SOFIRN SD11 was sent to me directly by SOFIRN for review.
For technical details and to purchase the flashlight:
https://www.sofirnlight.com/en/products … -red-light?
For years, the SOFIRN brand has been offering customers competitive products with a good quality-price ratio, a key feature of the brand. Sofirn products are easily available on Amazon, Aliexpress, and, of course, on their website, sofirnlight.com.
In recent weeks, Sofirn introduced its new diving flashlight, the SD11.
Despite its size of 155.3 mm, the SOFIRN SD11 fits comfortably in the hand. It features two side switches, one of which is a magnetic rotary switch, and four different light sources: cool white light (6500K), neutral white light (5000K), warm white light (3000K, CRI90), and red light (660nm).
The SOFIRN SD11 uses 6 high-performance white LEDs (3TN3535 3000K CRI90 and 3TN3535 6000K) with a maximum output of 5000 lumens and a maximum throw of 244 meters. It is powered by a 26800 7500mAh battery (included), rechargeable via the USB-C port, with a maximum battery life of 11 hours with white light.
The SD11 is IPX8 certified (100 meters submersible) and shock resistant up to 1.5 meters.
SPECIFICATIONS and User Guide (taken from the manual)
Main Features:
- Emitter: 6 x TN-3535 6500-3000K LEDs, 1 x RED LED (660 nm)
- Driver: Boost driver
- Battery option: 1 x 26800 battery
- Operating voltage: 3.0V-4.2V
- Operating mode: Dual switch
- Charging via USB Type-C
- Material: AL6061-T6 aluminum alloy
- Dimensions: 50.5mm x 155.3mm
- Weight: 331g (with battery)
- Reverse polarity protection due to incorrect battery installation.
- The temperature protection system is automatically activated if the temperature exceeds 55°C. This system reduces the output current to maintain an optimal external temperature, ensuring a better user experience.
Warranty
The Sofirn warranty is typically one year for manufacturing defects not caused by misuse, but may vary by product and retailer. To activate or request warranty service, you must contact the manufacturer directly by email or the retailer where you made the purchase.
The warranty covers manufacturing defects. Defects caused by personal error or misuse are not covered.
Web: www.sofirnlight.com www.sofirn.cn sofirn.aliexpress.com
SOFIRN SD11 arrives in a light-colored cardboard box with the classic writing that reports its main distinguishing features. Inside the package we find, in addition to the flashlight with the 26800 7500 mAh Lithium battery, the Type-C to Type-C charging cable, the scuba lanyard, 2 spare O-rings and the multilingual manual.
SOFIRN SD11 has good build quality, with no sharp edges or construction residue. It is constructed from AL6061-T6 aluminum alloy with a military-grade matte black hard anodized finish. It feels comfortable in the hand despite its size of 155.3 mm and weight of 331 g (with battery inserted). Opposite the switches, there is also a 1/4-inch threaded hole.
The Sofirn SD11 is composed of two parts: a head with body and a tail, and is controlled by two switches, both located on the sides.
The battery contacts are two thick plated springs, one for the positive and one for the negative. The anodized tube threads contain two O-rings; the anodized threads allow for mechanical locking by slightly unscrewing the tail cap.
The Sofirn SD11 is IPX8 certified and can be submerged up to 100 meters.
The included battery is a high-capacity lithium 26800 7500mAh cell. The cell is inserted into the flashlight in the usual way with the positive end facing the head. The cell has a USB-C charging port near the positive end. It took me about 3 hours to fully charge it. I haven’t found any specifications online about the Sofirn 26800, but I think the flashlight also supports non-proprietary batteries.
When the battery is charging a small LED, located near the positive terminal, lights up to indicate the charging status; red when charging and green when charging is complete.
Near the tail cap we find a small logo to indicate the direction of insertion of the cell.
On the head of the Sofirn SD11 we find an optical system with 7 LEDs, 3 TN-3535 with TIR optics for white light (6500K), 3 TN-3535 with TIR optics for warm light (3000K and CRI >90) and 1 red light LED at 660nm (central LED). However, there are 4 available colors with the possibility of also having neutral light (5000K) by activating the cold and warm nature LEDs simultaneously. With these LEDs, SOFIRN SD11 reaches a maximum brightness of 5000 lumens and covers a maximum distance of 244 meters.
SOFIRN SD11 has a switch and a magnetic rotary selector located on the side. The button, in the center of the magnetic selector, has a notification LED in the center that indicates the remaining battery charge. The button is raised, has a silent click, and if pressed when off, it lights up for a few seconds. To start the light, you need to turn the selector clockwise to activate the cold white/neutral white light or counterclockwise to activate the warm white/neutral white lighting or the red light. With this configuration, managing the SD11 is simple and immediate.
When the SD11 is turned off by pressing the button, the indicator light, located in the center of the button, will indicate the remaining charge level for 5 seconds. When the flashlight is on, the LED remains constantly lit:
Solid green: 100% - 75%
Flashing green: 75% - 50%
Solid red: 50% - 25%
Flashing red: < 25%
The tail cap has a design with vertical grooves and at the bottom it has a slot for inserting the special cord supplied.
SOFIRN SD11 near other torches.
From left: SOFIRN SR23, SOFIRN SD11, Brinyte Spectra T5X, SOFIRN SD06 e Armytek Dobermann Pro
USER INTERFACE (UI)
The SOFIRN SD11’s user interface is simple. The flashlight has a memory and a switch and a magnetic rotary selector for complete management of the user interface.
Instructions for Use (taken from the manual).
Changing Modes:
Rotate the rotary switch to cycle through the modes: Off / Cool White / Warm White / Red Light.
In Cool White or Warm White mode, press the touch button once to cycle through the brightness levels in order: Low, Medium, High, and Turbo.
In Cool White or Warm White mode, press the touch button twice to instantly access Neutral White with a maximum brightness of 5000 lm. Press once to return to the previous setting.
In Red Light mode, press the touch button once to cycle through the brightness levels: Low > Medium > High. In Red Light mode, press twice to activate Red Flashing mode. Press once to return to the previous setting.
Low Power and Automatic Dimming:
When the battery is low, the flashlight automatically reduces brightness to maintain optimal efficiency based on the current voltage.
Low Voltage Protection: When the flashlight is on and the battery voltage remains low, it automatically turns off to protect battery life.
Thermal Protection: During use, if the internal temperature exceeds a preset safety threshold, the thermal control system automatically reduces light output to regulate the temperature and ensure the safety of the user and the device.
BEAM and RUNTIME
The SOFIRN SD11’s beam is alluvial in nature with a smooth transition to the 116° spill light. The coloration is pleasant in all three colors, especially the neutral one. When tested against a wall, I didn’t see any particular artifacts or PWM.
SOFIRN SD11 is primarily a Diving flashlight, designed for underwater use. The SD11 is IPX8 certified, allowing it to be submerged to a depth of 100 meters, thanks in part to the double O-ring on the cap and the lack of a charging port on the flashlight. As you can see in the table at the beginning of the review, the brightness levels may vary depending on whether the flashlight is used on the surface or underwater. The only test I performed with liquids was to immerse it in a basin of water for a few minutes, and naturally, I had no problems doing so.
The SOFIRN SD11 has a powerful beam, useful for illuminating at short and medium distances. The candela (lux/1 meter) value I found in the highest performance setting (5000lm) measured at 5 meters is higher than SOFIRN’s stated value. Below are the measurements for the other settings.
Cool White
Turbo (13184cd) 230 meters
High (6432cd)
Medium (3090cd)
Low (1549cd)
Neutral White
Turbo (17490cd) 265 meters
Warm White
Turbo (8442cd) 184 meters
High (4534cd)
Medium (2654cd)
Low (1123cd)
CRI, CCT, and Duv
N.B. The Duv of a color point in a chromaticity coordinate system can be used to describe its distance from the blackbody curve. The Duv can be approximated using just a pair of xy coordinates from CIE 1931 (source www.waveformlighting.com).
The CRI, measured with the OPPLE Light Master, varies depending on the type of light, as does the CCT (color temperature), with values that are fair and optimal for warmer colors, with an optimal CRI of greater than 90 at all light levels. Flicker is in the safe green band in all tests.
Let’s see the values found below:
Cool White
Turbo: 6795 CCT 73.1 Ra(CRI) Duv: 0.0017
High: 6472 CCT 72.1 Ra(CRI) Duv: 0.0037
Medium: 6287 CCT 71.5 Ra(CRI) Duv: 0.0050
Low: 6180 CCT 71.1 Ra(CRI) Duv: 0.0058
Neutral White
Turbo: 4310 CCT 84.6 Ra(CRI) Duv: -0.0018
Warm White
Turbo: 2923 CCT 94.1 Ra(CRI) Duv: 0.0051
High: 2891 CCT 95.9 Ra(CRI) Duv: 0.0048
Medium: 2865 CCT 96.3 Ra(CRI) Duv: 0.0045
Low: 2832 CCT 96.7 Ra(CRI) Duv: 0.0040
Using a thermal imaging camera, I measured the heat distribution on the flashlight in the highest performance mode (Turbo Neutral White 5000 lm) after 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 8 minutes from turning it on. Heat distribution was good across the entire body, with no temperature issues.
Runtimes were performed indoors at a temperature of approximately 20°C, using the supplied battery, a fully charged 28600 7500mAh battery (4.21V).
Please note that the values shown in the graphs should be taken primarily as reference values because they were obtained using equipment and environmental conditions different from those used in the laboratory. Measurements made with the Luxmeter report values in Candela (cd) and not brightness (lumens).
The tests were performed in Turbo mode with Cool White and Neutral White color temperatures and in High mode with Cool White. The runtimes reflect those declared by SOFIRN.
Video Unboxing and Use
CONCLUSIONS
SOFIRN SD11 is a flashlight designed for use in water (up to 100 meters), but given the numerous beam color options and levels available, it’s certainly suitable for evening walks, despite its considerable weight.
The SD11’s beam is powerful, and being a floodlight, it covers a wide angle with a good throw.
The user interface is excellent, especially thanks to the magnetic rotary switch that’s easy to operate even with gloves.
The SOFIRN SD11 comes with good, basic features; I particularly appreciated the 26800mAh battery with a generous capacity of 7500mAh.
In conclusion, the SOFIRN SD11 is a good product; in the two weeks of use, I haven’t had any problems whatsoever, and I hope to try it underwater this summer to appreciate it even more.
Thanks for reading the review.
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