This one?
Don’t really see the classic donut effect there.
Ha ha… Yes, exactly. Seriously though, the alignment of the emitter (missing gasket) could be the cause of your ugly beam.
Do you really want to pay for manufacturers to manually fine tune the focus on every light? Reasonable on a $200+ light, but for <$50 it's going to be DIY.
Just do it!
The same review is here on BLF FENIX PD35 REVIEW- compact,powerful 18650 light
Note that what we see highly depends on the monitor(display) we use-different contrast,brightness,sharpness,color.I use mostly desktop PC,but I have also laptop and there the picture is quite different. GIFs support only 256 colors,so they are not the best for comparisons.They are good to see the size of the beam.
PD35’s beam looks very consistent.There’s visible darker zone in the center only on the XTAR B20 beam.
My PD35 has perfectly centered LED and one of my favorite beams.
The lights with orange peel reflector have а smoother transition from spot to spill.I have too much lights with OP reflector and personally prefer to see clearly the spot on lights that I use for medium and long range. OP reflector is good for close range EDC lights.These are just my preferences. 
Ok, I just used the light under real world conditions. I still see the ring effect under certain conditions, but its not as bad as I thought. I think the “laboratory conditions” of a white wall shows flaws that would not be noticed in a more natural environment. Is it still there? Yes. Does it make the light unusable for its intended purpose? No. It takes some of the fun out of it though. Yea, I’ll stop whining now.
So, I have been playing with it for days. I can annoy my neighbor without even opening my door. I can put it on high, and shine it right into his bathroom across the street from my living room window. A distance of over 100 ft. Lots of fun. On level 2, it lights up the room well enough to navigate without stubbing my toes. Strobe mode drives the cat crazy. He hauls buns when I turn it on.
At work, the light did very well. As an aircraft mech, I need a light that is bright enough to see to the top of the tail, but dim enough not to blind me when working up close. This light has a setting to cover all the bases. Generally, level 2 is good for most of the walk around, and level 3 is good for the tail. Level 4 is pretty amazing. Use caution around reflective (painted) surfaces though, I blinded myself a few times. Level 4 is also good when its cold. The light does get warm after a few minutes and I used it to warm up my hands.
Finding the side switch is not easy though. I’m trying to find a way to find it without looking. You can feel the lump on the switch, but that wont be possible with gloves on, and its hard to see in the dark. Its too bad they didn’t light the switch when the light was on. There is already an LED in the switch for the voltage display, maybe it could do double duty?
The voltage display is handy, I plan to use it at the beginning of the shift. Maybe Ill use 3.0 volts as the cutoff? I just checked it, and it shows 3.9 volts. It only dropped .2 volts since I put the battery in. That means that for the time it has run for testing, playing, and actual work use, it has only dropped .2 volts? Impressive. I dont know if that speaks more for the light or the Orbtronic 3400 mah battery.
Anyway, I think I’ll keep the light. I still think its a good value at $55 including shipping.
I wanted to order Nitecore P12, but now has begun to doubt.
RB, If I understood correctly, you said that Nitecore P12 hotspot defects, just as these FENIX PD35?
I have no doubt, PD35 is much better than the Nitecore P12 (but also more expensive).
I’m newby on Nitecore, Phoenix etc. Previously, only buy something Convoy.
Explain me please, only P 12 is worse than PD35, or all Nitecore worse than all Fenix?
And what exactly is the difference?
Could you elaborate? There is not much information on the Nitecore P12 available. But looking at the figures, the P12 should have the edge. Prices are better and I think it looks better.
I have always found attractive Nitecore, I have Sens aa, sens cr, EA1, EA4, EA4W, EC25, EX10, MT1A, MT1C.
But I always have problems with them, the EA1 was crap, with problems EA4 Switch (NiteCore should give better solutions to their customers).
With Fenix and Sunwayman, I feel I’m on top level. The PD35 is the best compact flashlight I have ever had in my hands, and no NiteCore has given me that feeling.
Nitecore makes many new features, but does not test them enough, puts them on the market fast, and manufacturing errors by quickly selling, and I, the buyer, angry |(
agree
the EA4 switch melting is one glaring example
another is the fact that their very own nitecore-branded 14500 doesn’t work on their very own SRT3 flashlight. that’s just pretty stupid
some nitecores also have very poor thermal design like EA4 and EA8
their latest headlamp HC50 has such a crappy driver that it fall out of regulation in just 30 minutes. and the stupid UI and stiff button that you have to punch in very quickly for it to work correctly
I have 3 nitecore ,3 problem MT1A switch problem.same problem after the exchange EA4 switch problem well-known EC25 manufacturing defect http://budgetlightforum.no-ip.org/node/23371 so for me nitecore it’s over
Hmmz……I just ordered the P12. You guys think it would be wise to cancel or change the order to a Fenix PD35? The Fenix is 25% more expensive and less throwy…
yah but the P12 is a simple design (and therefore cheaper than expected), nothing much can go wrong with it. many lights have the same UI.
Fenix feel better and are more expensive. Fenix holsters aren't the best.
and attention if you want to use on firearm
I already ordered the EC25, and now I will wait in horror, in what condition it will deliver to me.
wait and see 
шучу конешно. удача
I will hope for better.
Je vous remercie hopar!
Received EC25 a few days ago from a wallbuys sale $48,41 USD. It seems everything is working fine.
Cons: The description has EC25. In fact EC25W. Inscriptions are off-center a couple of millimeters.
Hotspot has small artifacts in the center.
But after that I read here about Nitecore, yet satisfied.
I have the Nitecore EC1. The led is perfectly centered. It throws very well. Beam is clean with no funky rings or artifacts. Light feels solid, clip is strong. I have grown to love the blinking red led. At first I didn’t like it at all, but with a rechargeable battery now, that feature has kept me from loosing it. I dropped it while going camping one night. Stranger found it and brought it to me cause she had seen the red light blinking on my jacket earlier. It clips solidly on my jacket draw string. But…….All that just barely barely out weighs the fragile hard to use with cold hands “EC” “Extra Cheesy” Switch.
Its like they were doing the R&D for this light and ran out of budget when it came to designing the switch. With gloves on, its hard to use it. You can end up with the wrong mode when I need a little llight in the duck blind fast, next thing you know you are frying your night vision with 200+ lumen strobe! lol
When hunting I find I want a light that has the strobe feature and I want it hidden. Only want it for emergency. Also, when I am in a boat, I don’t need to worry about falling in the water and the stupid switch leaking water in. Anyways, sorry for the rant. I know yall are talking about the other nitecore model, I just wanted to add my .02 to this subject for those who may be looking at his light.
So, for me I like the light for a back up. I am sure I am not alone on this forum in carrying 2 or 3 lights at night. lol I would prefer the Fenix quality to Nitecore if your gonna spend that kinda money.