Fenix UC52 XHP70 - flashlight review

zieloczek100 · 2018-04-28T20:51:11.000Z

Hello,
My name is Eryk. I am writing reviews in Polish.
Reviews I translate – google translator.

Link to original: http://www.torch.pl/forum/index.php/topic,63757

Another Fenix, another innovative solutions, but does it make sense?
In the “era” of XHP70.2, Fenix continues to use XHP70 while avoiding the purple XHP70.2 color palette.
Fenix UC52 is equipped with a built-in 7.2V / 3500mAh cell packet (it does not specify what manufacturer they are), an OLED display showing all the most important information and a USB port.
Technical information can be found on the manufacturer’s website:
http://www.fenixlight.com/ProductMore.aspx?id=2268&tid=12&cid=1#.WuIVy4huaUk

Fenix UC52 comes in a packaging in dark and orange colors. Other manufacturers like “pattern” on these packaging Smiley

In the package:

- a flashlight

- paperology

- a flashlight holster

- USB cable

a great quality leash on the wrist, I love it!

Matte ring from top, i.e. something I like in flashlights, fast with purple AR coating, OP reflector and XHP70 diode. The whole is clean, the diode is properly centered. My diode half goes out faster than its other half, probably different Vf individual diode chips.

Gentle cutouts on the head on both parts

The USB port is secured with a poor quality rubber band, but in this case the USB port is resistant and the water works even without protecting it in the form of an eraser. The eraser is only a form of protection against dust. The efficiency is about 1.5A, when charging on the OLED display, the torch shows the charge level of cells (nothing on the phone).

The display gives us the ability to check the battery charge level. To do this, we need to turn off the flashlight and press the top button once

The display is gently hidden in the housing

Below two buttons, they work identically, lightly, but with a noticeable resistance, and a characteristic “click” with each click, their work is completely different than in eg Nitecore EC4. There they are almost silent and work with more resistance, it’s hard to say which ones are better.

The body is one piece of aluminum. The place at the height of which the diode is located, like the whole housing is covered with something similar to brushed anodization, it looks great.
As a curiosity, I will add that the flashlight on the one hand heats up faster than on the other hand, I do not know what it results from, but I’m afraid of an inappropriate amount of thermo paste from one side. This is not a big difference, but it is palpable.

The middle part is the further part of the body from one piece of aluminum. Almost flat, with stripes on the narrower “sides”. It’s good in the hand, the lack of rough anodization to some extent makes the grip worse when the flashlight is wet.

There is no removable plug (in a quick way), but in the rear there is a place to assemble the leash, it is quite narrow, so unfortunately the flashlight will not be stable in a standing position on inclined surfaces.

In terms of size, it is similar to Nitecore EC4, but lighter than Nitecore SRT9

Fenix UC52, Nitecore EC4. Two flashlights, two completely different periods of the creation of flashlights, similar body, only newer is always better?

Going to the most important part of the flashlight (except for ergonomics and diode used (although it’s a replacement item)) or controller.
Producer on the chart given about 2 hours of lighting in the highest mode, and in the table 42min., What does it result from? The chart on the packaging is a graph without cooling!

My graph without cooling, down from 3100lm to about 45%, i.e. compatibility with the packaging!

Where’s the 42 minutes? I threw the flashlight into the water for 1.5 hours with an open USB port and the graph does not look perfectly flat, but the drop to a lower value occurs just around 40 minutes.

We will use two buttons to control the flashlight.
We’ll start with this upstairs.

At the moment when the torch is turned off, a single few will show the cell’s charge level. About 13% start taking modes, and at about 3-4% only the lowest mode remains.

From the level of the switched off flashlight, we have so many and so many functions Smiley

We hold one of the buttons to turn on the flashlight, the “Fenix” logo will greet us

To activate strobo and SOS:

- if the flashlight is off then we hold the upper button, start in strobo, one click changes in SOS

if the torch is on, just one click with the upper button and activate the strobo, the second click SOS

By switching on the flashlight with the bottom button we get to the mode group 1-5. Modes are changed by single clicks, for 100% charge will be given times of work from the table, i.e. for 100% - 42min, etc.
As the charge level of the cells decreases, the working time in each mode will change.
My rating? Great solution, we do not have to think for how long we need the “current” in the links, we can simply check it!
As a curiosity: if the torch warms up to a temperature of over 65 degrees Celsius, with mode 5, minus will appear, ie LEVEL5-, the working time will change and the brightness will be reduced. Unfortunately, even if we cool the flashlight, UC52 does not return to maximum brightness, we have to switch modes or turn the flashlight off and on again.

Electronic cliques, there could be no button lock. For about 2 seconds, press the two buttons and activate the lock with two flashes. Identically disable the lock, press two buttons, and the flashlight will switch on in the last memorized mode. When the lock is active, single clicks activate the display, and this one will show a locked padlock, ie an activated lock.

My opinion? On the one hand, we have two buttons and this creates great opportunities.
Already my old Nitecore EC4 gave me the opportunity to immediately turn on the Moon or TURBO mode, well hidden strobo modes, I had the opportunity to roughly check the voltage on the links and a few other functions.
And what did Fenix do in the UC52 model? Only the memory of the last mode. We are somewhere with friends, it is night, remember that the flashlight turned off in TURBO mode, or even 3100lm, we need to light up, and what? We only have the option of switching on the flashlight in the last mode, i.e. TURBO, or in strobo … and additionally the strobo and SOS activates with one click if the flashlight is on.
An interesting flashlight, it’s good in the hand, but I have big reservations about the control. For 99% of users (I shoot) for real use only the lower button will be used, the upper one might not be …

Fenix UC52 weight: 274 grams, or like the Nitecore EC4, the difference is 1000 l vs 3100 lm.

Fenix among Nitecore, meaning Fenix UC52 and Nitecore SRT9, EC4 and P36.

Field shots, camera settings ISO-200, f / 2, 1s, white balance - Fluorescent H

Fenix UC52 mode: 3, 4, 5

Nitecore SRT9

Nitecore EC4

Klarus G20L

Nitecore P36

Fenix UC52

Klarus G20L:

Nitecore SRT9

Nitecore EC4

And now two beautiful pictures:
FiTorch P26R neutral

Nitecore P36 neutral

Pictures in the snow are breaking the colors
Fenix UC52

Klarus G20L

Nitecore SRT9

Photos 1 meter from the wall
Fenix UC52 (nice without discoloration, advantage XHP70)

Nitecore SRT9 (it’s good too, but on the “corners” you can see the disturbing purple, maybe the glow of the glass)

Klarus G20 (XHP70.2, well … sides yellow / green this quality …)

Nitecore P36 and MT-G2, I think I do not have to comment? There is a beautiful color; )

Nitecore EC4 (diode changed to XM-L2 U2 3C)

Full size photos:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1D330CTJBsJdzX3kgWgr7cu7E97smaQyK?usp=sharing

A few words of summary:
Fenix accustomed me to interesting products, a great zoom (according to Fenix - flooder) Fenix FD65, or my sand top Fenix HL60R. Although both of these flashlights are well made, have a unique look and interesting finish, there is always a lack of better refinement of the driver, I mean better thought-out modes, it is not different with UC52. Of course, the UC52 also has something interesting, apart from a great look, we also get an OLED display, which in my opinion does a great job!
I miss the possibility of direct entry into the TURBO or moon mode, two buttons give huge possibilities to adapt the driver, even you can try to program the driver by the user, in my opinion the driver in this case, and not even its performance (this is on a good level), and choosing modes is ill-conceived. How many people need immediate access to strobo and SOS modes, there will not be many such people, and how often would we like to use the moon / TURBO input without turning on the flashlight?
Modes 1-5 are well thought out, each mode change to higher is a noticeable change in brightness, there is certainly an ultra moon mode, thermal protection set at a good level, about 65 degrees Celsius and a controller that reduces brightness when the cell package is discharged to extend operating time to the maximum.
I like anodising in UC52, something like brushed anodising (like brushed aluminum), good driver performance (there will be more efficient drivers) and an OLED display.
One of the most important elements will be the price, about 150 USD for a flashlight with non-exchangeable links, what is my opinion? In my opinion, it is too high a price, but on the other hand, for good service, great contact with the producer and quality - you pay Smiley

Regards
Eric

Blackbeard · 2018-04-29T04:49:45.000Z

nice write up! I really like that oled display, it’s probably out of my price range unfortunately