Tag Archives: 18650

Emisar D1

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The D1 is a high-quality Hank light built as a compact thrower, and running on a single 18650/18500/18350 battery. Features a wide range of customizable options, and uses the sophisticated Anduril user interface.

  1. Introduction
  2. Manufacturer Specifications
  3. Package Details
  4. Build
  5. User Interface
  6. Circuit Measures
  7. Emitter Measures
  8. Beamshots
  9. Testing Results
  10. Runtimes
  11. Pros and Cons
  12. Overall Rating
  13. Preliminary Conclusions
  14. Acknowledgement

Introduction

Following up on my inaugural Hank light, the multi-emitter Emisar D4K, I also purchased the popular 1×18650/18500/18350 pocket thrower model, the Emisar D1. Sorry it took me this long to get it, but life got in the way of my reviews for a few months.

As with other Hank offerings, there are a dizzying array of emitters to choose from, along with other customizable options. That is the point to all Hank lights – they are effectively custom-built, to your specifications, based on a wide range of options available for each build/model. That includes multiple options for the main emitter, auxillary/side emitters, circuits, body tubes, optics, accessories, etc. And as before, this light uses a newer implementation of the sophisticated Anduril user interface. Taken together, you can see how these lights are geared to the expert flashlight enthusiast market.

I will get into the specific options I chose below, but I opted for maximum throw here, to complement the very floody D4K previously reviewed. Let’s see how it performs in my testing.

Manufacturer Specifications

Note: as always, these are simply what the manufacturer provides (although in this case, specific to my custom specs). Scroll down to see my actual runtimes.

MakerEmisar
ModelD1
EmitterW1 Osram CSLNM1.TG
Tint6000 K
Max Output (Lumens)900
Min Output (Lumens)-
Max Runtime-
Max Beam Intensity (cd)110,000 cd
Max Beam Distance (m)663 m
Constant Levels150
Flashing6
Battery1x18650
Weight (w/o battery)-
Weight (with battery)89 g
Length109 mm
Head Diameter35 mm
Body Diameter24 mm
WaterproofIP67 1m
WaterproofIP67 1m

Package Details



The packaging for Hank’s lights is fairly basic – a cardboard box with some hand-written description of the features selected. Inside is cut-out foam holding the light and your extras. Here is what I selected, reflected in the package above:

  • D1 in Dark Grey
  • Flat threaded switch ring
  • RGB switch backlight
  • LED: Osram W1 6000K
  • Optional 18350 body tube
  • Optional pocket clip

All lights also come with:

  • Wrist lanyard
  • 2 Spare body tube o-rings

In terms of emitters, Hank provides everything from this tiny Osram LED all the way up to the massive SBT90.2. Indeed, last time I counted there were 29 different options in total, including dedomed and monochromatic coloured LEDs. I choose the W1 cool white because it has the highest rated throw of any option (110,000 cd) albeit with the lowest overall max output (900 lumens).

I choose the RGB LEDs for the side switch given the versatility this brings, as explained below.

Build


From left to right: Vapcell F38 18650 (3800mAh), Skilhunt 18650 (3500mAh), Armytek C2 Wizard Pro Nichia, Acebeam E70 Mini, Skilhunt H300, Emisar D1, Mateminco Sl02, Armytek Doberman Pro.






The build is very reminiscent of the D4K. It is fairly compact, with relatively thin walled body tubes.

I opted for the stainless steel pocket clip, as I don’t find wrist lanyards very useful. This is great option, as the body tube allows placement near the head or the tail of the light (for stable head-up or head-down carry). I didn’t opt for the tailcap magnet, but that’s a good option if you are considering using the light as a work light (not so relevant as a thrower, methinks).

The light is controlled by an electronic side switch in the head, with a somewhat transparent rubberized cover. Feel and traverse of the electronic switch is good, with a firm click and typical traverse. There are a lot of options for the switch emitter LED, and I opted for the multi-colour RGB LED option. Although set to Off by default, you can configure the auxillary switch LED through Anduril to light up when a battery is connected (at two different intensities). See the user interface section below for more information.

I also went for the flat threaded switch ring, as I was worried the raised model might catch on clothing, etc. It is still easy to find the switch by feel, if you are leaving the standby indicator off.

The tailcap is perfectly flat, so the light is able to tailstand fairly stably. There is a small cut-out on the side for the simple wrist lanyard.

Threads are square-cut and anodized, with good feel – at both ends of the battery tube. Note there was no lubrication anywhere on the samples I received, so I recommend you add a good non-conducting lube for both the o-rings and the threads. I also always recommend you keep the light stored locked out when not in use. Thanks to the anodized tailcap threads, you can do this easily by a simple twist of the tailcap (or the head for that matter, in this case).

Same applies to the optional 18350 body tube I picked up. It’s a great way to turn then D1 into a true pocket thrower, to slip into a pocket or purse.

With the o-rings in place, I expect waterproofness to be good on this build.

There are conical springs in both the head and tail, sporting a fairly thick gauge. As such, be careful about using longer cells in this light – you may dent the cell if you use overly long cells. Note that Hank advises uprotected, flat-top, high-drain batteries only.

Unlike almost all the other lights I am reviewing these days, there is no built-in charger for batteries on the Emisar/Noctigon lights (or any bundled branded cells either). In keeping with the audience of flashlight enthusiasts, the assumption is that you have your own batteries and chargers on hand (and you can buy an optional charger from Hank).

Knurling is not particularly aggressive – it is really more of a fine checkered or line pattern. It does feel a bit more grippy than most lights I’ve handled these days, which typically seem to be a bit smooth. Combined with the ridge detail, I would say overall grip is pretty good. Note that the light can roll, but the switch button cover helps limit this. Anodizing looks to be good quality (for presumed type II, give the colour range), with no damage on my sample. I would describe the finish as matte.


Although unprotected high-drain cells are recommend, I thought this might be a good opportunity to try out the high-capacity 18650 and 18350 cells Vapcell has sent me (although they are particularly high drain). Note that the Vapcell batteries are fairly substantial, so there is a risk of denting the cells when using in a compact light with dual springs like this.




Except for the dedomed options, most of the D1 emitter options come with the smooth reflector shown above. I opted for the Osram W1 because of its tiny size and outstanding throw. Scroll down for actual outdoor beamshots.

Here is what the auxillary side switch RGB LEDs look like, shown on the High output level (colour modes in sequence):






You can configure through Anduril’s AUX setting the individual colours of the switch RGB LEDs, or have it cycle through all colours, or use it as a colour-coded battery voltage readout. You can set it to one of two intensities, or flash, or leave off.

In my handling, I find the High level for the side switch LEDs is surprisingly bright – and the Low level is surprisingly low (so low in fact that it doesn’t register in my lightbox). Here are a couple of pictures showing the side switch in ambient room light on an overcast day, first on High and then Low:

As you can tell, the Low setting is very dim – you can just tell that the blue LEDs are on in this case, but just barely. Here are a couple of pictures in the dark though:

It’s not exactly a perfect comparison, as I’m using my cell phone camera’s auto-adjust, but this gives you a general idea of the significant difference between the Aux output modes. Scroll down for current draws and output measures, where possible.

User Interface

The D1 uses the open-source Anduril 2 user interface (UI). Anduril has two distinct UIs mode sets: Simple and Advanced. The labels are a bit misleading, as both are fairly sophisticated – it is just that the Advanced UI has a lot of extra options not available on the scaled-down Simple UI. Note that both the Simple and Advanced UI now include the discrete Stepped level mode as well as the continuously-variable Smooth Ramping mode.

To switch from the default Simple UI to Advanced UI, you need to do 10 clicks from Off with a hold on the 10th click (10H), with 10 clicks (10C) to return to simple UI. Advanced UI has a lot more options available. It’s easier to show the UIs rather than explain them in words, so here is a helpful pic:

ui-diagram

You can also download a plain text-based manual from Anduril creator ToyKeeper, or a more interactive one with version control here.

This implementation of Anduril 2 has eight discrete Stepped levels, which I’ve numbered in this review as L1 through L8 (with L1 being the lowest level, and L8 being Turbo).

According to the firmware Version Check, my D1 sample (purchased in the summer of 2023) is model 0125. Full info is 2022-07-29-01-25 (version code is Year-Month-Day the firmware was compiled, followed by a 2-digit brand ID and 2-digit product ID).

Again, check the image and link above for more info, but here is a simplified description of the UI to get you started.

From OFF:

  • Press-and-hold (1H): Turns On in lowest output, in either Ramping mode or Stepped mode depending on which mode is enabled (and which UI you are in)
  • Single-click (1C): Turns on in last memorized mode used (Ramping or Stepped)
  • Double-click (2C): Turns on to Turbo (aka the Ramping max output)
  • Triple-click (3C): Battery check (voltage read out a single time) and basic flashing/strobe modes.
  • Triple-click-and-hold (3H): Special strobe modes, but only when in Advanced UI (remembers last strobe mode used)
  • 4 clicks (4C): Lockout mode. In lockout mode you have different options available:
    • Press-and-hold (1H): Momentary Moonlight
    • Double-click-and-hold (2H): Momentary Low
    • 4 clicks (4C): Turns On in memorized output level
    • 4 clicks and hold (4H): Turns On in the lowest level
    • 5 clicks (5C): Turns On in Turbo
    • 10 clicks and hold (10H): Configure the lock timeout threshold (in Advanced UI only), allowing you to pre-set the timeout time of the lock.
  • 7 clicks (7C): (Advanced UI only) Enters AUX/Button LED config for the next mode. There are four modes you can switch between; constant low, blinking low, off, constant high. Click 7 times again to advance to the next option, in sequence. The light auto-memorizes the last option you select.
  • 7 clicks-and-hold (7H): (Advanced UI only) Enters AUX/Button LED config for the next colour. The colours follow the sequence: Red, Yellow (Red+Green), Green, Cyan (Green+Blue), Blue, Purple (Blue+Red), White (Red+Green+Blue), Disco (fast random colors), Rainbow (cycles through all colors in order more slowly), and Voltage read-out (uses colour to display battery charge).

From ON:

  • Press-and-hold (1H): Ramps up (or Steps up, depending on the mode). Ramps/steps down if you do it again.
  • Single-click (1C): Turns Off
  • Double-click (2C): Jumps to Turbo
  • Double-click-and-hold (2H): Ramps down (or Steps down)
  • Triple-click (3C): Switch between Ramping and Stepped modes
  • 4 clicks (4C): Lockout mode (see above for options)

Mode memory:

Yes, the circuit memorizes the last constant On output level in either Ramping or Stepped modes.

Strobe/Blinking modes:

Yes, quite a few actually. The strobe/blinking modes are accessible from Off with a triple-click (3C) or triple-click-and-hold (3H), but in Advanced UI only. You can switch between strobe/blinking modes with 2 clicks (2C), in the following sequence (see testing results below to see what these look like):

Triple-click (3C):

  • Battery check
  • Temperature check
  • Beacon mode
  • SOS mode

Triple-click-and hold (3H):

  • Candle mode
  • Bike flasher mode
  • Party strobe mode
  • Tactical strobe mode
  • Lightning mode

Low voltage warning:

Sort of. In operation, the light drops in brightness in steps, and runs for an extended time at a very low level. Apparently it shuts off when the cell is ~2.8V (although I haven’t run it that long to confirm).

Lock-out mode:

Yes. In either Simple UI or Advanced UI, lockout is accessed by 4 clicks (4C) from On or Off (repeat to unlock). The lockout mode is unusual with Anduril, as it actually enables momentary operation in the minimum modes. There are other lockout modes available, as explained above. As always though, I recommend you physically lock out at the light at the tailcap, if you want to guarantee no accidental activation.

Temperature check and thermal calibration mode:

This is a little complicated (and beyond the needs of most users), so I will just refer you to the diagram from the manual above. With default settings, I find this light steps down fairly quickly due to heat (unsurprising, given default Anduril thermal settings are conservative). I have not tried to reconfigure my sample. Note that if you get into any trouble (or wish to reset any custom configurations), you can easily reset the light to the factory defaults by 13 clicks-and-hold (13H).

Reviewer Comments:

Anduril is a sophisticated setup – a choice of Simple or Advanced UI, Stepped and Ramping modes, etc. Of course, you will never please everyone, and many may prefer a simpler interface. But as this light is directed toward flashaholics, I think it is a very good choice.

Circuit Measures

Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM):

There is no sign of PWM on any level, the circuit appears to be fully current-controlled.

There is also no sign of high frequency noise at any level (unlike many of the budget Anduril lights with simple FET drivers).

L1:
L1

L7:
L7

L8:
L8

Nice to see the continued lack of circuit noise on these Hank lights – well done.

Strobe Modes:

Note that for most of the strobe / flashing modes below, the actual frequency and intensity are both configurable. What I am showing below is the default speed and/or brightness setting. By pressing and holding the switch (1H or 2H) you can select the frequency. And in some cases, brightness is set from the last-used ramp level.

Beacon:
Beacon

Beacon strobe is a single flash every ~1.8 secs (so, 0.55 Hz), by default.

SOS:
SOS

A fairly typical SOS mode.

Candle:
Candle

Candle strobe is a continuous flicker, of varying intensity (again, accurately simulating a candle).

Bike Strobe:
Bike

Bike strobe is a bit unusual. It is constant On at a lower level, with four brief flashes to max (over ~0.25 secs) every ~1 sec or so by default. It certainly is an attention grabber.

Party Strobe:
Party

Party strobe is a super-fast (and annoying) frequency of ~20 Hz, by default.

Tactical Strobe:
Tactical

Tactical strobe is ~10 Hz by default.

Lightning Strobe:
Lightning
Lightning
Lightning

I’ve shown three 10-sec cycles above, so you can a feel for the frequency and intensity of light flashes. Lightning strobe is a fairly realistic lightning simulation, with variable intensity and time between flashes.

Charging:

The Emisar D1 does not come with built-in charging. You will have look into stand-alone battery chargers.

Standby / Parasitic Drain:

With the AUX switch LEDs set to off, I measured the standby drain for the electronic switch as fluctuating between 15 and 19 uA, averaging to 17 uA. For a 3500mAh cell, that would translate into over 23.5 years before the cell would be fully drained – which is ridiculously low, and not at all a concern. Regardless, I recommend you store the light locked out at the tailcap when not in use to prevent accidental activation (which also disables the standby drain).

With the AUX switch RGB LEDs activated on the Low output setting, I measured the current drain as 34 uA. For a 3500mAh cell, that would give you over 11 and half years before a cell would be fully drained. This is similarly low enough to not be a concern, and could be useful as a signaling indicator for you (with the electronic lockout in place).

With the AUX switch LEDs activated on the High output setting, I measured the current drain as 450 uA. For a 3500mAh cell, that would give you almost 11 months of continuous runtime before draining the cell. That is very good as an impromptu Moonlight mode.

I haven’t measured it, but the smooth Ramping minimum current drain would presumably be higher than the AUX High mode. So this side switch on Hi could be considered a way to extend runtime with an extra (albeit much dimmer) coloured “Moonlight mode” by using the Aux switch emitters.

Emitter Measures

In this section, I directly measure key emitter characteristics in terms of colour temperature, tint, and colour rendition. Please see my Emitter Measures page to learn more about what these terms mean, and how I am measuring them. As tint in particular can shift across levels, I typically stick with the highest stably regulated level for all my reported measures.

As explained on that page, since I am using an inexpensive uncalibrated device, you can only make relative comparisons across my reviews (i.e., don’t take these numbers as absolutely accurate values, but as relatively consistent across lights in my testing).

D1 on L6:

The key measures above are the colour temperature of ~5700K, and a slight positive tint shift (+0.0101 Duv) to greenish-yellow at this temperature. For CRI (Ra), I measured a combined score of 71.

These results are consistent with the specs.

Just out of curiosity, I thought I’d measure the AUX switch LEDs set to blue and green.

Blue Button:

The simple Light Master lightmeter that I am using is not rated for monochromatic sources, but the reading above is very consistent with a dedicated blue light – it is well off the blackbody radiation curve (Planckian locus) at the blue end of the spectrum.

Green Button:

Again, we are well off the Planckian locus in the green area of the colour spectrum.

Beamshots

All long-distance outdoor beamshots are taken on my Canon PowerShot S5 IS at f/2.7, 1 sec exposure, ISO 400, daylight white balance. The tree at the centre of the hotspot is approximately 90 meters (~100 yards) from the camera. Note the road dips down and turns away in the distance, out of the camera’s sight line. Learn more about my outdoor beamshot locations here.

Click on any thumbnail image below to open a full size image in a new window. You can then easily compare the overall beams by switching between tabs.



To help illustrate the hotspots better, I’ve also cropped the raw pictures around the centre of the frame. As before, click on any thumbnail below to open a full size image in a new window.



As you can see above, the W1 produces a very focused beam, with excellent throw of the hotspot.

Testing Results

My summary tables are generally reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. In addition to the links above, please see my output measures page for more background.

All my output numbers are based on my home-made lightbox setup. As explained on that methodology page, I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values to estimated lumens. Note that my lightbox calibration runs higher than most hobbyists today, but I’ve kept it to remain consistent with my earlier reviews (when the base calibration standard was first established). On average though, I find my lumen estimates are ~20% higher than most other modern reviewers.

My Peak Intensity/Beam Distance are directly measured with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter.

D1 Testing Results

ModeSpec LumensEstimated Lumens @0secEstimated Lumens @30 secsBeam Intensity @0secBeam Intensity @30secsBeam Distance @30secsPWM/Strobe FreqNoise FreqCharging Current <3VCharging Current >3VParasitic DrainWeight w/o BatteryWeight with BatteryCCT (K)DuvCRI
Switch Green LED (High)-0.070.07---NoNo--91 g----
Smooth Ramp Min-0.870.87---NoNo--~18 uA91 g----
L1-1.11.1---NoNo--~18 uA91 g----
L2-1010---NoNo--~18 uA91 g----
L3-4040---NoNo--~18 uA91 g----
L4-120120---NoNo--~18 uA91 g----
L5-240240---NoNo--~18 uA91 g----
L6-420420---NoNo--~18 uA91 g-5,6950.010171
L7-660650---NoNo--~18 uA91 g----
L8900950890123,000 cd117,000 cd684 mNoNo--~18 uA91 g----
Candle------NoNo--~18 uA91 g----
Bike Strobe------1.3 HzNo--~18 uA91 g----
Party Strobe------20 HzNo--~18 uA91 g----
Tactical Strobe------10.3 HzNo--~18 uA91 g----
Lightning------NoNo--~18 uA91 g----
Beacon------1.3 HzNo--~18 uA91 g----
SOS------0.52 HzNo--~18 uA91 g----

Max output specs seem consistent with the rated max output. And my calibrated lux light meter actually reports slightly higher peak throw than the specs indicate – well done!

To view and download full testing results for all modern lights in my testing, check out my Database page.

Runtimes

As always, my runtimes are done under a small cooling fan, for safety and consistency. To learn more about how to interpret runtime graphs, see my runtimes methodology page. Note that on average, my lightbox’s calibration seems to be ~20% higher than most modern reviewers.

The D1 didn’t come with its own battery, so I used a lightly used Armytek 3500mAh cell for comparison purposes in the main runtimes below.

Max

Hi

Med

The highest two levels show a generally well-regulated sustained output around ~600 estimated lumens for about an hour so (after step-down in the case the L8 max output). Lower levels are completely flat-regulated. These results show that Hank is using a very good fully-regulated linear driver on the D1, at least with this emitter choice. The same would be true for other relatively low voltage emitters, whereas higher output emitters would require a boost circuit (and would thus perform differently).

The overall output/runtime efficiency of the Osram W1 seems decent enough in my testing, although it under-performs against some emitters in competing lights (e.g., the Cree XHP35, Nichia 144AR). As this is my first example of this emitter, I don’t really know what to expect – but these results seem reasonable. There are always higher output or more efficient emitters you can choose – but with reduced throw, of course.

As always, the light will have to step-down on the highest output level at some point, but it does so gradually in this case. Like the D4K, I am impressed by how high the step-down level is, and how well regulated.

To better show this initial step-down pattern, I’ve done some additional runtimes with another new cell, a Vapcell F38 3800mAh 18650 battery. The Armytek and Vapcell batteries are differentiated below by their rated capacity – 3500mAh vs 3800mAh.

The higher capacity Vapcell batteries consistently run proportionately longer than the lower capacity Armytek. However, as also seen on the D4K, they appear to step-down to a lower level on max output as well. This is likely due to the typical trade-off with higher capacity cells – they cannot handle high drain quite as well (i.e., high capacity and high drain are typically mutually exclusive, in my experience). Note that Hank advises the use of high drain cells only in the D1 – I’m simply using these batteries for consistency to my other reviews.

Now let’s see how it performs against other lights on 18350/14500, using a new Vapcell F14 18350 1400mAh battery:



The 18350 Vapcell wasn’t able to match the relatively high step-down level on max that the 18650 cell could, which isn’t too surprising. But it is still able to sustain the max mode for an impressive duration before stepping down.

Here’s a close-up of the first few mins:

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Good physical build with a lot of possible customizations - especially for the main emitter.No in-light charging feature.
Appears to use a good driver, giving you better regulated output and step-down levels than other Anduril lights running on simple linear FET drivers. While the light steps-down on Max, it does so gradually and stabilizes at a higher than expected level. This can be convenient, but I note it since it is different from most lights (i.e., may not be what you expect).
Even with the regulated driver, there is still a decent dynamic range of output levels - although without the <1 lumen moonlight levels now..Body walls seem a bit thin (although still structurally sound), and threads come non-lubed.
Unbelievably good throw with the W1 emitter, with a very clean beam profile.Anduril interface can be intimidating.
AUX LEDs are a nice feature for the switch button, and can serve as a reasonably effective ultra-low "Moonlight" mode.
Surprisingly affordable given it is basically a custom light (on a standardized form factor).

Overall Rating

Preliminary Conclusions

Like the D4K I recently reviewed, this D1 is a very strong performer from Hank. I love the small form factor, especially with the options for 18350/18500 body tubes. I’ve always had a fondness for tiny thrower lights, as a complement to a general-purpose light. This configuration of the D1 meets that desire perfectly – I’ve never had a light this small throw this far. And all that in an excellent build with the sophisticated Anduril user interface.

Circuit performance is excellent, with a fully-regulated linear driver coupled with this emitter, based on the performance shown above (i.e., fairly flat-regulated with excellent output/runtime efficiency). There seems to be a bit of trade-off here with the flat regulation – the Ramping minimum output is higher than most other Anduril lights I’ve tested (that typically use in contrast a simple non-regulated linear driver). But the side switch can serve as a reasonably effective and efficient additional ultra-low moonlight here. And in any case, I’m not looking for moonlight in a pocket thrower. 🙂

The sheer number of emitter options can be a bit dizzying here. Although I’m curious to how some of the other emitters perform, I’m not really looking for overall output or Hi CRI in a pocket thrower – its maximum throw I’m interested in, and the Osram W1 is just stellar in that regard.

And once again, I enjoy all the features and customization options that Anduril provides. The large number of modes and settings are great for providing options, and it isn’t that complex to manage once you get used it. Simply put, there is value in consistency. And so, the D1 and D4K make a great pair – a dedicated little thrower and an all-purpose general light.

Another great little light from Hank/Emisar – and quite reasonably priced, in my view.

Acknowledgement

The D1 was purchased from intl-outdoor.com for review. As always, all opinions are my own and the light received the same rigourous and objective testing as all other lights that I have reviewed. At the time of review, this light in this configuration (without battery) retails for ~$36 USD (~$50 CDN) shipped.

Mateminco SL02 EDC

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The SL02 is a budget light that runs off a 18650 or 18350 battery, using the included body tubes and cells. Also includes auxillary RGB modes in the head and tailcap.

  1. Introduction
  2. Manufacturer Specifications
  3. Package Details
  4. Build
  5. User Interface
  6. Circuit Measures
  7. Emitter Measures
  8. Beamshots
  9. Testing Results
  10. Runtimes
  11. Pros and Cons
  12. Overall Rating
  13. Preliminary Conclusions
  14. Acknowledgement

Introduction

Mateminco is another new “budget” light maker that I’m become aware of since my return to reviewing. The SL02 is a new every-day-carry (EDC) model that they have recently released. It features a Lumileds HL2X as the main emitter, and auxillary Osram RGB emitters.

It also comes with both 18650 and 18350 Li-ion batteries, and body tubes to accommodate the two lengths. This is nice feature, as it adds flexibility in how you can carry. Plus it is comes with integrated charging, which is very convenient.

Let’s see how it performs in my testing.

Manufacturer Specifications

Note: as always, these are simply what the manufacturer provides (although in this case, specific to my custom specs). Scroll down to see my actual runtimes.

MakerMateminco
ModelSL02 EDC
EmitterLumileds HL2X + Osram GWJTLMS1.EM
TintCool + RGB
Max Output (Lumens)1,287
Min Output (Lumens)10
Max Runtime-
Max Beam Intensity (cd)50,850 cd
Max Beam Distance (m)451 m
Constant Levels4
FlashingStrobe
Battery1x18650
Weight (w/o battery)75 g
Weight (with battery)-
Length117.4 mm
Head Diameter26.8 mm
Body Diameter25.8 mm
WaterproofIPX6

Package Details






The packaging for the SL02 is pretty decent for a budget brand. The hard cardboard box has a fairly minimalist style (although I did find the “Adventure” pictogram amusing – I don’t know a lot of people who fence these days). Inside, the light and accessories are well packaged in cut-out foam. Included in the package:

  • Mateminco SL02 EDC (in Green in this case)
  • 18350 body tube
  • 18650 and 18350 Li-ion batteries (unbranded)
  • Pocket clip
  • Wrist lanyard
  • 2 Spare body tube o-rings
  • USB charging cable
  • Manual

It’s a nice package – especially considering the low price.

Build


From left to right: Vapcell F38 18650 (3800mAh), Skilhunt 18650 (3500mAh), Armytek C2 Wizard Pro Nichia, Acebeam E70 Mini, Skilhunt H300, Emisar D1, Mateminco Sl02, Armytek Doberman Pro.














The body design of the SL02 is pretty unique. It comes with both a 18650 and a 18350 body tube, but the tubes are completely enclosed at the head-end. The reason for this soon becomes apparent – there is a USB-C charging port on the screw threads on the head-end of the body tubes. This means that you need to take the head off to charge the light, and so need to have the battery fully enclosed inside the tube with the tailcap in place.

The light tailswitch functions as a reverse clicky switch (i.e., you need to click-and-release for the light to turn on, scroll down for a description of the user interface). Feel and traverse of the switch is pretty good for the clicky action, a bit firm but decent. It’s a little harder to reliably flash the switch to switch modes (i.e., partial press), as you need to press it firmly enough that it might accidentally click off. But you can also rapidly click off-on to advance modes, so that does work just as well. Again, scroll down to see the user interface.

Screw threads are bare aluminum, with no anodizing at either end of the body tube. This means that there is no way to physically lock out the light. This is a surprising design nowadays. My best guess is that they were concerned about the charging current having to flow through the switch, and so they left the threads bare as an alternate current path.

There is no knurling on the light per se, just a couple of cut-outs and some ridge details on the head. This could make the light a bit slippery, so I recommend you use the wrist lanyard or pocket clip. The clip has the added value of helping stop potential roll of the light too. Anodizing looks to be good quality on my sample, for presumed type II (given the green colour). I would describe the finish as satin.

The batteries that come with the light are not branded, and seem like typical budget cells. The rated capacities listed on the wrappers are rather low, at 2600mAh and 1200mAh respectively for the 18650 and 18350 cells.

The tailcap is perfectly flat, and the switch cover is recessed just enough so that the light is able to tailstand fairly stably. There is a cut-out on the side of the tailcap for the wrist lanyard.

What is very distinctive are the RGB emitters in the clear surround of the tail switch cover, which slowly cycle through the output colours. These are actually on at all times when a battery is connected (although it turns off if you click the switch for the main emitter). The output is low – it is clearly meant as a “find me” feature for the light in the dark.

I was surprised to see these RGB emitters were actually on when I opened the box – the light doesn’t ship with a lock-out paper or plastic disc. This strikes me as a safety concern, as the light could in theory activate inside the box. It also means the battery could drain while stored in the unopened box. Scroll down to see a discussion in the circuit measures section of my review.

Here is a video of the slow cycling pattern of RGB tail cap:

Here are some stills, showing the various colours. Again, the emitters aren’t very bright, and so the current draw is fairly low. I’ve also found that the emitters to shut-off when the battery charge is low. Again, scroll down to circuit measures section.




The head of the light is also interesting. There is a distinctive looking optic that actually focuses the hotspot fairly clearly while diffusing the spill. There is a stainless steel bezel ring holding it in place, which is fully flat (i.e., no crenelations).





I have to say, that is a pretty distinctive optic. The main beam pattern is thus a combination of centre-beam throw and wide diffuse flood. Scroll down for actual outdoor beamshots.

But there is also a series of RGB emitters in the head as well. These are activated by clicking the switch (i.e., they are on the main sequence of output modes). Like the tailcap, these can only be activate in a continuous cycling mode (i.e., can’t select specific colours). But unlike the tailcap, these run in a far faster cycle, more of a “disco” mode, as shown in the video below.

Again, here are a bunch of stills showing some of the individual colours, as best I could capture given the rapid speed.










User Interface

The SL02 uses a very straightforward interface, as described below.

From OFF:

  • Soft-press: Nothing.
  • Press-and-hold: Nothing (light functions as a reverse-clicky switch, have to release to turn On)
  • Single-click: Turns On in last memorized mode used
  • Double-click: Turns On and then Off (i.e., individual clicks simply turn the light on and off).

From ON:

  • Single Soft-press: Advances to the next mode in the following sequence: RGB – Lo – Med – Hi
  • Double Soft-press: Jumps to Strobe mode
  • Press-and-hold: Turns Off (as it functions a reverse-clicky)
  • Single-click: Turns Off
  • Double-click: Turns Off and back On, and advances to the next mode (i.e., a rapid series of clicks works the same as repeated soft-presses).

Mode memory:

Yes, the circuit memorizes the last constant On output level as long as you leave it on for >2 secs. Any faster, and repeated off-on clicking simply advances modes.

Strobe/Blinking modes:

Yes, a single typical strobe mode (scroll down for measures).

Low voltage warning:

Not that I have noticed.

Lock-out mode:

Not that I can find. Note that the light lacks anodized screw threads, so this means it is always drawing a standby current (scroll down for measures). Furthermore, the tail RGB emitters are always active, slowly changing colours when a battery is present inside the light. There is no way to physically or electronically lock-out the light.

Reviewer Comments:

This is a fairly basic but serviceable interface. I’m not happy about the front RGB “disco”  mode being in the main sequence, and there is little to differentiate Med and Hi visually (scroll down for testing measures). But at least Strobe is hidden behind a rapid double-press of the switch.

My main concern is the lack of the lock-out, and the constant slow-cycling RGB in the tailcap. However, this current is minuscule (see below), and the tail RGB emmitters do shut-off once the battery runs down to a low voltage.

Circuit Measures

Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM):

Lo:
Lo

Med:
Med

Hi:
Hi

There is no sign of PWM, but there is high-frequency circuit noise on the Med and Hi levels at ~5.1-5.2 kHz respectively. This is high enough to not be visually detectable.

Strobe:

Strobe

Strobe is basically ~11 Hz by default.

Charging:

<3.0V


I measured the initial charging current when the cell was <3.0V as 1.1A, but it quick drops down to ~1.0A by the time the cell reaches ~3.0V. This differs from a number of recent lights that start at an initially low level and jump up to a high current – the SL02 starts at a decent current and drops slowly as the battery charges. Note that a 1A initial rate is quite reasonable for a 18650 cell, but I find it a bit high for the 18350 cell.

You can notice a red LED on the head of the body tube, indicating charging has started. Of note, the manual says you need to click the tailcap into the On position for charging to work – but this isn’t required on my sample. And I’m not surprised by that, given the non-annodized threads (i.e., switch status should be irrelevant).

One quirk that I noticed – the LED shows green by the time the charging drops to ~0.2A.

At this point, I stopped the charge and measured the resting battery voltage as only ~3.85V. So I reconnected and let it run until it seemed to stabilize at ~0.02A.


As this level, the battery was reading only ~3.95V.

At this rate, I’m hard pressed to imagine the cell ever reaching or exceeding ~4.0V with the built-in charger. While a nice feature to include (especially for the price), you are better off investing in a proper charger if you want to fully charge the cells to ~4.2V.

Standby / Parasitic Drain:

With the tail RGB LEDs on and cycling, I measured the standby drain for the tail switch as a low ~150uA. For the included 2600mAh 18650 that would translate into just under 2 years for the battery to be fully drained. And for the 1200mAh 18350, just under 11 months (assuming fully charged to start). This is surprisingly good for continuously emitting and cycling coloured LEDs.

As previously mentioned, there is no way to lock out the light at the tailcap, due to the non-anodized threads.

Emitter Measures

In this section, I directly measure key emitter characteristics in terms of colour temperature, tint, and colour rendition. Please see my Emitter Measures page to learn more about what these terms mean, and how I am measuring them. As tint in particular can shift across levels, I typically stick with the highest stably regulated level for all my reported measures.

As explained on that page, since I am using an inexpensive uncalibrated device, you can only make relative comparisons across my reviews (i.e., don’t take these numbers as absolutely accurate values, but as relatively consistent across lights in my testing).

SL02 on Med:

The key measures above are the colour temperature of ~5590K, and a noticeable positive tint shift (+0.0140 Duv) to greenish-yellow at this temperature. For CRI (Ra), I measured a combined score of 61.

These results are consistent with the specs, and other emitters in this class.

Beamshots

All long-distance outdoor beamshots are taken on my Canon PowerShot S5 IS at f/2.7, 1 sec exposure, ISO 400, daylight white balance. The tree at the centre of the hotspot is approximately 90 meters (~100 yards) from the camera. Note the road dips down and turns away in the distance, out of the camera’s sight line. Learn more about my outdoor beamshot locations here.

Click on any thumbnail image below to open a full size image in a new window. You can then easily compare the overall beams by switching between tabs.



As you can see above, the SL02 produces a relatively focused hotspot, with wide (but dim) spill. Overall output is of course lower than the higher output emitters above.

Testing Results

My summary tables are generally reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. In addition to the links above, please see my output measures page for more background.

All my output numbers are based on my home-made lightbox setup. As explained on that methodology page, I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values to estimated lumens. Note that my lightbox calibration seems to run higher than most hobbyists today, but I’ve kept it to remain consistent with my earlier reviews (when the base calibration standard was first established).

My Peak Intensity/Beam Distance are directly measured with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter.

SL02 Testing Results

ModeSpec LumensEstimated Lumens @0secEstimated Lumens @30 secsBeam Intensity @0secBeam Intensity @30secsBeam Distance @30secsPWM/Strobe FreqNoise FreqCharging Current <3VCharging Current >3VParasitic DrainWeight w/o BatteryWeight with BatteryCCT (K)DuvCRI
Low100.200.20---No---~150 uA74 g119 g---
Mid550470460---No5.1 kHz--~150 uA74 g119 g---
High1,2871,4001,20010,900 cd7,600 cd174 mNo5.2 kHz--~150 uA74 g119 g5,5850.013861
RGB100.900.90---NoNo--~150 uA74 g119 g---
Strobe1,200-----11.2 HzNo--~150 uA74 g119 g---

Beam pattern is relatively throwy, but nowhere near the beam specs (which are completely unrealistic for a light this size).

Output levels seem reasonably consistent to my lightbox measures for Med/Hi (noting that my lightbox calibration is generous), but the Lo/RGB are clearly much lower than the specs. Indeed, the Lo mode is actually a <1 lumen Moonlight in my testing.

These level spacings don’t really make a lot of sense to me – jumping from 0.2 lumens to 460 (Lo to Med) is too big a step. And there is little visual difference between 460 and 1200 lumens (Med to Hi) in practice. They would have been better off with a fourth true Lo level (in ~30-40 lumen range), and/or a reduced Med mode.

To view and download full testing results for all modern lights in my testing, check out my Database page.

Runtimes

As always, my runtimes are done under a small cooling fan, for safety and consistency. To learn more about how to interpret runtime graphs, see my runtimes methodology page.


Hi
Med

The SL02 is presumably using a linear driver, given the apparent direct-drive pattern above (i.e., the circuit is not flat voltage-regulated). Overall efficiency seem reasonable, especially given the lower rated capacity of the bundled 18650 cell. Runtime performance is similar on the bundled 18350 cell, as shown below.



There is a step-down on Hi, as shown below for the 18350 run:

This performance is reasonable for the actual output levels, but see my comments above for recommended output level spacing.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
In-light charging included, but it requires you to remove the head due to the screw thread placement.Mode spacing is unusual, with no real Lo (Moonlight instead), and a Med mode that is not visually that different from Hi.
Circuit is not flat-regulated, and seems to be direct drive. Overall efficiency is reasonable for the class though.RGB "disco" mode on the front emitter is part of the main sequence, and cannot be hidden.
Beam pattern is relatively focused for throw, with wider and dimmer spill than typical thanks to the custom TIR optic (although the specs are completely unrealistic).No ability to lock out the light, or disable the rear tail RGB emitters (which slowly rotate through output colours).
Tailcap RGB emitters provide a low-output "find me" feature for the lightIn-light charger terminated early at ~4.0V in my testing.
18650 and 18350 batteries are included (but are no-name cells).Reverse clicky switch is a bit stiff for mode changing.

Overall Rating

Preliminary Conclusions

The SL02 has a lot of distinctive features. Overall, it’s a pretty good package (especially so for the price), with a lot of versatility. That said, it belies its budget nature through many of the specific design choices, and their consequences.

Starting with the build, the tailcap design has a unique “find me” feature with slowly changing low-output RGB emitters. However, the lack of anodized tailcap threads (likely required by the in-light charging design) means there is no way to deactivate this feature without removing the cell.

I find the enclosed body tube chambers to be a distinctive build feature. Again, this is presumably required by the unique in-light charging design (i.e., the charger port is on the screw threads, so you need a way to close the chamber). However the charger terminates early in my testing (at ~4.0V). So it seems like these two unusual design choices were driven by a feature that is, ultimately, of somewhat limited usefulness.

For all that, the build seems solid enough, and well put together. It is also nice that they included both a 18350 and 18650 battery (especially at this price). But I’ve had a lot of bad experiences with cheap cells, and so I recommend you replace them with a quality brand name.

The beam pattern is distinctive, with its unique optic and uncommon emitter. Throw is good (but nowhere near the published specs). Output level spacing is not particularly well thought out in my view, and the user interface is very basic (with the front-facing RGB’s rapid-shifting mode as part of the main sequence). But actual output/runtime performance of the light is pretty good, thanks to the linear driver and efficient direct-drive pattern (fans of flat-stabilized output will need to look elsewhere though).

So, a mix of decent features and build, but with limitations. If you like the RGB features, that might make this more compelling for you. It’s certainly a pretty cool and distinctive optic. But personally, I’d prefer if more attention were paid to the user interface and main beam output levels.

Acknowledgement

The SL02 was provided by Mateminco for review. As always, all opinions are my own and the light received the same rigourous and objective testing as all other lights that I have reviewed. At the time of review, this light retails for ~$30 USD (~$40 CDN) shipped. You can purchase it directly here or with free shipping here.

Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Nichia

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The Wizard C2 Pro Nichia is a solidly-built compact headlamp with excellent colour rendition, running on a single included 18650 battery. Features a sophisticated user interface and innovative magnetic charging dock.

  1. Introduction
  2. Manufacturer Specifications
  3. Package Details
  4. Build
  5. User Interface
  6. Circuit Measures
  7. Emitter Measures
  8. Beamshots
  9. Testing Results
  10. Runtimes
  11. Pros and Cons
  12. Overall Rating
  13. Preliminary Conclusions
  14. Acknowledgement

Introduction

I had tested a good number of Armytek lights in my previous reviewing career, and they had always performed well. Known for very robust builds, I was curious to see what their new models were like. Interestingly, the lights they sent me were both angle lights (i.e., the emitter is on the side of the head). This design is very helpful when carrying the light clipped on you, or as a headlamp.

Although I am generally focusing on the newer 1×21700 class for these first new reviews, I thought I would start with Armytek’s 1×18650 Wizard C2 Pro Nichia. It features a single Nichia 144AR Hi CRI neutral white tint emitter, which is a new one for me. Let’s see how it compares.

Manufacturer Specifications

Note: as always, these are simply what the manufacturer provides – scroll down to see my actual testing results.

FeatureSpecs
MakerArmytek
ModelWizard C2 Pro Nichia
EmitterNichia 144AR
Tint4500K >90 CRI
Max Output (Lumens)1,600
Min Output (Lumens)0.1
Max Runtime200 days
Max Beam Intensity (cd)3,200 cd
Max Beam Distance (m)113 m
Mode Levels7
FlashingStrobe1, Strobe2, Strobe3
Battery1x18650
Weight (w/o battery)65 g
Weight (with battery)115 g
Length112 mm
Head Diameter33 mm
Body Diameter20.4 mm
WaterproofIP68 10m

Armytek considers this a “warm light” in its specs and printed material, but I would characterize the 4500K CCT as neutral white.

Package Details

The Wizard C2 Pro Nichia ships in a cardboard display box with an extensive number of labels and descriptions. Inside, you will find the following:

  • Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Nichia flashlight
  • Stainless steel pocket clip
  • Magnetic USB charging dock
  • 18650 battery (3500mAh)
  • Headband and rubber headlamp mount
  • Bicycle mount
  • 2 spare O-rings
  • Adhesive tape strip (3M)
  • Manual

It’s a good package of accessories, identical to its larger sibling. Note that the multi-lingual manual is really more of a quick-start guide, and there is a slightly more detailed full manual that you can download from the Armytek website (direct PDF link here). I recommend you download the longer manual in order to take full advantage of all the features and better understand the user interface.

Build

20230402_162334
From left to right: ArmyTek 18650 (3500mAh), Acebeam 18650 (3100mAh), Armytek Wizard Pro Nichia (18650), Acebeam E70 Mini (18650), Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max (21700), Acebeam E70 (21700), Fenix E35 v3 (21700), Convoy S21E (21700).

 

This physical build is reminiscent of the early bomb-proof Armyteks – it feels very solid in the hand. That said, is also quite compact, about the same length as my Acebeam E70 Mini.

The anodizing looks exactly like the old matte finish of early Armyteks, very grippy (almost feels rubberized in a way).  It appears to be thick and durable – although I find it also marks up easily (i.e., not scratched down to the bare aluminum, but shows handling marks on the surface). I guess its fair to say Armytek sees their lights as work-horses, not show-horses.

The light lacks traditional knurling, but the ridge details cut-outs and grippy finish help produce good hand grip in my view. The pocket clip attaches very firmly (likely to mark upon removal) and helps further with grip (and clip-on carry of course).

The main distinctive feature is the angle-head light source. As mentioned above, this is very helpful as a headlamp, bicycle light or when clipping onto you. It’s also reasonable to carry this way by hand, especially given the large button on the size of the head (i.e., can easily use your thumb to activate the switch). Switch feel is good, with a definite click upon press.

There is a green/red LED under the switch cover that can signal the status of the light. By default, it flashes red once when the switch is clicked (or glows red when doing a press-and-hold). You can configure it to flag a green locator beacon once every four secs if you wish (see UI section below). It also serves as a low battery and heat warning, as also described in the UI section.

The light lacks a USB-C charging port on the body, but there is a USB-based magnetic charging dock that charges the light through the tailcap (scroll down to my Circuit section for more details on how it works). The light uses a standard flat-top 18650 cell (Armytek-branded 3500mAh in this case), so can easily be swapped out and charged in a stand-alone charger.

Note that this means that there are exposed contact points on the tailcap. However, the center contact is sufficiently recessed (and small enough) to avoid any likely problems.

The magnet is located in the tailcap (and is not user-removable). It is also very strong, and so may attract metal objects. Of course that means you can also attach it to metal surfaces to stand it as a worklight.

The light uses a neutral white Nichia 144AR emitter (4500K, Hi CRI >90), under a textured TIR optic. The specs claim a 70 degree hotspot and a 120 degree spill, but there is no sharp demarcation between them – this produces a very even flood light. Scroll down to the Emitter measures section for a tint/CRI discussion.

The head has a flat stainless steel bezel ring.

User Interface

The user interface (UI) of this light is a bit complex – and somewhat reminiscent to me of the second generation of the inaugural model of Armytek, the Predator.

Just like that light, you will need to download the full manual from Armytek to learn how to use it fully (i.e., the bundled manual is more just to get you started). The detailed manual is available from the website’s product page (downloadable as PDF here). You can also follow the link from the QR code on the box, which takes you to main product page. I don’t understand why they don’t provide this better manual with the light itself, as you are likely going to find it frustrating trying to figure it out all the features from the incomplete quick-start guide alone.

That said, even the full manual doesn’t do a great job of fully explaining the implementation of the UI (although if you follow the instructions, you will likely figure it out for yourself). But to help you out, let me try to break it all down for you.

Note that if you are more of a visual learner, you can skip to the end of this section for a video overview describing how the UI works.

To start, you can switch between two types of operation mode sets (with different mode groups available) – the General UI and the Advanced UI. To do this, unscrew the tailcap by a quarter turn with the flashlight off. Then press-and-hold the button while you tighten the tailcap. The light is set by default at the factory to General UI.

General UI Operation

The General UI gives you access to the two Firefly modes (Firefly1 and Firefly2), all three Main modes (Main1, Main2, Main3), and only one Turbo mode (Turbo2 by default – although you can change this to Turbo1 by going through the Advanced UI, as I’ll explain later). Note the strobe modes are not available in the General UI.

General UI, from OFF:

  • Press-and-hold: Turns On in Firefly1 and cycles through the two Firefly modes followed by the three Main modes, and then continues to loop through the Main modes (you select by releasing the switch). So, sequence is: Firefly1 > Firefly2 > Main1 > Main2 > Main3 > Main1 > Main2 > Main3 > Main 1 > etc.
  • Single-click: Turns On in the last used mode (the specific six constant modes described in the opening paragraph are all available to be memorized, including Turbo).
  • Double-click: Nothing (i.e., just turns On and then Off again – but scroll down to see what happens when already On).
  • Multiple clicks (3 or more): Nothing, the light simply turns Off and back On with successive clicks.

General UI, from ON:

  • Press-and-hold: If you are currently in a Firefly mode, it will cycle through the Firefly modes and then through all the Main modes, with in a repeating loop of Main modes (i.e., the same as press-and-hold from Off). If you are in the Main mode or Turbo mode, press-and-hold will cause it to cycle through the Main modes only.
  • Single-click: Turns the light Off.
  • Double-click: Jumps to Turbo (assuming you are not already in Turbo – in which case, it jumps back to last mode used before entering Turbo).
  • Multiple clicks (3 or more): Nothing, the light will just turn Off and back On.

This is an unusual arrangement, but it’s not that hard to get used to for the most part. I recommend you think of this General UI as fundamentally a press-and-hold interface, with single- and double-click offering access to the last memorized level and toggling to/from the Turbo level, respectively. The main tweak that I would have liked to see is a more consistent implementation of press-and-hold when On (i.e., I would like to have it always cycle through Firefly, not just when starting in Firefly) – but that’s just personal preference.

Note that General UI lacks the Strobe modes and Turbo 1 (although you can switch the default Turbo level by programming in Advanced UI if you want). General UI should work well for most users right out of the box.

Advanced UI Operation

This is not well explained in the manual, although the information is technically all there.  Simply put, Advanced UI gives you access to 4 defined Mode Group sets that you can choose between, as well as the ability to cycle through a larger subset (but not all) of the constant output modes.

Available to you in the defined Mode Group sets are all three Firefly levels in the Firefly Mode Group (Firefly1, Firefly2, Firefly3), all three Main levels in Main Mode Group (Main1, Main2, Main3), both Turbo levels in Turbo Mode Group (Turbo1, Turbo2), and all three strobes in the Strobe Mode Group (Strobe1, Strobe2, Strobe3). The various Mode Groups are typically accessed by multiple clicks from either On or Off as described below (except for Firefly modes which are accessed by a press-and-hold, with additional modes).

In addition, when you activate the light in Advanced UI by a press-and-hold it will run through the first seven constant output modes from Firefly1 up to Turbo1 (not sure why only those, but it’s two more than the General UI). Again, this is the only way to access Firefly modes (basically, think of this ramp as Firefly plus Main and some Turbo).

Advanced UI, from OFF:

  • Press-and-hold: Turns the light On, and runs through the first 7 constant output modes in sequence from Firefly1 to Turbo1, on a repeating loop (i.e., no more excluding Firefly modes after the first round, as General UI does). All modes except Turbo2 and the three Strobe modes are on this repeating sequence. When you release the switch on any level, you are now in that Mode Group set if you press-and-hold again (i.e., the light will only cycle through the levels of that Mode Group set now). So, for example, if you release the switch on Turbo1, a subsequent press-and-hold of the switch will cycle between the two Turbo modes in this Mode Group.
  • Single-click: Turns On in last used mode (note that mode memory now applies to Strobe as well as all constant output modes).
  • Double-click: Turns On in the Main Mode Group
  • Triple-click: Turns On in the Turbo Mode Group
  • 4 clicks: Turns On in the Strobe Mode Group
  • Multiple clicks (5+): Nothing (i.e., light will just activate in the Strobe Mode Group)

Advanced UI, from ON:

  • Press-and-hold: Light will cycle through the levels in the current Mode Group only.
  • Single-click: Turns the light Off.
  • Double-click: Jumps to the Main Mode Group (or jumps down to Firefly1 if already in Main Mode Group).
  • Triple-click: Jumps to the Turbo Mode Group (or does nothing if light is already in Turbo Mode Group).
  • 4 clicks: Jumps to the Strobe Mode Group (or does nothing if light is already in Strobe Mode Group). Note this means that you have to double-click or triple-click to exit Strobe modes when On (or turn Off and then press-and-hold when turning back On).
  • Multiple clicks (5+): Nothing, it just jumps Strobe mode and stays there (i.e., acts as 4 clicks).

Note that the light will memorize the last Turbo mode you used (i.e., Turbo1 or Turbo2).  If you revert back to General UI, it will continue to use that memorized Turbo mode. So this is how you can program the lower Turbo1 in the General UI if you wish.

I personally prefer Advanced UI over General UI, for the more consistent implementation of press-and-hold from Off (i.e., repeatedly cycles a wider set of modes, including Firefly levels). However, you have to remember to triple-click for Turbo now. Also, when On, you are limited to only cycling through your current Mode Group with a subsequent press-and-hold. But it’s easy enough to remember to turn Off and start a press-and-hold again to access the other modes.

What I don’t like in Advanced UI is the inconsistent effect of multiple clicks when On. The first time I activated Strobe mode for example, it took me a while to figure out how to get out (i.e., only double- or triple-click will exit, unless you turn off and reset by a press-and-hold). This is not intuitive, and at a minimum I would have liked for the same number of clicks to enter a Mode Group also be used to consistently exit it. But on the plus side, Strobes are reasonably well hidden if you don’t want to bother with them at all in Advanced UI. And you can always stick with General UI if you really don’t like it.

In terms of the strobes, I do like the slow signaling strobes here, with both high and low power (especially as a bike light).

Standby Indicator:

As mentioned in the build section, you can toggle on a standby indicator that briefly flashes the green LED under the switch cover once every four seconds. You do this in a similar way to how you switch between General UI and Advanced UI, but with an extra step: loosen the tailcap a quarter turn, hold down the button, tighten the tailcap AND then immediately loosen the tailcap a quarter turn. I haven’t measured the standby drain in this mode, but I suspect its pretty minimal.

Shortcuts:

Rather then go through it all again, please see above for how all the clicks and press-and-holds work in the two UI.  In simple terms, press-and-hold from Off is necessary to first access Firefly modes, and multiple clicks are necessary to access Turbo from either On or Off.

Mode Memory:

Yes. The light remembers the last mode used and returns to it (constant output modes only in General UI, all modes including Strobes in Advanced UI). Memory mode persists, even with a battery change.

Lock-out Mode:

Yes. Simply unscrew the tailcap a quarter turn. Even though the tailcap has non-anodized threads, it does turn Off while unscrewing from fully tight.

Low battery warning:

Yes. The switch indicator will signal the battery status once the cell is <25% (at which  point, it will flash orange every 2 seconds). Once the battery is <10%, it will flash red every second.

High temperature warning:

The switch indicator will also signal a high temperature warning, with 3 orange flashes every 2 secs. If heat is critical, it will flash red 3 times every second, and the brightness level will automatically step down.

According to the manual, the brightness decreases once the light approaches 58 degrees Celsius.

Reviewer Comments:

This is a sophisticated interface, with a lot of extra bells-and-whistles (in terms of mode groupings, standby and battery/heat indicators, etc.). It is a bit confusing to configure, and there are some inconsistencies in how features are implemented across UI Mode Group sets (i.e., which modes are included in a ramp, exact number of clicks to access or exit a given Mode set, etc.). And since this is not completely clear in the manual (even the extended manual online), you are likely need to refer the UI instructions here to reprogram.

But that’s really more of a quibble – any sophisticated UI is going to have complexities and inconsistencies that won’t please everyone. Once you decide which interface you want – the default General UI or the Advanced UI, you should be able to get used to things fairly quickly.  And again, I like to think of this light as fundamentally a press-and-hold style light for selecting modes, with the clicks really about shortcuts or group selections.

To help you see how all that works in practice, I’ve posted a video to my YouTube channel (@cpfselfbuilt) demonstrating the UI in practice:

Circuit Measures

Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM):

Main1:

There is no sign of PWM or circuit noise at any level. The light appears to be fully constant-current controlled. 🙂

Strobe:

Strobe3:

Strobe2:

Strobe1:

Strobe3 frequency is a fast 9.6 Hz, at full power (Turbo2). Fairly disorienting.

Strobes1 and 2 are slow signaling strobes, both at 1 Hz. Strobe 2 is full power (Turbo2), whereas Strobe 1 is reduced to the Main2 level.

Charging:

Charging this light is a little unusual. The magnetic charging base will snap on the tailcap snugly, and initiate the charge. The power LED glows red when charging, and the battery LED glows green when done (or when the dock is disconnected). The green LED will flash for a few second when first connecting, as it evaluates the charge status of the battery. Note that it will not initiate a charge if the cell is >4.0V resting (i.e., the charging status stays green).

There is also an orange blinking error feature apparently, but I haven’t seen it – it occurs if the charging source is incapable of providing enough power. Solid orange means it is charging at a reduced current.

Note: You need to unscrew the tailcap a quarter-turn, to lock out the light first, in order to charge it. If you try to charge with the tailcap fully connected, you will get a flashing red error light on the charging base. This is a very unusual design.

Resting voltage <3.0V

Resting voltage >3.0V

The Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Nichia shows an initial low initial charging current of 0.13A when the cell is heavily depleted (<3.0V resting), which jumps up to 1.0A once the cell is >3.0V resting. This two-current charging is a good design, and indicates a safe integrated charging circuit. The max charging rate is also very reasonable for a 186500 battery.

In my testing, once charging begins it will fully charge the cell up ~4.19V resting at termination.  However, as mentioned earlier, it will not initiate a charge above ~4.0V resting. You will need to use a stand-alone charger if you wish to top-up you cells within the ~4.0-4.2V range.

Standby / Parasitic Drain:

I measured the standby current as 6.6 uA.

This is negligible, and not a concern (i.e., it would take many years to drain the cell). Nevertheless, I always recommend you store the light locked out at the tailcap when not in use, to prevent accidental activation and cut the standby drain. A quarter turn twist of the tail will lock out this light, despite the lack of anodized screw threads. Note the charger feature still works when the light is locked out (indeed, it only works when the light is locked out, which is pretty unique).

Emitter Measures

This section is a new feature of my reviews, where I directly measure key emitter characteristics in terms of colour temperature, tint, and colour rendition. Please see my Emitter Measures page to learn more about what these terms mean, and how I am measuring them.

As explained on that page, since I am using an inexpensive uncalibrated device, you can only make relative comparisons across my reviews (i.e., don’t take these numbers as absolutely accurate values, but as relatively consistent across lights in my testing).

The key measures above are the colour temperature of ~4170K, and the slight negative tint shift (-0.0036 Duv) to orange-rose at this temperature.

For CRI (Ra), I measured a combined score of 94.

These values seem reasonable for a Nichia 144AR emitter, and match my visual experience of this light.

As you go down in output from Turbo through to Firefly modes, the CCT consistently drops. To get an idea of the dynamic range, I measured the Turbo2 mode as ~4500K.  settling down to ~4000K in Firefly1. The Duv is a consistent negative value across all levels, and ranges from -0.0030 through -0.0055 depending on the level (I don’t see an obvious trend across outputs, but it is always within that slight negative range).

So, a very pleasant warmer-end of neutral white tint (most prefer the negative Duv, myself included). It also seems fairly accurate to the specs.

Beamshots

All outdoor beamshots are taken on my Canon PowerShot S5 IS at f/2.7, 0.5 secs exposure, ISO 400, daylight white balance. The bend in the road is approximately 40 meters (~45 yards) from the camera. Learn more about my outdoor beamshots here (scroll down for the floody light position used in this review).

Click on any thumbnail image below to open a full size image in a new window. You can then easily compare beams by switching between tabs.



It is an interesting beam pattern for these Armytek lights; a very even flood beam, with no demarcation from spot to spill. I think it could make a good bicycle light, for general illumination in the immediate foreground.

Testing Results

My summary tables are generally reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. In addition to the links above, please see my output measures page for more background.

All my output numbers are based on my home-made lightbox setup. As explained on that methodology page, I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values to estimated lumens. My Peak Intensity/Beam Distance are directly measured with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter.

Wizard C2 Pro Nichia Testing Results

ModeSpec LumensEstimated Lumens @0secEstimated Lumens @30 secsBeam Intensity @0secBeam Intensity @30secsBeam Distance @30secsPWM/Strobe FreqNoise FreqCharging Current <3VCharging Current >3VParasitic DrainWeight w/o BatteryWeight with Battery
Firefly10.10.040.04---NoNo0.13 A1.0 A6.6 uA64 g113 g
Firefly21.00.90.9---NoNo0.13 A1.0 A6.6 uA64 g113 g
Firefly34.65.35.3---NoNo0.13 A1.0 A6.6 uA64 g113 g
Main1344141---NoNo0.13 A1.0 A6.6 uA64 g113 g
Main290120120---NoNo0.13 A1.0 A6.6 uA64 g113 g
Main3250310300---NoNo0.13 A1.0 A6.6 uA64 g113 g
Turbo1750-440900900---NoNo0.13 A1.0 A6.6 uA64 g113 g
Turbo21,600-4401,9001,9004,490 cd4,110 cd128 mNoNo0.13 A1.0 A6.6 uA64 g113 g
Strobe190-----1.0 HzNo0.13 A1.0 A6.6 uA64 g113 g
Strobe21,600-----1.0 HzNo0.13 A1.0 A6.6 uA64 g113 g
Strobe31,600-----9.6 HzNo0.13 A1.0 A6.6 uA64 g113 g

It’s great to see the multiple Moonlight/Firefly modes here, especially the ultra-low Firefly1 at <0.1 lumens. Spacing of modes is very good, with a great range of levels across the whole dynamic range.

At 64g/113g (without/with battery), the Wizard C2 Pro Nichia is noticeably lighter and smaller than other lights in my testing.

To see full testing results for all modern lights in my testing, check out my Database page.

Runtimes

As always, my runtimes are done under a small cooling fan, for safety and consistency. To learn more about how to interpret runtime graphs, see my runtimes methodology page.

18650-Max

18650-Hi

18650-Med

And here’s a blow-up of the first few mins of the Wizard C2 Pro Nichia on Turbo/Hi, so you can see the initial Turbo step-down better.

18650-Max

The Wizard C2 Pro Nichia shows excellent efficiency and regulation at all levels tested, consistent with its larger sibling and other good current-controlled lights. It shows a very controlled step-down pattern as the battery nears exhaustion.

This is my first Nichia 144AR emitter, but it seems to be remarkably efficient. It seems to beat out the 519A emitter competition in terms of runtimes, but that’s hard to say for certain given the differing battery capacities in those other lights.

Note that the Turbo2 level steps down over 1-1.5mins to ~440 lumen level, compared to the ~800 lumen Turbo1 level. Unless you really need the super high output of Turbo2 for that short length of time, you may find Turbo1 more generally useful.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Excellent current-controlled efficiency, with stable regulation in all modes.User interface is a little unusual, with two distinct UIs with differing mode group sets (with some shortcut inconsistencies between).
Textured optic provides an extremely floody beam, with no real hotspot.Charging dock requires tailcap to be loosened, and won't initiate a charge when cell is >4.0V resting.
Great overall range of output levels, with several true Moonlight modes.Need to keep tailcap and screw threads very clean, or you can get some flickering on the highest level.
Compact and easy to activate with a single large button, and a number of warning/notification modes available.
Included high-capacity battery with custom USB charging dock (magnetic).

A neutral comment is that the Wizard C2 Pro Nichia is an angle-head light – which is beneficial when using as a headlamp or clip-on light, but is different from most other lights.

Overall Rating

Preliminary Conclusions

I am really impressed with this light. It has a great tint and beam, with my preferred neutral white tint and all the benefits of Hi CRI. The full flood is also very useful in a lot of situations. Armytek obviously considers this a headlamp and a bike light, and I would agree with both assessments. I would also throw in dog-walking. Like for biking at night, I’ve always found the involuntary “follow the bouncing ball” perceptual effect of a hotspot distracting, and prefer full flood. So the pocket/belt clip is also appreciated.

The performance of the circuit was great – excellent regulation and output/runtime efficiency at all levels tested. Given the small thermal mass however, it needs to step down fairly quickly on max (Turbo2) – so I suspect you will find constantly-regulated Turbo1 to be more generally useful.

The build feels sufficiently solid and rugged, with Armytek’s classic grippy finish (although I’ve noticed previously that their lights can mark up easily). Switch action is good, and the status LEDs under the switch serve multiple uses. The charging dock is a little unusual in that it needs the tailcap loosened (and won’t initiate a charge >4.0V resting). But the charging circuit works well, with very reasonable charging rates.

Mode level spacing is good, and I really like seeing all the Firefly (aka Moonlight) modes.

The main issue is the complex and somewhat inconsistent user interface. I had initially knocked off half a star for this complexity, but I have since reconsidered. It’s always hard to have a sophisticated interface on a single switch without some compromises. It certainly has a lot of good features, and you can easily get used to it with a bit of practice. Note they could also improve the length and clarity of the manual in this regard, but the UI section above should you maximize your use of the light.

If you are in the market for a floody light with great tint and colour rendition, and a great range of levels, the Wizard C2 Pro Nichia has a lot to offer. Certainly a top pick.

Acknowledgement

The Wizard C2 Pro Nichia was provided for review by Armytek. All opinions are my own however, and the light received the same rigourous and objective testing as all other lights that I have reviewed. At the time of review, this light retails for ~$95 USD (~$125 CDN).

Armytek is offering a 15% discount code to readers of my website, please use code flashlightreviews15 when checking out of the Armytek.com website.

Acebeam E70 Mini

2 comments

The E70 Mini is a compact every-day-carry style flashlight, with excellent colour rendition, running on an included single 18650 battery. Features a rakish looking design typically associated with custom lights.

  1. Introduction
  2. Manufacturer Specifications
  3. Package Details
  4. Build
  5. User Interface
  6. Circuit Measures
  7. Emitter Measures
  8. Beamshots
  9. Testing Results
  10. Runtimes
  11. Pros and Cons
  12. Overall Rating
  13. Preliminary Conclusions
  14. Acknowledgement

Introduction

Following on my review of the E70, this Mini version is the smaller 18650-based model that features 3x Hi CRI Nichia 519A emitters. It really is a miniature version of the same build, right down to the custom 18650 battery with built-in UBC-C charging port.

I had planned to focus on the newer 1×21700 class for these first new reviews, but I couldn’t resist this Mini model once I heard about those 3x Nichia 519A emitters. I figured that was worth a look. Let’s see how it compares.

Manufacturer Specifications

Note: as always, these are simply what the manufacturer provides – scroll down to see my actual testing results.

FeatureSpecs
MakerAcebeam
ModelE70 Mini
Emitter3xNichia 519A
Tint5000K (Hi CRI>90)
Max Output (Lumens)2,000
Min Output (Lumens)12
Max Runtime100 hrs
Max Beam Intensity (cd)5,875 cd
Max Beam Distance (m)153 m
Mode Levels6
FlashingStrobe
Battery1x18650
Weight (w/o battery)72 g
Weight (with battery)120 g
Length111 mm
Head Diameter26 mm
Body Diameter23.4 mm
WaterproofIP68 2m

Package Details

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The E70 Mini is shipped in the same kind of cardboard display box as the E70. Inside, you will find the following:

  • Acebeam E70 Mini flashlight, with attached clip (Torx screws)
  • Lanyard
  • Pouch
  • 18650 battery
  • USB-C charging cable
  • Extra o-rings
  • Warranty card,
  • Manual

It’s a good package of accessories, identical to its larger sibling.

Build

20230402_162334
From left to right: ArmyTek 18650 (3500mAh), Acebeam 18650 (3100mAh), Armytek Wizard Pro Nichia (18650), Acebeam E70 Mini (18650), Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max (21700), Acebeam E70 (21700), Fenix E35 v3 (21700), Convoy S21E (21700).

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This is a compact version of the E70 in every way – shorter, thinner, and quite a bit lighter.

As with its larger sibling, the E70 Mini is double-walled, with the inner wall an electric blue colour (visible through the slanted cut-outs along the outside wall). While the extra wall thickness and larger head make this light a little larger than most in the 1×18650 class, it is more compact that the typical 1×21700 light.

The rear switch is electronic in nature, with a stainless steel switch cover. Feel and traverse of the switch is good, and easy to activate even if you don’t hit it dead-on. Thanks to the raised tail cut-outs, the light can still tailstand stably. I found the design and interface very easy to use in my testing.

The light lacks traditional knurling, but the cut-outs in the exterior wall produce the same basic effect, along with circular indents on the head. A very rakish design. Note that this double-walled design does produce a certain “hollow” feel when you tap on it, but that’s a minor point.

The pocket clip is firmly attached, and helps further with grip. It is not reversible, and can only be used for downward carry.

Hard anodizing looks to be good quality (as is typical for Acebeam), and is more on the matte side (which I personally prefer, not a fan of glossy lights). Threads are anodized, so you can lock out the light by a twist of the head.

The light lacks a USB-C charging port on the body, but there is one built into the bundled 18650 battery. There is a charging LED on the battery. Note that given the extra length of these batteries, you may have issues with older style ones making good contact (especially flat-top designs). But all of my old button-top 18650s work just fine in this light, so I think that risk is negligible.

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20221012_094731
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The light uses 3x Nichia 519A 5000K (Hi CRI >90) emitters, under a triple TIR optic. This produces a very nice neutral white tint with excellent colour rendition. Beam pattern is somewhat spot-like, with a fainter spillbeam (scroll down for beamshots). It’s a surprisingly smooth and even spotbeam, with relatively mild artifacts only around the edge of the dimmer spillbeam. There is none of the tint shifting I noticed on the larger E70 (due to its XHP70.2 emitter and lens AR coating).

The bezel has small scalloped crenelations on it, so you can tell if the light is on when head-standing. I haven’t tried using it as a weapon, but I imagine it would be unpleasant to be struck with the business end of this light.

Overall, I find this to be a good looking light with very good ergonomics and a good beam pattern. It fits comfortably in the hand.

User Interface

The E70 Mini uses a single tail-mounted electronic switch to control the flashlight. Available constant output modes, as per the manufacturer labels, are: Ultralow (which I will refer to as Moonlight throughout this review), Low, Med1, Med2, Hi, Turbo. There is one blinking mode outside the main sequence: Strobe. User interface is identical to the E70.

From OFF:

  • Press and hold: Moonlight (release after light activates to maintain Moonlight)
  • Single click: Nothing
  • Double click: Turns on in last mode used
  • Triple click: Strobe
  • 5 clicks: Activates lockout mode. Note the light will activate in Moonlight for ~3 secs, then flash three times, turn off and lock itself out. Press and hold 3 secs to disable lockout (or loosen-tighten the tailcap)

From ON:

  • Press and hold: Cycles through all the modes from Low to High (note that Turbo and Moonlight are not part of the main cycle)
  • Double click: Turbo (and a repeated double-click returns you to the previously used mode)
  • Triple click: Strobe

Shortcuts:

  • To Turbo: Double click from On to enter Turbo (or double-click twice from Off)
  • To Moonlight: Press and hold from Off
  • To Strobe: Triple-click from either On or Off
  • To Lockout: Press and hold the switch for more than 5 secs. Press and hold 3 secs to disable (or loosen-tighten the tailcap)

Mode memory:

Yes. The light remembers the last constant output used, and returns to it next time you turn on it (with the exception of Moonlight and Turbo).

Low battery warning:

No.

Reviewer Comments:

As before, I find this to be a decent enough interface, except for the need to double-click to turn on. Still, it isn’t too hard to remember this little quirk, and the worst thing that will happen is the light won’t come in with a single click (although you are forgoing the option of an extra shortcut this way). Alternatively, a press and hold will activate in Moonlight, and you can always cycle through to the main modes from there.

Note that Turbo requires a double click to enter (and only from On), and ramps down automatically after about a min or so (scroll down for runtimes). But see below for my comments on the new “Ultralow” mode that has replaced Moonlight on this model (see Testing Results for more info).

Circuit Measures

Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM):

E70Mini-Lo

As before, there is no sign of PWM or circuit noise at any level. The light appears to be fully constant-current controlled. 🙂

Strobe:

E70Mini-Strobe

Strobe frequency is a fast 9.9 Hz. Fairly disorienting.

Charging:
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Resting voltage <3.0V
E70Mini-charging1

Resting voltage >3.0V
E70Mini-charging2

The Acebeam 21700 battery shows an initial low USB-C charging current of 0.08A when the cell is heavily depleted (<3.0V resting), which jumps up to 1.1A once the cell is >3.0V resting. This two-current charging is a good design, and indicates a safe integrated charging circuit. The max charging rate is also very reasonable for a 186500 battery (better than the lower current E70 model).

Standby / Parasitic Drain:

I have recently re-tested the standby current with an improved setup, and measured 59 uA.

This is quite low, and not a concern in practice (i.e., it would take 6 years to fully drain the battery). Still, I suggest you lock the light out when not in use to prevent accidental activation and completely cut this standby drain. A single twist of the head will lock out this light, thanks to the anodized screw threads.

Emitter Measures

This section is a new feature of my reviews, where I directly measure key emitter characteristics in terms of colour temperature, tint, and colour rendition. Please see my Emitter Measures page to learn more about what these terms mean, and how I am measuring them.

As explained on that page, since I am using an inexpensive uncalibrated device, you can only make relative comparisons across my reviews (i.e., don’t take these numbers as absolutely accurate values, but as relatively consistent across lights in my testing).

The key measures above are the colour temperature of ~4460K, and the moderately negative tint shift (-0.0053 Duv) to rose at this temperature.

For CRI (Ra), I measured a combined score of 95.

These values seem reasonable for neutral-white tinted Nichia 519A emitters (which tend toward negative Duvs in my experience), and match my visual experience of this light.

To give you an idea of the range across output levels, I measured Turbo mode as a CCT of ~4600K which dropped consistently down to the Ultralow mode of ~4400K. Duvs fluctuated mainly from -0.0053 to -0.0065 with no real pattern (with an unusually low reading of -0.0075 on Turbo).

Beamshots

All outdoor beamshots are taken on my Canon PowerShot S5 IS at f/2.7, 0.5 secs exposure, ISO 400, daylight white balance. The bend in the road is approximately 40 meters (~45 yards) from the camera. Learn more about my outdoor beamshots here (scroll down for the floody light position used in this review).

Click on any thumbnail image below to open a full size image in a new window. You can then easily compare beams by switching between tabs.



Here is an earlier pic I did last fall, of the larger model E70 in this location:

It is an interesting beam pattern; a very even spotbeam effect, with dimmer secondary spill. I find I quite like it. You can’t really notice the mild multi-emitter artifacts in the spillbeam in practice.

Testing Results

My summary tables are generally reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. In addition to the links above, please see my output measures page for more background.

All my output numbers are based on my home-made lightbox setup. As explained on that methodology page, I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values to estimated lumens. My Peak Intensity/Beam Distance are directly measured with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter.

E70 Mini Testing Results

ModeSpec LumensEstimated Lumens @0secEstimated Lumens @30 secsBeam Intensity @0secBeam Intensity @30secsBeam Distance @30secsPWM/Strobe FreqNoise FreqCharging Current <3VCharging Current >3VParasitic DrainWeight w/o BatteryWeight with Battery
Ultralow121414---NoNo0.08 A1.1 A1.39 mA71 g124 g
Low608585---NoNo0.08 A1.1 A1.39 mA71 g124 g
Med1170240240---NoNo0.08 A1.1 A1.39 mA71 g124 g
Med2380440430---NoNo0.08 A1.1 A1.39 mA71 g124 g
High900-6001,000950---NoNo0.08 A1.1 A1.39 mA71 g124 g
Turbo2,000-6002,3002,1506,020 cd5,670 cd151 mNoNo0.08 A1.1 A1.39 mA71 g124 g
Strobe1,000-----9.9 HzNo0.08 A1.1 A1.39 mA71 g124 g

While the output levels are generally pretty well spaced, I’m disappointed to see the lack of a true Moonlight mode now (i.e., the “Ultralow” minimum output mode is much higher than Moonlight on the E70 model). I’m guessing they weren’t able to produce a true moonlight with the multiple emitter setup (i.e., there’s probably a boost driver in there now, which can help for runtime and regulation, but which can also limit both high and low levels).

At 71g/124g (without/with battery), the E70 Mini is noticeably lighter than the E70, which weighed in at 101g/175g in my testing.

To see full testing results for all modern lights in my testing, check out my Database page.

Runtimes

As always, my runtimes are done under a small cooling fan, for safety and consistency. To learn more about how to interpret runtime graphs, see my runtimes methodology page.

18650-Max

18650-Hi

18650-Med

And here’s a blow-up of the first few mins of the E70 Mini on Turbo/Hi, so you can see the initial Turbo step-down better.

18650-Max

The E70 Mini shows very good efficiency and regulation at all levels tested, consistent with its sibling and other good current-controlled circuits. It also seems to accurately step-down (at Turbo/Hi) to a ~600 lumen level after a certain period of time (i.e., 1 min and 21.5 mins, respectively).

The use of multiple 519A emitters appear to be a bit less efficient than the single Nichia 144AR in the competing Armytek Wizard Pro Nichia, but its hard to say for certain given the larger battery capacity of that light. Regardless, this is very good performance on the E70 Mini.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Very good current-controlled efficiency, with stable regulation in all modes.Double-click to turn on is unusual, but easy enough to remember.
Multiple Hi CRI emitters, with a very clean beam.Standby drain higher than typical, leading to a rapid draining of the battery.
Compact and comfortable to hold in the hand.Lacks a true Moonlight mode now.
Included high-capacity battery with USB-C charging port.

In comparison to the E70, the smaller size here is likely to be a plus for many. Both lights have great beams for their classes, but I prefer the E70 Mini for its neutral tint and lack of the spillbeam tint shifing. But the E70 Mini unfortunately lacks the Moonlight mode now.

Overall Rating

Preliminary Conclusions

I was initially hoping this light would actually would go up in rating from my E70 review, given some of the relative benefits here – namely the more compact size, higher charge rate, and improved beam pattern with higher CRI. But the lack of a true Moonlight mode now (or even a really low low) really knocks down the value of this light as an all-purpose EDC (i.e., every day carry).

The beam pattern is distinctive, with its defined spot and dimmer spillbeam. It is frankly lovely, as there are (impressively) no artifacts in the spotbeam, and a very even tint throughout. A great job on the spotbeam TIR optic – I see these have come a long way from my earlier reviewing days. And the ~5000K is right up my alley for a preferred colour temperature.

Everything else about this light is consistent with my review of the E70. I find it to be a great looking light, and it is very comfortable to hold and operate. Another improvement over the E70 is the faster charge rate of the bundled 18650 cell, in keeping with most chargers of this class.

Another great light to consider in the rechargeable compact class of modern flashlights. If it weren’t for the missing Moonlight mode (less than optimal UI) this would be a 5 star light.

UPDATE May 11, 20223: I originally reported an unusually high parasitic standby drain on my sample, as I was getting inconsistent readings and so went with the highest value. I’ve upgraded my DMM leads and more carefully masked off the surfaces, and am pleased to report much more reasonable (and inconsequential) drain levels consistent with the competition.

Acknowledgement

The E70 Mini was provided for review by Acebeam. All opinions are my own however, and the light received the same rigourous and objective testing as all other lights that I have reviewed. At the time of review, this light retails for ~$70 USD (~$105 CDN).

Acebeam is making available a discount code for readers of my reviews. If you purchase the light from the Acebeam.com website, you can use the code “selfbuilt” (without the quotation marks) for 10% off.