Thank you for the responses.
I think I will pass on this light. The tint seems cold and the CRI is low. From what I have read on here this is not ideal. Also it does not seem to meet specifications.
I have zero buyer's remorse!
I very happy I purchased an SP33v3!
It's only a $30 flashlight/ w battery and serves it's intended purpose well.
Time will tell how it holds up doing it's thing.
Comparing beamshots of Sofirn SP33 v2 vs SP33 v3.0:
Comparing beamshots from Astrolux EC01 and Sofirn SP33 v3.0
(comment: on Turbo/max brightness, they look identical)
comparing the Sofirn SP33 v3.0 with BLF D80v2 with XHP50.2 LED
(comment: the BLF D80v2 XHP50.2 is more throwy)
I received my SP 33 V3 yesterday after a long wait.
When I first took it out the package I was wondering how heavy the flashlight was. Then I unscrewed the tailcap just to find a Sofirn labeled 26650 cell in there. The black one with 5500mAh printed on. (Flashlight ordered on Banggood)
The looks of the flashlight are better to me in person than on the pictures. Looks and feels good (very good grip)!
The beam is not pleasing to be honest - but it’s okay. Brightness is fine, probably under 3500lm as stated before. U.I. is super simple and the switch feels good.
I tested the Sofirn 26650 cell and it seems to be a fine one.
Internal resistance about 0,23mOhm
Capacity test showed me 5430mAh
Greetings
I received my SP33v3 with the Sofirn 5500mAh battery also.
I charged it up to 4.2 volts and did a discharge capacity test with cutoff set at 2.5 volts resulting in a 5563mAh result.
I've since received a pair of ShockLi 5500mAh that that test at over 6000mAh.
Capacity tests will vary depending on the test instrument,starting and ending voltage.
Charging capacity vs discharge capacity tests.
I removed the bezel and took out the lens to see if the throw was any different....not much.
I used it last night for a long walk and a stop at the mail box.I figure it serves it's intended purpose without breaking the bank.
I had been using a Sofirn SF11 that's bulkier and heavier and a Convoy S2+.I find the SP33v3 to be an easy carry.
Just from a brightness point of view, the V2 puts out about 2,200 lm.
Well filed a dispute today. Bought from ali store and my messages were unanswered for 3 weeks. Status was shipment cancelled. Tried contacting Sofirn via many ways. Got two answers saying that they dont run the aliexpress store and thats it. I never got my SP33v3. Was really looking forward to this light. But no I will probably never spend a dime to Sofirns direction. Atrocious customer service!
Found a review of the SP33 v2.0 on Zeroair and shocked at how VERY efficient it is. The driver efficiency is on the level of Olight, Fenix, Nitecore, and Zebralight! Wow
Sofirn should continue to sell v2.0 alongside v3.0 because some people would prefer the super efficient driver and perfect regulation.
Have a SP33v2, swapped emitter w/ 5000ºK (damaged led in transit). Best budget light for sustained high. Great UI - low/med/high w/double click for temporary turbo. Long press from off for Moonlight (~ 10 lumens), just right for a evening walk.
My SP33v2 loses turbo at a little above 4 volts. At what voltage do you lose turbo?
I lose mine at 3.70 volts. Dirty connections can have an effect. Boost drivers need as much voltage as possible so you want to make sure the circuits are clean with no extra resistance.
Have you seen the springs in the v2 ?
They should be bypassed.
They’re like 8 cm of iron wire each…
Done all that Jason. Only thing left I haven’t tried are spring bypasses. My driver just seems to lose turbo early. Wondering if I am the only one.
I added a very thin ring to the head / body as to align the ‘make’ and sometimes I couldn’t get to turbo. Have to unscrew /rescrew the head tight.
Yes, my review.
You have the driver ring, both battery tube ends, the tail cap to battery tube area, pop the spring out and clean the pocket, clean the spring, clean the battery ends. I think that’s all.
Have you tried different batteries? I’m not certain, but battery voltage sag might play a part. I use the Shockli 5500mah as well as Aspire 4300. The Shockli seems to work better since the amp draw is not that big at 6A.
I have not had a reason to bypass my springs, but that’s something you might consider. It might give you longer cumulative Turbo runtime.
Although you might already tried it. I’ve had so many lights that loses turbo shortly or immediately and it is fixed after washing the tube and head with detergent and cleaning the head spring or contact with rubbing alcohol. I’ve had many lights including Thrunites that had black grime on contacts that require much rubbing with finger nail to remove. Fixes turbo problems and low output almost every time.
So, the big question is, is the V3 at $30 a better light than the V2 at $20? Even if money wasn’t part of the equation, is the V3 really better than the V2?
Depends on how much you value max output and USB-C recharge. For me USB-C recharge is important in a muggle friendly light like this. However, I much prefer the V2 boost driver for its excellent regulation and efficiency making it more suitable as a tool. I wish Sofirn makes a USB-C version of the V2.
Your logic convinced me to order the V2. While the max output is better on the V3, it doesn’t seem to live up to its numbers (as stated here), making the difference to the V2 not as dramatic. USB charging isn’t all that important for me, but steady and constant output is. I just ordered the V2 on Sofirn’s site with battery and charger for $20.70.
Unlike the SP33v2 that uses glue,the SP33v3 has an aluminum locking ring that turns counterclockwise.
I have not removed out the driver.
The bezel unscrews quite easily to remove the 2 x O rings,lens and OP reflector exposing the LED / MCPCB.
The spring on the bottom of the driver was a bit tilted that was put aright with needle nose.
This light could probably use some better springs.