Sofirn SD05 Diving Flashlight Review
What’s in the box:
Flashlight, micro-USB cable, battery charger, 18650 adapter, 21700 battery, lanyard, spare o-rings, instructions.
Specifications:
CREE XHP50.2 LED with a lifespan of 50,000 hours
Battery Options: One 21700 or 18650 Li-ion battery (with included adapter)
Dimension: 119mm (length)× 37.5mm (head diameter)
Weight: 120 grams (without battery)
Reverse polarity protection
Low battery warning/low voltage protection: The flashlight is rapid flashing every minute to indicate low battery if the voltage is lower than 3 Volt and it will turn off if the voltage is lower than 2.6 Volt
Advanced Temperature Regulation. If the light reaches 55oC, it will automatically step down
Output per mode (as stated by the manufacturer, using the included 21700 battery): Low - 300 Lumens, Medium – 1000 Lumens, High – 3000 Lumens
UI/Operation:
The light is pretty straight-forward in terms of operation (something necessary if we consider it’s intended for diving and outdoors use). There is a rotating ring just below the light’s head that has 4 positions: off, low, medium, high (image of ring). The ring is easy to rotate with one hand (it’s at a good position to operate using one’s thumb and index finger) and its firm enough to retain its position. I’ve tried to “accidentally” rotate the ring but hasn’t managed to do so. However, I would suggest locking the flashlight (unscrewing the back a little bit) when not in use to avoid any accidents, especially when inside a bag or when near other objects.
Beam quality:
Sofirn uses a Cree XHP 50.2 Led 6500K (Sofirn confirmed this). There is an orange pill reflector which seems like the right choice considering the intended use of the flashlight. There is sufficient flood with a decent hot spot. There is some yellow-green tint near the edge of the hot spot and I can spot (although barely) a darker dead center. It is not visible at real life situations though.
Battery-charger:
SD05 uses a 21700 battery which is quite bigger than the usual but carries more capacity. Sofirn includes a 4000mAh 21700 battery of their own manufacturing along with an unbranded micro-USB charger. I have no means to test the battery but from what I’ve gathered from reviews, their batteries can be trusted. My chargers don’t accept the 21700 size so I had to use the included charger. It feels cheaply made and I wouldn’t like to use it again. There is an Led light on it to function as charging indication but I’m not sure it changes from red to something else once the battery is charged.
Beam shots:
Off: 
Low: 
Medium: 
High: 
Size Comparison:
Under water test:
I’m not a diver (the main target group that SD05 reaches to), so I can not fully understand the issues that divers face and their needs from a flashlight. However, the light offers ease of use and waterproofness, traits that other users might find useful.
I have contacted Sofirn regarding the flashlight’s waterproofness and their response is that it’s been tested for submersion up to 100m. Now I can’t test that claim but I’ve went up to 50cm for about 20mins and the flashlight worked flawlessly both under water and outside of it. I had it in high mode all the time and the water acted as an excellent heatsink, allowing for the light to operate at maximum brightness indefinitely with the only restriction being the battery.
Pros-Cons:
+ The rotating ring to change modes makes operation ease
- The XHP 50.2 emitter
- Uses a 21700 battery for more runtime than 18650 batteries
- Waterproofness and general build quality
- Great price for the whole package (flashlight, battery, charger)
- Lowest mode is still too high for many users (300lm)
- I haven’t had any issues, but I’d like a textured body for firmer grip
- I feel like they could do better with the included charger, it feels way cheaper than the rest of the products
Discount code:
Sofirn was kind enough to provide a discount code for a 30% off their SD05 flashlight purchased from their Amazon.it store.
Use 56PN464N before checkout
