For the first time, I saw it on Taobao a couple of months ago. This little flashlight looked like a "custom" version of Sunwayman M10A. So I asked Hank Wang (from intl-outdoor) if he could offer it in his shop, seeing other EOSLAMP products on his website. Hank said it was a very limited version, hard to get and no-go ...but some time later I received information, that he can stock it. So without hesitation, I pulled the trigger and bought it.
This won't be a review, so no technical specs and very detailed info. You can find it on Hank's website. Anyway, this is the smallest 1xAA flashight that I'm aware of with magnetic control ring. Despite very similiar look, this is not SWM M10A clone. As you'll see on the pictures, it's a lot smaller.
The fit and finish are perfect. Everything is precisely machined without a single flaw. And the best (or most interesting, should I say) part is the surface coating. Every savvy flashaholic know about limited "sand" anodized versions of SWM, Jetbeam and Nitecore products (for example THIS). Now, EOSLAMP went a little farther in coating process. I'm no expert, but it seems that SMA12 uses CERAMIC coating. It's not as strong as HAIII, but it has way more "cool factor" in it. If you take the flashlight to your hand, it gives a feeling of holding a stone. To be precise a "sharpening stone" or a very fine nailfile. I haven't seen an anodizing surface, that would give such feeling - therefore I'm guessing it's ceramic coating ...because it just feels so. A flashlight made of stone :)
Thread is also ceramic coated and lubed. Together with flashlight, I received a clip, some nuts (screws are somehow missing, but I guess, they should be available locally at watchmaker) oring, lanyard and a spare switch mechanism.
The glass is AR coated, it has violet/blue hue. The head is protected by a stainless steel bezel.
EOSLAMP SMA12 has four modes. I'd describe them as Very Low > Medium > High > Higher. The mode spacing could be better, because estimating lumens, it's something like (1>40>80>140). I'm missing here a lower medium or higher low. Oh, well you can't have all. But the very low is nice. The flashlight seems to be current controlled, so it will have a very good runtime on the LOW level.
It uses a reverse clicky, which when pressed lightly, change the modes on the ring from constant ones mentioned above, to four blinky modes: Strobe > Beacon > Triple blink > SOS. Press it lightly and you have again constant modes.
There's also a mechanical protection agains reversed polarity. So if you put the battery in incorrect way, nothing will happen.
The runtime on high is average. I got 1h:10m on Highest mode using a 2100mAh LSD cell (similiar to eneloop). The SMA12 is driven quite hard (1.52A on highest mode from the NiMH cell). Just for the record on this cell, SWM M10A runs almost 2h:00m and Fenix LD10 R5 1h:30m.
I didn't try 14500, nor I have plans to do it. This thing is too expensive and preciuos for such risk. For the very same reason, I didn't try to open it. Sorry guys.
It works flawless, the ring tactile feedback is very similiar to SMW M10A. The glass and reflector beneath it are super clean and there's just nothing to complain about. On a side note, it has a very pleasant white tint with a very little warmth in it and absolutely no green. However, I'm not sure if every model has such LED or did I just won on a tint lottery.
The bad thing is the price. It's expensive, but I think, beeing the smallest magnetic ring controlled 1xAA flashlight, with unique colour and coating type ...and limited in production justifies it. Just my humble opinion. It's not perfect, I'd change the mode spacing (for something like 1>15>60>140), use forward clicky and change the switching to blinky modes, to be harder accesible (maybe 3x click within 1.5s). This would allow the user to use momentary function. But all in all, this little flashlight is one in its kind in many ways and I wonder, how is it possible, that some very small, unknown company without own factories and significant product history, can release such unique flashight and big players can't.
OK. Now to the pics. Sorry, but no beamshots, I don't have enough time, but the beam pattern is very typical for an 1xAA light with XP-G LED. Large, well defined hotspot with quite usable corona around it. Good for walks and shining into the bushes up to ~50m. In my opinion way more usable outdoors, than 1xAA XM-L flashlights which are pure flood.
