[Review] - Fenix E09R & Fenix E05R - mini EDC in comparison - by Lock

Other Types of Lights Keychain / Pocket Flashlights
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Hello everyone ... in this review we will compare two new small EDCs from Fenix.
We will talk about the Fenix E05R and Fenix E09R.
Both flashlights were kindly provided by the company specifically for review.









Packaging and contents
Both the Fenix E09R and the E05R were sent in preview and without any packaging, but by purchasing them they will arrive in a small blistered box with inside:
• Flashlight
• Key ring
• Spare O-rings
• Warranty Card
• Type-C (E09R) or micro-USB (E05R) cable
• Multilingual User Manual

Fenix E09R - Main features and official technical specifications
• Luminus SST-20 Cool White LED.
• Built-in 800mAh Li-polymer battery.
• 600 Lumens Max Output and Max beam distance 124m
• Color temperature of 6200K.
• Hidden USB Type-C charging port.
• All-metal CNC machining light body.
• Beam angles: spot beam angle of 13 °, spill beam angle of 81 °.
• Premium type HAIII hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish
• Made of durable A6061-T6 aluminum.
• Instant Burst.
• 5 Output Levels: Turbo, High, Medium, Low, MoonLight
• IP68 Water Resistance Rating (2m underwater)
• Metal switch for on / off and output selection
• High-efficiency lens with a total reflective coating
• Indication and low-voltage warning.
• Hidden status LED
• Size: 3.11 "x 0.76" x 0.72 "/ 79 x 19.3 x 18.4 mm.
• Weight: 1.59 oz./ 45g

Main features and official technical specifications - Fenix E05R
• Luminus XP-G2 S3 Cool White LED.
• Built-in 320mAh Li-polymer battery.
• 400 Lumens Max Output with 64m Max beam distance
• Hidden Micro USB charging port.
• All-metal CNC machining light body.
• Premium type HAIII hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish
• Made of durable A6061-T6 aluminum.
• Instant Burst.
• 4 Output Levels: Turbo, High, Medium, Low
• IP68 Water Resistance Rating (2m underwater)
• Metal switch for on / off and output selection
• High-efficiency lens with a total reflective coating
• Hidden status LED
• Size: 2.68 "x 0.60" x 0.59 "/ 68 x 15.3 x 15 mm.
• Weight: 0.85 oz./ 24g


Output Levels and runtime - E09R
The Fenix E09R has 5 brightness levels divided as follows:

• Turbo/Burst: 600 lm declared(measured 590lm)- n.d.
• High: 300 lm declared(measured 290lm)- 1hr 30min
• Medium: 100 lm declared(measured 102 lm)- 4hr
• Low: 25 lm declared(measured 30 lm)- 16hr
• Moonlight: 3 lm declared(measured 3 lm)- 70hr


Output Levels and runtime - E05R
The Fenix E05R has 4 brightness levels divided as follows:

• Turbo/Burst: 400 lm declared(measured 380 lm)- n.d.
• High: 150 lm declared(measured 140 lm)- 55 min
• Medium: 25 lm declared(measured 30 lm)- 5h
• Low: 3 lm declared(measured 2 lm)- 30h

The measured data are to be considered peak (taken within 30 seconds of switching on and with the battery fully charged) and all proved to be consistent with what was declared by the manufacturer. Below are the runtime diagrams taken from the user manual. Having made some counter-tests with luxmeter and lightbox, I can confirm the consistency of the discharge curves in the manual compared to the real case.


Fenix E09R Runtime



Fenix E05R Runtime




The body and materials
The Fenix E09R and the E05R are two small keychain flashlights, practical to carry. Very easy to use, their interface is managed entirely by the single electronic switch located near the head.















These two lights are very similar to each other and differ in terms of aesthetics essentially in terms of size, in fact the E09R is about 1 cm longer.



I find the E05R perfect for attaching to a bunch of keys, while the E09R, due to its slightly larger size and weight, I see it more as a flashlight to keep, for example, in a pouch, pocket or shoulder strap, always ready for use.



The optical part is composed by a TIR lens. The E09R mounts a 6200K SST20 while the E03R an XP-G2 S3 which seems to have the same color temperature as the previous one.









On the head we find small dissipation fins.



Both flashlights have the same retractable system for accessing the charging port, but the E09R mounts a Type-C interface while the E03R a micro USB.









To hide the charging interface and thus protect it from dirt and water, just screw the appropriate ring nut. A small O-ring placed on the stop of the ring ensures excellent waterproofing according to the IP68 standard. Next to the charging interface there is a very small status LED that provides the user with information on the charging progress. It lights up RED during charging and turns GREEN when charging is complete. Unfortunately, there is no way to know the amount of remaining charge in the cell.

The materials are of quality, both flashlights are made entirely of metal with a knurling with lines on the unscrewable ring nut and in the tail and with a beautiful slightly opaque anodization.



In the tail there is a sturdy ring that allows you to attach the flashlight to a bunch of keys or to pass a simple wrist strap







The battery is internal, not removable, from 800mAh in the E09R and from 320mAh in the E05R.
A full charge for the E09R, strangely, takes over 2 hours, so even with a typeC, charging is not exactly fast. In fact, from some tests carried out, the absorption has never exceeded 500mA even with a completely discharged battery and using the latest generation quality charger. For the E05R, a full charge, on the other hand, takes about 1 hour and a half.

The flashlights cannot be disassembled, the only thing that unscrews is the ring nut that slides to reveal the charging interfaces.
The switch is electronic, metallic, worked with a fine knurling with concentric lines. It is not protruding and is very responsive to pressure. Not very easy to spot if you are in total darkness.







The user interface of both flashlights is very simple and summarized below:

On=Off
- Keep the switch pressed for 0.5 seconds to turn the flashlight on or off


Selecting the brightness level
- With the flashlight on, click on the switch to scroll through the various brightness levels. There are no special levels such as Beacon, SOS or Strobo


Direct access to Instant Turbo
- Press and hold the switch for about 1.2 sec to access the Turbo both with the flashlight on and off. If the flashlight is off, it will first pass from the last stored level and then go to Turbo and when the switch is released it will automatically go to the lowest level ..


Lockout
- With the flashlight off, double click on the switch to electronically lock the interface: the light will flash twice in Low mode to indicate the lock status.
- With the flashlight locked, a double click on the switch will unlock the interface: the light will be activated on entering the lowest level.
- When the flashlight is locked, for each click on the switch the flashlight will emit two flashes on the Low level to indicate that the lock status is active.


Memory Mode
The Fenix E09R and E05R have the storage mode of the last level used except for the Turbo output level.


Intelligent protection against overheating
When using the flashlights on high levels, the temperature could rise dramatically. When 60 degrees are reached, the brightness will be reduced to allow the flashlight to cool down.
To tell the truth that temperature I have never managed to reach it even with repeated activations of the Turbo.


Beamshot #1 - E09R


Beamshot #1 - E05R


Beamshot #2 - E09R


Beamshot #2 - E05R


Beamshot #3 - E09R


Beamshot #3 - E05R


Beamshot #4 - E09R


Beamshot #4 - E05R



Final Considerations

Pros:
- The E09R and E05R are small, light and handy flashlights.
- Nice retractable system that protects the charging interfaces from water and dirt.
- Quality materials and finishes with attention to detail.
- Excellent regulation and good runtimes.
- Precise and responsive switch.
- Beam without artifacts, homogeneous tint.
- Memory mode function, direct access to Turbo (Burst), electronic lockout and overheating protection.

Cons:
- The E09R has a type-C charging port but charging is still quite slow.
- Non-removable battery.
- The user interface doesn't drive me crazy: there are no special levels, I don't really like that for direct access to the Turbo, when the flashlight is off, you have to go through the last stored level first, there is no possibility to block mechanically the interface but only electronically, this means that if the light is left stationary for months the cell could potentially be damaged.


Both the E05R and the E09R are quality products, ideal for those looking for easy-to-use EDC flashlights with reduced size and weight.

Thanks for reading ... XD

1 Thank
2

Great review - very well done!

I had a feeling that Fenix was going to make the new E05 into what the E05R turned out to be. That’s a nice-looking light, and the switch is very handy, but I’m happy that I recently bought two E01 v2 lights, with Microstream pocket clips added. The E01 v2 allows use of Eneloops or primary lithiums or alkalines, which have more energy in them than the proprietary cell in the E05R. And while the button switch in the E05R is easy to use, I actually prefer the twisty switch in my E01 v2 lights, for longevity and insurance against accidental activation.

The E09R seems to have impressive runtimes, according to the review recently posted in this forum, and that light and the E05R are very nice, but not the best option for me.