New Flashlight: Sofirn SR23 - 3300 lumens + UV

[Radu19 (Radu)]

Hi! Recently I got contacted by Yuki from Sofirn, who asked if I want to test a flashlight. I posted on Reddit and thought it’s a good idea to post it here too.

This is my first time getting a flashlight for free, and as if that wasn’t thrilling enough for me, it’s a model that hasn’t even been released yet: Sofirn SC23. Thank you, Sofirn, for this!

First impression:

• It feels sturdy. The Sofirn lights I have are well-priced and well-built, but this one feels even better.

• It’s the first time I’ve seen rubber grip on a flashlight. I am curious how this will hold up over time. It feels soft and a bit flexible (feels like it can be taken out but I won’t risk it). It’s comfortable and grippy, but I would have been OK with the naked metal as well.

• It has a very strong tailcap magnet. I was not expecting a magnet at all because the tailcap feels really light — this is one of the small details that impressed me.

I’ve never had a UV light before, but from what I understand, 365nm is the high-quality version.

Here are some specs:

LED: 3x TN-3535 6500K–7000K (TIR) – it does not look like 6500K to me, more like 5500–6000K.

UV: 1x SST-08 (365nm)

Driver: Boost driver

Size: Length 115mm, head diameter 31.5mm (I tested the 32mm diffuser and it's loose, sadly. I don't think Sofirn sells a diffuser that fits this model, but I will keep looking.)

Cell provided: 21700 5000mAh 3.7V

Weight with the provided cell: 153g / 5.4oz

I attached the paperwork as photos so you can see all the details, it’s an A4 print, probably not the final one.

Just to compare the weight with some of my other flashlights, cell included (grams/oz):

Nitecore EC4S: 268 / 9.5

Convoy S2+ Brass: 213 / 7.5

Sofirn SR23: 153 / 5.4

Nitecore MH12PRO: 153 / 5.4

Convoy S2+: 123 / 4.3

Sofirn SC18 (w/ clip): 100 / 3.5

Sofirn SC13: 58 / 2.0

Wurkkos TS10 SG: 51 / 1.8

Attached a photo with my flashlights for size comparison.

Attached a few photos with interior beamshots for CCT comparison (camera set to manual).

[dmenezes]

Thanks for the review, specially the detailed pictures. And I see what looks like flashing pads inside that head!

@Sofirn @Barry0892 are they indeed flashing pads? Any chance you can let us know more details so we can hack it up (and perhaps even eventually port Anduril to it)?

TIA!

[Barry0892]

These four metal pads are for internal firmware updates and can be used for direct flashing. However, it’s not possible to flash Anduril directly onto it — to run Anduril, the hardware would need to be redesigned.

[dmenezes]

Thanks @Barry0892 for the response!

Happy to hear they are indeed flashing pads, and for not being possible to flash Anduril “directly”, that was pretty much what I expected: even on compatible ATTiny/AVR MCUs (of which Anduril is pretty particular, and possibly not what Sofirn is using on the SR23), it always needs to be “ported” to new lights to take into account the specific GPIOs being used for each connection, etc.

I for one would be willing to do that porting (or even a rewrite if that’s what it takes) which I think would be quite feasible once I get the necessary details on the actual hardware. Will send you a PM so as not to take this thread too OT, and willl later post a summary here or in a new topic if enough interested users show interest (anyone reading this and being interested in the prospect of an Anduril port for this light, just click the [] button right on this comment).