Lumintop Torpedo 007, 1xCR123A,stainless steel luxury flashlight REVIEW

The Torpedo 007 is a CR123A powered flashlight in a luxury stainless steel shell flashlight offered by Lumintop.
They are known with their great tactical light,the TD16 and the powerful multi LED PS03 but also produce beautiful small EDC flashlights.
Torpedo 007 is a 65mm long compact flashlight meant for people that like more special looking lights,great as a gift,great as a EDC flashlight.
The flashlight has a torpedo/bullet form with a beautiful smooth,reflective body finish.
The finish reminds me a lot on a chrome plated metal. Characteristic sign of the flashlight is the Gold plated ring with etched flame figures. You will also be surprised to see a Tritium insert in the tail switch.

Lumintop also provided discount codes for my readers.
(not paid links and codes)
US Amazon store: http://amzn.to/2421r4t
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UK Amazon store: http://amzn.to/293oBQQ
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DE Amazon store: http://amzn.to/290zJjK
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Size and finish comparison.
CR123A battery - Lumintop Torpedo - CQG Bullet - ThruNite T20T - Olight S1
All flashlights run on CR123A battery.

Lumintop Torpedo and CQG bullet are made of stainless steel.The T20 is in its Titanium version.

Front view at the reflectors.
Lumintop Torpedo(Cree XP-L + textured reflector)
CQG Bullet(Cree XP-G + textured reflector)
ThruNite T20T(Cree XP-G2 + textured reflector)
Olight S1(Cree XM-L2 + TIR lens)

Very clear and clean tempered glass lens with anti-reflective coating.
Aluminum reflector-textured for best beam profile.
Cree XP-L V5 LED.
Stylish red O-ring for sealing the glass lens.
Well center LED.

The Torpedo 007 comes in a luxury brown box. Great for collectors,as a gift or just if you like to see that more care is taken to the packaging.

In the box-well explained instruction sheet,Keychain with carabiner,Two spare O-rings.

The included 1500mAh CR123A battery is protected from discharging during the delivery with a yellow sticker. You have to remove it before first use.

Tailcap design with long channels for lanyard or split ring attachment.
The tail cap fits perfectly to the battery tube with no gap. All parts connected looks as a nice peace of metal.
There is nothing in the form that could cause dis-comfortable grip.No sharp edges.
One thing that differs the Torpedo from almost any other similar flashlight is the miniature continuous glowing stick(Tritium vial) which usually can be found only in custom made/modified luxury collectors flashlights.
Lumintop is giving us the chance to get it right out of the box on a quite reasonable price.

The advantage of a continuous,battery free glowing light in the tailcap/switch is easy location and use of the switch,as usually it is very hard to distinguish tail end from the reflector end in the dark,taking the flashlight out of a pocket. The glowing is very low and hard to notice in ambient light,but is quite good in the dark.
The stick in my sample has a greenish light. It is fixed in place with a plastic/maybe epoxy material with a bulging like a convex lens shape.This ensures great protection for the glowing insert and allows to see it sideways.
No anti-roll design of any kind.You will have to attach a split ring to be able to leave it stable on a table.
As you may noticed from the picture,tail-standing is not from the strongest points of the flashlight.
The lens shaped switch button protrudes enough to make it unstable.

Precisely machined tail cap. Triangular-cut threads. Metal retaining ring.
Battery tube is well sized-rechargeable batteries with carefully packed protection like the Olight RCR123A fit well in the flashlight,while relatively curved batteries like the old Keeppower 16340 are too long and wide.

Close look at the laser engraved logo.

User Interface and Driver Performance
The Torpedo 007 has a little more specific interface but is quite easy to use.
4 different brightness modes,no hidden flashing or other special modes.
The switch is a momentary push button with light click sound.
To turn the light On,just press the switch.No press and hold in this flashlight.Quick and comfortable instant access to the light.
To turn it Off,again just briefly press the switch.
To change the mode-while the light is On,turn it Off then again On within a second.
That's it. Mode sequence is Low-Mid-High-Moonlight (yes the Lowest mode is latest in the sequence).
So,to be more clear,the way of operation is Low-Off-Mid-Off-High-Off-Moonlight. 
Mode spacing is very good. Low mode is quite low brightness for frequent use,so the Moonlight may get a limited use. Yet,if you prefer very low brightness first mode to use in full darkness,the Torpedo may not be suitable for you. Having in mind the way of changing the modes,Lumintop have chosen the correct first mode,which will be preferable by most of the users. 

Because of the electronic way of disconnecting the power to the LED,there is a small Standby current draw.
Initially it is about 100microAmps,decreasing after a few minutes to 10microAmps and maybe lower.
If you plan to store the flashlight for a long period,it is recommended to take out the battery to prevent unwanted discharge.

My lumen measurements show:
Powered with a rechargeable Olight 16340 battery 650mAh.
High mode 13Lm
Mid mode 100Lm
Low mode 660 initial, 635Lm after 30sec(on a primary 3V CR123A battery the maximum output will be lower)
Moonlight mode is hard to measure with my setup.

Comparison High mode vd Mid mode.
The 100 lumen Mid mode is easy for the battery and provides constant brightness for a little more than 230 minutes(3h 40 min). Discharging was terminated by the battery's low voltage protection.

High mode is impressively bright for such a small flashlight. Accordingly the performance is different from the low brightness modes. High output generates a lot of heat which requires programming the driver to decrease the brightness after few minutes work on the highest mode.
Here the programmed timed step down comes gradually around the second minute after activation.
For a small stainless steel flashlight the performance is good. We have 483 lumens after two minutes,which for a pocket-able EDC light is still quite useful.
340 lumen output after step down for about 16.5 minutes.
The combined total run-time is a little less than 20 minutes.

Check out my short video demo below.

Beamshots
The light from the Cree XP-L LED used here is Cool white with a hint of greenish,especially if you compare it to a beam with better color reproduction. The light is not distracting and should serve quite well in every day use.I can not say that color rendition is very good,but it is much better than the Olight's S10L2,which I was using for quite a long time and never liked the light from it.

Beam angle and profile are good. Thanks to the textured reflector beam is ring and artifact free with very smooth transition between hotspot and spill. Hotspot is relatively wide-suitable for frequent use in different situations.Does not disturb the vision when using it at close distance.

Beam profile

1/20 sec, White wall, 1 meter distance

White wall, 1 meter distance
1/250sec

Good points:
Beautiful luxury look and feel; Great chrome-plated like finish;Excellent machine work;
Comfortable switch with well defined clicks;
Easy to the eyes smooth beam; CR123A battery and keychain carabiner included in the set;
Works with both-primary and rechargeable CR123A batteries(2v to 4.2V operating voltage)

Possibly weak points: 
The gap between 100 lumen Mid and 650 lumen High mode may not satisfy everyone;
Beam's cool white tint may not be by any taste;
The interface takes some time to get used and requires a lot of clicking,although it is easy to operate; 

Thanks for Reading! I hope the review was helpful for you.

Thanks to Lumintop for giving the chance to test the Torpedo 007 and share my results with the world!
No aff Links to Lumintop's stores:
Website: http://www.lumintop.com/
DE Amazon store: http://amzn.to/290zJjK
AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/2529001
UK Amazon store: http://amzn.to/293oBQQ
IT Amazon store: http://amzn.to/29cRxlC
ES Amazon store: http://amzn.to/2dXGAIb
US Amazon store: http://amzn.to/2421r4t
CA Amazon store: http://amzn.to/29LZfWx

OLIGHT S1 Baton /1x16340(CR123A) battery REVIEW

Hello
I am happy to review for you one of the most pocket-able 16340 flashlights.This is the Olight S1.
It is a flashlight from Olight's Baton series lights and shares the same well known design of this series.
The S1 is almost identical with the S10,which is a preferred EDC flashlight by many people.
Very short body,easy user interface,good beam useful for every day use,tailcap magnet.
These were the main advantages of the S10. The new S1 features all of the good points,but now in even shorter body.
I was "testing" it for quite long time and it became my first choice for an EDC pocket flashlight.
It even displaced my MecArmy 10180 miniature light,just because the side switch allows me much faster and comfortable operation. 

The S1 is much shorter than many AAA flashlights,which makes it a perfect choice for everyday carrying.

Shortening the length is possible thanks to the redesigned battery tube and changes in the reflector.
The aluminum reflector is now replaced with a smaller TIR(total internal reflecting) acrylic reflector,which is the main part allowing less length of the head.
The other main update is the position of the battery,which have to be inserted in reverse position,with the negative pole going to the head. The plus pole contacts the tailcap. This is probably a result of redesigned driver board.

The side switch is also redesigned. It is now much less protruding compared to the S10L2 in its first design.The new switch cover is made of rubber(maybe silicone).
The diameter of the switch cover is a little larger than the S10's plastic button(my version is S10 L2,it was updated with a different switch later).
The new rubber button is a little uncomfortable at first touch.It is almost not protruding and feeling soft.These two characteristics of the switch have the purpose to prevent or at least to reduce the possibility of accidental activation. I was carrying the flashlight for quite a long time and in my opinion the design of the switch is successful. Yes,a 100% protection is hard to be promised,but after testing it by carrying in a pocket,I did not feel worried that the flashlight will start accidentally in my pocket.
The switch is hard to find in the darkness and requires a lot of touching to find it. But here comes the pocket clip,which will guide you with the position of the switch and will help finding it more quickly.
Pressing the switch with my thin fingers is relatively easy.I can't confirm it will be the same with bigger fingers than mine.

This is a picture from the user manual,explaining the UI.
It is very convenient and easy to operate. 
Great news is that the direct access to High and Moonlight mode is still available.

As any other flashlight with an electronic side switch,the S1 draws some current in Off state,which is actually Standby. I am happy to see that Olight is keeping this current at very low value.It is just 1,1uA (according to my measurements).

This is a run-time graph showing the performance of the S1 on its highest mode,powered by Olight RCR123A battery.
Pretty good performance for such a small flashlight. As expected for a small flashlight,there is a timed step down to prevent overheating. It comes about 1,5 minutes after activation and does decrease the brightness gradually.

My lumen measurements with freshly charged RCR123A battery:
High mode 600Lm,320Lm after step down
Mid mode 100Lm
Low mode 12Lm
UltraLow mode-I can't measure it with my equipment.

In my test,the discharge was terminated by the low voltage protection of the battery.
I am not impressed to see that the S1 has no low voltage protection,or it is not programmed correctly.
I prefer flashlights that feature low voltage protection,no matter the battery I use.
I am not a CR123A user and have no much knowledge about using this type batteries,but I suspect that many 16340 flashlights do not feature low voltage protection,because of their compatibility with the 3V CR123A batteries.Talking for CR123A batteries,I can only test Olight S1 with a 16340(RCR123A) battery. 

Below is a comparison of the reflectors of Olight S10 L2(left) and Olight S1 (right)

I have used TIR optics in flashlights many years ago and what I know is that most of them produce a beam with well defined hotspot(wide or tight) and the beam angle is usually limited in a defined circle.
It is hard to get the well flooded spill as with the conventional aluminum reflector.
The beam of the S1 can be defined as a big hotspot with not much spill around it-smaller angle of the beam with less bright spill compared to the S10L2.
I personally prefer the old beam from the conventional reflector,but looking at the difference in the length,I am thinking much less for the beam. The S1 is very comfortable for carrying and this dominates any other point of the flashlight.

Below is a beam angle comparison Olight S1- Olight S10L2

1 meter, 1/20sec

Beam color is clean Cool White. No visible tint.
As you can see from the picture below,there is a huge difference from the S10L2's greenish beam.

1 meter, 1/250sec

The S1 performs well on close to medium distance.

5 meters, 1/6sec
Olight S1- Olight S10L2- Olight S30

5 meters,1/50sec
Olight S1- Olight S10L2- Olight S30

The pocket clip has the same form,as only the length is slightly reduced.
Generally,I don't like the position of the lanyard loop.It is limiting the width of the clip and its main function,to fit on various objects as a thick belt or a backpack shoulder strap.

Below is the S1 disassembled. Only the tailcap is removable. You can see also the correct direction for inserting the battery.

The strong tailcap magnet can be removed,if you don't want to risk damaging electronic devices.

Battery tube length is very limited. It is recommend to use the shortest protected 16340.
Olight recommends using only protected batteries in the S1.
After testing the 16340's from Olight,with no doubt I highly recommend these batteries.They are specially designed for flashlights. Build quality is very high,as unlike all other protected Li-Ion batteries,the protection board is on the top end,allowing as compact dimension as possible. I like to see that the very controversial external connection between the plus and minus poles is not needed here,thanks to the smart work by Olight.

There is easily visible form difference between Keeppower's protected 16340 and Olight's 16340 batteries.

Using the flashlight is easy,thanks to the side switch.
Absolutely sufficient hand grip.
Other flashlights that operate by twisting the head are hard to use in many scenarios.

Here is the plastic packaging,standard for Olight.

The S1 is a great choice for people that prefer CR123A and 16340 batteries over the AAA/10440.
As advertised,the S1 is very compact and easy for pocket carrying.
I used it for quite long time after receiving it for review. I was a little reserved about the short,hard to find/press switch,but after some time using it,I don't meet any trouble using it.
Good user interface.I don't feel need of  different modes-the programmed ones are well selected.
I carry the flashlight in a pocket. Depending on the clothes,I would choose the S1 or a single AAA flashlight.
But in many cases,I found twisting the head of an AAA flashlight by only one hand,rather hard(especially if the flashlight has a thick O-ring for proper sealing). I have to have my both hands free,to be able to turn On and cycle the modes. So the S1's side switch in many cases is much more convenient.
Thanks to the high voltage of the Li-Ion battery,Olight S1 is able to provide very high lumen output.
It is always impressive to see that small flashlight to produce so bright beam,which could be very helpful sometimes.
My only concern is about the switch cover,which seems very thin and soft and I would not recommend to press it with a nail.

Thanks for reading! I hope you found some helpful information.

Thanks to Olight for providing the test sample and patiently waiting for the review!

ThruNite T20T Titanium EDC flashlight

The ThruNite T20T is a small flashlight with a tail switch,body made of Titanium alloy(TC4),powered by single CR123A or 16340 battery.
Shares the same design with the previously released AA flashlights T10.
The T20 model is available in Titanium(T20T,reviewed below) or Stainless steel body(T20S).
Equipped with a cool white or neutral white LED.
Brightness levels:
Firefly:0.04Lm 100hours, Low:11Lm 19hours, High:255Lm 55min

45 grams without battery. ~63gr with a 16340 battery
81 mm Length
20 mm body diameter

Precise machining with no any defects or sharp edges.
There are grooves on the head for better grip and easier twisting the head if you prefer to change a mode this way.
The pocket clip fits well as size and stays as it should-not too tight,not too loose.

UI
The User interface is easy and convenient.
3 constant brightness modes Firefly-Low-High (in this sequence)
Firefly:0.04Lm 100hours, Low:11Lm 19hours, High:255Lm 55min
In terms of spacing,the lack of medium mode leaves a gap between Low and High.
Firefly mode is quite low brightness.Great for using in full darkness.
I feel the Low mode(having in mind the lack of Mid mode) too dim for my EDC needs,but this is just a personal preference.
No additional flashing modes.
ON/OFF by fully pressing the physical tail switch.
Half press the tail switch to change mode.
There is a memory for the last used mode as it requires the light to stay for two seconds in Off position and then the last used mode is memorized.
These 2 seconds are needed because of the reverse clicky switch interface.

Modes can also be changed by loosening/tightening the head. ON/OFF is possible too.
I personally don't feel this way of operating quite convenient in my hand.

Short video,presenting the UI and design specifics.
(turn on annotations)

The T20T comes in a nice metal box.
Good protection while storing or transporting the flashlight and great looking if the flashlight is a gift.

Diffuser cap,pocket clip(comes unmounted) ,small hex key,spare screws,user manual.

Diffuser lens or cap is always a good accessory.

Spare screws included.

Cree XP-G2 LED. Cool white on my sample.
Textured(orange peel) reflector.A good choice for an EDC pointed light,especially equipped with a small size LED,
which gives more narrower beam than the bigger XM-L2 led.
Perfectly centered LED on my sample.

Barely visible,toughened ultra clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating.

The tail switch cover is also made of metal.
It has a good size for comfortable use.
The switch is a reverse clicky switch,which activates the light after the click with no momentary ON option.
This of course is required of the UI. The tail switch takes care of the ON/OFF and mode switching.

Precise laser engraving. The titanium body is not fully polished as there is some very light relief and doesn't shine too much.
Improves the grip too.

The diffuser/ cone cap gives a good option for using the light as a candle.

As with other compact flashlights,some of the protected RCR/16340 batteries are just too long for the battery tube .
The flashlight works only after fully screwing the head. Only then the - is delivered to the driver board.
The only battery I have and fit well,but still tightly pressed is the Nitecore NL166.
CR123A batteries should fit well. I don't use primary lithium batteries and don't have for test.
16340 IMR batteries also should fit well,because they come with no protection board to extend their length.

Normal triangular-cut threads with well rounded tops.
Good machine work.

Physical reverse polarity protection for improper battery instalation.

Normal for this type of material thickness of the body.

The T20T stays well in hand,comfortable in use and I didn't find it slippery,at least in my hand.
Access to the switch is easy.

I measured initial output of 230 Lm and 220 Lm 30sec after activation.
The light is constant,with no sign of pwm.

Well regulated output,almost flat line throughout.
The thin Titanium body is heating while working on High mode for a long time.
I used a small cooling fan to keep an optimal temperature for the test.

This is a runtime test on High mode using a Keeppower 16340 700mAh battery.
This battery is too long to fit T20T,so I added a piece of copper wire to ensure delivering - to the driver.
Battery voltage
U start= 4.17V
U end=3.10V

Beam

The beam is a good combination of throw and flood with smooth transition between them.
Hardly visible on the small pictures due to an image host compression.
Clean cool white beam with no greenish or bluish tint,as can be seen in the comparison shots with other lights.

Closer to the wall.

1 meter, 1/20sec white wall

1 meter, 1/250sec white wall

5 meters, 1/6sec

5 meters, 1/50sec

Thanks for Reading!

Check out ThruNite's web stores to see all available flashlights and flashlight accessories:
http://www.thrunite.com/
http://www.thrunite-store.com/
Amazon store

-All links are not affiliated or tracking.-

Thanks for reading!