Well im getting into UE and ive got some 700ish lumen lights and some way brighter on the way but I didnt think id ever use them UE'ing accept maybe draining. But I noticed a few of you guys saying you use P7 and MC-E lights for UE. Ive probably got more than enough lights for myself (and a small army) but I bought a new headlamp (dont currently own one id trust) a Zebralight H60. And I also think im going to grab an H501R (red for super stealh ;) )

But anyways, heres the question of the hour... How bright is too bright? My guess would be anything goes for draining but in the city exploring old buildings where you may not exactly have permission to be I think a red low lumen light would be as much as youd want?

I know what you mean - even dim lights stand out in a dark area when you're trying to be inconspicuous, so I end up using mine on lowest settings, and even then cupping it with my hands to prevent too much spillage. It's fun having the bright lights, but they're probably overkill in most situations.

(unless you're light painting, which you can't really do if you're being inconspicuous)

Posted by gsxrac My guess would be anything goes for draining but in the city exploring old buildings where you may not exactly have permission to be I think a red low lumen light would be as much as youd want?

You've pretty much got it right there. That would be your answer.

IMHO, 100 lumens is about perfect for draining. Concrete is pretty light-colored, so it doesn't suck light in like a darker surface would (easier to demonstrate than to explain, sorry). I've found that if I bring a whole bunch of really bright lights, people start complaining about the exploration being less fun because it's too bright. The only time I've used anything in a drain brighter than a 120 lumen PT Apex was when I've been shooting video.

The only time I'd REALLY want a bright light (>200 lumens) is in abandoned mines, because the rocks are very dark and the spaces are very big.

Hmm thats a good point. And I know what your saying about the light reflecting off of light colored surfaces. I havent been in any drains yet but I guess im going to have to reprogram a light before I do. The dimmest light I own is 140lm but that one should do I would think since is steps down after a few seconds.

Ok I went in a HUGE 25+ ft tall drain today and with all the moisture in the air there is no such thing as too bright down there. My Olight M20 Premium which is an awesome thrower barely reached 20ft ahead of me at most times. My Elektrolumens EDC-P7 650+ lumen was great for seeing 10ft ahead of you although it was ready to burn through my hand after the first 10 minutes. Basically all Im saying is there is no such thing as too brought in a large drain...

Posted by gsxrac Basically all Im saying is there is no such thing as too brought in a large drain...

I could not agree more.

Posted by gsxrac Ok I went in a HUGE 25+ ft tall drain today and with all the moisture in the air there is no such thing as too bright down there. My Olight M20 Premium which is an awesome thrower barely reached 20ft ahead of me at most times. My Elektrolumens EDC-P7 650+ lumen was great for seeing 10ft ahead of you although it was ready to burn through my hand after the first 10 minutes. Basically all Im saying is there is no such thing as too brought in a large drain...

Was this a combined sewer?

If the moisture in the air is that heavy, you'd be a LOT better off with an incandescent flashlight. And you might have figured this out, but when it's that humid, headlamps are useless because the light just reflects back into your eyes.

Yep its supposedly the biggest drain in Richmond. I saw no less than 10 other fairly large (6+ ft) drains feeding into it. And yea I figured a incan would perform better down there but Sadly enough I didn't have any with me only had a few LED's. It was an awesome drain though and the water in it was moving extremely fast.

IMO, for drain photography, theres no such thing as too bright. There are lights that are too bulky to take along, but I'd never complain about one being too bright. Lately I've been trying to diffuse my more powerful torches to remove hotspots, but they definitely arent too bright. They just let me spend more time light painting interesting effects into the frame and less time white lighting the details.

inside urban locations thats a whole other story...as posted before....100-200 lumens is all you should need, and even that should be used w/ discretion. red LED headlamps are sometimes all thats prudent to use.

just my $0.02