Fenix E05, small single level AAA light with build in diffuser

[radu1976]

The E05 is clearly more efficient than a STR. MICROSTREAM of 20 lumens .
The MICRO puts less lumens and the runtime is also shorter with Ni-MH ! Obviously the XP-G R4 is much more efficient than the SSC P9 used in MICROSTREAM , the FENIX also wins as build construction and compact size , however MICRO takes the advantage when it's about throw and 'tactical format'

[woodrow]

The beam on this light reminds me of that of my old Inova X5...in a much smaller package. I have this light and love it. Thanks for the review.

[jhc37013]

I just found this lovely little light availible in purple and blue also.
Perfect gifts!

Yes but unfortunately I can only find the purple and blue with the XP-E so it looks like their is no color E05's with the XP-G.

[DaveG]

Where did you guys find the color version? I have a black one, if I get another diffrent color choice would be nice.

[Batang Regla]

I have an itp a3 r5. Is the eo5 more floodier for car use and looking for drop things on the ground outside the car?

[Xacto]

I have an itp a3 r5. Is the eo5 more floodier for car use and looking for drop things on the ground outside the car?

I would say yes. I too have an iTP A3. Although the three modes are nice, I never really use it. My Fenix E05 on the other hand gets pretty much use around the house and I intend to get a second one (for the collection) so I can EDC my first one. Only when I need even less light, I grab my Fenix E01.

Cheers
Thorsten

[HKJ]

I have an itp a3 r5. Is the eo5 more floodier for car use and looking for drop things on the ground outside the car?

The E05 has much more flood, but because the high setting on A3 is brighter, the actual lighted area is not that different. With the A3 you have a bright hotspoot and spill around it, the E05 does not have the bright hotspot.

[Batang Regla]

^
That's what i want to use in my car. A light that is floody and not too bright or no hotspot at all.

Too bright of a hotspot usually will ceiling bounce.

[TK41]

Are Lithium (non-rechargeable) batteries safe to use with this little light? I thought lithium batteries over-work most LED lights to the point of burning them out. I can't find the documentation on the E05 R2 online, but I know the Fenix tk41 manual says lithium non rechargeables are "Acceptable." Can somebody with the E05 manual confirm anything please? thanks!

[HKJ]

Are Lithium (non-rechargeable) batteries safe to use with this little light? I thought lithium batteries over-work most LED lights to the point of burning them out. I can't find the documentation on the E05 R2 online, but I know the Fenix tk41 manual says lithium non rechargeables are "Acceptable." Can somebody with the E05 manual confirm anything please? thanks!

1.5 volt (1.7 volt) lithium are safe to use with this light. The brightness is the same with lithium as with alkaline and NiMH batteries.

[morrisgarages]

Any long term reports on the E05 guys? I plan to get this as well for my edc but the hole at the diffuser seems to be a perfect collecting place for dust and lint if its going to be carried around in a pocket. What do you guys think? Thanks!

[Xacto]

Any long term reports on the E05 guys? I plan to get this as well for my edc but the hole at the diffuser seems to be a perfect collecting place for dust and lint if its going to be carried around in a pocket. What do you guys think? Thanks!

So far no problems after approx. 7-8 months as an EDC on the car keys and approx. 2 months inside my pocket (used to keep the car keys in the watch pocket of my jeans, secured with a victorinox chain. After exiting the car without disconnecting the chain and thus breaking it, I decided to keep the keys inside that pants pocket.

Cheers
Thorsten

[ragweed]

No problems with my E05 either. Just use lithium or Eneloops & you are good to go.

[tobrien]

how does this light handle 10440s? anyone know at all?

[moldyoldy]

how does this light handle 10440s? anyone know at all?

Do NOT use a 10440 in the E05. I tried a 10440, for about 15 seconds until I realized that the beam color was changing and the output was dropping. The plastic lens was overheating. IOW, my nice new E05 was fried - and tossed.

If you want to use a 10440 for a large output boost from the listed lumens, try a Fenix LD01 with 10440 - although the 10440 cell voltage is well above the driver voltage spec. Ergo, at your risk.

[tobrien]

Do NOT use a 10440 in the E05. I tried a 10440, for about 15 seconds until I realized that the beam color was changing and the output was dropping. The plastic lens was overheating. IOW, my nice new E05 was fried - and tossed.

If you want to use a 10440 for a large output boost from the listed lumens, try a Fenix LD01 with 10440 - although the 10440 cell voltage is well above the driver voltage spec. Ergo, at your risk.

thanks man, and sorry about your E05! :/

[dajab77]

Great review. Sounds like a good small EDC.

[Alero]

Hey! I haven't posted here in AGES, but I've had the E05 on my keys for a LONG time. I don't remember when I got it, but they had just come out. I'd never seen or heard of it at the time. I paid 15 bucks at the gun store ( a friend owns it and sells to me cheap because I'm the one who convinced him to carry Fenix products).
After at least a year, it's holding up well. Only on the second battery, I think. Same hard coating as the LD01, so it's not chiped ot scratched much at all. And I've dropped it tons of times!

Oh, and there's no leverage on the threads due to the short LED module, so it won't come on in your pocket as easily as the LD01. The threads/o-rings are more snug as well, so it won't twist on by accident. It just feels tighter and more durable than any of my LD01 lights. I could swear that the housing is thicker, but I know it's not. I'm not sure why it feels more heavy-duty. It just does.

For working on small stuff like computers, this beam is amazing. It doesn't have much of a hot spot, so not too much light reflects back at me, which is a good thing. The brightness is just right. And that funky lens makes the light incredibly smooth and evenly distributed.

The only downside is that it doesn't throw far AT ALL. Beyond just a few feet it's useless. But keychain lights aren't for throwing anyway.

Oh, and lastly, I'm 99% certain that mine has a Q5 LED, but I think the ones they are making lately have an R2, so your results may be different than mine.

Probably my most useful light!

[tam17]

The only downside is that it doesn't throw far AT ALL. Beyond just a few feet it's useless.

Agree with everything you said, but IMO E05 has a decent enough throw and its beam is quite useful up to to about 20-25 ft when there's no light pollution. I use it regularly for lighting up stairways of my appartment building (I don't bother turning on the main lighting) And my version is 27 lm XP-E R3.

Cheers,

Tam

[HIDC]

Think of the E05 as a sawed off shotgun. That's the type of punch and range you'd get. I just wish the E05 would have had a low lumen mode or I'd have chosen it to be the keychain light (now a LD01 SS).

[vitorderoo]

Nice review, very useful for me.;D

[candle lamp]

Exellent review. Thanks. HKJ!

According to the volatge sweep graph, the light seems to show a max. performance at 0.62V where current is 0.72A and brightness is 100%. And where all three lines are intersect at one point.
(I don't know if my expression is appropriate.)
However, your measured current in the table is 0.286A with 1.2V & 40% brightness. These two values can be obtained from the same graph as well.
I can say that the real current in the light is 0.72A with 0.62V. Am I correct?

[HKJ]

Exellent review. Thanks. HKJ!

According to the volatge sweep graph, the light seems to show a max. performance at 0.62V where current is 0.72A and brightness is 100%. And where all three lines are intersect at one point.
(I don't know if my expression is appropriate.)
However, your measured current in the table is 0.286A with 1.2V & 40% brightness. These two values can be obtained from the same graph as well.
I can say that the real current in the light is 0.72A with 0.62V. Am I correct?

The difference in brightness between 0.62 volt and 1.2 volt is only a few percent (The green curve is brightness).
You cannot directly say anything about the current in the led, especially because the efficiency varies with voltage, a guess would be somewhere around 0.35 ampere.
It is only in lights with buck (i.e. the driver reduces voltage) converters that you can use that point as an estimation of the led current.

[candle lamp]

The difference in brightness between 0.62 volt and 1.2 volt is only a few percent (The green curve is brightness).
You cannot directly say anything about the current in the led, especially because the efficiency varies with voltage, a guess would be somewhere around 0.35 ampere.
It is only in lights with buck (i.e. the driver reduces voltage) converters that you can use that point as an estimation of the led current.

My bad. I don't understand myself why I wrote the "current in the led".
Then, Is 0.35A from 1.0~1.1V in the graph?
Thanks in advance.

[HKJ]

My bad. I don't understand myself why I wrote the "current in the led".
Then, Is 0.35A from 1.0~1.1V in the graph?
Thanks in advance.

The 0.35A (or 350mA) is at about 1.03 volt.
I do not believe that the electronic is made with precision components, i.e. there might be more than 10% variation between lights.

[tobrien]

quick couple of questions:

BatteryJunction.com has this light listed as an R2, but your review unit says R4, is there a difference?

also, how does this light compare to either versions of the ThruNite Ti (be it either the .04 lumen firefly version or not?)

here's the batteryjunction link saying it's an R2: http://www.batteryjunction.com/fenix-e05-r2.html

[fyrstormer]

The first E05s used Cree XP-E R2s. Now they use Cree XP-G R4s. The tint isn't as nice (the R2 had a slightly pink hue by comparison), but the beam is a lot smoother, and noticeably brighter.

[tobrien]

The first E05s used Cree XP-E R2s. Now they use Cree XP-G R4s. The tint isn't as nice (the R2 had a slightly pink hue by comparison), but the beam is a lot smoother, and noticeably brighter.

so the R4 is without a doubt better?

Who's selling the R4?

[HKJ]

so the R4 is without a doubt better?

R4 is brigther, tint and beamshape has nothing to do with R2/R4 (but XP-E/XP-G will affect beamshape), except new higher bins tends to have larger tint variations, but only when they are new.

[ldz]

Love this light.
chosing between x6i and e05
hard choice