Quick comparison Fenix LD12/Sofirn SF10/Convoy T2

LED Flashlights – General Info 1 x AA / 1 x 14500 Flashlights
1

For years i have been wearing a Fenix LD10 as edc and iirc an LD20 (wich i still have) was my first "serious" flashlight so even if now i am more a 18650 tube user now i still have a special place in my heart for AA flashlights.

I bought the LD12 a few years ago in case my LD10 would fail but could never really get myself used to the "2 buttons" UI so i was happy to find (thanks to BLF !) some cheap LD10-likes

So here we have a quick comparison of :

  • Fenix LD12 (left)
  • Sofirn SF10 (midle)
  • Convoy T2 (right)

Weight with clip, w/o lanyard :

  • LD12 : 53g
  • SF10 : 46g
  • T2 : 49g

Max dimensions :

  • LD12 : L= 105mm, D= 23mm
  • SF10 : L=97.5mm, D= 20.8mm
  • T2 : L=93.3mm, D= 21mm

Leds:

  • LD12 XP-G2 R5 color temp unknown, smo
  • SF10 XP-G2 rank unknown, 5500K, light op
  • T2 XP-G2 rank unknown, 4500K, very light op

Specials :

  • The LD12 has a crenelated bezel while SF10 and T2 are flat
  • The LD12's tail swith is protruding from the tail body so the light can't seat on his back while the SF10 and T2 have recessed tail switch and can seat on their back.
  • When removing the tail part of the SF10 there is nothing to stop the clip from sliding (and eventually falling).
  • All have lanyard holes on the tail

Modes :

  • LD12 : ON/OFF with forward tail switch, momentary ON possible (and easy), 4 modes (short press on the side switch to cycle) with memory + 2 Blinkies (Dual frequency strobe and SOS, long press on the side switch to cycle)
  • SF10 : ON/OFF with reverse switch, 4 modes (short press to cycle) with no memory (always start High), Dual frequency strobe (dual quick/short press)
  • T2 : ON/OFF with reverse switch, 3 modes (short press to cycle) with memory (*) , Single frequency strobe (dual quick/short press)

(*) T2 memory is a bit special : if you let the light OFF for more than (about) 5s then it is a "normal" memory but if it is OFF for less than 5s then it is a "next mode" memory

Battery :

  • LD12 : polarity protection, use AA NiMH, alkaline, or lithium primary, NO rechargeable lithium !
  • SF10 : polarity protection, use AA NiMH, alkaline, lithium primary or rechargeable lithium (*)
  • T2 : use AA NiMH, alkaline, or lithium primary. Despite what some sites might say the driver is not intented to be used with rechargeable lithium (might work but who knows how long ?) and there is NO reverse polarity protection on the ones i got from both GB and AE convoy's shop.

(*) With a 14500 the SF is able to output (a lot !) more light but this as not been tested

Below is a table showing the measured light output (lm) and tail switch current (mA) for 5 flashlights :

  • 1 x LD12
  • 2 x SF10, the 1st one is the brightest from a lot of 6 and the 2nd one is the dimest from the same lot
  • 2 x T2, The 1st one is unmoded while the 2nd one had the current limiting resistor modified from 0.2 ohm to 1.0 ohm
Fenix LD12 Sofirn SF10 Sofirn SF10 Convoy T2 Convoy T2
lm mA lm mA lm mA lm mA lm mA
5 38 1 24 1 22 3 24 2 15
36 241 20 166 16 141 32 265 18 137
72 530 53 441 46 375
127 1146 115 1070 98 869 245 3050 124 1090

Light output was measured in a sphere copied from Djozz's "fast and cheap integrating sphere" with a Minolta T-10 luxmeter and the setup was calibrated with a set of calibrating lights from maukka.

Current was measured on a verified UT139C, milliVolt caliber and external 20m ohm shunt

All flashlight received a fully charged Ikea Ladda 2450 (known for beeing rebranded eneloop Pro) before the tests

Beam :

From left to right : LD12 XP-G2 R5 color temp unknown, brightest SF10 XP-G2 rank unknown, 5500K, modified T2 (so the 3 have about the same output) XP-G2 rank unknown, 4500K

The tints on the picture are not exactly what i see, the LD12 look really white while the SF10 is more greenish and T2 something like a light salmon-orange

2

Tailswitch comparison

From left to right : LD12, SF10, T2

After the raw datas here are a few feelings about these flashlights :

Fenix LF12 :

  • Well build but Hey ! it's a Fenix and seeing how much i paid for this one (about 50$ iirc) i wouldn't expect less.
  • Big for an AA
  • The modes stepping is not too bad and the blinkies don't fall on your way if you don't want them but i miss a lower mode.
  • As i said already, even if i like the forward switch that allow a short flash when you need it, i can't really feel the love for the side switch.
  • The protruding tail switch is easily accessed but the con is that the torch cannot stand on it's tail.

Overall i regret my old LD10, the LD12 not beeing the "same but better" that i expected.

Sofirn SF10 :

  • Maybe it's the black anodization that is too bright or the knurling too sharp but the overall look and feeling is somewhat cheap.
  • The modes stepping is exactly what i like for that kind of torch and the double click for strbe is ok but the "always start High" totally kills it for me.
  • The switch is difficult to reach while wearing gloves (totally enclosed by the tail "walls")
  • The only one that can use 14500.
  • Really cheap ( 6-7$) for a usable torch wich makes it the perfect gift for kids and non-FLholic colleagues.

Convoy T2 :

  • Looks and feels good !
  • Shortest size.
  • Good accessible tail switch.
  • Terrible modes stepping. Jumping directly from 30lm to 245lm is way too much for me, so much that i did modify it in order to get something in between (but still far from perfect).

I really like that one and even at twice the SF10 price (11-14$) i would choose it but i have to find a boost driver that suits my taste before i can use it !

I would love something like 700ma, 100%, 40%, 10%, 1% with either low start or memory.

Any idea where to find such a driver ? Or maybe a flashlight with the quality of the T2 with a better stepping ?

Pictures and schematic of the Convoy T2 driver here

3

It's only now that i see that there is a dedicated sub forum for reviews :(

Is there a way to move this one to the right place?

4

Thanks for the comparison.

5

You can edit post 1, and on the bottom, near to save button there will be a dropdown list, you can chose it there :wink:

6

Wow nice !

It looks like i missed your answer but better late than not !

Thank you !