Portable illumination
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Good flashlights usually don't have adjustable beams. Zoom mechanisms are bulky, optically inefficient, and aren't very durable or waterproof.
The Acebeam EC35 II or T36 would be exactly what you're looking for if you could get one. Unfortunately both are discontinued. If the Acebeam L16 2.0 isn't too fat to put in your pocket in a pinch, that might work.
Thanks, I'll look into that one.
Yeah, you're probably right about the adjustable beam. I guess what I meant by that was more that I'd like it to have a floodlight as well. I know some brands do this by having two different lenses and emitter. I assume that a good one like that would likely be outside my price range
It's a separate piece to carry, but a diffuser is one solution to that.
The Loop Gear SK05 Pro is an interesting option for $120, but the UI isn't simple and there's a lot of toy in its feature set. I suggest the Nichia LEDs for their superior color rendering, but I think this probably isn't what you're looking for.
My most used is the nightcore keyring light. It's old so has micro USB but I'm sure the new ones will come with usb-c.
I'm not very happy with my fenix AA LD12 as when the battery gets low it dies suddenly rather than dims out.
Of all the flashlights I own, one of two is always with me:
Now I have to go digging and find the keychain light; usually I keep it on my valet, but I sometimes forget to empty my pockets and especially the coin pouch, which is where I usually carry it.
Honestly, I could probably get rid of every other flashlight and keep just those two; they're the only two I ever use.
RovyVon Aurora A8 is probably the keychain light you’re referring to. I’m planning on getting that one as well, but like you said, it’s a bit more of an EDC light than what I’m looking for here.
The Arkfeld was what I originally had my eye on, but the proprietary connector is a dealbreaker for me. I’m hoping they’ll release a new version with USB-C, as the current model doesn’t comply with EU regulations — but I’ll probably end up buying another one before that ever hits the market.
Got it. Jetbeam mini one, metal body.
I don't like those polymer bodies, but I wanted the multi-color LED options, and the Jetbeam had those. USB-C charging, metal body, RGB&UV, all in a keychain. Plus, it was, like, $35. Probably not as nice as an Aurora, but it had all the features, and it's survived heavy use. I'd get it again.
Yeah, maybe, but mine's all metal, not that clear plastic. And I've been searching for it all morning and can't find it!
The Arkfeld doesn't check a lot of your boxes; there's no beam adjustment like you wanted, either. I've got a lot of lights and it's the one that's always in my pocket. I agree, the bespoke charger is a not ideal. It does allow for that fantastic tail magnet. The lack of USBC would bother me more if the battery wasn't so insanely high capacity. I'm not kidding; I think I've charged it twice in the 2 years I've owned it. It's almost comical. The UV has been handy, and the laser more in theory than practice, but I'm glad it's there. The UI is really simple; I like the hardware mode switch.
Anyway, they'll probably do a USBC version, but that doesn't help you right now. Good luck.
I quite like sofirn flashlights. I don't have a handheld from them but their headlamps and lantern served me well.
I think most of not all have USBC charging, standard removable lithium batteries and aluminum body.
I'm going to suggest a headlamp instead of a handheld flashlight since it's incredibly useful to not have to hold the light to see what you are doing. And you can always hold it in your hand and use it as a flashlight. Particularly, while I realize that the price is outside the range you said (it's a heck of a lot lower), I think the Wurkkos (Boruit?) H25S is an incredible value at $15 shipped (FIFTEEN DOLLARS):
https://wurkkos.com/products/d25s-waterproof-headlamp-18650-headlight
It has 1200 lumens, 4 levels, fairly sane UI, USB-C charging, and uses an 18650 cell included with the light. I have the H25LR version (similar but has a 500 lumen white led and a night vision red led, instead of two 500 lumen white leds) and reviewed it here: https://lemmy.world/post/22928160
I use it all the time, it's solid, or if you're worried about reliability then heck, buy five of them and have $$ left over from your $100. There are a bunch of other variants too, though I don't know exactly what the differences are.
Obviously you can find more expensive headlamps if that's what you really want, but there is not any need imho.
I also like the HD10 which runs Anduril and is smaller, but it uses a 14500 cell with much less capacity.
Thanks, but I have multiple headlamps already. I'm looking for a handheld device.
Hmm, well, I'll defer to others then. You could look at Zak's buyers' guide, https://zakreviews.com/arbitrary-list.html
I tend to only want Anduril lights to have consistent UI. TS10 Max seems nice but it doesn't have USB charging:
https://wurkkos.com/products/ts10-max-18650-version
It looks like the battery it comes with has its own USB charging port though, so that's almost as good. I find it annoying to have to find my external charger for lights and batteries without that.
I was in the same boat. A friend recommended this one to me. I got it and haven't looked back. Debating on a second one. https://thrunite.com/bss-v6-pro-green/