Which is better: Smartfire CR2, F&L J1, Ultrafire 3W

fifthunit.com offers the following 3 small CR2 lights:

Smartfire CR2

F&L J1 3W

Ultrafire 3W


There's a review of F&J J1.


I want to buy one. Which one do you guys recommend? and why?


The Ultrafire 3W comes with a 2AA extention tube.

The F&L J1 says it now comes with a 2AA extension tube, but includes a link to the Ultrafire 3W. I have no idea what that means.

I don't don't really care about the extension tubes, because I want something small and affordable.

I have not bought from fifthunit, so I don't know their reputation.

There's a crazy thing about the F&L J1 3W on the Fifthunit. It appears to be the exact same light as the Ultrafire w/CR2 and 2AA tube, except that the F&L J1 3w is HA and about $3 more! Actually, I ordered the F&L J1 3w, but it actually says Ultrafire on it, not F&L J1. The threads aren't too nice. It appears to have some lubrication on the threads/o-ring, but I still can turn it on with one hand. Hopefully, it'll losen up with with some more lube (which, I don't have). The Smartfire looks just like the Luxogen light that Waion is selling. I've got the one from Waion and the threads are pretty smooth. I think they've, probably, all got the same drivers in them. I think they all have the same output, too.

I'll go with the Smartfire CR2, the finishing on the F&L J1 is not very good.

Thanks for the useful info Trashman.

Flame2000, I also read flashlightreviews that that the F&L J1's finish isn't good. Do you have other reasons for recommending Smartfire CR2? And which do you own?

I just recently got a F&L J1 from 5th Unit.

The tint is a little on the green side. But I can attribute that to the LED lottery draw.

There are visual machining marks on the 4 bevels (don't know if that's the correct terminology), where the logo is. But they can not be felt. The 4 surfaces are smooth to the touch.

I plan on buying another soon; before they change the external design.

I like the F&L and was going to get one for a work dispoable (I loose things alot at work) but I was trying to get some good info on the other models you have mentioned. Like the idea of the Ultrafire 3W with 2AA ext though.

toyrolex said:

Thanks for the useful info Trashman.

Flame2000, I also read flashlightreviews that that the F&L J1's finish isn't good. Do you have other reasons for recommending Smartfire CR2? And which do you own?

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I don't own any CR2 lights at the moment. Most of my lights are running on AA & CR123A. I have no intention of investing on another type of battery so I stay away from CR2 lights.

If I am not wrong, the Smartfire CR2 are exactly the same as Luxogen LR10-3W. No particular reason, I just like the design more. Anyway, I read in one of the thread somewhere that Smartfire/Ultrafire are one manufacturer. (dunno if it's true or not)

BTW, I just got a 602D from fifthunit, shld be on it's way here.

With the shipment of the Ultrafire 3W and Smartfire CR2, I finally have all three of the lights and can make a comparison. The Ultrafire I received is labeled as the Luxogen LR5-3W, and curiously marked "USA" as well. The Smartfire CR2 is labeled Smartfire B-13W. The F&L J1 is labeled as such.

I've been carrying the J1 for a while as an EDC and have become quite fond of it. To power it, I've been using a RCR2 battery as the regular CR2 batteries are fairly expensive here in Germany. The tint of the J1 is on the warm side with a light yellow color. I plan on doing a lux output comparison later this week with my luxmeter. I don't own or have access to a lumenmeter, so I'll have to settle with the lux comparison.

The Luxogen LR5-3W is a CR123 powered light with a tint slightly whiter than the J1 and a bit tighter beam. It is also about 1 centimeter longer than the J1 and has the glossy black finish you would find on a Maglight. the end section is threaded and will accept a standard camera tripod mount. The reflector isn't stippled and has a smooth polished finished. There is a bit of dust inside that I will need to remove by disassembling the head. The threads on the body are machined well and are also anodized with the same glossy finish as the rest of the body. This light is a twisty and turns very easily. A bit too easily for my taste, but that is a matter of preference. The light is supplied with a simple wrist lanyard that is begging to be replaced with a split ring and lobster claw.

The Smartfire B-13W is a nice little CR2 powered 3W light with a semiglossy black finish. I prefer this finish over the Luxogen and like the body styling as well. The tint of the output is cooler than either the J1 or LR5 and has a slight bluish hue. The polished reflector is dust and defect free. Unlike either the J1 or LR5, the tail section does not have the threaded hole for attachment to a tripod. The Smartfire light also shipped with the wrist lanyard which would be nicely replaced with a split ring and other fob attachment. The light, being a twisty also, turns easier than the J1, but is not as loose as the Luxogen. I find this to be the best of the three lights.

As soon as I get some light output measurements, I'll post the results. As far as which is my favorite, I like the fact the Luxogen uses the CR123 battery, but didn't care for the loose threading and how easily the head turns. The Smartfire is slightly shorter than the J1 and has a very nice finish and cool tint. If the output is as good or better than the J1, I think it will be my new EDC. If you are more into the natural HAIII finish, then the J1 is a good choice. Also, I think you could use the FLUPiC board in it for an inexpensive upgrade. I've not tried this, so please see if someone else has tried it.

thnx radargreg. nice overview.

my only real criticisms of the J1 are:

- the very sharp edges on the rear "fins" that surround the tripod mount hole. they make it unpleasant to handle the unit or to search for it in a pocket.

- a runtime of only 20 minutes (to 50% brightness), if the charts i've seen are correct.

Thanks, RadarGreg for the very useful info and comparison.

I'm a little confused why the Ultrafire **CR2** you ordered became a Luxogen **CR123**? Did you ordered a Ultrafire CR2?

I wish there was a way for me to see all 3 before I buy. I wanted a really small and very bright light, so I was thinking that the CR2 lights will be a little shorter than the CR123, but I really don't know if it will make a difference for me.

I look forward to your light measurements and further comments.

Finally, is there a way you can take a picture of these flashlights together for a size comparison?

toyrolex said:

Thanks, RadarGreg for the very useful info and comparison.

I'm a little confused why the Ultrafire **CR2** you ordered became a Luxogen **CR123**? Did you ordered a Ultrafire CR2?

I wish there was a way for me to see all 3 before I buy. I wanted a really small and very bright light, so I was thinking that the CR2 lights will be a little shorter than the CR123, but I really don't know if it will make a difference for me.

I look forward to your light measurements and further comments.

Finally, is there a way you can take a picture of these flashlights together for a size comparison?

Click to expand...

I think my order through Dae's website was for the Smartfire CR2 and Smartfire CR123. The CR123 light came marked as a Luxogen. It didn't make a big difference to me as I have no particular brand loyalty with either one. I really like the swall size of the CR2 power lights and will probably now carry the Smartfire CR2 as my EDC. The body styling, light color and runtime outweigh the oddity of the CR2 battery. I'm using a RCR2 battery in it right now and am happy with the output.

I started making the runtime vs. temperature vs. lux output last night, but had bumped the test fixture I set up and invalidated the lux measurements. I'll try again tonight and post at least one of the results. As time permits, I'll do the others as well. If you do decide to go with the CR2 powered light, I'd recommend you pick up a couple RCR2 batteries and a charger. The CR2 batteries can run around 8 Euros each here in Germany, although you can get them for a buck apiece from batterystation.com or other sites online.

I'm glad my information was useful. The world of pocket-sized lights is a whole different side of the flashlight forums. You will never get a 500 lumen throw monster out of a light that runs on a single battery, but it is amazing just how much performance you can get out of these dimutive mini-beasts.

I started doing some runtime tests and wanted to post the first of the three lights I will evaluate. The first is the Smartfire B-13W. My test fixture is below:





It looks a bit crude, but I am able to get a lux reading for each light without outside influence from overhead or room lighting. The British plug adapter is used to hold the light being tested and thermal isolate it from the surroundings. The IR thermometer is used to test the temperature as near to the front of the head as possible. I checked the battery, a DLG ICR15266, 3.7 VDC 300 mAh RCR2 battery with the Ansmann Energy Check LCD and it gave a charge reading of 100% and 3.73 VDC. My choice in using a rechargeable RCR2 battery is due to the limited number of CR2 batteries I have on hand. I didn't want to use up two of them for the runtime test, and figured the rechargeable would be just as repeatable. The runtime may not be as long as with a non-rechargeable, but the drop in output should mirror the regular CR2 battery. The ambient temperature was 78 degrees Fahrenheit at the start of the test, and the flashlight being tested is 10 cm from the light sensor. The cardboard tube is lined with flat black construction paper to help reduce reflected light.

The Results are as follows:
Start Time 10:55 LUX output 30,000 Light Temperature 78F
11:00 26,700 120F
11:05 25,000 150F
11:10 22,200 160F
11:15 1,070 148F
11:20 283 109F
11:25 180 100F
11:30 104 87F
11:35 76 83F
11:40 62 81F
11:45 47 79F
11:50 31 77F
Test was stopped at this point. The LED was still burning dimly, probably enough to read a map at night up close, but not much more than that. From the data, the greatest drop in light output was after 20 minutes. Once the battery is recharged, I'll do the runtime test on the F&L J1 light. Thanks,

My second runtime test was on the F&L J1 light. I used the same test setup as with the Smartfire. The RCR2 battery right off the charger was reading 100% and 3.9VDC on the Ansmann tester. The results are below:

Start time 12:30 Lux reading 37,000 Temperature 77F
12:35 33,300 123F
12:40 26,000 151F
(Note: at this point the F1 began flickering and readings were between 16,000 and 26,000 lux)
12:45(flickering stopped) 4,500 160F
12:50 4,900(got brighter?) 148F
12:55 520 124F
13:00 170 105F
13:05 73 92F
13:10 47 84F
13:11 31 82F
The test was stopped at this point. I can't say what caused the flickering of the light. I checked the circuitboard, and it was securely tightened inside the head, so maybe it was a thermal problem. At the stop point, the LED was still burning dimly in similar output to the Smartfire. It could be used for map reading in a dark room or vehicle, but probably not much else.

As a comparison to a non-rechargeable battery, I used a BatteryStation CR2 which tested at 100% and 2.74 VDC on the Ansmann tester. The results for the F1 were 24,000 lux output. The same battery was then tested with the Smartfire and it gave a reading of 21,000 lux.

I will run the tests with the Luxogen LR5-3W later as it should have a longer runtime due to the larger CR123 battery.

:huh2: Shouldn't the battery in both tests have been 4.2 volts off the charger instead of 3.73 and 3.9 volts?

My protected RCR2 comes off the charger at 4.20 volts.

How much of a load does the Ansmann put on the battery during the capacity check?

LumenHound said:

:huh2: Shouldn't the battery in both tests have been 4.2 volts off the charger instead of 3.73 and 3.9 volts?

My protected RCR2 comes off the charger at 4.20 volts.

How much of a load does the Ansmann put on the battery during the capacity check?

Click to expand...

The Ansmann tester puts a 300 mA load on the battery during testing. I too was concerned at the voltage drop it reported, and contacted an Ansmann's engineer from their factory. The technical documentation that comes with the tester doesn't say what the load is; that's why I called them up. I think the Ansmann load is different than the ZTS testers. I can't say which is more accurate, but I do like that the Ansmann tester gives you a voltage reading under load as well as a total charge capacity. Also, the battery that I was using for the test is an unprotected cell. I didn't have a protected cell to run the test with.

Protected or not protected is not important here. What's important is why your cells aren't coming of the charger fully charged at 4.2 volts. They should be.

What is the voltage of the cells fully charged when checked with a multimeter but not yet "tested" by the Ansmann?

Straight off the charger, the Tenergy charger for 16340, 18650 and 17670 Li-ion batteries, the voltage reads on my Fluke 87 III 3.968 VDC. I don't have my other charger here with me, the one that shipped last year with the Peak CPF special light. I don't remember the manufacturer of it right off hand.

Ok, this is the last of my runtimes tests on these three lights. The last light tested is the Luxogen LR5-3W. I used a new Energizer CR123A battery that tested 100% capacity and 2.86 VDC on my Ansmann tester. The ambient room temperature was 74 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start time Lux Output Temperature
10:50 33,700 74F
10:55 33,200 98F
11:00 33,900 114F
11:05 34,100 124F
11:10 34,100 128F
11:15 33,800 133F
11:20 33,600 134F
11:25 33,400 135F
11:30 33,100 136F
11:35 32,800 136F
11:40 32,300 136F
11:45 32,200 136F
11:50 31,900 138F
11:55 31,500 138F
12:00 31,500 138F
12:05 30,600 138F
12:10 30,300 138F
12:15 29,700 138F
12:20 29,200 138F
12:25 28,100 138F
12:30 26,900 135F
12:35 23,800 133F
12:40 18,400 127F
12:45 13,300 126F
12:50 9,220 122F
12:55 7,600 118F
13:00 6,400 114F
13:10 1,800 92F
13:25 1,280 88F
13:30 1,100 85F
13:35 967 81F
13:40 915 80F
13:45 874 78F
13:50 824 77F
13:55 765 75F
14:00 735 75F

The test was stopped at this point. The Luxogen was still putting out light that would be useable in a dark room to light up objects a few feet away. The final voltage on the battery was 1.2 VDC using a multimeter; the Ansmann would not register the battery as functioning. All lux readings were taken at a fixed 10 cm distance and I did my best to thermally isolate the flashlight from the surroundings. It was interesting to note that the lux readings actually went up after about ten minutes into the test. Perhaps the circuit worked better as it warmed up a bit, but I can't say for sure.

The runtime on this light was considerably longer than either of the CR2 powered lights, but this is due to the smaller capacity of the CR2 cell as compared to a CR123A. I also contribute it to the fact I used a rechargeable RCR2 battery for the Smartfire and F&L light tests. Once I get some more CR2 batteries, I may try the runtime again for the Smartfire and F&L, but I don't imagine the runtime would be anywhere near as long as with the Luxogen.

With intermittent use, the F&L J1 or the Smartfire B-13W would serve well and tucks easily inside my jeans pocket without being annoying. For times when you know you will need the light on longer, the Luxogen LR5-3W would be the better choice.

I have the Luxogen LR12, which is the HAIII version of the LR10-3W, which is identical to the Smartfire CR2 (same light). I also have the Luxogen LR5A, which is the HAIII version of the LR5, which is equivalent to the Smartfire CR123 (same light). I don't have the J&L or the Ultrafire (which seem to be the same). From many reviews I've read of various Ultrafires having contact problems and requiring a small bit of sanding in various areas to resolve the contact problems, I've decided to stay away from them since the Luxogen/Smartfire lights are available and both I own are great, no contact issues, etc.
The LR5/LR5A/Smartire 123A is slippery to twist 1-handed since it has no knurling or texturing around the head, but the question wasn't about the 123A lights.
The LR12/LR10-3W/Smartfire CR2 is really really nice! I really love this little light! It's much easier to twist than the LR5 123A version due to the texturing on 2 parts of the head and the smaller size is nice. I also like the exterior design. I like the design of the J&L/Ultrafire also, but since it's a bit longer and closer to my 123A lights, I prefer the Luxogen/Smartfire. Output's very good, at least equal if not better than the LR5 123A. Overall machining quality is very good also for both CR2 and 123A Luxogens. The Luxogens also come with glass windows whereas many Ultrafires come with plastic (I'm not sure if the CR2 UFs use plastic or glass windows tho).

Regarding Fifth Unit, I have no experience with them either. I purchased my Luxogens from Waion who's great to deal with. For F&L and Ultrafires, if I were to get one, I'd go to Dae at www.qualitychinagoods.com as he's also great to deal with.