Nitecore EA4 (NW)
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Summary
table(table#posts-centered).
|Battery:|4 x AA|
|Switch:|Side|
|Modes:|8 (Ultra Low, Low, Medium, High, Turbo, Strobe, SOS, Beacon)|
|LED Type:|Cree XM-L U2|
|Lens:|Glass|
|Tailstands:|Yes|
|Price Paid:|$59|
|From:|hkequipment.net|
Pros:
- Uses AA batteries
- Throws far
- Tailstands well
- Neutral white (also a con?)
- Anti reflective glass lens
- LED perfectly centred
- Good quality build and finish
- Hidden flash modes
Cons:
* UI not very good (in my opinion)
* Bezel not flush with head
* Rattle inside head
* Tint appears green around hotspot and light purple in the spill (on a white wall)
Whats in the box:
- EA4 flashlight
- Holster
- 1 x o-ring
- 1 x Nitecore branded lanyard
- 1 x English and Chinese user manual
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Quality and Design:
The overall quality and design is very nice. It is built very solid, the look and feel is about as premium as it gets. Flawless HAIII anodising, square threads, 1 piece design, mineral glass with anti reflective coating etc.
But I also have a few complaints, the first thing I noticed (below) is the bezel isn’t flush with the head. I doubt it is part of the design but many other people report the same. When it is empty and you give it a light shake you can hear something rattle towards the head, when batteries are inserted the rattle is duller but still there. And lastly there is a thin clear round disc/ring between the lens and bezel, on one side it stick out enough to cast a shadow on the bezel. I will include pictures of that later.
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User Interface:
The user interface leaves a lot to be desired, I understand the concept but it is a lot more complexed than it really needs to be. 1 click, 1 half click, 2 clicks in 1 second, hold down for 1 second, to access different modes and functions. Some people might see this as a pro but I see it as a con. It has a lock out mode that I quite like and although people complain the low isnt low enough I find it to be very good, any lower isn’t really useful to me at all but if you were using it for close up work about a foot from your face on something white then I might see it being a problem.
Light Output
I would have to say the output itself is very good, very bright and a very nice hotspot. So far (until tonight) I have only used it in my dark room and done some white wall comparisons. Unfortunately the comparisons don’t turn out and the PA40W and EA4 look near identical though the camera at a similar output setting. But with my naked eye they look a lot different.
The hotspot of the EA4 (NW) is slight creamy but close to pure white, surrounding the hotspot is a light green flare that quickly blends out to a very light purple, something you would expect from the spill of a cool white LED.
Other
It is relatively easy to hold but not so great, because of the switch positon you find you hand half way back on it. With large hands its only 2 fingers and a thumb holding it and the body barely reaches 1/4 way down of my palm. If i was to hold it with a good grip my hand would be covering the head (not good for heat management) but turning on and off I would need to shuffle it around in my hand each time.
Sizing comparison below from left to right:
Nitecore EA4, Romisen RC-G2 III, Thrunite T10, Thrunite Ti, Nitecore T2
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Below EA4 (NW) on left and PA40W on right:
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Head to head
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Below you can see the reflectors, while the heads are nearly identical in size the EA4 appears to have a slightly larger and deeper reflector.
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Beamshots:
My phone wasn’t able to pick up anything at all so my sister in-law offered to take some shots for me. It was set to “Star Mode” and thats about all I know. While it was very bright its not quite as bright as it appears in the pictures.
Below pic: The trees that the beams are focused on are about 75 meters away, the trees in the background are about 100 meters away. Although the trees in the background appear to be a silhouette you could see the colour and detail with the naked eye. The image quality also seems somewhat degraded since converted but the quality is slightly better when enlarged (clicked on)
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Below pic: The beams are focused on the tree in the background, just short of 100m away, although the pic is deciving making it appear to be right behind the shed but its not even in the property.
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I will try to take some more beamshots on the weekend at further distances.
Lastly:
I think I was pretty fair describing the flaws, the beam didn’t even bother me until I started comparing it to my other lights.
Photos are taken with a cheap phone.
If I have any incorrect info don’t hesitate to let me know.
