ICON Modus 1 & 2 Review

Tempest UK

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 15, 2006
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Location
England
ICON Modus 1 & 2

Vital stats (taken from www.myiconlight.com):

Output: 50/6 lumens (Modus 1), 100/10 lumens (Modus 2)
Runtime: 3/70 hours (Modus 1), 3/72 hours (Modus 2)
Length: 4 inches (Modus 1), 6 inches (Modus 2)
Weight: 2.8 ounces (Modus 1), 4.7 ounces (Modus 2)
Battery: 1x AA (Modus 1), 2x AA (Modus 2) - ETA (07/02/10) - Li-ion rechargeable batteries are safe to use in the Modus.

modus12.jpg


Let me make one thing clear before I start. My expectations for these lights were very high, and in my eyes these expectations have been exceeded. However, I know that a lot of CPF tends to focus on military/LEO/tactical/etc style flashlights and these people might get a bit of a shock. I love the styling and I'm pleased to see such a refreshing approach to flashlight design, but I understand that it won't be to the taste of everyone.

Size comparison:
modussize.jpg


The styling of the Modus is the work of Paul Kim (of SureFire fame), so there's a lot of experience behind this design, despite it being radically different from anything I've seen from SureFire. I'll let the photos do the talking. ICON is PK's attempt to provide stylish, aesthetically pleasing flashlights to a wide audience. Outside of CPF, a flashlight isn't something that people would consider as a fashionable item, but then the Modus is probably quite unlike what they're used to.

The "open architecture" or ribcage style (dubbed a "potato peeler" style by CPF) will be familiar to those who've used the Rogue models, but it's far more striking on the Modus. This exterior portion of the body curves outwards and fits very comfortably in the hand. The curved shape of the flashlight is one of the things that makes it look so striking and unusual, but it actually makes it one of the most comfortable lights to hold that I've used. These ribs have a certain amount of flex to them, and I found myself absent-mindedly squeezing them in my hand like a stress toy. I think it's this design that makes people want to pick them up and use them, as Size15's has commented, when they see the Modus.

The optic of the Modus:
modusoptic.jpg


I'm probably not the target market for ICON, just as I'm not the target market for SureFire, so I'll relay the reactions of some other people to the Modus. Some of this relates to the Rogue, but the Modus has generally been better received. Despite owning around 100 SureFires and carrying one just about everyday, they've never attracted any comment or attention. In a very short period of carrying ICON with me, they've drawn a considerable amount of attention, even from complete strangers. I assure you: being asked about your flashlight by someone who's a complete stranger, and presumably not a light-obsessed member of CPF, is a deeply strange experience. Hopefully this is an indication that the ICON lights have the broad appeal that PK intends for them to have.

I don't have the technological wizardry to produce runtime graphs and such but, as far as I can tell, the Modus has the same regulation as the Rogue. To summarize – after 10 minutes on high, the light will begin to dim very gradually. Upon swtiching the light off and on again, however, the light will kick back in on high again. Rinse and repeat. In reality, the "dimming" is actually very hard to notice, and doubt even CPFers would imediately notice that their light is dimming, especially when the light is actually being used rather than shone at a white wall. I think this regulation is one of the best features of the ICON lights and suits their target market well. If you're only using your light for short periods of time, rather than taking them on night expeditions through the mountains, into caves, or through a warzone, then having the light come on at its brightest every time becomes more important than flat regulation for hours on end.

modusswitchoptic.jpg


The user-interface remains the same as the Rogues. Click once for high, click off and on again for low. A gap of more than (roughly) 2 seconds will see the light return to high when switched back on again. The switch is slightly different, however. The rubber used on the Modus' switch feels a lot stiffer than that of the Rogue. As with the Rogue, the switch is raised for ease of use, though not quite as much. I can't quite decide which I prefer – I prefer the stiffer feel of the switch rubber on the Modus, but the Rogue's switch is significantly more raised and was somewhat easier to use (but really, it's a switch – it's not hard either way) as well as being larger.

A comparison of the Rogue and Modus switches:
modusswitchraised.jpg


As may be expected from a light using an optic, the Modus does, unfortunately, suffer from rings and artifacts. For an optic, though, it does provide a very usable amount of side-spill. The beam-profile is very similar to that of the SureFire E1B/E2DL. I don't know how the optics themselves compare physically, but the beams are very similar with perhaps slightly more spill on the Modus. Thermal management works extremely well, with both lights staying very cool during extended periods of use on high.

Close-up of the LED:
modusled.jpg


I was disappointed that no lanyard was included with either of the Modus models. With the Rogue, the included lanyard was threaded through one of the "ribs" on the body of the light, and the lanyard itself was probably the best I've ever used. Seeing as the Modus also uses the "ribcage" design, I'm sure a lanyard could have been used in the same way. I hope that the ICON lanyards are included with the Modus in the future. Actually, I hope that they are included with SureFire lights as well – I really do prefer the design.

I suppose that any recommendation of whether or not you should buy a Modus comes down to the stlying. I'm sure a lot of people will be turned off by the rather unusual design – it's a far cry from the deluge of grey, Type III anodised "tactical" lights – but do we really want to see the same designs over and over? The 6P is a classic and often imitated design, and one that I'm fond of, but I don't want to see it over and over forever. ICON is treading new ground, and I'm happy to see some completely fresh designs being brought to the table. PK is trying something new with the Rogue and Modus models and aims to bring quality, stylish flashlights to a whole new audience.

Many thanks to PK for providing the samples :) I look forward to new ICON models in the future...and the Modus in different colours!

If the lovely English weather decides to stop trying to drown me, then I'll try to get some beamshots posted.

Links to larger images:
Modus 1 & 2
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/5812/modus12.jpg

Size comparison:
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7982/modussize.jpg

Optic:
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/9282/modusoptic.jpg

Head and tail:
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3628/modusswitchoptic.jpg

Switches:
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9886/modusswitchraised.jpg

LED:
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/602/modusled.jpg

Regards,
Tempest
 
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Nice work! Your review and AardvarkSagus's one complement each other very well.

These are going to be very popular, IMO.

When you've dug yourself out of your 12 ft snowdrift, it would be great to see some comparison beamshots.

Moving to Reviews...
 
Outstanding review, many thanks Tempest!

I am in for one of these, can't wait til they are available!
 
Thanks for moving it, DM51 :)

With regards to beamshots, what would people like to see it compared to? I'll compare it to the Rogues, but I've got a fair selection of SureFires to draw on.

Regards,
Tempest
 
Thanks for the nice review. Just one point, my Rogue1 starts dropping out of regulation after 10 minutes continuously on, and other reports also note the 10 time frame for the Rogue's. Of course, simply turn off the light and back on, and that 10 minutes of flat runtime starts again.

Bill
 
:ohgeez:

It is indeed 10 minutes on high before the regulation kicks in. Not sure why I had 5 minutes in mind - I even sat there with a stopwatch to check it was the same.

Of course, this was done without any equipment to actually measure the output. The drop-off in output looks very severe on a graph, but in reality it's not very obvious to the naked eye.

Regards,
Tempest
 
Nice review !! :thumbsup:

hese ribs have a certain amount of flex to them, and I found myself absent-mindedly squeezing them in my hand like a stress toy.

Yes, it is addicting :D

I found that the optic in the Modus has significantly more spill than the E2D's, it is more general purpose oriented but still has a very nice punch to it.

And I LOVE the white design.

bernie
 
Wow I cant believe how recent this review is. I just got my first Icon Rogue PK edition. Now I want to get more haha. I gave my dad a 6PL and G2L. but seeing as how the Rogues and Modus run on AA I think I may take back my Surefires from him and give him Icons.

Thanks Tempest for the review.

How does the polymer body compare to say the G2?

I sent icon a message asking if i could buy the modus directly from Surefire. As I will be in town for the holidays.

I saw this posted on the site and thought it probably only applies to people like us.

Please fill out this form; we'll get back to you soon. Autograph requests for Paul Kim will go unanswered, but all other comments will be promptly addressed. Thanks for being an ICONista, or at least considering the option.
 
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...seeing as how the Rogues and Modus run on AA I think I may take back my Surefires from him and give him Icons.
That's exactly what I've been doing for many of my family and friends I've lent SureFires to)

How does the polymer body compare to say the G2?
ICON are using a different approach to the polymers they're using for the Modus - it one up and it feels different to any other flashlight. It's all part of the new experience PK has created and is offering to consumers.
 
How does the polymer body compare to say the G2?

It feels quite different. The Modus feels a lot smoother than nitrolon, and "softer" for want of a better word. It's smooth but very grippy.

I found it interesting that the feel of the Modus has clearly been given a lot of attention, as well as the aesthetics. The Modus draws on some of the same design ideas as the Rogue (the "ribcage" body shape) but, at least in my opinion, it has been far better realised on the Modus, giving the flashlight a very unique feel in the hand as well as the distinctive aesthetic appearance. I suppose it's a rather unusual example of a designer setting out to simultaneously produce a very visually striking product and a very practical one. PK has clearly wanted to create a stylish, desirable product, and he has managed to achieve that without it being at the expense of practicality. Quite the opposite, in fact - the two work hand-in-hand with the Modus.

And now I sound like an advertisement. :p

Regards,
Tempest
 
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Can you give a beamshot comparison to an X2E? :nana:

Very nice review. Is the entire body not made of metal?

*edit* No longer applies. *edit*
 
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Great review of these lights and their...ummm...interesting new design.

But...

...but do we really want to see the same designs over and over?

...if this is the new direction of flashlights, yes, I'll personally take that "deluge of grey, Type III anodized "tactical" lights" over this design any day.

Very thorough review nonetheless. :twothumbs
 
They do look nice, and the first thing I thought when I saw the bowed-out ribs was that it would be nice if they were a little squishy, so it's good to see they thought that too. Definitely looks like a lanyard light, though; it looks too big to carry in a pocket without a clip.

Speaking of which, it would be cool if they'd made one of the ribs so it was disconnected at one end, so it could double as a clip. Maybe in revision 2...:whistle:

The fact that it has a ringy beam is rather annoying, though. It's not like there aren't tons of suitable reflectors out there they could've used, and while I don't have much experience with TIR optics, I bet some frosting applied to the back surface of the optic would've had the same effect as orange-peel on a reflector. Also, it really should be able to tailstand; it's not a huge leap from an unguarded switch to a guarded one, and as bright as good flashlights are nowadays, even the most casual users would only need to be shown that function once before they understand its value.

Those are silly oversights in what sounds like it would otherwise be an excellent casual EDC light -- but that is the opinion of someone who knows better, which is almost certainly not the market they're going after, given that I saw a display of ICON Rogues hanging in my local Micro Center computer shop a few months back. And anyway, it is at least 95% there, which is a damn sight better than most lights targeted at Joe User.
 
...if this is the new direction of flashlights, yes, I'll personally take that "deluge of grey, Type III anodized "tactical" lights" over this design any day.

I wouldn't conclude that this it "the new direction of flashlights" - flashlights continue to take many different directions. Fortunately, that means we don't have to buy particular brand if we don't like it :)

ICON isn't going to stop SureFires or any other flashlights being produced. It just gives the likes of us another option in addition to the many we are already aware of, and a fresh option to others who may not have been aware of any kind of choice when it comes to flashlights.

Regards,
Tempest
 
They do look nice, and the first thing I thought when I saw the bowed-out ribs was that it would be nice if they were a little squishy, so it's good to see they thought that too. Definitely looks like a lanyard light, though; it looks too big to carry in a pocket without a clip.


Since owning an Icon rogue now for a couple weeks, I can say that it is very comfortable to pocket EDC. I like the lanyard as well but too much. So i use my Surefire lanyards instead. I also looped the lanyard thru all the ribs so the lanyard is tight against the body and not the thin ribs.

Im very curious about the Modus as i would like to try dyeing one like people who dye the yellow G2.
 
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