kj75
Enlightened
At the end of 2016, Nitecore launched the lantern-series. Two models came out until now, the "lipstick-light" LA10 and the "big" LR30. Lights like these mostly get very popular because they're user-friendly, the smooth and 360-degree beam, so they are very helpful in a lot of situations. Above that, the LR30 has some special features too: high-CRI white LEDS and also a very bright red LED built-in. So, to me an interesting job to have a close look at my first Nitecore-lantern! In this review I'll show you the details of this light, the white and red output options, and of course a comparison to some competitors.
Nitecore steps into the world of lanterns too
by introducing the LR30
many options, also with the hanging-loop
high-CRI white LEDS built-in
and even a bright RED emitter
lighting up the dark wherever you want
also many options to use the red mode
To start with, the features and specifications here, given by Nitecore:
• White/red dual light sources
• Utilizes 6 high performance white LEDs and a red LED
• Dual lighting modes: White illumination (3 adjustable brightness) and red illumination
(Includes constant, blinking and SOS)
• Powered by a single 18650 or 2 x CR123 or 2 x RCR123 batteries
• Single switch design offers easy one handed operations
• Takes advantages of highly translucent diffuser, allowing all light source to be well
distributed
• Built-in power indicator reports remaining battery power (Patent No. ZL201220057767.4)
• Built-in power indicator doubles as positioning medium
• High efficiency constant current circuit
• Electrical reverse polarity protection
• Magnetic base
• Made from durable PC materials
• Waterproof in accordance with IPX6
• Impact resistant to 1.5 meter
The dimensions:
• 3.62" (141.5mm) x 1.72" (141.5mm) x 1.24" (141.5mm)
• Weight: 2.18oz (62gram) (without battery)
And the output specs:
Unboxing:
The blister-package of the LR30 is easy recognizable, it has the same looks as most Nitecore boxes. At the package some info's about output, available colors and some specialties of the LR30. Personally I don't like blisters, because a knife of a pair of scissors is needed to open it. But if you take care and follow the line at the bottom of the blister, it can be opened without damaging the whole package. Not a bunch of accessories coming out of this blister: I could only find the light, the manual and a spare O-ring. But except a battery this is enough to get started. Have a look at the photos of the blister and the unboxing that you can find below!
easily recognizable as a Nitecore package
the specialties and the available colors mentioned at the blister
scissors or a knife are a must to open the blister
but it can be opened without damage
inside: LR30, manual and spare O-ring
Impressions:
The today's lantern-generation is getting more and more compact, same to the LR30. It's lightweight and, because of its dimensions, easy to carry in almost every pocket. The LR30 I received came in "Nitecore-yellow", if you don't like yellow you can purchase this light in green or blue too. In contrast to a flashlight no aluminum or glass to the LR30, this lantern is made of polycarbonate. Of course this will give this light some "plastic-looks", but the LR30 is well-constructed and feels durable. The body has a smooth structure, same to white diffusor-cap. The big grey power-button has stiff structure and is easy to locate in the dark. The information that's mostly engraved in a flashlights' body can be found on the bottom of the LR30. Nice solution, personally I'm not a fan of "stories" that are on a lights body. The loop at the bottom is made of elastic rubber, I asked me if how strong it should be. Several times I pulled it out, and until now it survives without any problems. Advantage of this elastic loop is that the LR30 can be hung on a big branch of something like that. The seams of the light close perfectly. To open the LR30 you must release the bottom part of the light by using the (un)lock at the right side. The cover at the bottom has two magnets built-in; it should be a nice option to users if they could be removed. No particularities to the battery-compartment, it looks well-finished. What you can see here is that the LR30 is IPX-6-rated, so don't take it with you in the swimming-pool.. Overall, I can conclude that the LR30 is well-constructed and machined; I couldn't detect any defects or bugs on my sample. I took a couple of impressions-pictures of the LR30 that show some more details. Please scroll down to watch!
a lantern made by Nitecore
the LR30
multifunctional and handy
with diffusor cap for smooth beam
lightweight and very compact
several battery-options
with CR123A it will stand the frost
nice beacon-light in the snow!
made of polycarbonate
with elastic rubber hanging-loop
the seams close perfectly
a lock at right side
the magnets in the cover can't be removed
a look into the battery-compartment
and a close-up
the LR30 is well-finished
really a very compact lantern
a close-up to the lock
the big grey power button has stiff structure
high CRI-LED for good color rendering
the very bright red-option
can be fixed almost everywhere thanks to the magnetic base
otherwise use the loop
the blue LED shows actual voltage, but helps also to find your LR30 back in the dark
User interface:
Light like these offer their users so many options! Placed on your nightstand, fixed on your bike, mounted at or in your car, and so on…. Use it at the attic, in your barn, during hands-free working because its magnetic and you can "paste" it almost everywhere. Thanks to the smooth beam and the high-CRI LED the LR30 is also a good option during photography or video, because of the good color-rendering. The red mode is the brightest I've seen before on a lantern! With this option you can turn the LR30 in a mark- or beacon-light. So, in these few weeks this lantern has become one of my most used lights.
The LR30 runs on a 18650, but CR123 and RCR123A's can be used too. Personally I prefer a 18650, and in my country it never gets that cold that I need a CR123A's for better performance. What I would like to see on a light like this, is a micro-USB port to recharge the light. And what about a power-bank-function? Just some thoughts that should make this light better to me…
The LR30 has an easy, no-nonsense interface. Press and hold for on and off to enter the white modus, cycle through the modes by short clicks. To get started in red you need two quick clicks from off. The LR30 has no memory and starts always in the first (lowest) white or red mode. To me no problem because the light always start at lowest mode. Neither a direct mode can be found at this lantern. A very nice feature is the built-in voltage check: a blue LED (that's placed just above the power button and can be seen through the diffusor-cap) will flash as much as the remaining power will be. Simply (short) press the button when the light is in standby to read the actual voltage, accurate until 0.1 volts! This is still one of the features why I like Nitecores! The LR30 uses the same blue LED for location-beacon: Press and hold the button (when turning off) for more than three seconds to activate this feature. The blue LED will flash every three seconds shortly, which helps you to find your LR30 back in your tent at night.
Nitecore has keep the interface of the LR30 simple, and to me, this is sufficient for a lantern. A light like this doesn't need a bunch of direct-modes and a lot of options. Most users need a light that works simple and without problems. The LR30 does.
Modes:
The LR30 has totally three white output modes, in order of LOW > MED > HIGH. The spacing is good, but there's no real low mode this time. The 12 lumens LOW is too bright to me, so I would like to see an extra white mode. The HIGH mode has a stepdown after 10 minutes continuous use. Three red modes too, in order of: RED CONSTANT > RED FLASH > RED SOS. The very bright red mode is meant for warning and signaling; so night-reading while using the constant RED mode is no option. The LR30 has both built-in VOLTAGE-indication as LOW-VOLTAGE warning. There's no LOCK-OUT function, but LOCATION-BEACON is there. So, a lot of modes on the LR30, an less bright white and red mode would be a nice addition.
Size comparison:
I'll show you three lanterns in this section. Next to the LR30 two lanterns made by Fenix, that have similar size and output. I will use those three later in this review too, when we'll take a look at the output and the beamshots.
CR123A, Nitecore LR30, Fenix CL20 and Fenix CL25R
Nitecore LR30, Fenix CL20 and Fenix CL25R
Nitecore LR30, Fenix CL20 and Fenix CL25R
the fronts: Nitecore LR30, Fenix CL20 and Fenix CL25R
the backs: Nitecore LR30, Fenix CL20 and Fenix CL25R
Tint:
Placed on a white background the LR30 seems to have a cool white and some bluish tint compared to the other lanterns. Clearly visible here the Fenix brother use neutral white LEDS. Later in this review, in the beamshots-section, we'll see how the high CRI LEDS performs next to the neutral white ones.
Red light:
Below a picture with the three lights on maximum red output. The Fenix-brothers both have red for night-reading, the LR30 has a very bright red-mode that really strikes!
Beamprofile:
The LR30 emits a smooth 360-degree beam; lights / lantern like these don't have a clearly visible hotspot and corona. The LR30 is designed to illuminate a big area at very close range. This makes the LR30 a good choice to use in and around home, hobby and photography. Like you often see by using a lantern, you'll get the best results when the light is positioned above you or placed on the ground. Luckily, this lantern offers a lot of mounting-options! I couldn't detect PWM at any mode, and the beam is clean and free of artefacts.
Beamshots:
No white-wall beamshots this time, I placed the LR30 on the ground in a small room that I was restyling. Firstly, the three white-output modes shown here, followed by a GIF.
Camera-settings: ISO100, F/3.5, WB daylight, 1/6 sec, 35mm
GIF-picture:
Let's see now how the LR30 performs against the other lanterns that I showed you in this review. Both Fenix light have neutral white LEDS; the advantage of the high CRI LED of the LR30 is visible in this situation: the room lit up by the Fenix-lanterns looks yellowish, the color-rendering of the LR30 is much better here, although it looks little cool.
the Fenix CL20 against the Nitecore LR30, both on highest mode
the Fenix CL25R against the Nitecore LR30, both on highest mode
Red mode:
Like I told you, the red mode is very bright, and can light up the whole room. Compared to the Fenix CL20 and CL25R you see the difference; the red-mode of the LR30 is meant for outdoors-use.
Camera-settings: ISO100, F/3.5, WB daylight, 1/6 sec, 35mm
the Fenix CL20 and the CL25R against the Nitecore LR30
Let's see now how the LR30 performs outside! Because lanterns radiate a 360-degree beam, I positioned my tripod some further away, the distance is about 6 meters. Starting again by showing the three white output-modes, after that a GIF.
Camera-settings: ISO100, F/2.7, WB daylight, 4 sec, 35mm
GIF-picture:
A shoot-out against the CL20 here. The Fenix has equal output, but a neutral tint.
the Fenix CL20 against the Nitecore LR30, both at turbo
The CL25R is clearly the brightest of the three, and emits a nice 360-degree-beam thanks to its height.
the Fenix CL25R against the Nitecore LR30, both at turbo
Red mode:
The red mode shown outside now! The LR30 has a really striking red option. See how bright it is compared to the Fenix-lanterns!
Camera-settings: ISO100, F/2.7, WB daylight, 4 sec, 35mm
the Fenix CL20 and the CL25R against the Nitecore LR30
Conclusion:
In the past years, lanterns have become my favorite and most used lights. Therefore I love the LR30 too. To me, this is a very good option when you like (indoor) photography and hobby like (for example) painting. The high CRI-LED has big advantage here. For outdoors-use, I can recommend to use the LR30 as a car-light or at your bike. Especially the very bright red flashing-option can help you in emergency, the constant red-mode creates a very bright and safe backlight on your bike. The LR30 has a durable construction, but I would like to see this light IPX8-rated in future. Another wish that it came with some extra (lower) white and red modes. A built-in recharging function would make it perfect!
I can strongly recommend this nice product to those who like (indoor) hobby and photography, even to those who are looking for a great red (marking) light.
Thanks to Nitecore for providing me the LR30!
Nitecore steps into the world of lanterns too
by introducing the LR30
many options, also with the hanging-loop
high-CRI white LEDS built-in
and even a bright RED emitter
lighting up the dark wherever you want
also many options to use the red mode
To start with, the features and specifications here, given by Nitecore:
• White/red dual light sources
• Utilizes 6 high performance white LEDs and a red LED
• Dual lighting modes: White illumination (3 adjustable brightness) and red illumination
(Includes constant, blinking and SOS)
• Powered by a single 18650 or 2 x CR123 or 2 x RCR123 batteries
• Single switch design offers easy one handed operations
• Takes advantages of highly translucent diffuser, allowing all light source to be well
distributed
• Built-in power indicator reports remaining battery power (Patent No. ZL201220057767.4)
• Built-in power indicator doubles as positioning medium
• High efficiency constant current circuit
• Electrical reverse polarity protection
• Magnetic base
• Made from durable PC materials
• Waterproof in accordance with IPX6
• Impact resistant to 1.5 meter
The dimensions:
• 3.62" (141.5mm) x 1.72" (141.5mm) x 1.24" (141.5mm)
• Weight: 2.18oz (62gram) (without battery)
And the output specs:
Unboxing:
The blister-package of the LR30 is easy recognizable, it has the same looks as most Nitecore boxes. At the package some info's about output, available colors and some specialties of the LR30. Personally I don't like blisters, because a knife of a pair of scissors is needed to open it. But if you take care and follow the line at the bottom of the blister, it can be opened without damaging the whole package. Not a bunch of accessories coming out of this blister: I could only find the light, the manual and a spare O-ring. But except a battery this is enough to get started. Have a look at the photos of the blister and the unboxing that you can find below!
easily recognizable as a Nitecore package
the specialties and the available colors mentioned at the blister
scissors or a knife are a must to open the blister
but it can be opened without damage
inside: LR30, manual and spare O-ring
Impressions:
The today's lantern-generation is getting more and more compact, same to the LR30. It's lightweight and, because of its dimensions, easy to carry in almost every pocket. The LR30 I received came in "Nitecore-yellow", if you don't like yellow you can purchase this light in green or blue too. In contrast to a flashlight no aluminum or glass to the LR30, this lantern is made of polycarbonate. Of course this will give this light some "plastic-looks", but the LR30 is well-constructed and feels durable. The body has a smooth structure, same to white diffusor-cap. The big grey power-button has stiff structure and is easy to locate in the dark. The information that's mostly engraved in a flashlights' body can be found on the bottom of the LR30. Nice solution, personally I'm not a fan of "stories" that are on a lights body. The loop at the bottom is made of elastic rubber, I asked me if how strong it should be. Several times I pulled it out, and until now it survives without any problems. Advantage of this elastic loop is that the LR30 can be hung on a big branch of something like that. The seams of the light close perfectly. To open the LR30 you must release the bottom part of the light by using the (un)lock at the right side. The cover at the bottom has two magnets built-in; it should be a nice option to users if they could be removed. No particularities to the battery-compartment, it looks well-finished. What you can see here is that the LR30 is IPX-6-rated, so don't take it with you in the swimming-pool.. Overall, I can conclude that the LR30 is well-constructed and machined; I couldn't detect any defects or bugs on my sample. I took a couple of impressions-pictures of the LR30 that show some more details. Please scroll down to watch!
a lantern made by Nitecore
the LR30
multifunctional and handy
with diffusor cap for smooth beam
lightweight and very compact
several battery-options
with CR123A it will stand the frost
nice beacon-light in the snow!
made of polycarbonate
with elastic rubber hanging-loop
the seams close perfectly
a lock at right side
the magnets in the cover can't be removed
a look into the battery-compartment
and a close-up
the LR30 is well-finished
really a very compact lantern
a close-up to the lock
the big grey power button has stiff structure
high CRI-LED for good color rendering
the very bright red-option
can be fixed almost everywhere thanks to the magnetic base
otherwise use the loop
the blue LED shows actual voltage, but helps also to find your LR30 back in the dark
User interface:
Light like these offer their users so many options! Placed on your nightstand, fixed on your bike, mounted at or in your car, and so on…. Use it at the attic, in your barn, during hands-free working because its magnetic and you can "paste" it almost everywhere. Thanks to the smooth beam and the high-CRI LED the LR30 is also a good option during photography or video, because of the good color-rendering. The red mode is the brightest I've seen before on a lantern! With this option you can turn the LR30 in a mark- or beacon-light. So, in these few weeks this lantern has become one of my most used lights.
The LR30 runs on a 18650, but CR123 and RCR123A's can be used too. Personally I prefer a 18650, and in my country it never gets that cold that I need a CR123A's for better performance. What I would like to see on a light like this, is a micro-USB port to recharge the light. And what about a power-bank-function? Just some thoughts that should make this light better to me…
The LR30 has an easy, no-nonsense interface. Press and hold for on and off to enter the white modus, cycle through the modes by short clicks. To get started in red you need two quick clicks from off. The LR30 has no memory and starts always in the first (lowest) white or red mode. To me no problem because the light always start at lowest mode. Neither a direct mode can be found at this lantern. A very nice feature is the built-in voltage check: a blue LED (that's placed just above the power button and can be seen through the diffusor-cap) will flash as much as the remaining power will be. Simply (short) press the button when the light is in standby to read the actual voltage, accurate until 0.1 volts! This is still one of the features why I like Nitecores! The LR30 uses the same blue LED for location-beacon: Press and hold the button (when turning off) for more than three seconds to activate this feature. The blue LED will flash every three seconds shortly, which helps you to find your LR30 back in your tent at night.
Nitecore has keep the interface of the LR30 simple, and to me, this is sufficient for a lantern. A light like this doesn't need a bunch of direct-modes and a lot of options. Most users need a light that works simple and without problems. The LR30 does.
Modes:
The LR30 has totally three white output modes, in order of LOW > MED > HIGH. The spacing is good, but there's no real low mode this time. The 12 lumens LOW is too bright to me, so I would like to see an extra white mode. The HIGH mode has a stepdown after 10 minutes continuous use. Three red modes too, in order of: RED CONSTANT > RED FLASH > RED SOS. The very bright red mode is meant for warning and signaling; so night-reading while using the constant RED mode is no option. The LR30 has both built-in VOLTAGE-indication as LOW-VOLTAGE warning. There's no LOCK-OUT function, but LOCATION-BEACON is there. So, a lot of modes on the LR30, an less bright white and red mode would be a nice addition.
Size comparison:
I'll show you three lanterns in this section. Next to the LR30 two lanterns made by Fenix, that have similar size and output. I will use those three later in this review too, when we'll take a look at the output and the beamshots.
CR123A, Nitecore LR30, Fenix CL20 and Fenix CL25R
Nitecore LR30, Fenix CL20 and Fenix CL25R
Nitecore LR30, Fenix CL20 and Fenix CL25R
the fronts: Nitecore LR30, Fenix CL20 and Fenix CL25R
the backs: Nitecore LR30, Fenix CL20 and Fenix CL25R
Tint:
Placed on a white background the LR30 seems to have a cool white and some bluish tint compared to the other lanterns. Clearly visible here the Fenix brother use neutral white LEDS. Later in this review, in the beamshots-section, we'll see how the high CRI LEDS performs next to the neutral white ones.
Red light:
Below a picture with the three lights on maximum red output. The Fenix-brothers both have red for night-reading, the LR30 has a very bright red-mode that really strikes!
Beamprofile:
The LR30 emits a smooth 360-degree beam; lights / lantern like these don't have a clearly visible hotspot and corona. The LR30 is designed to illuminate a big area at very close range. This makes the LR30 a good choice to use in and around home, hobby and photography. Like you often see by using a lantern, you'll get the best results when the light is positioned above you or placed on the ground. Luckily, this lantern offers a lot of mounting-options! I couldn't detect PWM at any mode, and the beam is clean and free of artefacts.
Beamshots:
No white-wall beamshots this time, I placed the LR30 on the ground in a small room that I was restyling. Firstly, the three white-output modes shown here, followed by a GIF.
Camera-settings: ISO100, F/3.5, WB daylight, 1/6 sec, 35mm
GIF-picture:
Let's see now how the LR30 performs against the other lanterns that I showed you in this review. Both Fenix light have neutral white LEDS; the advantage of the high CRI LED of the LR30 is visible in this situation: the room lit up by the Fenix-lanterns looks yellowish, the color-rendering of the LR30 is much better here, although it looks little cool.
the Fenix CL20 against the Nitecore LR30, both on highest mode
the Fenix CL25R against the Nitecore LR30, both on highest mode
Red mode:
Like I told you, the red mode is very bright, and can light up the whole room. Compared to the Fenix CL20 and CL25R you see the difference; the red-mode of the LR30 is meant for outdoors-use.
Camera-settings: ISO100, F/3.5, WB daylight, 1/6 sec, 35mm
the Fenix CL20 and the CL25R against the Nitecore LR30
Let's see now how the LR30 performs outside! Because lanterns radiate a 360-degree beam, I positioned my tripod some further away, the distance is about 6 meters. Starting again by showing the three white output-modes, after that a GIF.
Camera-settings: ISO100, F/2.7, WB daylight, 4 sec, 35mm
GIF-picture:
A shoot-out against the CL20 here. The Fenix has equal output, but a neutral tint.
the Fenix CL20 against the Nitecore LR30, both at turbo
The CL25R is clearly the brightest of the three, and emits a nice 360-degree-beam thanks to its height.
the Fenix CL25R against the Nitecore LR30, both at turbo
Red mode:
The red mode shown outside now! The LR30 has a really striking red option. See how bright it is compared to the Fenix-lanterns!
Camera-settings: ISO100, F/2.7, WB daylight, 4 sec, 35mm
the Fenix CL20 and the CL25R against the Nitecore LR30
Conclusion:
In the past years, lanterns have become my favorite and most used lights. Therefore I love the LR30 too. To me, this is a very good option when you like (indoor) photography and hobby like (for example) painting. The high CRI-LED has big advantage here. For outdoors-use, I can recommend to use the LR30 as a car-light or at your bike. Especially the very bright red flashing-option can help you in emergency, the constant red-mode creates a very bright and safe backlight on your bike. The LR30 has a durable construction, but I would like to see this light IPX8-rated in future. Another wish that it came with some extra (lower) white and red modes. A built-in recharging function would make it perfect!
I can strongly recommend this nice product to those who like (indoor) hobby and photography, even to those who are looking for a great red (marking) light.
Thanks to Nitecore for providing me the LR30!
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