That beamshot is perfect - it shows exactly the tight-hotspot effect I was trying to describe. I’ve added a cross-reference to my original post.
Thank you :+1:
When I looked at the large version of your image, I was interested to see that both lights seem to have similar PWM effects.
Don’t think either has PWM as they are both on there high mode which generally won’t have PWM.
Are you talking about the up and down strips on the image? ……. That is a pattern in the wallpaper on the wall I pointed the lights at for the picture 
In hindsight a bad choice of wall!
That’s the effect I was talking about, yes! Got a good laugh out of that, it really does look just like PWM to me 
“I’ve had the bezel off – it’s immediately removable by hand. …. I haven’t looked to see what the MCPCB is made of, or what it’s sitting on, because I’d have to desolder it, and I’m not ready to do that yet. ”
I bought the flashlight during the flash sale on Aliexpress for $8.67. The unit I received had the bezil glued tight (but with a monkey wrench it was easily removable). The driver itself was also glued in but a pair of pliers did the trick. The leads on the drivers are long and the driver itself is coated in a red plastic like material. I really like the flashlight driver ( the mode spacing and double click for strobe) So I order a second one after the flash sale for 9.37 (still a great price). I will only replace the led to a warmer tint.
I bought one in December and mine has a definite greenish tint to it. Other than that I like it and have it in one of my cars where the green tint doesn’t bother me 
Anything out there similar to this but a little less tactical and a little more warm/white?
Seems like Nitecore is the only other option and they are pretty much identical. UltraFire UF-SET9, Nicron 3W are cool but are
older models compared to the 450LM Sofirn SF13 v3.
Eagtac D25A2 clicky has neutral options but it’s a lot more expensive.
I found two others that look interesting, but again are dated, the 4Sevens Quark Mini 2AA and the Lumapower Connexion X2 2xAA. Both have a more streamlined look to them and not quite as tacticool.
I actually have 4 of these in which I have put a 3500K SST-20 in one and a Luxeon V2 In another. Other 2 are still stock. The V2 is wonderful. Great little lights.
I guess the MCPCB on these is ∅16mm, doesn't it? 
Yes, it is 
I just received mine in the mail today. For the record, it’s the first light I’ve ever bought online, and it’s the latest version of the Cree LED I’ve had any experience with. Other than this one, my best 3 lights are an Energizer 2AA with a Luxeon Rebel at 130 lumens, a no-name spotlight that runs on 4AA and uses a Cree XR-E and puts out 220 lumens, and a Nebo Redline 3AAA that has a Cree XR-E that claims 220 lumens, but I have my doubts about that. I did side by side comparisons between the Sofirn and the Energizer since they’re most similar.
The brightness of the Sofirn is said to be 420 lumens, which may or may not be accurate. My eyes thought it wasn’t that bright, but it’s possible. Hard to tell for sure. I think distance and other circumstances make it easier/harder to tell. Definitely greener than expected, as SIGshooter mentioned.
The overall build quality is really nice, and far beyond anything I’m used to seeing in brick and mortar stores at similar prices (I paid $9.60 for the Sofirn, $22 for the Energizer and $25 for the Nebo many years ago). The pocket clip is rather shallow, but seems strong enough to hold it in place.
The shipping time was something I was impressed with. I was expecting to wait around a month, or even 45 days to get it, but I ordered it on Feb. 9th, and got it today, which is the 23rd. That’s exactly 2 weeks. The latest tracking info. showed yesterday that it was going to come on Monday, so I was surprised to find it in my mailbox today (Saturday).
Now it’s becoming a habit to see what else Sofirn has to offer. Their prices seem almost too good to be true. The Sofirn SF13 reminds me most of the old Quark 2AA tactical that used to cost $78, and wasn’t anywhere near 420 lumens.
I’ve tried, but haven’t been able to by hand. The head itself unscrews from the body easily enough, but the head itself doesn’t disassemble. I’ve heard it can be done if enough force is applied with a wrench. I haven’t tried that.
The head of my SF13 appears to be glued on. And the SP10 V2 I bought this past December is also glued. What a pain 
The instructions of my SF13 says that it’s glued on and that opening up the head could void the warranty. Probably not worth taking a chance on messing anything up by opening it, although I notice while looking at the LED from the outside using a strong magnifier, there’s a speck of dirt on the LED dome that I wish I could wipe off.
Ah, yes, the same Quarks I have 2 of but never use because of the green beam… :person_facepalming:
I don’t think that voiding warranties bother many on BLF 
The problem with gluing the head is that one can’t change the led, say for example to get rid of the green tint, or even replacing the lens if it cracks at some point. My SP10 has some sort of film on the inside of the lens but I can’t easily get to it because of the glue :cry:
The second unit I received had more glue inside and was a lot harder to open. I changed the led but not because of green tint (I had ordered the 320lm version). Did you guys order the “420 lm” version?
I would tell Sofirn to stick the glue up their arses and nowhere else. I generally don't care about warranties, and much less when the potential ship back cost is a real hurdle.
