At the end there will be a summary for those who like only particulars. In each topic I will bold the key sentences, so it will be easier to notice what’s the most important. Enjoy!
You can check the flashlight here:
Table of Contents:
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General parameters
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Package content
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Appearance, parameters
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UI, runtime and charging
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PWM
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Waterproofness
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Light pattern, tint
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Gallery and Summary
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Material | Aluminium (7075-T6, HA III hard anodization) |
| Reflector | Textured (OP) |
| Les | Glass, AR coated |
| LED | UHi 40 MAX |
| Brightness | 5000lm max, theoretical |
| Throw | 550m, 75700cd |
| Switch | Electronic, double something switch |
| Modes | 4 + spotlight + LUMIN SHIELD (turbo) |
| Mode memory | Yes |
| Battery | 1x 6000mAh, 21700 Li-ion (built-in) |
| Reverse polarity protection | - |
| Low voltage protection | Yes |
| Waterproof | IP68, up to 2m |
| Impact resistance | 2m |
| Size | [Diameter: (Head: 31.8mm (1.25") / Tube: 26mm (1.02"))] / Length: 124mm (4.89") |
| Weight | Flashlight: - / Flashlight + battery: 178g (6.28oz) |
Inside were:
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Flashlight
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Lanyard
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Holster
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Clip (mounted)
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USB C charging cable
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Manual
Everyone has different tastes, but in my opinion, this is one of the best flashlight designs.
In addition to its design, the flashlight boasts many interesting features.
Let’s start from the front:
The stainless steel bezel, according to Nitecore, is cyclone-inspired and is the only part of the flashlight that can be unscrewed.
The textured OP reflector is protected by a glass lens with AR coating.
Visible in the reflector is a small hole – this is a distance sensor designed to reduce the flashlight’s brightness upon detecting an obstacle.
The UHi 40 MAX LED is a diode consisting of a central emitter and 8 smaller surrounding emitters. The central emitter provides focused light. The entire array can emit up to 5000 lumens at maximum brightness and consists of 9 LEDs, but this doesn’t mean each LED emits 1/9 of the maximum brightness. The central LED emits 3000 lumens, while the smaller ones emit around 2000 lumens each.
It’s a shame that Nitecore didn’t produce this LED in 4500K CCT or with a high CRI. If they did, it would have been an excellent choice for both thrower and flooder enthusiasts.
The housing is made of 7075 aluminum with a HA III coating. The spiral grooves and the styling of the central part complement the bezel’s design well.
A large and thick clip is already attached, but it can be detached. It features a place to attach the included paracord, which is a novel addition. It’s a good move by Nitecore, as anyone wanting a standard lanyard likely already has one at home or can easily purchase one for $1.
Next to it is a sliding switch used solely to lock the flashlight from accidental activation. Since the tailcap cannot be unscrewed to mechanically disconnect the flashlight, such a switch is necessary. Even if the switch fails and the flashlight somehow turns on, for example, inside a backpack, another safeguard kicks in: the distance sensor, which reduces the flashlight’s brightness. It’s important to remember its limitations mentioned earlier.
Above the clip is a battery level indicator in the form of 4 small green LEDs. Located higher up is the charging port, protected by a sliding metal cover – another new feature of this flashlight. It’s a very interesting solution. I wonder how well it will hold up over prolonged use, but so far, it works very well. The sliding mechanism has noticeable resistance, so it won’t accidentally open.
Around the switch is another ring made of stainless steel.
The switch itself has two levels - a light press to the first click is used to change modes, while a stronger press to the second click turns the flashlight on or off.
A nice addition is the included case - it is sturdy and well-made.
It also has a velcro and plastic D-ring
And a strange hole on the bottom. What is it, I really have no idea. If you know, let me know.
UI
Full press to turn on/off, in on state full press (and hold) for turbo (LUMIN SHIELD) 5000lm.
When on, half press for brightness adjustment, in on state half press (and hold) for full throw light (SEARCH mode)
Runtime
Runtime, high mode. In my opinion it is not a high mode runtime, because brightness dropped after like 10 min to 40% of its original value (about 520lm). At least it is well stabilized
Temperature 3 minutes on high mode:
Temparature after 4 hours (about 520lm)
The built-in battery with a claimed capacity of 6000mAh is a novelty. It might seem too good to be true. Unfortunately, since the battery cannot be removed, I cannot verify if Nitecore’s claim is accurate. However, I also have their UHE 65 headlamp, which has a removable 18650 battery with a capacity of 4000mAh. I measured its capacity and scaled the result up to 6000mAh. It’s not a precise method, but it provided an estimate of 5794mAh.
The Nitecore 4000mAh battery discharged in an Lii-500 charger achieved a capacity of 3863mAh.
Heat dissipation
A small and lightweight flashlight, with a maximum brightness of 5000 lumens, generates a lot of heat and will quickly reduce brightness. Maximum brightness (5000lm) can be activated only when pressing the button.
Here you have the first 20 seconds. Ignore the V shaped spike, because the flashlight is standing on a glass, the proximity sensor briefly reduced its brightness.
And here is a Infrared image after 30 seconds of turbo.
Things to note:
- My refrigerator is at 23.9degC, but has a slim warm spot.
- EDC35 warmed up really fast, temperature difference between head and tail is 20degC.
- Cooling fins are in the right place and really helps (you can see a hot ring, the hottest place where the fins are)
Charging
Built-in USB Type-C charging port. Charging cable included in the package. The port features an interesting cover, not your typical rubber flap seen on 99% of flashlights, but a sliding metal cover. I’m not sure how well this solution will hold up with use, but so far, it’s working excellently. The cover slides smoothly with noticeable resistance. There’s no chance of it opening on its own.
Charging status and power remaining during use is indicated by 4 small LEDs
No PWM, not visible by naked eye, phone camera or Opple LM4 (which has PWM check function). No complains here.
The housing is practically fully sealed (except for the front ring that can be unscrewed), providing the highest waterproof standard of IP68. The flashlight can be submerged up to a depth of 2 meters.
The UHi 40 MAX LED consists of a larger central diode and an array of 8 smaller diodes around it. The light has a cool color temperature.
Having a maximum brightness of 5000 lumens is impressive, but it’s a pity that the LED isn’t available in other tint options, such as a neutral 4500K variant.
Now, imagine if Nitecore developed such a LED with a CCT of 4000-4500K and a CRI >95. The ability to separately illuminate the central diode (for long-range throw) and the array of LEDs (for dispersed light) would replace the need for two flashlights – a thrower and a flooder.
Ah, if only Nitecore could make that happen…
Anyway, here’s how the light profile looks on a white wall: First, focused light, then focused and dispersed light.
Center LED:
Visible, bright hotspot and even, but dimm spill.
Center + array LEDs:
Hotspot still visible, but dimmer in comparison to spill.
Light spectrum:
Calculated CRI and CCT (this is my software, CRI is accurate down to 1%, but CCT down to 10%)
Nitecore EDC35 in my opinion is a very successful flashlight. It boasts a high brightness of 5000 lumens, a UHi LED that can emit both focused and diffused light, and a powerful 21700 battery with a capacity of 6000mAh, among other features.
As I mentioned earlier, if this LED were available in a 4500K CCT version with high CRI, it would be a hit. As it stands, it will fully satisfy only fans of Olights and other flashlights with cool light color preferences.
Pros:
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21700 battery, 6000mAh capacity (declared)
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SS front and back bezel
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7075 aluminium (harder than typically used one)
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Included holster and paracord lanyard
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USB C charging with sliding metal cover
Cons:
- Non-removable battery
If you have any questions, put them below, thanks for sticking for a while 
