Gone are the days when buying a flashlight meant one would automatically seek out Maglite. Whilst recognising the impact and unprecedented success of the Maglite design, LED, HID (High Intensity Discharge) and Xenon technology along with ultra strong casing materials means that the flashlight has evolved to a state where the more powerful the beam does not necessarily mean the larger the flashlight.
When seeking out high performance, reasonably priced lighting tools it is easy to become swamped by the amount of brands on the market. Flashlight technology at the beginning of the 21st century offers a baffling variation of bulb type, body material, body size, power source and price range. This guide is a brief overview of the salient points worth consideration when buying any quality flashlight.
In the same way that feet measure length so lumens measure brightness. The higher the Lumen count the brighter and further the beam will show. Occasionally you may find brightness levels measured in Candlepower or Candelas, this describes a unit of light at source. One Candlepower/Candela is equal to 12.57 Lumens.
Perhaps the most significant breakthrough in lighting...