Shadow S-L3: The Joy of a New Flashlight
The S-L3 is a study on how to market a somewhat pricey torch to people already knee-deep in flashlights. I don't need to tell many of you here about the quiet thrill of careful consideration, ordering and finally receiving a brand new flashlight. Not a handyman or outdoorsman with an actual need; I'm talking about those of us so far gone that we're beyond embarrassment and long ago shed any inclination to appease or explain. To you my fellow whack jobs of whom I'm no longer ashamed, I present the S-L3 . . .
Foyapproved
Bottom line: The S-L3 will be the brightest flashlight an average buyer will likely ever see. Of course, a torch like this wasn't meant for normal folk and this picky group will not be disappointed. It is aesthetically pleasing, well assembled with typical Shadow quality and is functionally perfect. The useful modes are great, the annoying mode is hidden, the switch is quiet and the reflector could double as a paperweight. The Shadow S-L3 delivers multi-emitter/multi-cell performance in a compact, single battery package. My only real gripe is the finish. My example scratches easier than any type III anodized light I have and for that reason alone, it is perhaps $20 too dear. Even still, the S-L3 is very much the AMG Mercedes of flashlights.
What I like:
- output, big power/small package
- updated XLamp XM-L2 emitters
- aesthetics
- quiet side switch
- UI
- thermal conductivity
- reflector quality
- pill design
- stainless steel bezel
What I do not like:
- poor anodization
- lack of 2-cell option
- a little pricey
Shadow S-L3 Triple XM-L2 Flashlight
$80.15 Int'l Outdoor Store http://intl-outdoor.com/shadow-sl3-triple-xml2-t6-1700lumens-26650-flashlight-p-636.html
ordered: 6-7-13
received: 6-17-13
3 x Cree XM-L2/T6/3C emitters
6061-T6 aluminum
designed for 1 x 26650 or 1 x 18650 lithium-ion rechargeable battery (sleeve included)
aluminum SMO reflector
thermal throttled to 50% after 5-minutes
ascending 4-mode user interface with no mode memory: low, medium, high and hidden strobe (double-tap for strobe)
electronic side switch
low battery voltage warning
smooth stainless steel bezel
tail stands
two thru-cap perpendicular lanyard holes/flush cord cut
rated IPX-8 (immersion beyond 1-meter)
selected manufacturer specifications:
1,700 lumens
constant current circuit
"hard anodize III"
32mm body
63.5mm head
282g
what you get for $80.15:
- S-L3 flashlight
- extra lens
- spare O-rings (red)
- lanyard
- padded box
Run time: 1:07*
Using an unprotected King Kong 26650 (INR) charged to 4.23 volts.
* Because of thermal throttling, actual run time might be a couple of minutes less. I simply clicked it back to high every time it powered down to 50%. (while watching Homeland re-runs) Also, I over-discharged the King Kong to 3.25 volts. Foy believes real run time is right at one hour.
Foy's S-L3 arrived in flawless condition inside this padded (top and bottom) cardboard box . . .
Light also came with a handy user guide, complete with detailed instructions, specifications chart and contact information.
The S-L3 is rather handsome, if a little busy. Smooth "knurling" is confined to the four corners of the anti-roll ring, itself a useless feature that comes into contact with nothing . . .
The flashlight is a simple two-piece design consisting of a head/pill/switch assembly and battery tube. I want to say I prefer a tail cap that unscrews but I'm unsure how that would make it better?
The S-L3 is less top heavy in the hand than its large, heavy head/short body suggests. It feels very substantial . . . and of course, it is . . .
Machine work is impeccable and the finish looks and feels expensive . . .
Which brings us to my only real complaint. Listed as having type III hard anodization, my example scratches easier than just about any light I own . . .
This happened exactly 30 minutes after the mail man drove away. I was kneeling by the open door of a C240 with the S-L3 in my usual shorts side pocket and lightly rubbed against the aluminum sill plate. A tiny chip on the bottom edge of the tail (don't know when that happened) and another small group of fine scratches occurring during photography has me wondering if this is in fact, type III anodization. I can roll a Solarforce P1d on cement with my hand with nothing to show for the experience. Real, type III ano is incredibly resilient; care and caution are required to keep the S-L3 shelf-queen worthy, assuming that to be its purpose.
The flat stainless steel bezel is gorgeous but the thing that pushed Foy to pull the trigger is this spectacular reflector design . . .
A lot of triples cram three emitters into a head too small and a reflector too shallow. The XLamp XM-L2 emitters in the S-L3 are deep, inside a large 55mm reflector. Other triple designs bank heavily on three emitters alone for wow factor. Each one of the three emitter/reflector teams in the S-L3 would be a formidable flashlight all by itself. Together, they are seriously deserving an all caps WOW!
The superior reflector design dominates any frontal shot and it doesn't take an engineer to guess that this light might have a little reach, or at least more throw than most triples . . .
Another plus is the electronic switch. Other than Mags, I don't have many side switched lights and I consider it a desired option. This one is a reverse clicky and although not completely silent, it is still very quiet. There is no mode memory and the light powers up on low. Click again for medium and once more for high. Double click for strobe and hold down for just under two seconds for off.
Superb machine work . . .
That is dust you see on the tube . . .
This stainless nub does go through to the inside but appears entirely ornamental. Spec on the edge at 10:00 is a chip that happened sometime during the first day of use . . .
The pill looks to be of the large, screw-in variety . . .
I confess to not wanting to remove the pill because it looks all sealed up and pretty. I also appreciate the extra care demonstrated by each emitter being clocked exactly the same, in relation to the circle. The emitters in my other two triples are seated with no regard to which way they are turned. Does it effect performance or longevity? No, but it does suggest a technician taking the time to do something that mattered to him, with little chance of comment or anyone noticing.
All sealed up and pretty - I'm going with that.
Anodized threads and I'm a sucker for red O-rings . . .
Foy needs a scale because this is the heaviest, thickest reflector I've ever seen. The cut to provide wire lead clearance gives you an idea how heavy it is at the base . . .
The whole kit, minus the lanyard I removed . . .
Here the S-L3 stands next to Foy's barely working HD2010. (dropped on thick carpet from 2 feet, approximately 2 lumens on high now)
White wall comparison with an XinTD SC-82/V4. Both have the same XM-L2/T6/3C emitters and you can see the beam profile and rendering are remarkably similar. The S-L3 has a fat center spot, exactly like a single XM-L, only one hell of a lot brighter. The corona is enormous, fading from pale green to a very white spill. Unseen in this picture are three faint lines radiating out from the middle and the only other hint that it's a triple are triangle shaped shadows at the extreme edge. You won't care. Trust me.
All beam shots use a .8 second shutter speed @ f3.2.
Sky Ray 818/3 x XM-L/T6 . . .
Shadow S-L3 . . .
The difference is even more dramatic in real life . . .
UltraFire UF-T60 on the left and the S-L3 at right. Most people wouldn't call a T60 dim but the difference in output is remarkable. As it should be, in my opinion.
I don't buy a multi-emitter light hoping for marginally better performance. I expect a conversation stopper and I don't think it's too much to ask for three emitters to be firmly in possession of three times the wow factor. The Shadow S-L3 has that covered. In terms of output, no light in the Foycollection even comes close except the Dry. Only the Dry's turbo mode can beat the S-L3 but this Shadow triple is a flashlight you actually won't mind carrying.
The Shadow S-L3 takes the thrill of a new torch to a whole 'nother level.
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