3 in 1 review. At the end there will be a summary for those who like only particulars, in each topic I will bold the key sentences for those who read a little more, and a long waffling for everyone else. Enjoy!
For VERY large photos: click -> on the photo page right click -> "Open image in new tab"
I got this flashlight from Mateminco for review. Flashlight in their official store:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32984186572.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.2dc24c4d75ybGp
Table of Contents:
- General parameters
- Package content
- Appearance, parameters
- UI, runtime and charging
- PWM
- Waterproof
- Light pattern, tint
- Beamshots
- Usage and my experiences
- Nitpicking
- Gallery
- Summary
| Product Name | Mateminco MT35 mini |
| Brand | MATEMINCO |
| LED | 1 * Luminus SST-40 |
| Material | Aluminum Alloy |
| Mode | Smooth Ramping, Press&Hold Switch for Ramping Up/Down, 12 Mode Sets |
| Switch Type | Clicky Switch |
| Switch Location | Body Side Of The Flashlight |
| Battery | 1 * 26650/21700/18650 Battery (not included) |
| Max Output | 2400 Lumens (I was able to reach 2161lm but @10s it was 1980lm |
| Max Beam Intensity | 190000cd |
| Max Beam Distance | 875 Meters |
| Reflector | Aluminum Alloy Smooth Reflector |
| Color | Black |
| Impact Resistance | 1.5 Meters |
| Waterproof | IPX7 |
| Weight | 301g (not included battery) |
| Size | 170mm * 69.5mm (Length * Head Diameter) |
Flashlight came in a big, sturdy box. Well protected
Inside was:
- flashlight
- lanyard
- two spare o-rings
- manual
- SHOE SACHET
- and this little...thing. What is it?
Let's talk about the details:
- Tactical (a bit) bezel
- AR coated glass
- Big SMO reflector
- SST40 5000K (you can also get 6500K) on a copper MCPCB
- Some fins for better heat dissipation
- Charging port - USB type C. And good rubber cover. It is thick and fits very well. Looks like it will not let any water in. (EDIT: After waterproof test I am sure it is a lie. This cover is just garbage...or maybe water entered through the switch...I'm not sure)
- E-switch, illuminated. But only when flashlight is turned off. Big mistake - I had trouble in finding this small switch.
- Thick double spring
- Battery tube with good, quite deep knurling. Prevents dropping in rain. Square threads, well lubricated, and thick o-rings
- Tailcap with double spring, and round lanyard holes (but only on one side).
UI
NarsilM V1.3. I don't know this UI and don't want to learn it... But feel free to learn it ;) It is similar to Anduril and I only know how to ramp up and down and set Turbo.
Runtime
I decided to set it to ~ 500lm because it is high brightness, but still usable. Battery Shockli 26650 5500mAh
Couple of minutes on max brightness 2161lm @1s. Brightness decreased quickly though
Charging
Integrated charger and USB type C port. Charging current 2A (according to manufacturer)
I will let you know later. But it seems it doesn't have PWM on the lowest mode.
IPX7. O-rings everywhere. It seems to be waterproof. I don't know why there is only IPX7, I think there should be IPX8.
...
WELL, After waterproof tests I'm sure there shouldn't also be IPX7 but IPX6
I risked by submerging it in my fish tank for a while. But after 2 min I noticed strange things: flashlight was ramping up, blinking and doing all sort of crazy stuff. Water got inside and was everywhere!
The results...
Test failed. You'd better not submerge it even for a while. I'm afraid if it will survive in rain because of this USB cover.
After a day it is working normally... But man...
Very focused light. Not a big surprise...
Neutral tint, 5000K. It is a medium thrower, so not for illuminating path or walking...just for searching or...
ISO200, t2s, f/3,5 WB: sunlight
To the trees ~ 200m (190m to be exact)
And zoomed photos. 200m is a big distance - you can imagine how far is that - on the last picture I shined on trees with my XP-L HI 4300lm Emisar D4V2 and there is no light on the trees.
As you can clearly see, Mateminco has more focused beam and throws further.
Throwers are not for everyday use. You have to be sure you need it, because it is not good in illuminating a path. You will not find many ways to use it if you don't need a thrower, but only a flashlight. It is much fun to have a good thrower, though :D
Everything about all shortcomings and disadvantages:
1. Switch is illuminated only when flashlight is turned off
2. No holster included. Not a big deal, you can order it separately from other store
3. NarsilM software...could be Anduril
4. Not waterproof - after 2min of immersion it leaked (started changing brightness, and doing crazy things)
Mateminco MT35Mini is a medium thrower. Everything was good except it's waterproof. If you need a budget thrower, consider getting this flashlight. Well - I hope it's not rainy where you live ;)
Pros:
+ Neutral tint (SST40 5000K)
+ Focused light, throws 200m easily
+ Threads and o-rings well lubricated
Cons:
- Illuminated switch only when the flashlight is off
- When submerged to 25cm after 2min flashlight leaked and was full of water
About host - threads, knurling o-rings and so on
Rating: 7.5/10
About light - UI, tint and so on
Rating: 8/10
1 - very bad flashlight hurts to look at, terrible quality, not worth any (even very low) price
5 - average flashlight, at a reasonable price - for the average person "great". Or better flashlight, but overpriced
10 - flashlight meets all my expectations in a given category (e.g EDC, headlamp, thrower), it's durable and neatly made, perfect light tint, worth its (even slightly inflated) price - just pure perfect, so I doubt any light can get a 10 from me
