Lumintop Elfin Flashlight Review
Lumintop has released the Lumintop Elfin flashlight, a light that looks like a rainbow torpedo! It runs a single 16340 and uses a Cree XP-L HD. Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Lumintop Elfin flashlight product page.
Versions
There’s just one version of this light itself, but as stated, it shares many characteristics with the Lumintop Torpedo 007, which gives you at least one more body option.
There are two options in the sense that one can order with tritium or no tritium at all (though the slot is still milled into the cap).
MSRP
$49.99 for the tritium version, $39.99ish for the non-tritium.
Short Review
This is the first flashlight I’ve ever had that my wife has already claimed as her own. I actually like it quite a bit too, and it seems to perform fairly well.
Long Review
The Big Table
| Lumintop Elfin | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Cree XP-L (V5) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $40 |
| Cell: | 1×16340 |
| Runtime | |
| LVP? | ? |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| On-Board Charging? | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 520 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 87 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 212lux @ 3.591m = 2734cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 104.6 (120.2% of claim)^ |
| All my Lumintop reviews! | |
^ Measurement disclaimer: Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.
What’s Included
- Lumintop Elfin
- GITD diffuser cap
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Lanyard attachment
- Manual
Package and Manual
The Elfin is presented in a nice flip-top cardboard box, with printed onion paper inside. The light has a ribbon pull for easy removal, and the goodies are contained inside a smaller box. All of this is seated in custom-cut foam and protected well.
Build Quality and Disassembly
This is another stainless steel light like the Torpedo, but this one is “electroplated” (GearBest’s wording, not Lumintop’s). Actually, Lumintop’s ad copy looks to be copied from the Torpedo, because they mention “gold-plated flames,” which this model clearly does not have.
Like the Torpedo, the Elfin is well built. The threads are well-lubed, and being stainless, they thread very nicely. The inside of the tube is not electroplated (or colored), but the threads do have a little.
The head end does not have a spring – it’s just a brass contact point for the positive cell terminal. The tailcap has a spring and a tritium vial!
The light also comes with a diffuser, which just slips over the head of the light. It’s a GITD diffuser, and quite flexible. A neat little inclusion in the package. 
Now see where these two differ in the build: The bezel on the Elfin is shorter, and not two pieces. The Torpedo has a gold (“gold”) band, and that’s where the flames are on the Torpedo, but that’s a separate piece (likely copper for heat dissipation). This Elfin, with the one-piece bezel (and no copper ring), has the flames all the way on the bezel itself. Still deals with heat ok (gets hot on high, of course). But stainless isn’t going to be great for heat in the first place.
One other minor but non-trivial difference is that the Elfin has divots on the tailcap. Though they are few and not deep, they do help a lot with tailcap removal for cell swap. They help a lot. They also look cool.
Size
Quoted as 64.8mm by 18.7mm, this (like the Torpedo) is just about the size of an unprotected 18650 cell.
Retention
The tailcap has holes for lanyard attachment. Included is a hook onto which to attach a lanyard, but no lanyard. There’s also no pocket clip or magnet. This is a deep-pocket light (or maybe a coin pocket if you’re inclined), and I’m happy with it there. I’ve carried it a good bit in the pocket, and the finish still looks pristine, but I’ll be honest, I did baby the light. I made sure to have it in the pocket with only soft items and nothing that would scratch it.
Power
High runtimes cut off (twice) for reasons I can’t readily explain. So I ran the test on medium, and the runtime terminated at 3.74V. Medium is about 15% of the output of High.
User Interface and Operation
One tail switch operates this light. And while it might seem like a forward clicky, it’s actually an e-switch. Unfortunately, there aren’t any magical additions to the user interface due to this being an e-switch. Not only that, it seems designed to function exactly like a forward clicky, too. The user interface is simple – in fact, just exactly like the user interface of the TorchLAB BOSS. Click for on. If you want a different mode, click off then on until you get to the mode you want, and leave the light on in that mode.
Modes
| Mode | Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lux | Draw (Amps) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moonlight | 0.5 | 25d | 9 | 0.018 |
| Low | 15 | 40h | 283 | 0.037 |
| Mid | 100 | 7h | 1772 | 0.152A |
| High | 520 | 1.5 | 11850 | 1.51 |
LED and Beam
The emitter here is a Cree XP-L V5. The emitter sits behind a lightly orange-peeled reflector. The reflector isn’t very deep. The beam has a broad spot but not a ton of spill – it’s actually similar to a TIR (which I love) except for the small bit of spill.
Beamshots
These beamshots always have the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure. These photos are taken at floor level, and the beam hits the ceiling around 9 feet away.
Random Comparisons and Competitive Options
The only other available stainless steel CR123A light I can think of is the Olight S Mini. That’s definitely a fun light. It’s shorter and thicker than the Elfin, and lacks a certain… look. Both are e-switch lights, but the S Mini has a side switch, a pocket clip, and has the beam profile of a TIR (because it has a TIR!). Deciding between these two will probably come down to how you’ll actually use it, not the feature set. The Torpedo wins for “gentlemanly carry” type use.
Conclusion
What I like
- Stainless steel body
- The finish is very unique and quite neat
- The flame engraving is cute
- The design (ie, the shape)
- Tritium (included, if you choose)
What I don’t like
- User interface is a bit primitive for an e-switch
- No clip whatsoever
Notes
- This light was provided by GearBest.com for review. I was not paid to write this review.
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