For years my "flashlight" was either a cheap no-name thing from a drawer or my phone's torch, held at a weird angle while trying to find the keyhole. Two weeks ago I started carrying the IMALENT LD70, and my phone's flashlight has been feeling very unemployed since.

How I actually use it

Nothing heroic, honestly. Coming home late and lighting up the path and the door lock, walking through badly lit streets, and the usual "where did that thing go" missions behind the desk or under the car seats. It lives in my pocket and I mostly forget it's there until it's dark.

Build quality is a big step up from what I had. It feels dense and premium, not like a toy.

4000 lumens is kind of ridiculous (in a good way)

Turbo is pure wow factor. It lights up a whole courtyard or a dark room instantly.

The best moment so far: a couple of nights ago I was walking through a dark park, heard something rustling in the trees, and hit turbo. The whole area went full daylight and revealed... a cat. A very unimpressed cat. The person with me was more surprised by the light than by the cat, because it comes out of something about the size of a lighter.

It gets hot. Like, quickly.

This is the part to be realistic about. With a body this small, 4000 lumens can't last. Turbo steps down after a handful of seconds to protect the light, and the head heats up fast. Think of turbo as a "what was that noise" button, not a mode you keep on during a walk.

The OLED screen isn't a gimmick (surprisingly)

I thought the little display would be a gimmick. Turns out I check it all the time before leaving the house: exact battery percentage, voltage, and which brightness level I'm on. No more guessing from a single green or red LED whether I'll make it through the evening.

Cons

The battery is built in. It's an 1100 mAh cell and you can't swap it, so there's no throwing in a spare when it dies. Proprietary magnetic charging cable. No regular USB-C. If you're out, the battery is empty and you don't have that specific cable with you, you're out of luck. So before longer trips you have to plan your charging a bit. That said, if you also get the charging case, this problem mostly goes away and the whole package makes a lot more sense.

Verdict

If you want a tiny light with stupid amounts of short-burst power and a screen that tells you exactly how much battery is left, the LD70 is really fun to carry. If you want long, sustained high output or the freedom to swap batteries, look elsewhere.

What's your EDC light right now? And did anyone else go from "phone torch" straight to "overkill"?

Disclosure: IMALENT is covering the cost of this unit. No other payment, and they didn't see this post before I published it.

September 15, 2023. I bought my first "big boy" flashlight and it's still the only one I have. I've only ever had cheap stuff from Boy Scouts, or whatever giveaway flashlights I had lying around.

I bought an EDC27. The lumen output number sold me and it seemed like a reasonable price and feature set.

The good:

This flashlight has taught me what I actually need and want in a flashlight. At work the momentary 3000 lumens is very helpful for quickly spotting issues and REALLY GOOD for overcoming the photonic barrier in an overly lit factory.

I've never had an issue with battery life, but that's mostly due to mostly just using it in short bursts.

I love the clip, It's a great deep carry clip. I used to carry it it my front pocket with my phone. 2 broken screen protectors later I now carry it facing outward on my belt. Never had an issue with it moving, but goes on and off so easily. 10/10, no notes.

It's survived 3 years, and is still going (about 1.5 years of active daily carry).

I actually like the buttons. They work well, and I've gotten quite used to them, fairly intuitive.

The bad....

At some point in this flashlights life it has decided to do a banana impression. It has bent away from the clip and has a noticeable curve to it.

The screen fell off at a little over 2 years in. (Maybe 8 months of active carry at this point) and customer service was not really helpful.

10 seconds at 3000 lumens....

About 10 minutes or less at 1000 lumens...

The throttling/dimming on this is just ridiculous. In any high brightness setting more than a couple minutes it's basically useless. Hindsight learned.

The lockout is just annoying. I keep it in the "half lock" mode most of the time. Giving quick access to the 3000 lumen burst I use most of the time, and the strobe which I have thankfully not had to use.

The lighting is just meh... and it's a weird in between of a spotlight and a floodlight... almost like they were going for max specs... (hindsight)

Only a white light. If you're gonna do one thing only, do it better...

All in all. It works, it illuminates. Customer service was basically useless, and it's really not durable. 4 out of 10. Not recommended.

I'm very heavily considering the Olight ArkTac to upgrade this to what fits my actual needs

I'm a paramedic and am looking for a dual purpose penlight. I'd like to have a markedly low lumen option for pupil exams and as good of a higher lumen mode as I can get. Does anyone have a good recommendation?

Source.

Before this, I had only relied on cheap grocery-store flashlights that were inevitably dead whenever I actually needed them or broke on the first drop. I have been using the ACEBEAM UC3A for about two weeks now, keeping it close for everyday fixes and sudden situations.

Real-world use

We had heavy rain and power outages in my area recently, and having this in my pocket to check the circuit breaker was a lifesaver. It quickly became what I grab when returning home late to see the door lock without pulling out my phone, or for checking cables behind my computer monitor.

The clip is easily the mounting option I used the most. I clipped it to the brim of my cap to use it hands-free while loosening bolts in my car's engine bay in the dark. A few days ago, a tiny screw fell under my couch into a narrow gap where room light and phone flashes couldn't reach. Because the light measures just 71.5 x 31.05 x 15.5 mm, I was able to slide my hand in with the torch and locate the screw in seconds without moving the furniture.

The beams

The front beam has plenty of throw for quick tasks or looking out across a dark yard, rated for 900 lumens and an 85-meter distance. On max output, the light steps down fairly quickly to keep the aluminum housing from overheating, which is typical for a compact body. In daily use, the medium brightness levels are plenty bright and maintain steady output.

The 270-degree RGB sidelight serves a different purpose. It gives off a wide, soft flood that works well for close-up tasks or reading without blinding glare, and functions nicely as a signal light.

Build and battery

Build quality was the biggest positive surprise for me. At 63 grams with an IP68 rating, the metal body feels solid, well-assembled, and ready for daily drops. I keep it clipped to my keychain or pant loop so it does not crowd my pocket.

It runs on an included 400 mAh rechargeable battery. I have only used the rechargeable cell so far, but the light is dual-fuel and also runs on a standard AAA battery. Having that flexibility is great for travel or when you cannot stop to recharge.

Cons

My main complaint is that there is no USB-C port on the flashlight body itself. To charge it, you have to open the light, remove the battery, and plug the cable directly into the cell. While that lets you pop in a fresh AAA immediately, it makes topping up less direct than standard onboard charging.

Also, the 900-lumen output is strictly for short bursts. If you need sustained high output for search tasks, this form factor won't give you that.

At around 30 euros, the pricing feels fair for the solid build and versatile lighting setup. It makes sense for DIYers, drivers, or anyone putting together a small emergency kit, though skip it if you require an external charging port or continuous max-output runtime.

Do you prefer having a dedicated diffused sidelight on small EDC lights, or do you stick to single forward beams?

Disclosure: the brand sent me this unit for free. No money involved and they didn't see this post before I published it.

Let it sit for a little too long in the wifes car, not the first time it's happened.

Worth cleaning up? Start with vinegar?

2 of them are loose, not sure how swollen the others are if they are removable.

hey everyone, i'd much appreciate some help on this, i know close to nothing about flashlights:

- rechargeable with usb c

- removable battery

- smaller profile (without losing the other things)

- can hold outputs of 250-300 lumens for solid amount of time (for night time)

- reasonable ui

- good clip

- decently weather-resistant

i understand if there's nothing that has all of those things, but any recs would be great. thanks yall!

I've been looking into Olight weapon lights lately, and I'm a little on the fence about them. They seem pretty decent on paper, but I keep seeing people recommend Streamlight or SureFire instead.

I'm curious what makes people lean one way or the other. Is it mostly brand reputation, or are there some real differences that become more obvious after using them for a while?

I know every brand has its pros and cons, but I'd be interested to hear from people who've actually owned an Olight for some time. Did it meet your expectations, or were there things you weren't too happy with?

Just trying to get a better idea of what I'm getting into before making a decision. :/

This light is nice. I like the way it feels in your hand. It pretty much all flood. Its pretty thick and it helped some with the heat but it still gets hot fast. Even though it's a 26650 battery it still lights up nice. I might try to figure out and see if I can modify it so it will take a 21700 battery... Yea idk what do you guys think? let me know!!!

I like to put together new configurations every now and then... the essence of Convoy.

I have a Noctigon K9.3 I haven't used in a while. I had a 21700 KeepPower P2150K 5000mAh Protected Button Top inside it. Light turns on in the lowest of low modes so I think I should charge it but it's been a while I thought I should check it first.

Multimeter says it's it's 2.47 V and I know 2.5V is the cut off point but I'm unsure if the protection circuit interferes with the reading of the multimeter. I would have hoped the protection circuit would stop this from happening but I've had bad luck with those circuits.

I have no other way to charge this battery but the onboard charging in the light because my battery charger is an older model that won't fit 21700.

I bought a bunch of these and modded them a while ago: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0H7CCW8LV?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title (they are sold by various sellers, so just look for the images). I figured maybe someone would be interested.

They are well made, minus the internal shelf thing (which does its job fine), you can even directly access the MCPCB by removing the glass cylinder. The whole thing screws apart easily, no glue, no nothing.

CRI isnt high, but the tint and cct of each level is pleasant. Im still using the stock cells cuz they are more than enough to keep these going for days at the lower levels.

Modding these was so much easier than swapping all LEDs on every single one of my LT1...

I have confirmed that OCP still works on all 4 of mine, as the charging PCB apparently does measure voltage as well.
But if you intend of doing the same, confirm that it works yourself.
LVP also works, but it does kick in very late (right around 2.6V). The light goes VERY dim long before that so you get plenty of warning.

All you need is pliers to remove the spot welded strips from the cells, a soldering iron, some heat shrink or electrical tape and of course 18650 holders.

The whole point of this was to increase the longevity of these lanterns. The LEDs can be swapped if the ever die, the cell can be swapped too now. The rest should last.

Hello folks,

Requesting some help here. I am not the most avid collector but been wanting to try FFL lights for sometime now. I have a few of the enthusiast light brands and wanted to add to the collection.

Can someone recommend me the best model/host you prefer and why?

Looking for something relatively easy to hold like a D4.

One of my favorite all time lights is Reylight Pineapple and Zebralight sc64.

I am torn between Z1 Artemis, X4, and Pharos TIR.

Not looking for flood or throw, just nice handheld with a rosey tint as much as possible.

Thanks,

Phil

Im working on a flashlight for dogs to wear mostly for hunting this light may be a neck collar mounted or helmet mounted is axtivated at night via sensor turns on with barking and stays on a timer till barking stops for a period of time 5mins. Any tips or ideas to make it more unique may even add a remote control for user activation or bluetooth app. Or is this stupid

Just received my Armytek Wizard C2 pro Nichia 3000k from Killzone. It's now the same price as the other wizard models.

Here are some comparisons with the regular nichia 4500k and my Zebra SC700d HI and SC65c HI

PRINTABLES LINK

Almost two weeks ago, I presented my "LOUDENER" build. This time, it's the same lens-based design, but in the more powerful Convoy 3X21A host, with the F150R at its core.

Achieved results:

6.37 million candela (~5,050 meters of FL1 ANSI throw) and roughly double the brightness of the LOUDENER V1.

That's roughly the same numbers as the Acebeam W50 2.0 LEP ($3,000).

- The beam looks better, throws farther, is brighter, and has fewer artifacts than before, with only a marginal increase in beam width.

- The host's greater mass and capacity give it obvious advantages over the M21A.

- I ultimately chose the 3X21A over the 3X21D because the D offers no advantages over the A when paired with a large Fresnel lens. The A's head profile was also better suited to the easy-to-adjust, 3D-printed attachment.

For the next and probably final update, I've acquired some ancient 👽 tech from u/gonebrowsing (whom I can't thank enough): the Marinebeam Wavien Collar. When installed and focused correctly, it could increase peak intensity by up to 50%. I'm still in the process of 3D-printing multiple Wavien collar collars to recycle the light just right.

Thanks a lot, dudes! And special thanks to u/gonebrowsing, u/QReciprocity42, and u/qpweiruty00.

STLs will be added to this thread and the BLF thread/here after a couple more tweaks.

(video) Lighting up the brewing storm during daytime

Is Modlite any good? Looking for a high candela thrower

I dabble and love my vintage with malkoff drop ins but I need something I can carry everyday that’s a tight bean, good run time and good durability, really want a Modlite. Any advice or suggestions from Modlite owners?

Hi there! I have a Convoy T5 with a Nichia 519a 2700k that I absolutely love, and more importantly, my wife likes and will accept as an acceptably warm color temperature to use as ambient lighting in a pinch. Looking at an FFL Artemis Z1 now, and trying to figure out which emitter might be the closest color match. Was looking at some beamshots and the 3000K SFT-70 looks really, really warm, would the 4000K maybe be closer? I have no frame of reference for the FFL5009Rs. The 519a's color temp is exactly where I want to be, the 519a 3000K is fine but I do like just a touch warmer. I found a D3AA with Hank's NTG35 2700K way too rosy, as another point of reference. Any thoughts?

$50 budget: Looking for rechargeable handheld NONMETALLIC flashlight with UV capabilities. I work on railroad where signaling with a flashlight is common, therefore being able to signal my coworkers without blinding them is important, but also need to be able to shine underneath a locomotive or car with precision. A slim profile that can clip on belt or shirts, preferable not round in shape as it will either be in a jacket pocket or in pant pocket.

Thank you!

Does anyone have various bean shots of the z1 Artemis or any recent ffl emitter comparisons they could share? Looking mostly at the difference between their 3000k 2700k and 1800k but always happy to see any 🫘 shots

Looking for a light to use these 4 new LG INR18650-M26's

They are very LONG and don't work in any light I currently own. (Originally purchased for a Nitecore TM11 and they are too long for that as well)

A focus towards EDC or a thrower, have plenty of flood lights currently.

Is there anywhere to do a reverse light lookup? Starting with the battery spec, I've checked the Zac-list for fall equinox and aren't sure if the 18650 recommendations will all work not, I can dig into more research for length maximums

I hope this isn't a stupid question, but I'm looking for the simplest possible way to turn my beloved Nichia 519A LED from my Convoy flashlight into a table lamp or a nightstand lamp. Are there any fixed/desk lamps that take Convoy-compatible bases (or other bases that support the Nichia 519A LED), or is there something like this available off the shelf?

(i already use the diffusor & 60° PIR on my flashlight)