Sofirn SP32A V2.0 Flashlight Review
Here’s the Sofirn SP32A V2.0 flashlight, a flashlight offering Cree XP-L2. It has an indicating switch and runs on a single 18650. Read on for more!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Sofirn SP32A V2.0 flashlight product page.
Versions
This is version 2.0 of the SP32A. Among the V2.0, there are three body colors, but the lights themselves are all the same. There’s a black (seen here), pale gold, and silver option. There is also a bundle option, which includes a single-bay charger. What I have is the bundle option.
Price
This light is going for $29.99 on Amazon right now, but I have a coupon on the bundle for you! The code AFRP64I8 will take 25% off!
Short Review
This is a very neat light, and special with its two-mode groups. One of those groups is a ramping group, which again, is a special feature. With the light being a “full package” light, and having an indicating switch and everything, I find this to be a good value package.
Long Review
The Big Table
| Sofirn SP32A V2.0 | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Cree XP-L2 |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $29.99 on amazon (referral link) |
| Cell: | 1×18650 |
| Turbo Runtime | High Runtime |
| LVP? | No |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (A): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1300 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1240 (95.4% of claim)^ |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 153 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 517lux @ 4.222m = 9216cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 192.0 (125.5% of claim)^ |
| All my Sofirn 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
- Sofirn SP32A V2.0 flashlight
- Sofirn single bay 18650 Lithium-ion only charger
- Sofirn 3000mAh 18650
- Lanyard
- Charge cable (USB to micro-USB)
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Manual
Package and Manual
The box is a highly printed but fairly generic box. The light is held in place in a plastic tray.
Build Quality and Disassembly
As has been the case with the other Sofirn lights I’ve handled, this one is well built. The anodizing feels good. Nothing is sloppy about any part of the light.
I don’t care for this type clip, but that’s not to say it’s bad. My opinion is that it’s just a cheap style clip.
The head and tail unscrew completely, but to be sure, I don’t see how to break them down further. Either the driver side is put in from the top of the light (reasonable, since this is an e-switch light), or it’s press-fit. The tail cap is uncomplicated, though, with the spring being the only piece.
The threads are anodized, and electrical contact is made on the flat surface of the cell tube. This does mean that very minimally unscrewing the head or tail will mechanically lock out the light. Also, the cell tube is reversible.
Size
Officially: 123mm (length) × 23.4mm (head), and net weight of 65±1 gram.
Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. Mine’s a custom “baked” edition Nichia 219b triple. A very nice 18650 light.
The SP32A V2.0 is a little longer than the Convoy S2+, but slightly thinner in the body, too.
Retention
A pocket clip is shipped installed on the light. This clip isn’t “reversible” but the cell tube it lives on is, so effectively, the clip can be arranged for bezel up or down carry.
It’s not my favorite type of clip at all, but it does hold securely.
Second is the lanyard, which attaches in this hole in the tailcap.
Power
Sofirn includes the cell needed to power this light. It’s an 18650. Theirs is a button top, but flat will also work. There aren’t really any special power requirements – just about any usual 18650 will work. High drain is not required.
Below is a runtime on Turbo. Turbo starts at about 1270 lumens and steps down to “High” soon after. Turbo can be restarted and reaches nearly initial output.
Here’s a runtime that I started on Medium, and finished on High. It’s a bit of a dumpster fire, but does show some needful information: Both Medium and High have flat output. And High steps down to medium exactly, and from there, to Low.
The light doesn’t shut off, either. It’ll eventually give a warning on the switch – first a solid red, then a slow flash red.
Charging
The kit package from Sofirn also includes a nice little single bay charger. It’s powered by micro-USB, and a cable is included.
I reviewed this charger in the C8F review. If you’re interested in more information about this charger, please see my Sofirn C8F review.
User Interface and Operation
The SP32A V2.0 has a single side e-switch, with an indicator led of red and green. It’s a small switch (in diameter) but quite proud. It’s easy to locate by feel.
Notable about this light is that there are two mode groups. One of those groups allows infinite ramping from the lowest to the highest mode (and back!). The other is a traditional e-switch.
Here’s a user interface table for the non-ramping (default) mode group!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | On (Mode Memory) |
| On | Hold | Off |
| Any | Double Click | Turbo |
| Any | Triple Click | Strobe |
| Strobe or Turbo | Click | Last used mode |
| On | Click | Mode cycle (L>H direction) |
| Any | Hold | Switch mode groups |
- When switching between mode groups, the light will flash twice and remain in an “on” state.
- Turbo isn’t in the main mode cycle
The ramping mode group is good. The ramping is “infinite” (ie there aren’t discreet outputs, and the ramp is very smooth.) When either endpoint is reached, the light flashes once, and begins ramping the other direction. A short click turns the light off in this group. The light always has mode memory too, and there are no shortcuts to low. Shortcuts to Turbo (double click) and Strobe (triple click) still work, though.
Modes
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 1300 | 2h 30m | 1240 | 2.50 |
| High | 500 | 3h 35 | 565 | 0.79 |
| Medium | 160 | 9h 30 | 180 | 0.20 |
| Low | 50 | 26h 30 | 64 | 0.06 |
| Eco | 5 | 260h | 5 | – |
LED and Beam
Sofirn has opted for a Cree XP-L2 for the SP32A V2.0. I don’t have much experience with this emitter. The reflector is smooth and deep (for a tube light) and provides a beam with a flat hotspot, and more corona than 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.
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.
Beamshots, Runtime, and Lux Measurements
| Sofirn SP32A V2.0 | |
|---|---|
| Emitter | Cree XP-L2 |
| Emitter Notes | |
| Cell | 18650 |
| Runtime | Chargetime N/A |
| LVP? | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1300 |
| Lux (Measured) | 517 lux @ 4.222 m |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd | 9215.7 |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 192.0 |
| Throw (Claimed) (m) | 153 |
Random Comparisons and Competitive Options
There seems to be only one competitor for this light, if you’re set on XP-L2. That’s the Zebralight SC64c. Zebralight is a high quality brand, with a nice user interface and great build quality. It doesn’t have ramping or an indicating side switch.
If you’re less concerned about the emitter type, this light is still a great choice, since the full kit is available for $27 (with the coupon at the top of this review). The kit includes cell and charger, making this a great stand-alone unit.
Conclusion
What I like
- Full kit; great for beginning flashlightists
- Indicating side switch
- Built quality is good for the price
What I don’t like
- Cree XP-L2 doesn’t have a good tint in my opinion
- Lack of LVP
Notes
- This light was provided by Sofirn 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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