What's really needed for a light depends on where you need it.

As someone who rides including commuting and drives as needed there's a few things learned. Ive used a flashlight and the magicshine clone. Didn't think anything of it till the first time I came up on clown on a bike that felt the need to have one pointed straight head of him, while I was driving. Couldn't see crap. I proceeded to stop and politely explained why he needed to point it downward, I got the third degree about how he felt he needed to see so far ahead and so cars can see him. So I convinced him (didn't take much when I had my bike on the back of my car) to unstrap his light and walk up the lane , id walk the other direction with his light.

Got 150-200ft apart and I turned it on high and pointed it straight in his face.

When I saw him coming (though I always pointed mine downward) I decided I was switching lights cause I didn't want to get hit. When I did that to him and he was seeing stars for 5 minutes, he apologized, didn't realize it was that blinding at that distance when its pitch black out. We had a good laugh and he always pointed his light down till he got to the bike path.

Moral of the story, stop with the "flashlights" trying to see how far ahead you can light up, it just isn't needed. Either slow down or at least turn it down, point it downwards when you have oncoming cars/bikes. They need to be able to see too. Or get lights that use optics so the spot isn't so retina burning bright even on the mid lvl setting.