Niteye EYE25 Review (3 x XM-L | 2 x 18650)

turboBB

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The EYE25 is Niteye's follow up to their High-end series that launched with the EYE30, in which case both heads of these lights are identical. It is in essence the EYE30 in a different form factor, however, there is a key difference in output management between the two. I'll be covering that in-depth along with any other differences.

EYE25, I dub thee... Shorty Trident! :)


MFG SPECS
MSRP: $199 USD
- 3 x Cree XM-L U2 LED
- Battery: 2 x 18650's
- Magnetic Ring switch/dimmer
- Constant current curcuit / constant brightness
- Working voltage range: 6 - 12.6V
- Aircraft aluminum, Milatary Type III hard anodized, stainless steel guard rings

e9d9ae1.jpg



PACKAGING / CONTENTS
The EYE25 arrived disassembled, in a cardboard box w/ample foam cushioning:


A break-away lanyard ring, the lanyard and printed instructions were the only other items included with my sample. Not sure why the car charger wasn't included. :shrug:


DESIGN / FEATURES
(Before jumping into this review, I'd recommend reading my EYE30 review if you haven't already. This will allow you to note the differences between the two in case you are x-shopping them.)

The EYE25 literally expands on the EYE30's form factor by incorporating an adapter and battery tube that accepts 2 x 18650's in series. There is also now a tailcap with a foward-clicky that functions as a master on/off switch:

The rubber tailcap cover features their newly designed logo.

Given the head is identical, it can accept the handle (not included) from the EYE30:


Since I have a full plate, I put together this quick video walk-thru of the EYE25 that should provide you with a good high-level summary until I can completely flesh out this review:


Also, the cat is finally out of the bag. Niteye has issued a statement on their website proclaiming "All Niteye brand product are authorized by the designer who own all the patent and copyright of Jetbeam flashlight products.". That should finally put to rest why their lights bear such strong resemblance with one another.


SIZE / HANDLING

L to R: RL3100 | Niteye EY25 | Lighten7 MAX L2A | Klarus XT20 | ThruNite TN11 w/2x ext. | SureFire M3LT | Sunwayman T40CS


BEAMSHOTS
Beam angle

[to come]

Indoors (5m)
Turbo




High


Med


Low

For details of the above indoor shots and comparo vs. many other lights, please check Epic Indoor Shots Trilogy

[NEW: 7/14: Whitewall Hunting
Exposure settings clockwise from top left: 1/25, 1/100, 1/800, 1/1600 @ f2.9 on AWB (light is ~.4m to wall / camera ~.59m):



OUTDOORS
500ft (152.4m) Beach Shot

3a06223.jpg


40ft (12.2m) campsite shot:


100ft (30.5m) tree top shot:

For details of these shots as well as comparo vs. 23 other lights, check here.]


RUNTIME
The relevant battery stats are provided above each runtime graph along with:
- Voltage of the battery at the start and end of the test
- Current draw as taken right before the test
- Actual runtime using ANSI FL1 (first in HR and then in M so for the AW 16340 read this as .4hrs OR 23min)
- Also for Turbo/High, captured the temperature: ambient, the head at start and the max it reached (fan was used for all bats)

As can be seen in the chart above, the EYE25 features three distinct step-down's (vs. one for the EYE30) as the batteries are depleted. It's also driven slightly less hard than the EYE30 in 2S configuration (3.3A vs. 3.5A) thus the output is also slightly lower (but still above the quoted 2K lms as measured on my PVC LMD). This combination helped it to achieve 1.7 hrs of runtime before the PCB on one of the cells kicked in.

The great news is that I didn't ecounter the ring freezing issue that I had with the EYE30. :twothumbs

Will test w/the other cells when time allows.



=======
Disclosure: EYE25 provided by Niteye for review.
 
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Bruno28

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Great Review again!!!!

NIce light, but i think the design of the Eye30 looks better, and i like the compactiveness!
Just don't know if I should spend that amount on it.
keep up the great work!
 

turboBB

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This is but one of the things that will complicate your decision... ;)
 

380long

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turboBB, Thank you I just watched it for some reason I am really drawn to this light and must have it!
 

turboBB

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You're welcome. Two things I didn't get to cover:

1. I noticed on this sample, one particular LED was brighter than the others causing an imbalance in the beam. At long distances not a biggie but may bother you if whitewall hunting/indoors. So something you may wish to tell the dealer you're ordering from to check for you before shipping out.

2. AW IMR's are a tad bit on the short side and didn't always make sufficient contact. These cells are 65.2mm each so as long as your cells are longer than that, you should be fine.

Cheers,
Tim
 

380long

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Mine just arrived today and I can't wait until the sun goes down! I must be the only one excited about this light as I have not seen too many talking about it but there are a bunch of new lights out too?
 

S1LVA

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Mine just arrived today and I can't wait until the sun goes down! I must be the only one excited about this light as I have not seen too many talking about it but there are a bunch of new lights out too?

Please post your thoughts! I am interested in this light too. I have been looking for a bright throwy light to keep a watch around the neighborhood.

S1LVA
 

380long

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S1LVA, Used the EYE25 tonight to walk Oscar so I will give you my initial impressions. On Turbo (2000 lumens) it gets warm kind of quick, probably be great in the winter though. On high (1000 lumens I think) I would rather carry my Klarus XT20 since the output is similar. The light does have some decent throw, at least for my purposes. I prefer skinny handle flashlights for walking my dog as they are easier to hold with his leash. This is the brightest light of what I have that takes 2 consecutive 18650 batteries and the control ring was nice for switching modes. Of the last 2 lights I purchased I prefer the Nitecore TM11 to the EYE25, I was so excited to get the EYE25 I knew I may be a little underwhelmed. When I bought the TM11 it was based on the deal at gunsafari and was not on my list to purchase at all...now I LOVE the TM11 and the side switch and consider it the best light purchase i've made in a while!
 

turboBB

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Thx! I've updated it by adding Bounce, Whitewall and Outdoors shots.

Cheers,
Tim
 

8kGoodEnuff

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Great review.

When I randomly came across this light, I thought this would be a nice piece to add to the "must have" list.

Just a couple of questions, which became more apparent when I was just away on my honeymoon. Niteye advertises this light as a self-defense light, which seems to be part of the reason why they just re-used the Eye30 head with a new, longer handle, so as to use it as a striking tool on someone or something. When I was away on my honeymoon, I kept thinking to myself that this light would have been perfect to have as it would have added a bit more sense of security knowing that I had somthing at hand to use for defense, not only for striking, but also for blinding. The place we stayed at was pretty isolated and our room was more on the outskirts of the resort property. I mean, I guess a lamp could be used, but would be awkward to swing around with the diffuser on top and the cord still plugged in... lol. Also, walking around foreign cities, would be nice to have for easy access if needed in a backpack or handbag.

1. Based on the handling of the light, do you think the head would be sturdy/worthy enough for striking without it breaking and still retaining the lighting function?

2. Another thing I thought of is if it would be able to pass security to carry in a carry-on bag on the plane? I mean it is a light, but could also be viewed by the security personnel as a potential striking tool, which is the intention. Reason I ask is because usually when I travel, I try to pack everything into two (2) carry-on bags so that I don't have to check bags. Easier for dealing with entering and leaving airports at a more efficient pace, not having to wait for the luggage carousel to spit out the luggage.

Thank You.
 
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