A few years back I attended a workshop put on by photographer Troy Paiva who specializes in light painting during long exposure night shoots. The weeks prior I researched various flashlights and when it came to a higher powered one I went with a Streamlight Stinger. It was great for the workshop but after that I didn’t have a lot of regular use for it. Last year I quickly found that it would not hold a charge in the internal battery. The hefty price of over $80 was soon unjustified.
Just as I was starting to look for a new replacement for my upcoming road trips I was serendipitously contacted by a fellow named David on behalf of Dorcy. Not even realizing Dorcy made flashlights David directed me to a website where I was able to choose a light to test and review. Soon I had a new Dorcy Metal Gear XLM Flashlight in my arsenal.
This light is a great replacement for the heavier Stinger I had and weighs about half as much yet still a sturdy combination of metal with a few tough plastic components. Instead of the rechargeable internal battery it houses 6 AA cells and so far the battery life is comparable. It’s got two brightness settings with the second being about half power and the bright setting of 600 lumens that has a listed range of over 360 meters. Coming in a little less than the Stinger I owned I have to say the Metal Gear XLM instills just as much confidence if not more for a slightly better price.
If you need a midrange powered durable light that can handle the day to day I highly recommend give the Dorcy Metal Gear a try.
Wayne
