Fenix LD02 v2.0

Just bought a Fenix LD02 v2.0 a couple of days ago... the promise of warm tint and an extra UV is very enticing... or so I thought... Let's get started with some basic specifications of the light.

Some unboxing pictures

it comes in a flip cardboard box

notice how it says "Neutral white light" there?

the back of the box

I like how Fenix print the "estimated" runtime chart here. It gives a sense of confident to the product. everything in the box laid-out


the LD02 v2.0 flashlight, an Alkaline AAA battery, spare o-ring, user manual, warranty card and a somewhat out-dated product catalogue. the English part of the user manual

a few closed-up shots of the Fenix LD02 v2.0 flashlight.

that line pattern knurling is actually pretty nice to hold. another angle


a warning label about the 200mW UV light.

runtime test will be done with this IKEA LADDA 900mAh AAA NiMH battery

the clip is quite sturdy and seems strong.

the front end of the Fenix LD02 v2.0

My love relation with Fenix LD0-series started with the legendary LD01, a really nice twisty EDC keychain light

then they release a LD02, by switching from twisty to clicky...

still small, but I still love the LD01 more and this year, Fenix release this LD02 v2.0 and someone was saying this LD02 v2.0 is "EVERYTHING YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR FROM FENIX!"

warm tint and UV in a AAA package? ya... why not... right?! OK, let's move on for now...

The body and head contacts, battery to be inserted into the body negative terminal facing the spring and positive button top terminal towards the head.

The thread is thin square-cut

and I measured the following output

disclaimer: Note that the the above measured lumens is in no way authoritative nor an indication of over/under-stating the output given by manufacturer. My lightbox is calibrated against some known light output (e.g. SureFire, Elzetta, etc.) so take it with a grain of salt and just as a relative reading.

it seems on this Fenix LD02 v2.0, the High mode is Voltage sensitive, it consistently gives a peak brightness of ~80 lumens, approximately 5-6 lumens higher than when measured with NiMH battery.

Note that the peak brightness can only hold between 30-45 seconds before it drops to 80% of the peak brightness.

OK. If you are a Fenix fanboy or die-hard fan, please stop reading from this point onwards because what comes next is not pretty... no... I kid you not...

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still here? OK...

I personally think this is one of Fenix's worst flashlight release to date. In one section of the manual,


it was written "When the light has been used on High for 1.5 minutes, the light will automatically step down by a few lumens...", well, to my surprise, it stepped down much earlier than 1.5 minutes, it stepped down in less than 1 minutes and it stepped down more than just a few lumens. It steps down to 80% of the initial output, look at the following runtime chart.

and the test was performed using the included Alkaline battery and a 900mAh NiMH battery.

40 minutes on Alkaline? ANSI/PLATO FL-1? Isn't the quoted runtime supposed to be 10% of the 30 seconds output reading? and If I were to take Fenix 70 lumens output, that would be 7 lumens. But what I get with the included Alkaline is ~34 minutes before Fenix LD02 v2.0 drops to 1 lumen. Is Fenix using a different Alkaline?

and the Med mode runtime


from the above 2 runtime charts, Fenix is probably using a 750-800mAh NiMH to quote for their runtime on NiMH battery.

Not only is this LD02 v2.0 the longest EDC since LD01, it is also the longest amongst my longer AAA flashlight to date.

Let's move on to the UV output of this Fenix LD02 v2.0. sigh! I guess I should have trusted Fenix advertisement of the UV light in the following picture

and I should have paid more attention to how close the Fenix LD02 v2.0 is to the subject matter in the picture. The UV light on this Fenix LD02 v2.0 is so weak that what the picture show is truly the only usable use case. You need a a pitch black environment to use the UV! NO KIDDING!

About the "warm" light. I really thought I am getting a 3000K warm light from this Fenix LD02 v2.0. I was so eager and excited and has been pestering my reseller to secure one. But, never have I once expected to get a "Sodium-vapor lamp"-like output. It's amber. IT'S AMBER! Moreover, the light output is more like 2700K instead of 3000K...


I edited Fenix's advert photos to reflect what I really get from this Fenix LD02 v2.0.

To top it off, not only the switching travel is too short compare to the older LD02, this Fenix LD02 v2.0 forces us to cycle through all the modes to go back to one mode prior. That means if you are running Med mode now and you want to get to Low mode, you are forced to cycle through High, then UV, then your desired Low mode. What is worse, all modes are memorized, including the UV.

following picture are portion of my single AAA collection

and amongst the single AAA lights in my possession, the SureFire Titan-A was previously the worst due to its pukey greenish tint and unstable twisty mode switching. but now this Fenix LD02 v2.0 has just taken over the Crown, not only as the worst single AAA flashlight in my possession, but it's the worst Fenix flashlight I ever had in my possession.

Needless to say, I'm really disappointed with this Fenix LD02 v2.0. I can only recommend that you stay away from this release.

Now I need to go dust off my SureFire Titan-A and give it a much needed tender loving care...

1 Thank

Thanks for the test. The UV mode is totally useless on the LD02 v2.0 due to its low power. Also the switch is bad for changing modes. It’s very easy to accidentally turn off. The one I tested however was 3070K with a nice tint.

@maukka, thanks for the kind words and confirmations. and thanks for sharing the CRI chart info, those are great info. Comparing the tint, even my solitaire seems nicer comparing to this LD02 v2.0 amber output. LOL!

Thanks for review.
Yeah, me too, have high expectation and trust Fenix name. Hope Their 2xaaa version to has better runtime and output.

Thanks for the review! I use the LD02 for work and have one in my pocket always. This new version is a total fail! Too long, stupid modes and ugly cri.
I am going to get a few more LD02 while I can!!!