MascaratumB,
Many thanks for the prompt response and those beamshots. Cool White and 6500K seems inaccurate for the XP-G2 R5, but having checked some on line sellers of that LED, it seems to have a wide temperature range and the warmest ones are neutral white. Anyway having seen the beams on here I will go ahead and get a couple of the SF10’s to try out. My SF31/SF32 from Sofirn aliexpress store took 2.5 weeks to arrive to UK and using store coupons etc I was able to get them at a pretty good price.
Well, I’d call neutral only the vicinity of 5500k, which will make a white wall look the same tint as sun light. 5000k already starts to look warm to me ,and anything bellow 4000k is too yellow for my taste.
Taking that in consideration,the sf10 tint looks like 5000k (warm, but cooler than my 4000k flashlight), but more rose than yellow with a 14500 battery. The tint shift with aa batteries are much less intense though, I’ll try to update the pictures using a camera instead of my phone to more accurately represent what I see and add beamshots and other details with aa batteries, which make the flashlights a lot less unsatisfying
Yesterday I received a SF10 and a SP31 I ordered from Aliexpress :
They came in a black box put in a black plastic mailer no bobble wrap or padding at all. Despite the poor packaging the arrived flawless, I think they are very good flashlights for the price the only small grievance is the mode order in the SF10.
Utorch UT01 3D 5000K (left) Sofirn SF10 (right)
The picture is a pretty much what I see with my eyes. I think Persechini’s description of the color as 5500K is pretty much what I would call it.
About the situation I exposed above (Sofirn SF10 and SF12 review - #8 by MascaratumB), I contacted Sofirn seller through their AliExpress store and a solution has been given to the problem.
I presented photos of the damaged flashlight and damaged box, and I got a very quick and attentive reply from the seller (saturday and today). I also alerted for the shipping conditions, suggesting better wrapping, at least!
@ khas
My SF10 arrived in that kind of box too, that seems less protective, especially if it doesn’t have anything else wrapping it on the outside!
I’m glad that yours arrived well 
@ Rexx
I tried again the flashlight and it it doesn’t seem completely NW, it tends to decay a bit to a warmer tint. Persechini and khas explanations above are more accurate than my “visual” assessment, but I just guess that it is not “pure” Neutral White.
Hope it helps your choice!
It’d have to be one that’s “dual mode”, then.
With an alkie/NiMH, it needs a boost converter to turn 1.5V to 3.5V or so.
When using a 14500, it’s almost always a buck converter.
So by default it needs to be a more complicated boost/buck converter to handle both. Else, if using a 14500 in a strictly boost converter, rather than chopping the input voltage to charge an inductor, it’d just crowbar the pass element and feed the LED almost direct-drive. Sometimes that (the higher voltage) can fry something in the boost part of the circuitry, so that once you go 14500, you won’t be able to go back to using an alkie/NiMH again.
Which kind of converter you get is strictly pot-luck. You have to try it, then it’s go or blow.
Too bad these drivers that came with the flashlights have audible and low frequency pwm. I kinda want to use a nanjg driver and make it 14500 only unless I find a dual chemistry driver with better pwm and l>m>h mode
Might be able to pull one from a Jet-I. Or just buy and use a Jet-I as-is. 
So I received my Sofirn lights today (some SF10 and a SF30A zoomie), some boxes are a bit rough (no bubble wrap) but the lights look intact. Now gotta try them tonight 
In the name of the truth, after contacting Sofirn about the situation exposed before, they sent me a new flashlight!
This time it arrived in a card box that is more protective to the light. It was wrapped in bubble plastic, not a lot, but enough. The light is in good conditions.
I also noticed that the “pinkish” tint the first had (mine and from Persechini) is now a bit yellower in the center. Not a big difference, but distinguishable just by the look (perhaps not so much in the photo…).
I must thank Sofirn store (AliExpress) for their solution and acknowledge their service. And the quality of the products they sell, as well! :+1:
Are you using 14500 batteries in the tint picture? I found that the tint was only that pink with a 14500 and was a lot less (but still a little) rosy with an AA
I’m preparing a review posting of the SP32, I am trying to determine the difference between the SP31 and SP32. I think the only difference (that I can see) is that moonlight on the SP31 is 1lm, and is 3lm on the SP32.
Anyone else know?
Yup, I was using 14500 batteries on both when I took the picture! And I agree with you: with a 14500 it gets more “pinkish” (the first one I get, not the one that arrived today).
With a Ni-MH or an alkaline, the tint gets closer to a neutral white, although there are some nuances of pink, mostly on the outside edge of the beam.
The one I got today, in the real center it is a bit yellowish, and then white, and then yellowish again, and then neutral white!
(the picture on the left was taken in HIGH mode with Ni-MH battery, about 40cm away from the wall; the others were taken about 1,5 meters away from the wall, HIGH mode with 14500 battery)
I also noticed that with a 14500 battery, both lights have PWM in ALL modes (at least in the photos)! With alkaline or Ni-MH, only HIGH mode doesn’t have it!
Sorry, i have the SP32 but I cannot determine how many lumens it puts on ML mode! Nor in any other one :person_facepalming:
We felt sincerely sorry to hear that Sofirn SF10 caused troubles for you. And we would like to assist you solve issues if you would like to email us to Aliexpress or Amazon or sofirnw@szjinb.com.(I am not login in BFL everyday, so it is easy to miss some PM messages. Sorry again ) My colleague Cissy had arranged a new one for you 14 days ago when she got your message on Aliexpress, so please keep eyes to the second parcel.
Moreover, I want to say “thank you” to MascaratumB. The New black package of SF10 was used at the first time. We did ignore elements from the feedback. But We have made some adjustment on package since the feedback came. Honestly speaking,it is not so easy to avoid all damage in shipment. However, we would like to improve the package continuously, either of all products. Everyone is precious for Sofirn, no matter customers or friends in BLF. It is our honor to get your feedback or suggestions.
What’s more, we hope that we are able to incorporate some of the features your guys had talked about.
Have a good time in BLF. If there are anything else that we can do, please feel free to contact us on Aliexpree or Amazon.
Tracy from Sofirn
Tracy!
Has you said, I contacted your services in AliExpress and a solution has been given.
I exposed the situation here when the first arrived, and I did the same when the second arrived so people here on the forum know that it was solved.
My new flashlight arrived last week, as I pointed out above in this post: Sofirn SF10 and SF12 review - #24 by MascaratumB .
I’m very happy with the solution and also with your costumer services! The situation was solved quickly, and I guess that Sofirn has also learned from this situation. Long shipping sometimes results on package damaging, so better boxes or wrapping can make the difference.
Ex: this new box was a bit bruised, but a it is a stronger cardbox it held more pressure and protected the flashlight! Also, it had bubble plastic protecting it.
It is good and important to see that manufacturers “listen” to us, costumers, and improve with our suggestion and ours/yours mistakes.
About things to be improved (some already mentioned) in my opinion:
a) better and more protective flashlight boxes
b) better and more protective wrapping of envelopes for the flashlight boxes (and batteries and chargers)
c) the logotype printing (not scratched and well aligned, as I have seen some lights - my SP32 included - with scratched and not aligned logos)
d) the user interface (from Low to High with hidden strobe through double click)
Thanks Tracy for the support and for stepping in to check this situation!
I hope Sofirn can evolve and keep on bringing us nice flashlights!!
Or better yet, doubleclick to highest and no strobe.
Eheh, it could be that option too :smiling_imp:
Yes, the driver is definitely the weak link on these lights. Simple drivers should, IMO, be always L>M>H with no memory. Anything extra like strobe and SOS should come after high
Today i received SF10. It is a very good AA EDC flashlight but not a 14500. Very good construction. I think tint is about 5000 - 5500k and power is about ~100 lumen on AA .
SF10 looks nice, today with special price only $6.95, just bought one :person_facepalming:
! Sofirn SF10 AA/14500 battery with special price for 5 days !