AardvarkSagus
Flashlight Enthusiast
Sunwayman V20C - Posted for consideration for the review forum
Sunwayman has continued to offer increasingly excellent products since their inception. Expanding their line of ring controlled light to include yet another completely variable option could prove to be exactly what the fans have asked for.
Sunwayman V20C
Meat and Potatoes
The variable control ring. I can't think of a more user friendly and simple interface that is as full featured as this. My variable ring lights are by far and away my favorite for daily use. They are easy to hand to a friend who needs a light for a moment without needing a 15 minute preflight instruction session. This UI has been trending lately in the flashlight world with a number of quality introductions by Sunwayman and other manufacturers. This time we find a control ring that is raised and knurled so that it is much more easily located by feel in the dark, eliminating some confusion that was found on the V10R. Also different in this iteration are the pair of click detents at the beginning and end of the variable travel signifying a standby and strobe mode.
Powered by your choice of 2 CR123A cells or a single 18650, the V20C sits firmly in the duty-light size category. It's slightly larger diameter head helps to offset the substantial dimensions of the Cree XM-L emitter nestled at the base of the lightly textured reflector. The output from this combination is excellent indeed. Especially for someone who remembers very clearly the state that flashlight technology used to occupy. Sunwayman states a completely variable range from a 0.5 lumen minimum to a searing 438 lumen top end. According to their included literature these are rated at the ANSI FL1 standard, giving further credence to what my highly trained eyeballs are registering.
Cree XM-L
Beam shape seems to be pretty typical for what I've seen thus far from the XM-L with a relatively smooth beam and a good general purpose profile. It's not a thrower, nor a floody light, but just an excellent mix of the two. A slightly wider hotspot than is seen with XP-G lights, with an enormous corona and bright spillbeam. From what I can see, there are no detrimental artifacts to be found. Combine that with absolutely no visible PWM flicker and this is definitely useful output. One quick note about the UI, more to come later. Sunwayman boasts multiple times in the manual and on the box about the ultra low current standby mode. One place actually states it as 50 μA. Seeing how I have not been able to register the current on my multimeter, I have to take them at their word. Nonetheless, it is definitely minute. This allows you to skip the tailswitch altogether if desired and operate the light solely by the adjustment ring, selecting your output dynamically each time you activate it.
The fit and finish of the V20C are classic Sunwayman quality. Their attention to detail is impeccable, and as always, covered with a thick, uniform anodizing. All of the corners are appropriately smoothed and there is nothing harsh about the lights exterior. The included cigar grip ring is actually not terrible even. Being metal, it's not quite as easy on the hands as a good rubber one, but it is none the less tolerable. Laser etched text and markings are very clear and precise. The V20C even includes indicator markings to let you know approximately where you have the light set before you turn it on (assuming you have ambient light to read them by, that is).
Variable Control Ring
Of course if you need a little ambient light to set your variable output by, currently Sunwayman is including a customer appreciation gift along with your purchase of a V20C. Tucked away right at the bottom of the package is…a second flashlight!. This little R01A is quite a nice little gift to be sure. I think I'll save it for a separate writeup actually so I'll just leave you with this teaser.
Tagalong R01A
Constructive Criticism
One of my biggest pet peeves has once again shown up in this torch. I am usually frustrated when a manufacturer attempts to make their light fulfill both tailstanding and protruding tailcap roles. The end result is that it generally lands in neither camp, rather than both. This light is no exception. Please, PLEASE, manufacturers, choose sides on this one point. Your fans will thank you for it. Either a true protruding tailcap, or a genuine tailstanding capable design, with no scallops to ruin the balance.
Scalloped Tailcap
As conceptually fantastic as this UI is, in practice in the V20C it has a few shortcomings. More frustrating is how the visible ramping doesn't appear to really begin until around half way or further through the sweep. Seeing as how this is only 90° to begin with, this only leaves 30-45° of usable adjustment. This makes it a little more difficult to accurately select precise outputs than in other versions of this interface. It is by no means unusable, but definitely could stand some improvement.
Conclusions
In spite of its drawbacks, even this slightly flawed UI implementation is better than that found on most of the multi-click/head twist operated lights. Add in the massive output, smooth beam, and a dash of Sunwayman quality, and you definitely have a recipe for usefulness.
Sunwayman V20C
Provided for review by the kind folks at Sunwayman.
UPDATE: After reading through my review, Sunwayman requested that I ship the V20C back to them for analysis. While I have not yet heard anything about their conclusions, the V20C that was shipped back to me as a replacement is more predictable in its ramping. It still feels a little more sluggish than I would prefer, but it now activates sooner and there is a noticeable brightness increase between initial activation brightness and the midpoint of travel where it once again seems to increase more rapidly. I suspect strongly that there was some form of glitch in the first light I reviewed since this one strikes me as much more "normal".
Sunwayman has continued to offer increasingly excellent products since their inception. Expanding their line of ring controlled light to include yet another completely variable option could prove to be exactly what the fans have asked for.
Sunwayman V20C
Meat and Potatoes
The variable control ring. I can't think of a more user friendly and simple interface that is as full featured as this. My variable ring lights are by far and away my favorite for daily use. They are easy to hand to a friend who needs a light for a moment without needing a 15 minute preflight instruction session. This UI has been trending lately in the flashlight world with a number of quality introductions by Sunwayman and other manufacturers. This time we find a control ring that is raised and knurled so that it is much more easily located by feel in the dark, eliminating some confusion that was found on the V10R. Also different in this iteration are the pair of click detents at the beginning and end of the variable travel signifying a standby and strobe mode.
Powered by your choice of 2 CR123A cells or a single 18650, the V20C sits firmly in the duty-light size category. It's slightly larger diameter head helps to offset the substantial dimensions of the Cree XM-L emitter nestled at the base of the lightly textured reflector. The output from this combination is excellent indeed. Especially for someone who remembers very clearly the state that flashlight technology used to occupy. Sunwayman states a completely variable range from a 0.5 lumen minimum to a searing 438 lumen top end. According to their included literature these are rated at the ANSI FL1 standard, giving further credence to what my highly trained eyeballs are registering.
Cree XM-L
Beam shape seems to be pretty typical for what I've seen thus far from the XM-L with a relatively smooth beam and a good general purpose profile. It's not a thrower, nor a floody light, but just an excellent mix of the two. A slightly wider hotspot than is seen with XP-G lights, with an enormous corona and bright spillbeam. From what I can see, there are no detrimental artifacts to be found. Combine that with absolutely no visible PWM flicker and this is definitely useful output. One quick note about the UI, more to come later. Sunwayman boasts multiple times in the manual and on the box about the ultra low current standby mode. One place actually states it as 50 μA. Seeing how I have not been able to register the current on my multimeter, I have to take them at their word. Nonetheless, it is definitely minute. This allows you to skip the tailswitch altogether if desired and operate the light solely by the adjustment ring, selecting your output dynamically each time you activate it.
The fit and finish of the V20C are classic Sunwayman quality. Their attention to detail is impeccable, and as always, covered with a thick, uniform anodizing. All of the corners are appropriately smoothed and there is nothing harsh about the lights exterior. The included cigar grip ring is actually not terrible even. Being metal, it's not quite as easy on the hands as a good rubber one, but it is none the less tolerable. Laser etched text and markings are very clear and precise. The V20C even includes indicator markings to let you know approximately where you have the light set before you turn it on (assuming you have ambient light to read them by, that is).
Variable Control Ring
Of course if you need a little ambient light to set your variable output by, currently Sunwayman is including a customer appreciation gift along with your purchase of a V20C. Tucked away right at the bottom of the package is…a second flashlight!. This little R01A is quite a nice little gift to be sure. I think I'll save it for a separate writeup actually so I'll just leave you with this teaser.
Tagalong R01A
Constructive Criticism
One of my biggest pet peeves has once again shown up in this torch. I am usually frustrated when a manufacturer attempts to make their light fulfill both tailstanding and protruding tailcap roles. The end result is that it generally lands in neither camp, rather than both. This light is no exception. Please, PLEASE, manufacturers, choose sides on this one point. Your fans will thank you for it. Either a true protruding tailcap, or a genuine tailstanding capable design, with no scallops to ruin the balance.
Scalloped Tailcap
As conceptually fantastic as this UI is, in practice in the V20C it has a few shortcomings. More frustrating is how the visible ramping doesn't appear to really begin until around half way or further through the sweep. Seeing as how this is only 90° to begin with, this only leaves 30-45° of usable adjustment. This makes it a little more difficult to accurately select precise outputs than in other versions of this interface. It is by no means unusable, but definitely could stand some improvement.
Conclusions
In spite of its drawbacks, even this slightly flawed UI implementation is better than that found on most of the multi-click/head twist operated lights. Add in the massive output, smooth beam, and a dash of Sunwayman quality, and you definitely have a recipe for usefulness.
Sunwayman V20C
Provided for review by the kind folks at Sunwayman.
UPDATE: After reading through my review, Sunwayman requested that I ship the V20C back to them for analysis. While I have not yet heard anything about their conclusions, the V20C that was shipped back to me as a replacement is more predictable in its ramping. It still feels a little more sluggish than I would prefer, but it now activates sooner and there is a noticeable brightness increase between initial activation brightness and the midpoint of travel where it once again seems to increase more rapidly. I suspect strongly that there was some form of glitch in the first light I reviewed since this one strikes me as much more "normal".
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