SUMMARY continued from above
Some pro’s and con’s of each light, all IMvHO. Please expect changes as I buy more lights, learn more things, and make less mistakes. The more interesting lights go first.
Mateminco PD90S Discussion starts HERE
Compared to the Wurkkos TS30S, Mateminco is more floody with large area of illumination. Its incredible output is actually better for nearfield exploration than TS30S, for example exploring the forest. PD90S comes close to creating that “wall of light” effect that I love very much in my 15000 lumen monster lights. The high throw number is a reflection of that crazy output, but subjectively I wouldn’t call this a “throwy” beam. Compare the house on top of the hill to see how wide the illumation is.
BEAM With Orange Peel reflector, the beam is squeaky clean, no ring, no funny hotspot like TS30S Pro. It has larger area of illumination than TS30S, hence better for nearfield illumination. OP reflector decreases throw and “focus”/intensity of hotspot, explaining why this is not a classic “throwy” beam.
Olight M2R Pro Warrior ~$120 and more due to price gouging for Patriot and Orange model
BEAM: CCT of 4900k results in wonderfully warm tone. I had 3 copies of the M2R, one has wonderful beam color, the other is the worst green hell I’ve seen, so there is no consistency to LED quality. TIR optic is well chosen by Olight: nice large hotspot results in wide area of illumination far field. The spill as expected of a throw-oriented TIR optic is dim, but still bright enough so near field illumination is good. This was my favorite walk light, until the Convoy twins M21F and E with Getian GT-FC40 showed up.
PRO: Exudes incredible quality everywhere you look. Feel solid and the finish is first class. Magnetic charging is convenient (but also means you have to bring cable where you travel, as opposed to simplicity of USB-C). Patriotic finish is cool, orange is amazing.
CON: Tint lottery: some light is great, some is horrible green hell. I don’t like the recessed and shallow rear switch nearly as much as Nitecore’s, which protrudes a lot more and is much easier to activate. The side-switch is a little too heavy to activate and has very short travel. I don’t like it as much as Sofirn switch for example, which feels lighter and activates with a “click” more clearly. OTOH this also means Olight’s switch is less likely to be activated accidentally.
Nitecore MH12S ~ $90 but was on sale 20% off
BEAM: CCT 6500k means a harsh blue color that provides excellent illumination at the same time that it flattens depth, but this is not unusual for a thrower. Distant illumination/throw is excellent, better than Olight. Spill is bright, result in very good near field illumination as well. IMHO the small size, bright beam, and excellent throw make this one of my favorite throwers.
PRO: Rear switch is easy to access and have a great old-school mechanical feel. This light grows on me because its small size and light weight make it feel very nice to carry and handle.
CON: Can’t tail stand unless you use the enclosed plastic holster which is big and awkward. Thin metal - the battery cap is razor thin versus Olight and Sofirn for example and looks to be easy distorted if squeezed accidentally. OTOH the thin metal leads to less weight, which I like, so maybe I shouldn’t complain too much. Premium pricing. Unlike the other 2 lights, the light could only be turned on by rear switch (the side switch doesn’t turn on/off, only adjusts brightness).
Overall though the more I use this light the more I love it.
Sofirn IF22a ~$40
BEAM: Also 6500k - harsh bright blue tone that flattens depth and obliterates colors, but this is not unusual for a super thrower. Incredible throw for a small light: all output is concentrated by the 5° TIR optic into a bright but very small hotspot. The weakness: it has what I consider an unbalanced/one-dimensional beam: very small hotspot, with almost no spill. If this type of illumination is what you are looking for, it’s the perfect light. Personally I don’t use the IF22a often.
PRO: Construction not Olight level but excellent nevertheless. Very low cost for the quality it brings and the fantastic throw. For what I paid for one Olight M2R I could get an IF22a PLUS nearly 3 Convoy Nichia’s lol.
CON: See beam discussion above.