csshih
Flashlight Enthusiast
Hi Everyone,
Up for review is the Quark Mini series of lights, an affordable line based on diminutive size.
Here are some of the specs from his site.
MiNi123:
MiniAA
The lights were supplied by 4Sevens for evaluation.
here is the light:
4Sevens continues to excel in packaging and presentation.. the minis are no exception. The AA and 123 Model are packaged the same way (besides the larger spaces for the larger light)
The specs are presented on the back.. TI models have a "Limited edition" sticker
The cases themselves are very high quality :thumbsup:
Included are O-Rings, instructional manual, a battery, and a very nice lanyard. There is a split ring on the lanyard clasp.
Models are pretty obvious, so I'll hold off of commentary
The minis are lit by a Quark RGB (currently in white light mode)
Engraving is very well done, the previous standard quark models had mediocre engraving.
The split ring attachment point is very strong, but a bit small. it is hard to attach rings!
Size Comparisons:
more to follow (or by request)
Comparison Beamshots:
White Wall Shots:
Shutter Speed is not specified -- the white wall shots are meant to show artifacts, rings, etc in the beam, not for brightness comparison.
Outdoor Beamshots:
4Sevens MiniAA 1xAA
4Sevens Mini123 Primary 1xCR123A
4Sevens Mini123 Li-Ion 1xRCR123A
Runtime:
Impressions:
The quark mini series consists of lights that focus on a diminutive size, and a good balance of brightness. The mini123 at 180 lumens is extremely bright for its size, but the mini AA with 80 lumens is much more on the conservative side. Battery technologies are important here, and I think the quark aa is at a reasonable balance of output, with a reasonable runtime.Those who want the brightest while keeping with more commonly used battery types will have to look elsewhere.
There are a few variations of the 2 models available, a neutral tint variation(which is not covered in this review), a titanium bodied variation (which has already been pictured in the above pictures), and of course, the standard cool white model.
Benefits of the TI model are aesthetics and overall durability. The hard anodized layer of aluminum is harder than titanium, but once that layer is worn through(which may or may not happen eventually) titanium wins. Titanium can be polished up to look like new but aluminum can't, short of reanodizing it. Otherwise, aluminum has a much better heatsinking capability. I originally feared that the titanium minis would have the rough thread issue found in the quark (full size) ti models and the ti preon models. Surprisingly, these models had smooth threads. Looks like 4sevens cracked down on that problem :thumbsup:
My models of both titanium and aluminum still came with a slight bit of adhesive on a side, which cleaned up with some rubbing, though. build quality in general on these lights is very high, anodizing was done very well, with knurling rough enough for good grip.
The rear ends of these lights have been laser etched with the 47s logo very tastefully, if I may comment.
I feel like 4sevens hit the UI right on the spot, pleasing both the "stobe/sos blinky mode" lovers and haters. The blinky modes are hidden, and they can't be acessed unless you twist the head 6 times in rapid sucession. The lights are easy to twist, but I don't see the chance of anyone accidentally getting into those modes.
Overall, I personally love the new 4Sevens MiNi series. I feel that they are great EDC light with a very good no-frills UI.
As of [2/2/2010], the price of the standard minis are 39$ and 69$ for the Titanium ones.
Up for review is the Quark Mini series of lights, an affordable line based on diminutive size.
Here are some of the specs from his site.
MiNi123:
- LED: CREE XP-G R5
- Max Output: 189 Out-the-front (OTF) lumens
- Material: Type-III Hard-anodized Aircraft-grade Aluminum
- Lens: Optical-grade glass lens with anti-reflective coating on both sides
- Battery: One CR123A
- Low: 3 OTF lumens, 150 hours, Medium: 40 OTF lumens, 8 hours, High: 189 OTF lumens, 1.2 hours
- Length: 2.3 inches, Diameter: 0.80 inches, Weight: 0.62 ounces (w/o battery) (TI is 0.9 oz)
MiniAA
- LED: CREE XP-G R5
- Max Output: 90 Out-the-front (OTF) lumens
- Material: Type-III Hard-anodized Aircraft-grade Aluminum
- Lens: Optical-grade glass lens with anti-reflective coating on both sides
- Battery: One AA
- Low: 2.7 OTF lumens, 60 hours, Medium: 25 OTF lumens, 8 hours, High: 90 OTF lumens, 1.3 hours
- Length: 3 inches, Diameter: 0.70 inches, Weight: 0.67 ounces (w/o battery) (TI is 0.8 oz)
The lights were supplied by 4Sevens for evaluation.
here is the light:
4Sevens continues to excel in packaging and presentation.. the minis are no exception. The AA and 123 Model are packaged the same way (besides the larger spaces for the larger light)
The specs are presented on the back.. TI models have a "Limited edition" sticker
The cases themselves are very high quality :thumbsup:
Included are O-Rings, instructional manual, a battery, and a very nice lanyard. There is a split ring on the lanyard clasp.
Models are pretty obvious, so I'll hold off of commentary
The minis are lit by a Quark RGB (currently in white light mode)
Engraving is very well done, the previous standard quark models had mediocre engraving.
The split ring attachment point is very strong, but a bit small. it is hard to attach rings!
Size Comparisons:
more to follow (or by request)
Comparison Beamshots:
White Wall Shots:
Shutter Speed is not specified -- the white wall shots are meant to show artifacts, rings, etc in the beam, not for brightness comparison.
Outdoor Beamshots:
4Sevens MiniAA 1xAA
4Sevens Mini123 Primary 1xCR123A
4Sevens Mini123 Li-Ion 1xRCR123A
Runtime:
Impressions:
The quark mini series consists of lights that focus on a diminutive size, and a good balance of brightness. The mini123 at 180 lumens is extremely bright for its size, but the mini AA with 80 lumens is much more on the conservative side. Battery technologies are important here, and I think the quark aa is at a reasonable balance of output, with a reasonable runtime.Those who want the brightest while keeping with more commonly used battery types will have to look elsewhere.
There are a few variations of the 2 models available, a neutral tint variation(which is not covered in this review), a titanium bodied variation (which has already been pictured in the above pictures), and of course, the standard cool white model.
Benefits of the TI model are aesthetics
and overall durability. The hard anodized layer of aluminum is harder than titanium, but once that layer is worn through(which may or may not happen eventually) titanium wins. Titanium can be polished up to look like new but aluminum can't, short of reanodizing it. Otherwise, aluminum has a much better heatsinking capability. I originally feared that the titanium minis would have the rough thread issue found in the quark (full size) ti models and the ti preon models. Surprisingly, these models had smooth threads. Looks like 4sevens cracked down on that problem :thumbsup: My models of both titanium and aluminum still came with a slight bit of adhesive on a side, which cleaned up with some rubbing, though. build quality in general on these lights is very high, anodizing was done very well, with knurling rough enough for good grip.
The rear ends of these lights have been laser etched with the 47s logo very tastefully, if I may comment.
I feel like 4sevens hit the UI right on the spot, pleasing both the "stobe/sos blinky mode" lovers and haters. The blinky modes are hidden, and they can't be acessed unless you twist the head 6 times in rapid sucession. The lights are easy to twist, but I don't see the chance of anyone accidentally getting into those modes.
Overall, I personally love the new 4Sevens MiNi series. I feel that they are great EDC light with a very good no-frills UI.
As of [2/2/2010], the price of the standard minis are 39$ and 69$ for the Titanium ones.
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