Summary

With its simple design, the compact UltraFire S3 presents itself as a stylish EDC flashlight. Thanks to its discreet appearance and integrated laser pointer, it’s also ideal as a companion for everyday business use. The white light provides enough brightness for daily tasks and the UV light serves its purpose – although the high amount of visible light can sometimes be a bit distracting. The constant current driver with real temperature regulation should also be mentioned.

There is, however, room for improvement for the controls: the three-position sliding switch for selecting the operating mode and a large button for turning the light on and off are good ideas in principle. However, the flashlight is turned on by holding the button, while a short press changes the brightness – which feels unnatural. Additionally, there’s no direct access to the lowest or highest brightness levels.

If you’re looking for a slim EDC flashlight with a discreet design and don’t mind getting used to its somewhat quirky controls, the UltraFire S3 might be just the right flashlight for you.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

The Loop Gear SK05 Pro MAO really has a lot to offer: powerful floodlight, long-range spotlight and a multi-colored side light. Operation is intuitive, using a rotary switch combined with a push button. The batteries are easy to swap – a rare feature for a flashlight of this kind. The impressive MAO surface finish feels unexpectedly smooth and has a ceramic-like quality. Its irregular, cream-gray coloration resembles stone or concrete, giving it a truly distinctive character.

Unfortunately there's no true moon mode. The side light's "white" setting doesn't make an adequate substitute, since it lacks dedicated white LEDs and the red, green and blue mix looks rather unnatural.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

The finger-sized Skilhunt EC150 is a compact and lightweight EDC flashlight that is barely noticeable in your pocket, making it a perfect everyday companion. Skilhunt got almost everything right with this light: an efficient boost driver ensures consistent brightness, it can run on both Li-ion and NiMH batteries and thanks to the integrated USB-C charging, it's easy to recharge anytime. It is also available in a version with Nichia 519A LEDs, which impress with their excellent light quality.

There's not much to complain about the EC150: the switch can sometimes be a bit tricky to locate by touch and the sharp attachment lug for the lanyard can feel uncomfortable. However, these are minor issues that hardly detract from the overall very positive impression.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

Skilhunt is best known for their flashlights with magnetic charging ports. About a year ago, the EC series was introduced, which instead uses a standard USB-C port. The first model was the EC200, a compact EDC flashlight with a floody beam.

With the EC500, Skilhunt expands the series with a high-performance thrower featuring an excellent beam with a compact, sharply focused spot. The USB-C port allows for convenient battery charging – no special adapter required. I especially like the warm white 3000 K version, which produces a pleasant, cozy light with high color rendering.

The only drawback: The switch is a bit hard to find by touch. An asymmetrical design would improve usability in this regard.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

The focused beam of white light cuts through the darkness, dances across the fields, follows a line of trees, pauses briefly – was there something? LEP flashlights are an experience; their practical use comes second. Exploring your surroundings with a "pencil beam" is simply a lot of fun.

The finger-sized Vastlite Minima Bow is likely the smallest LEP flashlight currently on the market. You won't find a flashlight this small – just 71 × 20 mm – with a range of up to 750 meters anywhere else. It's operated by twisting the head for on and off ("twisty"), allowing you to switch between two brightness levels and a strobe mode.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

For months, there have been hints of a new flashlight from Nitecore, but specific details have been kept top secret. That's now changed, as the new model has been officially announced: Here is the new Nitecore EDC37.

Was it worth the wait? Absolutely! The EDC37 combines many of the best features from previous models to make it Nitecore's new flagship of the EDC series.

The two "UHi 20 MAX" LEDs – already known from the EDC29 – now deliver up to 8000 lumens. Of course, this high brightness in such a compact flashlight can't be sustained for long. The heat sink is protected from direct contact, making handling more comfortable. One of the two dual-stage buttons can be programmed at both stages, and the "Rapid Lock" switch allows for quick and easy lockout at any time. It would be nice to have the option to freely choose between a wide and narrow beam at every brightness level. The built-in 8000 mAh battery offers long runtime, though its non-replaceable nature may be seen as a downside.

All in all, the Nitecore EDC37 is an impressive flashlight.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

It’s the little details that make the fourth version of the Skilhunt M200 a successful update. With three LED options, users can now choose between high brightness, long range, or accurate color rendering. The improved charging port should eliminate issues with water or metal shavings. And the already great UI has been further improved.

There’s not much to complain about. The slightly sharp edges on the bezel and the tailcap could be improved. In the version with the Nichia 519A, the LED is pushed to its limit in Turbo mode, which could affect its lifespan in the long run.

All in all, I’m very satisfied with the Skilhunt M200 V4. While there’s no compelling reason for V3 owners to upgrade, one of the other LED variants could still be an appealing addition.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

As a flashlight enthusiast, you might be interested in this new professional battery charger and analyzer for checking and maintaining your batteries.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

For many years, the SkyRC MC3000 has been considered one of the best chargers for round batteries. The user has full control over the charging process and can set not only the charging current but also many other parameters. It can also connect to a PC or smartphone for settings and data logging.

And here comes the new SkyRC MC5000!

I was really looking forward to the SkyRC MC5000: a modern design with a large color display, innovative scroll-wheel input, charging currents of up to 5 A per slot, Bluetooth connectivity and advanced analysis features.

All in all, everything has worked so far, but the range of functions still seems somewhat limited. Many enhancements could potentially be introduced through firmware updates, such as expanded parameter ranges, more effective use of the status LEDs and possibly even support for 1.5V Li-ion batteries. The absence of program memory slots is particularly disappointing. At this price point, a PC interface for control and data logging should also be included.

In its current form, the SkyRC MC5000 is still a long way from being a real successor for the MC3000. It is not a bad device by any means, but it does not yet fully meet the expectations I have for a professional charger in this class.

Got this inexpensive thermal camera (which is also a multimeter!) for a review recently. Although it is not a high-end device, the resolution of 32 × 32 pixels (with high resolution camera overlay) is absolutely sufficient for many applications – and a lot of fun as well! Finally I'm able to see how my flashlights warm up.

Flashlights in the pictures are: Skilhunt EC200, EC500 and M200 V4

If you are interested in the review of the Zoyi ZT-R01, you can find it here:

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

The Cyanlamp M12R from Cyansky combines many good ideas: A spotlight for throw, that can also be used as a headlamp when clipped to a cap. A floodlight that evenly illuminates at close range. There are also RGB LEDs with various effects and work great as a beacon or marker. The flashlight can be attached either with the large clip, an eyelet or the integrated magnet. It can also be switched on and off with a simple gesture control.

However, there is still room for improvement in the implementation: Starting with the cool white light with low CRI, the unattractive color shift of the spotlight, to the simple driver that cannot keep the brightness constant. In addition, it doesn’t indicate whether you turn on the spotlight or floodlight.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

With up to 600 lumens, the tiny Nitecore TINI3 achieves an impressive brightness for its size and with the adjustable color temperatures it adapts to any situation. The practical OLED display provides information about brightness, battery level and remaining runtime. Thanks to its small size and a weight of just 20 g, it is barely noticeable on your key ring, but is always ready for use.

It would have been nice to have an (optional) automatic lockout to prevent the flashlight from turning on in the pocket if you forget to lock it manually. Time will tell whether a glass would have been useful to protect the TIR optic. Other than that, the TINI3 is pretty much perfect.

The full review is available here

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

The Nitecore EDC23 flashlight has been my everyday companion for a few months. The Nitecore EDC29 is the perfect alternative when more light is needed. The two UHi 20 MAX LEDs are not only quite bright at 6500 lm, but also produce a wall of light in Lumin Shield mode. I also like the great UI with two buttons and the “Rapid Lock” lockout using a slide switch.

Given the compact design, it is not surprising that the flashlight heats up quickly and cannot maintain the high brightness for long. In the lower levels however, the constant current driver keeps the brightness pretty constant. Unfortunately it is not possible to choose freely between the wide and narrow beam for each brightness level. The permanently installed rechargeable battery can also be seen as a disadvantage.