Best type of torch for long beam of light

longwalks1

I'm after a torch (battery number/size not important) that has the brightest, most focused beam of light I can buy, what should I look to buy?
Should I concentrate on 'million candle power' quotes or 'lumens' etc?
And is any type of bulb better for this application?
Cheers everyone

Oblivion

I bought one of these recently. It is the latest LED with focusing lens technology and runs on 4 x AAA batteries.


The beam and reach are incredible for such a small torch.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/LED-Lenser-Tactical-Torch-Black/dp/B001OXC4DS/ref=sr_1_1?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1391195285&sr=1-1&keywords=LED+Lenser+T7+Tactical+Torch+%28Black%29+-+Test+It+Pack

Bollotom

You don't say what it's for but this one for the price is excellent. Having said that I have a Commander which was over £100. But for general use the link will get you a decent one.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-Lumen-CREE-XM-L-T6-LED-Flashlight-Torch-Zoomable-Lamp-Light-Aluminium-alloy-/190938447477?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item2c74d17e75

John_Gray

Occasionally Lidl, Aldi and Amazon (plus many others, no doubt) sell those Cree-LED torches, so look for something that takes C (or even D) cells, and as high a wattage as you can buy, budget permitting.

Rechargeable battery, or batteries (like those mentioned in the Ebay page), are likely to be good, too.

AA or, perish the thought, AAA batteries will last a very short time if the torch is pumping out a decent amount of light.

esuhl

I got some torches a year or two ago with P7 LEDs. I use them on my bike, and even in the middle of a forest on a dark night, I can see where I'm going.

I imported mine from Deal Extreme (Hong Kong) as they were a lot cheaper there (about US$18, if I remember rightly).

neilwoods

I know this is about money saving, but it would help to post a price. You can buy well known branded torches (fenix, lenser, nitecore, maglite and so on) for a lot of money. Or the cheaper version's direct from china.

Or you could go for a nice HID torch start from about £80 upwards.

Once thing you need to watch out for is, if you buy one of the cheaper led and it say's 1200 lumen, the actual figure will be more like 600 lumen (with fresh battery).

As for focused beam, need to look for decent led (SSC P7, XML U2), with a decent reflector and lens.

Thrunite catapult or fenix tk70, not cheap but decent throw on them

longwalks1

thanks all, sorry up to about £30 really, and its for taking the dog out at night, the area is lit but its to see way out in front as some parts of the walk are unlit

Johnmcl7

I'd have a look at some of the cheap Cree based lights then as they're cheap and surprisingly bright. Cree refers to the manufacturer of the LED emitter and these are available in a wide range of torch bodies, they're named depending on their power and type. I'd recommend trying a Q5 based light first:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-Q5-LED-Mountain-Bike-Bicycle-Cycling-Zoomable-Head-Front-Lamp-Torch-Lights-/271262648807?pt=UK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&var=&hash=item3f288389e7

The advantage of these ones over the more powerful lights is that it can run off AAA batteries so you don't need a special battery and chargers, you can use what you have already.

If you want something more powerful I'd recommend an Ultrafire WF-502B with a Cree XML-U2 LED, this is the next group up from the Q5 and is quite a bit brighter, they can be bought for around a tenner. They use a 18650 li-ion battery which is a standard type but not that common in the UK, some torches come with cheap 18650 batteries and chargers but I'd stick with buying a decent charger and battery - around a tenner for the charger and £5 for a battery.

I do night time mountain bike riding so I tried the Q5's initially and while they weren't bad, they weren't bright enough for cycling as when you're going at speed you need to be able to pick out detail on the track. They're still handy for using for the dog though as they easily light up the garden at night so I can see what he's at.

I upgraded to XML-U2 Ultrafire WF-502B's and they've been great for the bike, they're bright and the battery life from a good li-ion battery is decent.

John

mchale

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forum.php?

Mr_Toad

britishboy wrote: »

thanks all, sorry up to about £30 really, and its for taking the dog out at night, the area is lit but its to see way out in front as some parts of the walk are unlit

I live in a village where the lights end at the last house, then you're on your own. I also have a boat and often moor in places with no light.

While it might be nice to pick out things a hundred yards in front of you I find it more important to be able to see where your next step will be.

I've retired all my battery torches, they always die when you you need them the most.

I carry a wind up LED torch in each of my jackets and I have one in both cars. They've never let me down and being free of batteries is a huge advantage. They don't throw light out to the range you're talking about but they are more than enough to see where you're walking when it's pitch black.