Flashlight noob question

[the_swede]

I recently bought to Quark lights for use at work (Infantry) as well as for EDC and allround use. The models I bought were the Tactical QTL and QT2L. Both run 205 - 230 lumens max output. My experience with handhelds is limited and my first thought was going with max and moonlight as my two modes. At max the lights easily light up a 50 yard long dark hallway good enough for PID. Other work required of the light is reading maps/instructions for which I intended to use moonlight mode. But is 200+ lumens overkill on a handheld light? Is it better to go down in power and increase battery life? Maybe the 85 lumens setting would be better fornallround use? Obviously it is very hard to give a set of rules for these types of questions but I'm interested in your thoughts (I'm sure there are some people with similar use for their lights and lots of experience) to help get some perspective on this.

[NH Shooter]

I have my Quark set to maximum with the head tight and medium (55 lumens) loose. I find the 25 to 50 lumen range quite useful.

[the_swede]

Just going through my appartment using max mode there is some proper blinding splashback from bright colored walls.

[JTQ]

At the low lumen end, I find even a 60 lumen Surefire too much light to read by. Sub 20 lumens is much more useful, for me at least, for task use such as reading, finding my socks in the dark, etc.

At the high lumen level, I've not used a light over 100 lumens, but that level has been plenty for my needs. Of course I'm just using it to light up my back yard or house, and I'm not using it to light up an aircraft hangar or light up a runway.

I prefer two lights so I don't have to cycle my way through push button options to get to the light I want. A small task light, like a Pelican or Streamlight penlight, and single output powerful light like a Surefire for lighting up large areas.

[jdesro]

This is one of the reasons I do not use my Quark all that much - Sometimes you need moonlight, sometimes you need a handful of sunshine, and sometimes you need something in between.

This is why I now have come to prefer lights with a rotating ring to select outputs instead of push buttons that you need to cycle through modes to get to the one you want. I use a Sunwayman M20c as my nightstand light and leave it on the medium (50 lumens) setting. This is bright enough to identify anything that might go bump in the night without getting the splashback from the walls you observed with a higher output. From the medium position a simple twist of the ring counter clockwise I am in moonlight mode (13 lumens), which is nice for those middle of the night bathroom strolls. If I need max output (280 lumens), such as for going outside where I may need the extra brightness, a clockwise twist of the ring gets me there.

For my EDC light I have been using an EAGLETAC P200LC2, which uses a similar interface as the Sunwayman.

So again your needs may vary, but for me I really like the twist ring mode adjustments over buttons where you need to cycle through modes or where you have only the choice of two modes with the tight/loose bezel lights.

[olstyn]

Maybe the 85 lumens setting would be better fornallround use?

I find that the 85 lumen setting on my QTL lights up a 53 foot semi trailer all the way to the back well enough to identify small objects on the floor at the back from the front. For the usage you're describing, I would guess that it'd be enough, and of course you'll get much better battery life out of the 85 lumen setting than the 205+. I keep mine set for bezel tight = 205+ lumen strobe, bezel loose = 85 lumens. ToddG's statement in another thread that if you need the strobe, you need it right now was fairly persuasive. That said, I don't use mine for map reading, so I never really need the moonlight setting, and therefore can afford to dedicate one of the settings to a SD mode. YMMV.

[TGS]

My solution was to buy the Quark Pro so i can easily go through the different modes in the loosened bezel mode for routine low light tasks, but put a tactical tail cap on it.

When tightened it is max, with a double tap for strobe. I keep it tightened when walking around.

This way i have the max and strobe settings at immediate access, but can still use the various lower settings at work, while still giving me a general utility light that wont burn through my batteries like my Tactical did during Sandy. This light setup has come in very handy, compared to the tactical which I found to be a PITA to reprogram.