ALL flashlights with that body style are just cheap rebrands. None of them are well-built.
It features the following:
* outdated emitter. Noctic's website advertises the emitter as a "CREE XML2", but the picture is very clearly an XML, not an XML2. XMLs are outdated. No decent light over $20 today is sold with an XML. Also, the emitter in the picture probably isn't even a CREE XML. It's most likely a Latticebright XML (an inferior knockoff of an outdated emitter).
* acrylic plastic aspheric lens. Almost all cheap zoomable flashlights use plastic aspheric lenses. Optical acrylic has around a 93% transmittance rate and scratches easily. In contrast, the very few high quality zoomies available have glass or coated glass optics, that scratch less easily and have better transmittance.
* cheap no-name battery. Possibly a fire hazard and capable of far less amps than a high quality cell from a reputable battery manufacturer.
* basic 5-mode UI as shown on Noctic's website. This type of UI is pretty much only found in cheap generic lights.
* Low output with minimal throw. If you look on Ebay you'll see claims of 3500, 8000 or 15000 lumens. But those claims are almost always completely fake. Given the emitter that appears to be used and the low power driver I expect this light to put out maybe 200 lumens in flood mode, and probably 100 lumens in spot mode. And because it's using an XML, which is a large-die low-intensity emitter, throw in spot mode will be minimal.
At best, you might get a sample that has slightly better looking anodizing than the cheapest on Ebay. But even a good turkey is still a turkey. This in no way compares to a quality name-brand light from a manufacturer like Fenix or Sunwayman for the same price.
Nobody who knows anything about flashlights would ever think that light is a good deal. It's a scam. A cheap budget light bought from a Chinese manufacturer, rebranded and with the price jacked up 10x.
Features to look for on high-quality lights:
* Current control for all lower modes, or high frequency PWM
* neutral tint emitter
* State of the art emitter (typically a CREE XPL, XPL HI, XHP35/50/70, or for Nichia: 219B or 219C)
* Type III hard anodizing
* sophisticated user-interface, preferably with shortcuts to min and max (not just 5 modes in sequence)
* coated glass optics.
For the price listed in Noctic's ad you could buy a DQG Tiny 26650 version 3, which is smaller, better built and has 12x the output (2500 actual lumens out-the-front as measured in an integrating sphere)
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