Review of the NeoFab LegionII
http://neo-fab.com/legionII/
Recently I was sent Neoseikans Legion II for the purpose of testing and beamshot comparisons with the M6 HOLA. I also included a few beamshot comparisons with some other interesting lights.
Here are the specs.
The Specs
* Powerful, Precise, Reliable Driver. ( We use 0.007 ohm resistors from Vishay/Dale. )
* Current Up to 3000mA.
* Best Current Regulation At Any Level, Without Audiable Noise.
* Reverse Voltage Protection
* 5 Exponential Levels.
* Thumb Control Without Strain On The Wrist.
* Revolutionary UI, The Easiest Way To Level Up/Down.
* Quick Access to Any 2 Default Levels.
* Built-in Battery Gauge.
* Over-discharge protection.
* Built-in Battery Holder.
* Ultimate Thermal Management.
* Custom Hi-End Parts.
Head Diameter: 53mm.
Housing Diameter: 41.5mm
Output:
2.9A(full distance)
L1 = 98 lumens, L2 = 157, L3 = 264, L4 = 456, L5 = 742.
--by WBP
Battery level6 (full)->level5 : About 35mins.
Battery level5 (good)->level4: About 35mins.
Battery level4 (fair)->level3: About 25mins.
Battery level3 (low)->level2: About 15mins.
Battery level2 (quite low)->Warning->level1->Auto OFF: 10mins.
Run Times:
I was fortunate to have this light for a couple of weeks before having to reluctantly pass it along to the next reviewer. I really got to give the light a good work out and I went through 4 fully charged sets of 18650's during the process. The runtimes were impressive considering the overall output of this light.
High
AW 18650's 2200mAh cells provided 2:14
LG 18650's 2600mAh cells provided 2:42
Low
Tenergy 18650's 2600mAh cells provided between
22 and 23 hours. I didn't see how many minutes it lasted but I was checking it every hour.
Temperatures:
During the run-time test I measured the peak temperatures during both set's of batteries but temperatures were about the same for each. The light was set on the ceramic tile floor with no additional airflow. I really wanted to put this light to the test so I didn't go easy on it. During both sets of batteries, max temperatures were reached within about 40-42 minutes into the run. After than the light stayed at that reading throughout the run.
Ambient temp of tile:
Bottom of stainless tailcap:
Base of light body:
Hottest point on the light:
At 145 degrees the light was uncomfortable to the touch. It was so warm that I could only hold it in each hand for several seconds before I had to switch hands. The more I handled it the more the light cooled back down. During continuous handling the light stayed about 120-125 degrees. It's impressive to me that 3 x 18650's could produce so much heat and light for over two and a half hours but I guess that's just a good reminder of how much energy li-ion batteries actually store.
User Interface:
I think this unique interface is probably the light's greatest feature and at the same time a place where some of my main complaints reside. The operation of the ring itself is very beautifully smooth in both directions. There isn't any forward or backward play to speak of and in my estimation it had just the right amount of tension or spring resistance in each direction. Any more tension it might be difficult to operation with one hand (more specifically the thumb and forefinger) while any less tension might allow the light to inadvertently turn on if was in a case or stuffed in your back pocket to free a hand. The amount of knurling seemed just about right also.
To turn the light from off to high you twist the ring to the right and hold it there for about 4 seconds. After that each additional twist to the right decreases the output level down one pre-set. To turn the light of you twist and hold the ring to the left for about 2 seconds.
To turn the light from off to low you twist the ring to the left for about 1.5-2 seconds and the light comes on at it's lowest level. After than each additional twist to the left bumps the output level up one pre-set.
This is a mostly intuitive and natural set-up except that I'd like to see a right twist always increase output and a left twist always decrease output. I think that would be more natural and even after playing with the light several days I'd occasionally twist the wrong way just because of how my brain thinks.
My other complaint is that it takes far too long to turn the light from off to high, which my stop watch showed to be about 4.2 seconds. Obviously the light goes to full output the moment the ring is turned but if you set the light down before "continuous run" is engaged, it will turn back off. A blink occurs once continuous run is engaged providing a visual aid instead of having to guess. This is a small detail but very important during use. To give and example of what this might be light imagine a forward clicky that you had to hold for over 4 seconds to turn on for hands free use. During my photo sessions of the light the extraordinarily long pause caused me to grow impatient with it several times because I was busy cycling through other lights, placing the on the tripod, aiming them, taking the shots, etc. The LegionII always slowed me down. Although turning the light off takes half the time, it's still a pause that I felt was just a bit too long.
Now this is just a prototype and evedently NeoFab is still working out the details. From that stand point I'll extend them a big break but hopefully these issues can be sorted out. I think that a full second to turn the light to continuous mode, either full on or full off would be reasonable and user friendly.
Build Quality:
This is always one of those areas that can be highly subjective. Without actually testing the lights to destruction it's hard to compare one light to another and so it seems that most lights get the nod with regards to perceived toughness.
By all accounts this light seems very durable. It has a stainless bezel and tail cap which I like very much. One of the ends of the flashlight normally take the brunt of the blow if dropped and I love stainless steel because often any damage can be buffed out in the event of an accident. Obviously this is only important to us guys & gals who enjoy keeping our lights looking nice.
The light is made of 7075 aluminum which seems to be very resistant to deformation in my experience. Aluminum is probably my all time favorite flashlight material because it's lightweight and has great thermal properties. 7075 is as good as it gets in the flashlight industry so I praise NeoFab for choosing a great material.
The HA finish is very light in color which I kind of like. It sets it apart from Surefire style HA that's so common these days. It almost has a transparent look to it and appears to have a luster that other HA lights don't have unless they've been polished with plastic buffer compound. There were a few finish flaws and specs on my test sample but again, this is a proto and I don't know what else the light has been through before it came to me. It's possible that it didn't come out of the anodizing process like that but instead happened later. Maybe Neo can comment about that.
The machining is a 9.5 out of 10. It's nearly perfect in every area and a notch above nearly every production light that I own. It was difficult to locate imperfections and I had to find them with a magnifying glass. Very nice! Have a look....
Some physical size and color comparisons with the well known M6:
I was asked by Neoseikan not to take the light apart because it could damage it. So the most disassemble you'll being seeing in this review is the removal of the tailcap. This was a limiting factor in really digging beneath the surface which I dearly wanted to do but because it's a prototype certain things were off limits.
Battery configuration and tailcap threads
That beautiful emitter and reflector. Notice the magnified LED die gaps projected onto the reflector.
Output Performance vs. M6 HOLA
One of the main reasons that I was asked to test the LegionII is because I'd be comparing it to the well known M6 HOLA which has long been the one of the standard or perhaps "benchmarks" for lights this size. Here are the some results.
Legion II on high (op reflector)
M6 MN21 (fresh Energizer batteries 2017 exp)
Legion II (op reflector) (underexposed)
M6 MN21 (underexposed)
Lux measurements at 1 meter:
LegionII 14,800 (measured at brightest point outside of donut)
M6 MN21 15,600
Although the M6 threw a little bit better the Legion II would undoubtedly out throw the MN21 if the smooth reflector was installed. It's apparent to me that the Legion II is out putting more overall lumens. For some reason the MN21 didn't look as bright as it normally does so the next night I used a different M6 with different bulb, batteries, and battery carrier. The only difference with the following pictures is that the white balance was set to daylight instead of auto. Some other members asked if I could take some shots with this setting so I did. I see benefits to each but the negative effect is that the incandescent lights appear much more orange than they really are.
35 Yards, F4.0 @ 3.2" ISO/50 WB set to Daylight.
LegionII high
M6 HOLA Energizer 2017 expiration
rotating gif image of LegionII and M6 HOLA
F4.0 @ .5" ISO/50 WB set to Daylight
LegionII (underexposed)
M6 HOLA Energizer 2017 expiration (underexposed)
rotating gif image of LegionII and M6 HOLA (underexposed)
Lux measurements at 10 meters:
LegionII 13,900 (measured at brightest point outside of donut)
M6 MN21 17,800
My take on outright output. It's a really tough call when comparing LED to incan when their output levels are so close. Both M6 HOLA's measured higher lux in throw tests and seemed to increase when doing 10 meter trials, probably due to where the reflector focuses. During ceiling bounce tests the LegionII measured higher than the first M6 but lower than the second M6 tested, (Those numbers later). During general use I'd have to go out on a limb and say that the LegionII had a generally more user friendly beam than the M6. It was much wider and provided more spill which many will argue makes the better utilitarian light every time. This despite the relatively noticable donut shape in the LegionII's beam. White wall hunters my find great fault with this light because of the "donut" but in use I can honestly say that it was a non-issue for me. When pointing it at anything other than a garage door or wall the donut goes unnoticed. Look at what's gained by using the MC-E, over 2 and a 1/2 hours of 750-800 lumens, dead steady due to fantastic regulation. The M6 on primaries falls well below the LegionII's output within five minutes into their run. For some time now I haven't been a huge fan of primaries in the M6 since li-ion options are so far superior with regards to run-time and flatter output, but comparing one stock set-up to another stock set-up there is really no comparison. I have to give the trophy to the LegionII in every area of output except throw. Color temperature is far more subjective and those needing high CRI will still favor the M6 initially until the beam is orange 15 minutes later. Obviously these lights were designed for a different purpose which has to be acknowledged but for general purpose though I favor the output qualities of the LegionII.
LUX MEASUREMENTS added 4.21.09
These were shot in my integrating bathroom with the lux setting sensitivity set to 200 peak. The lights were all aimed at the opposite upper corner of the room where the ceiling and wall meet.
Camera settings were .5" @ F5.6 ISO 50 White Balance set to Daylight.
Control 1.6 lux (zebra headlamp on medium)
DEFT Q5 WC 10.9 lux
DBS V2 Q5 WC 15.5 lux
Jil EZnite 10W HID 24.2 lux
M6 HOLA (sample one) 43.5 lux
LegionII 46.2 lux
M6 HOLA (sample two) 50.4 lux
FM11 52.8 lux
Mag 1185 3C modamag reflector 78.6 lux
M6 1185 3 x 17670s 88.4 lux
WiseLED Tactical 7 x P4s 91.2 lux
DEFT Q5 WC 10.9 lux
DBS V2 Q5 WC 15.5 lux
Jil EZnite 10W HID 24.2 lux
M6 HOLA (sample one) 43.5 lux
LegionII 46.2 lux
M6 HOLA (sample two) 50.4 lux
FM11 52.8 lux
Mag 1185 3C modamag reflector 78.6 lux
M6 1185 3 x 17670s 88.4 lux
WiseLED Tactical 7 x P4s 91.2 lux
http://neo-fab.com/legionII/
Recently I was sent Neoseikans Legion II for the purpose of testing and beamshot comparisons with the M6 HOLA. I also included a few beamshot comparisons with some other interesting lights.
Here are the specs.
The Specs
* Powerful, Precise, Reliable Driver. ( We use 0.007 ohm resistors from Vishay/Dale. )
* Current Up to 3000mA.
* Best Current Regulation At Any Level, Without Audiable Noise.
* Reverse Voltage Protection
* 5 Exponential Levels.
* Thumb Control Without Strain On The Wrist.
* Revolutionary UI, The Easiest Way To Level Up/Down.
* Quick Access to Any 2 Default Levels.
* Built-in Battery Gauge.
* Over-discharge protection.
* Built-in Battery Holder.
* Ultimate Thermal Management.
* Custom Hi-End Parts.
* B270 Multi-layer AR Coated Lens With 99.5% Transparence
* ALCOA 7075-T651
* CNC Machining
* TYPE III Hard Anodizing
Length: About 177mm.* ALCOA 7075-T651
* CNC Machining
* TYPE III Hard Anodizing
Head Diameter: 53mm.
Housing Diameter: 41.5mm
Output:
2.9A(full distance)
L1 = 98 lumens, L2 = 157, L3 = 264, L4 = 456, L5 = 742.
--by WBP
Battery level6 (full)->level5 : About 35mins.
Battery level5 (good)->level4: About 35mins.
Battery level4 (fair)->level3: About 25mins.
Battery level3 (low)->level2: About 15mins.
Battery level2 (quite low)->Warning->level1->Auto OFF: 10mins.
Run Times:
I was fortunate to have this light for a couple of weeks before having to reluctantly pass it along to the next reviewer. I really got to give the light a good work out and I went through 4 fully charged sets of 18650's during the process. The runtimes were impressive considering the overall output of this light.
High
AW 18650's 2200mAh cells provided 2:14
LG 18650's 2600mAh cells provided 2:42
Low
Tenergy 18650's 2600mAh cells provided between
22 and 23 hours. I didn't see how many minutes it lasted but I was checking it every hour.
Temperatures:
During the run-time test I measured the peak temperatures during both set's of batteries but temperatures were about the same for each. The light was set on the ceramic tile floor with no additional airflow. I really wanted to put this light to the test so I didn't go easy on it. During both sets of batteries, max temperatures were reached within about 40-42 minutes into the run. After than the light stayed at that reading throughout the run.
Ambient temp of tile:
Bottom of stainless tailcap:
Base of light body:
Hottest point on the light:
At 145 degrees the light was uncomfortable to the touch. It was so warm that I could only hold it in each hand for several seconds before I had to switch hands. The more I handled it the more the light cooled back down. During continuous handling the light stayed about 120-125 degrees. It's impressive to me that 3 x 18650's could produce so much heat and light for over two and a half hours but I guess that's just a good reminder of how much energy li-ion batteries actually store.
User Interface:
I think this unique interface is probably the light's greatest feature and at the same time a place where some of my main complaints reside. The operation of the ring itself is very beautifully smooth in both directions. There isn't any forward or backward play to speak of and in my estimation it had just the right amount of tension or spring resistance in each direction. Any more tension it might be difficult to operation with one hand (more specifically the thumb and forefinger) while any less tension might allow the light to inadvertently turn on if was in a case or stuffed in your back pocket to free a hand. The amount of knurling seemed just about right also.
To turn the light from off to high you twist the ring to the right and hold it there for about 4 seconds. After that each additional twist to the right decreases the output level down one pre-set. To turn the light of you twist and hold the ring to the left for about 2 seconds.
To turn the light from off to low you twist the ring to the left for about 1.5-2 seconds and the light comes on at it's lowest level. After than each additional twist to the left bumps the output level up one pre-set.
This is a mostly intuitive and natural set-up except that I'd like to see a right twist always increase output and a left twist always decrease output. I think that would be more natural and even after playing with the light several days I'd occasionally twist the wrong way just because of how my brain thinks.
My other complaint is that it takes far too long to turn the light from off to high, which my stop watch showed to be about 4.2 seconds. Obviously the light goes to full output the moment the ring is turned but if you set the light down before "continuous run" is engaged, it will turn back off. A blink occurs once continuous run is engaged providing a visual aid instead of having to guess. This is a small detail but very important during use. To give and example of what this might be light imagine a forward clicky that you had to hold for over 4 seconds to turn on for hands free use. During my photo sessions of the light the extraordinarily long pause caused me to grow impatient with it several times because I was busy cycling through other lights, placing the on the tripod, aiming them, taking the shots, etc. The LegionII always slowed me down. Although turning the light off takes half the time, it's still a pause that I felt was just a bit too long.
Now this is just a prototype and evedently NeoFab is still working out the details. From that stand point I'll extend them a big break but hopefully these issues can be sorted out. I think that a full second to turn the light to continuous mode, either full on or full off would be reasonable and user friendly.
Build Quality:
This is always one of those areas that can be highly subjective. Without actually testing the lights to destruction it's hard to compare one light to another and so it seems that most lights get the nod with regards to perceived toughness.
By all accounts this light seems very durable. It has a stainless bezel and tail cap which I like very much. One of the ends of the flashlight normally take the brunt of the blow if dropped and I love stainless steel because often any damage can be buffed out in the event of an accident. Obviously this is only important to us guys & gals who enjoy keeping our lights looking nice.
The light is made of 7075 aluminum which seems to be very resistant to deformation in my experience. Aluminum is probably my all time favorite flashlight material because it's lightweight and has great thermal properties. 7075 is as good as it gets in the flashlight industry so I praise NeoFab for choosing a great material.
The HA finish is very light in color which I kind of like. It sets it apart from Surefire style HA that's so common these days. It almost has a transparent look to it and appears to have a luster that other HA lights don't have unless they've been polished with plastic buffer compound. There were a few finish flaws and specs on my test sample but again, this is a proto and I don't know what else the light has been through before it came to me. It's possible that it didn't come out of the anodizing process like that but instead happened later. Maybe Neo can comment about that.
The machining is a 9.5 out of 10. It's nearly perfect in every area and a notch above nearly every production light that I own. It was difficult to locate imperfections and I had to find them with a magnifying glass. Very nice! Have a look....
Some physical size and color comparisons with the well known M6:
I was asked by Neoseikan not to take the light apart because it could damage it. So the most disassemble you'll being seeing in this review is the removal of the tailcap. This was a limiting factor in really digging beneath the surface which I dearly wanted to do but because it's a prototype certain things were off limits.
Battery configuration and tailcap threads
That beautiful emitter and reflector. Notice the magnified LED die gaps projected onto the reflector.
Output Performance vs. M6 HOLA
One of the main reasons that I was asked to test the LegionII is because I'd be comparing it to the well known M6 HOLA which has long been the one of the standard or perhaps "benchmarks" for lights this size. Here are the some results.
Legion II on high (op reflector)
M6 MN21 (fresh Energizer batteries 2017 exp)
Legion II (op reflector) (underexposed)
M6 MN21 (underexposed)
Lux measurements at 1 meter:
LegionII 14,800 (measured at brightest point outside of donut)
M6 MN21 15,600
Although the M6 threw a little bit better the Legion II would undoubtedly out throw the MN21 if the smooth reflector was installed. It's apparent to me that the Legion II is out putting more overall lumens. For some reason the MN21 didn't look as bright as it normally does so the next night I used a different M6 with different bulb, batteries, and battery carrier. The only difference with the following pictures is that the white balance was set to daylight instead of auto. Some other members asked if I could take some shots with this setting so I did. I see benefits to each but the negative effect is that the incandescent lights appear much more orange than they really are.
35 Yards, F4.0 @ 3.2" ISO/50 WB set to Daylight.
LegionII high
M6 HOLA Energizer 2017 expiration
rotating gif image of LegionII and M6 HOLA
F4.0 @ .5" ISO/50 WB set to Daylight
LegionII (underexposed)
M6 HOLA Energizer 2017 expiration (underexposed)
rotating gif image of LegionII and M6 HOLA (underexposed)
Lux measurements at 10 meters:
LegionII 13,900 (measured at brightest point outside of donut)
M6 MN21 17,800
My take on outright output. It's a really tough call when comparing LED to incan when their output levels are so close. Both M6 HOLA's measured higher lux in throw tests and seemed to increase when doing 10 meter trials, probably due to where the reflector focuses. During ceiling bounce tests the LegionII measured higher than the first M6 but lower than the second M6 tested, (Those numbers later). During general use I'd have to go out on a limb and say that the LegionII had a generally more user friendly beam than the M6. It was much wider and provided more spill which many will argue makes the better utilitarian light every time. This despite the relatively noticable donut shape in the LegionII's beam. White wall hunters my find great fault with this light because of the "donut" but in use I can honestly say that it was a non-issue for me. When pointing it at anything other than a garage door or wall the donut goes unnoticed. Look at what's gained by using the MC-E, over 2 and a 1/2 hours of 750-800 lumens, dead steady due to fantastic regulation. The M6 on primaries falls well below the LegionII's output within five minutes into their run. For some time now I haven't been a huge fan of primaries in the M6 since li-ion options are so far superior with regards to run-time and flatter output, but comparing one stock set-up to another stock set-up there is really no comparison. I have to give the trophy to the LegionII in every area of output except throw. Color temperature is far more subjective and those needing high CRI will still favor the M6 initially until the beam is orange 15 minutes later. Obviously these lights were designed for a different purpose which has to be acknowledged but for general purpose though I favor the output qualities of the LegionII.
LUX MEASUREMENTS added 4.21.09
These were shot in my integrating bathroom with the lux setting sensitivity set to 200 peak. The lights were all aimed at the opposite upper corner of the room where the ceiling and wall meet.
Camera settings were .5" @ F5.6 ISO 50 White Balance set to Daylight.
Control 1.6 lux (zebra headlamp on medium)
DEFT Q5 WC 10.9 lux
DBS V2 Q5 WC 15.5 lux
Jil EZnite 10W HID 24.2 lux
M6 HOLA (sample one) 43.5 lux
LegionII 46.2 lux
M6 HOLA (sample two) 50.4 lux
FM11 52.8 lux
Mag 1185 3C modamag reflector 78.6 lux
M6 1185 3 x 17670s 88.4 lux
WiseLED Tactical 7 x P4s 91.2 lux
DEFT Q5 WC 10.9 lux
DBS V2 Q5 WC 15.5 lux
Jil EZnite 10W HID 24.2 lux
M6 HOLA (sample one) 43.5 lux
LegionII 46.2 lux
M6 HOLA (sample two) 50.4 lux
FM11 52.8 lux
Mag 1185 3C modamag reflector 78.6 lux
M6 1185 3 x 17670s 88.4 lux
WiseLED Tactical 7 x P4s 91.2 lux
Last edited:
) Like you, when I want it to latch on I would like that to be as instant as a clicky switch. However, there may be times when the S2 is pressed into tactical duty. At those times the 4 second delay to latch on is about right or maybe a little short. 
