Sunwayman V11R (XM-L, 1xR/CR123A, 1xAA/14500) Review: RUNTIMES, VIDEO, BEAMSHOT+

[xevious]

^ SB, I noticed that this light has displaced your ZL SC52 as EDC. Is the infinite brightness control what made the difference, or are there some other characteristics? What, if any, would you say is lacking about the SC52 in comparison? Also, how would you compare their beam outputs in terms of tint and artifacts/smoothness?

[selfbuilt]

^ SB, I noticed that this light has displaced your ZL SC52 as EDC. Is the infinite brightness control what made the difference, or are there some other characteristics? What, if any, would you say is lacking about the SC52 in comparison? Also, how would you compare their beam outputs in terms of tint and artifacts/smoothness?

Actually, the V11R has been my EDC for awhile (and the V10A before that - which replaced the SC51). I was just field testing the SC52 for awhle, before return to my old standard.

The main reason is the intuitive feel of the control ring to me. The SC52 is great, but I still occasionally miss-the-mark when getting my timings down - and I am very fussy about getting hit in the face with full power in low light conditions. That's another point of my personal preference - I use only as much light as I absolutely need for a situation, and I like being able to dial down the V11R to really low levels before activating. I am also not so concerned about runtime efficiency (normally an issue for me), because I am disciplined enough to recharge frequently (especially before any travel).

And that's really about it - the beam doesn't matter so much to me, and both lights have a good beam. I actually prefer the throw of XP-G in small lights, but I have previously found you can used to almost anything. I switched from the V10A (I had the XP-G version) to the V11R because I prefer the grippiness of the body and ring.

Again, the above is just my personal preference - I wouldn't necessarily recommend one light over the other. But as always, it is worth asking yourself what really matters to you. I would have thought that beam pattern, profile and tint would be big issues for me, but the practicality of grip/user interface wins out in practice.

[xevious]

Actually, the V11R has been my EDC for awhile (and the V10A before that - which replaced the SC51). I was just field testing the SC52 for awhle, before return to my old standard.

The main reason is the intuitive feel of the control ring to me. The SC52 is great, but I still occasionally miss-the-mark when getting my timings down - and I am very fussy about getting hit in the face with full power in low light conditions. That's another point of my personal preference - I use only as much light as I absolutely need for a situation, and I like being able to dial down the V11R to really low levels before activating. I am also not so concerned about runtime efficiency (normally an issue for me), because I am disciplined enough to recharge frequently (especially before any travel).

I can identify with your concerns. With recent efficiency improvements in LED emitters, the older flashlight models start looking a bit less appealing unless their emitters are upgraded. I'm pretty good about not using the highest settings for long periods, so runtimes between cell replacement with my lights are usually pretty good. Still, it's nice to extend that as long as possible. While the SC52 doesn't have the ease of variability that the V11R features, at least you can adjust the pre-programmed settings as you wish.

And that's really about it - the beam doesn't matter so much to me, and both lights have a good beam. I actually prefer the throw of XP-G in small lights, but I have previously found you can used to almost anything. I switched from the V10A (I had the XP-G version) to the V11R because I prefer the grippiness of the body and ring.

Again, the above is just my personal preference - I wouldn't necessarily recommend one light over the other. But as always, it is worth asking yourself what really matters to you. I would have thought that beam pattern, profile and tint would be big issues for me, but the practicality of grip/user interface wins out in practice.

My first exposure to LED lights was via the Fenix brand. The L2S had a really nice smooth ringless beam pattern with a tolerable greenish tint. My NovaTac EDC and Surefire U2 that followed also exhibited very smooth transitions from hot spot to spill without glaring rings. But some other lights I've bought showed not only rings and blobs but even multiple tints (greenish/yellow rings with purplish/blue spills). If used outdoors it's not a big deal, but inside against smooth plain walls or over white paper the beam pattern becomes quite noticeable. I did discover that using a diffuser can smooth it over with no problem, which is great. So like you, I feel like the grip and UI is more important than the beam tint and artifacts. Still... if you can get it all in one package, it's nice.

I've been itching to get an SC52w, but will have to give the V11R more consideration before making the plunge. Thanks again for all of your useful info.

[selfbuilt]

My first exposure to LED lights was via the Fenix brand. The L2S had a really nice smooth ringless beam pattern with a tolerable greenish tint. My NovaTac EDC and Surefire U2 that followed also exhibited very smooth transitions from hot spot to spill without glaring rings.

I see we are from the same time period (a greenish Fenix L2S was my first "real" LED light too). Of course, the reason you had nice beams is that you went for a luxeon III, SSC P4, and a luxeon V for your first three lights.

There seems to have been a considerable shift to throw in recent years, possibly due to its inclusion in the ANSI FL-1 standard. I recall the hoopla from the first "turbo" head lights - even though they don't throw as far as many pocket models now (e.g. my Nitecore EC1 would out-throw my original Lumapower D-mini). Times change ...

[xevious]

I see we are from the same time period (a greenish Fenix L2S was my first "real" LED light too). Of course, the reason you had nice beams is that you went for a luxeon III, SSC P4, and a luxeon V for your first three lights.

There seems to have been a considerable shift to throw in recent years, possibly due to its inclusion in the ANSI FL-1 standard. I recall the hoopla from the first "turbo" head lights - even though they don't throw as far as many pocket models now (e.g. my Nitecore EC1 would out-throw my original Lumapower D-mini). Times change ...

Heh, pretty funny coincidence on the L2S! Yeah, the "need for throw" certainly pushed the market in a different direction. But if chatter I've been seeing is any indication of the next trend, I'm wondering if it will shift back more to tint and spill with less emphasis on throw. Or perhaps both will continue in parallel?

Anyway, I need to do more reading up on the various emitter brands and their models. The market has become quite crowded and ones I'd thought were going to fall by the wayside still seem to keep on innovating. It'll be interesting to see how it all pans out, if the more successful ones will buy out the lesser ones and we'll end up with only a few major emitter makers in the near future.

[borealis]

I would have thought that beam pattern, profile and tint would be big issues for me, but the practicality of grip/user interface wins out in practice.

You could, of course, replace the stock LED with another and/or use diffuser film to address these issues.

[SOUL PATROL 510]

Hello all, Fist Thank you VERY much for the killer reviews on ALL THESE lights. I am currently looking into getting a good EDC single cell battery light.
I have narrowed it down to two possible lights.. The Jetbeam PC10 and the Sunwayman V11R.
My question is are there any other makes that offer similar adjustability as the V11R ?
Again thank you for the insight into this relm of lights as I have allways carried a cheap-o and am looking forward to "seeing" the differance.

[cyclesport]

Hello all, Fist Thank you VERY much for the killer reviews on ALL THESE lights. I am currently looking into getting a good EDC single cell battery light.
I have narrowed it down to two possible lights.. The Jetbeam PC10 and the Sunwayman V11R.
My question is are there any other makes that offer similar adjustability as the V11R ?
Again thank you for the insight into this relm of lights as I have allways carried a cheap-o and am looking forward to "seeing" the differance.

See attached...

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...ring+IV+lights

[bandit408]

Been thinking of picking one of these up for EDC. Currently I have a Jetbeam RRT-2 and love it. Just need something a little smaller for EDC.

[SOUL PATROL 510]

Been thinking of picking one of these up for EDC. Currently I have a Jetbeam RRT-2 and love it. Just need something a little smaller for EDC.

This light is awesome !! I had my reservations on spending close to $100 for a flashlight but I am glad I did. I especially like the ability to turn it all the way down to 1 Lumen, handy when fumbling around my bedroom at 5 a.m. whilst trying not to wake the wife. It was a bit smaller than I had figured it would be which is great because I can barely even notice it is in my pocket. I highly recommend picking one of these up !! You won't be disappointed !!

[Bumble]

This light is awesome !! I had my reservations on spending close to $100 for a flashlight but I am glad I did. I especially like the ability to turn it all the way down to 1 Lumen, handy when fumbling around my bedroom at 5 a.m. whilst trying not to wake the wife. It was a bit smaller than I had figured it would be which is great because I can barely even notice it is in my pocket. I highly recommend picking one of these up !! You won't be disappointed !!

thats a bit expensive for it imo. $66.99 with aa extender + free world-wide registered shipping from fasttech. they have the "mirage" special edition v11r for $75 with shipping.

[shelm]

thats a bit expensive for it imo. $66.99 with aa extender + free world-wide registered shipping from fasttech. they have the "mirage" special edition v11r for $75 with shipping.

Do you like your v11r or your Eagletac's better? 66.99 including the aa extender sounds like a fair price. I do have Eagletac's and they are lovely.

Is there any mod to the titanium v11r switch cover? Maybe sandpaper rounding off the edges?

[Bumble]

hi, i have become hooked on this magnetic control ring design, it could be just a passing phase though lol. i love eagletac lights though ( beam profile/tint/build quality/runtimes) and still use them often as my edc . im currently using an eye 10 / rrt-01 (both magnetic control and very similar in design) as my edc. im not sure about the mod to the switch cover ? my wife has my v11r in her handbag at the mo..from memory it has a rubber boot covering the switch ?. i thought the earlier version v11r had switch issues which was cured with the rubber boot. ?. (im probably wrong though) lol

[shelm]

from memory it has a rubber boot covering the switch ?. i thought the earlier version v11r had switch issues which was cured with the rubber boot. ?

Hi, thanks!
All reviews and product photos including fasttac show that the v11r comes with the black rubber boot pre-installed and the titanium boot as spare part in the accessories bag. So you don't need to bother your wife. Rounding off the ti edges with sandpaper will be first thing when i get the v11r from fasttac

[Bumble]

Hi, thanks!
All reviews and product photos including fasttac show that the v11r comes with the black rubber boot pre-installed and the titanium boot as spare part in the accessories bag. So you don't need to bother your wife. Rounding off the ti edges with sandpaper will be first thing when i get the v11r from fasttac

ive had no problems with fasttech at all they are like a breath of fresh air compared to some chinese companies ive dealt with. i really didnt think this magnetic control ring would prove to be so crucial in my "EDC pocket carry" as it has proven to be.. i just didnt think that having the exact light you need matters much tbh.. but in reality it proves to be very handy indeed. either the v11r/ rrt-01/eye 10 (all magnetic control) are great lights imo.

[Dubois]

Do you like your v11r or your Eagletac's better? 66.99 including the aa extender sounds like a fair price. I do have Eagletac's and they are lovely.

Is there any mod to the titanium v11r switch cover? Maybe sandpaper rounding off the edges?

The Mirage comes with a rubber boot switch cover, and spare, but a titanium spare is no longer provided.

The beam of my DA25A (Ti, 2013 edition) is much nicer than the Mirage, which has artifacts against a white wall, in spite of the OP reflector.

[Bumble]

The Mirage comes with a rubber boot switch cover, and spare, but a titanium spare is no longer provided.

The beam of my DA25A (Ti, 2013 edition) is much nicer than the Mirage, which has artifacts against a white wall, in spite of the OP reflector.

eagletac.. if reading this thread magnetic control ring please

[shelm]

The Mirage comes with a rubber boot switch cover, and spare, but a titanium spare is no longer provided.

The Mirage (XM-L U3) never came with a titanium switch cover but i think that the black (XM-L U2) still comes with ti switch cover (in accessory bag) plus the black rubber pre-installed.

Seen that on FastTac photos

[DHart]

Selfbuilt... of course, your reviews are epic and relied upon by soooo very many, including myself, for a number of years. Many thanks to you for all of your ongoing efforts to help us select ever more lights for our use.

I have a V11R XM-L Neutral inbound. Also two D25A's: one with XM-L neutral in Ti and the other one with neutral XP-G2 R4 and black anodized finish. I'm eagerly anticipating comparing these lights for my own EDC use. I have a Nitecore D10 Neutral tint which I've carried for a few years, which hangs in the "EDC balance" with these new lights arriving. Whatever way it swings, will all work out just fine.

As for beam, I typically use my lights for general, fairly close-in use, both indoors and outdoors. When I step outside into more expansive nature, I often grab the little Jet I-Pro 3.0 XR-E R2, which is a great thrower for such a tiny pocket light. I love it for that convenience and amazing throw.

Overall, though, I much prefer a soft, wide, neutral beam for general use and the XM-L Neutral lights are perfect for that... especially with the neutral tint, which is all I can bring myself to order in recent years. If a light isn't offered with neutral tint, I won't buy it, personally. The cold tints just look so harsh and clinical to me... as a professional photographer, the aesthetics of the tint does matter quite a bit to me. Tint is that significant. Fortunately, one can find some great options in lights these days with neutral tints... and major kudos to Eagletac for going above and beyond what other makers seem to do in terms of plentiful offerings with neutral tint emitters. SWM seems to be doing ok in that regard as well.

[selfbuilt]

As for beam, I typically use my lights for general, fairly close-in use, both indoors and outdoors. When I step outside into more expansive nature, I often grab the little Jet I-Pro 3.0 XR-E R2, which is a great thrower for such a tiny pocket light. I love it for that convenience and amazing throw.
Overall, though, I much prefer a soft, wide, neutral beam for general use and the XM-L Neutral lights are perfect for that... especially with the neutral tint, which is all I can bring myself to order in recent years.

Yes, I much prefer neutral white tints where available. That said, I've typically EDCed cool whites, which I don't find too bad as I run them at the lowest possible level for my needs (i.e., less garish when little light is used, somehow). For higher outputs though, definitely a neutral white fan. Years of incandescent conditioning, I guess.

Interesting to hear your Jet I-Pro 3.0 is still in use. A good little throwy light for the time period, and I always liked the IBS interface. Something like the Nitecore explorer series helps fill that gap now, with their XP-G emitters and relatively deep reflectors.

[biker1]

Great review as always
I actually ordered the V11R just prior to reading your thread. A friend of mine had on and I really liked the interface, style, and build quality.
I've been carrying around my Incendio V3+ in various emitter configurations (currently with XM-L U2 emitter, with the U3 emitter on the way )for over a year now as my EDC. Great light, but I sometimes forget what level I last used, and when I light it up, it's on High, which gets a little annoying, cycling thru the levels and all. But that's with most lights this size.
When I saw the adjustable light level ring on the V11R, and my buddy told me it is a pleasure to use, I was like, I had to have one. The build quality looked really robust for a small light.
I'm looking forward to receiving mine in a few days, and most likely it will be my new EDC.

I also see they have the V11R with the XM-L U3 emitter available, but only in the 'Mirage' camouflagelike color.
I inquired about the XM-L U3 emitter as a stand alone drop in and am awaiting an answer.
Ricky @ Lumapower has always been fantastic with his customer service, as well as allowing you to be able to purchase the current drop in emitter assemblies only, so that you don't have to purchase a whole new light every time a new emitter becomes available.
Hopefully Sunwayman also allows you to purchase separate emitter assemblies.

Again, thanks for your fantastic review

[borealis]

It's not a "drop-in". SWM head is sealed (glued shut), so they'd have to send you the entire head, which will probably cost as much as the whole light. A few modders on CPF can replace the LED for you (for probably around $20-$30).

[biker1]

It's not a "drop-in". SWM head is sealed (glued shut), so they'd have to send you the entire head, which will probably cost as much as the whole light. A few modders on CPF can replace the LED for you (for probably around $20-$30).

Thanks for that information.Much appreciated.I'll post the response to my email inquiry when I hear back.

Update:
Heard back from SWM, and at this time the LED head assembly is not being sold separately, but cs cc'd the emails to the CEO, and if things change they'll let me know. So who knows, maybe it'll happen.
With that being said, I received my V11R today and the light is phenomenal in my limited use indoors, since I just received it.
The XM-L U2 in the V11R appears to be perceptively brighter and whiter than the XM-L U3 in my Incendio V3. This is my first magnetic ringed light and I love the feature.
The build quality is really nice and robust for such a small light, and it feels great in the hand. This is going to be my new EDC!