus g30 i saw that for close range i dont need more than 300lm
And even it has so many lumens it isn't usful as i don't see anything in the distance
So now i more into throw as it is much more usful outside as i can see to the distance and also close range. Also all those lumens are not needed a 2000lm 1000+ meter light would be much more usful than 6000lm 300 meter flashlight
Also i am much more interested in single cell lights. Before i was into big high lumen monsters now i am more into edc an usful so i want one for flood one for throw 18650 cr123 aa and so on.
 

bykfixer

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I came here with the notion of upgrading to LED flashlights and after acquiring what I found to be a light that checked all of my boxes went back to collecting incans.

For LED lights the zoomie was my first love. Later I discovered quality beams and enjoy some neutral or neutral leaning cool beams from fixed LED lights.

The zoomies became niche lights that still fulfill the uses I started using them for.

The incans I was replacing are all retired but still have batteries. And for pitch black times when I only need a dozen or less candle power they are the go to.

So yeah, my tastes evolved to a certain degree. But I still find a use for most of the lights at one time or another. Like my 12" long flat tip'd precision screwdriver in a drawer of about 50 screwdrivers, some are only used for special times.
Putting them away because I don't dig 'em anymore? Nah. Light in darkness is a good thing.
Now my edc's have changed a lot. Simply because the technology became more suited for the day to day uses of an edc.
 
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BugoutBoys

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When I was growing up, my Godfather always got me little flashlights from REI. That's what sparked my interest in flashlights. I just thought it was so cool that a little handheld device could create light. Fast forward to when I was 16ish and I would buy those cheap $10 zoomable flashlights and when my friend's dad spent $60 on a nice flashlight I was just thinking "Why would anyone spend that much money on a flashlight.. My cheap zoomable one is brighter and so much cheaper.."

Fastforward a few more years and I'm in REI just looking around on a break between college classes, and I stumble on to the flashlight section. I wasn't carrying a flashlight every day or at all actually. Looking in the display shelf I saw some sexy Fenix and Nitecore flashlights. The one that caught my eye the most was the Nitecore P12. I got home and researched the heck out of it, and comparisons to other lights, etc.. And a few days later used an old REI gift card and some cash to buy it. That sparked my EDC of flashlights.

I was so freaking happy with the P12. I loved the complexity of having 4 brightness modes, 3 special modes, battery indicator, rechargeable battery, etc.. But deep inside I knew I wanted a USA made light. I started doing flashlight reviews on here, so I got the chance to test many different chinese lights, but my heart stayed with the modes and complexity of the P12.

I had been reading about Surefire's legendary reliability and how they are USA made and it intrigued me. But I couldn't fathom spending $60 on their entry flashlight the G2X when it only has 2 modes, max of 320 lumens, doesn't use 18650, etc... But I finally ended up making the purchase just to see what the hype was about.
When I got it, It immediately stole my heart. My Nitecore had just broken (Something on the board) and I needed a new light anyways. The simplicity of the Surefire is what stole my heart. I thought I needed 7 complex modes and 1,000 lumens but then I realized that the simplicity and ease of use that the Surefire provided was all I needed. So I eventually upgraded from the G2X to the P2X Fury. My girlfriend at the time was absolutely stunned that I had just spent over $100 on a flashlight. Needless to say I did it anyways ;)
I carried the Fury every day for a while. Although the greenish tint really bothered me, especially going from the lovely cool white of the Nitecore P12. About a month ago, Surefire just released their new Aviator. I looked at it and chuckled at the $300 price tag. But deep inside I knew I wanted a light specifically for pilots. How awesome would that be to be a pilot with a special fancy pilot flashlight?

Yup, I bought it. It has now become, without comparison, my favorite flashlight. The tint is PERFECT. It has the secondary color. 250 tightly focused lumens. Surefire quality and USA made. It's absolutely perfect.

So in about 8 years my taste has changed from cheap $10 zoomables, to a $300 Surefire. Right now I'm perfectly content with my Aviator and could never see myself wanting to EDC another light. But then again, I thought the same with my $10 zoomable.:whistle:
 

archimedes

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Re: Has Your Taste In Lights Changed With Time

:sssh:
Well ... I think yall already know my take on the matter .... (sigline and link below)
:nana:
 
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Str8stroke

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Re: Has Your Taste In Lights Changed With Time

I am not sure if Mature is a word that I can apply to my hobbies. I would say evolve. I evolved from mega lumens, mega throwers and didn't care about tints. Now, my tastes changed to more "Useful". Warm triples and quads. EDC sizes mainly.
 

richbuff

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Re: Has Your Taste In Lights Changed With Time

Not yet. I started with wanting lights that have plenty of fuel supply and also have the highest thrust to weight ratio, and that also have the capability to dump all of their energy in one brief blaze of glory.

I am still at this stage.

I still like cool white. I still like to carry one small light and one larger light during the day, and a third, much larger light at night. I still like killer flooders, killer throwers, and killer both-ers, of very large, large, and medium size.

I still like medium price lights. Not the most budget, and not the most expensive. I do not have Convoy or Thorfire, nor Zebralight or Surefire, yet.

As my collection grew, it appeared as if my tastes changed, but in reality, I could not buy my current collection all at once, I had to start with the foundational basics (Four-Sevens MMU-X3 and Niwalker MM15) and gradually work my way outward.
 
Joined
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Re: Has Your Taste In Lights Changed With Time

Flashlights have been a bit like wine for me. In the beginning you don't know much; you don't even know what you don't know. Maybe you have a sweet wine with Thanksgiving dinner and that's what wine means to you. But as you try more you realize that there are many styles out there and that they have different niches. You wouldn't have been able to choke down a glass of bone dry Cab when you first started but after a few years that may become your favorite. In the same way I started out like everyone with the incan's that were available. Before the advent of LED and (of course the internet) that meant a Mag-Lite. I had Mags and some Mini-Mags and that was that. Eventually I got a Browning that was a rebranded Pelican and that was the most "high end" light I had seen. Xenon bulb, water proof, explosive environment rated, etc. I used it for quite awhile til the alkaline batteries leaked and ruined it. My next "modern" light was a G2 Nitrolon. It boasted a blinding 65 lumens and sucked batteries down with alarming speed but at the time it provided a lot of light in an incredibly small package compared to my old Mags.

I had kind of wandered away from lights when LED started to get big. My first ones were cheapos. I considered $30 a lot for a light. At the time I was enamored of output always wanting something brighter. I was unaware of tint completely- I just figured all LED emitters were basically blue but at the time I didn't register color much. The JETBeam BC-series lights opened my eyes to the fact that there were better lights out there than the super cheap Chinese models but I kept buying both. After having a half dozen cheap ones crap out on my though I began to understand that quality didn't come cheap and could be worth the premium.

The first light I owned that most folks here would call a "serious" light was my Surefire E1b. Loved that one for a long time. The tint was better than I was used to although in retrospect it was a bit green. I guess I won the tint lottery because even my earliest JETBeams had decent color (although they were cool).

I guess hanging around CPF cemented my "tint snob" attitude! My preference has come almost full circle, back to lights that mimic incans to at least some degree. Now I would say that the Malkoff "N" and Elzetta AVS engines are about my favorite. Warmer is fine but I don't care much for cooler LEDs anymore. I also care about quality a lot more. There are no 'shelf queens' in my collection, just robust working lights.
 

wolfgaze

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Re: Has Your Taste In Lights Changed With Time

Gravitated towards warmer LED's with superior color rendering... Discovered that I prefer and am content with AA & AAA compatible lights over Lithium-Ion ones...
 

marinemaster

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Has Your "Taste" In Lights Changed With Time

I stopped when I realized that 60 to 200 lumens is plenty for 90% of the time.
Also realized that HDS and Peak and their dealers are arrogant. I stopped buying from them.
Also stopped buying SF getting expensive. Exception new AAA Titan the reflector is outstanding.
Only buying Streamlight propoly line.
Oh yea and Zebralight all neutral.
Eneloop is awesome.
I do not have anymore C or D or 6 volts lights and batteries.
 
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RobertMM

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Re: Has Your "Taste" In Lights Changed With Time

Also realized that HDS and Peak and their dealers are arrogant. I stopped buying from them.

60-200 lumens is also my sweet spot, I haven't bought a lot in years and trimmed my herd to a dozen.

Can you tell us a bit about HDS and Peak?
 

BugoutBoys

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Re: Has Your "Taste" In Lights Changed With Time

60-200 lumens is also my sweet spot

Yeah my current favorite is 250 lumens. Down from a previous 1,000 and 2,400. I realized as cool as it is, I don't NEED that much firepower.
 

archimedes

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Re: Has Your "Taste" In Lights Changed With Time

....
Can you tell us a bit about HDS and Peak?

Let's not do that here in this thread ;)

There are different venues to discuss (off topic) negative experiences privately (PM) or in public (Jeers) , if needed. Thanks.
 
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kj2

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Like many others I too wanted more and more lumens, in the beginning. Now I'm past that. Quality, runtime and tint is more important now. And lets not forget about the UI. The light can be great but the UI can ruin it for me.
 
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