How bright is too bright?

[forrestinmathews]

So I've got a Surefire 6x Tactical mounted on an M4, a Streamlight PT-2L and a Streamlight Pro-Tac HL. They put out 200, 180, and 600 Lumens respectively. I see they are coming out with 1000 lumen and 1100 lumen handhelds at Surefire and Streamlight, not to mention the 4500 and 2000 lumen lights. I'm finding 200 to be very bright inside in white walls and 600 is about ridiculous. What is the round figures limit for useful output for an interior use light? Exterior is limited only by the imagination? Thoughts?

 

[Arik]

Depends on the size of your interior

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Smoke]

A thousand lumen light what are you going to run it off a car battery?

 

[Doug M.]

The Fury P3x takes three regular CR123 batteries. I intend to replace the P2x on my carbine with one when I can. If I was still in LE, it would be a front burner purchase.

 

[MichiganScott]

I've found 160 lumens hitting a white wall at room length can actually be painful. I don't want anymore.

600 lumens on an outside AR would be something else.

 

[forrestinmathews]

The Fury P3x takes three regular CR123 batteries. I intend to replace the P2x on my carbine with one when I can. If I was still in LE, it would be a front burner purchase.

Interesting. How do you find the 500 lumen light inside of a small house or close quarters? I am trying to figure a way to get a high output light on my rifle in addition to the Surefire 200 lumen. I'm thinking a quick release mount since it's a fairly specialized purpose. The big bad light is great for outside and coyote hunting, but I think it's too much for a bump in the night inside the house. Nobody seems to be fielding a medium setting on the high output models. Say about 200-500-1000?

 

[Smoke]

I have a 120 lumen Rocky Flash light that will literally light up my whole house. It’d pretty much all I need

 

[SgtLumpy]

My 226 Lumen LED MiniMag-Lite will light up dogs, horses, coyotes, people, at night from one of my mini-ranch to the opposite end of the mini-ranch in back of us. The distance is 1/8 mile. That's enough to see the color and style clothing on a human, the hair color and tack on a horse, or the hair color/pattern on a dog/coyote. It will easily illuminate reflectors and animal eyes 1 mile away. You can see me waving the light if you're 2 1/2 miles away (maybe further, I've just tested to that distance).


Sgt Lumpy

 

[Doug M.]

Interesting. How do you find the 500 lumen light inside of a small house or close quarters? I am trying to figure a way to get a high output light on my rifle in addition to the Surefire 200 lumen. I'm thinking a quick release mount since it's a fairly specialized purpose. The big bad light is great for outside and coyote hunting, but I think it's too much for a bump in the night inside the house. Nobody seems to be fielding a medium setting on the high output models. Say about 200-500-1000?

*
I generally prefer one setting, activated with a click switch. There is a video Pat Rogers did in the shoot house at Alliance Ohio a couple years back showing how much better the 500 is; see below. My everyday pocket flashlight is the P2X, and I find it very useful. I am rarely without it, to the extent the pocket on my suit coat is reinforced for the light.

At really close range on a white wall the 500 could be annoying, but from the stop of my stairs to the bottom (usual distance), I am not bothered. Part of the value of the light is the ability to ID/confirm threats vs. unknowns. One big advantage of the Fury models is that they spill enough light to the side to allow seeing details you might otherwise miss.

Bravo Company is the only place you can get the single output, click switch variant of either light. SureFire P2X Fury Tactical™ Single-Output LED

SureFire P3X Fury Tactical Single-Output LED (EAG MODEL) - BLACK

The video: Tactical Flashlight Output Comparison - YouTube. Note the the same scene looks so different with enough light - the last threat cannot be seen until the Fury is used. Note also that in the actual shoot house portion, one shooter has the Fury, the other something inadequate. The second shooter almost looks like they do not have a light!

 

[walkin' trails]

Most of what I've read about them is that the higher output lights perform better for operations and activities in large buildings such as warehouses or outside. The more light output, the more illumination and fewer shadows to hide in. I don't have anything more potent than a 300 and never thought about how it would be a hinderance inside smaller rooms. Yeah, accidentally hitting the mirror in a bathroom is not good.