DISCLAIMER: my English is quite good, but not perfect by any mean, so please be kind and forgive the mistakes I'll be eventually doing (you damn spell nazis, I'm yellin' at ya! lol...) 
Well then... Welcome in the dark dungeon of the Enlightened...
...how ironic!
Back from a 2 days trip on the mountains of Veneto (Italy), here is my hands-on review of the Fenix TK45 prototype! Please do remember that this actually is the pre-production testing sample, final version may differ in different ways, first of all for what concerns the LEDs to be used (those will be R5 instead of the R4 which are in my sample, so it will probably be even brighter).
Some standard pics took on photographic set, as much descriptive as impersonal but nonetheless useful.
Her "triplicity" TK45, stunning and endearing. With such a radical look you either love it or hate it. I'm loving mine! It sure attracts the looks of people and suggests the idea of power.
Tail-standing: the wide base gives good stability, couple this with the high power this flashlight is capable of delivering and here you have a great tool to light up rooms during blackouts.
Inside the belly of the beast...
...lies a powerful heart.
Disassembled.
Now for the outdoorsy part of the flashlight use!
The trip took place on the Cai paths 651, 648 and 647 starting from "Cogollo del Cengio". The route includes the path known as "sentiero delle postazioni" (kinda like "path of the posts"), with thrences, galleries dug in the mountain's rocky heart (some more than 300ft long!) and artillery posts which were created during World War I to resist the advance of Austrian troops. A striking place that carries lots of emotions, a theater for extreme human vicissitudes... a place to visit for the pleasure of finding new things but also very thought provoking...
I'm happy to have brought the TK45 along for the test in the outdoor environment, not just for the fun (and usefulness) coming with it, but mostly because this way I could have real first-hand experience of a test on this kind of gear, made on purpose with a sort of "measuring" (this needs further explanations... more on this later) instead of just a quick impression report. This very aspect is of first importance: never before this trip I had tried to produce consistent "beamshots", not on the classic white wall nor in a complex scene such as the ones that I chose to create the following photographic documentation: deeming the "photo set of reality" more meaningful than a white wall I put on the trusty boots and set off for a new adventure... You'll find white-wall galore in many other threads for sure. You know, every tester is unique... I hope you don't mind me, the "bushcraft-nut tester"! ha ha!
Anyway, the very very important thing I really feel the urge to hypothesize is the following: despite the technical efforts put into the shooting (use of camera stand, fixed shooting parameters between the shoots, adoption of RAW format with minimal and standardized developing for the groups of pictures etc...) I just realized that PICTURES ARE NOT A RELIABLE WAY TO MEASURE AND DEPICT THE REAL PERFORMANCE OF FLASHLIGHTS! This for what attains to both real perceived brightness and tint.
Essentially, the camera has to be considered as a "filter" in the collection of the datum (human sight is a filter too, but that is a filter we don't really need to consider in this application, mainly because it just can't be avoided or changed). So, HOW is this filter acting? Unfortunately in a complex way, as it is showing at the same time a REDUCE DYNAMICS (in brightness of course) IN THE SINGLE PICTURE very differently from human perception while conversely INCREASING THE DEPICTED DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO OR MORE PICTURES.
Those make for two "alterations" of perception both opposing among themselves and coexisting, making me think that by now the only reliable way to truly understand the differences between different flashlights is trying them first hand, possibly making confrontations between the various samples close in time. Ok, start the bashing... Seriously, don't take it too seriously... lol!
Well, to be able to have a confrontation for the TK45 I just... brought ALL of my flashlights along! Fear not, for I am... poor! Lucky you (too bad for me actually) I own just a few!
The flashlights tha enlightened my journey are then:
Fenix TK45 testing sample (cool white tint)
Eagletac P20A2w (neutral white tint)
Quark Preon2 (warm-white limited edition, how lovely)
Zebralight H501w (neutral white tint)
Now for the beamshots!
Set n° 1: path in the woods - 4900k white balance, -1 tint, ISO 400, f 3.5, 4s exposure, -1 ev in the RAW development
Set n° 2: cave dug into the rock - 4900k white balance, -1 tint, ISO 400, f 3.5, 0.5s exposure, +0.5 ev in the RAW development
Set n° 3: "ceiling bounce" in the cave - 4900k white balance, -1 tint, ISO 400, f 3.5, 0.5s exposure, +0.5 ev in the RAW development
Set n° 4: person from behind, in the cave- 4900k white balance, -1 tint, ISO 400, f 3.5, 0.5s exposure, +0.5 ev in the RAW development
Comparison pic between neutral-white (Eagletac P20A2w) and cool-white (Fenix TK45) tints
Comparison pics between warm-white (Quark Preon2) and cool-white (Fenix TK45) tints
Engines at full force yeehaaahh! All the flashlights on! (an unprecised Petzl headlamp joined the party too!)
Some thoughts...
"LOW" settings of all the flashlights are way brighter (and thus useable for night hiking) than what the photos depict, and no, I'm not talking about eye adaption to the darkness: they are just brighter! To tell the truth, event the LOW setting of the humble Zebralight H501W is OK for walking in the woods at night (where the light from the moon can't get through). So the camera is penalizing the lower modes a lot, as much as it fails to show the very external part of the spill and indirect reflexions of light on the walls.
Also, tints of the various flashlights are indeed different, but NOT AS MUCH AS IT SEEMS FROM THE PICTURES: most of all, the warm-white tint of the Quark Preon2 ain't that orange at all, but is instead lovingly warm and useful.
Weight and size
The TK45 is sure bigger and heavier than the EDC light you use to carry, it is also the biggest flashlight I currently own, but it ain't excessive. Definitely not a piece of gear you stash in your pocket and forget, that's for sure... Size and weight make it suitable for carrying into a backpack, or on the belt with a dedicated sheath. To make a reference with the Maxpedition products, the TK-45 can be put (with some efforts, because of the tight aperture) inside the Proteus versipack, while squeezing in more comfortably in the upper pocket of the Condor II daypack (a very functional place to store such a flashlight).
Build quality
Build quality of my sample is very good, anodization is excellent, grooves are very fine and precise, offering nice grip. All in all the sensation is that of a quality item.
Beam profile
I have to admit I was very skeptical in the beginning because of the triple-headed optics layout, but the actual beam really surprised me: truly excellent. Very smooth transition between the wide hotspot and spill, the latter being really huge and "useful" because of its high intensity. What really got me was is the smoothness of the beam: I expected a somewhat visible interaction between the three light sources, because of the particular configuration of the "stand-alone" reflectors, but I have to admit the TK45's beam is running with the best single-led reflectors smoothness-wise. Shining the beam on a flat surface, the three light sources magically blend into a wide smooth circular beam right afterhalf a meter (about 20'')... impressive!
UI
I'd dare to define this UI "ideal". The two sidewinder buttons are very comfortably placed there where the thumb should rest: activation and levels changing is as easy as it gets. Accessing the strobe mode and the other beacon/SOS modes is easy but it's also very unlikely to do it unintentionally.
Power and levels' separation
Levels are nicely spaced, making the TK45 a very versatile flashlight. For the use in a prolonged hike (of many days) the TK45 pays for it's weight and size offering stunning runtimes. The "LOW" level (the one in which just one led is lighted) is actually very useful and plenty bright in the complete darkness of the nights in the woods, making it possible to see many meters far while offering fully regulated runtime for a s**t-load of hours (Fenix claims more than 200 hours!!), while the "MID" level is bright enough to lead a small party of hikers in the night trek efficiently offering many days of use if using it some hours per night. The cool thing is that rationing the use of the flashlightto the moments of need (no flashaholics games...) and making use of the higher intensity levels just for quick orienteering, one can expect to use the TK-45 for many weeks before being in the need for new batteries.
Tint
Tint of my sample is unquestionably COOL white, and I have to admit I'm not a fan of this tone of white: the tint is not overly cold and not "angry blue" by any mean, colours are still effectively distinguishable, but still my preference goes to the neutral and warm tints for the representation of depth and colours, not putting into account that I just find warm/neutral tinted whites simply more appealing to the sight. Having a TK45 in neutral or warm tint version wouls be nothing short of awesome, for what I could test it would be an astonishing outdoor flashlight. I'm also playing with the idea of modding it to achieve such a feature or having someone do it for me... let's see what new warm leds in the XP-G form factor come out for now.
Other stuff
Efficiency of thermal exchange is probably high due to the optics system made of three independent heads: a real plus in terms of reliability, it could be very important in scenarios of demanding use such as the "search&rescue", where turbo mode could be adopted for prolonged periods.
All in all
The TK45 is an excellent flashlight for both the urban and outdoor enviroments, it lights with great intensity large areas with its useful beam, in which the wide hotspot and spill blend beautifully. Also, thanks to the high power it is capable of delivering it can reach somewhat far distances (useful for the use on the road or for geographical orienteering at night), however this light ain't a thrower by any mean. I'm enjoying this flashlight a lot, I would advise the buy of the final version (which should come soon), even more considering that it will be even brighter than my sample thanks to the more efficient R5 leds! If you care about mental sanity you will want to purchase a dedicated battery chargerwith 8 slots, as imagining to charge batteries in two rounds with a 4-bays charger (maybe even a slow one), just makes my head ache...!
Well then... Welcome in the dark dungeon of the Enlightened...
...how ironic!
Back from a 2 days trip on the mountains of Veneto (Italy), here is my hands-on review of the Fenix TK45 prototype! Please do remember that this actually is the pre-production testing sample, final version may differ in different ways, first of all for what concerns the LEDs to be used (those will be R5 instead of the R4 which are in my sample, so it will probably be even brighter).
Some standard pics took on photographic set, as much descriptive as impersonal but nonetheless useful.
Her "triplicity" TK45, stunning and endearing. With such a radical look you either love it or hate it. I'm loving mine! It sure attracts the looks of people and suggests the idea of power.
Tail-standing: the wide base gives good stability, couple this with the high power this flashlight is capable of delivering and here you have a great tool to light up rooms during blackouts.
Inside the belly of the beast...
...lies a powerful heart.
Disassembled.
Now for the outdoorsy part of the flashlight use!
The trip took place on the Cai paths 651, 648 and 647 starting from "Cogollo del Cengio". The route includes the path known as "sentiero delle postazioni" (kinda like "path of the posts"), with thrences, galleries dug in the mountain's rocky heart (some more than 300ft long!) and artillery posts which were created during World War I to resist the advance of Austrian troops. A striking place that carries lots of emotions, a theater for extreme human vicissitudes... a place to visit for the pleasure of finding new things but also very thought provoking...
I'm happy to have brought the TK45 along for the test in the outdoor environment, not just for the fun (and usefulness) coming with it, but mostly because this way I could have real first-hand experience of a test on this kind of gear, made on purpose with a sort of "measuring" (this needs further explanations... more on this later) instead of just a quick impression report. This very aspect is of first importance: never before this trip I had tried to produce consistent "beamshots", not on the classic white wall nor in a complex scene such as the ones that I chose to create the following photographic documentation: deeming the "photo set of reality" more meaningful than a white wall I put on the trusty boots and set off for a new adventure... You'll find white-wall galore in many other threads for sure. You know, every tester is unique... I hope you don't mind me, the "bushcraft-nut tester"!
ha ha!Anyway, the very very important thing I really feel the urge to hypothesize is the following: despite the technical efforts put into the shooting (use of camera stand, fixed shooting parameters between the shoots, adoption of RAW format with minimal and standardized developing for the groups of pictures etc...) I just realized that PICTURES ARE NOT A RELIABLE WAY TO MEASURE AND DEPICT THE REAL PERFORMANCE OF FLASHLIGHTS! This for what attains to both real perceived brightness and tint.
Essentially, the camera has to be considered as a "filter" in the collection of the datum (human sight is a filter too, but that is a filter we don't really need to consider in this application, mainly because it just can't be avoided or changed). So, HOW is this filter acting? Unfortunately in a complex way, as it is showing at the same time a REDUCE DYNAMICS (in brightness of course) IN THE SINGLE PICTURE very differently from human perception while conversely INCREASING THE DEPICTED DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO OR MORE PICTURES.
Those make for two "alterations" of perception both opposing among themselves and coexisting, making me think that by now the only reliable way to truly understand the differences between different flashlights is trying them first hand, possibly making confrontations between the various samples close in time. Ok, start the bashing... Seriously, don't take it too seriously... lol!
Well, to be able to have a confrontation for the TK45 I just... brought ALL of my flashlights along!
Fear not, for I am... poor! Lucky you (too bad for me actually) I own just a few! The flashlights tha enlightened my journey are then:
Fenix TK45 testing sample (cool white tint)
Eagletac P20A2w (neutral white tint)
Quark Preon2 (warm-white limited edition, how lovely)
Zebralight H501w (neutral white tint)
Now for the beamshots!
Set n° 1: path in the woods - 4900k white balance, -1 tint, ISO 400, f 3.5, 4s exposure, -1 ev in the RAW development
Set n° 2: cave dug into the rock - 4900k white balance, -1 tint, ISO 400, f 3.5, 0.5s exposure, +0.5 ev in the RAW development
Set n° 3: "ceiling bounce" in the cave - 4900k white balance, -1 tint, ISO 400, f 3.5, 0.5s exposure, +0.5 ev in the RAW development
Set n° 4: person from behind, in the cave- 4900k white balance, -1 tint, ISO 400, f 3.5, 0.5s exposure, +0.5 ev in the RAW development
Comparison pic between neutral-white (Eagletac P20A2w) and cool-white (Fenix TK45) tints
Comparison pics between warm-white (Quark Preon2) and cool-white (Fenix TK45) tints
Engines at full force yeehaaahh! All the flashlights on! (an unprecised Petzl headlamp joined the party too!)
Some thoughts...
"LOW" settings of all the flashlights are way brighter (and thus useable for night hiking) than what the photos depict, and no, I'm not talking about eye adaption to the darkness: they are just brighter! To tell the truth, event the LOW setting of the humble Zebralight H501W is OK for walking in the woods at night (where the light from the moon can't get through). So the camera is penalizing the lower modes a lot, as much as it fails to show the very external part of the spill and indirect reflexions of light on the walls.
Also, tints of the various flashlights are indeed different, but NOT AS MUCH AS IT SEEMS FROM THE PICTURES: most of all, the warm-white tint of the Quark Preon2 ain't that orange at all, but is instead lovingly warm and useful.
Weight and size
The TK45 is sure bigger and heavier than the EDC light you use to carry, it is also the biggest flashlight I currently own, but it ain't excessive. Definitely not a piece of gear you stash in your pocket and forget, that's for sure... Size and weight make it suitable for carrying into a backpack, or on the belt with a dedicated sheath. To make a reference with the Maxpedition products, the TK-45 can be put (with some efforts, because of the tight aperture) inside the Proteus versipack, while squeezing in more comfortably in the upper pocket of the Condor II daypack (a very functional place to store such a flashlight).
Build quality
Build quality of my sample is very good, anodization is excellent, grooves are very fine and precise, offering nice grip. All in all the sensation is that of a quality item.
Beam profile
I have to admit I was very skeptical in the beginning because of the triple-headed optics layout, but the actual beam really surprised me: truly excellent. Very smooth transition between the wide hotspot and spill, the latter being really huge and "useful" because of its high intensity. What really got me was is the smoothness of the beam: I expected a somewhat visible interaction between the three light sources, because of the particular configuration of the "stand-alone" reflectors, but I have to admit the TK45's beam is running with the best single-led reflectors smoothness-wise. Shining the beam on a flat surface, the three light sources magically blend into a wide smooth circular beam right afterhalf a meter (about 20'')... impressive!
UI
I'd dare to define this UI "ideal". The two sidewinder buttons are very comfortably placed there where the thumb should rest: activation and levels changing is as easy as it gets. Accessing the strobe mode and the other beacon/SOS modes is easy but it's also very unlikely to do it unintentionally.
Power and levels' separation
Levels are nicely spaced, making the TK45 a very versatile flashlight. For the use in a prolonged hike (of many days) the TK45 pays for it's weight and size offering stunning runtimes. The "LOW" level (the one in which just one led is lighted) is actually very useful and plenty bright in the complete darkness of the nights in the woods, making it possible to see many meters far while offering fully regulated runtime for a s**t-load of hours (Fenix claims more than 200 hours!!), while the "MID" level is bright enough to lead a small party of hikers in the night trek efficiently offering many days of use if using it some hours per night. The cool thing is that rationing the use of the flashlightto the moments of need (no flashaholics games...) and making use of the higher intensity levels just for quick orienteering, one can expect to use the TK-45 for many weeks before being in the need for new batteries.
Tint
Tint of my sample is unquestionably COOL white, and I have to admit I'm not a fan of this tone of white: the tint is not overly cold and not "angry blue" by any mean, colours are still effectively distinguishable, but still my preference goes to the neutral and warm tints for the representation of depth and colours, not putting into account that I just find warm/neutral tinted whites simply more appealing to the sight. Having a TK45 in neutral or warm tint version wouls be nothing short of awesome, for what I could test it would be an astonishing outdoor flashlight. I'm also playing with the idea of modding it to achieve such a feature or having someone do it for me... let's see what new warm leds in the XP-G form factor come out for now.
Other stuff
Efficiency of thermal exchange is probably high due to the optics system made of three independent heads: a real plus in terms of reliability, it could be very important in scenarios of demanding use such as the "search&rescue", where turbo mode could be adopted for prolonged periods.
All in all
The TK45 is an excellent flashlight for both the urban and outdoor enviroments, it lights with great intensity large areas with its useful beam, in which the wide hotspot and spill blend beautifully. Also, thanks to the high power it is capable of delivering it can reach somewhat far distances (useful for the use on the road or for geographical orienteering at night), however this light ain't a thrower by any mean. I'm enjoying this flashlight a lot, I would advise the buy of the final version (which should come soon), even more considering that it will be even brighter than my sample thanks to the more efficient R5 leds! If you care about mental sanity you will want to purchase a dedicated battery chargerwith 8 slots, as imagining to charge batteries in two rounds with a 4-bays charger (maybe even a slow one), just makes my head ache...!
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