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По умолчанию Object/Subject Review: Sunwayman V20C

Magnetic control rings may well be the future of high-end flashlights. Sunwayman’s “V” series lights use a magnetic control ring to give “infinite variability,” allowing you to choose any level of light between minimum and maximum.

Update: The V20C comes packaged with the R01A, find the R01A review here.



I’ll be reviewing the V20C in two sections: first, I’ll discuss the light objectively (the facts about the light itself), then I’ll discuss the light subjectively (my impressions about the lights performance when used for specific applications. In my opinion, this light fits well in the EDC class, and also is great for a large variety of uses, so I’ll be testing it out for as many applications as I can think of. (So bear with me as I add to this review as I have time to do more tests.)


Objective


Here are the manufacturer’s specs on the V20C:


-----
● CREE XM-L LED, with a lifetime of up to 50,000 hours;
● Digital Sensor Magnetic Control system - slightly twist the Rotator Ring from left to right to select desired mode from super-low current standby, output ranging from 0.5 to 438 lumens, to strobe function:
Max: 438 Lumens (2hrs)
Min: 0.5 Lumen (120hrs)
Strobe: 438 Lumens
● Standby current is 50 μA when the light is at OFF mode
● Constant current circuit, constant output
● Effective range of 300 meters
● Uses two 3V CR123A batteries or one single 18650 battery
● Working voltage: 3~8.4V
● High quality reflector maintains great throw distance and spread with an ideal beam pattern
● Dimensions: 134mm (length) x 32mm (head diameter) x 25.5mm (tail diameter)
● Weight: 120g(battery excluded)
● Aerospace-grade aluminum alloy
● Military Specification Type III- hard anodized body
● Waterproof, in accordance with IPX-8 standard
● Ultra-clear tempered glass lens resists scratches and impacts
● Tactical forward click switch with momentary on
● Tail stand capable- can be used as a candle
● Accessories: Metal tactical ring, lanyard, holster, O-ring, rubber cap
-----


Sunwayman is a Chinese company, and while many Americans look down on Chinese-manufactured lights as poor quality, this is definitely a high-end light. Every bit of it is well-constructed and feels very solid. The finish is a solid black, and the lettering is clearly printed.





The light is operated in two ways: a tailcap switch and a variable magnetic control ring. The control ring has knurling on it for good grip, which could be a little more aggressive, but still works well. The ring also has an arrow printed on it that points to the label beneath the ring which reads “Off < Max x”. The part of the ring with the arrow is flat, presumably so you can find it in the dark, and it also helps make the ring easier to grip. With the ring turned all the way to the left (as you hold the light facing away from you) the light is off. There is a detent in the off position that helps the ring “click” into place. As you turn the ring to the right, the light comes on, then gets brighter, until it reaches another detent at Max. If you turn the ring past the detent at Max, it will go to the last detent at a starburst pattern that signifies the strobe mode.





I should note that some people have expressed dissatisfaction at the way the control ring works. From the off position to the max position is about 90 degrees of rotation (from max to strobe is about 35 degrees I’d estimate). However, when you move the ring out of the off detent, it takes about 30 degrees on my sample before the light turns on to the minimum brightness. From there, the light has about 60 degrees more to hit all the spots between min and max. However, coming back down from max towards the off position, the light will reach the minimum in approximately the same place it turned on, but will stay on at the same minimum until the ring reaches the off detent. Some people have reported that as much as half the ring is useless on their samples. On Sunwayman’s forum in the marketplace, they have said that they have corrected this issue, and anyone who has a “faulty” light can work out an exchange by contacting them or the dealer they got their light from. I’m happy with the way mine works, so I haven’t messed with exchanging it.


As I mentioned, in addition to the control ring, the V20C has a tailcap switch. The switch is a forward-clicky, so a full press will turn the light on or off, and a half press will give you momentary on. This allows you to set the light to a certain brightness with the ring and turn it off and on with the switch, or (like I do) just leave the switch on most of the time and use the ring to turn the light off and on.


The V20C also has a “soft start,” which means when you turn it on, it will take a fraction of a second to sort of ramp up to the chosen brightness, and when you twist the ring the light level lags behind you just a bit.





The tailcap switch has a rubber boot with Sunwayman’s logo cut into it. It has a “cutout” design with two valleys and two peaks, so the light can do a stable tailstand and still be easy to click with your thumb.


The V20C comes with a removable grip ring, and when the ring is removed the light gains a pretty slick profile. The body of the light has no knurling, but does have 4 rather deep grooves and two flattened areas, so most of the grip comes from the grip ring but it’s not too bad without it.


The lanyard can attach to a small hole in the grip ring, or to the holes in the tailcap. The light can tailstand even with the lanyard attached to the tailcap.














When the grip ring is removed, the light still has a small amount of anti-roll, because the head has flattened areas cut into the cooling fins.





The lens is recessed several millimeters below the stainless steel bezel ring. The V20C comes with an “orange peel” reflector, giving it a smoother beam while sacrificing a little throw. With an XM-L in this size head though, you’re not really going for throw anyway.





Removing the tailcap, we see the threads are square cut and anodized, and the cap goes on and off smoothly and firmly. Removing the tailcap also gives access to the threads that hold the grip ring, letting you take the grip ring on and off. The single O-ring keeps water from getting in through the tailcap.





The batterie(s) are held in place by a spring at either end. The V20C is pretty versatile with batteries, accepting 2xCR123, 2xRCR123, and 1x18650. The manufacturer specs don’t specifically advertise the use of 2xRCR123, but they do say the light can handle up to 8.4V, and a fully charged li-ion will have 4.2V, so two of them shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve successfully run my V20C with 2xRCR123 often, and there’s no sign of any trouble. The walls of the body are thick enough to make the light solid, without being so thick as to add unnecessary size to the light.








When holding the light in an overhand grip, the grip ring fits well between the index and middle finger.






Beamshots:





The beam looks sort of greenish in this picture, but to my eyes it seems more yellow/white than green.













You can get a look at the operation in the following video. My camera’s auto-adjust features make it look kind of funky, but you get the idea.




Runtime Charts:



Coming Soon:
current draw/runtime charts
parasitic drain evaluation

Subjective

General

Overall, this is a great light. The light feels solid in your hand, and my unit operates flawlessly. I really believe that the control ring style user interface needs to replace the "click to advance" interface. When I first got into flashlights, a single flashlight had a certain brightness, so the best way to access the modes available ("off" and "on") was by a switch or button. A button, having two positions, is perfect for accessing two modes, off and on. Lights with three modes (off, low, and high) aren't too bad with a switch, because you can use a half press for low and full press for high, giving your switch three positions, one for each mode. However, now we live in an age when we expect a single flashlight to have multiple output levels, so we can select the output/runtime appropriate for any situation, and with multiple outputs, a 2 position switch no longer makes sense. It's good that manufacturers were able to make do and improvise, being able to "click to advance" and sometimes even "program" a flashlight by sequences of pressing the button. But now that flashlight output is no longer binary, we need flashlight control to pass beyond binary. Binary is not a natural language for humans, so I want to tell my flashlight what to do directly, and not in code.

Enter, the control ring.

By twisting the ring, I get the light I want. If I need more light, I turn it up without having to go through a low mode and lose the light I might really need for a few moments. If I want less light, I can get to low without blinding myself. If my friend needs to borrow a light, he can figure it out without me explaining it.

Not only does the V20C have great function, but this light is just plain stylish. I know that not everyone will like the soft start feature, but I think it adds a great feel to the control of the light. Also, the light just looks great. The beam tint is not quite neutral, I think it would be technically classified as cool white, but IMO I wouldn't need the tint to be any warmer. It has good enough CRI for me to be able to easily identify objects, and that's all I need.

My only gripe with this light is how uncomfortable it is with the grip ring. Luckily, it's removable

Like I mentioned earlier, some people have trouble with the usable travel being too short on their unit. If you get one that has significantly less usable travel than 90 degrees, let Sunwayman know about it. They usually seem quick to respond to customer service issues.

This light is my first Sunwayman, and I don't inte

EDC

The V20C is a great candidate for an EDC if you have big pockets, or intend to use the holster. I find that when I wear cargo shorts, I can put it in the large pocket and won't even notice it there. However, when I wear jeans with a less loose fit, the grip ring can make the light pretty uncomfortable. Removing the grip ring makes it fit better in a pocket, but it still produces a pretty good bulge.

But if you can handle the size of an 18650 sized EDC, this would be a great choice. The infinite variability mean's you'll always have the amount of light you need. I find that the minimum output is just right for getting around the house in complete darkness (some people will ask for a lower low, I know). To step outside and get something from the car, I'll turn it up a little. When I hear something in the trees and want to know if I need to turn on the hose to chase the raccoon away again, I turn it up to high and i can light up the whole yard or tree. The beam has a good balance between flood and throw, and I really like the smooth transition it has between the spot and the spill. Some lights have a sharp contrast between the spot and the spill, which tends to give you tunnel vision, but I haven't had that problem with this light.

Also, in my opinion, a tailstanding and a lanyard are a necessity for my EDC. This light can tailstand solidly, and it comes with a good lanyard. If your EDC doesn't come with a lanyard, you can get a good one for not too much effort, but the V20C comes with a good one. The variety of battery options is also a plus, meaning I can use 18650's for great runtime, 16340's for a slightly higher output, or CR123's when I run out of lions.

Personally, I usually choose a AA light to pocket carry, and throw my V20C in my bag.


General Indoor

This is a great light for almost all indoor tasks I've found so far. The low is low enough to keep from attracting attention when you want to be discreet, however it's not low enough that I feel comfortable using it in a room with someone sleeping. The high is great, it can easily light up a room with more than enough light to do any tasks you might want to do. I really like being able to carry just one light and have enough both low and high available, along with everything in between.


Camping/Hiking


This is a great light for many tasks, but after taking it on a camping trip I've decided that it wouldn't be my first choice for a camping/wilderness light. It is very bright, but for the same price or cheaper you can have a light with more output and better throw. The V20C with it's 400ish lumens and XM-L in a small reflector doesn't throw too well. Sure, it will get the job done if you only want to take one light, but for a good camping light, it's worth it to have more like 700 lumens and slightly larger head. In an open area, the throw is very important. The low on the V20C is nice, but I didn't find it low enough that I felt comfortable turning it on in the tent while others were asleep. I also really appreciate a neutral tint for outdoor tasks. Additionally, I was a little worried about getting the control ring mucked up with mud or something. I'm not sure if that is a possibility, but I didn't want to risk finding out.

Again, this light would work for camping if it's all you had with you, but there are better lights for the task.

Biking

As I siad in the camping section, for biking I really wish this light had some more throw and overall output. On a bike, throw is even more important, and you can have a larger head without having to worry about it fitting in your pocket. When I'm biking, I want to be able to see pretty far ahead of me so I have plenty of time to react, and for that a good throw is essential. Like with camping, this light will do the job just fine (and much better than most lights made for bikes) but there are other lights I'd pick over this one for biking.

Other

If there are any other specific applications you'd like me to test this light for, just let me know, and I'll see what I can do.

Long Term Impressions

I'll fill this part in after carrying the light for a while. If nothing get's added here, either I find nothing else worth noting about the light, or I end up not using it often.
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