Latest review:
It’s a very nice implementation of a multi-emitter setup in a compact head - and featuring Nitecore’s dual-switch tailcap. It reminded me how much I miss an actual forward physical clicky switch. 
Here’s a sneak peak at performance:
5 Thanks
Great to see you back at it, SB.
Thanks for the review.
1 Thank
Thanks, I’ve been offline for last few months, but will be getting back to posting more reviews shortly. I have a pretty good backlog to work through.
3 Thanks
Wow, I had no idea you were back in the flashlight reviewing game, Eric! Last I’d seen, you’d closed up for good on doing them back in 2017. I was hoping you’d return one day, because of the tremendous raising of the bar in performance and quality per dollar. Like you’ve said, in the past you avoided budget lights because they were, for the lack of a better word, crappy compared to pricier models. So, it looks like your break was 5 years. A lot has changed since then!
I’d say the LED flashlight game has really changed for the better. It’s mind blowing. A much bigger golden age than what started back in 2008. It’ll be interesting to see how companies reposition themselves to address it. Some have gone with a high volume high commercial or industry specific focus (like Olight, Fenix, and Surefire), rather than appeal to enthusiasts that help drive the need for better flashlights that ultimately benefit the average consumer that wants something better than a plastic Home Depot special. Others have become more agile and attentive, weighing enthusiast option, feature, or design requests with more sellable appeal. And some have taken chances that resulted in a dead end. But right now there’s so many players, things are staying very interesting.
As you’ve no doubt seen, quality has gone up tremendously for a number of brands and a number of them have made a point of being observant or actively participating in flashlight enthusiast social media. Convoy, Sofirn, Lumintop, Wurkkos, and Wuben have been most visible. And then there’s grass roots “indie” companies like Emisar/Noctigon and Firefly Lite who provide a more bespoke offering that caters to serious enthusiasts.
Anyway, looking forward to seeing your highly detailed reviews. You’ve been busy since early 2023, so I’ve got a bit of catching up to do.
Do you have a writeup anywhere of what are your high usage flashlights these days?
Great review, the proprietary battery makes it a pass.
Thanks for the welcome back. Yes, I have started reviewing many of the new makers you mentioned, as you’ll see as you go through my recent reviews.
I haven’t written up my current high usage lights, per se. I still use some of my old Zebralight and Eagletac lights, but I’m also using some of the new Acebeam and Wurkkos lights I’m currently testing. A lot of nice lights out there.
1 Thank