Surefire lights use old emitters with poor color rendition, take powerful but expensive and disposable batteries, tend to have conservative output for their class, and try to make up for it with their excellent warranty and customer service. They are also built in the US (from internationally manufactured parts). As far as the flashlight itself, you are paying for a name.
Significantly cheaper lights are available with typically double the output in a tint like sunlight (high CRI), use the best studied and most widely manufactured rechargeable lithium batteries in the world (some with six times as much energy as a AA), and a lot of people are really into a form factor SureFire avoids, the right-angle light (doubles as a headlamp, freeing your hands).
Surefire lights are very well manufactured, durable, and the certainty and good vibes you get from buying American are worth something, but it’s up to you whether they’re worth the considerable premium they require. There are literally TONS of smaller, brighter, cheaper lights that are just as good if not better build quality. You just have to look beyond the name you know.
