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A wonderful update in the line of inexpensive Sofirn C8 flashlights. Built-in charging, increased brightness, additional tactical control. Sofirn c8L turned out to be very, very pleasant. Let me show you a comparison between Sofirn C8L and Sofirn C8G, the most popular budget long range flashlight.
Declared characteristics:
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Dedominated Cree XHP50.3 LED
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maximum brightness 3100lum, maximum range 531m (70500cd)
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power supply 1*21700 1*18650
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active thermoregulation with cut-off at 50℃
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side and tail control
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built-in Type-C charging
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size 156*46.5mm
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IP-X waterproof
Packaging and appearance
The same invariably visual and reliable beige cardboard box. Nothing new.
There is no external charger included. The rest is unchanged: the flashlight itself, 21700 5000mah battery and adapter 18650-21700, Type-C charging cable, o-rings, manual
And here is the flashlight itself. The design is still the same branded Sofirnovsky. That is, modestly, neatly and completely faceless.
You pay a little, but in terms of appearance, you get exactly this modest price tag. Here, for comparison, is the top-end long-range flashlight Acebeam L19.2 Just a prince and a beggar, agree? What prevents Sofirn from making at least a matte knurling? The flashlight will look much more interesting.
Nearby, in order to assess the size, another modest workaholic lit up Wurkkos TS21, a longtime inhabitant of my pocket. And to compare the design, the Acebeam L19.2 (about it in the next review) is thoroughbred, expensive and super-long-range. Review of this flashlight will be very soon.
However, for good Sofirn C8L should be compared with Sofirn C8G. And until I took the last one out of the box, I was sure that the flashlights looked the same. So yes, they look the same, equally faceless. But there is a difference in this facelessness. See for yourself.
By the way, someone in the comments to the order wrote that the flashlight is not worth a candle. As it stands, there are no problems with this at all. I understand that in the very first flashlights shipped there was a long button, because of which he could not stand. Now the button is no longer than the C8G.
The knurling has changed dramatically, I think that before it was more tenacious
As before, the flashlight is disassembled into 3 parts
Control of the tail and side buttons, again unchanged.
Changed the design of the side button. Perhaps that the old rough is better for use in winter with gloves. Although I can’t seem to criticize access to the new button. It is embossed and can be found with absolutely no effort.
The backlight remains the same.
The springs also remained unchanged. Everything is as it was — one on the tail, the other on the head
And here is the first really serious change. The flashlight received a built-in charger, which, in my opinion, Very not enough.
The cap is thick and remarkably secure. I deliberately tried to accidentally open it — no chance at all.
5v3a give a very decent charging speed, 5000mah battery is fully charged in exactly 3 hours.
The rest of the changes on the outside of the head are more design:
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The cooling fins have become deep at the top of the head and decorative at the bottom, it used to be a set of
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The bezel has become more defined.
But inside, everything is completely different. The reflector became textured, and the SST40 LED was replaced with a brand new dedominated (that is, without a silicone dome) Cree XHP50.3 By the way, they have the same reflector with the C8G SST40, you can experiment. add range C8L and blur light C8G.
Glass with enlightenment and anti-reflective
Although, even so, the flashlight for its price was head and shoulders better than the mass of radically more expensive models from fat brands.
Actually, everything is here. As usual, modest design, as usual good workmanship.
Control
It, I think, is a huge trump card of Sofirn. Their interface is usually convenient and practical in itself, and if you add the ability to switch to smooth brightness control …
It’s just that the last one is gone. Instead, tactical management.
Common for two lines — instant access to Eco: holding the side button, press the tail
Conventional control
OFF-ON tail click (turns on the last used brightness)
Rewind modes 1 side button click
2 clicks — turbo
3 clicks strobe
Holding the side button — switching to tactical control
Tactical control
OFF-ON tail click. Always on in Turbo
Only two modes, Low and Turbo, switching by clicking the side button
2 clicks — strobe
How Sofirn C8L shines
The flashlight has a quite long-playing turbo. 4 and a half minutes is an excellent result.
No less pleasing is the clearly visible effect of cooling, in which the brightness from the turbo drops to a radically different level.
Oh, by the way, stabilization, stabilization has become complete. Not that she’s had any problems with her before. But now everything is in perfect order: both stabilization and the absence of a thermoregulation saw. As for the latter, I had a fair amount of misgivings, sofirn a couple of times got along great with her.
Just for clarity, this is how the stabilization looks like for Sofirn C8G of both versions
Such a cardinal light of the LED and the reflector could not but be reflected in the light in the most cardinal way.
The light at the flashlight has become somewhat wider in general and noticeably wider in the center, the brightness of the side illumination has also increased. Range, of course, decreased. But due to a noticeable increase in brightness, the flashlight still makes it possible to work within hundreds of three meters.
But, I think, Sofirn C8L will show itself best at a distance of 50-200 meters. This is not a classic Sofirn SP33S-type medium shot, it still shines much further. Just a flashlight will be quite comfortable at this distance.
Something seems to be visible here, but for real use it will be at the level of relic radiation
Video review Sofirn C8L
General impressions
Sofirn C8L is a wonderful addition to the good old Sofirn C8 line. If we consider it as an update of Sofirn C8G, then I evaluate the design changes as insignificant (one facelessness was changed to another), and the functional ones are undoubtedly noticeable. In this regard, the flashlight was undoubtedly a success.
Flashlight at last got a built-in charger, And this is what, I’m sure, many have been waiting for.
Flashlight received fresh and good bright (and moderately long-range in the dedominated version) LED, which, with a textured reflector, gives the flashlight the ability to both shoot well into the distance and comfortably work at medium distances. It was the latter, as far as I know, that hunters lacked, who put textured reflectors in the Sofirn C8G SST40 to make the side illumination brighter for working at medium distances. Now there are no problems with this.
Light, Alas, coldbut the XHP50.3 simply doesn’t have a neutral color temperature option.
Stabilization completeflashlight long time in turbo and responds perfectly to cooling with a regular USB fan without falling into crazy zigzags of active thermal control.
Control instead of smooth brightness control, it received a tactical ruler, which for some will be a plus, and for some it will be a minus
But remarks me too There is. They do not relate to any problems of Sofirn C8L, I do not see them, and rather refer to the general policy of the manufacturer.
A) Thread for tailcap models different. And here is the potential problem.
I’ve been convincing Sofirn for a long time to do remote button for C8G and frankly don’t understand why they haven’t made it yet. Now they promised to think about it. And with different threads, they will have to make different models of remote buttons. I don’t understand why it was impossible to use the same thread, as is the case with the wonderful Sofirn SP40 Wurkkos HD15 headlamps.
b) Sofirn SF47T was Sofirn’s longest range flashlight. Now its production has been stopped and Sofirn does not have any for real long-range flashlight by modern standards. In such a situation, the dedominated XHP50.3 could show itself well with a smooth reflector. I suggest Sofirn sell this version as well, as well as try to put a textured reflector on the C8G.
Although the version with Osram PM1 would be really long-range, such a flashlight would be a real pocket awl, easily covering 500m. And then the Sofirn C8 series would have covered all distances in general.
c) Sofirn C8G SST40 — frankly budget flashlight, available in a complete set for frank pennies. Sofirn C8L costs half as much, and, it seems to me, for only one reason — so as not to hit C8G sales. Built-in charging and another LED cannot lead to such a sharp jump in prices. Now everything is standard: if you want more brightness and built-in charging, if you please, pay more. However, even so, Sofirn C8L costs significantly less than what you would pay for something similar from a major brand. And along the way, they would also lose the wonderful convenient Sofirn control.
Where to buy and how to save
Buy Sofirn C8L at aliexpress
Yandex Market SberMegaMarket
You can save more on purchases with coupons and promotional codes from the discount channel in telegram, see the link to it below in the “about the author” block
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