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Editor & Article Writer for Outdoor Wilds
How Many Lumens Should a Good Flashlight Have
Flashlight manufacturers like to use lumens as an eye catcher to draw your attention. Nothing wrong with that, but it only tells half the story.
To have a better idea of how a flashlight performs in certain environments you need to look in more detail at the complete flashlight specification.
This article takes a look at all the aspects that affect a flashlight’s performance and then follows on by answering the question, how many lumens should a good flashlight have?
Understanding Lumens
Lumens are the measurement of the total flashlight output, they are not a measurement of the brightness.
If you were to choose 2 different flashlights, each with 1000 lumen output, you may find that both have different brightnesses at various distances.
The reasons why these 2 flashlights with identical lumens have varying brightness is down to a number of factors:
- Candela (cd) rating – Measure of brightness / luminous intensity centre of the beam.
- Optics used at the front end of the flashlight.
- Reflector type.
Candela Rating
Candela rating determines the brightness of the beam at its most intense point. The optics and reflector used at the front end of a flashlight also have a direct affect on how the lumen output is distributed.
It is the brightness of a flashlight beam or Candela that must also be considered when deciding what purpose a flashlight is good for. Whether it’s main purpose is for tactical, hiking, search and rescue or as general outdoor / indoor flashlight.
In summary, using both lumens and candela units of measurement together helps pinpoint what type of application a flashlight is most suited. The FL1 Standard helps with this understanding.
ANSI FL1 Standard
In 2009 the FL1 Standard [1] was introduced as a standard at which flashlights are now rated. You will see an FL1 table with it’s various icons on most quality flashlight manufacturers packaging.
The FL1 Standard helps to provide a better understanding of all the technical details of a particular flashlight and how they have a direct impact on performance in specific practical applications.
There are 6 parts to the FL1 Standard. For this particular article we’re more interested in lumens (light output) and Candela (Peak Beam Intensity) or brightness, plus the beam distance.
Understanding Flashlight Performance
Taking the 3 specifications directly from the FL1 table helps to make an informed decision on what type of flashlight is ideal for your intended application.
Beam Distance
The beam distance indicated in the table is the maximum distance that is illuminated at 0.25 lux or full moonlight.
In certain practical applications full moonlight isn’t going to be enough illumination. So as a rule of thumb you take the maximum beam distance and halve it.
For example, if you’re indoors and the longest corridor in the building is 30 metres then you’ll need a flashlight with a 60 metre maximum beam distance and around 1500 candela.
Light Output – Lumens
If we take the indoor scenario again from above then an output of around 500 lumens is going to provide around 1500 candela at 30 metres which is ideal for most indoor use.
Peak Beam Intensity
For indoor use its best to choose a lower intensity beam with a graduated flood. Outdoor use such as hiking you may want to consider a higher candela flashlight with a more focused beam.
Summary
Hopefully after having gone through some of the basic specifications of a flashlight it will help you make a better informed choice when deciding on what flashlight to buy.
For indoor use in a tactical situation I’d suggest looking at flashlights around 500 lumen output.
If you’re in search and rescue then of course you’re going to need as many lumens as possible with a high candela. There are some flashlights now that output over 3500 lumens.
I tend to use a flashlight for camping and day hikes. My preferred choice is the Wowtac W1 with around 500 lumens and the XP-G2 LED. Plenty bright enough for walking to the facilities block at night. A rechargeable flashlight is ideal for longer hikes too.
If you’re wild camping overnight and need to route spot from a distance then a high output flashlight that is lightweight but powerful is the preferred choice.
A flashlight around 1000 lumens with a maximum beam distance of 200 metres plus a candela output of 10,000 would be ideal for wild camping.
There are of course many other factors to consider when looking to choose a flashlight. Weight, size, waterproof rating, plus how long is the runtime and so on.
If you’re interested in survival flashlights then this article may be of interest.
Finally, always take into consideration the candela and maximum beam distance as well as the lumens before you make that final decision to go with a certain flashlight.
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