Tactical Torch

[smiler]

I expect you've all seen the adverts for this torch, well today's me birthday and I got given one as a present from my Daughter's dog, it's made by Cree, is LED, comes with a rechargeable battery + charger, the adjustable beam from spot to flood is the best I've owned and at around a tenner on eBay a bargain, set on spot this torch will temporarily blind, (I tried it on meself) So DON'T shine it in anyone's face, the flood not bad either.

 

[mockingbird]

nothing gets me more excited at Christmas than someone buying me a torch
added to the wish list! nice one smiler!

 

[flyboys90]

Which model have you got? I'm looking for a decent torch and this one sounds spot on.

 

[smiler]

Which model have you got? I'm looking for a decent torch and this one sounds spot on.

XML-T 6, I am delighted with mine and I've ordered a spare, I would not use it as me main light source though, get a LED Lenser, much more expensive but every one I own has lasted for years.
Stay Safe

 

[flyboys90]

Sorted !! Thanks smiler.

 

[druid]

..... it's made by Cree, .....

Cree don't make torches.............

 

[SlimJim]

XML-T 6, I am delighted with mine and I've ordered a spare, I would not use it as me main light source though, get a LED Lenser, much more expensive but every one I own has lasted for years.
Stay Safe

Solid advice. The lower QC lights from the Far East can be useful and cost effective. I've had a chicken noodle video light that's served me very well for over a year now. Powerful and fairly durable considering, it's been in a lot of difference places and lit many videos and photos. Always best backed up with a decent main light + spare batteries though. Eneloops, Vartas and Ansmann Ni-Mh + a smart charger are king! LED Lensers are always favoured in this scene, I suspect because they're widely marketed and now available in Halfords, etc and they're pretty solid. Lots of other good brands with better warranties though, IMO. I sacrifice tech specs and lumens for old fashioned reliability. Any torch can fail though. Switch failures can be common and unexpected. Best to carry minimum x3 lights, one of which is hands free for climbing, close up stuff and technical stuff.

 

[smiler]

Cree don't make torches.............

You are of course correct, I should have said Cree LED, I just figured that folks would know that and I saw no need to insult their intelligence, Thank you so much

 

[Gromr]

I'm a total whore for bright torches. The CREE LED torches are fantastic, but also a mixed bag. Some are brilliant and others less so. The LED Lensers are very safe solid torches(Pretty bright too), but if you want super bright, the Chinese CREE LED torches offer way better value for money. You just have to buy the rechargeable batteries separately.

I have one that I got last year that's supposedly 8000 lumens and takes 4x 18650 batteries, thought it was brilliant. Then I bought a smaller 900 lumen torch last week that took just one 18650 battery and was about the size of a P7.2, and it was actually brighter than my big '8000' lumen torch.

My latest purchase is an Fenix E15, its about the size of a thumb and is clipped onto my keys. It puts out 450 lumens for 55 mins. That brighter than my LED Lenser M7! Torch technology is really coming along.

One of my best buys for photography lighting is a LED video light. I have a CN-160 (array of 160 LEDs) and it will illuminate a whole room with ease. Not bad for £25.

 

[smiler]

Have you tried the Lenser X21.1 Grom?

 

[druid]

Have you tried the Lenser X21.1 Grom?

Wouldn't like to be knocked on the head with one!

More seriously, it's a great torch for outdoor use but indoors (such as urbex possibly) it is too bright. The reflected light can almost become blinding if you are in a dark place with 'white' walls (eg. limestone, concrete or white painted).

Used one of mine when Fluffy, Newage and I were in Wales last month and it was fine for certain things such as peering into deep dark shafts. It's not very good as a lightsource for stills photography (maybe ok for video).

Lumens are a bit like megapixels.....people seem to think they always need more when really they don't. Walking in the dark a fairly dim light gives best visibility where your feet are going. A good photo will be a good photo regardless of the number of megapixels.

 

[SlimJim]

One of my best buys for photography lighting is a LED video light. I have a CN-160 (array of 160 LEDs) and it will illuminate a whole room with ease. Not bad for £25.

This NEEWER CN-160. Terrible name, legendary bit of kit.

Wouldn't like to be knocked on the head with one!

More seriously, it's a great torch for outdoor use but indoors (such as urbex possibly) it is too bright. The reflected light can almost become blinding if you are in a dark place with 'white' walls (eg. limestone, concrete or white painted).

Used one of mine when Fluffy, Newage and I were in Wales last month and it was fine for certain things such as peering into deep dark shafts. It's not very good as a lightsource for stills photography (maybe ok for video).

Lumens are a bit like megapixels.....people seem to think they always need more when really they don't. Walking in the dark a fairly dim light gives best visibility where your feet are going. A good photo will be a good photo regardless of the number of megapixels.

I'm a firm believer in you can never have too many lights. There's no one torch that can suit every need. It's good to have a lot of lumens and a narrow beam for recceing cave shafts for rope access in particular. We had a Lenser and a Peli thrower that couldn't light all the way to the bottom of a shaft a few months back, so I ended up chucking a rope down with a knot on the end and just playing it by ear. Would have been nice to have had that throw to have checked for hazards, etc.

On the other hand, I find that sometimes for reasons of stealth I don't want a lot of lumens. I tend to use a very weak blue LED light for serious skulking. For example if I'm close to secca, but don't want to break my neck on a load of crap on the floor. I've seen tons of numpties light up stair wells with 200 lumen lights and frenzy secca. It's not proven, but I've always been lead to believe that blue light is more inconspicuous. I shield the lens of the light and keep it super low to the ground. Helps preserve night vision when it's pitch black too.

If they're not ANSI lumens, they're to be taken with a heaping great pinch of salt. Probably /4 if it's a chicken noodle sweet n sour light from eBay claiming to be 1000 lumens

All in all I probably rotate about half a dozen different lights.

 

[krela]

You completely blow your eyes natural night vision with so many white lumens. Yuck, so unnecessary. Technically red light is best for navigating (and the least conspicuous as it doesn't travel well) as it lights enough to see without destroying your own night vision which takes a good 5 minutes to come back once you've blown it out. A single red led keyring will do the job nicely, gives out about 0.05 lumens I'd guess. Best to only use white light when it's necessary or required, i.e. to seeing more detail which requires colour vision. Also, I personally find the harsh shadows which some LED torches create can be as confusing and disorienting as low light.

Photography is a different matter of course, but I don't bother with that myself anymore.

Lumens are like BHP, impressive numbers to compare with your mates, but you can only realistically and practically use so many before you start running into other problems (like the law).

 

[smiler]

Most decent i.e. expensive torches have duel or multiple power settings and filters are available, you pays your money and takes your choice.