Oh that’s another strike against the IF25A. It’s difficult to flash.
does anyone make it easier? if not, can we even count that as a strike? 
thanks for the info flashburn. (fitting name heh)
How does the If25A beam profile compare to the SP 33V3. The 33 has a sustainable 500 lumens. Any idea what the 25A has?
Thanks for the review!
I recently got mine and can’t unscrew the front bezel to gain access to the TIR optics. It feels like it’s glued, I put so much effort but didn’t achieve a thing.
Hmm, it might be snug but I didn’t find my IF25 to have a glued bezel.
Are you using just your hands? Have you tried something like one of those rubber jar openers, or a strap wrench maybe?
My hands mainly. I then used some rubber gripping material but still no luck. Maybe I’m just weak
The SP33 V3 has a tighter beam, I just ran both for 3 minutes on 100% on my kitchen wall. The IF25a is approx 30% wider, while the SP33 seemed to be slightly brighter. That said, the SP33 is also significantly more blue (purple actually). Funny as they are both claimed to be 6500k lights. Heat wise, they both got about the same temperature with the SP33 keeping its output up over the IF25a which started throttling down a touch due to its thermal management.
On a side note, I also ran my SC31 Pro next to these lights too. It had the most narrow beam of the three, produced about the same color as the IF25a, and heated up as fast as the IF25a. All are claimed to be 6500k lights, but the SP33 looks closer to that with the others showing a whiter beam I’d guess somewhere around 6k.
So the classic trade off of mass Vs. output applies. As I recall, the SP33 and IF25a had about the same throw when on turbo when I compared them last summer, but the SP33 can stay brighter (and cooler in the hand).
I recall comparing my 5k IF25a to my 6.5k IF25a when I got them back in June. The 5k really suffered in throw compared to the 6.5k version. When on turbo, the 5k threw ok, but at 70% (where temperature was low enough to keep sustained for more than a minute in the bare hand), it just didn’t get out there like the 6.5k did at the same exact set ramp limit.
I’d take any of these on a dog walk, but it’s all about sustainable output at “x” range. If I were in thicker woods, looking for a shot deer I’d take the 5k IF25a. If out in the field, the SP33 or IF25a 6.5k depending on how much turbo I’d need. But front pocket EDC, the SC31 Pro all the way. My wife uses the SC31 pro, clips it to the dog leash, and runs it full ramp (where I have it limited at about 70% also) so she doesn’t overheat and she goes about two miles a day with Queso (our border collie) on leash. I typically recharge her daily but she’s done several days without battery issues at times. I run a higher capacity (MJ1) in the SC31 Pro as she doesn’t need turbo and can go a few days between charges/walks with the dog.
One more to toss out there, the SD01. Take a Q8, make it in the shape of an insulated coffee-mug, and put a magring on it, and that’s a SD01.
You hold it by the handle, and let gravity do its thing. No need to grip the whole light like a Q8 or other sody-pop-can light.
Lowest is 350lm, bright enough for looking out for rocks, branches, holes, etc., but it cranks up to 6000lm if you want to see what’s down the path wanting to kill you.
And yeah, it’s a diving light, so no worries about getting soaked in the rain, etc.
I’ve been having fun with mine, and even a paltry 350lm on lowest is plenty bright for most things.
Darn, that sounds frustrating. Hopefully they haven’t started gluing the bezel.
A hair dryer can help weaken glue if there is any, though my experience with glued heads has always been a bit palm-blistering.
Again, thanks for your helpful comparisons. Sounds like the 33 would have to be a 5000K emitter for me to like it. I don’t think they are in stock right now. I dedomed my 33 v2 and the color dropped slightly so that my be an option. Aside from that, the I25A 6500K sounds good. And the Sp31 pro too. 3 more lights. Thanks Sofirn. 
just got my IF25A. the type C connector is a bit low and off to one side from the opening, however it plugs in and charges without issue.
put the light in front of a fan to let it acclimate to the room temperature. it’s 23°C in my room. checking the temperature calibration i got 2, then 3 blinks.
spot on out of the box. 
well done Sofirn. 
the beam has a nice width of flood. holding it above my head aiming down makes it even broader for searching on the ground.
haven’t done any wandering at night yet, but from what i can tell so far it’s a perfect balance EDC for my use.
if i feel i’ll need more range (spotting (not hunting) deer etc), i’ll grab my Convoy C8+ XPL-HI.
love the interface. long push for moonlight, push again for smooth ramp. very familiar to my LT1.
color rendering (4000K) is wonderful as i hoped.
-would like the fins to be finished nicer. they are de-burred, but have sharpish edges.
for the $ though the light is an incredible value.
oh, and i paired it with a Vapcell G50 (Sammy 50G re-wrap) 4900mAh 9.8A as i don’t use turbo.
i’m thrilled with this light. my S2+ is going to become my dedicated bike light. which needs a new driver, and a wide lens.
cheers
:+1:
Now… pocket a glove for use if using on turbo for more than a few minutes 
I also prefer the 50G to the higher current batteries I tried. The high current batteries just got hot REAL fast, while not really doing much for the throw (when I tested both my 5k and 6.5k IF25a’s). I barely (by a hair) could see higher output on them, but figured “hey, if I can’t hold the light after 45 seconds… what’s the point?”
Glad you got your “IF” light!
Thanks for the review. What is the regulation like on this light? Can it sustain a constant output in the non outrageous lumen settings?
I haven’t measured it yet but I think it’s close to the Emisar D4 in terms of regulation. Likely to be between 500 and 600lm.
Sofirn have provided me with some 20% discount codes for the IF25A on Amazon UK. PM me if you’d like one.
I got one and love it for easy poker carry when walking the dig on the beach . Where can I find a diffuser for it ?
For candle mode, I'd prefer 2700K and lightning mode, 6500K. Seems like I recall an older version of this light ramping between tints, just without Anduril. Is there an Anduril light that can do what I prefer?
Nice idea to use different tints for candle / lightning.
The IF25 (not IF25A) had the 2 different tints but not Anduril.
The BLF LT1 lantern has both tint ramping and Anduril. There’s also the LT1M mini lantern in the works, which I think is based on the IF25.
The Noctigon K9.3 may have tint ramping but I don’t think that’s been confirmed yet. It does have 2 separate tints that can be controlled individually.
Nice review! Been playing with my If25a for a few weeks now and since it’s almost the perfect travel light for me I got to thinking. If I was to use it for something that would use a moderately high output over a longer runtime, what is a “safe” brightness setting? Let’s say for argument sake that o change the ramping ceiling to this setting. What x/150 would be appropriate?
At what lumen level does the IF25A have stable output/regulation? And is it different (better or worse regulated output) than the CCT shifting IF25 with buck driver?
I haven’t seen any runtime graphs on either model.