Comparison ArmyTek Elf C2 Micro-USB White vs ArmyTek Elf C2 Micro-USB

General type of flashlight.

General-purpose hand-held flashlights are divided into full-dimensions and compact. However, in addition to this, you can find many models on sale with a narrower specialization and / or specific design and mounting features: headlamps ; tourist devices, including autonomous dynamo flashlights, flashlights with an L-shaped design and diving models; powerful hand-held lamps and ultra-compact keychains ; auxiliary lighting systems; as well as under-barrel models and baton flashlights, which are widely used in law enforcement agencies. It is worth noting that one model can belong to several types at once. For example, most under-barrel flashlights are equipped with a removable mount for installation on a weapon, and without such a mount they turn into hand-held or hand-held compact; and L-shaped models are not, in principle, an independent type of flashlight - most often this is a design feature of hand-held compact or head-mounted devices (or even models that combine both of these options for use).

— Manual. Full-dimensions manual flashlights lo...nger than 20 cm and weighing more than 200 g represent a kind of “mid-range”. They are designed for tech for whom compactness does not play a decisive role and functionality is important first and foremost. Such flashlights can carry more than 1 LED and powerful power sources, providing a good light flux; they are often equipped with various additional functions.

— Handheld compact. This type of flashlight is somewhat larger than keychains, but can still be classified as a compact device: handheld compacts look like a tube up to 20 cm long and weigh up to 200 g. They rarely have more than one LED installed, but their dimensions and weight already allow them to use fairly powerful power sources, which has a positive effect on the characteristics of the luminous flux (see "Max. luminous flux"). In addition, this type of flashlight can use a number of additional functions, such as focus and brightness adjustment (see below).

— Forehead flashlight. Flashlights designed to be mounted on the head — usually with special elastic straps that can be adjusted to your dimensions. The mounting features impose restrictions on the weight and dimensions of the flashlight, which affects its functionality. When purchasing such a flashlight, it is worth considering that high brightness in this case can be a disadvantage — if you need light to work with objects in close proximity, excessive brightness quickly tires your eyes. In this case, it may make sense to pay attention to models with adjustable brightness (see below for more details). Typically, such models have the ability to adjust the beam angle, but it would not hurt to clarify the possibility (and features) of such adjustment separately.

— L-shaped. Flashlights in which the beam of light is directed perpendicular to the body; the body itself, as a rule, has a cylindrical or close to it shape. Most of these models by their basic format belong to hand-held compact ones, and many also allow use in the headlamp format (see above for both). Be that as it may, L-shaped flashlights with the possibility of hand-held use have a characteristic clip on the body - on the opposite side from the lamp. Such a clip allows you to hang the device on a belt, the edge of a pocket, an element of an unloading vest or other special clothing, etc.; in this case, the beam of light will be directed forward, the vertical position of the body will ensure the stability of the device, and the user's hands will be free. (Note that the first L-shaped flashlights designed for such wearing appeared as an element of army equipment - back in World War II, the American military fully appreciated the advantages of such a design).
As for the head-mounted installation, in such cases the body is placed horizontally, and its mount is made movable. By rotating the flashlight in such a mount, you can set almost any angle of the beam; at the same time, regardless of this angle, the position of the flashlight remains equally stable (whereas in some headlamps with "heads" of an inclined design, such a "head" may tend to fall forward as the mount wears out).

— Hand-held lamp. The most powerful type of hand-held flashlights, which can even be called "hand-held spotlights." Most of these devices are designed to produce a long-range and at the same time fairly thick beam of light - much wider than in many other types of flashlights. In fact, the illumination range of hand-held lamps often exceeds 100 or even 200 m, while the large beam width allows for very effective detection of individual objects even at such large distances. Another, less common type of such devices are models that have a short range, but are capable of illuminating a large area.
In any case, flashlights of this type are quite large and heavy, so they are not initially designed for constant carrying (although even one and a half to two hours with such a device in your hands usually does not cause much discomfort). It is worth paying attention to hand-held lamps in cases where the effective detection range (or bright illumination of a large area) is of the utmost importance to you. In particular, such devices are very popular in rescue services: a powerful beam of a "portable searchlight" can be indispensable during search operations in the dark.

— Tourist. Tourist lanterns are mainly tech originally intended for lighting in a camp, at a halt, etc. Such devices provide diffused light with a horizontal coverage of 360° and most often allow installation directly on the ground. In addition, most of them have a hook for hanging, sometimes supplemented by a built-in magnet (see below for both). Thus, such a lantern can be attached to a tree branch, under the ceiling of a tent/awning, etc., significantly expanding the area of illumination — or hung on a backpack or other equipment, lighting the way for several people at once.
Most tourist flashlights have only this specialization; however, there are also models that allow other options for use. Usually, these are hand-held compact devices of a special design - with a retractable diffuser made of white matte material. Such a device allows you to turn a directed beam into a diffused light with full horizontal coverage; and when such a beam is not needed, the diffuser can be hidden in the body. However, some more traditional tourist models also have a folding design - it makes it easier to carry outside of work, especially if the device needs to be hidden in a backpack or bag with other things.

— Dynamo flashlight. Flashlights equipped with a built-in generator (dynamo machine) that produces energy using the user's muscular strength — usually, this requires pumping or turning a special lever. Thus, the built-in battery can be recharged even in the complete absence of power sources (and such flashlights most often operate from batteries). Such features are especially relevant for tech who often have to be "far from civilization": tourists, military personnel, researchers, etc. At the same time, dynamo flashlights can have different specializations — compact, tourist, etc.

— For diving. Flashlights originally created for diving and long-term stays at great depths — usually 50 m or more. Such models by definition have a sealed waterproof case (see "Dust and moisture protection"). In addition, the design of diving flashlights often includes specific features designed to provide additional convenience and safety. For example, the case can have a bright color or additional inserts that increase visibility underwater, and also be made of lightweight material — so that the flashlight released from the hand floats to the surface, and does not sink. Often the device is supplemented with a carabiner for attaching to equipment or a hand strap (see "Package"). It is because of such additional features that not every flashlight with a high level of water protection is considered a diving flashlight. Therefore, it is worth looking for a lamp specifically for diving among the models of this category.

— Auxiliary lighting. Lanterns designed to provide additional stationary lighting where there is no light or not enough. In some ways, such models are similar to tourist camping lights (see above), they can also be used in a parking lot or tent. However, this is not all: many auxiliary lights are initially designed for use in workshops, garages, etc. Some of them can also be hung on the open hood of a car, which is very important during field repairs. But such models are not designed to be carried in hands: this is technically possible, but not very convenient.

— Keychain. This category includes the most compact models: their weight, as a rule, does not exceed 50 g, and the length is 10 cm. Hence the name — most of these flashlights can be worn instead of a keychain on a key ring. In fact, the main advantage of keychains is their ease of wearing: you can always have such a flashlight at hand. The main disadvantage is their low power: keychains are usually equipped with one LED (see "Amount of diodes"), and any "solid" power source will not fit in a compact case. At the same time, such flashlights are quite enough for simple everyday tasks — for example, to light the road on an unlit section of the street or to find a keyhole if the light bulb in the entrance burned out.

— Underbarrel. Flashlights designed to be mounted on a weapon — most often under the barrel, but technically, side mounting is also quite acceptable. Many such models are essentially compact handheld flashlights (see above), supplemented with a removable mount on the weapon (or the ability to install on such a mount — see "Package"), and, in most cases, a remote button (see below); however, there are also purely underbarrel models, in which the mount is not removable. In both cases, the mount is usually designed for a standard Weaver/Picatinny rail, but it would not hurt to clarify this point separately. This also applies to the possibility of full-fledged use with firearms: the fact is that some underbarrel flashlights are designed for airsoft guns and are simply not designed for powerful recoil.

— Baton flashlight. Flashlights with a baton or baseball bat-shaped body that is strong enough to strike. Such a flashlight can be a very useful addition to a guard or law enforcement officer's equipment. Note that some so-called patrol flashlights — hand-held flashlights in a large and strong body of traditional design — can also be used as a "strike tool." However, for them, such use is an extreme case, while baton flashlights are initially created to be as reliable and shock-resistant as possible. Therefore, patrol models in our catalog are still not classified in this category, but as ordinary hand-held flashlights.

The maximum luminous flux provided by the lantern.

Luminous flux (denoted in lumens) can be described as the total amount of light produced by an LED or other light source and distributed in all directions where this source shines by itself (without lenses, reflectors, etc.). In fact, this means that the capabilities of the flashlight depend not only on the luminous flux, but also on the angle of illumination (see "Angle of illumination (light)"). For example, a relatively weak stream can be concentrated into a narrow beam, providing good range; and a large number of lumens will inevitably be needed to effectively cover a wide area.

Note that the coverage angle is not always specified in the characteristics, and even with such data it is difficult to immediately assess the real capabilities of the flashlight. Therefore, for such an assessment, it is best to use information about the actual illumination range (see below), and also take into account the general type of device (see above). For example, for the same number of lumens, a handheld flashlight with a reflector to form a directional beam will give a noticeably greater range than a tourist lamp with 360 ° coverage.

It should also be borne in mind that the high brightness of the flashlight is far from always justified, and it is worth choosing according to this parameter, taking into account the actual conditions of use. S...o, when working at short ranges, bright light can become a hindrance: it tyres the eyes and can blind others. In addition, an increase in brightness usually requires more powerful sources of both light and power, and the weight and dimensions of the lantern increase accordingly.

The maximum range at which the flashlight provides any effective illumination of objects. Different manufacturers have different criteria for this efficiency when measuring ranges, and therefore it is only possible to unequivocally compare among themselves in range only models of one manufacturer. At the same time, this parameter allows us to compare models from different manufacturers with some certainty: for example, flashlights with a lighting range of 15 m and 100 m will clearly belong to different range classes, regardless of manufacturers.

Note that the range of illumination depends not only on the maximum luminous flux provided by the lantern (see above), but also on the features of its design: the narrower the beam is provided by the reflector of the lantern, the greater the range will be, and vice versa — scattered light does not spread far. Some models allow you to adjust the beam width depending on the requirements of the situation (for more details, see "Adjusting the focus").

It is also worth bearing in mind that models with the same claimed lighting range can cover different spaces. For example, a hand lamp (see Type) with a reflector diameter of 20 cm will be able to provide a wider beam than a conventional hand lamp with a 5 cm reflector. And although in both cases the objects that fall into the light spot will be illuminated in the same way, however, in the first case, the size of the spot itself will be larger, and the actual efficien...cy of the flashlight will be correspondingly higher (in light of the fact that it is easier to "feel" individual objects with a wide beam, especially at a considerable distance).

Maximum runtime of the flashlight without changing batteries or recharging the battery.

Note that in models with brightness control, this time is indicated for the most modest and, accordingly, economical mode. For example, in a flashlight with a maximum luminous flux of 1000 lm, the claimed operating time of 20 hours can be achieved at a brightness of only 30 lm, and at maximum battery life may not exceed half an hour. These nuances should be clarified according to the detailed characteristics. However, also note that additional modes of operation (see below) are not taken into account in this case: for example, if the flashlight from our example in SOS mode can operate for 30 hours, the characteristics will still state 20 hours.

It is also worth bearing in mind that for models with replaceable batteries, the actual operating time will also depend on the quality of such batteries. For example, for flashlights for AA and AAA elements, battery life is most often given when using high-quality alkaline batteries; if instead of them inexpensive saline ones are used, the operating time may be several times shorter.

In general, when choosing a flashlight according to the maximum operating time, it does not always make sense to focus on “long-playing” models: they often have either low power or impressive weight / dimensions, and the price can significantly “bite”. Flashlights with a long battery life will be useful first of all to those who have to s...tay “away from civilization” for a long time: extreme tourists, rescuers, military, etc. And for most everyday tasks in a modern city, and even for trips to nature for several days, up to 10 hours is enough.

This feature is indicated for flashlights whose housings have an increased degree of dust and moisture protection. The degree of such protection may vary: for example, some models can easily withstand heavy rain, others “survive” being caught in a sea wave, and the most advanced ones can even be used when diving with scuba diving (see “Type - For diving ”). The features of protection should be clarified in each case separately; however, if you need a flashlight that can withstand adverse conditions, you should definitely look for it among the models that explicitly state dust and moisture protection. Such models will be useful primarily for those who often have to work in difficult environments: climbers and other “extreme” tourists, rescuers, military personnel, sailors, etc.

The level of protection is indicated by two numbers according to the IP standard ( IP65, IP66, IP67...). The first number corresponds to dust protection (maximum 6). The second number indicates the degree of protection from water; here in protected models, level 7 (the ability to immerse under water to a depth of 1 m for half an hour) or 8 (the ability to work for long periods of time under water at a depth of more than 1 m) is usually found. Thus, the maximum degree of protection according to this standard is IP68, completely sealed. There is also a marking like IPX8, where the first digit is not indicated - this only means that the flashlight has not been officially certified for dust resistance. In the above example, this is not necessary - water resistance 8 automatically means a sealed case, impenetrable to dust.

It is worth considering that even completely sealed models may have different restrictions on the maximum immersion depth. So if you are going to intensively use the flashlight underwater, you should make sure that it can withstand diving to the planned depth.