[Review] Xtar WK007 Zoomie

Review copy was sent in by XTAR to me here in the Philippines, whom I thank for the confidence afforded to me. No other payment was received for this review.


Preface:
The zoomie market has quite very separate insights when it comes to this light category. This is my very review for a zoomie nonetheless. The WK007 is Xtar's entry to this category,XTAR WK007 emits 500lm, which overwhelms most EDC flashlights.
With it's adjustable focus, it can be used in activities such as exploring, cycling, photography, etc., let's see how it performs.



Packaging:
It comes in a white retail plastic moulded package, with some descrption and manufacturer specifications written in both the front and back.


Inclusions:
1 x Xtar WK007
1 x lanyard
1 x o-ring
1 x manual


Quick Features:
-4 lighting modes
-500lm max luminance
-max beam throw 175m
-impact resistance 1.5m
-ipx 5 waterproof rating
-compatible with nimh,alkaline or 14500 cell
-mode memory
-cree XPG-3

Manufacturer Specifications:
ANSI High Mid Low Moonlight Flash Strong flash
Luminance 500lm 200lm 30lm 2lm 500lm 500lm
Runtime 47mins 1.58 hrs 13.6hrs 33days N/A N/A
Beam Throw 175m
Max Intensity 7500CD
Impact Resistant 1.5m
Waterproof IPX5
Size Ø 28.5mm(head) x Ø 19.5(body) x Ø 22mm(tail) x100mm(length)
Net weight 50g (Battery excluded)

Notes:
1. Above-mentioned parameters (tested by using XTAR 14500 800mAh) are approximate and may differ depending on battery and environment.
2. Working Voltage: 1.0-4.35V
3. Compatible battery: 1*AA NI-MH/1*AA ALKA/1*14500 Li-ion battery




Operation:
1. Choose mode:
A. From OFF: Lighting mode. Flashlight starts with HIGH when you first turn on the unit. To change mode, double press switch button. Lighting mode cycle is (HIGH-MID-LOW-MOONLIGHT).
B. From OFF: Flashing mode. Tap switch button (no clicking sound) and quickly press the switch button (with clicking sound) within 0.2s, it enters flashing mode. To choose strong flashing mode, shut off flashlight first, then repeat the steps of entering flashing mode.
2. Adjust beam. Push the head forward or back to choose the focus you need.


Form Factor:
The XTAR WK007 is a typical size for a single AA/14500 zoom light. It fits well in a big handed person as it has some bulk into it compared to non-zoom AA lights.

Heat is handled well using AA batteries, however with 14500 on high mode the light can get very warm, but not excessively hot. The heat is transferred well throughout the body (and thus into the users hands), so the thermal design of this light is very good.


Head:
The head has a scalloped knurling design on the attack bezel.


The zoom (12.5mm movement) works in a linear manner, and doesn’t need to be twisted. However, as the LED is on the body, the head can still be turned.
The stiffness of the zoom mechanism was just right. There are deep set cooling fins on the part below the zoom mechanism which are required in HIGH mode with 14500 where this light gets manageably hot.


It utilizes a Cree XP-G3 LED with an aspheric lens made of plastic. This LED is renowned for resulting a yellow corona to the beam, due to having phosphor at the sides of the chip.


It has a flat contact plate for the positive side of the cell.

Barrel: It has a small diamond pattern knurling design, and the barrel is attached to the head. It has the brand clearly printed on the side and the model on the other. The size of the barrel is noticeably smaller than that of the head, the clip is very sturdy and has great tension.

Tail:

It has a simillar scalloped knurling design as with the head.

It has a dotted rubber boot as the main switch which is sturdy and has an audible sound when clicking.

A lanyard hole is present on one side of the tailcap.

As per most lights, the tail cap is screwed off counter clockwise for battery insertion, with the positive end near the head. The threads are not anodized, and thus the tail switch will work even if the tail is not fully screwed on – thus there is no mechanical lockout.
It can perfectly do a tail stand.


Picture of the light when disassembled

Beam shots:

HIGH Zoomed out

HIGH Zoomed in

MED Zoomed out

MED Zoomed in

LOW Zoomed out

LOW Zoomed in

MOONLIGHT Zoomed out

MOONLIGHT Zoomed in



Conclusion:
To sum up, I believe that the most important part of any review is if given the chance to purchase the same light for my own EDC, would I still purchase it?
For this light, it is a definite YES. Specially if you are looking for a minimalist EDC zoomie with complete functions.
Scrutinizing the light over throughout the review, I am hard pressed to find any flaws at this price point. If I were to nit-pick, it would be that they need to update this light given it's 2 years old now, maybe they can upgrade the LED and then change the aspheric lens to a TIR lens instead.

As with all gears, two is one and one is none.

Light on brothers!

Video review of this light:

Check out Xtar's webpage: www.xtar.cc
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first of all, thank you for the review.

I happen to own this light and it was one of the weaker lights. build quality is excellent, but the light output is very low on AA, slightly higher on 14500.
My light is not defective but just doesn’t have a high output.

Does anybody know how to open this light for a custom driver?

the light/brand itself is fine, just needs more power!

Not sure if this helps, but see the X-Ray photo in this thread:

This helps A LOT, thank you! It means the light is glued. There is absolutely no movement at all where the head should come apart, even heat didn’t help so far.

Guess it will be a blow torch now, even if it could destroy some parts of the light.

Build quality is really good on this one, but after so many triples and FET drivers I am a bit spoiled on light output. That is why I am willing to make an investment to improve it.

Thank you so much for watching/reading my review. With this review I was using a 14500 cell. This light is already 2 years old as I’ve mentioned, and really needs an upgrade, maybe the LED and Driver would do the trick plus the reflector and lens as well I hope. I will let Xtar know your concerns as well

I have already changed the LED, the driver is too weak with an AA cell. This light really shines with a 14500 battery and would need more power. But the light has excellent craftsmanship and overall quality. So yes, an updated model would be great.