[short Review] Niteye EYE-30 with grip and 2000 lumens

herculaneum79

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Messages
103
Location
Germany
Dear Board Members,

today I'm gonna present you a short english review of my newest flashlight, the Niteye EYE-30.
My german review is well-known and many users said thank you.

I do not have any connections to Niteye and I'm just a customer from Germany. Of course I like writing reviews, you can find some more of them (english and german) on my Facebook Page.
Now let's come to the point.

There were some pictures of this flashlight posted in December. The light looks interesting, but the company is new and nobody knew their products.

6634107325_6181eee7f8_z.jpg





Short information

A grip, four 18650 batteries, a car charger and a flashlight that has got a interesting design, a battery indicator, three XM-L U2 LEDs and a selector ring to choose whether you want to have 60, 300, 1000 or 2000 Lumens.


Similar products

There are not so many similar products with that high power.
Fenix TK70: Three XM-L and 2200 lumens, but the lamp is huge and heavy
EagleTac M3C4 triple XM-L: sadly "only" 1000 lumens
JETBeam RRT-3 Raptor: Three XM-L, 1950 lumens and a selector ring, but high price.
Nitecore TM11: 2000 lumens and the DRY 2500 lumens flashlight.




Package and scope of delivery


The package is quite good, it's not a carton, but a hard metal case.
There's a user manual on the back side.

In the case you'll find a car charger, a holster and a grip.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634081721/in/photostream/lightbox/
6634081721_631999552b_z.jpg



I'll test the car charger in the next few days, so far I can say that there's no balancer built in and so you should not charge the flashlight always in your car!




http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634122869/in/photostream/lightbox
6634122869_41110198e8_z.jpg



The grip is interesting, because as far as I know no other comparable flashlight has got a similar grip.
You mount the grip on the little screw thread on the head that it normally closed with a screw.


I didn't get a user manual delivered with, but as far as my dealer knows, there'll be a user instruction in future. Sadly there are no second O-rings in the case.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634081739/in/photostream/Lightbox
6634081739_a7750d57e1_z.jpg




Body and quality


The appearance of the EYE-30 is quite nice I think. Because of the three single reflectors it looks interesting.




http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634116231/in/photostream/lightbox/
6634116231_520750958d_z.jpg



In general the flashlight is short and fat, but it is very handy. The knurling is good and anti grip style. The dark-grey HA-III anodizing is nice and I like it more than a black anodizing.


EVen with the grip the style of the lamp is nice - the grip is good designed and stable. It is possible to mount the grip without special tools with just using your hands or a coin.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634116227/in/photostream/lightbox/
6634116227_908d38ef67_z.jpg



Easy to handle with gloves, I used the fire fighter Seiz Supporter.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634116233/in/photostream/lightbox/
6634116233_0f1bb6c355_z.jpg


On the top of the flashlight you can find three reflectors with LEDs. Also on the head there are three main contents of this lamp, one on every side. The most interesting thing is the battery indicator which has got four orange LEDs. Switching on the flashlight brings these LEDs to glow - if all four light, your batteries are full.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634116221/in/photostream/lightbox/
6634116221_786f6615c9_z.jpg


On the next side of the head there's the thread mount for the grip.
It would have been great if they'd installed a ¼" thread so the lamp can be mounted on a camera tripod, but they didn't.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634122839/in/photostream/lightbox/
6634122839_74326184e1_z.jpg


On the third side you can find the access for the 12V car charging cable.
Sadly there is no silicone plug, I think the waterproofed fact is not shire because of that!
Charging the flashlight in a car needs about 8 to 9 hours.


The most important thing is the selector ring. It is mounted nine centimeters above the back end of the body. With this ring the flashlight is switched on and off and you change the modes with it.

My Exemplar has got good cutted screw threads and there's almost to much fat ;-) One red O-Ring is appropriate for the IPX-8 waterproof.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634116219/in/photostream/lightbox/
6634116219_9b3bc300fc_z.jpg


Unscrewing the head, in the middle of the body there is a battery cage. There is no balancer.
The user puts four 18650 batteries/accus in it.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634122861/in/photostream/lightbox/
6634122861_dd2c0f0191_z.jpg


A few measured data to the size …
From top to bottom the EYE-30 is 14.8 centimeters ling, the head's got a diameter of 62 Millimeter.
The back end has got a diameter of 50mm and the rings of the reflectors are 30mm big.
I measured a circumference of 53mm on the part where you grap the light.
Without the batteries, the lamp is approx. 400 grams heavy.




LEDs, Driver und batteries


Niteye built in three actual Cree XM-L LEDs with a theoretic power of 666 lumens each. Of course it would be possible to get much more power, approx. 900 lumens per LED would have been possible but they decided to limit the power so that there is a longer runtime and longer lifetime.


You can choose from these six modes:
  • Cruise Warning (blinking with break)
  • Strobe (with two automatically changing frequencies!)
  • Low (60 lumens, 55 hours runtime)
  • Middle (300 Lumens, 12 hours runtime)
  • High (1000 Lumens, 3 hours runtime)
  • Turbo (2000 Lumens, 2 hours runtime)

I recommend to use very good batteries! I use Spark Batteries, but also recommend the well-known AW's accus!
Please do only use batteries of same age, capacity, voltage and manufacturer!


"http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634122867/in/photostream/lightbox/"
6634122867_8ebdaa8b59_z.jpg






Temperature and runtime


I measured the temperature with an infrared thermometer on two points.
"indicator" is a point next to the battery indicator, "logo" is the niteye logo on the body. I switched the EYE-30 on and let it run in turbo mode for ten minutes.


temperature on the beginning:
Indicator: 24,5° Celsius
Logo: 24,8°


after 5 minutes:
Indicator: 40,4°
Logo: 31,1°


after 10 Minutes:
Indicator: 48,6°
Logo: 36,5°




I use the data from Niteye for the runtime:
Low: 55 hours
Middle: 12 hours
High: 3 hours
Turbo: 2 hours






Using the selector ring

Using the selector ring is very easy:
Turning clockwise, cruise warning mode is activated. Turning it of (one turn against clockwise) and switching it on again activated strobe. A third turn clockwise activates the battery indicator.
Against clockwise there are the normal modes: low, middle, high and turbo.
In low first one LED is activated, in mid two, in high three and in turbo all three on highest brightness.




I recorded a short movie concerning the modes:






Brightness comparison and beam


The beam is quite nice if all three LEDs are activated. Of course it is not so perfect with one or two LEDs, but not too bad at all.


On the left: Spark SL6S.800cw which has a great beam, Niteye on the right:
"http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634565805/in/photostream/lightbox/"
6634565805_c683246d51_z.jpg




Naturally whitewall shots are not the best for a high power flashlight, her home is outside! It is a flooder because of the small reflectors.


Let's show you some pictures.


Low, middle, high and turbo.
25 Meters distance, D700, 28mm, 1,3", ISO 320 and f5,6.
"http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634157461/in/photostream/lightbox/"
6634157461_5226f8caa6_z.jpg





110 Meter distance, D700, 75mm, 1,3", ISO 320 and f5,6.
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634157447/in/photostream/lightbox/"
6634157447_70a5383a68_z.jpg



flashlight against car's automobile headlight, who wins? the house is 100m away.
D700, 75mm, 2", ISO 320 andf5,6.
"http://www.flickr.com/photos/vogelbetrachter/6634157455/in/photostream/lightbox/"
6634157455_aa32a0207f_z.jpg







Conclusion


I do really like the Niteye EYE-30 because it is a small high power flashlight. The new company made a good product, but there are a few points for bettering, for example the missing cap for the car charge access, but in general the EYE-30 is a good flashlight!
If I'd have the chance to decide between EYE-30 and Fenix Tk70, I'd take the EYE-30 again because it fits in every jacket pocket! The grip is also useful and handy. The wide beam is good for my fire fighter actions or for going for a walk.



I hope you liked my review. Thanks for reading.
 

cccpull

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Messages
331
Very nice review. It was very enjoyable to read including the German attitude introduction which made me chuckle. Thanks.:)
 

herculaneum79

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Messages
103
Location
Germany
Hihi :) Thanks for your comment :)

I just finished a runtime test a few minutes ago.
With new Spark batteries (2600mAh, 2 times charged) i measured a runtime of 1 hour and 48 minutes on turbo mode. A little bit less than the data from the manufacturer, but also enough I think!
I used a little fan to cool down the flashlight while this test. The light does not dim, it has the same brightness for nearly two hours!

After the time the flashlight automatically switched down to high mode and then one minute later it was dark.
 
Last edited:

LeviGSmith

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Dec 14, 2011
Messages
31
Interesting, I just got mine and it did come with a user manual and a spare o-ring.
 

herculaneum79

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Messages
103
Location
Germany

d.weglarz13

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 29, 2011
Messages
222
Wow. Good reading. Little off topic: what type of car do you drive? that shifter is cool....
 

Dillo0

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 30, 2011
Messages
76
One thing I noticed from reading the manual is that the torch can use 8 CR123 cells due to voltage range specified. I'd be wary of doing so though because one is putting 4 of them in series. Still, it is something that can be tested, but don't risk your safety to test it. Of course, the charger part will not work when using primary cells. Also, with the current draw of the three XML emitters, one may overload the primary cells on turbo. The other thing of note is that the torch appears to use two sets of two 18650 cells, so we have two cells in series. This would in theory be capable of sustaining turbo. Do we know if the torch can run on just two cells, I surmise that it can. That would be something to try. Say that we are in an emergency, and we don't have four charged 18650 cells, but we have two. Will it run?
Also, what happens when the cells are almost completely discharged? does the torch lock you out of the high modes and move into moonlight mode? Also, this torch has a specified low voltage of 6 Volts. This means that it will not discharge the cells below 3 Volts each. What does it do when the cells reach three volts a piece?
 

herculaneum79

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Messages
103
Location
Germany
One thing I noticed from reading the manual is that the torch can use 8 CR123 cells due to voltage range specified. I'd be wary of doing so though because one is putting 4 of them in series. Still, it is something that can be tested, but don't risk your safety to test it. Of course, the charger part will not work when using primary cells. Also, with the current draw of the three XML emitters, one may overload the primary cells on turbo. The other thing of note is that the torch appears to use two sets of two 18650 cells, so we have two cells in series. This would in theory be capable of sustaining turbo. Do we know if the torch can run on just two cells, I surmise that it can. That would be something to try. Say that we are in an emergency, and we don't have four charged 18650 cells, but we have two. Will it run?
Also, what happens when the cells are almost completely discharged? does the torch lock you out of the high modes and move into moonlight mode? Also, this torch has a specified low voltage of 6 Volts. This means that it will not discharge the cells below 3 Volts each. What does it do when the cells reach three volts a piece?

Thanks for the hint, I just tried that: The EYE-30 works with two 18650 cells as well and Turbo mode does also run!
I might check the runtime today.

one of the nicest reviews I have ever seen.....

Really? The german version is even more detailed, but I wasn't able to translate it completely.
 

ezdiver

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
1
Hi there,

I'm new to CPF (first post actually, but been readling for some time!)

Thanks for this review, I've been hunting for information about this light, it's so new there's very little yet.

I ordered the Niteye and should get it mid-feb. I chose this light for its announced brightness, runtime, size and weight, that it uses commonly available batteries and includes a car charger. I'm coming from a 3AA LED Maglite, the Sunwayman M40A, then Fenix TK45; I also got an olight M20X-S for a friend (amazing power for the size). Wanting more light output, I was considering the Olight SR's, but proprietary battery packs, size and weight put me off.

Four new 3100mAh AW 18650's are coming with my light so runtimes should be slightly above this reviews' measurements, I expect slightly over two full hours on turbo. As there's no balancer I also got a two channel AC charger to make sure my cells are properly groomed. I expect to charge mainly with the car charger, and maybe every couple months pop the cells in the external charger.

Does the built-in car charger switch to trickle charge when the cells are full? Is it safe to leave the light on the 12V charger permanently? Some shots show a wall-wart used to charge the light, I assume it's not included in the package as there's no mention of one.

I also happen to enjoy scuba-diving, and there aren't that many decent LED scuba lights yet. By the price of this beast, not sure I really want to test how waterproof it really is...

Thanks anyway for the complete and well documented review. I'm impatient to get my hands on mine and put it through its paces.

Eric
 

DIΩDΣ

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
262
Location
Ohio
I really like the looks of this one and the handle. Could only find it for sale at a few places and way out of my price range, maybe it will come down when it shows up at more vendors.
 

herculaneum79

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Messages
103
Location
Germany
Maybe it will get cheaper if more dealers have it in stock, but I think there's a price limit and they do also want to earn money ;-)
 

guiri

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
4,136
Location
NC, USA
What kind of money are we talking about and can someone tell me what you think of this one vs the TM11 (just your opinion from the review and all that please)?

Thanks for the great review.

George
 

2100

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
897
Location
SINGAPORE, South East Asia
What kind of money are we talking about and can someone tell me what you think of this one vs the TM11 (just your opinion from the review and all that please)?

Thanks for the great review.

George
Currently it's avaialble from a few dealers like HKequipment, int-outdoors. Do email and check for the best price.
 

candle lamp

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Messages
1,572
Location
South Korea
can someone tell me what you think of this one vs the TM11 (just your opinion from the review and all that please)?
George

..................... EYE-30.................................................TM11
- Emitter........: 3xXM-L.................................................3xXM-L
- Battery........: 4X18650...............................................3X18650
- Max. output..: 2000 lumens..........................................2000 lumens
- Size.............: 66mm(head)X145mm(length)....................60mm(head)X135mm(length)
- Weight.........: 396g....................................................336g
- Switch.........: Magnetic control ring...............................Electronic switch


The above features between two lights are similar(i.e. not very different).
I think the most important thing is heat of the body in multi LED's light and in this regards, I'd go for EYE-30.
It has separate bezel(or head) for each led which is more efficient for heat dissipation. According to the review of TM11 by Selfbuilt, the TM11 has some issues such as the sensitivity of the thermal sensor and non-activating when using unprotcted 18650 cells.
 
Top