The newest revision of the Sofirn SC31 comes with and SST-40 emitter, USB-type C charging on the flashlight and Anduril. A great daily carry that now comes with Anduril.
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Disclaimer: Sofirn provided the flashlight for review purposes only. No other compensation was provided that could affect my opinion.
What’s in the box:
Flashlight, USB type-c cable, Sofirn 18650 battery (3000mAh), belt clip, lanyard, 2 spare o-rings, instructions.
Specifications:
Luminus SST-40 (6500K 70CRI)
Battery Options: 18650 Li-ion battery but barrel is replaceable and can accept the Sofirn 18350 barrel
Dimension: 117.5mm (length) × 25.4mm (head diameter)
Weight: 59 grams (without battery)
Low battery warning/low voltage protection: The flashlight will step down if it reaches 2.8V and it will shut down if it is already at the lowest level.
Advanced Temperature Regulation. If the light reaches 45oC, it will automatically step down
Output (as stated by the manufacturer, using the included battery): 1 – 2000 lumens
UI/Operation:
Anduril is a strong base for any flashlight in my opinion. It suits side switch lights well and it is easy to use from both beginners and advanced users. It’s nice to see Sofirn moving into Anduril, UI is much better that what their default L-M-H-T used to be. People here already know Anduril’s strong points and it’s many advantages so I won’t go into more depth about it.
Body/parts characteristics:
The flashlight’s design is pretty straight forward, very close to a cylindrical shape. Around the emitter, there are fins to help with the thermals and they are interrupted by the main button (clear soft silicone with LED lighting underneath) and the USB-type C charging port. The main body features the Sofirn’s typical design with a narrower smooth ring to the rear end of the barrel where the clip fits in. At the end there is the tail cap where the lanyard can be tied and it’s flush enough to allow the flashlight to stand on a flat surface. The 3 components (head, body, rear cap) can unscrew from each other and can be interchanged with other Sofirn equivalents (I have tested the SP40’s magnetic tail cap and 18350 barrel). In the inside the front and back springs are thick and two o-rings can be found at the two ends of the barrel. The treads are thick square and they don’t look like they’re lubed to me (they would certainly can be benefitted from applying some silicone lube). Sadly, the front bezel seems to be glued in place (I encountered the same with the IF25A), making emitter swapping and other modifications more difficult. I suppose it is that way to help with the water resistance but I’d much prefer to have accessibility to the light’s internal rather than additional water protection. After applying some force, I managed to unscrew the front bezel. It had some kind of glue material although it wasn’t much. With some gripping material it’s possible to unscrew it with bare hands. The emitter is the typical 5mm x 5mm sitting on a 17mm board. The reflector is smooth and has a 20mm outer diameter with a 10mm depth.
Beam quality:
The SC31 Pro has a single Luminus SST-40 emitter at 6500K color temperature. It looks pretty good for a cold white emitter but still far from a nice high CRI emitter. It suffers from a big green tint at low brightness levels while it goes away at higher levels. This is evident by the amount of magenta I had to add to balance the green tint when the light shines on a white surface. I have also included a few other lights (Sofirn C01S, OTR M3 and the FW3A) also next to each other with a white temperature of 5000K (I assumed a middle ground for these various lights). For the brightness comparison, I went for the highest regulated level for the Low, for the highest ramp level for High and for the turbo for the Turbo. The first set is the raw images, while for the second I have warmed the temperature and increased the exposure.
Size Comparison:
Fairly typical size for an 18650 flashlight. The head fins are there but they barely add any bulk to the light, same goes for the USB port cover, it is pretty flat and gives a balanced uniform look.
Battery-built-in charging:
In the package a Sofirn 3000mAh battery is included and that’s the battery I’ve had in the flashlight the whole time. From previous experiences it seems that they are decent quality batteries and are true to their claims. The battery has no built-in protection circuit but I believe people at Sofirn have deemed it something not necessary considering the flashlight’s demands. There is also a built-in charging port (USB-type C) which many may find it useful. Sofirn claims a IPX8 water resistant rating for submersion up to 2 meters (although there is a warning it’s not intended for diving). The silicone port cover is quite thick and fits snugly making a good seal so I’m feeling confident it will survive getting a bit wet, although I wouldn’t submerge it in water. Get it as an additional safety when it’s raining or you accidentally spill water on it.
Other:
The USB port can charge the battery or it can be used to power the light when no battery is inserted. Although I can’t measure the output level when running directly on USB-C power, it looks it’s on the brighter side of the ladder.
The button has a led indicator for charging (red), when in use (faint green at low levels, brighter green at higher levels) and at stand-by mode (faint green). The later can be changed to 4 modes (low, high, blinking, off).
Pros-Cons:
+ Anduril interface is much appreciated
- Built-in USB-type C charging port
- As with all Sofirn light’s, great VFM ratio
- All in one package: battery included and no need for external charger
- Quite strong green tint at low brightness
- Glued bezel, makes modification difficult
- I’d like for an 18350 tube to be included