Nitecore SENS CR, Mini, AA (1xCR123A/CR2/AA) Series Review: VIDEO, RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOT

[ClassicGOD]

My Sens Mini died on me today. I turned it on on high mode - ti turn on for a few seconds and turned off. From this moment it doesn't turn on and if it turns on it is very dim (around 0,05lm) and flickers. Tested it with 2 different batteries that measured 2,99V - no luck. Will probably send it back on monday. I'm sad because I loved this light.

 

[buds224]

I have the SENS CR and discovered it makes a great headlamp with the accelerometer mode.

 

[Hoop]

Picked up a sens mini. (CR2 battery) Low is too bright; it hurts my eyes a bit in night adapted vision. Low mode could have been the medium instead. The accelerometer (sens) mode is not very useful because it takes too long to adjust when you point it down. It stays at full high brightness, which is very bright, for 2+ seconds before starting to dim to low. I find myself squinting or closing my eyes waiting for it to dim. When you point it up it instantly goes to high, though, so this is just poor implementation (programming) of the feature. Not sure what (or if) they were thinking.

If sens were instant all around, and if low was lower, this would be an awesome light. As it is, I am going to seek an alternative CR2 light as an EDC.

 

[herosemblem]

I have a SENS CR and I use CR123 primaries.

Mine lacks a medium output level. Medium does not exist as a constant output level, AND medium does not exist in ADT mode.
Anyone else have this problem?

 

[selfbuilt]

Mine lacks a medium output level. Medium does not exist as a constant output level, AND medium does not exist in ADT mode.
Anyone else have this problem?

Can you describe what actually happens if you slowly change the angle the light in ADT mode? Presumably it needs to move through medium levels to get to/from Hi/Lo.

As for the constant output modes, have you tried all the angles shown in the diagram in the review? It can seem counter-intuitive that ~45 degree angle might bring up Lo instead of Med. What happens if you try a ~15% degree down angle?

 

[herosemblem]

Re: Nitecore SENS CR

Turned light on while pointed straight up to engage ADT mode. Now, with the light held parallel to the ground, light is on high. Slowly aand incrementally, I aim light downward. Light is now aimed down at a 45*angle and nothing happens (light still remains in high output).
After at least 5 seconds (I.e. givings the sensor enough time to work) I begin slowly aiming the light further downward from the aforementioned angle. Nothing happens.
Finally, now that the high mode beam is aimed just in front of my feet (it must be about 20* angle), the light dims to low mode (Mind you, low mode is actually pretty darn bright and I would blind myself if I used this low mode to light my notepad or something).

Basically, my SENS CR unit skips medium mode altogether.
If I want to engage constant output modes, low is achievable. High mode is as well. If I aim the light diagonally downward at, or in the vicinity of a 45* angle and turn it on, the beam is the same brightness as high mode. It is as if medium mode does not exist. I fiddled with the light for about and hour and forty five minutes...I do not think it's me. Seems like a dud, and I emailed the vendor today.

 

[Hoop]

Re: Nitecore SENS CR

Another minor concern of mine is that the TIR optic is plastic and exposed, although it is recessed maybe half a millimeter, so you can place it face down on a flat surface without it getting scratched. I would prefer a glass lens to protect it from scratches though.

 

[herosemblem]

Re: Nitecore SENS CR, Mini, AA (1xCR123A/CR2/AA) Series Revie

SENS seems like a brilliant concept, and perhaps i fell victim to the novelty and manufacturer claims. In my opinion it definitely needs some work/time before it becomes great in practice. I think of it akin to the early days of hybrid cars.
Maybe the next company that uses this tech will have a faster-responding processor, that way we dont have to wait 2.5 seconds for the processor to respond to changes in the flashlight's orientation. Thanks for doing the review, and for your troubleshooting advice, Selfbuilt.

 

[selfbuilt]

Re: Nitecore SENS CR

Seems like a dud, and I emailed the vendor today.

Thanks for the detailed explanation. Yes, it does indeed seem like the light is malfunctioning, and will need to be replaced.

 

[Hoop]

Re: Nitecore SENS CR, Mini, AA (1xCR123A/CR2/AA) Series Revie

Maybe the next company that uses this tech will have a faster-responding processor, that way we dont have to wait 2.5 seconds for the processor to respond to changes in the flashlight's orientation. Thanks for doing the review, and for your troubleshooting advice, Selfbuilt.

It is an intentional feature so that the light doesn't dim too often while walking, according to Nitecore. I don't know what other peoples arms are made out of, but mine have bones and I have no problem holding a light steady.

 

[herosemblem]

Re: Nitecore SENS CR, Mini, AA (1xCR123A/CR2/AA) Series Revie

Hoop, your explanation of the slow response of the light makes sense for outdoor applications. Thank you.
I suppose the annoyance of the "slow response" aspect of this light arises primarily in indoor settings...
But, since one can then make the point that lights aren't really meant to be used indoors as much as outdoors, the annoyance point becomes moot.
I will proceed accordingly and use my SENS outdoors more, where my slow response complaint will not exist as much.

 

[Hondo]

Re: Nitecore SENS CR, Mini, AA (1xCR123A/CR2/AA) Series Revie

Well, I now have had a chance to use the Sens AA on multiple long hikes out of the woods on rough trails, a couple of miles each time. I will say I was right that the active feature is more useful there than around the house, as I suspected. But at the end of the day (OK, night), I found that I was most happy just setting it to a fixed mode. The modes are well spaced, and stay steady as I walk. No loss, as the active feature is "hidden" if you don't want it, and easy to get to if you think it might help.

I noted something interesting. It may seem easy to maintain a constant angle on the light as you walk, but the brightness can still bounce around on you without tilting the light. As I walk, the light will get a bit of acceleration fore and aft, and the accelerometer picks this up just like you were tilting it. A graphic example is to point the light straight down with the active on, so it is at minimum, and give it a little jerk up. The light will jump to near max and then settle back down.

I think they did about as good as they could on the "damping" of the active brightness with the slow dimming method, but the only thing that nags me now in use is the slow start in low and medium, and not knowing if I have twisted it far enough. I don't want to just mash it down to be sure, as the spring in the tail can be damaged that way. I see no value in the slow start, and I think it should be canned from the UI. But the rest of the package is so nice and unique, I can easily overlook this.

 

[outdoormanZ]

Re: Nitecore SENS CR, Mini, AA (1xCR123A/CR2/AA) Series Revie

As checked in the shop, it is too slow to change mode when the position changed.

 

[snakyjake]

Re: Nitecore SENS CR, Mini, AA (1xCR123A/CR2/AA) Series Revie

A feature I'd like to see Nitecore develop with the accelerometer is being able to change output mode by a quick shake of the light.

I'm also interested in a AAA version of the light, which can tail stand.

 

[duro]

Nitecore seriously needs to make more neutral offerings.

 

[AFearlessBirdOfParadise]

Re: Nitecore SENS CR, Mini, AA (1xCR123A/CR2/AA) Series Revie

I'm also interested in a AAA version of the light, which can tail stand.

Yeah it's weird to me they went CR2 instead of a more common/cheaper AAA.

 

[sodakar]

Re: Nitecore SENS CR, Mini, AA (1xCR123A/CR2/AA) Series Revie

A bit late to the party, but I just noticed that the manual states that RCR123's are not officially supported, which might explain some of the inconsistent performance with RCR's.

http://www.nitecore.com/UploadFile/Files/download/1-1_SensCR_UM_en.pdf

Battery Options

SIZE Nominal voltage Usability
Primary Lithium battery CR123 3V Y (Recommended)
Rechargeable Battery (Li-ion) RCR123 3.7V N (Banned)

 

[sodakar]

Re: Nitecore SENS CR, Mini, AA (1xCR123A/CR2/AA) Series Revie

Mine arrived yesterday, and while the output, price, and build are great, I have to say I'm not a huge fan... In short, it feels like the light wants to be on High, and any adjustment towards the brighter spectrum happens at a decent speed, but ramping down towards Low/Medium is multiple times slower and very uncomfortable.

For example, when the light is pointed downward (-90 deg), and I smoothly angle it up to -45, then +/- 0 (level) over the course of 1~1.5 seconds, the light gets progressively brighter and ramps up nicely.

However, when attempting to do the reverse at the same speed, I find my light pointing downwards (-90 deg) still at full, or near-full brightness, and taking another 3-5 seconds to slowly reach the correct Low level. This is extremely uncomfortable.

I don't have an exact analogy, but ramping up feels like when I remote desktop to a computer that's 200 miles away -- a bit laggy but tolerable -- ramping down feels like when I remote desktop into a computer 2000 miles away -- you're done moving and just waiting and waiting for the light. Laggy.

Also, the thing that drives me nuts is that when I attempt to start the light on Low and/or Medium, the light does not immediately turn on, but slowly ramps up to the designed brightness. On High, the duration is very short and responsive like a normal, screw-on head, but with Low and Medium, I am constantly wondering if I turned it enough.

A side note: My EagleTac RCR's work fine, other than it being a bit too long, and requiring the head to be unscrewed so far that the O-ring is visible.

 

[pyro1son]

Nitecore SENS CR, Mini, AA (1xCR123A/CR2/AA) Series Review: VIDEO, RUNTIMES, BE

Got my AA version the other day an have been on a night hike with it already! I have to say i do quite like this little light!
I have noticed some of the things previously mentioned like it takes a lot longer to dim that to get to high! Which is a bit annoying and either mine doesn't have medium or i cant notice the brightness change!
Neither of these problems bother me, its such a nice little light for the money!
Anyhow I doubt that I will see much of this light as my other half has claimed this one as hers!!

 

[sirockalot]

I just picked up a Nitecore sens CR. I actually like it, it has great output on 16340's. altho a different beam profile then my EC1(wicked good EDC!), at close range it almost the same brightness at close distances using 16340's in both... as a useless fact of note, I noticed the heads between my FenixE15 and nitecore sens CR are easily interchangeable between their body tube(same thread partern). yes a mostly useless fact, but I find playing with different length protected/unprotected batteries, I could get a better fit. ie: the head would screw down farther... silly post I know, just thought it was an interesting find..... Cheers!