There is quite a debate about the utility of hand held flashlights vs. weapons mounted lights. There may be a differentiation between police/military and civilan usages.
So - I think we have established that the strobe as a blinding or nonlethal option is pretty nonsensical. Why?
1. It doesn't disconcert lots of people. If it is disconcerting to some - it might be you are one of time. If you find it troublesome when looking into the light, it will be when you are strobing the bad person.
2. Distance - and angle - both dramatically decrease the effects.
3. They give you away. If you are clearing your house (Big note - bad plan unless in extremis to rescue someone, you are the target. As an opponent that took cover and waited to ambush the 'good guy' I found lights a delightful target opportunity. Dust in the air make a path to you, BTW. Gunsmoke - my friends - think about it. It may not matter to an entry team in the military or police, but it will to Johnny Commando in his PJs of death.
4. Are you truly dark adapted? Given my degree, I can describe in horrendously boring detail how this works. Let's say that you are truly in the dark for more than 30 minutes - not a room that has some light leaks, like the standard bedroom. Thus, you are at peak rod and cone sensitivity. You can detect a match miles away. So, take a really bright flashlight and light up the room ahead of you. A real flame thrower tac light. I've done this. Guess what - you say a tremendously bright image of the room that causes you to slam your eyes shut reflexively (good move - Eh?) and you see a positive afterimage that lasts several seconds and clearly interfers with vision.
BTW - this speaks to the quick flash and move technique. It's a good idea but you can get a big blind spot from the flash.
5. The off body holds - nice idea but if you are not an idiot you know where the person is because of:
a. light leaks and bounces off the surrounds.
b. You are not an idiot - if you see the light high in the air and you know most people are carrying it in their left hand - there's the dude. Fire a volley at the projected spot. Did that in FOF.
Proper light usage is incredibly useful but naive use of gadgets aren't that useful. You got to try this.
Against a hidden opponent - it's iffy. One reason not to explore. Of course, your home invader won't hunker down and wait for PJ wearing Shotgun Racking Light Bearer.
One vision thing for the elderly - when my cataracts started I didn't realize how they impaired my vision. I could see you fine in the daytime, or so I thought. I did have problems with glare at night which was getting bad. However, in a night (or really a simulated dark shoot house), I couldn't see poop. I totally missed a guy in dark clothes with a dark gun. I was dead and the SO looked at me like I was an idiot. He was correct.