Shadow has been around for a short while now. I previously picked up two of their older lights (both JM07-Pro's) that while nice, didn't sufficiently stir my inner-flashaholic. I was recently provided with an opportunity to review some of their newer lights that looked pretty interesting so I decided this would be a great chance to have a second look at their offerings. The first up is the SL3, a compact tri-XML light that reminds me of Lumapower's dMini series but in a larger format; 26650-sized to be precise:
I'm holding my breath hoping to be a bit more impressed this time around, let's see how that turns out...
MFG SPECS
• 3x Cree XM-L U2 LED with lifespan of 50,000 hours,Maximum output of 1500 lumens.
• Digitally regulated output, maintains constant brightness.
• Low voltage warning flash.
• Side switch on body of flashlight for on/off operation (Hold button for more than 1 second). Hold switch further to enable mode switching between 3 light modes (High, Medium, Low) and 1 strobe mode accessed via quick double click (Strobe can be accessed regardless if the flashlight is on or off)
• Smooth Aluminum reflector.
• Long throw flashlight with illumination past 200 meters. (24,000 lux @ 1m)
• Made of durable 6061 aluminum alloy.
• CNC manufactured.
• Stainless steel bezel.
• Toughened ultra-clear glass lens.
• Premium Hard Anodized Type III grey finish. Scratch resistant and anti-abrasive.
• IPX-8 waterproof.
• 142mm(Length)x32mm(Body)x63.5mm(Head).
• 220g weight (batteries not included).
• Powered by Li-ion battery: 1x26650.
• Test run(Powered by 1x26650,capacity of 3.7V/4000mAh,Kingcell brand in China):
High mode: 1.6 hrs,1500lm.
Med. mode: TBD hrs.
Low mode: over TBD hrs.
• Versatility of exploration,searching,camping,hunting,cycling,patrol,outworks etc.
• Included accessories: lanyard/O rings/glass lens.
PACKAGING / CONTENTS
The SL3 arrived in generic Eco packaging with decent foam cushioning:
Accessories included are:
- 2 x small o-ring's
- lanyard
- spare lens (& corresponding o-ring)
CONDENSED VIDEO SUMMARY
Here is a quick high-level video summary of the SL3 while while I work on fleshing out this review:
[video=youtube;lx7f-q19U3Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx7f-q19U3Y[/video]
DESIGN & FEATURES
The SL3 features a SS bezel that should be removable but thus far I haven't been able to do so:
There is no AR coating on the lens.
The emitters are each centered perfectly within it's own housing in the tri-flector:
At first blush, the head looks identical to that on the JM26 but it's actually a little shallower and also lacks certain machined grooves:
L: SL3 | R: JM26
The throat of the light houses the side-switch that features a nice SS ring around it:
The collar that the side-switch rests in features alternating textured curved and flat sides.
With the exception of a "plug" at the base (more later), the battery tube is milled as a single piece (that is, there is no tailcap) and again features a blend of symmetrical machined grooves and design motifs that I feel works well:
There are two flat surfaces where the model and company name are laser etched.
The base of the tube is finished off with milled grooves that run parallel with the tube:
Carrying on the "milled as a single piece" theme, the lanyard holder holes are drilled directly into the base. The base is nice and flat so allows for pretty stable tailstanding. The non-anodized piece is actually a "plug" that is non-removable. It was explained to me that this was done for aesthetic purposes but I would've preferred that they had simply removed the anodizing rather than incorporating a separate piece but ultimately, it shouldn't compromise the water resistance.
There is a brass nodule at the base of the head, it's recessed ever so slightly so as to require a magnet when using flat-top cells. There is however a large spring in the base of the tube:
The threads aren't square-cut but did come decently greased. I did encounter a little squeaking during use, this should go away with a little more grease:
There is an optional 18650 sleeve that allows the use of said cells:
SIZE / HANDLING
L to R: RediLast 3400 | NITECORE TM11 | SHADOW SL3 | Sunwayman T60CS | Niteye EYE30 | Elektro Lumens Big Bruiser | ThruNite TN30
As can be seen in the pic above, the SL3, while not the shortest in overall length is the most compact in overall dimensions. To be fair, and keeping things in perspective the only other single cell light here is the Big Bruiser while all the others handle a minimum of three cells.
UPDATE: Here's a more recent shot w/out lens distortion:
L to R (both pics): NITECORE TM11 | Shadow SL3 | NITECORE TM26 | Sunwayman T60CS | Niteye EYE30 | APEX 5T6
The 26650-sized form-factor feels great in my medium-sized hand with either overhand or underhand grip:
The button is soft-enough that it can be easily triggered with the pinkie in on overhand grip and is also large enough so use with gloves shouldn't be a problem.
FIT & FINISH
Save for some blotches on the anodized finish, the SL3 is possibly the best fit & finish-wise of the Shadow lights I've tested. Starting with the anodized finishing, the body is slightly darker vs. the head:
NOTE: Flash intentionally used to highlight shading differences.
Overall, the anodizing has been applied well with none missing in the crevices, texturing or around edges:
However, there are these blotches all over the tube that is more noticeable than on the JM26:
The SS bezel threads on flush and the laser engravings are also nice and sharp with no blotchiness:
However, as can be seen, the Company name and model are not centered vertically in the oblong machined groove; the Shadow name just about rests on the bottom of the edge.
While the threads are not square-cut, they came decently greased and proved to be trouble-free during use with the occasional squeakiness.
Overall, the SL3 is a solidly constructed light that should stand up to a fair amount of abuse especially in consideration of its two piece build. One nice thing that I didn't observe here (but did on the JM26) is that there is no huge overrun of glue around the switch:
UI
The UI on the JM26 is very straightforward. To turn it on, depress and hold on the side-switch for at least two seconds. Once on, each depress of the side-switch will cycle through the three output levels: H > M > L. Strobe can be activated at any time with the light on or off by depressing the switch twice; this can also be used as a work-around to the two second-delay by activating the strobe first and then depressing the switch one more time to exit out of it and activating H. To shut off the light, hold the side-switch again for two seconds or just quickly lock-out the light and twist the tube back on.
As with the rest of their lights with a side-switch, it is fairly easy to accidentally activate the strobe while cycling through the output levels since the spacing isn't tight enough. There is no memory so it'll always come on in H, to expound; if you last used the light in L and then either shut-off the light or change the batteries, the light will always come on in H. There is no electronic lock-out but the light can be physically locked-out since the threads are anodized.
BEAMSHOTS
Indoors (5m)
High
Med
Low
For details of the above indoor shots and comparo vs. many other lights, please check Epic Indoor Shots Trilogy
RUNTIME & OUTPUT
The relevant battery stats are provided above each runtime graph along with:
- Voltage of the battery at the start and end of the test
- Current draw
- Actual runtime using ANSI FL1 (first in HR and then in M so for the KK on High, read this as 1.9hrs or 113min)
- NEW (as of May 2012): Lumens measured on my PVC LMD @ 30 seconds
- Also for High, captured the temperature: ambient, the head/fins at start and the max it reached (fan was used for all bats)
Max output measured @ 30 seconds was 1630lms w/an AW IMR 18650 (1600mAh).
The SL3 runs semi-regulated at turn-on until step down which is timed based on voltage sag. as can be seen, the KK with its higher capacity and likely lower voltage sag can run for aprox. 6.5 minutes before stepping down. While it's not the longest before the LVW (Low Voltage Warning) kicks in, it does offer the highest sustained semi-regulated output over that run.
With an optional spacer, the SL3 is capable of running on a single 18650 cell (must be able to handle 4.5A draw sustained) so I included three of those cells in this testing. The RL3400 offers the longest run overall but it does a weird second step-down shortly after 35 minutes and then has a long drawn out gradual decrease in output before the LVW kicked in at about 2hrs.
Given the relatively aggressive step down, the SL3 doesn't get hot at all, provided High is not reactivated again.
It's worth noting that with all the cells, by the time LVW activates, the SL3 can still run BUT the voltage will be around 3V at this time so one should replace and charge the cell immediately.
Here in order for each cell are measurements for:
* step-down; time + avg lms in first minute thereafter
* medium; average lms in first minute + current draw and calculated runtime
* low; average lms in first minute + current draw and calculated runtime
* stand-by; since the SL3 utilizes an electronic switch, the current draw + calculated time^ before cell is drained
^ doesn't consider the cell's own self-discharge so overall the time will be less
CONCLUSION
(exhales...) WHEW! OK, so after spending a decent amount of time now with the SL3, I gotta say that I'm pretty impressed with it. It is one of the smallest multi-XM-L, single-cell light currently available and packs a decent punch both output and throw-wise. Both it and its fraternal twin, the JM26, feature very solid builds and should stand up to some hard use. Subjectively, I really like the styling; some may find that all the machined grooves lead to a busy look but it's got an industrial design to it. I feel Shadow is moving in the right direction with their recent releases but while the overall fit and finish is pretty good, I'd like to see them bump it up a notch. They seem to have done that between the first JM07 release and this batch so I'm optimistic they'll do it again with their future models. In particular, I'd like to see them revise the UI but for now though, here are my thoughts:
turboBB-licious
- truly compact powerhouse offering >1600lms in a stout form-factor
- optional sleeve allows use of 18650 cells thus increasing flexibility of fuel source (however, given high current draw before step down, cell must be able to sustain 4.5A draw)
- anodized threads allow physical lock-out
- two-piece setup feels very solid
turboBB-cautious
- brass nodule in head slightly recessed requiring use of magnet with flat-top cells
- some blotches in the anodization
- quick cycling of output levels can accidentally trigger strobe
turboBB-wishes
- holster
- spring in place of the brass nodule positive contact point
- revised driver that would allow 2-cell operation with extension tube
- reduce time required to turn on light from two-seconds down to one
- tighten-up timing required to activate strobe
- electronic lock-out feature
- AR coated lens
- more output levels implemented via different UI (a la Zebralight)
SL3 GALLERY
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SL3 provided by sbflashlights.com for review.
