Today I have another Imalent light, much like the LD10 I reviewed a while back.  This is the LD70, a Cree XHP70.2 emitter light with an OLED display.

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Official Specs and Features

Here’s a link to the official product page.

Versions

Just one internals option, but there are four body colors.  Gold, Black (seen here), Blue, and Green.

Price

These are going for $59.95 on ImalentStore.com.

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Short Review

Another fun pocket light from Imalent.  I’m still not a big fan of the magnetic charging this uses, and I’m much more a fan of removable cells.  The output on this guy is great, and I like the metal switch cover.  The OLED display is a novelty, but does provide useful information.

Long Review

The Big Table

Imalent LD70
Emitter:	Cree XHP70.2
Price in USD at publication time:	$59.95
Cell:	Internal
Turbo Runtime	High Runtime
LVP?
Switch Type:	E-Switch
Quiescent Current (A):	?
On-Board Charging?	Yes
Charge Port Type:	Proprietary Magnetic
Chargetime
Power off Charge Port with no Cell?	?
Claimed Lumens (lm)	4000
Measured Lumens (at 30s)	2086 (52.2% of claim)*
Candela per Lumen	2.4
Claimed Throw (m)	203
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	330lux @ 4.022m = 5338cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	146.1 (72% of claim)*
All my Imalent reviews!

• Measurement disclaimer:  I am an amateur flashlight reviewer.  I don’t have $10,000 or even $1,000 worth of testing equipment.  I test output and such in PVC tubes!!  Please consider claims within 10% of what I measure to be perfectly reasonable (accurate, even).

What’s Included

• Imalent LD70 Flashlight
• Charge cable (USB to proprietary magnetic)
• Lanyard
• Manual and papers

Package and Manual

Build Quality and Disassembly

This is a solid little chunk of a light.  Well built, and interesting in-hand.

It’s not especially able to be disassembled, though.  I’m not even sure where someone would start…. The parts feel more or less press fit together.

Press fit parts are not good for longevity, though.

The OLED display is a nice addition, and it’s neat to see the output lumen number and cell voltage etc.  The screen has a fairly low refresh rate, so you might be able to pick up on that with the naked eye.  For the screen, it’s not really a problem though.

Size and Comps

· Product size: 81 (length) * 25 (diameter) mm
· Net weight: 87g (including battery)

Retention and Carry

There is no pocket clip on the LD70.  That’s a pretty massive failing in a pocket/EDC light.  All that’s included is the lanyard pictured above, which attaches only through the hole pictured below.

Power and Runtime

The LD70 is powered by an internal lithium ion cell.  Almost certainly an 18350 cell, but I don’t know that it’s stated anywhere – and it’s not really replaceable anyway.  The little OLED you see below can display the cell voltage, which is a nice feature.

Here’s a runtime on Turbo.  The light doesn’t hit 4000 lumens for me, but again – I’m an amateur flashlight tester.  And certainly at 30s, the light isn’t at 4000 lumens.  The stepdown to >2000 lumens is fairly quick, but 2000 lumens holds for almost 2 minutes, which is pretty respectable.  The light does shut off with LVP, at a voltage displayed on the OLED of 2.99V.

The High output roughly holds for around 2 minutes – again respectable.

The light has built in charging, by way of a USB to proprietary magnetic cable.

The LD70 suffers the same “exactly accurate attachment” issue that the LD10 had – you have to get the connection perfect or it’s not going to charge.

Still once the connection is made, charging is very good.  The rate of 1.1A is probably around (or just over) 1C, which is perfect for this 18350.

Modes and Currents

Mode	Mode Claimed Output (lm)	Claimed Runtime	Measured Lumens	Tailcap Amps
Turbo	4000/900	1m/38m	2086	–
High	2000/900	1.5m/39m	1597	–
Middle	900	45m	736	–
Middle Low	200	3h50m	140	–
Low	20	15h	43	–

Pulse Width Modulation

All but Turbo has PWM.  On the lowest mode I consider it very visible.  Middle Low and above, not so much.

For reference, here’s a baseline shot, with all the room lights off and almost nothing hitting the sensor.  And here’s the worst PWM light I have ever owned.  Also one of the very first lights I ordered directly from China!

User Interface and Operation

The switch on the LD70 is much improved over the LD10.  It’s a metal switch cover e-switch, with the button covering most of the tailcap.  So it’s easy to find, and easy to actuate.

As stated above, the OLED display shows the claimed output for any level you’re in.

You can also manipulate the switch to cause the OLED to show cell voltage, too.  Three clicks from off shows cell voltage, but doesn’t turn the light on.

Here’s a UI table!

State	Action	Result
Off	Click	On (Mode Memory)
Any	Double Click	Turbo
Off	Triple Click	Cell Voltage display
Off	Hold	No Action
On	Click	Off
On	Hold	Mode Advance (Low to High direction, skipping Turbo)
Turbo	Double Click	Strobe
Off	Click 4x	Lock
Lock	Click 4x	Unlock

LED and Beam

The emitter of choice in the LD70 is a Cree XHP70.2, behind a lightly orange peel shallow reflector.

These beamshots are always with the following settings:  f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure.

Tint vs BLF-348 (Killzone 219b version)

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

I compare everything to the Killzone 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!

Conclusion

What I like

• Good build quality
• Nice OLED display
• Good metal switch
• Nice output – sustained 2000 lumens in a light this small is not nothing.

What I don’t like

• No pocket clip
• Doesn’t have ramping, and ramping would suit this light well
• Low isn’t low enough
• Proprietary charging
• Non-replaceable cell
• Visible PWM on Low

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Notes

• This light was provided by Imalent for review. I was not paid to write this review.
• This content originally appeared at zeroair.org.  Please visit there for the best experience!
• For flashlight-related patches, stickers, and gear, head over to PhotonPhreaks, another site where I write!
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