HighlanderNorth
Flashlight Enthusiast
I had started a thread asking for input on this SL5 series of single AA lights from Spark before I bought it, but apparently nobody owns one, so I didnt get any answers. So I ordered one after watching the few videos and the review.
This is a member of the SL5 family, which includes 4 lights that all look identical. The SL5-190NW and 220CW both have XM-L LED's, but one is neutral and the other is cool white. Then there's the SL5-180NW and SL5-210CW, which both use the XP-G, with one light in neutral and the other in cool white.
My concern and question related to the beam profile of these lights with either the XM-L or XP-G LED's. They all have small-ish reflectors, so I figured the XM-L would be VERY floody, and the XP-G would have moderate throw/flood. So I decided to go with the SL5-210CW with the XP-G. Here's the alleged specs: *Brightness: 5 modes: Super: 210lm 0.9hours Max: 180lm 1.8 hours Med2: 36lm 8hours Med1: 10lm 30hours Low: 2lm 86hours
So here's the good aspects: The SL5 series look a lot like the SL6 series, but smaller, so they look very cool. They must require a lot of machining for all the external fins, etc. It feels pretty tough. The gray anodizing seems well done. The clip can be removed, but seems tight and unlikely to come off easily. It doesnt get in the way of much. The light has 2 switches that both do the same thing, so you can use either switch to operate the light. The bezel screws off and the lens pops out easily once you remove the bezel for cleaning, etc. The light comes with a diffuser lens, but I'm not sure why you'd need it based on the beam, which will be covered under the "negative aspects". The light is well balanced, and it fits and feels pretty good in my hand, but not great. The tint is mostly neutral, and not very cool or blue. It has 5 brightness settings. Also, they have installed a sleeve into the battery compartment to give a tighter fit once the battery is installed, and the battery fits perfectly in there, with no rattle.
Now to the negative aspects: The switches BOTH occasionally fail to switch the light fully on. Some times when you push either switch the light will pop on momentarily, but then will go off immediately, so you have to push it again, and hope it stays on this time! It happens about 1/4 tries. The light is advertised at 210 lumens on its highest setting, but what they dont tell you anywhere, is that rating ONLY apples to 14500 batteries, not AA's. On the single AA, it runs at around 130-150 lumens tops. Thats not bad, but the advertising was deceptive, and nobody seemed to know the answer to that question, even the dealer! Its beam profile is strange and slightly poor. Its small-medium sized hot spot is very sloppy, and not very well defined, and not very concentrated. The hot spot blends into a fairly large corona of the same white color as the hot spot, but that corona fades into yet another outer corona, which is a different color. Its slightly greenish-yellow. That outer corona blends into the spill, which is medium sized.
So when you shine the light outside, the hot spot gives you very limited throw, and only moderate flood. Its no Zebralight SC600! There is no reason for the included diffuser. The beam already looks kinda diffused with a standard lens! Another thing I dont like is the thin threads on the head. You can remove the head, but it takes only about 1 full turn to remove it or to install it, so I wonder if it will really be waterproof, since there isnt much holding the head onto the body. There is an o-ring there, but......
However, aside from its fairly poor, sloppy beam, it works and it's relatively bright for an AA light, when using an AA. I have a 14500 in it now, and its high is noticeably brighter than with the AA. But it seems to do its job of illuminating what you point it at. You cant really expect TOO much from a single AA light, but there are definitely AA lights out there that are a bit nicer than when comparing beam quality, brightness on an AA, and quality of threads, especially on the head. The tail cap threads are OK.
Overall I'd give it a B- to C+. I will keep it, but its not my favorite, and in retrospect if buying an AA light specifically, I kinda wish I wouldve bought the Nitecore EA-1 instead. Or the Zebralight SC51.
This is a member of the SL5 family, which includes 4 lights that all look identical. The SL5-190NW and 220CW both have XM-L LED's, but one is neutral and the other is cool white. Then there's the SL5-180NW and SL5-210CW, which both use the XP-G, with one light in neutral and the other in cool white.
My concern and question related to the beam profile of these lights with either the XM-L or XP-G LED's. They all have small-ish reflectors, so I figured the XM-L would be VERY floody, and the XP-G would have moderate throw/flood. So I decided to go with the SL5-210CW with the XP-G. Here's the alleged specs: *Brightness: 5 modes: Super: 210lm 0.9hours Max: 180lm 1.8 hours Med2: 36lm 8hours Med1: 10lm 30hours Low: 2lm 86hours
So here's the good aspects: The SL5 series look a lot like the SL6 series, but smaller, so they look very cool. They must require a lot of machining for all the external fins, etc. It feels pretty tough. The gray anodizing seems well done. The clip can be removed, but seems tight and unlikely to come off easily. It doesnt get in the way of much. The light has 2 switches that both do the same thing, so you can use either switch to operate the light. The bezel screws off and the lens pops out easily once you remove the bezel for cleaning, etc. The light comes with a diffuser lens, but I'm not sure why you'd need it based on the beam, which will be covered under the "negative aspects". The light is well balanced, and it fits and feels pretty good in my hand, but not great. The tint is mostly neutral, and not very cool or blue. It has 5 brightness settings. Also, they have installed a sleeve into the battery compartment to give a tighter fit once the battery is installed, and the battery fits perfectly in there, with no rattle.
Now to the negative aspects: The switches BOTH occasionally fail to switch the light fully on. Some times when you push either switch the light will pop on momentarily, but then will go off immediately, so you have to push it again, and hope it stays on this time! It happens about 1/4 tries. The light is advertised at 210 lumens on its highest setting, but what they dont tell you anywhere, is that rating ONLY apples to 14500 batteries, not AA's. On the single AA, it runs at around 130-150 lumens tops. Thats not bad, but the advertising was deceptive, and nobody seemed to know the answer to that question, even the dealer! Its beam profile is strange and slightly poor. Its small-medium sized hot spot is very sloppy, and not very well defined, and not very concentrated. The hot spot blends into a fairly large corona of the same white color as the hot spot, but that corona fades into yet another outer corona, which is a different color. Its slightly greenish-yellow. That outer corona blends into the spill, which is medium sized.
So when you shine the light outside, the hot spot gives you very limited throw, and only moderate flood. Its no Zebralight SC600! There is no reason for the included diffuser. The beam already looks kinda diffused with a standard lens! Another thing I dont like is the thin threads on the head. You can remove the head, but it takes only about 1 full turn to remove it or to install it, so I wonder if it will really be waterproof, since there isnt much holding the head onto the body. There is an o-ring there, but......
However, aside from its fairly poor, sloppy beam, it works and it's relatively bright for an AA light, when using an AA. I have a 14500 in it now, and its high is noticeably brighter than with the AA. But it seems to do its job of illuminating what you point it at. You cant really expect TOO much from a single AA light, but there are definitely AA lights out there that are a bit nicer than when comparing beam quality, brightness on an AA, and quality of threads, especially on the head. The tail cap threads are OK.
Overall I'd give it a B- to C+. I will keep it, but its not my favorite, and in retrospect if buying an AA light specifically, I kinda wish I wouldve bought the Nitecore EA-1 instead. Or the Zebralight SC51.
