Fenix almost did not release models in this size. All the more pleasant was the surprise when a far from innovative manufacturer showed a flashlight that was pleasant in appearance and light. This model sincerely pleased me and I seriously thought about replacing my veteran Xtar wk41 with its unimpressive now 300 lumens from 1450 batteries. Actually, let’s see what has changed in comparison with the previous model.
Specification
*Cree XP-L HI LED with a lifespan of 50,000 hours
*Max output of 750 lumens and beam distance of 136m
*60mm Length x 21mm Head diameter x 20mm Body diameter
*33.3 grams (excluding battery)
*Powered by one ARB-L16-700P power Li-ion battery, or CR123A Lithium battery in emergency
*Magnetic charging in the neck: specialized magnetic charging cable and one included ARB-L16-700P power Li-ion battery
*Features lockout function and multiple ways to avoid accidental activation
*Battery level indication
*Automobile type optical lens coating process
Packaging and appearance
Excellent quality packaging will look worthy both on the shelf in the store and in the hands of the person to whom you present this flashlight. Printing and material at a decent level. A big plus for the end user here will be the work schedule that complements the general specification. It is quite consistent with reality and the phoenix here became the first to move away from the usual marketing “1.5 hours in turbo” (read “2 minutes and drop to 30%). Now you can visually assess when and how much the brightness will drop when using.
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For some strange reason, the E16 did not include a battery in the package, in the case of the E18R there is no such problem, everything is there and you can use the flashlight right away, of course, after charging.
So, in fact, in addition to a flashlight and an acc, the package includes a charging cable and instructions with a guarantee. Completely standard set.
The design is pleasant. Well, in my opinion, the E16 looked more attractive, but the Fenix E18R also looks quite nice. Here, look at the flashlight from all sides. And again, there are no special design frills in profile, but in full face it is damn beautiful due to unusual optics (more on that later).
The sizes are tiny. Of course, I wouldn’t carry it on keys, after all, they don’t have a 2cm diameter for this (this is without a clip), but otherwise it is really extremely compact thanks to 16340 power.The tail is flat, the magnet is quite strong.
The spring on the tail is unexpectedly thick.
From the side of the head, as expected, a contact pad.
The clip is one-sided. By the way, here are the differences. The E16 had a twisted head and the clip was double-sided. If I don’t see much difference between twisting heads or tails, then replacing a convenient two-sided clip with a one-sided one seems to me a strange step.
The thread is small, normally lubricated, neat. Turner, of course, at a good level.
Small circles of knurling may not be impressive in terms of grip. But this is not a problem, since with such dimensions, the flashlight already lies in the hand like a glove.
Unlike the previous model, the button in the Fenix E18R is slightly recessed. This is a frankly uncommon constructive solution, but here it feels quite appropriate for itself. There is no need to blindly scour, the finger rests on the button quite confidently. Due to the brass ring, the button looks pretty good. If you place a clip over it, then the button can actually be blocked. Button, as expected, with indicator light. In fairness, it’s not a fact that in gloves / mittens, getting into this hole will be as easy as with a bare finger.
On the reverse side of the button is a magnetic charging contact. Usually I am not a fan of this charging method (native wires are not cheap), preferring the standard micro-usb type-c, but it was impossible to implement them in such sizes. So you have to take a closer look at the bundled cable. By the way, the latter also has an indicator light.
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The optics here look amazing, nothing else. Fenix says the lens is only 3mm thick. There are TIR optics and thinner, but there is a different nature of the light distribution, purely flooded, it immediately turned out to give a good combination of side flooding and somehow, but a visible hotspot (the more long-range HI version of the XP-L LED quite possibly played a role here) . In general, everything turned out with optics, I liked it.
The head is non-separable, the bezel ring here is not only almost a millimeter wide, but also chamfered.
Actually, as for the appearance, everything is fine. Nice little thing with amazing looking optics.
Control
It is quite normal for this type of flashlight and it has remained unchanged. They could have improved a little those only minuses for me — the lack of a bookmark in LOW from the off mode. There are no bookmarks for TURBO, but personally I don’t need it, I’ll rewind 4 modes quickly. As I wrote above, you can block with a clip, but there is enough locking with a button, since it is convenient here.
Flashlight at work
Unfortunately, something that usually happens happened — for the sake of a relatively insignificant increase in brightness relative to the previous model, this Phoenix changed the light to cold. I think it’s a clear disadvantage. At least it was possible to make a model in two versions to choose from. In the meantime, a comparison with the unfading classic — S2 + XML2 6500K. There is no visible PWM flicker in any mode.
These two photos above were taken in the maximum modes for both flashlights. Of course, they shine brighter, I tidied up the aperture to avoid overexposure in the frame. For comparison, next to Convoy S2 +, then E18R turbo, then high
you can see that although the light in this model is cold white, it is far from 6500K in the convoy and looks quite comfortable.
The charging current turned out to be unexpectedly large. Usually, for this size, you should expect 0.5A (which is quite acceptable in terms of speed relative to the capacity of the acc), then there is almost a twofold increase — 0.8A. This is, in general, higher than recommended, but given the penny price of the batteries, I would prefer the speed of charging to the potential reduction in battery life.
Since the flashlight is small, and I have a fair amount of brightness relative to the size, it is very important to check what is there with thermoregulation and stabilization. In the turbo, the flashlight heats up quickly, but not to frankly uncomfortable levels.
The graphs below are quite consistent with those drawn in the specification, except that the Turbo in reality falls much faster. The turbo is short, but a couple of tens of seconds should be enough to enlighten the environment well.
High is quite good in terms of stabilization and duration. And in terms of brightness, it will definitely be enough to comfortably move at a normal walking speed. There is enough light to shine on the sides, and ahead to see some kind of obstacle. It is clear that in view of the specific optics, one cannot speak of some kind of range. But, let me remind you, this is 150 lumens. And this is quite decent brightness for under-garage applications.
I think many readers have some relatively modern AAA switches, which at the maximum give that way 110-130 lumens. So E18R gives a slightly higher brightness + it is 100% stabilized, in contrast to the brightness of the key switch that is guaranteed to slide down.
For a flashlight of such dimensions, everything is completely expected and sane.
Well, what about the light live? Here it’s worth starting with a reminder that this flashlight is usually used in under-garage situations and at distances of about 15-20 meters. Turbo illuminates everything wonderfully, and high looks more than worthy. I see no point in showing something at a greater distance, since this flashlight is not intended for such needs.
However, at the beginning of the video review there is a piece with examples of the flashlight.
General impressions
From the position of a pocket flashlight 16340 Fenix E18R is quite well-founded as a compact and sane in terms of brightness-range. It could have been better done by leaving a neutral light … but alas, this was done for the sake of a symbolic 50 lum increase in brightness. But in the pros — built-in charging. In general, I think that a small purely Phoenix step back towards a cold color is still compensated by the latter and functionally the model can be called successful. Especially in light of the mass of technologically unsophisticated models that Fenix has been putting on the market lately.
dignity
- + brightness
- + good light distribution
- + control
- + built-in charger
- + appearance
- + stability and run time
- + you should expect good quality, after all, a phoenix.
flaws
- — no ultralow
- — no direct access to low turbo
— cold light is not a minus as such, but it looks worse compared to the previous model.
— the price tag is dramatically higher than the previous model
Where to buy and how to save
You can buy on Aliexpress or ebay
You can save 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