I started from a need for a flashlight I could carry in my pocket that was more capable than the LED on a smartphone and did some research because I wanted a good one. I ended up wanting several good ones, and then contributing to discussions, and then writing reviews, and then writing the Android app a bunch of other reviewers use to make runtime graphs.

There’s certainly overlap with people who use flashlights and headlamps for work and in their other hobbies, but there’s also a community of people who make a hobby out of everyday carry gear itself. Flashlights, pocket knives, and pens are among the most popular items, and some are as decorative as they are functional.

in your estimation is there a reason for an average flashlight user to make the jump from $10 flashlights that are bright enough for them to find their dog’s poo in the dark, to a $50 flashlight like those in this post?

For most people who aren’t (yet) interested in flashlights as a hobby, what I’d actually suggest is a $30 flashlight: the Wurkkos FC11 (Nichia 519A version). This has:

• An 18650 Li-ion rechargeable battery (included). At higher output, an 18650 has as much capacity as 6-10 alkaline AAs. That shrinks to 3-4 at lower output, but it’s much smaller than 3-4 AAs.
• USB-C charging, so a separate battery charger isn’t required (you can get one, and spare batteries if you want).
• Tint and color rendering that closely match sunlight, compared to blue-white that’s missing a bunch of spectrum and washes out colors for the average LED flashlight.
• Magnetic tailcap.
• It’s probably also quite a bit brighter than your $10 flashlight.

Is that worth spending 3x as much? If you were using disposable batteries, almost certainly; it’ll be cheaper in the long run. Beyond that, it depends on how much you use portable lighting, how much you care about the features above, and how much you’ll miss the money.

Of course, it’s all diminishing returns once you’ve gone from it’s too dark to see to I have enough light to see.