Review: Fenix E40 (4x AA, XP-E2)

Pros:
Annodization is flawless
Color match between the polymer battery tube and aluminum head is good.
Perfect pure white tint in the upgraded XP-E2 emitter.
AR Lens and a flawless reflector
Square, lubed polymer threads are smoother than some aluminum threads.
Instantaneous mode memory
Well designed battery holder
No visible/audible PWM

Cons:
Noticeable Rattle in large tailcap switch
Multiple coronas in beam


The UI:
The larger tailcap clicky switch allows for momentary on with a half press (no click) and constant on with a full press (click).
The smaller switch controls mode changing from Low to medium to high. Press and hold for 1 second to enter strobe mode which consists of a repeating fast strobe for 2 seconds then medium strobe for 2 seconds.


Runtime Test:
Fairly straightforward test. I have the light indoors with little air movement (air conditioned test area). Measured the output and the temperature over the course of about 3 hours.
Ambient temp: 76*F
4x Eneloop Pro (Rested 1.36v)

Cells measured .93v at the end of the test.
Quite a nice driver in the E40. There is about a 5% overall output drop over the first ~170minutes due mostly to thermal sag.



Pictures:
The E40 arrived in the normal padded envelope. Inside the envelope was the flashlight in retail packaging.

Included in the packaging was a nice lanyard, replacement tailcap boot, an extra O-ring, and the E40 manual.

You'll notice a superb finish throughout the flashlight. I could find no faults even during my fine-tooth-comb inspection. No sharp edges. No machining marks, scratches, chips or defects under the anno. Really well done.

The only thing I could pick out was perhaps a slightly shinier finish to the polymer battery tube compared to the finish on the aluminum head.

Very impressed by these threads. I was a bit worried it might have the issues the starry light AA light has, but thankfully it does not. The square, lubed threads are perfectly molded and thread into the head better than a LOT of the aluminum threads I've handled. No issues with play or seating here. The O-ring is spot on as well.

The battery holder is very well made. Raised thicker contact areas should prove much longer lasting than the budget version (like the SRK). The batteries are lightly snapped in place. The holder has a groove on one side that makes it so the holder can only be inserted in the battery tube the correct way. The switches are integrated into the battery carrier.

Here's a look at the switch caps.

Mini Breakdown of the head:
The underside is what I thought to be just a contact plate...

... but it is actually a bit more than that. It's a really odd design choice. As far as I can tell the only real thermal management from the emitter is a thin layer of metal (the gold part) on top of the pcb contact plate.

This is what the pcb/emitter deal is screwed onto. A 3mm thick contact plate with some thermal paste between the two surfaces.

Here's the AR lens, pink hue.

Perfectly centered XP-E2.

Beamshots:

Here you can see the multiple coronas. If you look very close you can see the spill outside of the Hotspot and double corona. In order to show what the multiple coronas looks like in person I had to drop the exposure way down which essentially eliminated the spill, but in person the actual beam has a rather large spill. Note that this double corona is really only noticeable while white wall hunting within ~7 feet.

E40 at 50 yards. Low - Medium - High

Solarforce L2i (3AAA), Fenix E40, Mini-A60, Tangsfire C8, Jacob A60.

Here I wanted to show similar emitters. XP-E2 is a bit of a rarity in my collection, but I do have several XR-E lights. I included the XML2 C8 in order to show a really common light. It's definitely not a fair comparison considering the XML2 is being driven at about 4amps by an 18650 cell.

You can see the E40 has a wider beam compared to the very throwy A60, which I have a love/hate feeling about. The Jacob A60 is really cool for an inexpensive super throwy light, but the beam is really unusable imo. I have to use a wider light to see exactly what the A60 is aiming at.


Conclusion:
The Fenix E40 uses an XP-E2 and has a fairly throwy beam, but the hotspot is big enough that it is very usable. I've taken it out into the fields and backyard for the last few days. Its peak usable distance is roughly in the 75-100 yard area. It does a very good job of illuminating a wide enough area in my backyard (80 yards) that I can keep track of the dog's movements no matter where they go, and I can rapidly find them if I happen to get distracted for a bit.

It does everything I look for in a light of this size with the added bonus of using very common, easily sourced AA cells. High quality and a great performer, 5 out of 5.



This flashlight was provided by TinyDeal for review.

Thanks for your review. This light has been on the market for a few years now and I have had it but gave it to a friend. One opinion of this light among flashoholics has been that it uses an unefficient emitter and that is true compared to XM-L(around same runtime with half the brightness). But this a great thrower providing the possibility to good runtime for a given throw. I measured 90min stable output at highest mode with alkalines and that's very good. And as you show it's even better with rechargeables.
Some brighter 4AA lights may throw as good but need 700lm or more for the same throw. And at such a high output the runtime will be much shorter as well with alkaline and NiMh.

Opposite to your case I remember my sample had too bluish tint for my taste so I guess I was unlucky in the tint lottery. And about the throw: as well my and other users experience is that Fenix statement of throwing performance is understated; it has surely more than claimed 17500cd, I think 20000+cd.

I actually consider to get it again.

Thanks for the review. I use this light mostly in the winter, because of the handle. Doesn't get cold
Didn't know Fenix updated the led.

Swedpat said:

Opposite to your case I remember my sample had too bluish tint for my taste so I guess I was unlucky in the tint lottery. And about the throw: as well my and other users experience is that Fenix statement of throwing performance is understated; it has surely more than claimed 17500cd, I think 20000+cd.

I actually consider to get it again.

Click to expand...

Was your E40 with XP-E or updated with XP-E2? I read a few statements stating a bluish or greenish tint, but those were with XP-E. I would hope that they used better tinted emitters when they started using XP-E2.

I am measuring right around 20,000cd peak.

unknown001 said:

Was your E40 with XP-E or updated with XP-E2? I read a few statements stating a bluish or greenish tint, but those were with XP-E. I would hope that they used better tinted emitters when they started using XP-E2.

I am measuring right around 20,000cd peak.

Click to expand...

I really don't know. Actually never earlier heard about it had been updated. It was claimed the same 220lm and that's the only lumen rating I know with this light. But I have thought that it had been fun if it had been updated to more than 220lm. I am pretty sure that is the only stated brightness I have ever read with E40, but I may be wrong...

Anyway I remember when I compared E40 to TK15S2(15900cd) and TK50(around 30000cd): then I experienced the difference to TK15 was much bigger than (17500/15900=10%) and it seemed that E40 was pretty much between TK15S2 and TK50.

Mine's been in the toolbox for a while, but I like this light. As mentioned the plastic handle is a plus in winter.

xp-e2

Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks for the update. Is it listed anywhere? Guess they're not designating it like "upgrade" or "ultimate" new edition etc. like they sometimes do.

Wait.... they updated the emitter in it? I guess they didn't say anything because the output is the same, but I'm assuming better run times and tint?

Kind of weird that they didn't at least post it on their site.

leon2245 said:

Awesome, thanks for the update. Is it listed anywhere? Guess they're not designating it like "upgrade" or "ultimate" new edition etc. like they sometimes do.

Click to expand...

As far as I can tell, no. My google-fu yielded no results for the updated emitter.

martinaee said:

Wait.... they updated the emitter in it? I guess they didn't say anything because the output is the same, but I'm assuming better run times and tint?

Kind of weird that they didn't at least post it on their site.

Click to expand...

In my sample definitely a better tint, no blueish/greenish hues that were reported with some of the XP-E version. I don't have any solid data to compare run times against though (All I can say to the run time is that it meets the listed specifications). As far as I can tell none of the specifications were changed.

When I look at Fenix website it still stands XP-E, and I can't find anything about XP-E2. The same at your picture of the package; it stands XP-E.
So I guess there is a mistake about a new XP-E2?

Swedpat said:

When I look at Fenix website it still stands XP-E, and I can't find anything about XP-E2. The same at your picture of the package; it stands XP-E.
So I guess there is a mistake about a new XP-E2?

Click to expand...

Maybe new led but using old-packaging. Can understand they will use all the packaging they've before using a 'updated'-version.
Only the led has changed, nothing more. So most consumers won't even notice.

kj2 said:

Maybe new led but using old-packaging. Can understand they will use all the packaging they've before using a 'updated'-version.
Only the led has changed, nothing more. So most consumers won't even notice.

Click to expand...

But I still wonder where is the information of an updated LED? I don't find it anywhere. Only in this thread...
It should also be noticable in the specifiations: but there is no change of brightness or runtimes.

Swedpat said:

But I still wonder where is the information of an updated LED? I don't find it anywhere. Only in this thread...
It should also be noticable in the specifiations: but there is no change of brightness or runtimes.

Click to expand...

I've send a message about this to Fenix. Should have a answer soon

Good! :thumbsup:

My old E40 doesn't have a tint.

kj2 said:

I've send a message about this to Fenix. Should have a answer soon

Click to expand...

Swedpat said:

Good! :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

Answer from Fenix: it should not be possible to have a XP-E2 in a E40, since Fenix discontinued that light long time ago. So or it's fake or Fenix CS doesn't know what the factory makes

kj2 said:

Answer from Fenix: it should not be possible to have a XP-G2 in a E40, since Fenix discontinued that light long time ago. So or it's fake or Fenix CS doesn't know what the factory makes

Click to expand...

Did you ask them if they updated to XP-E2 or XP-G2? Or was that a typo in your comment?

If you mistakenly asked if they upgraded to XP-G2, they may have thought you were referring to the old LD40. Remember that puppy with the R4 XP-G?

unknown001 said:

Did you ask them if they updated to XP-E2 or XP-G2? Or was that a typo in your comment?

Click to expand...

Up All Night said:

If you mistakenly asked if they upgraded to XP-G2, they may have thought you were referring to the old LD40. Remember that puppy with the R4 XP-G?

Click to expand...

That's a typo
But after their first answer, I got a response back that she will check again. She is new at Fenix, and doesn't have all the knowledge yet.

kj2 said:

That's a typo
But after their first answer, I got a response back that she will check again. She is new at Fenix, and doesn't have all the knowledge yet.

Click to expand...

Yes, I wondered about discontinued. I have not read anything about that E40 should be discontinued and it's still in stock at several Fenix dealers.