Nitecore EZ AA review: A Layman's Perspective

[Tekno_Cowboy]

Looks like a nice, simple light. I'm with the people who thing the low should be higher, and the high lower, to make the light even more useful.

What lube are you using on the threads?

 

[Burgess]

Nice job here, AardvarkSagus --


:goodjob:

_

 

[ruriimasu]

"Nitecore has designated Low power to be 15 lumens and High to be 130 lumens, however I suspect that these numbers are strictly calculated numbers based on the current being provided to the LED rather than measurement of the torch itself."

I thought I heard Nitecore has an IS and uses it to rate their lumens by measuring the out the front lumens.

even so... what happened to the IMPROVED efficiency that 47 said this light will deliver? instead of better efficiency, it turned out to fall behind the other single AA flashlights :shrug:

 

[StandardBattery]

Maybe they used too much cheap epoxy in the production lights and it turned out not to be a very good dielectric. :devil: That'll teach'em for sealing the things up.

 

[AardvarkSagus]

What lube are you using on the threads?

I was using a thin silicone lube to start with (though the light felt grindy the moment I opened the package). I have since switched to a thicker automotive grease just as a last resort and it seems to be working some. This one doesn't feel nearly as abrasive but I am concerned about my oring. Oh well, that's why they have spares in the package, right?

 

[Zeruel]

Thanks for the review, Aard. In your personal opinion, do you think you'll put it on your keychain?

 

[Mr_Light]

One thing that I don't really understand is the price is almost double what I paid for the JetBeam C-LE (original) that is my dependable EDC?

 

[Kilovolt]

An interesting review, thanks for sharing.

 

[Tekno_Cowboy]

I was using a thin silicone lube to start with (though the light felt grindy the moment I opened the package). I have since switched to a thicker automotive grease just as a last resort and it seems to be working some. This one doesn't feel nearly as abrasive but I am concerned about my oring. Oh well, that's why they have spares in the package, right?

You might want to try a teflon lube. I've found them to be some of the best for smoothing out "grindy" lights. I was using Magnalube-G, which was an improvement over most of the lubes I had used prior.
After receiving my Ti D10 from JHanko, I got hooked on Krytox. The only other lube I've seen that comes close to it's buttery smoothness is the stuff Henry uses on the Ra lights.
I've also heard "Super Lube" is good. I believe this is used on Novatacs.

 

[AardvarkSagus]

Personally I don't think I could stand anything larger than the E01 on my keychain. This is a bit more in girth and length. I doubt I will keychain carry it. It is excellently sized for the watch/change pocket on my pants though.

@Tekno Cowboy:
I'll have to look into those lubes. Gotta be something better than what I am using.

 

[Zeruel]

Personally I don't think I could stand anything larger than the E01 on my keychain. This is a bit more in girth and length. I doubt I will keychain carry it. It is excellently sized for the watch/change pocket on my pants though.

Ahhh....same here.
Seems your change pocket is rather deep.
Or do I confuse with jeans' change pockets?

 

[Tekno_Cowboy]

I sell Krytox in my sigline, or I could send you a little Magnalube-G to try. The Krytox is much better (and it has to be to cost as much as it does), but the Magnalube would be free
Be warned though, the Magnalube contains petroleum products, and is green.

 

[AardvarkSagus]

Ahhh....same here.
Seems your change pocket is rather deep.
Or do I confuse with jeans' change pockets?

It's my jeans watch/change pocket. Some of them are deep and some are pretty shallow, most fit this light well enough with more in than out.

 

[Zeruel]

It's my jeans watch/change pocket. Some of them are deep and some are pretty shallow, most fit this light well enough with more in than out.

To my experience, only small lights like Raw (or smaller) sits in properly, wouldn't sitting down pushes it out?

Which might bring on a question from your friends "Is that a flashlight sliding out of your pants or are you glad to see me?"

 

[AardvarkSagus]

Nah, I don't seem to have any problem with it. My friends all seem to be starting to ask me "Do you have anything new?" lately anyway.

This one is going to find at least a temporary home in my wife's purse methinks so I won't have to worry about storage, at least for now.

 

[AardvarkSagus]

http://www.nitecore.com/News/news7.html
Notice of Official Recall of NiteCore EZ AA Flashlights
Dear Valued NiteCore Customers,

Due to our tests and the feedback from some of our customers, we are issuing a recall of the most recent batch of EZ AA's. There was an issue involving the circuit in the NiteCore EZ AA model which produced lower efficiency in the low mode than we had expected. The efficiency in the production run did not meet the same specs as in the pre-production pieces.

We are very sorry for this. We are announcing the recall of all NiteCore EZ AA flashlights. You may contact the store where you purchased your EZ AA to return it for a refund or replacement. We will ship out improved EZ AA once they are ready. Please contact your local NiteCore distributors/dealers for more details.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and thank you for your co-operation. We have improved our design and development procedures, along with prototype testing, to ensure great product with the first run. It is our desire that all NiteCore products meet our highest standard of quality specifications from the very beginning. Thank you all for your understanding and continued support.

For any further inquiries or assistance, please contact your local dealer or contact NiteCore by phone (+86-20-84266909) or email ([email protected] or [email protected] ). Thank you!

Sincerely,
NiteCore

It appears that Nitecore has acknowledged their faulty product and has determined to make it right for everyone.

 

[guam9092]

I'm returning my EZ AA back to 7777 for a refund or replacement. Hopefully the new improved model won't take long to arrive for those who waited.

 

[AardvarkSagus]

Continuation of my initial review in light of the product recall and subsequent re-release:

Shortly after the initial release of the EZ AA, Nitecore issued a recall of their entire stock, citing unacceptable electronic efficiency as the underlying reasoning behind their decision. While they were at it, they also seem to have taken steps to revive consumer confidence by correcting some of the other concerns we have expressed as early adopters and reviewers.

Gone now on my sample are both the whine at either output and the shards of demolished aluminum threads. This unit is far smoother to operate, though it still retains much of its former tension while twisting. Nitecore also used this opportunity to revisit their switching mechanism and drastically reduce the distance of travel required for activation of High output mode. While still not able to occur in a single fluid motion all the way from off, the difference is noticable and definitely approved of by this particular user.

The electronic improvements performed by Nitecore manifest themselves in both brightness and efficiency. Without the equipment to accurately measure runtime, I am limited to observational comparisons. The literature included in the revised EZ AA specifies a change from the previous 15 lumen rating on low to a new 10 lumen rating, however the net result is a beam that is noticably brighter than its predicessor. If the high beam has been affected in any way by the alterations, the effect is negligable. I can not see any discernable difference between the high beams of either light.

In all, Nitecore has significantly improved upon the usability of this first light in their EZ series along with solidifying their reputation as a company that is willing to go the extra mile to make things right to their customers. I see the EZ AA as a much improved backup light now, providing adequate illumination for occasional everyday tasks while still having the power to really light things up when needed. I believe that the EZ AA has finally come into its own.