I`m not a part of Fenix target audience, so there are really few Fenix flashlights that i would like to keep for personal use. And Fenix E03R v2 keylight is one of them.
SPECIFICATION:
- Maximum brightness 500 lumens, maximum range 90m.
- Two white MATCH CA18 LEDs and one red Everlight 2835 LED with a lifespan of 50,000 hours.
- Built-in 400mAh Li-po battery
- Button with built-in red-green “breathing” backlight.
- Red \ white light.
- USB Type-C charging port
- Button recess, locking function.
- Battery level indication and low voltage alerts.
- Overheat protection mechanism
- Metal lightweight body
- HAIII premium hard anti-abrasive anodizing.
- Dimensions and weight: Length: 2.07” (52.5mm) Width: 1.02” (26mm) Height: 0.51” (13mm) \ 1.06 oz. (30g)
The manufacturer carefully summarized the difference between both versions in a visual table.
Like the previous version, Fenix E03R v2 is packaged in a decent-looking small blister.
Kit includes everything you need : the keylight itself, a Type-C charging cable, a ring for attaching to a keychain with keys, and a manual.
The flashlight itself has become slightly larger than the previous version, and this is not surprising - the battery capacity has also increased two times, as well as the brightness. However, even so, the Fenix E03R v2 is a very compact flashlight, the difference here is only 4mm in length. 52.5x26x13mm and 30g is clearly not much.
Both in length and thickness, the Fenix E03R v2 is quite comparable to an AAA battery. The frankly compact Wurkkos TS10 (that nice piece of copper on the left) is much larger than it.
In real life Fenix E03R v2 will take up the same space in your pocket as the previous version does. Ah, i didnt use small
ring from kit to attack flashlight to keys. Hole for keyring is quite large, but you`d better use this small ring from kit.
The design, as you can see, has not changed. The flashlight looks so nice. Convexity-concavity form a stylized Thor`s hammer.
I note, however, that anodizing is not that scratchproof. The flashlight fell on the road tiles from a height of half a meter and the anodizing immediately chipped off. I photoshopped these scratches to make photos in the Fenix E03R v2 review look better.
However, it would be foolish to treat this a disadvantage. Any single keylight, in my experience, becomes half gray very quickly. The flashlight body is in constant contact with the keys and I can’t imagine what kind of anodizing could remain intact in such conditions. So that is not a problem at all.
The button is wide and comfortable. Fenix promises that button locates in small recess to prevent occasional activation.
And if you take a look at pic below, you believe it is. But that is just a shadow that makes this illusion.
Well..I laid Fenix E03R V2 upside down, with button to flat surface. Then i pressed on back of keylight and light turned on.
Really strange, that is sooo easy to make button be just 0.5mm lower than keylight body, not higher.
Nevertheless, i dont think that is problem, as there is an easy lock-mode in Fenix E03R v2 UI.
Here, take look at button from a different angle and see that there is no recess at all.
The backlight of the button has become much wider and brighter than the first generation. I cannot show this on GIF.
Another change was the backlight “breathing” mode. I have encountered this in a several of other models and did not expect at all that such an extremely conservative manufacturer as Fenix would dare to take the bold step of changing the backlight of the button.
The flashlight is charged via the Type-C. The connector cover is quite tight, it does not open on its own when you move your finger along it.
The body of the flashlight has become only millimeters larger, but this is enough to fit twice the capacity of the battery. It was 200, now it’s 400mah! Great. ~670mah flows in, so I believe in the declared capacity. Charging is quite long, almost 2 hours. However, this is not critical for the switch.
The only solution for optics for this type of flashlights is a plastic lens.
Behind it are two white LEDs and one red.
2* MATCH CA18 LEDs and 1* Everlight 2835 LED
UI
- Press and hold the button for 0.5 seconds to turn on/off the flashlight.
- Press and hold the button for 1.2 seconds to turn on the red light.
- When the flashlight is off and unlocked, double click the button to turn on the “breathing” mode, press and hold for 0.5 seconds to turn off.
Brightness level selection
- In White Light Mode: Press the button once to switch between Eco→Low→Medium→High.
- In red light mode: Press the button once to switch between Red→Red flash mode.
- With the “breathing” mode on, press the button once to sequentially switch between Red→Green→Red and Green modes.
There is modes memory
Lock\Unlock
- Lock: from OFF, press and hold the button for 3 seconds, the flashlight will blink 2 times at Eco mode brightness to indicate that the flashlight is locked.
- Unlock: When the flashlight is locked, OFF press and hold the button for 3 seconds, the flashlight will blink 4 times and turn on in Eco mode
When the button is pressed in the locked state, the battery level indicator will turn on. All other actions except long holding the button (unlock) will start 2 flashes of the flashlight in Eco mode.
How the Fenix E03R v2 shines
The flashlight has an unexpectedly pleasant, albeit cold, light. No ugly green tint in the lower levels (but this would not be a problem either for a keylight)
Yes, the maximum brightness starts to drop immediately. But:
Dropping to half takes a minute and a half and I am sure that in the vast majority of cases this will be enough for you. And after this drop in brightness, the flashlight shines only a little dimmer than the Mid mode. You will have almost an hour and a half of actually good brightness. And 2 hours of brightness at a level of about 70-75lum
So, when it comes to runtime and stabilization, Fenix E03R v2 performs better then i expected,
Ah, btw, you can restart this mode as long as the battery allows. However, I would not abuse it, there is a risk of overheating.
Important! The brightness after falling from High is actually higher than after falling from High. As well as High, according to luxmeter measurements, is 3.5 times brighter than Mid.
I note that the brightness of red light in the first generation is significantly higher. I strongly doubt that this is such a demanded mode, and therefore for the second generation it can be considered a disadvantage only on paper.
Let me remind you that a keylights is usually used to illuminate a short path ahead of you. For example, from the car to your door, or to highlight the keyhole or to find something on a shelf or in the glove compartment. So you Fenix E03R v2 gives way more than enough light both in terms of brightness and runtime.
As you can see, the Fenix E03R flashlight has significantly increased its maximum brightness and, if necessary, it will be enough even to completely illuminate yard near your home. This is a very bright flashlight for its size, .
OVERALL IMRESSIONS
Fenix would be #1 choice if i decide to pick flashlight for my dad. But due to simplicity of UI, just few Fenix models are suitable to my taste (Relatively recent examples include the Fenix TK35ue v2 and the super-bright, long-range Fenix HP30R v2 headlamp. And I’m ready to add the Fenix E03R v2 without a doubt to this short list. I think that Fenix did a good keylight. Yeah, i found couple of drawbacks, but i dont think that they will have any real impact of use.And there almost no flashlights without any drawbacks. Fenix E03R v2 has way more advantages, then drawbacks.
Fenix E03R v2 become a good update of the previous Fenix E03R, which in itself is a good keylight with a built-in battery.
The flashlight has doubled its battery capacity. Of course, it is unlikely that you will constantly use a flashlight for 2 hours in a row. But if something happens, you will have good brightness and a fairly long runtime.
The maximum brightness has increased significantly and the flashlight is able to give a bright light unexpected for such a compact body. And you can turn it over again, if needed.
Fenix E03R v2 has a nice backlit button. UI is the most important feature that does not suit me in Fenix products. I prefer somethint not that straightforward. And UI is quite convenient here.
In short, there are a lot of flashlights on the market, there really is something to choose from - the Fenix E03R v2 has a lot of competitors. But, if you decide to stop your choice or decide to give Fenix E03R v2 as a gift, then I am sure that it will not disappoint you.
