Nitecore MT42 Flashlight Review

The MT42 is the newest in the Multi-Task flashlight series by Nitecore. The dual-switch interface works well with the Cree XHP35 HD emitter.

Official Specs and Features

Here’s a link to the Nitecore MT42 flashlight product page.

Versions

There’s only one version of this light.

Price

NitecoreStore has this light for sale at $89.95. They also offer two cell options. Since these are in-series cells, I’d recommend grabbing a set there so that you know you have married cells!

Short Review

This is a solid light in a fairly niche category. Since the light has only a 2-up cell configuration tube (and no single cell tube), it’ll always be a long light. But it hits its throw numbers and works well.

Long Review

The Big Table

Nitecore MT42 Flashlight
Emitter:	Cree XHP35 HD
Price in USD at publication time:	$89.95
Cell:	2×18650
Turbo Runtime	High Runtime
LVP?	Warning
Switch Type:
On-Board Charging?	No
Claimed Lumens (lm)	1800
Measured Lumens (at 30s)	1994 (110.8% of claim)^
Claimed Throw (m)	470
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	1338lux @ 6.903m = 63758cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	505.0 (107.4% of claim)^
All my Nitecore 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

Nitecore MT42
Nylon pouch
Lanyard
Pocket clip
Tactical ring
Spare o-ring
Spare rubber boot
Paperwork

Package and Manual

Quite a long box, but still Nitecore standard black and yellow.

A yellow and black flashlight box labeled Multi-Task Series stands upright on a weathered wooden surface. The box displays an image of a large black flashlight on the front.

A close-up of the side panel of a NITECORE MT42 flashlight box, listing features and specifications in yellow and white text on a black background, placed on a weathered wooden surface.

A yellow and black product box displays specifications: 1800 lumens max output, 470m max distance, 55,400 candela max intensity, impact resistance 1m, waterproof to 2m, with icons for various uses like hunting and outdoor activities.

Here’s a pdf link to the manual. Again, standard Nitecore fare here. It’s a good manual.

Build Quality and Disassembly

The MT42 has the usual solid Nitecore feel. Nothing about it stands out as bad but otherwise, it’s a fairly standard Nitecore MT series light.

Make no mistake, this is a long light. But it’s thin, too, and easy to handle.

A black, heavy-duty flashlight stands upright on a weathered wooden surface with a blurred brown and white background. The flashlight is labeled MT25 X7 and features a textured grip and ridged head.

A black, cylindrical flashlight with a textured grip stands upright on a weathered wooden surface. A building with brown wooden panels and a window is blurred in the background.

A black, heavy-duty flashlight stands upright on a wooden surface outdoors. The background is blurred, showing a wooden structure and a window.

As I said above, the cell tube is dedicated 2x 18650. There is no option for a single 18650 cell. That’s not a problem and makes sense since the emitter is a 12V emitter.

The bezel unscrews easily, and the emitter is accessed thusly. All the threads are well lubed, to the point of being a little too much lube.

A close-up, front-facing view of a black cylindrical object resting on a wooden surface, with the background and object edges blurred due to shallow depth of field. The object appears to be metallic.

A close-up view of a disassembled flashlight and its battery compartment, placed on a wooden surface. The metal contacts and internal components are visible.

Three separate components of a flashlight, including the LED module, a reflective cone, and a black ring, are arranged side by side on a wooden surface.

A close-up of a Nitecore flashlight with its head removed, showing the exposed screw threads on top of the textured metallic body. The background is blurred.

A close-up view of a black cylindrical object with visible threading at the top, possibly a flashlight or similar device. The background is blurred, and there is a clip attached to the side of the object.

Size

Officially the dimensions are 228mm x 50mm x 25.4mm, and the light weighs 231.5g.

A large black flashlight is placed next to a U.S. two-dollar bill on a weathered wooden surface, showing the flashlight is longer than the bill.

A two-dollar bill is placed on a wooden surface with a black drink coaster covering the left side of the bill.

It’s a long light.

Retention

There are a few ways to carry this light. Based on its use scenario, the most often chosen method will probably be the nylon pouch. It’s a standard pouch, with the light fitting in only one direction (bezel up).

A black flashlight partially enclosed in a black fabric holster is placed vertically on a wooden surface. The holster flap is open, and the text ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM is visible along the left side.

A close-up of a black nylon strap and fabric partially covering a metal cylindrical object, placed on a weathered wooden surface. The stitching and texture of the materials are visible.

A black flashlight in a fabric holster with a Velcro closure is attached to a weathered wooden surface. The holster is open, revealing the flashlight’s lens and bezel.

There’s a pretty massive conflict on this pouch. With the tactical ring attached, the light is very hard to get out of the pouch. I’m not a tactical user, but my guess is getting the light out of the pouch, in a tactical-needs situation, having the light stuck in the pouch is the absolute last thing you’d want. Now, removing the tactical ring for pouch-use is easy, but then you lack the tactical ring for tactical needs. The pocket clip also doesn’t work in this scenario….
So you’re left with not using the tactical ring or pocket clip if you want to use the pouch.
The next option is the pocket clip, which attaches only to the tail end. It’s a friction clip. See below how large the clip is.

The last option is the lanyard, which can attach on the tailcap, and also through a hole in the tactical ring (seen below). The pocket clip also has two little holes through which the lanyard might be attached, but I typically don’t trust friction clips in this way.

Power

The MT42 is powered by two button top 18650 cells. There is no short tube for a single 18650, and a single 18650 wouldn’t work with the driver anyway. The emitter has a forward voltage of around 11.3 (let’s call it 12V) and the boost driver in this Nitecore needs around 6V.
Button top cells are absolutely required – many of Nitecore’s new lights (including this one) have a rubber ring around the positive connection that prevents the use of flat tops. Probably more intended to prevent reverse polarity damage.
Below is a runtime on Turbo. Output is fairly steady for the first 4 minutes or so, and I measure the 30 second output at around 1950 lumens. I stopped the test when the indicating side-switch was fast blinking blue.

And another runtime on High. Note that the Turbo mode (above) is generally stable for over an hour, at a much higher output than High. High is around 900 lumens.

User Interface and Operation

There are two switches on the MT42. Primary is the tail mechanical clicky. It’s a forward clicky.

Second is the side switch, which is an indicating e-switch. There’s a blue led behind this metal switch, for indicating certain things.

Here’s a user interface table!

State	Action	Result
Off	Click Tail Switch (TS)	On (Last used mode, including Strobe, excluding Beacon/SOS)
Off	Any Action, Side Switch (SS)	No Action
On	Click TS	Off
On	Click SS	Mode advance (L>H direction)
On	Hold SS	Momentary Turbo
On	Double click SS	Fast strobe
Strobe	Hold SS	Strobe>Beacon>SOS
Off	Hold SS, Click TS	Battery indicator^, then On (mode memory)

^Battery indicator indicates as follows:

3 Flashes represent battery level above 50%
2 Flashes represent battery level below 50%
1 Flash represents battery level below 10%

Modes

Mode	Mode Claimed Output (lm)	Claimed Runtime	Measured Lumens	Tailcap Amps
Turbo	1800	1h	1994	1.96
High	800	3h30m	915	0.65
Mid	280	12h	318	0.17
Low	68	45h	92	0.04
Ultra-low	1	530h	~	0.00

LED and Beam

This thrower has a Cree XHP35 HD, and a smooth reflector. Notably, it hits the claimed throw numbers. I’d really rather see this light with the HI version of that same emitter – I believe it’d throw better.

The beam is a very even spot, with a very small bit of spill right around the spot, and not much spill otherwise. It’s a great beam profile for the use case of this light.

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.

A nearly black image with a faint, barely visible spot in the center. ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM is written vertically along the left side.

A bright white circular light is centered against a dark, almost black background, with a soft, diffuse glow radiating outward. The surrounding edges gradually fade from light to dark.

A circular white beam of light is centered against a dark background, gradually fading outward. The words ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM appear vertically along the left side.

A bright white circular light is projected onto a dark surface, creating a halo effect. The watermark ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM appears in vertical text on the left side of the image.

A circular beam of white light with a bright center and fading edges is projected onto a wall. The background is mostly dark. ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM is written vertically on the left.

Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)

I keep the test flashlight on the left and the BLF-348 reference flashlight on the right.

Random Comparisons and Competitive Options….

Here’s a relevantly filtered page on parametrek.com. There’s not a whole lot of competition in this 2×18650 realm. In fact both of the other similar lights are iterations of a light from Armytek. And aren’t really “throw” lights. So if this is the kind of light you need, then this one is de facto your best choice.

Conclusion

What I like

Hits throw numbers
Build quality is standard Nitecore fare
Dual switch UI
Indicating switch
Battery check!

What I don’t like

Battery check goes to “on” … I understand it but wish it could always go Battery Check> UltraLow
Tactical ring and pouch conflict

Notes

This light was provided by NitecoreStore for review. I was not paid to write this review.
This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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