# Wow, this flashlight is \*bright\*!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [January 7, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391 "2016-01-07T02:50:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/1 "2016-01-07T02:50:23Z")
If I understand it correctly the Cree XM-L2 is currently the brightest mass-produced LED available. I just bought [this flashlight](http://www.amazon.com/Flashlight-Zoomable-Adjustable-Portable-Camping/dp/B011B1U2QS/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1452135083&sr=1-1&keywords=MECO+ME08+Cree+XM-L2+LED) for $10 and it is crazy bright. Unbelievable how cheap these superbright LEDs are.
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### Author:  [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/2 "2016-01-07T03:08:47Z")
Hm, kinda tempting but… a 3.7 V battery (not included)? Do they even sell those at a regular store like CVS, or did you have to buy the battery online as well? Looks like they can cost as much or more as the light. I wonder how long it lasts.
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### Author:  [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/3 "2016-01-07T03:41:38Z")
I have always loved flashlights, and the high power LED ones are awesome.
I’m eagerly waiting for a new Fenix flashlight I bought myself for Christmas. Mr. USPS promises it will be here tomorrow. YAY!. It’s my first one with a 26650 battery.
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/4 "2016-01-07T03:48:51Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#):
>
> Hm, kinda tempting but… a 3.7 V battery (not included)? Do they even sell those at a regular store like CVS, or did you have to buy the battery online as well? Looks like they can cost as much or more as the light. I wonder how long it lasts.
I found the battery on amazon. $10.
It’s a Li-Ion rechargeable.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/5 "2016-01-07T04:12:43Z")
I have an app on my phone that lets me use the LED camera flash as a flashlight. Yes, those things are crazy bright. I can’t bring myself to look directly into it. Objects in the light beam cast the darkest shadows I’ve ever seen. The shadows are in stark contrast to the objects being lit.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/6 "2016-01-07T04:20:35Z")
I guess I’ll ask here.
What’s with all the ‘World’s Brightest Flashlight!’ and ‘Military Selling Brightest Flashlights!’ ads I’ve been seeing repeatedly for the past few months?
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### Author:  [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/7 "2016-01-07T04:23:23Z")
There are a lot of flashlight fetishists out there. Don’t ask me why, but Rule 34, I guess.
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### Author:  [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/8 "2016-01-07T05:24:46Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#):
>
> Hm, kinda tempting but… a 3.7 V battery (not included)? Do they even sell those at a regular store like CVS, or did you have to buy the battery online as well? Looks like they can cost as much or more as the light. I wonder how long it lasts.
I got [these rechargeable batteries](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPAY76S?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00) for $9.
It’s kinda’ cool to have a really bright flashlight but someday I have a goal of creating a projection analog clock and I need a bright (but small) light source so I got this one to test it out.
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### Author:  [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/9 "2016-01-07T06:09:25Z")
My husband adores flashlights. It’s almost a joke at this point, or a tradition, or something in between, but he gets some kind of flashlight every Christmas and birthday, and often Father’s Day too. Back when he was on patrol, Santa and I always chose something with real utility in mind - brightness, compact size, rechargeable battery. Nowadays I find the Geo. Carlin versions - “Nail 2 things together that no one ever nailed together before, and some schmuck will buy it.” Last month’s offering has built in bungee cords.And a magnet. It folds, for no reason I can fathom. It eats AA batteries like a mofo. But he loves it. Birthday is just a few weeks away, so I should probably order this one you describe.
But I also got my parents a handful of cheap, really bright lights from Tractor Supply - the interior lights on Ma’s van don’t work, so that magnetic light means she can stick it to the roof and find crap in the back. And my dad has his camper parked at my house while he works to remodel the old house up at the farm. He can attach a magnetic light to the fridge, within easy reach of the door, so that I don’t have to worry about him stumbling around climbing steps in the dark, and he doesn’t worry about my power bill if he leaves a light on. LED bulbs plus attached magnets are the best advances in flashlights since wrist straps!
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### Author:  [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/10 "2016-01-07T06:21:41Z")
How many lumens?
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### Author:  [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/11 "2016-01-07T13:14:59Z")
Obligatory [XKCD reference.](http://www.xkcd.com/1603/)
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### Author:  [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/12 "2016-01-07T14:33:08Z")
As a person, OK Flashaholic, who has lots of lights using 18650 LiIon rechargeable batteries I’d like to point out that they are high energy batteries that have been known to catch fire and vent somewhat toxic fumes if not handled correctly.
Quality LiIon batteries will have protection circuits incorporated that prevent overcharging. Cheap cells may lack this device and are not recommended.
A quality charger is also highly recommended.
If your light uses more than one cell they should be kept together as a set so that batteries with different levels of charge are not used together.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/13 "2016-01-07T15:03:21Z")
> [@Isamu](#):
>
> How many lumens?
500, I think.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/14 "2016-01-07T15:33:23Z")
[Here’s an example of an ad](http://savinghomeownerstips.com/biggerlight/?voluumdata=vid..00000003-f470-4934-8000-000000000000 __vpid..52bf9800-b54f-11e5-83d2-3b5ab85f03f8__ caid..6b8ab98b-10a2-4e35-9486-f7ecd8415a95 __rt..R__ lid..7ad86b4b-ac4d-4c38-b756-1f9c911a6ded __oid1..c0e48398-6f83-4c0f-9d12-5e7a3332a0f9__ var1..flash2 __rd..__ aid..__sid..&s4=flash2). It is a ‘sponsored link’ from Yahoo. I hate to click on it, since I don’t like encouraging them, and I hate to post an ad that people will click on. Here’s the bait:
**Navy Seal Flashlight Should Be Banned From Public?**
No Joke, the Military recently released a combat ready flashlight to the general public. Get yours before they run out or get banned, limited supply!
The flashlight is a ‘MiTact- a new Military Grade tactical flashlight’, apparently the G700 model.
> [@](#):
>
> This light’s incredible LED technology is used by the U.S. Navy Seals, the Coast Guard, Firemen, Policemen, U.S. Search and Rescue and now it’s been placed inside of an amazing Flashlight called the MiTact…
Now, I like flashlights. I have five or six 3 D-cell Maglites around the house, plus a few of their 2 AA-cell ones. ‘Oh, but _these_ lights are so much _brighter_ and _better_ than Maglites!’ They may be brighter, but I don’t need to illuminate the Moon. I just need to see in the house, or spot the occasional raccoon in the back yard. My flashlights are more than adequate for my needs, especially the ones that have LED lamps.
I understand that different people have different needs. The Brightest Flashlight In The World might be very useful for hunters. I’d like to have one in my survival kit if I crashed a plane out in the wilderness. What annoys me is the marketing. ‘Ooh! Military! That means it’s The Best!’ I married a combat veteran. She has a different opinion about the quality of government-issued equipment. In any case, I object to the ‘You’re a fat middle-aged guy sitting on a couch? _You_ can pretend to be a soldier!’ approach the advertisers seem to be taking. (Maybe that’s not their intention, but that’s how it comes off to me.) The other thing is the number of these ads I see. I don’t search for flashlights to buy. I shouldn’t be a target in their marketing.
Anyway, I don’t mean to disparage people who collect flashlights. I have more than I need myself, not to mention other stuff that I casually collect. But the ads have been getting on my nerves, and I’d been thinking of starting a thread earlier.
ETA: I like the XKCD reference.
.
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### Author:  [@Bonaventure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonaventure)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/15 "2016-01-07T15:39:38Z")
I’m not a flashlight fetishist, but I bought a $20 Fenix flashlight a couple months ago that’s about a thousand times brighter, lighter, and smaller than my heavy-duty D-cell Maglite. Also it runs a single AAA which makes it so much cheaper. Those Maglites are good for conking people on the head, but as light sources, they’re like using a candle. IMHO.
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### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/16 "2016-01-07T16:17:29Z")
\What’s that little label say?
\Ok, here’s a zoomable one.
“Do not look into operating flashlight with remaining eye.”
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/17 "2016-01-07T17:10:53Z")
> [@Deeg](#):
>
> If I understand it correctly the Cree XM-L2 is currently the brightest mass-produced LED available. I just bought [this flashlight](http://www.amazon.com/Flashlight-Zoomable-Adjustable-Portable-Camping/dp/B011B1U2QS/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1452135083&sr=1-1&keywords=MECO+ME08+Cree+XM-L2+LED) for $10 and it is crazy bright. Unbelievable how cheap these superbright LEDs are.
Depends what you mean by “mass-produced.”
I have a flashlight that uses an [SST-90](http://www.luminus.com/products/SST-90.html) chip that, in theory, could produce 4,000 (real) lumens (equivalent to 200+ watts of incandescent light).
The flashlight only runs it at a fraction of it’s possible power, but it’s still damn bright (but not my brightest flashlight, which would be [this](http://www.amazon.com/Skyray-Bright-Flashlight-Powered-Batteries/dp/B00CBAJUDU) one).
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### Author:  [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/18 "2016-01-07T17:17:49Z")
If I recall correctly, candlepower forums were in the top 10 for site traffic. An entire board dedicated to flashlights. People are hard core.
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### Author:  [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/19 "2016-01-07T18:25:42Z")
What I want is not just bright, but EVEN brightness. The couple I have, when I zoom them, they kind of develop a hot spot of brightness in the center.
It’s for photography and “painting with light”.
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### Author:  [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-this-flashlight-is-bright/742391/20 "2016-01-07T19:00:12Z")
> [@Isamu](#):
>
> How many lumens?
My flashlight is ~1000 lumens. According to Cree literature the LED can get up to ~1100 lumens. I’m assuming it’s dependant on the heat sink.
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