本帖最後由 niwalker 於 2016-11-8 15:54 編輯
I got a Niwalker MM20EB as a sample from theoutdoorsplus (link is external) for review. I originally planed to review both lights in one review but maybe it is better to split it.
Most BLF users already know theoutdoorsplus because of the give away which got a lot of attention. They contacted me a while ago, before the give away started for reviewing some of their lights including their own label.
dimensions:
head diameter: 64mm
body diameter: 49.26mm
lenghts: 153.39mm
weight: 410g
The Niwalker MM20EB is more compact compared to the vostro i reviewed yesterday, it uses three cells instead of four and its more of a thrower compared to the larger Vostro BK-FA02S which has a more universal beam. The MM stands for MiniMax and the EB for "extended beam", thats why the light uses three XPL HI emitters which sit relatively deep. It is still not a real "thrower king" but compared to a Convoy L6 or the Vostro it has more reach.
The light arrived in a kind of environmental friendly packaging, like the BK-FA02S. Im always a fan of spartanic packaging if i get a better product in return.
You get a lanyard, spare o-rings, a manual in good english unlike some other manufacturers sealed and a nice holster
The holster has no flap to secure the light, it is more like a revolver holster, just slide the light in (tail first). The larger head will prevent it from slipping trough. It has red stitchings, you dont get the rubber Niwalker logo this time, the BK-02S holster has a large logo.
Here is a 360° animation that shows the light from all angles. The light looks probably to grey on the pictures because of the lighting.
Some detailed close ups, the quality of the machining and anodizing is perfect. The color is black but not deep black, looks a bit different compared to the BK-FA02S. Probably almost anthracite. As you can see it has a 1/4 inch tripod mount and there are no real cooling fins which feels nice in the hand, no sharp edges etc..
The anodizing is flawless, no silver spots you see so often in the knurling, my Astrolux S2 was full of it for example. The Laser engravings are done well.
Lots of grease on the thread. One thing i didnt liked was the way you have to screw the body tube in. You need to push and screw at the same time, the BK-FA02S was much better in that discipline. You have to be more careful with the MM20EB, it can "cant" if you do it wrong. The thread of my sample is already silver.
No clicky at the tail this time, the larger Vostro had one. Two large lanyard holes can be seen and the tailcap has the ability to tailstand perfectly. That "crater" in the middle would be a nice place for some GITD resin.
The view from inside the battery tube with a plastic inlet.
The inner side of the head.
The MM20EB uses a battery carrier just like the BK-FA02S. I used 3x Keeppower 3400mAh in the light without any problems. Even the very large Klarus 3600mAh cell fit in this carrier, that was strange because it didnt fit in the BK-FA02S carrier. However you should remove larger cells carefully because of the wrapping, there is the possibility of damaging the wrapping around the plus pole. The battery carrier fit in both ways. The manual says that you can even use only two cells but that didnt worked with my sample. The BK-FA02S however worked with only two and three cells.
The switch of the light has a transparent silikon cover because it is illuminated green (when the light is switched on). This is the perfect moment to write something about the UI. I guess most people will love it or hate it because it has a pretty "uncommon" UI. With a short click you turn the light on but if you want to cycle trough the modes you have to click the switch again within one second until you reach your desired mode. If you wait to long you have to switch the light off and on again for changing the brightness. There are no shortcuts for low or turbo except a momentary Turbo from off. The light has mode memory excluding the special modes which are strobe, SOS and beacon. Strobe can only be activated from off with a double click. SOS and beacon can only be activated from on with a double click, once SOS is activated you switch to beacon with a tripple click (manual says double click). A lock out can be done by twisting the head/body.
The switch is illuminated green when the condition of the cells is good and red when the voltage is low. I like permanently illuminated switches, it just looks nice.
A little comparison with some common lights like the Nitecore MH20 and EC4. The MM20EB has a good size, not to large.
A coated glas is standard in this class, here you can see the three XPL Hi emitters.
According to the manual the three XPL Hi emitters push out 3500 Lumens on L5 (1.5h), 1300 lumens on L4 (6.8h), 400 lumens on L3 (10h), 70 lumens on L4 (35h) and 20 lumens on L1 (120h). Max. beam distance is 690m and it has 120K Lux. The light is IPX8 rated.
A little tint comparison with other lights and known bins.
The lumen rating seems to be pretty accurate, i got 4310 lumens in a ceiling bounce test. A ceiling bounce test or other home made tests are never really accurate, so those measurements are always estimations. It seems that this light can pretty much fulfil the claimed specs. Keep in mind that those were peak lumen readings (not after 30 sec).
the runtime test on high (fan cooled) showed that the light has no flat regulation on turbo (L5) but many other lights dont have that in the highest mode. The MM20EB will cut off at 2.8V. So if you have protected cells which cut of at 2.8V it may happen that the cell protection can kick in before the internal protection of the light.
Next are some indoor beamshots on a white wall
As a GIF
The beam of the MM20EB has this typical flower pattern because of the reflector design with the three LEDs. However i was pretty close to the wall with the tripod, so in real life it looks less dramatic because you dont shine that close to a wall most of the time. In my outdoor shots you can see that its not a big deal.
As a Gif
same scene but zoomed out
As a Gif
The MM20EB is a nice looking and performing light, i know that some people will have a problem with the UI. It seems that the lumen ratings are pretty accurate and it has a nice throw but also enough spill which makes it still universal. I love the smooth design without cooling fins, it feels great in your hand. The illuminated button looks kind of noble. I didnt liked the way the threads worked, you have to push while screwing on the head. You have to do it carefully because of cross threading, maybe my sample is not ideal. I usually adopt to different UIs pretty fast, so i dont have a problem with the UI, altough i would have prefered more shortuts like instant low. The light definately looks and feels like a premium light in your hand. |
