I decided that I shouldn't be reviewing a light without having tried it; so I bought one.
Construction: Excellent
Size: Too large to use as a flashlight, my hand doesn't go all the way around.
Batteries: 4AA, lasting 25 hours on high, 50 on low, a long time on strobe mode...
Weight: 307.5 grams (with batteries and attachments)
Cost: $27 Canadian
Lumens: 185 on high, low is about half.
Flashlight mode - Beam description:
This lantern has a VERY nice floodlight, it is a better floodlight than it is a lantern. The color is very nice and PERFECTLY even.
Lantern Mode:
There are significant rings in the light, making frosting preferable. A clear plastic bag seems to work nicely in testing, but I haven't used it long enough to know how hot the light will get.
Conclusion:
I expect I will mostly use this in low flashlight mode.
Summary:
PRO: bright, well made, good run time
CON: too large
I contemplated buying one some time ago. The salesperson in the store told me they were more of a toy that you would give to a child going to camp than something an adult should buy. IMO They are a bit too large for use as a flashlight (although I like 4AA lights and have been happily using a Princeton Tec impact XL for years - its waterproof) and possibly not quite as good as a dedicated lantern to be used as such. There are quite a few good small flashlights around.
As for information on flashlights, try where the flashaholics hang out:
http://www.candlepowerforums.comAs for my advice on what to use, there is a 300 Candlepower Sportsman Extreme by Rayovac. It uses 3D's. The batteries last 72 hours on high, 150 on low. They also have a 4D lantern and an 8D area lantern.
There are also a black diamond line of lanterns that are all excellent.
So what I ended up deciding was that you are better off with two dedicated devices. Do you want a thrower? A flood light? A lantern? Etc. On the flashaholic website they have a much larger list of types of lights.