ReviewTheLight: Nitecore P12

Bigmac_79

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Nitecore has long been on the leading edge of flashlight technology, always among the first to move ahead. The P12 is one of their more conservative models, it's key feature being a simple one: very high output from a compact package.


Thanks to Nitecore for providing the P12 for review.


I'll be reviewing the P12 in two sections: first, I'll discuss the light objectively (the facts about the light itself), then I'll discuss the light subjectively (my impressions about the light's performance when used for specific applications). If you have any other specific applications you'd like the light tested for, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Video Review

Below is a video review of the P12. Due to my old image hosting site closing down, I've got new restrictions on image uploads and have replaced the "Construction" section of my reviews with a more detailed video review.


This video is available in 1080p HD, but defaults to a lower quality. To select the playback quality click the settings button (looks like a gear) after you've started the video.

Also, Nitecore provided the NSW1 remote pressure switch and a universal bike mount for review as a biking light. The results are in the bonus video below:


Objective

Manufacturer's Specifications

Price: 60 USD





Dimensions




Plus, here's a few shots with some good detail.






User Interface

The P12 is controlled by two switches: the mechanical forward-clicky tail switch and the electronic side switch near the head. The rear switch turns the light on/off, and the side switch controls the output.

When the rear switch is pressed halfway, the light will turn on momentarily until the switch is released. When the rear switch is pressed fully, it will click into position and the light will turn on, remaining on until the rear switch is clicked again.

When the light is on, a short click on the side switch advances to the next mode in the cycle: Lower -> Low -> Medium -> High. When the light is turned off then on again, it will turn on in the mode last used. When the light is on, holding the side switch for a second activates the Strobe mode. Holding the switch again advances to the next mode in the cycle Strobe -> Beacon -> SOS. A quick click returns the light the previously used regular mode.

When the light is off, pressing and holding both the rear and side switches will activate the voltage indication. The light under the side switch will then blink in a pattern to indicate the remaining battery voltage.


Action Shots

You can click on any of these shots to see them full size.

Light in Hand


White Wall (Lower, Low, Medium, High)
ISO 100, f/3.5, 1/20"


BeamSlice


MugShot


Indoor Shots (Lower, Low, Medium, High)
ISO 100, f/3.5, 1"


Outdoor Shots (Lower,
Low, Medium, High)
ISO 100, f/3.5, 2.5"


Long-Range Shots (
High)
ISO 100, f/3.5, 5"




Performance

Submersion: I submersed the P12 under a foot of water for about an hour, clicking both the rear and side switch several times. I found no evidence of water entering or damaging the light.

Heat: The P12 gets significantly hot within the first few minutes on High, then cools off noticeably (but remains very warm) when it automatically drops to 500 lumens.

PWM: I was able to detect very rapid PWM on the Low and Medium modes (not on the Lower or High modes) using my camera, but it is not visible to the unaided eye.

Drop: I dropped the P12 from about a meter onto various surfaces (including grass, carpet, dirt, and hard wood), and found no cosmetic or functional damage.

Reverse Polarity Protection: The P12 has Nitecore's signature mechanical reverse polarity protection. If the battery is inserted backwards, it is unable to make electrical connection with the head so the light will not be harmed. This also means that the light can only be used with a button-top cell, flat-top cells will be blocked by the mechanical reverse polarity protection.

Over-Discharge Protection: The P12's voltage indicator light (under the side switch) flashes when the battery voltage gets low, so that's your signal to recharge or replace the battery.


Spectral Analysis


All light that we see as white is actually made up of several different colors put together. The relative intensities of the different colors in the mix are what determine the tint of the white we see. For example, cool white LED's have a lot of blue, and warm white LED's have more red or yellow. This measurement was done on a home made spectrometer. The plot below the picture is corrected for the spectral sensitivity of the human eye. Note: the peak in the 900nm region doesn't really exist, it's a piece of the second-order spectrum that's showing up here because of the high intensity of the light source.

Output and Runtime


ANSI FL-1 runtime ratings are the time it takes for a light to fall to 10% of it's original output (counting from 30 seconds after turning the light on).

The vertical axis of the graphs below represents a relative brightness measurement using a home made light box. The horizontal axis is time in hours:minutes:seconds. Runtimes are stated in hours:minutes:seconds. These graphs may be truncated to show detail.

Mode Comparison


High


The High mode test was run both with my standard XTAR reference cell and the Nitecore cell sent for the review.

Medium



Throwing Distance

ANSI FL-1 standard for stating a light's throwing distance is the distance at which the peak beam intensity (usually at the center of the beam) is 0.25 lux. I calculate throwing distance and candela (lux at 1 meter) by measuring peak beam intensity at five different distances and using the formula lux*distance^2=constant.


Peak Beam Intensity: 10645 cd
Throw Distance: 206 m


Subjective Review

Quick break down:

+ Very high output
+ Excellent output range
+ Voltage indicator light
+ Simple UI
+ Flashy modes hidden
+ Great regulation
+ Smooth beam
+ Secure clip

- Tailstand a bit wobbly
- Slightly longer than ideal
- I want instant access to Lower or High from off


Let's be clear from the start: this is a superb light, probably one of the best in it's class.

Of all lights that run on a single 18650 cell, there are many shapes and sizes. In my opinion, one with a straight cylinder design (head, tail and body all the same diameter) is an essential part of an EDC collection. This form factor is longer that what I like to carry in my pocket at all times (a small 16340 or 14500 sized light), but can be easily subbed in when I know I'm going to need more power for high output or extended use. The slim cylinder design will fit into an average pocket without being obtrusive or uncomfortable, and still holds all the power of the 18650 cell. Thus, I consider a good light in this class very important to own. The Nitecore P12 does this job wonderfully.

To start, one of my favorite things about this light is the excellent output range. Not enough manufacturers realize the importance of a very low output mode (possibly because few users realize it or let it influence their buying decisions). Many situations can bring up a need for a very low output, but there are two that stand out first. 1) You need to have light available for a very long time and thus need to conserve power, or 2) you are in a low-light situation and need to prevent ruining your night vision or disturbing others. So, for any light I put into general use, I look for the option of a very low output mode, with the exception of a dedicated long distance thrower (which would be pretty useless on a very low output setting). The P12 includes a sub-lumen mode, which is excellent for navigating a dark area or other such use. It also has a very high output mode (Nitecore claims 950 lumens, I measured a max of not quite 900, but my detector looses accuracy at high ranges so take that how you will) for the instances where you need a lot of light. To have this great range of output, plus a couple modes in between, from a single light is great, and makes the P12 very versatile, which is what I want to see in my slim 18650 light.

Also, may lights now are coming out with some sort of voltage indication function. I appreciate the P12's implementation of this function with a classy blue LED installed under the semi-transparent mode switch. As a quick aside, I appreciate that the mode switch says "mode" on it, which makes this light easy to hand to a friend and have them be able to figure it out quickly.

I like the UI of the P12, it's very simple and easy to use. The mode memory is useful, and anyone who reads my reviews regularly knows I really don't like UI's with the flashy modes built into the main sequence. Few things are so annoying as to have to pass though a bright strobe in order to get to the low output I want, so I'm glad the P12 has the Strobe mode hidden but still not too difficult to access if desired. The Beacon mode is a nice touch as well, which is something not all lights have available.

The clip is well designed, firm and secure so I don't worry about the light falling out of a pocket. It's not my favorite design (a clip secured under the tail cap or grip ring), but the attachment is strong enough that I don't mind in this case.

A quick look at the runtime graphs shows pretty simply that the P12 has great brightness regulation. It automatically steps down from 900 to 500 lumens after a few minutes on High to prevent heat buildup, and otherwise it maintains it's brightness well through the end, where it does not shut off abruptly but rather decreases to a very low brightness that it maintains for a while so that you're not left in the dark. This is just what I like to see.

There are just a few negatives I found, and I had to be pretty nitpicky to think of them. First, The tailstand isn't as secure as it could be, because of the cutout design of the tail cap. I'm glad it's designed such that it can still tail stand even with a lanyard attached, but the cutouts are large enough that it detracts from the tail stand. This is presumably so that stumpy-thumbed users can get their little nubs around the end of the light to turn it on/off from an overhand grip. In my opinion, they should just grow longer thumbs :p. Second, the length of the P12 is a bit more than I would call ideal, most likely due to the side switch, so a necessary drawback. Lastly, I've reviewed a few lights that have UI's which have mode memory but also offer instant access to the lowest or highest output, which I find very useful, so I'd want to see this in the P12 if it were going to be perfected in my book.

So overall, the P12 is an excellent light in it's class. If you're looking to get a slim 18650 light for general use (and if you don't have one you should be looking), I do not hesitate to recommend the P12 with it's great output range and practical user interface as one of the top options.


Long Term Impressions
I'll fill this part in after carrying the light for a while. If nothing get's added here, either I find nothing else worth noting about the light, or I end up not using it often.

6.13.2014: Missed it in the initial review, here's the picture of the blue LED in the side switch used for the voltage indication.
 
Last edited:

Bigmac_79

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Messages
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Location
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Thanks :)
But I read under submersion and drop-test: ST25??

Sorry, the review is still under construction. I copy the format from one review to the next, delete the old information and insert the new. Sometimes there are remnants I miss :ohgeez:
 

BSBG

Enlightened
Joined
May 6, 2007
Messages
994
Location
USA
I think you mean "forward clicky", not reverse. Otherwise nicely done!
 

Bigmac_79

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Messages
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Location
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I think you mean "forward clicky", not reverse. Otherwise nicely done!

You're very right, thanks for catching that mistake! I often wonder as I type these if anyone actually reads all the "fine print", so it's reassuring to know that someone does ;)
 

Bigmac_79

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Messages
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Same here, nice to see you posting reviews again!

Thanks! I was lacking in hobby time for a while, I went back to school to get my masters'. Now I've got the free time to get caught up!

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
 

Bigmac_79

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Messages
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Alright, the review as a bike light has been added. :cool: If you don't want to scroll back up, I've put it here as well:

 

jdonner

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 25, 2007
Messages
23
What's up with that strange part, I don't see it on the Nitecore web site:

image.gif
 

Bigmac_79

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Messages
1,511
Location
Kansas
What's up with that strange part, I don't see it on the Nitecore web site:

image.gif

That's the grip ring, it's an optional portion you can take on/off when you unscrew the tail cap. Look a the first of the two videos at the top of the review, and skip to about 3:56 to see how it works :)
 
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