http://www.outdoorlanternsonsale.com/surefire-flashlight/
How can you rate a flashlights brightness?
I want to buy a bright, but smaller, flashlight.(like a surefire, etc.). They seem to rate them by lumens and watts. What is the range of of something that is really bright. How many lumens is a watt?
I believe generally high performance flashlights are measured in lumens. Though the way they are measured varies by manufacturer.
I've used Surefire and Fenix brand flashlights.
The Surefires are extremely well made though very expensive. Currently they are known more for their incandescent bulbs which give off a warmer higher contrast light. The major problem is that the CR123 batteries they use may only last from 20min to 1hr. Surefire is beginning to make more LED lights now.
I like the Fenix lights because they are affordable and equally well made though not as durable under extreme conditions. They all use high performance Cree or Lumiled LED bulbs and have lights that use AAA, AA, & CR123 batteries.
LED lights are great because they are variable in output. For example a Fenix L2D 2xAA light 12-180 lumens will last 55hrs/low 10.5hrs/med 4hrs/hi and 2.3hrs on turbo plus it has an S.O.S. and strobe mode.
In my opinion the Fenix lights are as bright or brighter than the Surefires though the incandescent bulb's color and contrast output is visibly better.
As for brightness I've used a Fenix T1 rated at 225 lumens that will easily light up the top of tall standing redwoods in the neighborhood. I also use a very tiny AAA Fenix LOD up to 75 lumens that is as bright as a 3-D cell Maglite.
Beware that flashlights can become an expensive hobby, though they are very useful tools for emergency or survival. In tactical situations the brightness of these lights can momentarily blind an attacker.
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