[REVIEW] Emisar D4SV2 - W2 FET+3+1, 2CH XP-LHD/W1, 2CH 219b SW27/SW45K

Here we go with another Hanklight review - this time for the Emisar D4SV2, in both single-channel and dual-channel versions. I have to say that overall, this is my favorite of Hank’s lights, and I highly recommend it to for being an extremely fun yet still highly practical option for enthusiasts.

This review covers the standard model with the single-channel FET+3+1 driver and Osram W2 (CSLPM1) LEDs, and two dual-channel models: one with Cree XP-L HDs and Osram W1 (CSLNM1), and another with a mix of Nichia 219b SW27 and SW45K.

Operation of the dual channel lights was already covered in this thread: Overview: Dual-Channel Emisar D4SV2 + The Latest Firmware Features

These lights are very clearly targeted towards enthusiasts, with a FET-equipped driver, requirement of unprotected cells, no charging port, and the Anduril interface. Many of the specifics of build and UI were already covered previously, so I wanted to just focus on what is new and different/better here.


Max output on these lights is going to be very dependent on LEDs, driver types, and cells used. The single-channel Osram W2 light is by far the brightest, with my Vapcell 32A battery allowing it to produce 6,041 lumens on turbo @ startup. With the KeepPower 15A (5500mAh) cell, it produced a still-very-impressive 5,340 lumens.

The dual-channel XPLHD/W1 light (with 18A of regulated current and no FET control) produced 4,533 lumens on turbo @ startup. The 15A battery only produced 3,698 lumens. With the old firmware, I did test Turbo for the XPL-HD as 2,600 lumens, and the W1s as 1,700 lumens

The dual-channel Nichia 219b light (with 10A regulated current) produced about 2,000 lumens with every battery.

Turbo Runtime - First 5 Minutes:

As you can see, turbo gets hot and drops quickly, as expected with these types of lights. The W2 light in particular drops very steeply, dipping down to 500 lumens before recovering to about 1,000 lumens in 60 seconds. The other two lights fall much more gradually.

Turbo Total Runtime:

As usual this looks pretty rough at first glance, as the startup level is so high and the sustained level is far lower, at under 10% of initial output - so according to ANSI FL1 standards, Turbo on these lights lasts about 6 minutes!

However, that spec is very deceiving in this case, and the graphs have to be zoomed in for a better understanding of what’s actually happening:

Turbo Total Runtime, 1,000 lumen max

As you can see here, sustained levels are actually very good, with all three lights holding over 450 lumens throughout the run. The XPL/W1 light manages to hold over 700 lumens for over an hour at the end, which is quite solid. The added thermal mass of the D4S host really helps out in this regard, and makes the lights very practical in my opinion, as turbo is more than just a bright but brief flash for these lights.

With the KeepPower cell, we get a bit less output, but runtimes are about an hour longer, making this my preferred cell for these lights.

Battery Runtime comparison:

Emisar D4SV2 Runtime Graphs (FET+3+1 W2, 2CH XP-L HD/W1, 2CH 219b SW27/SW35K)


Runtimes overall are decent, these drivers aren’t especially efficient but they do provide plenty of usable light for several hours. I would like this light that much more with superior driver options, but this is a major component of their low pricing so I won’t complain. The high capacity of the cells largely compensates for shortcomings in efficiency here.

UPDATE: The D4SV2 is now available with a new Boost driver option that increases efficiency at the expense of some output. For an extra $12, this is a fdantastic option that I highly recommend for more practical use.
The boost driver should limit output to about half of the FET-driven versions, so they lose out somewhat on the hotrod fun, but they run longer, produce less heat, and are better regulated. The boost driver does not have as low a low as the linear models, so they still have their advantages. Tactical Grizzly has a fantastic review/comparison here:



Great as the increased output may be, the best part about these lights in my opinon is the LEDil optic which provides a nice tight, clean beam. Not only does the light have a higher sustained output AND better regulation than the smaller D4, it has a much more intense beam, and is overall far more efficient in practical usage, which makes is way more usable for me.

  • Osram W2: 17cd/l, 102kcd
  • Osram W1: 36 cdl/l, 49.5kcd *
  • Cree XP-L HD: 6.9 cd/l, ~*
  • Nichia 219b (mix): 7.5cd/l, 15kcd

*W1 is with BOTH channels active - XPLHD will be firing as well, which produces about 16kcd on its own.

W1 is much more intense than W2, which makes it the better thrower for sustained use. However, because the W2 light is far brighter, it punches much further on Turbo. As has been discussed before, W2 seems the better choice for single-channel lights, while W1 makes much more sense as an option for dual-channel lights.

I find the W2 to produce a very nice beam with a great pattern for outdoor use. It’s a very pure white 5700K or so with no notable color shift or green tint. CRI is low (<70 I believe), but it’s inoffensive at worst.

The W1 is much tighter, a bit cooler, and overall uglier, with more noticeable artifacting in the beam. Its beam pattern is such that I would not want to use it as any more than an exclusive long-range secondary beam, as is the case here.

The XP-L HD is 5000K and also low-CRI, with a super floody beam that is excellent for area lighting. It displays very strong color-shift, with a warm and green hotspot and a cool, magenta spill. It’s tolerable for me, still inoffensive, but certainly not for tint snobs. Beam is otherwise clean and smooth, I think the contrasting tight/wide beam patterns on this light are really nice.

The 219b light is beautiful as expected, it’s a great general-use beam pattern that is super clean and smooth, with no real color-shift, a magenta tint, and obviously great color-rendering capabilities. I particularly love the warmer SW27 LEDs, and this light is most pleasant to me set to around 3200K or so. HOWEVER, I do find it a bit too pink at the midpoint of the tint ramp, it starts to look a bit unnatural to me - my preferences lean towards totally neutral tints.



The D4S is host to 16 RGB auxiliaries, which look amazing as always. Drain from these AUX is surprisingly low:

FET+3+1:

LOW:

  • Red: 0.07mA
  • Yellow: 0.12mA
  • Green: 0.06mA
  • Cyan: 0.1mA
  • Blue: 0.04mA
  • Magenta: 0.11mA
  • White: 0.17mA
  • OFF: 0.01mA

HIGH:

  • Red: 6.74mA
  • Yellow: 8.00mA
  • Green: 1.39mA
  • Cyan: 2.86mA
  • Blue: 1.53mA
  • Magenta: 8.12mA
  • White: 9.35mA

LINEAR 18A(2ch) - 219b:

LOW:

  • Red: 0.1mA
  • Yellow: 0.12mA
  • Green: 0.09mA
  • Cyan: 0.1mA
  • Blue: 0.09mA
  • Magenta: 0.12mA
  • White: 0.14mA
  • OFF: 0.04mA

HIGH:

  • Red: 4.21mA
  • Yellow: 4.73mA
  • Green: 1.39mA
  • Cyan: 1.8mA
  • Blue: 1.27mA
  • Magenta: 4.62mAmA
  • White: 5.14mA

As usual, the colors are rather unbalanced on low, with green and blue being far more visible than red, so everything ends up looking green or cyan when set to low. Drain is about the same as everything else, but the W2 light seems to have a much brighter green channel.


The lowest outputs are very stable on the FET+3+1 driver, and a bit wonky on the linear driver, which is again expected.

  • 1/150 W2: 2.11mA, 0.23 lumens
  • 1/150 219b: 2.47mA 0.55 lumens
  • 1/150 W1/XPL: 2.32mA, 0.09 lumens

Interestingly, the 219b light is much brighter than the others on the lowest output, but is still very dim at under one lumen, which is what I like to see.



Well that’s about all for this one. I have not yet gotten into testing the 26800 cell, so that may come in an update if I get the time. Feel free to ask any questions below!

These lights were provided directly by Hank Wang and by Jackson Lee for review. You can purchase from Hank at intl-outdoor.com

If you purchase from Jackson at jlhawaii808.com, you can use the code LUX5 for a discount. I do not recieve anything from the use of this code, but you get to save some money :slight_smile:

Thanks again to Hank and Jackson for sending me free stuff to review, and thank you for taking the time to read/watch, I hope it was helpful!

Really nice review, thanks!

Thanks for the review. You should test the DT8, much better sustained output, though still outperformed by the E70 for sustained brightness.

Glad you liked the review!

I actually have already tested the DT8: [REVIEW] Emisar DT8 - Osram W2 & Nichia 219b SW35

Based on my tests, the DT8 and the D4SV2 both maintain about the same output level with the W2s. The DT8 is just a bit brighter, but in use the difference in output in negligible - however the D4S is significantly throwier, and has way longer runtimes, while being much more portable than I expected (actually fairly comparable to the DT8 in terms of carryability). While I really enjoy the DT8, it’s not at all practical for me, while I find the D4S to be very useful.

Thanks, I found your DT8 review, shortly after my comment :slight_smile: . I can get the DT8 to sustain approx. 1000lm with 5000k LH351D and SST-20 on step 5/7.

LuxWad, I watched your video on the D4S V2 and it was well done, but I have a question about the boost driver upgrade. I am looking to get the best runtimes from the 26650 and 26800 tube. What would be the primary differences between the boost driver and the normal driver on the single channel light?

Thanks for the response.

The boost driver is much more efficient, and thus has less heat and longer runtimes at the same output level. This also results in better regulation, so output is very stable throughout the runtime. However, the boost version cannot get as bright.

Tactical Grizzly has an excellent breakdown on his site:

In this post he compares the Linear+FET to the Boost driver, both with Osram W2 LEDs. The FET-equipped model managed almost 5k lumens, while the boost driver only put out 2300 lumens.

Awesome information, that helps me greatly. Thanks again.