Review - Zanflare F1 XP-L V6 18650/2xCR123 Flashlight

Zanflare F1 XP-L V6 18650/2xCR123 Flashlight Review


The team at Zanflare provided me an opportunity to review their Zanflare F1 Flashlight. Zanflare is a somewhat of a newcomer to the flashlight market with sales via Amazon and Gearbest.

This F1 model reviewed here is a medium to compact sized 18650/2xCR123 powered flashlight rated at over 1,000 lumen. It's based on a tubular host design that is a very common shape in the market.

This flashlight is equipped with the CREE XP-L V6 LED with a tint of 6000-6500K which is my personal preference, also available is a neutral white of 4500-5000K.

Ahead of working through this review there has been lots of positive feedback on this flashlight. I too found it to be a very impressive product that represents excellent value for what is a very high performing flashlight for its size.

Thanks to Zanflare for providing this flashlight for review.

Amazon link to product,

Buy it here (non AFF link): http://amzn.to/2shDPek

Website:www.zanflare.com

Sellers/Manufacturers Specs

Color:Cool White (6000-6500K)

WATERPROOF, IMPACT RESISTANT, ANTI-CORROSION, ABRASION RESISTANT
Machined from a solid aluminium bar give F1 its superior shock and impact resistance; All metal outer appearance and metal nut provide IPX-8 highest grade waterproof and weather two meters submersible adventure.

HIGH TECHNOLOGY -MADE SURFACE
"Crystal Coating Technology" combines "precision digital optics" to provide extremely high reflector performance; Toughened ultra transparent mineral glass and anti - reflective coating; Light weight, high strength aviation grade aluminum alloy, HA11l military grade hard anodized.

REVERSE POLARITY PROTECTON
Reverse polarity protection guards against improper battery installation; Low-voltage warming functions remind you to replace battery. When the voltage was under 2.6v, the LED would blink 3 times and then turn off.

TAIL SAFETY HAMMER
safety hammer is designed to break auto glass windows, so you can easily make a way to escape when there is no other option.

USB RECHARGABLE
Micro USB charging port and indicator; charging time is 4 hours; compatible with 1 x 18650 Lithium-ion or 2 x RCR123 (batteries are not included)

Package:
1 x Zanflare F1 LED Flashlight (batteries are not included)
1 x USB Cable
1 x Titanium-coated Clip
1 x Holster
1 x Lanyard
1 x Mufti-language Manual

Note:
1.F1 starts charging only if the indicator lights up red.Verify the indicator led is red,if not,please press the tail button to enable the charging process.
2.When the battery is full charged,the indicator light lights up green.
3.When the charge is completed,pull out the USB charging cable.The flashlight will turn on automatically,please do not point to human or animal eyes.
4.Every 6 months,threads should be wiped with a clean cloth followed by a thin coating of silicon-based lubricant.

Item Weight 3.4 ounces
Product Dimensions 5.3 x 1.1 x 1.1 inches
Item model number F1
Batteries 18650 Lithium ion batteries required.
Color Cool White (6000-6500K)
Material Aluminum
Power Source battery-powered
Item Package Quantity 1
Type of Bulb led
Handle Material Aluminium
Special Features Manual extension, Portable, Easy to Install
Usage Camping, Hiking, Fishing, Running, Dog Walking, Power Outages, Emergency, Everyday Use, Backup, Survival, Car, Home, Self Defense, Indoor, Outdoor
Included Components 1 x Zanflare F1 LED Flashlight, 1 x USB Cable, 1 x Titanium-coated Clip, 1 x Holster, 1 x Lanyard, 1 x Mufti-language Manual
Batteries Included? No
Batteries Required? Yes
Battery Cell Type Lithium Ion
Description Pile 1 x 18650 Lithium-ion or 2 x RCR123

Package Includes:

1 x Zanflare F1 LED Flashlight (batteries are not included)
1 x USB Cable
1 x Titanium-coated Clip
1 x Holster
1 x Lanyard
1 x Mufti-language Manual

First Impressions and Unboxing

Initial impressions of the box and its contents are good. The flashlight is supplied in an impressive cardboard box. The box is made of strong packaging that safely protects the flashlight and the accessories during transport and can also be used to store the flashlight away for those who like to retain the original packaging for storage of the flashlight.

Below the lid is the F1 flashlight inserted in strong sponge foam.


Below the flashlight host and sponge protector are the other accessories. The photo below shows all the included items with the exception of the silica gel packet. Included are lots of useful accessories. A manual which is always welcome describes the workings of the flashlight. A belt clip is included attached to a sponge block. The lanyard is of decent quality along with other items such as additional O rings and a USB charging cable.


The included case is made of a neoprene material. In the images below I've shown the size of the case relative to the flashlight host. The flashlight fits in snugly in the case. The case can be attached to a belt or a carabiner. Overall a good case.


Below are photos of the fold up manual. This is well presented and provides all the necessary details to operate this flashlight.


Flashlight Build and Disassembly

The flashlight supplied had no scratches or blemishes to the host body.

The host length was measured at 137mm and weight at just less than 100 grams.

Below is a photo comparing the F1 to some other single 18650 battery flashlights along with a Samsung 30Q battery. Clearly it's not a small compact flashlight but nor is it the largest 18650 flashlight.


Photo of one side of the flashlight. The Zanflare logo is printed on the head below the Hot symbol. The mode button positioned on the head works very well and is a good size. Around the same section of the head are some simple heat fins.

A view from the other side. This time the ring that covers the micro USB charging port has been lowered. To do so required that it be twisted or pulled back. A LED is located next to the charging port which changes from RED (Charging) to GREEN (Fully charged).


The glass lens is coated. The reflector is aluminium and smooth which should assist with throw.


Below is an image of the CREE XPL LED.


A closer view of the tail cap. The end cap button has zanflare logo which is a nice touch. The tail cap includes a spike which can be used to break glass/windows. It is around 2.5mm in diameter and not sharp. I've not attempted to break glass with it, but I suspect it would be a struggle. On the other side of the tail cap is the lanyard hole. It's a good size allowing easy access in attaching a lanyard.

The F1 can tail stand as the tail cap section on the end is flat.

Photo below is a closeup of the end thread of the F1. The threads were pre lubed as are square. They are also anodised which enables the endcap to be loosened to enable lockout. An O ring is present to provide for improved waterproofing.


Closer view of the inner workings of the switch. The switch requires a firm press and clicks nicely. No real chance of the flashlight being turned off whilst in your pocket.


View below of the flashlight with the pocket clip attached. The clip attaches to the tailcap. This works ok, but may lead to wear on the host body over time. The action of removing the tail cap results in contact between the clip end and the host. It would have been preferable for the clip to attach to the body. The H3 anodisation is well done here. Having fitted the pocket clip to the host the process of screwing in the tail cap and then removing it leads to lots of contact between the clip and the host body. No scratching was detected. Overall the coating appears to be of a high quality.


Tail cap removed with the pocket clip attached. The clip itself is quite sturdy.


Photo below of the host fitted with a Panasonic NCR18650B 18650 battery button top of 70mm in length. The battery end doesn't quite protrude above the host end.


A shorter LG HE4 flat top battery of 65mm fits in nicely too. Both batteries work fine in this flashlight.


Below is an attempt to photograph the inside of the flashlight. Partly visible is the positive flat terminal. The head could not be removed and is either very firmly attached or glued into positon.


Beam Shots

All photos taken with the following Camera settings,

F 2.7, Shutter 1/320 ISO 100

Moonlight

Low

Medium

HIGH

Flare/Turbo

Outdoor Photos

All photos taken with the following Camera settings,

F 2.7, Shutter 2.5s ISO 100

Location is at a park with the distant tree approximately 60m from the camera position.

Moonlight Mode

The rated level is 1 lumen, although is clearly not visible in the outdoor shot below.

Low Mode

Here we see that the light output produced is more noticable. Although it's a low mode, the F1 puts out a good level of light. The manufacturers rating here is 50 lumen, however I'd suggest it's slightly higher.

Medium Mode.

On medium we now see a reasonable level of light output. The beam shot below highlights the good level of light output. There is some throw and flood making this mode a usable for wandering in the evening where very long runtime is required.

High Mode

With a higher output rated at 590 lumen we have a high performer that betters many other 18650 powered flashlights drawing higher current. I found the performance of this flashlight on high to be ideal. The host temperature increase on this mode is hardly noticed, yet the output is high and constant for an extended period.


Flare/Turbo Mode

The highest brightness mode here is the flare mode which produces over 1,000 lumen of light. The result isn't a dramatic improvement over high however it is brighter. The downside being that the mode drops back to the HIGH level after approximately 30 seconds. There is some heat build up in the host during this time but not a concern.

Mode spacing is good. There is large step in brightness between Moonlight and Low. The brightness levels between Low, Medium, High and Flare is noticeable but not significant. The High mode is the one I use during outdoor walks, although the Medium would also be suitable where longer runtime is needed. The HIGH mode outperforms many similarly sized flashlights, considering the power consumption on high is not excessive the runtime is over 90 minutes with a 2500mAH battery and longer with higher capacity batteries.

Light Output

Two tests were completed on the Zanflare F1,

1. Ceiling Bounce test measurements

2. Run time test with a 18650 battery

Firstly the Ceiling Bounce test. The purpose of this test is to assess the amount of light produced. The results achieved are at the mid range of the scale when compared to other models listed. Performance is excellent for a flashlight of this size. On HIGH mode the reading achieved for the F1 is 41, so roughly half of the figure charted.

Next is a run time test using a freshly charged 18650 LG HE4 Lithium Ion battery.

All run time tests were executed with the flashlight mounted in a tripod spaced 1m from the light meter sensor. The flashlight and sensor were stationary for the full duration of the test. A video recording device was used then to record the session with all results recorded transferred to a spreadsheet for charting purposes.

The run time test until the flashlight turned off, which was after approximately 144 minutes.

The observations were,

1. Initial peak of just under 16,000 Lux. This remained reasonably constant for approximately 30 seconds.

2. After 30 Seconds the flashlight mode changed to HIGH, where the light output dropped to just under 8000 LUX. It remained at around 8,000 until the 30 minute mark after which it dropped to around 7,200 LUX up to about 94 minutes.

3. After the 94 minute mark the brightness dropped off in a linear fashion to the 110 minute point where it's dropped to a lower mode before finally turning off at the 144 minute mark.

A closer view of the data for the first 15 minutes along with temperature measurements. Thermal management is very good on this model too. The controlled tests suggest that the maximum temperature measured did not exceed 41C, where the ambient was 19C The highest temperatures being measured at the head of the flashlight so no concerns on the ability to hold the flashlight in hand at that time.

Current Measurements

The Current measurements on the highest setting were taken using a UNI-T UT204 clamp meter with a 12AWG wire with the tail cap removed. Actual current levels will be lower due to the resistance of the tail cap switch and spring. Figures below represent the peak measured

With the flashlight equipped with a LG HE4 18650 battery the following measurements were recorded.

Moonlight 0.01A

Low 0.15A

Medium 0.4A

High 1.35A

Flare/Turbo 4.4A

The measurements for HIGH and Flare were surprising. The light output of the flashlight on HIGH mode is very good and I would have expected a higher current level was required. The Flare/Turbo mode reading is very high. Based on my measurements the light output is approximately double that of HIGH mode.

Tests were not performed with CR123 batteries.

User Interface

To turn on the flashlight press the rear switch once. Press again to turn off

Once on to cycle through modes, press the side switch. Modes cycled are,

Moonlight ⇒ Low ⇒ Medium ⇒ High

For Turbo/Flare mode double click the side mode button.

To activate the hidden strobe and SOS modes, with the flashlight on press and hold the side mode button for 2 seconds. To cycle to the other mode press mode button again. To return to normal modes hold button for 2 seconds.

Simple and very effective, I like it.

Internal Battery charging

Battery charging was performed on a LG HE4 18650 Battery. In order to activate charging the rear tail switch must be on.

The initial charging current measured with approximately 0.92A at a voltage of 5.17V. The total charge time was approximately 2 hours, with a measured battery terminal voltage of 4.18V.

The internal charger is very usable and provides flexibility for those who prefer to use a common mobile phone charger with micro USB cable to charge their flashlights.

Final Summary

I’ve found the Zanflare F1 to be a very impressive flashlight that is really useful for many needs. I really like this flashlight. It’s now my favoured daily use flashlight when walking outdoors.

The size enables it to be quite portable, it’s small enough to be kept in your pocket or as I do just leave in my work bag and take out when needed. The performance for its size is simply excellent.

Mode spacing’s are good. I find whilst walking outdoors that the LOW is very usable, although I’ve tended to move to HIGH as I enjoy lighting up the area I’m heading into. The Moonlight mode is very low, possibly not quite as low as 1 lumen, but I found it of value for those occasions wandering around the home when everyone is asleep. For those needing the SOS and strobe modes, these are also available and easily accessed.

The ability to use the flashlight on high for an extended period and not experience high heat is really important and the F1 fares extremely well on this point. I thoroughly recommend this flashlight to anyone wanting a medium to small flashlight.

Prices for this flashlight are in the range of $US30 - $US40 which represents great value for what is a very powerful flashlight with inbuilt USB charging. It’s wonderful to see a newcomer to the flashlight market appear with budget priced high performing products.

Amazon link to product,

Buy it here (non AFF link): http://amzn.to/2shDPek

Website:www.zanflare.com

Pros:

>Excellent Quality

>Excellent Brightness on HIGH

>Can Tail stand

>Lockout

>18650 or 2xCR123

Cons:

>Clip attaches to tail cap.

reserved

Very good review. So many photos and forms. I bought One F1 . Good quality and user experience.The price is also very worthy. I like it. Will recommend it to my friend. I just want to buy one more F2 for my nephew.

Thanks for your feedback on the review. I am too very pleased with the flashlight, I like it a lot and it’s now my flashlight of choice as it is compact and produces lots of light.

Review pictures repaired, sadly I used photobucket and lost all the pics. I’m now using imgur from now on…

I continue to use the Zanflare F1 and haven’t changed my opinion form the review. The flashlight fits nicely in the hand and it’s performance is excellent.