Updated: Beamshots & details at bottom
Hello all, this is my first flashlight review. I did my best to provide useful information and take good pictures, but please be aware that I am in no way a flashlight expert. Also, I don't have a macro lens so the pictures I took are not as wonderfully clear as some would like. The following information is simply from my experience with this light, it is not meant to be the end-all, and users should recognize that there will be variation between units among the Ti and Ti2 lines simply due to the nature of manufacturing. Thanks.
A little over one month ago I ordered a decent quantity (15 or so) of Thrunite Ti's for Christmas gifts. Thrunite was kind enough to substitute one of the TI's for a Ti2, which quickly made it to my key chain and has remained there. The following review will cover both initial impressions and my opinions now that I've had it on my key chain for a couple of months.
Ti & Ti2 Compared
Upon receiving the Ti2 I compared the boxes & bodies of the Ti & Ti2. The bodies are identical, the only visible difference is the emitter. The 3-60 lumen Ti uses the Cree XP-E R4, while the 3-81 lumen Ti2 uses the XP-G2. While both emitters are the same size according to specs (3.45mm x 3.45mm), the die in the Ti2 appears larger than that of the Ti. One interesting note is that Thrunite chose to use stickers on the Ti2 boxes to distinguish between the Ti and Ti2 models. However, they neglected to change the max lumen rating on the Ti2 box to the 81 lumens shown on their website. When compared side by side against a wall about 8 feet away, the beam of the Ti is noticeably tighter and thus appears slightly brighter than that of the Ti2 (both in low and high modes). The Ti2 provides more flood than the Ti, which makes me theorize that the Ti is actually a better thrower than the Ti2. I have no way of testing to confirm this. Knowing this it's difficult to say which I would prefer to have on my key chain.
The Ti2
The packaging of the Ti2 is simple and essentially identical to the Ti except for the sticker mentioned earlier. It comes with a short manual, two spare O-rings and a keyring. The design of the Ti2 is nice, it's obvious this is meant to be a simple, small key chain light and I believe it serves that purpose rather well. The knurling isn't aggressive or rough, so when the light gets wet it is a little slippery. It won't go flying out of your hand like a bar of soap, but it certainly isn't designed to be a pocket light for water sports. I can see its diminutive size being a problem if one attempts to keep it in a large bag, so securing it via a lanyard or the keyring is definitely recommended. I like the size and shape of the integral keyring / lanyard hole. It's large enough to feel secure, but not so big that getting it onto a keyring is difficult. It's also just the right size to allow the light to tail stand, but if the surface is uneven or gets bumped, the light is likely to fall over. The finish on my light has worn a little over the six weeks it's been on my keyring. I have a lot of keys, and they get banged around on a daily basis, so this doesn't surprise me. I imagine after six to twelve months it will look like a beat up old MagLite. So long as it still functions, I couldn't care less. The printing on the light is clear and bright, giving it the appearance of a precision tool instead of a cheap toy.
I really like the light output. I've used the low setting for 80% of tasks I've needed a flashlight for. This has included lighting up the door locks when our front porch light goes out, reading a book in the dark and navigating through pitch black rooms. It really is perfect for those moments when you think "I could really use a flashlight right now – oh wait, there's one on my key chain!" The high setting has sufficiently impressed those who I've shown it off to. My guess is it would illuminate stuff 30 to 40 feet in darkness with little ambient light. Quite honestly, I have not used the high setting except to show it off. The low setting is sufficient for the majority of tasks. Some people would argue that 3 lumens is even too bright for low-light tasks, but I would rather have too much light than not enough, and having to go from super low to high seems silly.
Overall, I think this light is a good value, especially when purchased via a promotion or in bundles. It has served its intended purpose rather well for me, and has been valuable in those moments where I'm stuck in the dark. I think everyone should have a mini light on their key chain, and I would definitely recommend the Ti2. While there may be smaller or brighter lights out there, this one has worked just fine for me and is a good example of the KISS concept applied to flashlights. Also, Thrunite has done a good job of fast shipping, and even sent me a replacement for one of the Ti's that was malfunctioning without making me go through too much of a hassle.
Beamshots
In response to TEEJ's suggestion, I buckled down and figured out my camera. I took a whole bunch of beamshot pictures, but the following is what I feel best demonstrates the differences between the beams that I described above. For those who don't know, the fractions are shutter speeds. So 1/25 means the shutter was open for 1/25th of a second, or 0.04 seconds, and 1/200th is 0.005 seconds.
Hello all, this is my first flashlight review. I did my best to provide useful information and take good pictures, but please be aware that I am in no way a flashlight expert. Also, I don't have a macro lens so the pictures I took are not as wonderfully clear as some would like. The following information is simply from my experience with this light, it is not meant to be the end-all, and users should recognize that there will be variation between units among the Ti and Ti2 lines simply due to the nature of manufacturing. Thanks.
A little over one month ago I ordered a decent quantity (15 or so) of Thrunite Ti's for Christmas gifts. Thrunite was kind enough to substitute one of the TI's for a Ti2, which quickly made it to my key chain and has remained there. The following review will cover both initial impressions and my opinions now that I've had it on my key chain for a couple of months.
Ti & Ti2 Compared
Upon receiving the Ti2 I compared the boxes & bodies of the Ti & Ti2. The bodies are identical, the only visible difference is the emitter. The 3-60 lumen Ti uses the Cree XP-E R4, while the 3-81 lumen Ti2 uses the XP-G2. While both emitters are the same size according to specs (3.45mm x 3.45mm), the die in the Ti2 appears larger than that of the Ti. One interesting note is that Thrunite chose to use stickers on the Ti2 boxes to distinguish between the Ti and Ti2 models. However, they neglected to change the max lumen rating on the Ti2 box to the 81 lumens shown on their website. When compared side by side against a wall about 8 feet away, the beam of the Ti is noticeably tighter and thus appears slightly brighter than that of the Ti2 (both in low and high modes). The Ti2 provides more flood than the Ti, which makes me theorize that the Ti is actually a better thrower than the Ti2. I have no way of testing to confirm this. Knowing this it's difficult to say which I would prefer to have on my key chain.
The Ti2
The packaging of the Ti2 is simple and essentially identical to the Ti except for the sticker mentioned earlier. It comes with a short manual, two spare O-rings and a keyring. The design of the Ti2 is nice, it's obvious this is meant to be a simple, small key chain light and I believe it serves that purpose rather well. The knurling isn't aggressive or rough, so when the light gets wet it is a little slippery. It won't go flying out of your hand like a bar of soap, but it certainly isn't designed to be a pocket light for water sports. I can see its diminutive size being a problem if one attempts to keep it in a large bag, so securing it via a lanyard or the keyring is definitely recommended. I like the size and shape of the integral keyring / lanyard hole. It's large enough to feel secure, but not so big that getting it onto a keyring is difficult. It's also just the right size to allow the light to tail stand, but if the surface is uneven or gets bumped, the light is likely to fall over. The finish on my light has worn a little over the six weeks it's been on my keyring. I have a lot of keys, and they get banged around on a daily basis, so this doesn't surprise me. I imagine after six to twelve months it will look like a beat up old MagLite. So long as it still functions, I couldn't care less. The printing on the light is clear and bright, giving it the appearance of a precision tool instead of a cheap toy.
I really like the light output. I've used the low setting for 80% of tasks I've needed a flashlight for. This has included lighting up the door locks when our front porch light goes out, reading a book in the dark and navigating through pitch black rooms. It really is perfect for those moments when you think "I could really use a flashlight right now – oh wait, there's one on my key chain!" The high setting has sufficiently impressed those who I've shown it off to. My guess is it would illuminate stuff 30 to 40 feet in darkness with little ambient light. Quite honestly, I have not used the high setting except to show it off. The low setting is sufficient for the majority of tasks. Some people would argue that 3 lumens is even too bright for low-light tasks, but I would rather have too much light than not enough, and having to go from super low to high seems silly.
Overall, I think this light is a good value, especially when purchased via a promotion or in bundles. It has served its intended purpose rather well for me, and has been valuable in those moments where I'm stuck in the dark. I think everyone should have a mini light on their key chain, and I would definitely recommend the Ti2. While there may be smaller or brighter lights out there, this one has worked just fine for me and is a good example of the KISS concept applied to flashlights. Also, Thrunite has done a good job of fast shipping, and even sent me a replacement for one of the Ti's that was malfunctioning without making me go through too much of a hassle.
Beamshots
In response to TEEJ's suggestion, I buckled down and figured out my camera. I took a whole bunch of beamshot pictures, but the following is what I feel best demonstrates the differences between the beams that I described above. For those who don't know, the fractions are shutter speeds. So 1/25 means the shutter was open for 1/25th of a second, or 0.04 seconds, and 1/200th is 0.005 seconds.
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