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Firefly / Moonlight mode

firiki · 92 · 9704

gr Offline firiki

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Firefly / Moonlight mode
on: March 06, 2015, 09:57:53 PM
While searching the webs for reviews of flashlights/torches* I noticed many people wanting lights capable of very low illumination, called a firefly or moonlight mode. Some even go as far as making a distinction between these two modes. These modes seem to have a range from 0.2 lumens to 2 lumens.

Supposedly this amount of light has two main reasons of being desired, the first one is visiting the bathroom at night without intense light agressing the user's eyes or annoying other people sleeping in the area; the second one being the assumption that a firefly/moonlight mode could last (well over!) a month and thus prove useful in cases of extreme emergencies.

Personally, I can see the benefit of such a mode for night trips to the bathroom at home, though I don't do that, or for reading at night while camping. Also, I'm almost certain I'd be  :twak: myself in the head with the flashlight/torch were I to depend on such a low amount of light, something I imagine being as bright as my trusty EDC Fenix E01 near the very end of its remaining power supply :o , in an emergency situation. Anyone care to share some thoughts on how useful these modes really are/can be?


* To make things worse, the word we use in greek is derived from the word for lantern  >:D

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cy Offline dks

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #1 on: March 06, 2015, 10:09:38 PM
Some people use these low modes so as not to destroy their night-vision, when they have to use a torch.
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gr Offline firiki

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #2 on: March 06, 2015, 10:58:16 PM
Thanks :cheers: Yes, I get that. Still, I'm not convinced such a low amount of light is necessary. One can always place their thumb over the light or cover it with something. This way energy is wasted, I know  :think:

It seems that firefly/moonlight lumens are difficult for manufacturers to achieve in a reliable manner. I'd be tempted to give them a try but the only ones I've seen so far were twisties. Multi-mode twisties aren't my cup of tea, unlike single-mode ones :tu:

Are there any suggestions, please? :MTO:
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scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #3 on: March 06, 2015, 10:59:51 PM
I can't say I've never used a firefly mode (reading in a youth hostel dorm room comes to mind) but it's not something I require when I'm buying a torch. :shrug:
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gr Offline firiki

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #4 on: March 06, 2015, 11:17:47 PM
I guess I could get me a MiniMag Solitaire Incan for when I just want to see something right before my nose :rofl:

Seriously now, such a very low amount of light does have its uses. I'd be interested in hearing how essential it is for people. I'm thinking maybe I'd like having a torch dedicated to this kind of use. 'Kinda worried about poor implementation though  :-\

:cheers:
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gb Offline Mike, Lord of the Spammers!

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #5 on: March 06, 2015, 11:18:08 PM
I am a fan actually as I don't like or need a huge number of lumens and much prefer a low lumen, long runtime light :)
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gr Offline firiki

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #6 on: March 06, 2015, 11:20:10 PM
Oh, believe me when I say the light to replace the Fenix E01 in my EDC probably doesn't exist yet :) Such a useful little thing, the E01  :dd:
« Last Edit: March 06, 2015, 11:22:07 PM by firiki »
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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #7 on: March 06, 2015, 11:50:26 PM
If you like the E01 you'll love the Gerber Infinity Ultra as its basically an AA version :)

Oh and I once got 78 hours of usable (if extremely dim) light :tu:
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gr Offline firiki

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #8 on: March 07, 2015, 12:03:10 AM
The E01 is my main light and the one I measure other lights by. Thanks for the suggestion. I'd read about it in the forums, never really gave it much thought. Maybe I should. I did a quick search on Amazon; the difference in runtimes is shocking

http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-22-80012-Infinity-Ultra-Flashlight/dp/B00062APHU

http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-22-80010-Infinity-Ultra-Light/dp/B00062AQ7O/ref=pd_sim_hi_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=09JBHPQPD2ZA43YJ1TTA

Good thing I like the green one better. :cheers:
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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #9 on: March 07, 2015, 12:13:18 AM
They are a great light, but there not regulated, so they just get dimmer and dimmer unlike the Fenix's. Never been a problem for me though :) I find you only get about 22hours when using eneloops but run forever on alkaline batteries :)

They will also run on aaa's in a pinch so make a fantastic survival light IMO :)
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au Offline gregozedobe

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #10 on: March 07, 2015, 01:51:39 AM
I'm another fan of a really low lumen light for certain situations - just enough light to see by and get a drink of water or walk to the loo in the middle of the night, without hurting my eyes, waking myself up, or disturbing others.
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gr Offline firiki

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #11 on: March 09, 2015, 11:53:23 PM
They are a great light, but there not regulated, ..... ...... They will also run on aaa's in a pinch so make a fantastic survival light IMO :)
Thanks, it's good to know these things. I'm very intrigued. I guess the Gerber Infinity takes a lot of time to reach firefly / moonlight mode :) :cheers:
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gr Offline firiki

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #12 on: March 10, 2015, 12:00:49 AM
I'm another fan of a really low lumen light for certain situations - just enough light to see by and get a drink of water or walk to the loo in the middle of the night, without hurting my eyes, waking myself up, or disturbing others.
I understand that, my Fenix E01's light bouncing off the ceiling is indeed hurting the eyes in these conditions. Low lumens could help prevent that. It's just a feeling I get, that firefly / moonlight modes are not the most useful setting for average users.
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00 Offline av8r1

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #13 on: March 10, 2015, 09:30:40 PM
I just carry a cheap button cell light on my keychain--I estimate it between 5 and 10 lumens--and use that when my 75 lumen Lenser is too much.  I do keep a Solitaire in my Wave sheath, so if I need to, I can go as low as 3 lumens.
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us Offline JAfromMn

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #14 on: March 10, 2015, 11:50:13 PM
I use my firefly mod when I 'm inspecting something close or when I let my 1.5 year old niece Play with my light.

And for stealthy late night snack missions.
« Last Edit: March 10, 2015, 11:52:55 PM by JAfromMn »
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us Offline Aloha

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #15 on: March 11, 2015, 12:58:07 AM
The Solitaire is a great IMO low lumen option with a nice beam color.  I was a real fan until I got my 4 sevens PO and ATOM A0.  Lows at 1/4 of a lumen and the ATOM is a red beam. 

I love these little lights for the simple fact that the run times on the lows are awesome.  I know 1/4 of a lumen seems lame but have you ever been in a completely dark room with a 1/4 lumen?  I like having that ultra low option when like Joel said close up light is needed.  The P0 is my night trip to the loo or my garage light turns off before I expected.  I also used it in a dimly lit restaurants to read menus. 

I have a Olight I2 that has a low of 2.5 lumen that is "crazy bright" as compared to the 4 sevens I mention above.  This light is great for movie theaters, dark rooms ( when you cannot fnd the switch ), I've even used it in a brown out we had.  The run times are what I really dig. 

Lastly I have 2 Thrunite T10s with a .09 lumen low  :think:  Again the run times are awesome for these firefly modes. 

There are other times when a discreet amount of light is needed and these ultra low lumens come to play.  I like the option of these ultra low lumen lights and the options that come into play for using them.  They're generally on lights with a middle and high mode as well so if I need more output I have it.       
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gr Offline firiki

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #16 on: March 12, 2015, 11:32:21 PM
I just carry a cheap button cell light on my keychain--I estimate it between 5 and 10 lumens--and use that when my 75 lumen Lenser is too much.  I do keep a Solitaire in my Wave sheath, so if I need to, I can go as low as 3 lumens.
Everything has its place somewhere... Except the Solitaire... It was the first light I bought as a kid. What a disappontment that was :rant: I still have my 2AA Mini Mag I got in '93-94 though.
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gr Offline firiki

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #17 on: March 12, 2015, 11:43:48 PM
I use my firefly mod when I 'm inspecting something close or when I let my 1.5 year old niece Play with my light.

And for stealthy late night snack missions.
:rofl:

Yeap, close inspection is another use. I don't want light reflecting back to me or shining into my eye through what I'm trying to look at. Getting a good angle with a bright light isn't always easy or even at all feasible.

Around Christmas I gave my Fenix E01 to a one-year old boy to distract him and give his mother and my wife some time to talk. He is reckless with his toys. His amazement was such that he begun discovering what that thing could do. Not once did he drop the light  :)
« Last Edit: March 12, 2015, 11:46:27 PM by firiki »
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nz Offline zoidberg

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #18 on: March 12, 2015, 11:48:36 PM
I use my firefly mod when I 'm inspecting something close or when I let my 1.5 year old niece Play with my light.

And for stealthy late night snack missions.
:rofl:

Yeap, close inspection is another use. I don't want light reflecting back to me or shining into my eye through what I'm trying to look at. Getting a good angle with a bright light isn't always easy or even at all feasible.

Around Christmas I gave my Fenix E01 to a one-year old boy to distract him and give his mother and my wife some time to talk. He is reckless with his toys. His amazement was such that he begun discovering what this thing could do. Not once did he drop the light  :)

Let him test the Solitaire next time.


gr Offline firiki

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #19 on: March 12, 2015, 11:55:29 PM
There are other times when a discreet amount of light is needed and these ultra low lumens come to play.  I like the option of these ultra low lumen lights and the options that come into play for using them.  They're generally on lights with a middle and high mode as well so if I need more output I have it.     
True, sometimes low lumens are much preferred. I'm looking for a light in AAA format with a firefly mode to keep for that setting mainly.

Having say, 0.5 - 50 - 100 lumens isn't for me. I much prefer a Low of 3 to 10 lumens. I have this picture in my head, I'm stuck in a pitch dark forest at night and my flashlight is stuck too, at 0.5 lumens...  :ahhh  ;)
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gr Offline firiki

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #20 on: March 13, 2015, 12:00:24 AM
Let him test the Solitaire next time.
If we're talking about the incandescent version, I'm willing to bet he'll try and find out how far the Solitaire can fly before it breaks  >:D
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us Offline Aloha

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #21 on: March 13, 2015, 12:03:49 AM
There are other times when a discreet amount of light is needed and these ultra low lumens come to play.  I like the option of these ultra low lumen lights and the options that come into play for using them.  They're generally on lights with a middle and high mode as well so if I need more output I have it.     
True, sometimes low lumens are much preferred. I'm looking for a light in AAA format with a firefly mode to keep for that setting mainly.

Having say, 0.5 - 50 - 100 lumens isn't for me. I much prefer a Low of 3 to 10 lumens. I have this picture in my head, I'm stuck in a pitch dark forest at night and my flashlight is stuck too, at 0.5 lumens...  :ahhh  ;)

 :rofl:

Now thats the type scenario that tends to pass thru my mind as well.  I wear my little 4 sevens lights on a ball chain sometimes which is quite handy.  I also put them into my coin pocket but sadly I forget they're there being so small.   

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scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #22 on: March 13, 2015, 01:07:41 AM
There are other times when a discreet amount of light is needed and these ultra low lumens come to play.  I like the option of these ultra low lumen lights and the options that come into play for using them.  They're generally on lights with a middle and high mode as well so if I need more output I have it.     
True, sometimes low lumens are much preferred. I'm looking for a light in AAA format with a firefly mode to keep for that setting mainly.

Having say, 0.5 - 50 - 100 lumens isn't for me. I much prefer a Low of 3 to 10 lumens. I have this picture in my head, I'm stuck in a pitch dark forest at night and my flashlight is stuck too, at 0.5 lumens...  :ahhh  ;)

Have you seen the Thrunite Ti3?  Cheap, single AAA, can be bought with a warm tint LED, three modes; firefly (0.04), low (12) and high (120) and always starts in firefly.

It is striking just how much 0.04 lumen will let you see once your eyes are used to the dark.  I'm not saying I'd like to navigate the wilderness with it, but to stop yourself from bumping into stuff around the house at night?  Sure, that it can do.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2015, 01:09:15 AM by Gareth »
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hr Offline enki_ck

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #23 on: March 13, 2015, 11:08:00 PM
There are other times when a discreet amount of light is needed and these ultra low lumens come to play.  I like the option of these ultra low lumen lights and the options that come into play for using them.  They're generally on lights with a middle and high mode as well so if I need more output I have it.     
True, sometimes low lumens are much preferred. I'm looking for a light in AAA format with a firefly mode to keep for that setting mainly.

Having say, 0.5 - 50 - 100 lumens isn't for me. I much prefer a Low of 3 to 10 lumens. I have this picture in my head, I'm stuck in a pitch dark forest at night and my flashlight is stuck too, at 0.5 lumens...  :ahhh  ;)

 :rofl:

Now thats the type scenario that tends to pass thru my mind as well.  I wear my little 4 sevens lights on a ball chain sometimes which is quite handy.  I also put them into my coin pocket but sadly I forget they're there being so small.   



I'm a fan of moonlight mode flashlights too and have quite a few of them with those modes. Useful for all the already mentioned reasons.

The thing is however, in the case mentioned above, a flashlight with moonlight mode won't power up on a nearly empty battery. Although it can run longer in that low mode, it needs much more power left to power up for some reason even if the first mode it comes in is the moonlight mode of sub lumen something. I can take a battery out of such flashlight, put it in my Fenix E01 or Gerber Infinity and it will run for a few more hours providing useful lighting. :shrug:


gr Offline firiki

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #24 on: March 14, 2015, 01:27:47 AM
 :sa: Thank you for this piece of information. ^^^ I didn't know that; I had in mind some switch/chip malfunction mainly. It's good to know. You just made things worse  :ahhh :D


Have you seen the Thrunite Ti3?  Cheap, single AAA, can be bought with a warm tint LED, three modes; firefly (0.04), low (12) and high (120) and always starts in firefly.
I have now  :twak:   :angel: It seems well made, I like the orange peel reflector and the head's size. It makes me think the switch maybe durable. I prefer clickies for multiple modes you see.

 :cheers:
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scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #25 on: March 14, 2015, 06:47:00 PM
Sorry about that. :whistle:  I've had mine for a little while now and really like it.
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gr Offline firiki

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #26 on: March 16, 2015, 12:54:33 PM
I'm being tempted here! Thanks for your suggestion, it's on the short list of lights to further check out :tu:
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nz Offline zoidberg

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #27 on: March 16, 2015, 01:24:44 PM
Is the Ti3 the only one with NW tint option out of the AAA models?


nz Offline zoidberg

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #28 on: March 16, 2015, 01:47:27 PM
Is the Ti3 the only one with NW tint option out of the AAA models?

Okay, found the drop down menu so looks like the TiS does as well.


us Offline Aloha

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Re: Firefly / Moonlight mode
Reply #29 on: March 25, 2015, 07:14:06 PM
Just wanted to follow up with the topic a bit with some recent use of the firefly mode.  I was on vacation last week and while out to dinner one of many nights the lighting in some places is rather dim.  When we got the menus our dinner guest couldnt read hers.  I took off my 4 sevens which I wear on a ball chain and turned it on to firefly mode which was more than enough light to see the menu. 

This little light came in handy on numerous occasions in both modes. 


The light is a preon po ss which runs off 1 AAA cell.  As you can see the firefly mode is not bad at all.                                                                                                                                 
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