Do you carry a flashlight (torch) or have one in your gear bag?

WillCAD

Just idle curiosity after participating in a flashlight EDC discussion on the EDCForums:

Do you carry a flashlight every day?

Do you carry a flashlight on shoots? Day or night?

Do you have a flashlight in your camera or gear bag?

If so, what kind?

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I'll start:

I EDC (Every Day Carry) several flashlights:

* A Coleman Max 144 lumen 2xAA LED flashlight resides in my pocket for times when I need a LOT of light.
* A fauxton (knock-off of a Photon Freedom, hence the "faux") is part of my watch fob, for times when I need a little bit of light, right-here-right-now, without fiddling in my pocket.
*Another fauxton usually resides fauxton on my keychain as a backup, and for when I need to illuminate the keyhole. The keys are already in my hand, so why reach for the one on my belt?
*Other fauxtons are zipper-pulls on all my jackets and coats, because when I wear a jacket or coat it often covers the watch fob and pockets, and obstructs access to the other lights. They're also useful for increasing my visibility if I happen to be walking anywhere at night; I just leave them on as I walk.

Any time I go on a shoot, either paid or for my own enjoyment, I have my EDC lights.

I have additional fauxtons clipped on all of my camera and gear bags.

I also have a pair of fauxtons clipped to my camera harness, for use in illuminating the camera controls when shooting in low light situations, and for illuminating the bubble level on my tripod when setting up in low light. Hm... now that I think of it, maybe I should attach one to my tripod, too...

Why so many fauxtons? They're dirt-cheap at less than $5 per 10, tiny, and very bright for their size and weight. I find them extremely useful, and typically buy them in bulk to hand out to family and friends.

NOTE: For the record, I do NOT look like this guy from The Running Man.

Erland Van Lidth aka ''Dynamo'' in ''The Running Man'' 1987 by Derek B.E Francis2, on Flickr

ziggy53

I generally carry 1 - AAA powered white LED penlight with me at all times. I have additional small lights scattered in various camera and camping bags. I generally have larger flashlights in each vehicle and for extended camping I'll take additional flashlights depending on the perceived need. I'll also have extra batteries as needed.

mud390

I have a small, LED flash light that I keep in my bag. It's rare that I use it, but I'm glad it's there when I need it!

Kris

Art Scott

I carry mini mag lites every where I go...I also have a small flat flashlight that is on my key ring........I learn to do this working stage shows: Opera , Dance, Music shows..recitals....most were black up until a couple of years ago now bright red...so I don't loose them as easy....

NeilL

Yep, in my kit I keep an Energizer LED. I've used it to get focus in a pitch black night, using AF with it on and then turning it off and changing to MF without moving (something crazy like that, with flash, I forget the details, but the shot was perfect and sharp!), and for its more normal and intended uses...

Neil

divamum

I have one in my car. You've got me thinking about adding a mini-mag to the camera bag though - it's a good idea

Wicked_Dark

I have a Surefire L4 in my bag. Ever since the day I went into an old military fort, but could only go in about 10 feet because of the darkness, I have it with me. One never knows. There's a small maglite in the car, too I think although I should probably replace it with something better. Husband the flashlight geek will know.

Gary Peterson Photography

In each of my camera bags and packs, I have at least one small led headlamp. They are awesome and free up the hands.

Wicked_Dark

Right about the headlamp, but I only bring it on early morning shoots where I have to hike in the dark. Very handy then.

eoren1

I have now spent hours finding the 'perfect' light thanks to this thread
Looking for one I can use to 'paint' and that is dimmable (or has multiple output settings) so that I'm not constantly throwing out 150+ lumens.
Got it down to the Fenix LD 20 and the Cree X-tactical ATE0C2L007 (click for Amazon link). Both run $50 and seem to do the trick. The Cree comes with color inserts to make light painting even cooler.
Anyone have thoughts on these or other good lights?
Thanks
E

Wicked_Dark

My flashlight geek husband says you can never go wrong with Surefire. Four-Sevens is another brand, Quark is the model that should fit most bags and take a variety of batteries.

rainbow

eoren1 wrote: »

I have now spent hours finding the 'perfect' light thanks to this thread
Looking for one I can use to 'paint' and that is dimmable (or has multiple output settings) so that I'm not constantly throwing out 150+ lumens.
Got it down to the Fenix LD 20 and the Cree X-tactical ATE0C2L007 (click for Amazon link). Both run $50 and seem to do the trick. The Cree comes with color inserts to make light painting even cooler.
Anyone have thoughts on these or other good lights?
Thanks
E

I have the Fenix PD 20. Same output as the LD 20, but uses only one battery instead of two. Length is significantly less. The battery lasts me a year for quick occasional uses. Used it once to paint an outdoor waterfall scene (100 feet away).

eoren1

That PD 20 is an interesting alternative. 1 lithium vs 2 AA... Have to sleep on it. Thanks

Nikolai

I have two LED headlights in my back pack: one for me, one for my model :-)

kurtw

In the bag: Petzl E-lite - great minimal headlamp for fiddling with the camera or finding my way around in the dark if necessary. Bright enough but not too bright so I still have my night vision (esp. when using the red led). It's an ingenious little tool that doesn't take up any space or weight in the bag.



In my pocket, I usually EDC a little Fenix LD10. Love those little things for everyday utility. 1AA and it's hard to imagine needing anything brighter.



If I'm light-painting, I prefer my Surefire G2 incandescent.

WillCAD

eoren1 wrote: »

I have now spent hours finding the 'perfect' light thanks to this thread
Looking for one I can use to 'paint' and that is dimmable (or has multiple output settings) so that I'm not constantly throwing out 150+ lumens.
Got it down to the Fenix LD 20 and the Cree X-tactical ATE0C2L007 (click for Amazon link). Both run $50 and seem to do the trick. The Cree comes with color inserts to make light painting even cooler.
Anyone have thoughts on these or other good lights?
Thanks
E

I'm not familiar with either light, but reading the descriptions you linked, I find that the Fenix uses AA batteries, while the Cree uses CR123 batteries.

CR123s are smaller and lighter, but also more expensive and harder to find in the corner drug store. I prefer lights that use AA or AAA batteries, since they are available just about everywhere at reasonable prices. If you're on a gig and your flashlight batteries die, it's easy to find AA or AAA replacements, but much harder to find CR123s.

eoren1

Ended up jumping on the Fenix PD20 last night when Amazon had them for $37 (instead of the usual $57)...can't wait for it to arrive and start painting...

ivar

Two years ago, before the Dgrin shootout in Utah, i got one of these: http://www.rei.com/product/671104
Why? do I hear you thinking? Well, these are awesome! Credit goes to Schmoo though, for the idea.

What you can do is you attach them to the zipper of your jacket/vest/sweater and you can always find your flashlight in the dark. Comes in extremely handy with nightshooting and looking for your stuff.

I still have it, and use it regularly. Schmoo still had hers when I saw her this year as well.

eoren1

I have found that my iphone's flash works great as a 'anywhere' type of light. Bright and always with me.
Got a free app to make that flash into a continuous light

bgarland

I'm another Fenix fan. I have the older TK10 similar to this TK11 https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_419&products_id=497

When camping I also have an LED converted Maglight. Both have served me well.

Edit: Oh of course an assortment of LED headlamps to keep your hands free. In addition to general use I have found on closer objects a bright light may be too bright for subtle light painting of an object and the softer LED light from standard headlamp can work much better.

WillCAD

ivar wrote: »

Two years ago, before the Dgrin shootout in Utah, i got one of these: http://www.rei.com/product/671104
Why? do I hear you thinking? Well, these are awesome! Credit goes to Schmoo though, for the idea.

What you can do is you attach them to the zipper of your jacket/vest/sweater and you can always find your flashlight in the dark. Comes in extremely handy with nightshooting and looking for your stuff.

I still have it, and use it regularly. Schmoo still had hers when I saw her this year as well.

I do the same thing with my cheap fauxton lights. They make great zipper pulls and are cheap enough that I keep them on all my jackets and gear bags.

Art Scott

WillCAD wrote: »

I do the same thing with my cheap fauxton lights. They make great zipper pulls and are cheap enough that I keep them on all my jackets and gear bags.

Those look exactly like what I used when working on stage at Wichita State great little lites.....I had to mask off some of the lamp to just make it a focused (sort of) spot.

BradfordBenn

I have a plethora of promotional Mini Maglites that I get through/for work. They are an industry staple. Also I don't mind if and when I lose them. I also keep them in the briefcase for work, car, nightstand. I find that having a bunch of inexpensive flashlights work better as will lose them and have redundancy when the battery dies at the wrong time.

yendikeno

Yep
Have a mini-mag lite in the bag, and one of those button battery powered LED micro lights on an outside zipper.

JimKarczewski

Have a mini-mag, full size mag and my HTC cell which has a nice little "flashlight" application if all else fails!

Village Idiot

I have a large Coleman 3LED spot and a smaller led flashlight just for photography. After having people hold phones up to get focus points, I decides I needed something that would be a real solution.

glockman99

I carry a little Fenix E01 in the pouch of my Leatherman Wave, so I always have a flashlight with me...(At-least as long as I have my pants on.).:D.

NeilL

glockman99 wrote: »

I carry a little Fenix E01 in the pouch of my Leatherman Wave, so I always have a flashlight with me...(At-least as long as I have my pants on.).:D.

LEATHERMAN WAVE!!!!!!! Comrade and Brother!!!!!!!!:sweet

Neil

BBstringer

Surefire with a red filter so it doesn't mess with my night vision as much. Backup batteries always in the camera bag. I used to have several lights now I'm so impressed with the surefire it's the only thing I ever carry or use.

InsuredDisaster

I used to carry mini maglites, but overtime I began to feel that they are actually crap. For my job at the time, I needed something that worked everytime and was completely reliable. I found that maglites suffered from a couple of problems. 1) they could be easily turned on when in their holder, which meant they were often dead when I needed them, and 2) they stopped fuctioning for some reason, maybe dirty contacts, but it was something switch related. I think I went through 2 or 3 of them in one year before I gave up on them. And any flashlight that requires a spare bulb to be carried isn't worth the trouble compared to LED's in my book.

I now use a Coleman LED flashlight of some sort (it definately resembles some of the Surefires out there). While the barrel is much fatter than the AA maglight, the batteries last a lot longer, the switch has never been accidentally been activated, and it has worked extremely well for me, being bright and has greater range than the maglites. For a while I carried it clipped to my MC jacket in case I needed something at night so it hung out in the rain and cold. Always worked.

Think I paid about $20 for it, which is probably a fraction of the cost of a Surefire.

WillCAD

InsuredDisaster wrote: »

I used to carry mini maglites, but overtime I began to feel that they are actually crap. For my job at the time, I needed something that worked everytime and was completely reliable. I found that maglites suffered from a couple of problems. 1) they could be easily turned on when in their holder, which meant they were often dead when I needed them, and 2) they stopped fuctioning for some reason, maybe dirty contacts, but it was something switch related. I think I went through 2 or 3 of them in one year before I gave up on them. And any flashlight that requires a spare bulb to be carried isn't worth the trouble compared to LED's in my book.

I now use a Coleman LED flashlight of some sort (it definately resembles some of the Surefires out there). While the barrel is much fatter than the AA maglight, the batteries last a lot longer, the switch has never been accidentally been activated, and it has worked extremely well for me, being bright and has greater range than the maglites. For a while I carried it clipped to my MC jacket in case I needed something at night so it hung out in the rain and cold. Always worked.

Think I paid about $20 for it, which is probably a fraction of the cost of a Surefire.

Is this the one you've got?



I've got two of these. I paid about $25 for it at Walmart (unfortunately it's no longer available), and I carry one as my EDC light. It's wicked bright, has a tough aluminum tube for a body, and the switch is reliable and easy to use.

I have a bunch of MiniMaglights, including two with 1-watt LED conversion kits, and these Colemans are far better.