zespectre
Flashlight Enthusiast
REAL WORLD REVIEW – Nitecore TINI
URL: http://flashlight.nitecore.com/ILLUMINATION/T/TINI/
================================================================
A brief opening note about the "Real World Reviews"
At this point many fellow "flashaholics" have developed very sophisticated and detailed methods for measuring nearly every conceivable technical aspect of the illumination products on the market. The "Real World Reviews" acknowledge the existence of the detailed technical reviews (and I'll link to them below if I can) but will not re-hash all of that tech data. Instead the focus of the "Real World Reviews" is to take that "laboratory" information out into real world conditions to give the reader an idea of how the numbers translate into actual use.
===============================================================
Technical Review (done by someone else):
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/sho...-size-XP-G2-TIR-Micro-USB-rechargeable-light)
===============================================================
Intended Use: Keychain/Every Day Carry (EDC
Power Source: Internal 280mAh Li-ion battery pack (recharge via USB)
Average Cost: $30.00 (USD)
What you get:
· Nicely laid out Packaging
· TINI light
· Short Micro-USB cable
· Lobster Claw clip for attaching to a keychain
· Some documentation
Initial Impression(s):
This light really is "TINI"! It is shorter and wider but nearly the same thickness as a "Gorilla" thumbdrive I own. The anodizing is a bit slick and I'm glad it is a keychain light as I think it would be a little hard to keep hold of simply because of the size. I gave the case several good hard squeezes and didn't feel like anything shifted or stressed, it has a very solid feel. On my sample I did notice that some light seems to shine through the chromed plastic "gasket" between the two body halves especially near the head. At first I thought it was a gap but it really is just light transmitting through the plastic. This is a minor quibble, but it is distracting to someone as detail oriented as myself.
The lens and buttons are all somewhat recessed and I think this will provide sufficient protection against damage and accidental activation. The charging port has a nice, retained, rubber cap to keep dust/debris/moisture out .
The interface is a dual button arrangement. Nitecore decided to put a 2 second delay in the "turn on" function, presumably in order to help reduce accidental activations. I have mixed feelings about this choice but it bothers me less than a lot of people since press-and-hold of the mode button will activate "turbo mode" very quickly. On the whole I found the user-interface to be fairly intuitive and easy to run through.
The beam is wide and bright. The rather interesting TIR optic produces what I would call a controlled flood, which in my opinion is exactly the kind of thing you'd probably want for the intended close-to-medium distance use of a keychain light. One slight annoyance with mine is that the emitter/reflector is slightly misaligned such that the beam is pointed at a slight downward angle. Again this is a minor detail, but the sort of thing that pings my OCD a bit.
The beam color on my sample is white biased towards the warm side. I find it very pleasant. There is no PWM flicker on the lower light level modes. I am glad because my eyes are extremely sensitive to flicker, it actually will make me feel sick over time which renders lights useless for me.
Output (Per manufacturer):
Mode 1 (1 Lumens/60hr): suitable for night in-house use or close up map reading.
Mode 2 (38 Lumens/04hr): suitable for "general" indoor flashlight use.
Mode 3 (145 Lumens/01hr): suitable for "general" indoor and outdoor use.
Mode 4 (380 Lumens/15 min): suitable for "medium outdoor area" quick sweeps.
Note: Mode 4 "Turbo" does heat up the light and is only intended for brief use. Thermal regulation WILL kick in.
================================================= =================================
The "Standard evening walk" begins with illuminating 5"x5" white plastic test targets affixed to trees in my back yard (see below) and then takes place over either a 1.5 or a 2.5 mile loop on an unlit and mostly open grassy area with a few trees, and then ends going through a short, steep, uphill/downhill gravel trail surrounded by trees and heavy undergrowth which I call the "confidence course".
Target Test
1) 20ft (6 yards / 6 meters):.............................. Illuminated in mode 2+
2) 50ft ( 16 yards / 15 meters):.......................... Illuminated in mode 3+
3) 100ft ( 33 yards / 30 meters):........................ Illuminated in mode 3+
4) 200ft Fence ( 66 yards / 61 meters):.............. Sort of illuminated in mode 3, visible in "turbo"
5) 250ft ( 83 yards / 76 meters):........................ Beyond designed capability
6) 350ft ( 116 yards / 106 meters):..................... Beyond designed capability
Across The Park (approx 250 yards/228 meters): Beyond designed capability
================================================ ===================================
The Walk
The night was pure dark (cloudy), windy and COLD (21F/-6C). With dark adapted eyes, the floody beam of the TINI was sufficient for moderate confidence on the paved part of the trail when set as low as Mode 2 (38 Lumens/04hr). Switching up to Mode 3 (145 Lumens/01hr) was far more appropriate for walking and gave a nice even view of the ground throughout the walk, including the "confidence course" area. As expected, the floody beam didn't do much to penetrate the shrubs and evergreens in the thickly grown area though when switched to "Turbo" mode and inserted –into- the shrubs it did illuminate beyond nicely. In fact TURBO mode is really just amazingly impressive in this little bitty thing!
I had a concern about trying to operate this light with gloves on and I was wearing a reasonably thick pair to combat the cold/wind, but in general it was not too terribly difficult to operate the light though I did accidentally switch to "demo mode" a couple of times while fooling around with it. Overall I don't see this as an issue since it's not really intended as a "I'm going hiking" light and certainly not as a tactical/law enforcement light.
By the end of the walk, about 45 minutes, the battery had been exhausted to the point that the light would no longer jump up to "TURBO". Given the use, and the low temperatures, I felt this was well within the advertised parameters for runtimes and simply amazing for something not intended as a "walk around" light.
After the walk I went into my garage and opened the hood of my car and just "looked around" doing the sort of normal checks and work you'd often use a keychain light for. I also used it to peek into a computer case, look inside a heating duct, and check a scrape my dog picked up on her foreleg. The light was handy and very functional for all of these tasks.
The lowest setting Mode 1 (1 Lumens/60hr) is right in the proper range for a night time "bathroom run" though for that function you might want a slightly "tighter" beam to avoid spilling light onto a sleeping spouse.
I LOVE that this light is flat and just stays where you set it, no rolling around.
Recharging was convenient and I think the way Nitecore set up the charging indicators is good and gives you plenty of information as to what the light is doing. Charging on a 1A USB plug tops the light off in a very reasonable amount of time.
CONS:
· The light that shines through the chromed plastic is a bit annoying
· Some do not like the long-press-to-turn-on. It doesn't really bother me
· Too easy to go back into "DEMO" (30 second on) mode
PROS:
· Solid construction.
· Battery capacity is well balanced with the light modes for its intended use (pocket keychain light).
· Easy/intuitive interface.
· Excellent range of light levels for the intended use and beyond.
· Somewhat pricy, but I think you get a lot of light for the money.
Summary:
I feel like Nitecore hit a home-run with the TINI. It is an extremely portable and flexible light. The small size means you'll probably have it with you at any given time and while it does a great job as a keychain light it also has the power to go beyond that into a larger flashlight role for limited runtimes. I'm pretty sure this light could get you through about 80% of "emergency darkness" situations.
Final conclusion:
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
URL: http://flashlight.nitecore.com/ILLUMINATION/T/TINI/
================================================================
A brief opening note about the "Real World Reviews"
At this point many fellow "flashaholics" have developed very sophisticated and detailed methods for measuring nearly every conceivable technical aspect of the illumination products on the market. The "Real World Reviews" acknowledge the existence of the detailed technical reviews (and I'll link to them below if I can) but will not re-hash all of that tech data. Instead the focus of the "Real World Reviews" is to take that "laboratory" information out into real world conditions to give the reader an idea of how the numbers translate into actual use.
===============================================================
Technical Review (done by someone else):
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/sho...-size-XP-G2-TIR-Micro-USB-rechargeable-light)
===============================================================
Intended Use: Keychain/Every Day Carry (EDC
Power Source: Internal 280mAh Li-ion battery pack (recharge via USB)
Average Cost: $30.00 (USD)
What you get:
· Nicely laid out Packaging
· TINI light
· Short Micro-USB cable
· Lobster Claw clip for attaching to a keychain
· Some documentation
Initial Impression(s):
This light really is "TINI"! It is shorter and wider but nearly the same thickness as a "Gorilla" thumbdrive I own. The anodizing is a bit slick and I'm glad it is a keychain light as I think it would be a little hard to keep hold of simply because of the size. I gave the case several good hard squeezes and didn't feel like anything shifted or stressed, it has a very solid feel. On my sample I did notice that some light seems to shine through the chromed plastic "gasket" between the two body halves especially near the head. At first I thought it was a gap but it really is just light transmitting through the plastic. This is a minor quibble, but it is distracting to someone as detail oriented as myself.
The lens and buttons are all somewhat recessed and I think this will provide sufficient protection against damage and accidental activation. The charging port has a nice, retained, rubber cap to keep dust/debris/moisture out .
The interface is a dual button arrangement. Nitecore decided to put a 2 second delay in the "turn on" function, presumably in order to help reduce accidental activations. I have mixed feelings about this choice but it bothers me less than a lot of people since press-and-hold of the mode button will activate "turbo mode" very quickly. On the whole I found the user-interface to be fairly intuitive and easy to run through.
The beam is wide and bright. The rather interesting TIR optic produces what I would call a controlled flood, which in my opinion is exactly the kind of thing you'd probably want for the intended close-to-medium distance use of a keychain light. One slight annoyance with mine is that the emitter/reflector is slightly misaligned such that the beam is pointed at a slight downward angle. Again this is a minor detail, but the sort of thing that pings my OCD a bit.
The beam color on my sample is white biased towards the warm side. I find it very pleasant. There is no PWM flicker on the lower light level modes. I am glad because my eyes are extremely sensitive to flicker, it actually will make me feel sick over time which renders lights useless for me.
Output (Per manufacturer):
Mode 1 (1 Lumens/60hr): suitable for night in-house use or close up map reading.
Mode 2 (38 Lumens/04hr): suitable for "general" indoor flashlight use.
Mode 3 (145 Lumens/01hr): suitable for "general" indoor and outdoor use.
Mode 4 (380 Lumens/15 min): suitable for "medium outdoor area" quick sweeps.
Note: Mode 4 "Turbo" does heat up the light and is only intended for brief use. Thermal regulation WILL kick in.
================================================= =================================
The "Standard evening walk" begins with illuminating 5"x5" white plastic test targets affixed to trees in my back yard (see below) and then takes place over either a 1.5 or a 2.5 mile loop on an unlit and mostly open grassy area with a few trees, and then ends going through a short, steep, uphill/downhill gravel trail surrounded by trees and heavy undergrowth which I call the "confidence course".
Target Test
1) 20ft (6 yards / 6 meters):.............................. Illuminated in mode 2+
2) 50ft ( 16 yards / 15 meters):.......................... Illuminated in mode 3+
3) 100ft ( 33 yards / 30 meters):........................ Illuminated in mode 3+
4) 200ft Fence ( 66 yards / 61 meters):.............. Sort of illuminated in mode 3, visible in "turbo"
5) 250ft ( 83 yards / 76 meters):........................ Beyond designed capability
6) 350ft ( 116 yards / 106 meters):..................... Beyond designed capability
Across The Park (approx 250 yards/228 meters): Beyond designed capability
================================================ ===================================
The Walk
The night was pure dark (cloudy), windy and COLD (21F/-6C). With dark adapted eyes, the floody beam of the TINI was sufficient for moderate confidence on the paved part of the trail when set as low as Mode 2 (38 Lumens/04hr). Switching up to Mode 3 (145 Lumens/01hr) was far more appropriate for walking and gave a nice even view of the ground throughout the walk, including the "confidence course" area. As expected, the floody beam didn't do much to penetrate the shrubs and evergreens in the thickly grown area though when switched to "Turbo" mode and inserted –into- the shrubs it did illuminate beyond nicely. In fact TURBO mode is really just amazingly impressive in this little bitty thing!
I had a concern about trying to operate this light with gloves on and I was wearing a reasonably thick pair to combat the cold/wind, but in general it was not too terribly difficult to operate the light though I did accidentally switch to "demo mode" a couple of times while fooling around with it. Overall I don't see this as an issue since it's not really intended as a "I'm going hiking" light and certainly not as a tactical/law enforcement light.
By the end of the walk, about 45 minutes, the battery had been exhausted to the point that the light would no longer jump up to "TURBO". Given the use, and the low temperatures, I felt this was well within the advertised parameters for runtimes and simply amazing for something not intended as a "walk around" light.
After the walk I went into my garage and opened the hood of my car and just "looked around" doing the sort of normal checks and work you'd often use a keychain light for. I also used it to peek into a computer case, look inside a heating duct, and check a scrape my dog picked up on her foreleg. The light was handy and very functional for all of these tasks.
The lowest setting Mode 1 (1 Lumens/60hr) is right in the proper range for a night time "bathroom run" though for that function you might want a slightly "tighter" beam to avoid spilling light onto a sleeping spouse.
I LOVE that this light is flat and just stays where you set it, no rolling around.
Recharging was convenient and I think the way Nitecore set up the charging indicators is good and gives you plenty of information as to what the light is doing. Charging on a 1A USB plug tops the light off in a very reasonable amount of time.
CONS:
· The light that shines through the chromed plastic is a bit annoying
· Some do not like the long-press-to-turn-on. It doesn't really bother me
· Too easy to go back into "DEMO" (30 second on) mode
PROS:
· Solid construction.
· Battery capacity is well balanced with the light modes for its intended use (pocket keychain light).
· Easy/intuitive interface.
· Excellent range of light levels for the intended use and beyond.
· Somewhat pricy, but I think you get a lot of light for the money.
Summary:
I feel like Nitecore hit a home-run with the TINI. It is an extremely portable and flexible light. The small size means you'll probably have it with you at any given time and while it does a great job as a keychain light it also has the power to go beyond that into a larger flashlight role for limited runtimes. I'm pretty sure this light could get you through about 80% of "emergency darkness" situations.
Final conclusion:
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
Last edited:
