From a pragmatist-not an enthusiast...
Anyone want to nudge me in a certain direction?
Sorry, it would help if we knew your intended use-that'll make a big difference.
Don't get carried away with output when making your choice unless you have a specific need (like hunting, etc). I don't know where the recommended cutoff is these days, but they're so bright these days I'm willing to trade off some output for increased battery life. There's also the problem with too much light being a problem for the operator if employed as a SD tool.
I think Ken Hackathorn has a name for folks that worship at the alter of max output, which I won't repeat here.
My criteria was:
1. Small enough for EDC-I wear my Streamlight on my belt next to my cell phone case.
2. CR123 batteries-I use the light a lot, but only for short periods of time. As such, I'm willing to put up with the slight inconvenience of CR123s for the increased life/shelf life. You could always go with something like Eveready Energizer Ultimate Lithiums in lights taking AA/AAA, but then you lose any cost savings over CR123. I do have AA lights in all my vehicle glove boxes in which I installed the Eveready Lithiums, but did so for shelf life and resistence to temperature extremes (nothing kills/leaks an alkaline like summer in a glove box).
3. Tailcap push switch with BRIGHT being the first setting-haven't had to use it as a defensive tool yet, but if that time comes, I want it to hit the high beam first, strobe second, low light third (as the Streamlight does).
4. KISS-since my primary purpose for this light is as a SD tool, I don't want 50 settings, push, twist, hold your mouth right, etc to get the mode I want. I get a laugh outta some of the YouTube videos where folks show off their newest toy, only to see the room go dark accompanied by a lot of fumblin, mumblin, etc as they try to access the particular setting they wanted.
'Course, if SD doesn't play a role in your selection, you may be happy moving down the size/brightness scale, but should be able to do so for quite a bit less money. I've bought numerous
Streamlight Stylus Pros off eBay for around $17 delivered, and have a couple of
MicroStreams, realizing these are just pocket lights etc for finding dropped parts, etc.
If you are thinking SD as an intended use, make sure you check my earlier post and download the American Cop issue with the light articles scattered throughout the issue.