An underrated fact about LED flashlights is that even cheap ones can be as brights as high end flashlights with incandescent/halogen/xenon bulbs. I grew up always trying to find one bright enough, now it’s usually not a concern. I usually have the luxury to care more about convenience and form factor, than brightness.
I’ve now had the opposite problem where some are too bright and didn’t come with a dim enough setting. It’s actually so bright it dazzles my eyes and I can barely see the thing it’s pointing at.
Fun fact, you were probably using a low CRI light. Cooler blue hues wash out your target in a wall of white, which humans perceive as brighter without actually seeing anything.
An equivalent high CRI light allows you to see your target accurately at the same brightness level, but humans perceive it as darker even though you see more.
Modern flashlights are absolutely amazing and shock 9/10 people even in the trades because they still think of the hideous 90s maglites as standard.
An underrated fact about LED flashlights is that even cheap ones can be as brights as high end flashlights with incandescent/halogen/xenon bulbs. I grew up always trying to find one bright enough, now it’s usually not a concern. I usually have the luxury to care more about convenience and form factor, than brightness.
I’ve now had the opposite problem where some are too bright and didn’t come with a dim enough setting. It’s actually so bright it dazzles my eyes and I can barely see the thing it’s pointing at.
Fun fact, you were probably using a low CRI light. Cooler blue hues wash out your target in a wall of white, which humans perceive as brighter without actually seeing anything.
An equivalent high CRI light allows you to see your target accurately at the same brightness level, but humans perceive it as darker even though you see more.
Modern flashlights are absolutely amazing and shock 9/10 people even in the trades because they still think of the hideous 90s maglites as standard.