LED Modules

Meat and Potatoes

The EagleTac T20C2 comes standard with an R5 bin Cree XP-G LED. Currently one of the latest and greatest LEDs to grace the market. This emitter is naturally quite a good fit for flashlights, generally offering a slightly floodier beam with an excellent transition corona. As I mentioned before, EagleTac has managed to provide a fairly tight focus using the large reflector in this “T”actical model of the line. However, for those who are looking for an even more impressive spotlight, EagleTac is now offering an intentional downgrade (retrograde?) to the older technology R2 bin Cree XR-E LED. This may seem counter-intuitive at first. For a brighter spot, don’t you need a brighter source? Actually, no. The XR-E’s physical structure is such that it creates a much different light emission pattern. This, combined with the XR-E’s smaller die allow the light to be focused into a much tighter beam, resulting in a significantly brighter spot.

Of course, the downfall to this retrograde is that you lose the beautiful transitional corona and even some overall illumination, but what you gain is increased distance of your beam. By my estimations (based strictly on rudimentary knowledge of LED capabilities), I would expect that you are getting no more than 250 lumens total from this light, but EagleTac quoted to me that the lux intensity of the spot is as much as 60-70% increased. This falls pretty well in line with what my precisely calibrated eyeballs are reporting.

These drop-ins are not inter-compatible with other branded lights, like many similar products are because EagleTac uses a proprietary reverse threaded format for their product. This aides dramatically in heat transfer from the electronics to the body of the light, protecting the more sensitive components from damage. The user interface of this drop-in has not changed at all from stock, the only differences are in output.

Beamshot Comparison

Constructive Criticism

The choice of an XR-E in these drop-ins, though tightening the focus, does have a drawback. Once again these lights are afflicted with the series of shadowy and bright concentric rings surrounding the hotspot. EagleTac has tempered these slightly with some very light texture to the reflector, but since this unit was designed for distance illumination, that was a very fine line to walk. These don’t play out to seriously when the light is used outside or at the distances it is intended for, but for closer, indoor work, they are persistent.

With the drop-ins being reverse threaded, there is a slight unique complication that arises. The reflectors are also threaded on to the LED modules, however they use a standard “right-hand” thread. This can sometimes result in the reflector trying to loosen itself from the base as you are attempting to insert the drop-in. If both these threads are relatively equal tension, it can become a bit of comedy trying to get everything installed properly. This point is really nothing more than a trifle, I know, but it did bear worth mentioning.

Conclusions

Business End

A worthwhile product if you are searching for a dedicated thrower. Well constructed, just like the original, but utilizing technology that is better suited for a tight focus, rather than for even illumination. When it comes down to the wire, choices are not a bad thing.

Provided for review by the kind folks at EagleTac.

SunwayLED L10R

Meat and Potatoes

The L10R is a dramatic departure from the other introduction lights by new manufacturer SunwayLED. Thus far the majority of what we have seen are control ring based lights with attractive styling. This model however has kept the stylized overtones nearly completely out of the picture opting instead for simplistic efficiency of design. The body tube of this torch is the most un-decorated flashlight component I have yet seen. The unique head has just enough decorative machining to give a place to put the unusual SunwayLED logo. Thankfully, this unpretentious appearance is covered head to tail with the flawless anodizing that is rapidly becoming trademark for this brand.

SunwayLED has crammed the 4 modes found in the M10R into a completely different user interface with its own benefits and downfalls. Gone is the ability to preselect your output mode before activating the light, but in its place comes a unique feel that is still quite easy to use. The switch for the L10R is an electronic push button similar to the much larger Olight SR90. SunwayLED however has given you the option for either constant on by pressing and immediately releasing, or momentary by just pressing and holding as long as you want light (a feature undocumented in my manual). The L10R activates in High mode every single time and cycles to Low and then to Medium with each double-click. This is somewhat of a unique order, but it works for what it is. Tucked quietly away into the background is a seemingly very hyperactive strobe mode accessed by pressing and holding the button when the light is on in any mode. Even cooler is that it will return to the same mode that it started in when released giving you momentary full power strobe even if you are using Low. Another undocumented feature is the ability to lock it in the strobe mode with a double click and hold (a move that many of you are quite familiar with if you owned any of the Nitecore SmartPD designs).

SunwayLED L10R

Taking a traditional flashlight profile and rotating the head 90° creates an uniquely altered set of ergonomics. With the switch located on the head of the light as it is, it can be located just as easily in the dark as with any tactical tailcap switch. You hold your hand naturally in front of you to point the light forward, instead of having to hold the light over your shoulder. Tailstanding (which this light is very capable of doing) also directs the light forward onto a specific target rather than blindly into the air. You can also lay the light down for ceiling bounce room lighting if you desire.  This light is a little larger than some of the tiniest CR123A powered lights, but it is still not overly large by any stretch.

Single Cell CR123A

Though I have taken issue with previous SunwayLED pocket clips, the clip included with the L10R is definitely an exception. First off it does away with the insecure tension attachment in favor of a much more reliable full loop that is screwed between the body tube and head of the torch. This eliminates any wiggle, free rotation, or chance of accidental removal. Secondly it offers you the option of three positions to secure the clip (back, left or right side) allowing you to attach the light to your belt or pocket and still illuminate your way.

Pocket clip

Constructive Criticism

Utilizing an R2 bin Cree XR-E LED, the SunwayLED struggles against the well established and even infamous Cree ring common to these LEDs. Thankfully the textured reflector goes a long way toward smoothing out these imperfections and creating a usable beam. I suspect that the reflector is actually identical to the M10R since the beams are so similar between the two. Where I don’t see this to be a large problem on the more traditional lights, I believe that a light in this format would greatly benefit from the change to the newer XP-G LED. This diode inherently walks hand in hand with a smoother, floodier beam that would compliment the usage of the L10R very nicely.

Cree XR-E

One interesting note discovered during my testing was some peculiarity of the behavior of the switch. With this style of electronic switch, the operation is a whole lot different than your usual forward or reverse clicky switch. I have found this switch to occasionally not appear to register my presses. I am not entirely certain that this is not just an issue of needing to get used to the light more on my part or if there is some ever so slight hiccup in the light. Usually if I just slow down a little and be more deliberate with my press, it will register correctly and the problem will go away.

Conclusions

The SunwayLED L10R is a unique twist on your classic flashlight and offers a useful new angle on illumination. Tired of the puns? How about this. Spectacular fit and finish pair up with a well thought out light with plenty of excellent features. I am impressed.

SunwayLED L10R

Provided for review by the kind folks at SunwayLED via Battery Junction.

SunwayLED M20C

Meat and Potatoes

The M20C further expands SunwayLED’s initial line of control ring based lights filling a gap with a nice medium-format light. It is powered by either 2 CR123A cells or a single 18650 if you want to take advantage of the usefulness of a rechargeable cell. SunwayLED has again shown they have a propensity for “getting it right” when it comes to the tactile feel and near silent activation of the control ring UI. It just feels excellent. There is no slop or play anywhere and it’s very well blended into the aesthetics of the light.

On that note, the overall aesthetics of the M20C are fantastic. The machine work is superb and the, dark olive anodizing appears thick and flawless. It is beset with coarse square threading furthering the impression of durability given off by its rugged visage. SunwayLED has definitely shown that their designers are competent in creating products that you can’t wait to show off.

SunwayLED M20C

It has the same Low-Medium-High-Strobe settings of the smaller M10R, however this time they are very well spaced, visually. The Low is very adequate for nighttime navigation and the High is really quite bright. More importantly, the Medium mode seemingly halves these two extremes very nicely, allowing for greatly extended runtime and yet much increased brightness over the minimum. I realize that if I were to put the question of what 3 levels would be best to 100 different enthusiasts like ourselves, I would likely receive 89 different answers (statistically some of you have to agree). I do however view myself as particularly average when it comes to lighting desires. Since these levels are right about where I like them, I suspect many of you will feel the same.

Utilizing an R2 bin Cree XR-E LED, the SunwayLED struggles against the well established and even infamous Cree ring common to these LEDs. Thankfully the textured reflector goes a long way toward smoothing out these imperfections and creating a usable beam. Also of interest to some (myself included) is the complete lack of any kind of preflash when you start the light in the lower modes. There is actually some evidence of the opposite in effect, an ever-so-slight hesitation before hitting full brightness in the higher modes. This is by far more tolerable than being hit with a painfully bright flash when trying to preserve some semblance of night adapted vision.

Cree XR-E R2

Constructive Criticism

Since it appears an unwritten rule that every new LED flashlight must have a strobe feature included, I would like to start seeing them tucked a little further out of the way from normal day to day operation. Not in any sort of way that makes them actually difficult to access for those who wish, but just enough to prevent stumbling into that mode by mistake. With the control ring of the M20C I believe this would be relatively simple. My thought for the best separation would be to somehow increase the tension of the tactile click between modes just for the last step up to strobe. This would keep it completely accessible as it is currently, but give it just that little bit of separation that would prevent accidental activation.

One interesting note, since I am testing this light concurrently with the smaller SunwayLED M10R, I am presented with an interesting dilemma. The control ring UI on these two lights are effectively identical with only a sole exception. While facing the light away from you, the M10R rotates the ring to the left (counter-clockwise) to increase brightness where the M20C rotates the ring to the right (clockwise) for the same effect. Taken as an individual light, this poses no trouble at all, but since I am repeatedly switching between the two I find myself selecting an unintended mode relatively often. It presents the question that possibly these lights could benefit from visual indicators as to which output is being selected.

The M20C comes prepacked with a lanyard and removable pocket clip. I am not personally a big lanyard fan so not many points are won that way. However for those that are, this one seems adequate for the task at hand. The included pocket clip is fairly nice allowing the light to be carried deep in your pocket with just the tailcap protruding. The problem is that it is a relatively loose fitting tension attachment that allows the clip to rotate relatively easily around the barrel of the light and is even easily removed. I would like to see some more secure method developed to attach the clip. In the mean time, my light is travelling clipless. Also, for lights of this size, the inclusion of a high quality holster would be an excellent benefit to many people. I don’t really consider many 18650 sized lights to be all that pocketable, so the best method to carry it without it being cumbersome, is holstered.

SunwayLED M20C

Conclusions

An entry level light with a ton to offer, the M2C is a fantastic worklight that isn’t too bulky. Excellent design and workmanship come together with a fan favorite control ring UI to make a quality product that stands out from the pack.

Provided for review by the kind folks at SunwayLED via Battery Junction.

SunwayLED M10R

Meat and Potatoes

The user interface of a multimode light is a difficult hurdle to overcome at best. How do you make it simple enough, and yet provide easy access to however many output modes you choose to provide? I have seen many different types of user interfaces on lights, and yet one of my my absolute favorites still remains the control ring. Having direct access to your desired light output that is independent of the power switch is a very desirable feature. The control ring of the M10R has an excellent feel with light tactile feedback letting you know when you are switching modes and yet maintaining silent operation.

SunwayLED has chosen basic Low, Medium, and High constant outputs plus the seemingly obligatory strobe mode. The constant levels are rated at 4, 20 and 190 lumens respectively, however I feel I have reason to question these numbers. Though the High output seems plausible when compared to other lights in the same vicinity, the Medium output seems far to close in appearance for such a disparity in numerical value. At the same time, the 4 lumen low more closely resembles the “Moon” mode of the 4Sevens Quark series. It is only slightly brighter to the naked eye. I am not saving this for the constructive criticism section strictly because I don’t necessarily believe these to be poorly chosen levels. I just find the labeling to be suspect.

Utilizing an R2 bin Cree XR-E LED, the SunwayLED struggles against the well established and even infamous Cree ring common to these LEDs. Thankfully the textured reflector goes a long way toward smoothing out these imperfections and creating a usable beam. Also of interest to some (myself included) is the complete lack of any kind of preflash when you start the light in the lower modes. There is actually some evidence of the opposite in effect, an ever-so-slight hesitation before hitting full brightness in the higher modes. This is by far more tolerable than being hit with a painfully bright flash when trying to preserve some semblance of night adapted vision.

Cree XR-E R2

Slim and compact, the M10R incorporates this normally bulky UI into a trim and attractive package. The machine work on this light is absolutely superb. All the appropriate edges are bevelled or chamfered leaving no sharp points to catch. They have chosen to leave out the standard crosshatch diamond knurling common to the industry, favoring instead a more unique ridged grip pattern for the barrel of the torch. Close attention to detail has been paid and SunwayLED has managed to turn out a very smart looking product. Thick dark olive anodizing and robust square threading compliment the aesthetic design of the light and make it appear that this light will easily withstand the test of time.

SunwayLED M10R

Constructive Criticism

During daily use of the M10R I have discovered that occasionally the light does not behave in a completely predictable manner. There are times that the torch will activate in low mode when I know for certain that I have put it into another setting. Occasionally, this problem will self correct within a second or two as the light realizes what is supposed to happen, but more often than not, it will stay there until I adjust the output while the light is on and change it back. This seems to happen most in the strobe mode but since that end of the control ring’s travel has some play beyond the last setting, I am not always certain what mode I am in. This brings me directly to my next points.

One interesting note, since I am testing this light concurrently with the larger SunwayLED M20C, I am presented with an interesting dilemma. The control ring UI on these two lights are effectively identical with only a sole exception. While facing the light away from you, the M10R rotates the ring to the left (counter-clockwise) to increase brightness where the M20C rotates the ring to the right (clockwise) for the same effect. Taken as an individual light, this poses no trouble at all, but since I am repeatedly switching between the two I find myself selecting an unintended mode relatively often. It presents the question that possibly these lights could benefit from visual indicators as to which output is being selected.

Since it appears an unwritten rule that every new LED flashlight must have a strobe feature included, I would like to start seeing them tucked a little further out of the way from normal day to day operation. Not in any sort of way that makes them actually difficult to access for those who wish, but just enough to prevent stumbling into that mode by mistake. With the control ring of the M10R I believe this would be relatively simple. My thought for the best separation would be to somehow increase the tension of the tactile click between modes just for the last step up to strobe. This would keep it completely accessible as it is currently, but give it just that little bit of separation that would prevent accidental activation.

The M10R comes prepacked with a lanyard and removable pocket clip. I am not personally a big lanyard fan so not many points are won that way. However for those that are, this one seems adequate for the task at hand. The included pocket clip is a wonderful shape allowing the light to be carried deep in your pocket with just the tip of the tail protruding when carried bezel down. The problem is that it is a relatively loose fitting tension attachment that allows the clip to rotate relatively easily around the barrel of the light and is even easily removed. I would like to see some more secure method developed to attach the clip. In the mean time, my light is travelling clipless.

Tension Clip

Conclusions

Compact, easy to use and really quite bright. The M10R is a single-cell light with a control ring UI that is small and sleek enough to be carried as an EDC torch. The fact that it looks this good while doing it is just icing on the cake. It still has a couple areas where it could improve, but overall it is one excellent introduction piece.

SunwayLED M10R

Provided for review by the kind folks at SunwayLED via Battery Junction.

4Sevens Maelstrom G5

Meat and Potatoes

The Maelstrom’s unadorned exterior design may strike some as overly simple, even boring, but 4Sevens has intentionally left the design spartan, instead focusing on usability and functionality. Simple knurling and very little special machining are the order of the day with the only indication that something is unique being the heat sink fins surrounding the flared head and the tactical cigar grip ring at the tail. At first glance the family resemblance to the existing Quark Turbo lights is evident, but that however is where the similarity ends. This solid, durable torch is built to survive all the rigors of a tactical use, or any other hard working environment.  The anodizing is flawless over every ridge, knurl and fin.  The excellent stainless steel bezel is devoid of machine marks or over-sharp edges.  The fit and finish is, in a word, superb.

Heat Sink Fins

4Sevens chose to engineer a completely new user interface for the Maelstrom, eschewing even their own existing Tactical Quark interface. The available mode selections are familiar still, sporting the same basic output levels and blinky modes as the Quark line, but their access has been drastically changed. No longer do you have to cycle through output modes to find the brightness you are looking for. The Maelstrom G5 has taken the classic head rotation mode selection and added two more stages to it giving you 4 total independently selectable outputs in each of two mode groups. Depending on how much you loosen the head of the light, the Maelstrom G5 begins at a dazzlingly bright “High” output level and dims down to a minuscule “Moon” mode very reminiscent of the Quark series. Alternatively you can switch over to the second group of outputs for all of the blinky modes combined with “Max” output in case you still need a more constant light.  Think of the entire head of the flashlight as a volume knob for output.

Smooth Reflector

At first I questioned the use of a smooth reflector in a light as high quality as this. In my experience, every single light I have used with a smooth reflector has had significant gains to be had from refining the beam with a light stipple. The Maelstrom however, does not necessarily succumb to this guideline. The beam of the G5 is quite exceptionally smooth with only the barest hints of any artifacts to be found. It is definitely focused for throw with a very well defined spot in the center of the beam, but thankfully it also has an adequate corona blending things into the ample spillbeam to allow for a more useful light at many distances. Utilizing a top of the line Cree XP-G LED driven relatively hard, 4Sevens has achieved an outstanding 350 lumens of light out of the front of this torch in “Max” mode, upping the ante in this highly competitive power leapfrogging market.

Designed to accept both a pair of CR123A cells or a single larger 18650 Li-ion rechargeable equally well, the Maelstrom G5 has been cleverly designed not to require the battery magazines utilized by other manufacturers, nor does it suffer from the battery rattle typical of lights that ignore it. Its unique method manages to absolutely eliminate battery rattle at least in the primary and secondary mode settings in either group, while still allowing the use of an 18650 without any adaptation.  Simply brilliant.

4Sevens Maelstrom G5

Constructive Criticism

Removable tactical grip rings have always been a bit of a pet peeve of mine. I’ve seen them made from metal, rigid plastic, and pliable rubber, and it’s only the rubber ones that have had any longevity in my collection. Every other grip ring has always been deemed too harsh and uncomfortable to use and been removed permanently immediately following the photo shoot. The only rubber grip ring I used was actually a joy to use. It was unobtrusive and very handy. It would be nice to see the Maelstrom updated with something similar. Since the Maelstrom G5 is actually a pre-release evaluation copy I do not have any information as to what accessories may be included in the final packaging, I assume that since the threaded grip ring is also used to hold the high quality clip in place that a smooth option will also be available.

The method of adjustment employed by the Maelstrom G5 is in its implementation very similar to the selector ring utilized by other companies. The biggest drawback to this method that I have seen is not the lack of physical indicators but rather the lack of visual ones. A series of 4 indicator marks depicting the rough locations of the 4 output modes would, in my opinion, be immensely helpful in pre-selecting your output.

Lastly, I have a very slight point of fussiness that is probably just my own idiosyncrasies coming into play. The two output groups available on the Maelstrom are very well chosen, in my opinion. There is just the slight issue I take with the fact that “Max” output is not in the same circuit as the remainder of the constant modes, but rather grouped in with the Strobe, SOS and Beacon modes. I would rather that the “High” mode be equal to “Max” to keep the full range of outputs available without having to change groups.  Thankfully, the 4 modes that are instantly available when in this set offer a very wide range of usable light.  The actual need to visit the “Max” output is entirely debatable since “High” is already copiously bright with likely a considerable runtime advantage.

4Sevens Maelstrom G5

Conclusions

The Maelstrom G5 is an incredibly durable flashlight that is a collection of extremely well thought out decisions. Spectacular brightness, tightly focused beam, and intuitive UI all come together in one solid, attractive package. It has been quite a wait for some who have been anticipating this light since the early hints to its existence, but my opinion is that it was well worth your patience.

Lupine Tesla TL 1200

Meat and Potatoes

Affectionately named after one of the worlds most iconic authorities on all things electric, the Tesla TL 1200 set its sights high from the start. With its unpretentious attire, Lupine has instead turned its focus inward toward quality and power. The body of this torch is actually a proprietary battery pack, yielding 2.5Ah at 7.2V from two lithium ion cells of unknown proportions. This allows the TL 1200 to be significantly more compact than if they had instead chosen two equally capacious 18650‘s, the usual suspect cell in lights of this caste. It is simply the smallest light I have used with this kind of power.

Lupine Tesla TL 1200

You have oft heard me tout the benefits of a textured reflector. Its orange peel like surface randomizes the emitted light just enough to remove beam artifacts left by the LED or imperfections in the reflector’s polish or shape. Lupine takes that concept a step further, utilizing instead an array of precisely aimed facets on their reflector. Each minute hexagon is specifically positioned to provide an optimal beam pattern and exceptional smoothness. They have eschewed the traditional beam profile designed to focus the light into as tight of a point as possible, for distance illumination. Instead they believe that you are carrying a flashlight mostly because you are interested in seeing what you are doing in the dark, so they have chosen to light up everything nearby with a widely focused flood beam.

Faceted Reflector

Sitting behind that gem of a reflector is the equally beautiful Luminous SST-90 LED. This enormous, single-die power LED allows the TL 1200 to be driven at incredibly high levels producing huge quantities of light. Its copious surface area also assists in producing the lights beautiful wide-angle beam. The downside to using such a powerful emitter and high amount of energy is that it tends to create quite a bit of heat, the natural enemy of electronics. Thankfully Lupine has already addressed this issue with active thermal management that monitors temperature levels and steplessly throttles back the power to the LED until heat is no longer a concern. The TL 1200 even has a unique soft-start that quickly ramps the light up to maximum instead of just immediately switching on. I am not certain what purpose this fulfills, but it is an interesting feature none the less.

Lupine Tesla TL 1200

Though not a “fully” programmable light, the Tesla TL 1200 does allow you to set one of several preselected output modes. Lupine also allows you to decide on a couple of other minor settings for the light such as whether it turns on in low or high output for those modes. The choices are not by any stretch all encompassing, and the “Low Start” mode is a little confusing (more about that later) but they are definitely enough to give this light a wide variety of usefulness. There is even a rather unique soft-start to the light that ramps the light up to full power when you turn it on rather than immediately blasting 1200 lumens with no warning. I am not sure about the purpose of such programming, but it is an interesting addition none the less.

Lupine Tesla TL 1200

The machine work on the Lupine Tesla TL 1200, though very simplistic, is superb in quality. Every portion of this light positively oozes quality. The anodizing appears to be one of the thickest and most nicely textured of any that I have seen. All of the accessories that come with this torch are also comparably premium. The Lupine Charger One is, hands down, the highest quality battery charger I have ever used. It is nothing short of magnificent and I wish it would work with the rest of my Li-ion cells. The rugged nylon compartmentalized carrying case has all the room you could need for the TL 1200 and accouterments. It is even the only light I have reviewed thus far that comes with an actual leather holster.

Lupine Accessories

Constructive Criticism

Of minor mention here is the fact that this light has definitely one of the more complex user interfaces that I have seen. It is one that you are going to want to explain carefully if you need to hand the light to someone else to use or they will quite possibly start randomly changing modes and get stuck in one that is less desirable. This is a little easier to handle when using the battery pack that has the various modes printed on the side, however only one of the two batteries my light came with was attired as such. The other pack was a much more simply adorned unit sporting only the Lupine and Tesla logo and nomenclature. As such I found it more attractive, but somewhat less useful. I would propose some method that bridges the gap providing the programming legend while somehow making it less obvious.

Battery Differences

Also, relating to the user interface, in the light settings section there is an option to make the light start on low. In my experience, this setting is confusing. In mode 3(2-step Flash), and 6(1-step) it behaves exactly as I would expect it to, starting with the strobe or not changing anything. However in modes 1(2-step Low), 2(2-step High), and 4(3 step SOS) it behaves a little uniquely. Instead of starting directly in the secondary output, it starts at absolutely the lowest brightness it seems capable of (a nice “moon” mode actually) and then gradually and barely noticeably fades up to that secondary output over the course of a minute or two. In mode 5(4-step) it starts in the second brightest output and cycles down in the same manner as usual. Because of these peculiarities, I find the light makes much more sense to operate with the “Low Start” mode deactivated.

Operation Legend inscribed battery

Conclusions

The Lupine Tesla TL 1200 is a light that is simply designed to be used. It has no aspirations to be the prettiest light on your shelf. It doesn’t try to put the brightest spot on a squirrel 400 yards away. Its host of features including many I haven’t mentioned (Battery gauge, voltage readout, etc.) are all designed to make this a light that you want to carry with you.

Lupine

Provided for review by Lupine.

Fenix TK45

Meat and Potatoes

Claiming visual inspiration from the notable invention of Dr. Richard Gatling, the TK45 is Fenix’ latest entry into the super high powered flashlight category that is becoming increasingly popular as of late. Though the trebling of LEDs to increase output is something that has been done before, I have not yet seen another light that affords each LED its own dedicated head/bezel.

Tri-Barreled Flashlight

The only time this triad of LEDs are lit individually is in the lowest output setting. Interesting to note, every time you power cycle the light at this level, the next bezel in line lights up to evenly distribute the wear and tear on the LEDs so that one does not experience undue amounts of use. At this 8 lumen level it shows that each of these three perfectly centered XP-G emitters projects a beautifully flawless beam with a well distributed corona in spite of using normally hazardous smooth reflectors. When combined in triplicate in every other output setting, these emissions blend together even further to create a stunningly smooth slightly wider beam, bathing the area in relatively even illumination. There is still a defined hotspot in the center of the beam, but the surrounding spread tapers off nicely providing very useful light.  The output of the TK45 is claimed to be 760 lumens on Max output, but I really can’t comment entirely about comparative brightness since my testing sample was only outfitted with R4 bin LEDs instead of the R5′s that will be in the final production units.

Testing Sample

Switching for the TK45 is accomplished via a pair of side mounted momentary electronic switches dubbed by Fenix the “Sidewinder Switch”. Simply put, the right button is the power switch for the light and the left cycles brightness levels from low to high with a mode memory locking in your last used output. For those who are thus concerned, there is a small bevvy of blinkey modes, including the obligatory strobe, SOS, and a signal of some sort. These outputs are accessible by switching mode groups with a simple double click of the power button. Thankfully these are tucked away in such a way as to not hinder normal use in any fashion. Using this type of switch is very appealing to me since it gives the TK45 a very professional, solid feel. The lack of a momentary option is countered by the near silent, low-effort required by these buttons.

Fenix’ machinework appears top notch with the TK45, though it does appear to be rather thin-walled all the way around. I wouldn’t count on this light to be quite as durable as some that I have seen, but used as more of a casual light this is still more than adequate. The unique ridges in the knurled portion give the light tremendous grip. Combined with the familiar-feeling size of the light, the whole package is very comfortable to use.

Constructive Criticism

The TK45 definitely offers a boost in accessibility by utilizing one of the most common portable power sources on the planet, the venerable AA cell. The immense power requirements however apparently necessitated 8 of them wired in series to be able to feed these LEDs with enough juice to run. There is definitely the concern here about having enough equally charged cells on hand to safely run this light. More than that, however, from a day to day use standpoint, the biggest concern is the brittle feeling battery magazine that loosely holds these cells in position to channel their energy into the proper contacts. The battery rattle on this torch is so pronounced that at times I feel like I am playing maraca in a mariachi band. I am concerned that one solid drop will snap some portion of the magazine, crippling this light until an adequate replacement can be obtained.

Though I do believe the switching mechanism to be high quality and the interface to be well thought out, I would like to see a little more differentiation, both visual and tactile, between the power and output selection switches. These two buttons are absolutely identical with no markings at all to distinguish between them. I really would suggest slight changes to the buttons themselves to make their intended function more obvious.

Identical Buttons

Conclusions

The TK45 is an extremely unique take on powerful, portable illumination. Bright, easy to use, and comfortable to hold, this flashlight provides a good user experience. Aesthetically, you either love it or hate it, but in my opinion, points are always given for originality. This torch gets my nod of approval.

Fenix TK45

JETBeam M2S

Meat and Potatoes

Behind its awkward, slightly ungainly appearance, the JETBeam M2S is a light where form follows function. The elongated body tube and large head are all purpose built, designed to power, focus, and cool the large Luminous Phlatlight SST-50 LED. This LED, the smaller sibling to the monstrous SST-90, allows the M2S to be pushed to an amazing 1,000 lumens at max output.

Unlike other multi-18650 lights the M2S stacks its cells in a single tube rather than side by side. This approach allows JETBeam to offer the use of either 3 CR123A cells or your choice of 4 CR123A’s or 2 18650‘s with the optional cell extender. At a mere 45 minutes of runtime on “high” however, the use of primaries with the power requirements of this light could get quite expensive. Personally, I believe the extra length of the extender is a small price to pay for the freedom to use the light as you please with rechargeables.

With its large smooth reflector, the M2S is definitely designed for throw. Its tightly focused beam is more adept at illuminating small targets at distance than it is for lighting up your entire campsite while you set up the tent (you should have gotten there during the daytime!). The beam does have some fairly decent transitional corona to it, so you are not left with something completely useless at short to mid-distance, but you can very definitely tell what the intended purpose is.  Incredible brightness that is capable of reaching significant distances.

Smooth Reflector

The user interface of the M2S has one particularly good feature. It is divided into two modes, based on head position, called “Max Brightness” and “Daily Use”. The former is a wonderfully specialized mode that only gives the user on and off at full power. This mode definitely gives credence to the “Searchlight” labeling bestowed by JETBeam. It is nothing except a simple, single output mode that pairs wonderfully with the seemingly quality momentary forward clicky switch. I am not quite as fond of the “Daily Use” mode, but more about that later.

Constructive Criticism

Once again, I tend to find smooth reflectors to not be quite all they have stacked up to be. I can see some of the allure with having a light that has the extremely tight focus and can put a spot at the top of a tree hundreds of yards away, but I am far more interested in a light that produces a beam that is completely free from distracting artifacts. The M2S however does not quite fit that category. Between the fact that the LED is slightly off center and the reflector is an incredible mirror polish, the beam has seen some seriously detrimental effects. There is definitely still a transitional corona to this beam, but it really shows up only around half the spot, stretching lopsidedly outward like the petals of a dying flower. I would have drastically preferred a textured reflector which would likely have smoothed things out dramatically. In the wild, this isn’t quite as apparent as when I am hunting the elusive white wall, but it can be slightly distracting.

Thankfully, the M2S lives up to its design quite well as a high power searchlight, because I find that its “Daily Use” mode is occasionally a little frustrating. In order to change outputs in this mode, you need to turn the light off for somewhere between .5 and 3 seconds. If you simply blink the light with slight half-presses before turning it on, you will not change the mode from where you are. Similarly, if you accidentally wait too long you will find yourself in the same mode that you started. Trying to change modes quickly or when distracted will often prove frustrating.

JETBeam M2S

The “Max Brightness” mode on this light does have one slight drawback that I didn’t mention previously.  Your output in that mode is time limited to 10 minutes before the torch automatically throttles back to “Medium” output as a matter of heat protection for the LED.  This may seem like a significant issue, but thankfully the differences in output between “Max” and “Medium” are not as easily perceived as you might imagine.  In a genuine emergency, a quick power cycle will bring you back to full output immediately for yet another 10 minutes allowing you to weigh the risks of the LED against your current need.  My suggestion though would be for that limit to be genuinely temperature based rather than purely timed.  That way you would be able to use the light for longer periods of time in the winter, or if there is a stiff wind helping to shuck the heat away from the light.  I believe active thermal protection like this would be far more useful if it were dynamic.

Conclusions

The JETBeam M2S is quite a powerhouse of a light. Its far reaching capability will definitely astound you. With so many of these large format, super high powered LEDs starting to show up, I believe it is still a pioneer in this growing market.  Solid build quality comes together with good electronics to make quite a showing.

JETBeam M2S

Provided for review by the kind folks at JETBeam.

Olight SR90

Meat and Potatoes

“It’s designed and marketed for Search and Rescue” I always say, pointing out the prominent SR even in it’s name badging. While I am certain that this light would not only prove capable, but likely excel at such tasks, I personally only have occasion to use this light as an enormous bucket-o-fun. I am the type of hardcore urban explorer to whom an excursion of search and rescue generally revolves around finding where my keys fell in the grass when I was outside taking a night hike or grilling in the back yard. However, whether you are looking for a wrecked rowboat on the Mississippi river or just lighting up the back 40 from your lawn chair, the Olight SR90 will simply astound you with the sheer volume of light it proves possible from a single LED.

To say that the SR90 is a big light, is severely understating the facts. It is, hands down the largest flashlight I have ever used that can still even pretend to call itself portable illumination. It absolutely dwarfs even the old 3 D-cell lights that are considered giants by today’s standards. It even comes with its own shoulder strap, which I definitely recommend if you are planning on carrying it for any length of time. This light is very large and as a result, quite heavy.

All of that volume though is necessary to support both the enormous power drain and heat dissipation requirements of the new-kid-on-the-block Luminous Phlatlight SST-90 LED. This single die LED is probably the largest and most powerful single chip LED on the general market today. It’s 3mm x 3mm size appears absolutely proportional to the huge reflector it is situated in. Perfectly centered in a beautifully crafted smooth reflector, the SR90 puts out a fantastically flawless beam that is very tightly focused and able to illuminate incredibly long distances.

Luminous Phlatlight SST-90

With its short lived “High” mode lasting such an abbreviated 80 minutes, Olight has graciously included a still bright, and only relatively named “Low” mode that still emits a searing 700 lumens compared to the mind-blowing 2,200 lumens on the top end. It indiscriminately outpaces every other light I had previously considered bright, illuminating with aplomb. The proprietary 6 cell rechargeable battery pack is able to feed the LED for an incredible 9 hours at the still impressive lower level.

Constructive Criticism

The fit and finish of the SR90 was absolutely exquisite in nearly all regards. Uniformly thick anodizing covered every corner without mar and every piece was obviously made to fit and fit well. The only portion of this light that presented itself as sub-par was the two shoulder strap attachment points. These were merely coarsely stamped out of sheet metal, apparently brass. I didn’t feel the edges of these rings were tended to nearly well enough to comply with the superior standards set by the remainder of the light. A minor flaw, to be sure, but better would be appreciated.

The best part of this torch in my opinion is the fact that it has absolutely no aspirations to be anything other than what it is. Because of this, I can find very little to critique. Sure, it could be smaller, but that would sacrifice power, longevity and tight beam focus. It could be lighter, at the expense of heat dissipation and durability. This light is what it is and is unapologetic about it. If you don’t like it, there is probably another light out there for you.

Olight SR90

Conclusions

Once again, I dole out high marks for being unpretentious. This gargantuan behemoth however has exceptional quality to boot. If you genuinely need to see absolutely everything, and size is of no concern, then the SR90 is definitely a worthy contender. If your desire is for “illumination overkill” then your quest has met its finale.

Provided for the duration of the review by 4Sevens.

4Sevens Q MiNi CR2

Meat and Potatoes

The Q MiNi CR2 is really just another optional power source package for the acclaimed electronics of the rest of the Q MiNi line (as well as the Preon line). 4Sevens continues to find useful methods of repurposing their design into all manner of lights. However, don’t be fooled, that’s not a bad thing. The net result is that the cost savings of mass producing a universal driver are then passed down to you, the consumer. The entire Q MiNi line are affordable entry level lights that use the latest in emitter technology in a big way.

The use of a CR2 cell in these little pocket rockets gives them a full 3V power source, the same as the venerable CR123 cell, however the reduction in cell size has been fully taken advantage of, as the MiNi CR2 is one of the smallest torches I have ever seen. It never fails to draw comments about how so small a flashlight could possibly put out such a bright  beam. That beam is incredibly useful as well. The combination of a small, textured reflector and the larger LED die of the Cree XP-G create a perfectly flawless very floody beam that works wonders for close to medium range illumination.

Cree XP-G

Being almost an identical light to the rest of the MiNi line, there isn’t much to say that hasn’t been said. This light is a combination of a fairly useful UI that sticks with just the basics of “Low”, “Medium”, and “High” (unless you specifically are looking for more), and an incredibly small and pocketable size.

4Sevens Q MiNi CR2

Constructive Criticism

Again, due to the similarities to the rest of the MiNi line my points of recommendation also remain quite predictable. As useful as the simplistic 3 mode UI is, I still find myself wondering whether it could be made better. Power cycling works in a pinch as a method of mode change, but I continue to wonder whether a “Twist further to increase” type interface could be implemented with a 3 stage light. To reiterate however, this isn’t really a case of the current UI being problematic, but rather a “what if?” on my part.

Similarly, the one frustration that showed up during extended use of the other MiNi lights has also cropped up here to some extent. The fine threads of the entire MiNi line do not seem to be the robust square cut threading of the remainder of the 4Sevens brand. There is actually a pronounced bit of thread play with these lights causing them to sometimes jump through levels unexpectedly when you are activating them or re-selecting modes. This problem goes away by using more deliberate motions (usually involving two hands rather than one), but on the fly it tends to come up fairly often. Now having had the chance to test out 5 different samples I can definitely say that though this situation appears to be prevalent through the entire line, the extent that it is a noticeable problem is variable. My sample for the MiNi CR2 happens to be the least issue of all the lights I tested. Whether the tolerances have been tightened up some since this subject first came up or it was merely luck of the draw, I cannot say.

4Sevens Q MiNi CR2

Conclusions

When I first tested a Q MiNi I thought it to be one of the most versatile, inconspicuous lights available on the market. After spending some time with them and also now with this new sub-compact CR2 model, my opinions have changed little. It seems to be the epitome of an EDC light, combining usefulness with minute proportions in a technologically advanced package.

Provided for the duration of the review by 4Sevens.