Flashlight fetish
Tuesday, February 21st, 2012
I thought I had a flashlight fetish: I have a bunch of “low end” Surefire G2 flashlights in the house and in the cars as well as a Surefire headlamp for hiking and some Streamlights in various sizes and shapes. The collections shown at core77 and at the CandlePower Forums show just how far people get into this stuff.
Flashlights are interesting objects, they have utility but they also have an aesthetic which has many aspects: fine machined steel or aluminum or plastic, the design of the switch, power (lumens), battery type and life, and lastly, how cop-like or weapony or “tactical” they are.
In the old days this was the territory of Maglite but now with LED illumination, Surefire has taken over as the popular US manufacturer of tactical flashlights.
Surefire flashlights are expensive but they’re made in the USA (like Maglites) and Streamlight, Fenix and many others are made in China. An interesting site to check many out is Optics Planet.
Oh, on my keychain I carry a Photon Micro-Light and I have to say, it’s fantastic, one of my most used flashlights. I also have one of these lights in my camera bag and another in my carry-on bag I take on planes. Not “tactical” but very “practical.”
Ha Richard I can relate to having that fetish too (thanks to you). Now here is the question I have both surefire and also fenix my question is, do you think that surefire is a lot better then fenix, Besides being made in the USA and that is an important factor.
Edward: I had a Fenix flashlight but didn’t like the complexity of choosing different illumination modes. I dislike this about many headlamps too.
Too many options/modes and things get too complicated to use easily or show someone else how to use.
Surefires tend to have simpler methods for alternating between high and low power modes and I like this. Or, the better solution is to get a flashlight with an on/off switch and no modes (single button mouse).
Brilliant! (pun intended).
well thanks to you i am a big fan of surefire and i like their products a lot
Core77 has another post on this… oh boy: Personal Illumination Part 3