EDIT 11th August: BEAMSHOTS ADDED Post#5
Hi BLF!
This is my review of the RovyVon Angel Eyes E200u flashlight.
More information on this flashlight can be found on RovyVon website
DISCLAIMER: I won this light in an online contest at RovyVon website in June. RV was giving away for review 50 flashlights, and I was probably one of the last persons to subscribe before the closing date. I could chose between the 3 models.
Complying with the GAW rules, I include below 2 non-afilliated links for this product at Amazon (for US Customers), provided by RovyVon :
https://tinyurl.com/y7srmywb
https://tinyurl.com/ybfe8439
Besides the E200u, there are other 2 models:
E200r: https://www.rovyvon.com/products/e200?variant=32532728184935
E200s: https://www.rovyvon.com/products/e200?variant=32532736737383
You can find another review of this light here on BLF:
LightAttraction: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/62888
Other online reviews:
zeroair (E200s): https://zeroair.org/2020/07/13/rovyvon-e200s-angel-eyes-flashlight-review/
Youtube search: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rovyvon+e200
This is RovyVon official video for this flashlight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkvWBUjtUnU&t=
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
Body Colour: Black
Material: Aluminium alloy
Front Emitters (my version): 2 x XP-G3 6500K (* * *)
Side Emitters (my version): 3 x UV-C (270nm) & UV-A (390nm-400nm) (* * *)
Lens: 2 x TIR
Battery: Lithium Polymer 1400mAh (not replaceable)
Charging: USB-C Built-in charging
Switches: 2 E-switches (front and side)
Low Voltage Indication: Yes
Max runtime: 135hours
Max beam distance: 102 m
Max output: 1650 lumens
Candela: 2800 candela
Waterproofness: IP67
Impact resistance: 1m
(* * *) Other versions available:
E200r: Front emitters: 1 Red + 1 Blue / Side emitters: 3 x XP-G3 5000K
E200s: Front emitters: 2 x XP-G3 6500K / Side emitters: 3 x XP-G3 5000K
PACKAGE AND FLASHLIGHT
Unlike many other brands, RovyVon thought “out of the box” for this flashlight’s package! Literally!!
The RovyVon Angel Eyes E200u arrived packed into a hard case/shock proof pouch, similar to those we use to our hard drives safe! 8^)
The pouch was inside a zip bag to protect it from scratching.
(click me)
Inside I found: RovyVon Angel Eyes E200u, 1 RovyVon branded lanyard, 1 paracord lanyard, 1 USB to USB-C cable, pockect clip, user manual, warranty card.
NOTE: The “for sale” package of the E200u includes a Quartz protection case, for the side UV Leds. (as shown in LightAttraction review).
For those who know RovyVon and that follow their works in flashlight “world”, this Angel Eyes E200u flashlight probably isn’t a huge surprise!
Why? If we go back to the moment they started to become known we have seen their innovation in small keychain lights or EDC lights – known as the “Aurora” series - , in bigger, rectangular and more powerful lights - such as the Angel Eyes E300s - , or even the more recent quad + UV-C/XP-G3 Angel Eyes E700s.
The Angel Eyes E200 series seems to emerge as a blend between the E300 and the E700 models!
These are small rectangular flashlights, with 2 front emitters and 3 side emitters, that can be activated in ergonomic ways due to the 2 e-switches they have.
Having a magnetic tail, these lights can be easily attached to a surface and become a “work light”, depending to the chosen model.
Let’s take a look to this flashlight’s details:
- it has detachable reversible pocket clip, that can be pointed towards head or tail
- it has some “grooves” on the side, that help slightly on a better grip
- despite those grooves, the anodizing may be a bit slippery, so having a lanyard or the pocket clip helps to hold the flashlight in a better way
- it has a large lanyard hole in the bottom, where a paracord lanyard can be attached
- it has a tripod hole in the bottom
- it has a magnetic tail to attach the light to “magnetic” surface (careful when using it in the pocket with bank cards or others)
- it can be used while tailstanding, too
- it has 4 small leds on the front that mark the battery level in 4 levels: 25% - 50% - 75% - 100%
- the E200s has no detachable parts, but the back can be taken out (I DO NOT ADVISE THIS!)
- the bezels of the front leds are made of stainless steel
- the TIR optics are clear (meaning: not frosted or pebbled), and they have no glass lenses on the front
- the USB-C charging port is located on the opposite side of the side switch, and it is protected by a rubber cover
- there several engravings on white in the front , but vey minimal
- the Serial Number is engraved on the lower back of the flashlight
- the frames of the switches are slightly raised and the buttons are slightly depressed to prevent accidental activations
- the 3 UV leds can be protected by a Quartz protection case (that was not included in my package, so I can’t show hoe it looks like).
Lanyard hole, tripod mount and quartz case/pocket clip “grooves”
Magnetic tail
Dimensions
Weight with and w/out clip
As mentioned above the pocket clip can be installed towards the head or towards the tail. It can be hard to get it out of its “fitting” place, so sometimes a cord may be needed to pull it out.
With the clip installed towards the tail, the E200u can be placed in a cap to be used as a headlight.
Depending on the type of leds (namely if the version is a E200r or E200s with the XP-G3 leds) the pocket clip can be used to put the light in position of a “work flashlight”, with a wide beam!
Bottom: the lanyard hole, the place to attach a lanyard! And that’s it!
I find it really nice that RovyVon always includes paracord for a self-made lanyard! :THUMBS-UP:
Well, also on the bottom: the tripod hole. I used a cellphone tripod and the lanyard of the Fireflies ROT Gen II to demonstrate how it works!
In the accessories we get a 30 cm USB to USB-C charging cable. Unlike the RovyVon Aurora A23 that needs a cable with a thin head to fit the charging port, the E200u can be charged by any USB-C cable. One suited for 5V/2.4A will help charging it faster.
Some details on charging and battery levels:
- checking the battery level (on the 4 leds): click any of the switches 1 time
- battery fully charged: all 4 blue leds are lit up
- battery empty/near empty: the lower led indicator will be red (when the battery level is below 2.8V / 25%)
- cutoff voltage: 2.6V
-
when charging:
a) high and turbo are not accessible
b) the blue led indicators lit up from bottom to top, and when one turns constant blue it means that the level is already reached; the blinking means one is still charging
The User Manual, as typical from Rovyvon, is clear and straight to the point. This one, maybe due to being a new flashlight, is only written in English.
Here you can see the relation between Output vs Runtime:
As you can see, and as is advertised on the Manual, the output on Turbo drops somewhere around the 45 seconds (I confirm this, measured by luxmeter and a watch ).
NOTE: Despite on paper the Moonlight and Low have a difference in output (1 lumen – 10lumens), the actual difference between both levels is neglibeable. I measured their lux and the difference is around 5 lux (not noticeable on naked human eye), not a higher value as it should be. I reported this to RovyVon and I am waiting for a reply on this situation.
About the User Interface, this is how the RovyVon Angel E200u operates!
And this is the part in which this flashlight can become “gimmicky” or at least, playable!
The flashlight has…several modes and levels O:)
Low > Medium > High > Turbo regular levels
Strobe > SOS
Ramping/Stepless Dimming
Moonlight
UV leds
The operation is done differently on the 2 switches.
FRONT SWITCH:
- single click from OFF: check battery level
- double click from OFF: turns the flashlight ON in Low or in the last used regular level (the flashlight has memory if turned ON in a regular level for more than 1 minute)
- triple click from OFF: turns the flashlight ON in Strobe. Single click alternate between Strobe < > SOS. Press & hold turns the light OFF
- press & hold from OFF: enters stepless dimming. Release the switch to stop ramping. Press & hold to get back to ramping in the same “direction” (up or down). Single click turns the flashlight OFF
- press for 0.3s from any mode/level while ON: turns the flashlight OFF
SIDE SWITCH:
- single click from OFF: check battery level
- double click or press & hold from OFF: turns the UV leds ON. Single click turns the flashlight OFF
- triple click from OFF: turns the flashlight ON in Moonlight mode. Single click turns the flashlight OFF
BUTTONS INTERACTIONS:
- Whenever a mode/level is engaged through the SIDE SWITCH, a single click in the FRONT SWITCH turns the flashlight OFF
- Whenever a mode is engaged – either through the FRONT or SIDE button– if the any switch is used in the ways described above to engage another mode, there will be an alternance between those modes. Example: UV leds are ON (SIDE SWITCH) > Triple click the FRONT SWICH > Enters Strobe
>>> Exception to this ^: not possible to alternate directly from the regular modes and the stepless dimming / ramping
NOTE: This is a note and a complaint: stepless dimming/ramping mode can reach the lowest and the highest levels as attained in the moonlight/regular modes. However, when reaching each limit (up or down) it doesn’t stop ramping, it keeps ramping on the opposite direction it was before. Ex: ramp to top > no stop > ramp to bottom…
After being used to Ramping IOS or Anduril, this stepless diming/ramping mode is quite frustrating, I am honest. This is a thing I will suggest RovyVon to improve in future lights.
Here’s the RovyVon Angel Eyes E200u in a small comparison with other lights and items in my collection:
Vs 18650 Sony VTC6 battery
Vs On The Road 311 & Convoy S2+ (18350)
Vs On The Road M3 Pro & Olight S1R Baton
Vs RovyVon family (Aurora A5R, Aurora A23, Angel Eyes E300s, A8U)
I checked for PWM on the 4 regular modes (assuming that Low is almost as Moonlight mode as explained above) and there is no PWM!
To let you know how the beam of this light looks like and how is the light progression, here are some images.
Please note that the luxmeter was at 1m, hence the reason to get 0 lux in the lowest level.
What can I say about the beam?
I’ll start by saying that…if you use XP-G3 6500K leds, you know that you will get tint shifts! And this is what you get in the beam of this flashlight, some tint shifts.
Describing the beam, it has: white hotspot, whiteish layer in the corona, then yellowish layer, then whiteish layer and then another yellowish layer in the outer spill. This is mostly visible “when hunting white walls”, of course, and on highest levels (as the outer “layers” become more evident).
The junction between these leds (CREE XP-G3 or XP-L2) and clear optics results on these shifts and artifacts.
It is slightly noticeable that the beam/hotspot is more in a “oval” shape, if compared to a flashlight with single led or without leds side by side.
I believe that a different choice for the emitters (even if it could compromise the relation between output /efficiency) would give the costumers a better visual experience.
This said…
About the UV-C / UV-A leds. I am not expert on these things. I can only tell:
AVOID DIRECT EXPOSITION TO UV LEDS, WITH AND WITHOUT PROTECTION GLASSES
DO NOT EXPOSE YOUR OR OTHER PEOPLE’S EYES OR SKIN TO UV-C OR UV-A LIGHT
KEEP THEM AWAY FROM CHILDREN OR ANYONE THAT CAN MISUSE IT
UV-C LIGHT IS DANGEROUS
IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH THESE LEDS, CHOSE ANOTHER MODEL WITHOUT UV LEDS
Comparison with a Nichia UV 365 nm led + UV filter (RIGHT)
As it can be seen, the E200u doesn’t allow to see the details in the 20€ bank note.
This may be relevant for people using the light for those purposes.
I don’t have means to test it in other ways (disinfection, or something alike )
And now some tint comparison! (white balance at 5000K)
Vs RovyVon A23 XP-L2 6500-7000K
Vs XML2 U1 1A 6500K
Vs Luxeon V2 4000K
Vs Luxeon V2 3000K
Vs Nichia NVSW219BT ~5000K
Vs Nichia 219C 4500K-5000K
Vs Samsung LH351D 5000K
I will present some outdoor beamshots and “glamour” beamshots later on, maybe in the weekend, to see what this light does outside.
Now I present my overall appreciation of the RovyVon Angel Eyes E200u:
What I like in this flashlight is:
- The shape. After buying the E300s last year, and finding it a funny and different flashlight, I also find this E200u to be an unusual shaped flashlight, and I like it!
- The output range. This light is capable of a nice Moonlight level and also a good Turbo, that even if it doesn’t hang on for long time, is capable of good illumination.
- The versatility. Although I like the UV leds, if it was now, I would probably chose the E200s with XP-G3 as side emitters that make this E200 series a more versatile flashlight.
- USB-C Charging. For a matter of not carrying all the cables in the house, I am glad I can charge this light with my cellphone cable
- Detachable and reversible pocket clip. I like the possibility to use this flashlight in different ways, and the pocket clip allows that (ex: use in a cap as headlight, use in a backpack/jeans/coat… as a worklight)
- Accessories. Despite I have dozens of lanyards and USB cables, it is a nice package for someone that doesn’t have these spare resources and wants a RovyVon flashlight!
- Shortcut to Moonlight mode. I just like this in any light
- Battery check. I find this very useful in a flashlight in which the battery cannot be taken out of the host to check how high/low it is. Actually, I wish the E300s had this feature
- Tripod hole. It may be funny to use it on a tripod and it is not a usual thing in flashlights.
What I would improve in this flashlight is:
- Direct access to Turbo. Whether it was momentary or constant turbo, I guess it would be a very nice feature to have, as the A23 I recently reviewed has!
- Difference between Moonlight and Low levels. This is a thing I asked RovyVon about (no visible difference between these 2 levels), so I will wait for the answer. However, if this is not a fault from my model, I suggest to change the User Manual, because it seems to have only 4 modes.
- Change the access to UV leds. I would change this, so that it wouldn’t be so “easy” to access the illumination of these leds. 3 clicks and no press & hold would be a better solution in my perspective. 2 clicks for Moonlight, instead, would be rather nice and more “standard”/coherent.
- Front LEDs. It is known…Cool White emitters such as the XP-G3 or XP-L2 are no good with clear TIR optics. I would probably opt for different types of leds, both to avoid artifacts and tint shifts in the beam, and to provide better tint and eventually colour rendition.
- Stepless dimming / Ramping mode. This is probably the thing I was more expectant and probably the one I liked less in this flashlight. In my perspective, it should:
a) ramp to top/bottom and stop there
b) be necessary an “action” (ex: press & hold again) to restart ramping in the opposite direction
c) be possible to alternate between directions without being needed to reach the top/bottom.
- Price. This is not a cheap light and although it is innovative, RovyVon must check if their “targets” are willing to pay that amount of money for this flashlight.
I want to thank RovyVon (Ken in particular) for sending this light for review and for replying to my questions about it!
Again, this company /manufacturer is innovating in flashlights production, and even if there are some points to be improved, merit has to be given to them, specially in times where we certainly need more light to face the darkness!
I hope they can keep on “listening” to /reading the community to keep improving their flashlights, because that is the right path, for us and for RV
Don’t miss the Outdoor Beamshots to be added maybe in the weekend :THUMBS-UP:
Any comments or questions, let them come.