My thoughts and presentation of the Imalent DM21 after testing it..
(Please feel free to move this thread if it belongs elsewhere)
[Update october 26th: water tightness test performed. see section about it. Includes video]
*+IMALENT DM21+*
![the_light[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Fthe_light%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=00bf33617f9e1b638d036ddbccef1862)
![lighton[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Flighton%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=d5d391e1a6e325a8ad84ced6f075dca2)
*Features and specifications*
The Imalent DM21 is marketed as "tactical" flashlight.
According to specs, it features a XM-L2 U4 binned Cree LED and claims 930 lumens at max output.
Max beam intensity is supposedly 11300 candelas, which according to Imalent gives a maximum throwing distance of 268 meters following ANSI/NEMA standard. A turning wheel at the tail adjusts output. At the tail it also has a "touch" type power button instead of the usual clicky button. There's an LED in the button which also serves as a battery indicator. The DM21 also has a nice and clear tempered glass lens which should make it fairly resistive to scratches. There is no anti reflective layer, just clear glass. The light also has a micro USB socket for internal battery charging that actually sits in the tailcap. It comes with a fitting USB charging cable. The anodizing is HA type III, and it's got an IPX-8 waterproof rating.
*Dimensions*
The flashlight is 13.8 centimeters long.
The diameter is 25.4 millimeters along most of the body and 27.5 millimeters in the part just behind the head.The reflector is somewhere around 22.5 millimeters measured at the outer rim.
*Contents*
This light sells in three different bundles. Two biggest bundles include a unique plastic holster which also serves as a on-belt charger and battery bank. My version of the DM21, though came only with a synthetic (nylon?) type of holster, a micro USB cable and a couple of extra orings. It was bought through a discounted group buy and was packed in a standard paper and plastic box with a manual. The flashlight did not come with a pocket clip or any other extras.
![box[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Fbox%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=6f4b4df52c5cd429b452fce5d26568de)
![contents[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Fcontents%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=df83179b2478f832026e4ca942e62877)
*First impressions*
My first impression is that this feels as a decent quality, unique flashlight. The power adjusting wheel gives good control over light output levels, though the light flickers a bit while adjusting. When rotating the wheel the light level doesn't increase in a visually linear manner. The brightness seems to increase more rapidly in the lower and the higher levels, and increases more slowly in the middle range. This detail doesn't quite feel right for me. The LED sits well centered, resting on a rubber type of centering ring. In my sample there was some loose rubber laying inside of the reflector. After removing the loose rubber the reflector seems pretty flawless. the centering ring works to satisfaction and I would assume that it also gives a bit of protective cushioning when the glass lens is screwed down against the reflector. I find the flahlights design cool and easily reckognizable.
*Threads and grease*
The threads in the tailcap are square cut but the threads are thinner than I would like, and does not give me the same quality feeling that I do from my for example my EagleEye X6R. They were well greased though.
The threads in the head are a bit different shaped, more like a pyramid. These threads are wider and feel firm when tightening the head, but they were completely dry. There are rubber orings in both places.
![head_threads[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Fhead_threads%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=5333cedb65d2c797fa5baf904fbc3eff)
![tailcap_threads[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Ftailcap_threads%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=5a5adb421f102eb238c50002cdeeb1b8)
*Tailstanding*
The light can tailstand, but not very sturdily. On the backside of the tail the text "Imalent tactical series" is printed. This protrudes from the surface and is probably the reason it doesn't tailstand as well as it could have.
*A look inside*
Removing the reflector reveals the LED that sit on a 16mm pad and has a rubber ring for centering the reflector. The pad easily slides sideways when a little pressure is applied and seems to have some kind of white, fluid thermal compund beneath it. When putting it all back togheter there is no problem with centering, and i guess the reflector does the job of keeping the pad well in contact with the thermal compund. The tailcap contains the charging circuit and micro USB socket. I did not take this apart. I do however notice that the tailcap spring is not mounted straight as it leans a bit over to one side.
After a closer inspection I also noticed a small imperfection on the LED's dome. At the side of it there is a small "bubble". It does not seem to have any noticable effect on the beam though.
![led[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Fled%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=95958dbb45e603262b9ca66edba21b84)
![tail[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Ftail%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=5d11b479717fa27615ee7c6cd2d8b62b)
![lens[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Flens%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=17a2f6224b6dfb43514c56e7d4f6aaff)
*Water tight?*
Before I got this flashlight in the mail I was planning to test it's claim of being waterproof (IPX-8). After fiddling with the rubber cap protecting the micro USB slot I was no longer sure I wanted to take the chance... I feel that the length of the rubber cap is it's weakness. I would guess it will be pretty tight if 100% perfectly in place, but the length of it makes it very easy to accidentally skew out of place. EagleEye's X6R model is a very different flashlight but has a similar charging solution. But the X6R's USB rubber cap just feels to snap easier and more reliably into place and feels more secure.
![usb[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Fusb%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=286318408cb112f94a0eb62ec6f88527)
At october 26th I decided to turn on the flashlight and put it into the bathtub with the camera recording. Submerging the flashlight activates the powerbutton and turns on the strobe function. I did find a way to avoid this.
It was tested in the bathtub for 30 minutes. The result? It holds up! There was traces of water along the sides of the USB slot, but no water was able to penetrate underneath the cap and into the USB socket. The water was shallow, only about 10cm deep and the light was not touched while submerged. So conditions were pretty optimal for the light. Any real world underwater usage would probably increase the chance of water passing the rubber cap when handling the light.
I still do not feel confident about the rubber cap sealing the micro USB charging slot, because it's easy to accidentally move the rubber cap out of place; allowing water to flow in.
Non the less, the test was a sucess. The DM21 survived 30 minutes in water.
Here is a video of the test:
*The holster*
The bundled (nylon?) holster has a molle like attatchment system so it can easily be attatched to your belt, a backpack or pretty much anything you want. The quality seems ok. A velcro strap holds the light in place. The side walls of the holster are made of some kind of elastic bands. When it comes to functionality I'm not happy with the holster at all. This is because the side walls don't cover the full length of the holster, but only about half of it (the middle section). This design results in that the flashlight can actually slide out of the holster, either in the top section or at the bottom. This makes the holster more or less useless in my opinion. I'd rather have the flashlight in a jacket pocket or something than using this holster when out in the woods. The probability of loosing the light is too high.
![slipping_out[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Fslipping_out%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=3950e2b2a6d48cd19881dcf7250484b8)
*Tint and beam*
The tint is definitively on the cold side. In the picture below it is compared to an EagleEye X6R with 3C tint and a Manker A6 special edition light with 5A tint. The beam has a large hotspot. Spill is well defined and seems more concentrated (narrower) than both the x6R and the A6.
![tint[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Ftint%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=11a4a1fa38f62be021b75e909c8b2af4)
Manker A6 to the left, the Imalent in the middle, and the EagleEye X6R to the right
(This picture was taken with a mobile phone and had too much color in it so I have filtered it to more closely resemble how it actually looks)
![beam[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Fbeam%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=bbbe8dd88d0b88deb6ca21876a89188c)
The A6 to the left, the X6R in the middle and the Imalent to the right
*The interface*
The interface of this light is, in a way, very practical yet completely useless. At least for me. The turning wheel regulating the output works well. It is claimed to have infinite brightness ajustments. When i turn the wheel there are no phyical "ticks", but visually it seems to regulate in steps. There seem to be somewhere around 25 levels when i try to count them. so there's more than enough brigtness levels to find one suitable. But infinite? In the lower levels and the higher levels turning the wheel seems to increase the amount of light in relatively big steps. At the medium levels it seems to increase the brightness in smaller steps. This is how it looks visually, not actual measures. Keep in mind that the human eye/brain does not percieve increments in light linearly. In a perfect world I would like the increments to be percieved as linear though. When turning the wheel to change output level it also flickers for a split second, but this is not a practical problem. The power button / battery indicator I find very cool and it's unlike any other light I have. The gadget factor is high in this one. But when it comes down to practical use, I found myself cursing the flashlight after only a few minutes of use. The touch type button is far, far too easy to accidentaly touch, and
thereby turning it on or off when I don't mean to. Another annoying thing is that it takes about half a second from you touch the power button until it actually turns on, which repeatedly makes me "double touch" it, thinking it didn't pick up the first touch. This was hard for me getting used to. After reading the manual, I found that the DM21 has a lockout function, meaning you can disable the touch button to avoid accidentally switching the light on. This is done by repeatedly tapping the on-off button (more than 3 times). Activating it again is done the same way. This helps quite a bit when stowing it away in a pocket, but does not help against accidental taps during use. It also takes time and effort and just isn't any easier than using the old fashion clicky buttons. Fancy, yes. But practical, mnah. Lockout can also be achieved by unscrewing the tailcap a little bit. For me, this is actually just as easy and a more convenient way to do it. I do the same for some of my flashlights that have the button(s) placed on the side. The user interface is different than most flashlights, and makes it feel a bit exclusive. I just don't find the power button very effective in practical use.
![power_button[1].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vikhagen.com%2Fbilder%2Fimalentdm21%2Fpower_button%5B1%5D.jpg&hash=917961f5b47862fe0ac7ad240b19e56f)
*Batteries and charging*
The DM21 can take either one 18650 battery, or two CR123 batteries in series. I allways appreciate having battery options, so this is a plus for me. When charging batteries in the flashlight, the on-off button flashes red as long as the battery voltage is below 4.1 volts. If the voltage is above 4.1 it flashes green instead.
Charging below 4.1v:
Charging above 4.1v:
According to the DM21's manual, the charging stops once the battery is fully charged. That's good and adds a bit of security. The charging current (through USB) is said to be 0,75 amps.
The bundled micro USB cable might not be fully wired. It works well for charging the flashlight, and it also charges my mobile phone. But it does not allow me to sync my phone to my pc like my other cables do.
*Output and modes*
As already mentioned, it has many output levels regulated by the wheel at the tail. Holding the powerbutton for a second or two activates strobe. This works pretty well. I never activate the strobe accidentally, yet it's easy to activate when wanted. The lowest mode is, well, low. But it's no moonlight at 30 lumens (claimed). I'd like to have at least one step lower.
*Cooling*
After a few minutes at max output the light gets pretty warm, but not more than comparable lights. It does not shut down when it gets hot but keeps on going. Even without any deep cooling fins it cools down pretty quick when turned off. I did not notice any stepdowns, but I may of course have missed it.
*Comparisons*
Size comparison with other more or less known lights.
From the left:
Manker A6, Trustfire X8, unnamed SkyRayKing clone, Olight Warrior M21X, Ultrafire Sipik 68 clone, Nitecore EA11, LedLenser P14, EagleEye X6R. And the Imalent DM21 all the way to the right.
*Conclusion*
The Imalent DM21 stands out from the crowd of 1*18650 sized lights with its interesting design and cool interface.
Except for the threads in the tailcap (and possibly the USB rubber cap) it seems to be well built and handles heat sufficiently. Unfortunately it is severely handicapped by the touch button that is far to easy to touch by accident. I'm also not happy with the supplied holster because it's too easy for the light to slide out of it. The flashlight is specced with a U4 binned XM-L2. I have not measured the output but the claimed 930 lumens seems credible. The tint (color of light) is blueish cool. All in all a fun, cool, and unpractical light that I really want to like. The thing is that I, unfortunately, just don't. It's by no means a bad light.
I think the DM21 just suits gadget freaks more than the flashaholics. Considering that you _actually_ need to read the manual to avoid accidentally turning it on/off might also raise the bar for the general non flashaholic, non gadget freak user. Of course, it is a very cool and unique light to show off, as it definitely raises some eyebrows.
The flashlight was bought at September the 15th 2015.
(Please feel free to move this thread if it belongs elsewhere)
[Update october 26th: water tightness test performed. see section about it. Includes video]
*+IMALENT DM21+*
*Features and specifications*
The Imalent DM21 is marketed as "tactical" flashlight.
According to specs, it features a XM-L2 U4 binned Cree LED and claims 930 lumens at max output.
Max beam intensity is supposedly 11300 candelas, which according to Imalent gives a maximum throwing distance of 268 meters following ANSI/NEMA standard. A turning wheel at the tail adjusts output. At the tail it also has a "touch" type power button instead of the usual clicky button. There's an LED in the button which also serves as a battery indicator. The DM21 also has a nice and clear tempered glass lens which should make it fairly resistive to scratches. There is no anti reflective layer, just clear glass. The light also has a micro USB socket for internal battery charging that actually sits in the tailcap. It comes with a fitting USB charging cable. The anodizing is HA type III, and it's got an IPX-8 waterproof rating.
*Dimensions*
The flashlight is 13.8 centimeters long.
The diameter is 25.4 millimeters along most of the body and 27.5 millimeters in the part just behind the head.The reflector is somewhere around 22.5 millimeters measured at the outer rim.
*Contents*
This light sells in three different bundles. Two biggest bundles include a unique plastic holster which also serves as a on-belt charger and battery bank. My version of the DM21, though came only with a synthetic (nylon?) type of holster, a micro USB cable and a couple of extra orings. It was bought through a discounted group buy and was packed in a standard paper and plastic box with a manual. The flashlight did not come with a pocket clip or any other extras.
*First impressions*
My first impression is that this feels as a decent quality, unique flashlight. The power adjusting wheel gives good control over light output levels, though the light flickers a bit while adjusting. When rotating the wheel the light level doesn't increase in a visually linear manner. The brightness seems to increase more rapidly in the lower and the higher levels, and increases more slowly in the middle range. This detail doesn't quite feel right for me. The LED sits well centered, resting on a rubber type of centering ring. In my sample there was some loose rubber laying inside of the reflector. After removing the loose rubber the reflector seems pretty flawless. the centering ring works to satisfaction and I would assume that it also gives a bit of protective cushioning when the glass lens is screwed down against the reflector. I find the flahlights design cool and easily reckognizable.
*Threads and grease*
The threads in the tailcap are square cut but the threads are thinner than I would like, and does not give me the same quality feeling that I do from my for example my EagleEye X6R. They were well greased though.
The threads in the head are a bit different shaped, more like a pyramid. These threads are wider and feel firm when tightening the head, but they were completely dry. There are rubber orings in both places.
*Tailstanding*
The light can tailstand, but not very sturdily. On the backside of the tail the text "Imalent tactical series" is printed. This protrudes from the surface and is probably the reason it doesn't tailstand as well as it could have.
*A look inside*
Removing the reflector reveals the LED that sit on a 16mm pad and has a rubber ring for centering the reflector. The pad easily slides sideways when a little pressure is applied and seems to have some kind of white, fluid thermal compund beneath it. When putting it all back togheter there is no problem with centering, and i guess the reflector does the job of keeping the pad well in contact with the thermal compund. The tailcap contains the charging circuit and micro USB socket. I did not take this apart. I do however notice that the tailcap spring is not mounted straight as it leans a bit over to one side.
After a closer inspection I also noticed a small imperfection on the LED's dome. At the side of it there is a small "bubble". It does not seem to have any noticable effect on the beam though.
*Water tight?*
Before I got this flashlight in the mail I was planning to test it's claim of being waterproof (IPX-8). After fiddling with the rubber cap protecting the micro USB slot I was no longer sure I wanted to take the chance... I feel that the length of the rubber cap is it's weakness. I would guess it will be pretty tight if 100% perfectly in place, but the length of it makes it very easy to accidentally skew out of place. EagleEye's X6R model is a very different flashlight but has a similar charging solution. But the X6R's USB rubber cap just feels to snap easier and more reliably into place and feels more secure.
At october 26th I decided to turn on the flashlight and put it into the bathtub with the camera recording. Submerging the flashlight activates the powerbutton and turns on the strobe function. I did find a way to avoid this.
It was tested in the bathtub for 30 minutes. The result? It holds up! There was traces of water along the sides of the USB slot, but no water was able to penetrate underneath the cap and into the USB socket. The water was shallow, only about 10cm deep and the light was not touched while submerged. So conditions were pretty optimal for the light. Any real world underwater usage would probably increase the chance of water passing the rubber cap when handling the light.
I still do not feel confident about the rubber cap sealing the micro USB charging slot, because it's easy to accidentally move the rubber cap out of place; allowing water to flow in.
Non the less, the test was a sucess. The DM21 survived 30 minutes in water.
Here is a video of the test:
*The holster*
The bundled (nylon?) holster has a molle like attatchment system so it can easily be attatched to your belt, a backpack or pretty much anything you want. The quality seems ok. A velcro strap holds the light in place. The side walls of the holster are made of some kind of elastic bands. When it comes to functionality I'm not happy with the holster at all. This is because the side walls don't cover the full length of the holster, but only about half of it (the middle section). This design results in that the flashlight can actually slide out of the holster, either in the top section or at the bottom. This makes the holster more or less useless in my opinion. I'd rather have the flashlight in a jacket pocket or something than using this holster when out in the woods. The probability of loosing the light is too high.
*Tint and beam*
The tint is definitively on the cold side. In the picture below it is compared to an EagleEye X6R with 3C tint and a Manker A6 special edition light with 5A tint. The beam has a large hotspot. Spill is well defined and seems more concentrated (narrower) than both the x6R and the A6.
Manker A6 to the left, the Imalent in the middle, and the EagleEye X6R to the right
(This picture was taken with a mobile phone and had too much color in it so I have filtered it to more closely resemble how it actually looks)
The A6 to the left, the X6R in the middle and the Imalent to the right
*The interface*
The interface of this light is, in a way, very practical yet completely useless. At least for me. The turning wheel regulating the output works well. It is claimed to have infinite brightness ajustments. When i turn the wheel there are no phyical "ticks", but visually it seems to regulate in steps. There seem to be somewhere around 25 levels when i try to count them. so there's more than enough brigtness levels to find one suitable. But infinite? In the lower levels and the higher levels turning the wheel seems to increase the amount of light in relatively big steps. At the medium levels it seems to increase the brightness in smaller steps. This is how it looks visually, not actual measures. Keep in mind that the human eye/brain does not percieve increments in light linearly. In a perfect world I would like the increments to be percieved as linear though. When turning the wheel to change output level it also flickers for a split second, but this is not a practical problem. The power button / battery indicator I find very cool and it's unlike any other light I have. The gadget factor is high in this one. But when it comes down to practical use, I found myself cursing the flashlight after only a few minutes of use. The touch type button is far, far too easy to accidentaly touch, and
thereby turning it on or off when I don't mean to. Another annoying thing is that it takes about half a second from you touch the power button until it actually turns on, which repeatedly makes me "double touch" it, thinking it didn't pick up the first touch. This was hard for me getting used to. After reading the manual, I found that the DM21 has a lockout function, meaning you can disable the touch button to avoid accidentally switching the light on. This is done by repeatedly tapping the on-off button (more than 3 times). Activating it again is done the same way. This helps quite a bit when stowing it away in a pocket, but does not help against accidental taps during use. It also takes time and effort and just isn't any easier than using the old fashion clicky buttons. Fancy, yes. But practical, mnah. Lockout can also be achieved by unscrewing the tailcap a little bit. For me, this is actually just as easy and a more convenient way to do it. I do the same for some of my flashlights that have the button(s) placed on the side. The user interface is different than most flashlights, and makes it feel a bit exclusive. I just don't find the power button very effective in practical use.
*Batteries and charging*
The DM21 can take either one 18650 battery, or two CR123 batteries in series. I allways appreciate having battery options, so this is a plus for me. When charging batteries in the flashlight, the on-off button flashes red as long as the battery voltage is below 4.1 volts. If the voltage is above 4.1 it flashes green instead.
Charging below 4.1v:
Charging above 4.1v:
According to the DM21's manual, the charging stops once the battery is fully charged. That's good and adds a bit of security. The charging current (through USB) is said to be 0,75 amps.
The bundled micro USB cable might not be fully wired. It works well for charging the flashlight, and it also charges my mobile phone. But it does not allow me to sync my phone to my pc like my other cables do.
*Output and modes*
As already mentioned, it has many output levels regulated by the wheel at the tail. Holding the powerbutton for a second or two activates strobe. This works pretty well. I never activate the strobe accidentally, yet it's easy to activate when wanted. The lowest mode is, well, low. But it's no moonlight at 30 lumens (claimed). I'd like to have at least one step lower.
*Cooling*
After a few minutes at max output the light gets pretty warm, but not more than comparable lights. It does not shut down when it gets hot but keeps on going. Even without any deep cooling fins it cools down pretty quick when turned off. I did not notice any stepdowns, but I may of course have missed it.
*Comparisons*
Size comparison with other more or less known lights.
From the left:
Manker A6, Trustfire X8, unnamed SkyRayKing clone, Olight Warrior M21X, Ultrafire Sipik 68 clone, Nitecore EA11, LedLenser P14, EagleEye X6R. And the Imalent DM21 all the way to the right.
*Conclusion*
The Imalent DM21 stands out from the crowd of 1*18650 sized lights with its interesting design and cool interface.
Except for the threads in the tailcap (and possibly the USB rubber cap) it seems to be well built and handles heat sufficiently. Unfortunately it is severely handicapped by the touch button that is far to easy to touch by accident. I'm also not happy with the supplied holster because it's too easy for the light to slide out of it. The flashlight is specced with a U4 binned XM-L2. I have not measured the output but the claimed 930 lumens seems credible. The tint (color of light) is blueish cool. All in all a fun, cool, and unpractical light that I really want to like. The thing is that I, unfortunately, just don't. It's by no means a bad light.
I think the DM21 just suits gadget freaks more than the flashaholics. Considering that you _actually_ need to read the manual to avoid accidentally turning it on/off might also raise the bar for the general non flashaholic, non gadget freak user. Of course, it is a very cool and unique light to show off, as it definitely raises some eyebrows.
The flashlight was bought at September the 15th 2015.
Last edited:
