JetuE21A - VERY High CRI AAA EDC - REVIEW

Pavlo · 2019-02-08T06:41:09.000Z

This is my first review on BLF. Constructive feedback is welcomed.

PREFACE:
I did not pay for this light. It was given to me by Clemence as a trade for some flashlights that were given to him in exchange. The review below is a user review, and is not meant to be technical.

VERSION:
Jetbeam Jetu with 4500K D220 9080 E21a LED custom build from Virence.com
MSRP: $32 USD

BUILD QUALITY:
-Overall build quality and anodizing is fantastic and at par with other high end manufacturers like Fenix.
-The finish is not shiny, and not matt, but somewhere in between. It’s smooth to the touch, but not chalky. It resists fingerprints due to the semi matt finish. It has a little more luster to it compared to a Zebralight, which is neither good or bad.
-Edges are nicely rounded and there is nothing that stands out as negative aspect thus far.
-The tail is flat so the light will tail stand.
-The stainless steel clip holds on securely and functions well, but aesthetically I find it doesn’t suit the subtle and dark aesthetics of the light. A darker clip would be nicer looking, but then most likely prone to discoloration and scratches if the clip had to be powder coated. No deal breaker here.

SIZE & WEIGHT:

Length: 70.2mm
Head Size: 14.8mm
Weight: 13.2g(Excluding Battery)

This light is tiny and I think the size is what really sets it apart from all my other lights. Just marginally larger than the AAA battery it takes, it is extremely pocketable and takes EDC to a whole new level. I think it can either do well as a keychain EDC, or added to any other kit of your liking. It makes my Zebralight SC5C and H53C feel big in comparison. There is no reason to leave this little Jetu behind.

TIR OPTICS & LED:

The light was provided with the stock OEM TIR, alongside 3 other TIR optics for personal customization of the beam profile. Please refer to correct Oring placement when switching from OEM to custom TIR Optics to ensure performance and waterproof integrity is not compromised:
https://www.virence.com/single-post/2019/01/31/AppNote-190131
Installation is very simple. Follow instructions provided in link above.

The information below is based entirely on my opinion of the beam, and has not been measured.

OEM TIR:
Produces the most throw, with a very defined spot that ends abruptly into a dim spill. The spot corona has a very noticeable yellow corona, which I was not a fan of given the amazing properties of this LED.

10 Degree:
This TIR optic was surprisingly floody. The center lux is almost as powerful as the OEM, but significantly smaller, and a lot of the light is “lost” into a very large spill. There is a smooth transition from spot to spill. There was no tint shift throughout the beam. If you are after throw, I would recommend the 20 degree optic instead.

20 Degree: (RECOMMENDED TIR)
This optic appears to have more throw than the 10 degree, and marginally less than the OEM TIR. The spot beam is also much larger than the 10 degree. There is a gradual transition from spot to spill unlike the OEM, with no tint shift. The spill from this optic is more confined which gives the overall impression of more lumens and throw across spot and spill. I recommend this optic for all around use.

30 Degree:
This optic is the floodiest of all provided optics with smooth transition from spot to spill. A great option for close up use, but less practical for medium range tasks given the limited max output of the light. There is no tint shift.

BEAMSHOTS: ISO 100, 1/6s, F3.2, WB 4500K, 25mm.

OEM:

10 Degree:

20 Degree:

30 Degree:

USER INTERFACE:

- This light is operated by simply tightening/loosening the front bezel. A quick twist of on-off ~~on will have the light cycle from L M H – L M H~~ etc etc. The light has mode memory.
-I am really enjoying the user interface of this light. It is easy to activate in total darkness, and will not turn on accidentally if left behind in a pocket, or backpack. This is a nice change from different UI’s found from one manufacturer to the next in Electronic Switches.

MODE SPACING:
-The mode spacing between Low, Medium and High is great. The low is much brighter than a Zebralight moon mode, and this is probably the only thing missing from this light.
-The Ceiling Bounce test below shows a quick snapshot of the mode spacing. You may notice some highs and lows of each setting, but this could not be seen in real world use by the naked eye.

RUNTIME & REGULATION:
-I am very picky about regulation, and typically dislike any light that dims over time. The Jetu e21a is absolutely fantastic on this regard. I put in a slightly used AAA eneloop, and the light was able to sustain flat regulation on high for over 50 minutes before a steep drop off. (I should have used a fully charged AAA, but the purpose of the test was to test the regulation and not the total runtime).

The output and runtime provided from Virence.com are as follows:
H: 79 lumens, 55 minutes (regulated) - 59 minutes (10% output)
M: 17 lumens, 270 minutes (4,5 hours)*
L: 1,2 lumens, 2200 minutes (36,7 hours)*

-Although 79 lumens does not seem like much, I find the light surprisingly bright for its size and flat regulation on high scores top marks in my book. In a completely dark room, the 20 degree optic has enough punch to light up a living room. There is no deceiving lumen claims with this light, unlike most manufacturers that claim a very high number but the light quickly steps down to 30% of its highest claim within minutes, if not seconds. The 80 lumens are real, and they deliver right to the last drop!

COLOUR RENDERING:
-In my experience, the 9080 e21a is the best LED I have ever used to date. It renders colors better than any of my other high CRI lights (XP-L2, 219C, 219B 9050). With the exception of the OEM TIR, the tint is uniform across the entire beam. The overall tint appears to be directly on the BBL. There is no green whatsoever. I personally really like the 4500K, as I find it to be the sweet spot for best colour rendering without being too cool. If your eyes are adjusted to halogen lighting, 4500K will seem cool, but if they are adjusted to daylight, 4500K will appear slightly warm. The best way to describe the beam and color rendering is that you forget about the beam all together, as the quality of the light is so good you will simply focus on what you are seeing instead.

COMPARED TO:
-The only other light that was anywhere close to this one in size is the BLF 348. I find this Jetu by Jetbeam/Virence to be substantially more useful, as it has 3 well spaced brightness levels, customizable optics, better build quality, and offered in almost any CCT option for both Nichia e21a or Optisolis. Although more than twice the price, I believe you get what you pay for, and all in all, this light delivers much better value.
-The next closest lights I have are the Zebralight H53C and SC5C II. These lights are substantially bigger and are not offered in Nichia e21a LEDS.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
-I have bought, customized and sold a lot of lights trying to always make the perfect line up of lights. This Jetu e21a light is a keeper. The tiny size, flat regulated runtime, color rendering, build quality, and simple user interface fills a gap in my “collection”. Given the price, and offering in various CCT’s of the industries best Color Rendering LEDs, I feel like this light delivers exceptional value. If you are looking to find a lumen monster in a tiny package, this light is not for you. If you want the best-tinted and highest colour rendering light in a functional and tiny light, look no further.

PROS:
+Tiny
+Custom LED Options
+Custom TIR Options
+Simple and intuitive UI
+Flat Regulated Runtime on High
+Safe battery chemistry → Runs off 1 x AAA
+Amazing color rendering
+Amazing Tint
+Well spaced brightness levels
+Price

CONS:
-No moonlight mode
-Aesthetics of pocket clip

Some additional images

malkoff_junkie · 2019-02-08T11:29:54.000Z

Great, Kind Thanks.
I have a few on way. 30 Optic.

maukka · 2019-02-08T12:30:01.000Z

Thanks for your impressions, especially the optic tests!

clemence · 2019-02-08T21:04:16.000Z

Nice review Pavlo. I really envy your Sony A7II. Look at those excellent dynamic range with the beamshots. I still don’t have time to start modding that Fenix PD22. FYI, it works with 16340 but lost the 3rd mode. Now it has L-M-M-H instead of L-M-H-Higher. But still much better than using expensive CR123.

- Clemence

Muto · 2019-02-08T22:50:53.000Z

Thanks for the great review.

Just looked at the website to look at this flashlight and the other offerings and it is confusing to me.
No shipping prices listed in FAQ and do they take Paypal?

twisted_raven · 2019-02-09T05:22:06.000Z

The mode spacing is a relief, that was one of the things I was worried about with a simple l-m-h light.

Pavlo · 2019-02-09T16:17:13.000Z

twisted raven:

The mode spacing is a relief, that was one of the things I was worried about with a simple l-m-h light.

Yes, bad mode spacing is usually a deal breaker for me. I was just playing around with some very expensive Silva headlamps and the mode spacing was absolutely horrible. Felt like I was jumping from High, Higher, and Highest but in reverse order.

Pavlo · 2019-02-09T16:19:06.000Z

Muto:

Thanks for the great review.

Just looked at the website to look at this flashlight and the other offerings and it is confusing to me.
No shipping prices listed in FAQ and do they take Paypal?

What is is that you find confusing? If you provide some specifics we can possibly assist you.
With regards to shipping, I believe if you add the item to your cart you will get a shipping quote for your area.

Feel free to pm Clemence directly, he’s really friendly and always happy to help.

BlueSwordM · 2019-02-09T17:00:07.000Z

They take Paypal.

Just add the light to your cart, and you’ll see the estimated shipping cost.

ma_tumba · 2019-02-09T20:36:25.000Z

Very useful review, thanks!

aswang · 2019-02-10T18:02:27.000Z

Thanks for the review. Can’t wait for the Jetusolis and Jetue21a I ordered.

iamlucky13 · 2019-02-13T00:52:03.000Z

Have any of those who ordered these lights received theirs yet? I’m curious not only about the opinions of other owners about the lights themselves, but also how long shipping is taking.

Pavlo · 2019-02-13T01:15:12.000Z

My guess is that there’s another review in the works…

https://www.instagram.com/p/Btv3KmsBhuv/?hl=en

Looking forward to hear what others think of the light.

iamlucky13 · 2019-02-13T02:00:27.000Z

It is always great to see Maukka’s data.

And thanks for your review, as well, especially the beamshots and regulation test.

clemence · 2019-02-13T03:08:13.000Z

iamlucky13:

Have any of those who ordered these lights received theirs yet? I’m curious not only about the opinions of other owners about the lights themselves, but also how long shipping is taking.

I work slow, shipping is also slow = Slow slow

- Clemence

BlueSwordM · 2019-02-13T03:09:36.000Z

clemence:

I work slow to make sure I do the best work possible, shipping is slow as molasses = Slow slow

- Clemence

FTFY, just had to do it.

Your work is just amazing Clemence honestly.

clemence · 2019-02-13T03:27:59.000Z

BlueSwordM:

clemence:

I work slow to make sure I do the best work possible, shipping is slow as molasses = Slow slow

- Clemence

FTFY, just had to do it.

Your work is just amazing Clemence honestly.

Thank you BSM
I was truly confused to see the quoted reply. And then I realized you did it, hahaha. I sometimes forgot what I just did, aging symptoms looks like it….

- Clemence

LightObsession · 2019-02-13T04:37:08.000Z

Very nice review and light.

Are there any that could mount for bezel up carry for hat brim mount?

iamlucky13 · 2019-02-13T05:16:18.000Z

clemence:

iamlucky13:

Have any of those who ordered these lights received theirs yet? I’m curious not only about the opinions of other owners about the lights themselves, but also how long shipping is taking.

I work slow, shipping is also slow = Slow slow

- Clemence

That’s understandable. Partially I was curious why I wasn’t seeing more people showing off their lights, and I also wanted an idea how long it will take once I decide what I want.

Keep up the good work.

clemence · 2019-02-13T05:33:12.000Z

iamlucky13:

clemence:

iamlucky13:

Have any of those who ordered these lights received theirs yet? I’m curious not only about the opinions of other owners about the lights themselves, but also how long shipping is taking.

I work slow, shipping is also slow = Slow slow

- Clemence

That’s understandable. Partially I was curious why I wasn’t seeing more people showing off their lights, and I also wanted an idea how long it will take once I decide what I want.

Keep up the good work.

Just let me know if you want me to keep one piece for you. So far 80pcs/100pcs already taken.

EDIT: No commitment needed, because you’re lucky

- Clemence