candle lamp
Flashlight Enthusiast
Reviewer's note : Rofis PR21 was provided by Rofis for review.
Rofis has recently released their PR series (PR11, PR21, PR22) with a side switch to control on/off and change modes. I will not cover all of them here. Instead, I have the PR21 model on hand for review.
.
.
The light comes in basic packaging, and it comes with a user manual including warranty card, spare o-ring, pocket clip (attached), good quality wrist lanyard.
.
.
My review sample came with the optional accessory kit. This provides the extension tube (model name : AR2X), and the multi-functional clip (model name : AR01).
.
.
Manufacturer Specifications from Rofis website and user manual :
• Cree XM-L2 LED with a lifespan of 50,000 hours
• Battery : 2x CR123A / 1x 18650 / 2x 16340 (16340 battery is not recommended)
• 123 mm (length) x 24.8 mm (body) x 27.4 mm (head diameter)
• 88-gram weight (excluding batteries)
• Two modes and six types of outputs
• Digitally regulated output - maintains constant brightness
• Intelligent memory circuit, automatically memorizes the brightness level when switch off
• Turbo mode will automatically decline to 500LM after 3 minutes, to protect the light from over-heating.
• Reverse polarity protection, to protect from improper battery installation
• Waterproof to IPX-8 (underwater 2m)
• Made of durable aircraft-grade aluminum
• Premium Type III hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish
• Toughened ultra-clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating
Notice: The above-mentioned parameters (tested in lab by using quality CR123A primary Lithium batteries) are approximate and may vary between flashlights, batteries, and environments.
.
.
The hard (type III) anodizing is a matt heavy charcoal and consistent throughout with no chips or damage of other faults to be found on my sample. Anodizing is very good. There are identification labels on the head only. All labels are sharp and clear. The exterior of the body has a lot of tiny ridges running its length which a little helps with grip. You can use 2x18650 or 4xCR123A with an extension tube. However, 3.7v 4x16340 Li-ion batteries are banned.
.
.
The light has 2 parts (i.e. head and body). The body is one piece with the tailcap.
.
.
The light has a flat stainless steel bezel ring and a red o-ring. The exterior of the head has six grooves and hex-shaped neck which provides grip. There is a spring on the positive contact plate in the head, so flat-top batteries should work fine. The user manual says the light has reverse polarity protection to protect from improper battery installation (i.e., the electronics of the light has in-built reverse polarity protection).
The distinctive aspect of the light is the side switch control in the head. The side switch is electronic switch, with clear and audible clicking sound. It has a good amount of tension.
.
.
The light uses AR coating lens and the purple hue is reflected on it. The aluminum reflector has a smooth pattern. Surface finish on the reflector is perfect from visual inspection, and there is a well-centered XM-L2 U2 LED sits at the bottom of the reflector cup.
.
.
The clip-on stainless pocket clip looks sturdy and it seems to hold onto the light securely. It is reversible, allowing both bezel-up or bezel-down. The clip works as a good anti-roll device. The clean cylindrical body design makes it feel comfortable when held in hand.
The body accommodates both 2xCR123A's and 1x18650 easily. Although the working voltage of the PR21 is 3~16v, the user manual does mention 3.7V 2xRCR123A's are not recommended. I think this is because RCR123A has the higher voltage but the lower efficacy (i.e., the capacity of two 16340's can not catch up with 18650's capacity).
.
.
Most of the battery tube is covered by a large number of tiny ridges running its length. With the pocket clip attached, grip is reasonably good (i.e., the pocket clip adds to the grip).
The wall thickness of the body is 2.9mm. The light feel very solid.
.
.
There is a negative spring at the bottom of the body, and it is removable. The inner diameter of the body is 18.9mm which seems to be enough to accomodate the wide protected 18650 battery. There was no battery rattle with the unprotected 18650 in my review sample though.
.
.
Threads on body and extension tube are well machined. with being anodized which allow the light to be locked-out when the body is slightly loosened.
Threads on the end of the body mate well with the head with no issues of cross-threading or grinding. The screws threads are good quality square-cut.
.
.
The body end is flat. There are two holes for a split-ring or wrist lanyard attachment.
.
.
The lights can tailstand stably.
.
.
User Interface
There are two modes (i.e., general mode & flashing mode).
The PR21 uses an electronic switch for on/off and mode control.
1) General mode
Press and hold the switch for one second to turn the light on. Turn the light off by pressing and holding the switch for 1 second. While on, quick press and release (i.e., quick click) the switch repeatedly to cycle between the four output levels in the following repeating sequence : Turbo -> Low -> Med. -> High -> Cycle.
The light has mode memory, and remember the last output level used when you turn the light off and back on, even after a battery change.
2) Flashing mode
Strobe is accessed by a double quick click the switch in any output levels in the General mode.
Note that a double quick click from Off will give you to Strobe directly too. A quick click the side switch repeatedly to cycle between the two flashing modes in the following repeating sequence : Strobe -> SOS -> Cycle. A double quick click from Flashing mode returns to your previous output level in General mode.
The flashing mode has no memory.
.
.
From left to right, VicLite 18650 (2600mAh) protected, Olight S20 Baton, Xeno S3A, Eagletac D25LC2, Spark SL6S-740NW, Rofis PR21, Crelant 7G3CS, Fenix PD32 UE.
.
.
The head size & body weight excluding battery of four lights are as follows :
D25LC2 - 22.5mm / 54g, SL6S-740NW - 31.1mm / 74g, PR21 - 27.4mm / 90g, PD32 UE - 24.0mm / 77g.
.
.
The extension tube came with a magnet that helps with good contact of true flat-top 18650 batteries. But you must be cautious with the magnet due to the short-circuit in the light.
.
The multi-functional clip is PC 2805 plastic, and it's suitable for flashlight (or rigid object) with diameter (or one side) less than 30mm. It has two clips and three hinges. Two hinges rotate a full 180 degrees in one direction, and one hinge does rotate not only a full 180 degrees but also a full 360 degrees in two directions respectively. My Rofis TR31 and TR31C fit into the clip well. All hinges are screwed, and might be loose because of a repetitive use. So, in that case, you just need to tighten the screw with cross screwdriver.
.
.
It is good size to hold and can be used as an EDC light. Overall grip is acceptable. Overall build quality is excellent.
.
.
Measured Dimensions & Weight
.
.
Standby Current Drain
Due to the electronic side switch interface, the PR21 is drawing a small current when the light is fully connected. I measured this current as 54.2μA with 1x18650. That would translate into around 5.4 years on 2600mAh 18650. This is negligible, not a concern. This current can be cut by simply unscrewing the head a little when the light is not in use.
.
.
PWM
No sign of PWM at any level of the light, leading me to conclude the light is actually current-controlled as claimed. I notice there is no buzzing sound at all output levels on my sample.
.
.
Runtime
1. 1x18650 or 2xCR123A
Like many recent lights in this class, the PR21 does step-down on Turbo after 3 mins of continuous runtime.
.
.
2. 2x18650 or 4xCR123A
The extension tube (i.e., 2x18650 or 4xCR123A) does much extend the runtime, comparing to no extension tube. The extension tube has nearly twice more than the runtime capacity of 1x18650 (or 2xCR123A). But there is little difference in the output between them.
.
.
3. 1x18650 on Max.
The PR21 shows excellent performance in terms of output & runtime efficiency. The initial output (i.e., prior to step-down) is very bright. I made the above runtime test with all fresh 18650 batteries for all lights.
.
.
Beamshot
1. White door beamshot (about 50cm from the white door on Max. output, AWB)
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.
.
.
.
.
2. Indoor beamshot (about 7.0m from the target on Max. output)
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1/2sec, Auto white balance
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.
.
.
3. 55m Outdoor Beamshot on Max. output
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance
.
.
.
.
4. 60~65m Outdoor Beamshot on Max. output
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance
.
.
Rofis has recently released their PR series (PR11, PR21, PR22) with a side switch to control on/off and change modes. I will not cover all of them here. Instead, I have the PR21 model on hand for review.
.
.
The light comes in basic packaging, and it comes with a user manual including warranty card, spare o-ring, pocket clip (attached), good quality wrist lanyard.
.
.
My review sample came with the optional accessory kit. This provides the extension tube (model name : AR2X), and the multi-functional clip (model name : AR01).
.
.
Manufacturer Specifications from Rofis website and user manual :
• Cree XM-L2 LED with a lifespan of 50,000 hours
• Battery : 2x CR123A / 1x 18650 / 2x 16340 (16340 battery is not recommended)
• 123 mm (length) x 24.8 mm (body) x 27.4 mm (head diameter)
• 88-gram weight (excluding batteries)
• Two modes and six types of outputs
• Digitally regulated output - maintains constant brightness
• Intelligent memory circuit, automatically memorizes the brightness level when switch off
• Turbo mode will automatically decline to 500LM after 3 minutes, to protect the light from over-heating.
• Reverse polarity protection, to protect from improper battery installation
• Waterproof to IPX-8 (underwater 2m)
• Made of durable aircraft-grade aluminum
• Premium Type III hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish
• Toughened ultra-clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating
Notice: The above-mentioned parameters (tested in lab by using quality CR123A primary Lithium batteries) are approximate and may vary between flashlights, batteries, and environments.
.
.
The hard (type III) anodizing is a matt heavy charcoal and consistent throughout with no chips or damage of other faults to be found on my sample. Anodizing is very good. There are identification labels on the head only. All labels are sharp and clear. The exterior of the body has a lot of tiny ridges running its length which a little helps with grip. You can use 2x18650 or 4xCR123A with an extension tube. However, 3.7v 4x16340 Li-ion batteries are banned.
.
.
The light has 2 parts (i.e. head and body). The body is one piece with the tailcap.
.
.
The light has a flat stainless steel bezel ring and a red o-ring. The exterior of the head has six grooves and hex-shaped neck which provides grip. There is a spring on the positive contact plate in the head, so flat-top batteries should work fine. The user manual says the light has reverse polarity protection to protect from improper battery installation (i.e., the electronics of the light has in-built reverse polarity protection).
The distinctive aspect of the light is the side switch control in the head. The side switch is electronic switch, with clear and audible clicking sound. It has a good amount of tension.
.
.
The light uses AR coating lens and the purple hue is reflected on it. The aluminum reflector has a smooth pattern. Surface finish on the reflector is perfect from visual inspection, and there is a well-centered XM-L2 U2 LED sits at the bottom of the reflector cup.
.
.
The clip-on stainless pocket clip looks sturdy and it seems to hold onto the light securely. It is reversible, allowing both bezel-up or bezel-down. The clip works as a good anti-roll device. The clean cylindrical body design makes it feel comfortable when held in hand.
The body accommodates both 2xCR123A's and 1x18650 easily. Although the working voltage of the PR21 is 3~16v, the user manual does mention 3.7V 2xRCR123A's are not recommended. I think this is because RCR123A has the higher voltage but the lower efficacy (i.e., the capacity of two 16340's can not catch up with 18650's capacity).
.
.
Most of the battery tube is covered by a large number of tiny ridges running its length. With the pocket clip attached, grip is reasonably good (i.e., the pocket clip adds to the grip).
The wall thickness of the body is 2.9mm. The light feel very solid.
.
.
There is a negative spring at the bottom of the body, and it is removable. The inner diameter of the body is 18.9mm which seems to be enough to accomodate the wide protected 18650 battery. There was no battery rattle with the unprotected 18650 in my review sample though.
.
.
Threads on body and extension tube are well machined. with being anodized which allow the light to be locked-out when the body is slightly loosened.
Threads on the end of the body mate well with the head with no issues of cross-threading or grinding. The screws threads are good quality square-cut.
.
.
The body end is flat. There are two holes for a split-ring or wrist lanyard attachment.
.
.
The lights can tailstand stably.
.
.
User Interface
There are two modes (i.e., general mode & flashing mode).
The PR21 uses an electronic switch for on/off and mode control.
1) General mode
Press and hold the switch for one second to turn the light on. Turn the light off by pressing and holding the switch for 1 second. While on, quick press and release (i.e., quick click) the switch repeatedly to cycle between the four output levels in the following repeating sequence : Turbo -> Low -> Med. -> High -> Cycle.
The light has mode memory, and remember the last output level used when you turn the light off and back on, even after a battery change.
2) Flashing mode
Strobe is accessed by a double quick click the switch in any output levels in the General mode.
Note that a double quick click from Off will give you to Strobe directly too. A quick click the side switch repeatedly to cycle between the two flashing modes in the following repeating sequence : Strobe -> SOS -> Cycle. A double quick click from Flashing mode returns to your previous output level in General mode.
The flashing mode has no memory.
.
.
From left to right, VicLite 18650 (2600mAh) protected, Olight S20 Baton, Xeno S3A, Eagletac D25LC2, Spark SL6S-740NW, Rofis PR21, Crelant 7G3CS, Fenix PD32 UE.
.
.
The head size & body weight excluding battery of four lights are as follows :
D25LC2 - 22.5mm / 54g, SL6S-740NW - 31.1mm / 74g, PR21 - 27.4mm / 90g, PD32 UE - 24.0mm / 77g.
.
.
The extension tube came with a magnet that helps with good contact of true flat-top 18650 batteries. But you must be cautious with the magnet due to the short-circuit in the light.
.
The multi-functional clip is PC 2805 plastic, and it's suitable for flashlight (or rigid object) with diameter (or one side) less than 30mm. It has two clips and three hinges. Two hinges rotate a full 180 degrees in one direction, and one hinge does rotate not only a full 180 degrees but also a full 360 degrees in two directions respectively. My Rofis TR31 and TR31C fit into the clip well. All hinges are screwed, and might be loose because of a repetitive use. So, in that case, you just need to tighten the screw with cross screwdriver.
.
.
It is good size to hold and can be used as an EDC light. Overall grip is acceptable. Overall build quality is excellent.
.
.
Measured Dimensions & Weight
.
.
Standby Current Drain
Due to the electronic side switch interface, the PR21 is drawing a small current when the light is fully connected. I measured this current as 54.2μA with 1x18650. That would translate into around 5.4 years on 2600mAh 18650. This is negligible, not a concern. This current can be cut by simply unscrewing the head a little when the light is not in use.
.
.
PWM
No sign of PWM at any level of the light, leading me to conclude the light is actually current-controlled as claimed. I notice there is no buzzing sound at all output levels on my sample.
.
.
Runtime
1. 1x18650 or 2xCR123A
Like many recent lights in this class, the PR21 does step-down on Turbo after 3 mins of continuous runtime.
.
.
2. 2x18650 or 4xCR123A
The extension tube (i.e., 2x18650 or 4xCR123A) does much extend the runtime, comparing to no extension tube. The extension tube has nearly twice more than the runtime capacity of 1x18650 (or 2xCR123A). But there is little difference in the output between them.
.
.
3. 1x18650 on Max.
The PR21 shows excellent performance in terms of output & runtime efficiency. The initial output (i.e., prior to step-down) is very bright. I made the above runtime test with all fresh 18650 batteries for all lights.
.
.
Beamshot
1. White door beamshot (about 50cm from the white door on Max. output, AWB)
.
.
.
.
.
.
2. Indoor beamshot (about 7.0m from the target on Max. output)
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1/2sec, Auto white balance
.
.
.
.
3. 55m Outdoor Beamshot on Max. output
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance
.
.
.
.
4. 60~65m Outdoor Beamshot on Max. output
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance
.
.
Last edited:
