As a certified geezer, I am impressed with the wide variety of lights available at all different prices with dependability ranging from adequate to superb. It is a far cry from the junky light sources and leak-prone batteries of my youth.
Haha! Funny but very true! When I was a kid, there were pretty much the "lanterns" that took the the big honkin' square batteries and the 2 D cell ones with a sliding switch...that and the green GI angle head one. And it seems like they all produced a feeble, sickly yellow splot of light!
The first time I saw a Mag-Lite it seemed like the most advanced thing on the planet! And when I finally managed to purchase a couple I was as proud as a peacock.
I lurk on candlepower forums, and I love the incredible obsession there with lights. To me the most important thing about modern lights is that they light up when you press (or twist)the switch. Beam shape/artifacts/tint etc. are secondary. Let there be light!
Also very true. The lights of today are pretty amazing compared to what we had even 20 years ago. My new little Surefire backup can be concealed in the palm of my hand yet is orders of magnitude brighter than my 4 D cell Maglite was (for the brief time it actually worked). And computer technology has lead to amazing performance; the digital regulation of LED lights is very impressive, and the computer-aided design of the reflectors give amazing control over the beam, it's focus and light spill.
As much as I love my Pelican Recoil, it's a prett big flashlight, size-wise, compared to my Surefires and Streamlights. How I ever lived with a Mag-light I'll never know, those things are enormous!