Brite-Strike Illumination is a company producing high end flashlights for police as well as the civilian market. The company was started by two police officers and is still officer owned and staffed.

The company was started by Officers Brian Bushee and John Neal. These officers were just not satisfied with the currently available lights and set out to create an illumination system offering improvements over current illumination products with some extras for a second layer of protection.

Steve just wrote an article on the mating of a handgun and camera. We’ll call this a modern version with a bit of a variation but the same idea as far as documentation of encounters.

Yes I’m holding back on one of the better features. It’s time to go in depth on the DLC-200-4-MIL-RC. The DLC is an abbreviation of the name of the unit that is Duty Light Camera. Yes this light has a built in video camera!

You may be thinking this is a police item what has it got to do with civilians? It has a lot to do with civilians. In our litigious society the ability to record video of an encounter is just as important for the citizen as it is for officers. Video is the single most useful advantage any person can have when it’s time to go to court.

From my own personal experience I can attest to the value of video in the court room.. Years ago I had an encounter that was recorded by a local tv station. I got a copy of the video and presented it to the court. After being sworn in and swearing that the video was a true and accurate representation of the events the video was played. I watched as the judge turned a bright red and subsequently gave the suspect twice the usual sentence for his crime.

For the civilian user of the DLC the level of protection goes one step further. When going to the police after an incident the video can be played for the investigators as well as the courts. The DLC gives any owner an invaluable tool not only for illumination but documentation.

The DLC is not only a digital recorder it’s also a very bright light. The three light functions are high/low and strobe. The stats below give you an idea of the capabilities of the upgraded model DLC.

Features:

• Aircraft grade aluminum construction with hard anodized finish

• Super bright state of the art LED with DC/DC power management

• High/Lo/Strobe
• High: Up to 310 lumens, Lo: Up to 170 lumens

• 2.5 hours of run time on high power setting / over 8+ hours on low

• 50,000+ hour LED life span
• Rechargeable Lithium Battery

• Integrated CMOS Color Video Camera, with audio

• Latest 3GP video format

• 4GB video storage capacity

• Approximately 6 hours of video record time

• Active array size: 640 x 480 pixels

• 58° viewing angle

• Downloads directly to your computer via USB cable (included)

• Independent video On/Off switch with video activation indicator light, audio may be deactivated

• 120 volt AC & 12 volt vehicle charger (included)

• Water Resistant and Shock Resistant

• 1 Year Limited Warranty

The package contains the DLC an ac/dc charger for home and car. A USB cable is included to connect to a laptop or desktop computer for video and audio transfer and storage. A single rechargeable battery (the DLC runs on this one battery). In the butt of the tail cap is a light diffuser which can be used or left stored until needed.

Operating the DLC is very simple. The blue button on the top is depressed once to activate the light in the high mode, one more click for low and finally one more click for the strobe function, which is also at the higher power setting. Just above the lower portion of the switch is another button. The two buttons also have a different shape so you know which function is which without looking. The upper button activates the video function. It must be held down for one second to activate this function so that a user won’t inadvertently activate the video without intending to.

On the backside from the blue control button is a rubber seal, which protects the microphone and charging port. The video lens can be seen just below the LED light in the front of the unit.

You’ll also note the front and rear of the DLC has crenelated edges for striking if needed.

The picture below shows all of the operations and features of the DLC. Just click the picture for a larger version that will make it easier to read the print.

One accessory I have for mine is the Roto-Loc holster. This holster can be adjusted to fit about any belt size or molle attachment. The light is firmly locked but still easily removed for handheld use. While in the holster the user can also rotate the light 360 degrees for use without removal from the holster.
MSRP is $60 for the Roto-Loc.

Mine has been run through the mill over the last eight months and still works as it did new. I haven’t had to buy a new battery either. I’ve left it submerged in a bowl of water overnight and the interior was just as dry as when I dropped it in there the night before.

The DLC has an MSRP of approximately $500 but can be had for less at a retail establishment. It’s worth the investment for the light and video camera in one. Endorsed by the National Tactical Officers Association.

Watch the below videos of the DLC video quality:

Rifle Fire
http://www.brite-strike.com/DLCvideos/RIFLE-FIRE.AVI

Pistol Fire
http://www.brite-strike.com/DLCvideos/PISTOL-FIRE.AVI

Home Search
http://www.brite-strike.com/DLCvideos/HOME-INSPECTION.AVI

Outdoor-Indoor
http://www.brite-strike.com/DLCvideos/OUTSIDE-TO-INSIDE.AVI

Interior Natural Lighting
http://www.brite-strike.com/DLCvideos/INTERIOR-NATURAL-LIGHTING.AVI