I pulled it out of the box and two things jumped out at me. First, it seemed really short but in reality it's about the same length as my Olight M20s. About 1/4 inch shorter is all. It seems shorter because the head is pretty long and the body of the flashlight is quite short. Second, it's got some mass and weight to it. Probably a good thing as with 720 lumens the extra metal should help with any heat issue. The light feels very solid. The head is not only longer than the M20s but it's larger in diameter also. Finish and knurling look top notch. The light has a somewhat plain Jane look to it but I like it.
I dropped in a 18650 battery and clicked it on. My first impression of the light output was disappointing until I started through the modes and found that when the light first came on it was only in the medium mode. High is very bright. Impressively bright. Very floody and a large hotspot. I grabbed my Olight M20s to compare the two. The Blaze feels more solid and is heavier than the Olight. On high mode the light output blows the M20s away. This is to be expected as the M20 is only listed at 340 lumens. The medium mode on the Blaze is very similar to the M20s. Reading the specs that came with the Blaze it says medium is 400 lumens so this is why it's similar to the M20.
I stepped outside and lit it up. A solid wall of light comes out of this light. It throws a little better than I expected with the XM-L emitter. Throw looks slightly better than the M20 which is no slouch in the throw compartment. The sheet says battery life if 70 minutes on the 720 lumen high. 2.5 hours on the 400 lumen medium and 80 hours on the 15 lumen low mode. I'm sure I will be using this light mostly on medium mode. It has a strobe but I wish Shiningbeam would have put an extra mode between low and medium instead of the strobe.
Overall, for the money, this looks to be a quality light. It has memory of the last mode you used until you change it. It's supposed to tail stand but mine doesn't. The rubber clicky sticks out just enough to keep it from tail standing. Comes with an extra clicky swith, extra O-rings, lanyard, holster and silicone boot. This is a good offering when one considers that it's only about $55 when using the CPF discount.
Two things I would like to see to make this light better. As mentioned, an extra mode between low and medium. The biggest thing I would like to see changed is that the light doesn't have a pocket clip. I feel that's a big no-no with a light this size.
A couple of other things. The XM-L emitter is off center in the reflector but I cant notice any defects in the beam. The beam tint is a very cool white. Almost to the point of having a little green tint to the beam. This might bother some but it's not a problem with me at all as it isn't very bad.
I dropped in a 18650 battery and clicked it on. My first impression of the light output was disappointing until I started through the modes and found that when the light first came on it was only in the medium mode. High is very bright. Impressively bright. Very floody and a large hotspot. I grabbed my Olight M20s to compare the two. The Blaze feels more solid and is heavier than the Olight. On high mode the light output blows the M20s away. This is to be expected as the M20 is only listed at 340 lumens. The medium mode on the Blaze is very similar to the M20s. Reading the specs that came with the Blaze it says medium is 400 lumens so this is why it's similar to the M20.
I stepped outside and lit it up. A solid wall of light comes out of this light. It throws a little better than I expected with the XM-L emitter. Throw looks slightly better than the M20 which is no slouch in the throw compartment. The sheet says battery life if 70 minutes on the 720 lumen high. 2.5 hours on the 400 lumen medium and 80 hours on the 15 lumen low mode. I'm sure I will be using this light mostly on medium mode. It has a strobe but I wish Shiningbeam would have put an extra mode between low and medium instead of the strobe.
Overall, for the money, this looks to be a quality light. It has memory of the last mode you used until you change it. It's supposed to tail stand but mine doesn't. The rubber clicky sticks out just enough to keep it from tail standing. Comes with an extra clicky swith, extra O-rings, lanyard, holster and silicone boot. This is a good offering when one considers that it's only about $55 when using the CPF discount.
Two things I would like to see to make this light better. As mentioned, an extra mode between low and medium. The biggest thing I would like to see changed is that the light doesn't have a pocket clip. I feel that's a big no-no with a light this size.
A couple of other things. The XM-L emitter is off center in the reflector but I cant notice any defects in the beam. The beam tint is a very cool white. Almost to the point of having a little green tint to the beam. This might bother some but it's not a problem with me at all as it isn't very bad.
:twothumbs
