Sofirn C01S SST-20 4.000K 95CRI / Low-High version available again!

Without any further comment, Barry sent me this pic. So I have no status info to share atm.

I loved the C01. Having a usable level of brightness for an extremely long run time in friendly 3200K was a dream come true. I ordered some of the blue and red ones but sadly, they seem to have gotten lost in shipping. :cry:

They let me know about the C01S when they gave me the refund. I’m interested to see how this emitter looks IRL at 4000K. However, it didn’t have the same extremely long run time and I kind of don’t care about a short-lived high mode. Having it always turn on in high was a major turn-off as well.

So is there really a low-high version coming out at 4000K? Having the high in reserve could make this an excellent key-chain light. Will this one use noticeable PWM? Any ideas when it will become available? Having missed out on having a few more of the original C01 due to the shipping issues really made me sad. I want to make sure I get a few of these if it happens.

Hi Cosmodragoon,
Unfortunately, the C01S on low mode has shorter runtime than the C01, even though the output is even less. So for you the C01 would have been best. The C01S has no noticiable PWM, so that is good, the low-high version (without anodisation) is still in the planning AFAIK, to be released any moment.

I hope that Sofirn does a new batch of the C01 at some point, if need be even in lower CRI.

I have three of the original black-bodied C01. It has been my favorite light for night-reading and some other sorts of tasks. At 3200K, it has the perfect balance of gentleness and usability. I use the Massdrop Brass AAA with Nichia 219B as a more general purpose small flashlight. When I find a light I really love, especially a small one that could get lost, I like to have a few more as back-ups.

I know lumens drive the market but not for me. Tint, CRI, and run time are what I look at. Getting something without PWM helps too. If they do more of the C01 at 4000K or less, I’ll buy a few. When the low-high version of the C01S comes out, I’ll be ready to buy a few of those as well. A low-high C01S could be a good replacement for the Astrolux A01 on my keychain. (The A01 isn’t a bad light but it has noticeable PWM and I don’t like having strobe in the rotation.)

BLF C01S looking good.

The Yuji 3200K equipped C01 is a really good light. I’m never not pleased with the tint and colour rendering. Kinda wish I bought more than 3(gave one away). I got a couple of the 5600Ks but I don’t really use them.

Anyway, while it is unfortunate the C01S is not nearly as efficient as the first, the extra blast of TIR focused intensity is nice. Being first mode is still bit jarring, of course.

Received 2 C01S yesterday:


The red version is identical to the C01 save the business end. The blue one has a oddly printed name(oh well), but a much deeper and nicer anodization dye hue(more obvious in rl).

I’m sorry but can someone explain why this light is well-received despite the SST20’s hated green tint at lower outputs? Wouldn’t that mean that it is always present in this light? Other than the price point I mean.

I don’t see green on low. Possibly due to the optic.

Do you own a flashlight with a 4000K 95CRI SST-20? If you do you must know that the tint and colour contrast it produces is excellent. Just not under the Black Body Line. Not difficult at all to understand that people like it. Just if you are a nitpicker (I admit I am one) or if you insist on flashlights that emit pink light you may not like this led.

For some reason, I thought the new C01S was still using the Yuji LED. Can someone tell me more about the SST20?

It is a fairly recent led from Luminus that has the standard 3535 footprint and a close to XP-G size die. The colour temperatures 5000K and higher are only 70CRI and are among the best performers in this die-size, the colour temperatures from 4000K and lower are only 95CRI which is very high for a power-led (some of these leds at some currents I found to be at 98CRI).

The C01S has a 4000K 95CRI SST-20 and I like the choice very much.

It appears to me TIR’s tend to be less prone to tint shift across the beam than reflectors, which makes off-tint less obvious.

It also is usually much less obvious when shining the light across colored objects than mostly grey or white objects.

Also, some of us are simply less sensitive to green tint than others.

Overall, I think the green should be thought of as a compromise of limited severity. For some it will be a dealbreaker, but there should be plenty of people who are fine with it.

[quote=djozz]

I hope sofirn can find a good led as replacement.

Yes I own a Convoy S2+ with the said emitter and I love it more than my 4000k BLF A6. To clarify, it’s not that I’m hating on the emitter. I was just wondering that with the number of times I read a post connected to the SST-20 someone comments on the ugly green tint. Thought might be missing out on something like a different tint. Thanks for the response djozz!

I hate the green in lights. Blue I can handle but green makes me put the light in a drawer. In this light I see no green whatsoever, I have used it for a while now as a backup on my keys, even though it’s a backup I use it a lot as my keys are generally easier to grab than the light in my belt holster.

I love c01s, the color and tint is perfect, no greenish crap.

The current at high mode is 2.2A, and at low modde is 0.022A, so that is 100 times difference. I wish it has “middle” mode at around 30 lumen(0.2A), then it would be a perfect keychain light

Are you sure you are getting 2,2A?

At 2,2A on high mode, you’d kill the AAA in less than 25 min.

i double checked it, yup, it runs 2.2A and 0.022A

Nice meter :slight_smile:

It can do RMS current even at the high frequency that boost driver might be running?

I did not read through the entire thread, but I saw the light is advertised 100 lumens for well over an hour on a AAA battery. I don’t personally believe that, curious if anyone has tested it? I see above someone measured 2.3A on high, definitely not getting over an hour, even with a lithium primary. Is the 100 lumens accurate?

No, never over an hour runtime. It puts out 90 lumen of high CRI which requires almost 400mA through the led, so that little boost driver is doing its best, 2.3A sounds a bit high (on the full battery I assume) but that must be a not so efficient driver then. Must be 20 minutes, anyone doing an actual runtime test? (maybe me but not this week).