[Review] Sofirn SC13 – small EDC flashlight with Fresnel optic (UPDATE: Now with 519A!)

LED Flashlights – General Info CR123A Flashlights
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Small but bright EDC flashlight with a simple UI? You don’t want to spend a lot of money? Then check out the Sofirn SC13!

You can find the German version of this review on my website: SammysHP Blog › Sofirn SC13

The flashlight was provided by the manufacturer for this review. Thank you very much!

Supplied parts and hardware

  • 18350 Li-ion battery with 1100 mAh (3.94 V at arrival)
  • Clip
  • Lanyard
  • 2x replacement o-ring
  • USB-C charging cable
  • Manual (EN, RU, CN)

Length: 64.8 mm
Diameter: 25 mm
Weight: 40 g including clip (plus 22.5 g for the battery)

Interesting design! The waist really helps with a secure grip and it feels very nice in the hand. The anodization is slightly rough and feels very nice as well.

It has a Fresnel lens, that is held by a pressed bezel. You might wonder about the strange ring around the head – it’s for the clip.

The two protrusions on the head will stop the flashlight from rolling away on a flat surface.

You can attach a lanyard at the hole in the tailcap. Unfortunately it is placed in a way that the flashlight cannot tailstand anymore with a lanyard attached.

Especially bad because the tailcap includes a strong magnet (that is glued in).

Once you attached the clip to the flashlight, it immediately starts looking more complete. I really like the clip. It has a fairly large opening, doesn’t scratch the tailcap when removing the battery and allows great deep-carry.

Located opposite of the switch, there is a USB-C charging port. It is protected by a silicone cover.

During charging the status LED in the switch lights up in red. When it battery is full, it switches to green. Below a certain voltage (probably 3 V) it charges at 100 mA, but then continues with appropriate 1 A. Termination at 250 mA is a little high, especially at 4.22 V after the charging has finished.

I had a little problem with the charging port cover: While using the flashlight, my finger frequently pulled on the little tab of the cover. So I simply cut it off and now it is perfect.

The manufacturer says that it is IPX8 protected against water and survives drops of one meter height.

While the tailcap has a spring, the driver side only has a simple button. There’s enough space to fit any 18350 battery (button and flat top, even protected ones).

User interface and features

An electronic side switch is used to control the flashlight. It is flat, has a rubbery surface and a snappy actuation.

Nice and simple UI with direct access to turbo, moon and last used brightness. The strobe alternates between 14.2 and 7.6 Hz.

State Action Function
Off 1 click Turn on (last used brightness, except moon and turbo)
Off 2 click Turbo
Off 3 click Lockout
Off hold Moon
On 1 click Turn off
On 2 click Turbo
On hold Increase brightness (Low → Medium → High)
Turbo 1 click Previous brightness or off
Turbo 2 click Strobe
Strobe 1 click Previous brightness or off
Strobe 2 click Turbo
Lockout 3 click Unlock
Lockout hold Momentary moon

For the first five seconds after turning on the flashlight, the status LED in the switch will show the approximate state of charge:

Color State of charge
Green 70% – 100%
Red 30% – 70%
Red blinking < 30%

A flat switch makes it less likely to press it by accident, but also makes it slightly harder to find. The protrusion of the head helps finding it, but you have a 50% chance pressing the charging port cover instead. If you don’t want to lock the flashlight with three clicks, you can also slightly loosen the tailcap for a mechanical lockout.

Illumination

So far I couldn’t find a definite answer from the manufacturer, which LED is used in the SC13. But some information I found on the Internet indicates that it is a Luminus SST-40. This would match my observation from the slightly greenish low CRI light. (Now also available with Nichia 519A, see update below.)

Something you don’t find often in flashlights: the Fresnel lens, or better: the Fresnel TIR optic. Not sure if it performs much better or different from a regular TIR optic, but it creates a very soft spot, which fades out in a spill with some rings. There is a tint shift between the slightly yellow spot to the bluish spill.

Nichia 519A version

Sofirn updated their SC13 with a Nichia 519A LED in 5000K and high CRI. Less bright, but much better color and less tint shift.

Driver and runtime

The SC13 uses a simple FET driver. Thus the given runtimes are more of a theoretical nature because the brightness is decreased continuously with the battery voltage.

Mode Brightness¹ Runtime¹ Intensity¹ (Throw²) Current³
Turbo 1300 lm / 500 lm 2 min + 1:20 h 11750 cd (217 m) 4.48 A
High 500 lm 1:30 h 4267 cd (131 m) 1.77 A
Medium 150 lm 3:30 h 1242 cd (70 m) 0.55 A
Low 10 lm 17:36 h 81 cd (18 m) 0.04 A
Moon 1 lm 100 h 9 cd (6 m) 0.01 A
Off 59 µA

¹ According to manufacturer      ² ANSI FL1      ³ Measured

After one minute in turbo, there is a step-down to about 25% of the initial brightness. The temperature reached about 43 °C.

In all modes except moon, the brightness is regulated with 20 kHz PWM. Even turbo shows some PWM in the measurement (probably to limit the maximum current). At a voltage of about 2.7 V the flashlight turns off to prevent the battery from being low discharged.

Conclusion

The Sofirn SC13 is a small and lightweight EDC flashlight with a creative design. The waist and texture feel very nice in the hand and allow for a reliable grip. Sofirn did everything right with the UI: It is simple, has shortcuts to lowest, highest and last used brightness and no unnecessary features.

Not sure if there is any benefit from the fancy Fresnel optic. The beam has a smooth spot with some small rings in the spill. Unfortunately the tint is not the best: slightly green with a noticeable tint shift between spot and spill. But for most users it should be acceptable.

Got curious? You can find the Sofirn SC13 here at Amazon US. Use the code “109BPEV9” to get a 10% discount on your order!

The new version with Nichia 519A LED can be ordered here on sofirnlight.com. Use the code “SC13BLF” to get 30% off!

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The Fresnel allows for a shorter head but results in a slightly lower OTF lumen output. At least, it’s interesting. A similar light would be the Trustfire MC1, although with a very unique beam.

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Its $36 on Amazon. I just bought it for $11.

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That’s absolutely possible. I can’t access the Amazon US promo link I got from Sofirn with my Amazon DE account, so I can’t see the price. Usually I order from www.sofirnlight.com anyway.

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As someone who mostly carries 18350 lights - I might get one of these as a “as compact as possible 18350 charger” :sweat_smile:

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How did you get it for $11 ??

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Check thread Aliexpress.com super deals on BLF.

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Noice!

Good review, interesting light.

My Jet-II was my last 18350/16340 light… well. aside from the i332 which is 18650-sized but only takes a 16340, so that doesn’t count.

Dunno if I’d get one, though, because that’d be Yet Another Light My Cats Would Bat Under The Couch For Fun.

Any ideas for “feel” of 18350 vs 14500? I always felt that even though longer, the slimmer 14500 lights could “disappear” into a pocket more readily, vs a shorter but chonkier 18350 light.

(18650 lights, you always know are there, but you’re likely going for capacity vs compactness.)

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Is it possible to easily remove the bezel to replace the led?

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Hello, here is the link: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005006370865562.html?spm=a2g0n.tm1000004601.6386435990.d15.52af6f3dfqvnYS&pdp_ext_f={"ship_from"%3A""%2C"sku_id"%3A"12000036932274995"}&sourceType=562&scm=1007.28480.364558.0&scm_id=1007.28480.364558.0&scm-url=1007.28480.364558.0&pvid=0f4a222f-1aa3-4601-be0a-1f887c589cc4&utparam=%257B%2522process_id%2522%253A%2522standard-secondary-item-process-1%2522%252C%2522x_object_type%2522%253A%2522product%2522%252C%2522pvid%2522%253A%25220f4a222f-1aa3-4601-be0a-1f887c589cc4%2522%252C%2522belongs%2522%253A%255B%257B%2522id%2522%253A%252233084685%2522%252C%2522type%2522%253A%2522dataset%2522%257D%255D%252C%2522pageSize%2522%253A%252212%2522%252C%2522language%2522%253A%2522en%2522%252C%2522scm%2522%253A%25221007.28480.364558.0%2522%252C%2522countryId%2522%253A%2522US%2522%252C%2522scene%2522%253A%2522SD-Waterfall%2522%252C%2522tpp_buckets%2522%253A%252221669%25230%2523265320%252330_21669%25234190%252319158%252314_18480%25230%2523364558%25230%2522%252C%2522x_object_id%2522%253A%25223256806184550810%2522%257D&_t=%252Cscm-url%253A1007.28480.364558.0%252Cpvid%253A0f4a222f-1aa3-4601-be0a-1f887c589cc4&pdp_npi=4%40dis!USD!US%20%2427.05!US%20%2411.64!!!27.05!11.64!%402103146f17087986088498268e686d!12000036932274995!gsd!US!4210454967!&aecmd=true&browser_id=8e264272d7c6493695403dd1550e659f&aff_trace_key=e425c93fb2fd46dcba421f2a0c6a6917-1705512434370-06020-UneMJZVf&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=r6ohg584kdocauks18ddc55578e809158392b1e967&gatewayAdapt=4itemAdapt

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It appears to be pressed in. Maybe it can be removed by forcing in blades between the bezel and head.

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no
at least not with my brute force tools
pics in this album

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Thank you.

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Armyteks and Zebras can be opened by inserting a flat screwdriver between ring and lens, carefully levering the ring out. Olights S1R et al. can be opened the way Sammy described it (use a very hard knife blade, was described in a YT video). Maybe one of the methods work.

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I don’t have the SC13 but since the outer edge of the bezel appears to be accessible, I imagine something like this method should work:

Avoid applying uneven force and distorting the bezel, either when removing or reinstalling. Ideally you’d press it back in with a vise.

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There seem to be a new version of SC13 with a 519a LED. I wonder if it uses the same driver as before.

Also, could anybody offer a picture of SC13 and Wurkkos FC11C with short tube side by side? Is the difference in size substantial?

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I’ll just drop my own review ^^

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It’s identical as far as I can see. Only difference is the LED – and it’s a enormous improvement! Noticeably darker, but much better color and less tint shift.

The new version with Nichia 519A LED can be ordered here on sofirnlight.com. Use the code “SC13BLF” to get 30% off!

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I really hoped for a Buck when I was offered a sample. While the price is still great (cheapest 519A light, probably?) for what you get and the light is decent, making it 2$ more expensive and giving it a buck, or at least a FET+7+1 would have made it so much better, and easier to love :frowning:

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Huh, I saw just now that our drivers are different. Could you compare your 519A and SST40 models, too?

Mine has an additional small 3pin component (probably SC-70-3) next to the button, which yours does not have.