Today I have a little full-metal keychain light by Fenix. It’s the E03R, and it’s a dual emitter red/white light with USB-C charging and an indicating e-switch. Read on for some testing and thoughts!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the official product page.
Versions
There’s only one version of the E03R.
Price
These list for $37.00, have been marked down to $26.95, and street price is more like $24.95 at nealsgadgets! (referral link)
Short Review
I like this light a lot. The red could use levels (other than on and strobe). Switch is good, charging is good…. It’s a very sleek light too, which makes it fun to use.
Long Review
The Big Table
| Fenix E03R | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Match CA18 (white) (Everlight 2835 (red)) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $24.95 at NealsGadgets.com (referral link) |
| Cell: | Internal |
| High Runtime | Medium Runtime |
| LVP? | Warning |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (A): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Chargetime | |
| Power off Charge Port with no Cell? | Two low white and both red |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 260 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 231 (88.8% of claim)* |
| Candela per Lumen | 3.2 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 42 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 62lux @ 3.643m = 823cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 57.4 (136.7% of claim)* |
| All my Fenix 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
- Fenix E03R Keychain Flashlight
- Split ring
- Manual and other papers
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
This is a bit of an unusual built light – it seems to be a “unibody” design with all the guts stuffed in from the front. The build quality is very good, but I’d say the ability to disassemble this light is very low.
I’m not sure if this is a permanent installation dual optic but if you wish to remove it do so carefully, since finding a replacement will probably be difficult.
There are no seams anywhere on the body.
The switch and charge port are the only two holes in the body.
Size and Comps
Length: 1.85” (47mm)
Width: 0.94” (24mm)
Height: 0.47” (12mm)
Weight: 0.78 oz. (22g) including battery
This Nitecore TINI is the closest in size that I could think of. The Fenix is (again) a single piece of metal, which I’d say is a nice feature over the TINI.
Retention and Carry
All that’s really included for carrying the E03R is a tiny split ring which attaches to the tail loop. Through that split ring you could attach keys or a lanyard or whatever. There is no pocket clip and no magnet.
Power and Runtime
The E03R is powered by an internal 200mAh LiPO cell, which is not serviceable. I do not know (but doubt) that Fenix offers a replacement service for these batteries.
There’s an indicating switch which can be activated without turning on the light. Just click the switch (when off) and the switch will indicate in this way:
Green: >70% power
Green flashing: 40%-70% power
Red: 10%-40% power
Red flashing: <10% power
Power is also indicated every time the light is turned on.
Here are a few runtimes. “High” is the highest output, claimed at 260 lumens. I measured 231, and a stepdown beginning around 1m15s.
The light didn’t really turn off during these runtimes. The switch does indicate remaining power, and there’s a stepdown to very low output, however.
With the built in battery comes built-in charging as well. This is by way of a USB-C port. A charge cable is not included. I have plenty of the right cables (USB to USB-C or USB-C to USB-C. Connecting USB-C to USB-C only charges at 5V, however. If you don’t have any USB-C cables, you should factor this into your price. (Note: The Fenix website does say cables are now included as of 8/20/20. But if you buy elsewhere you may or may not get one.)
The charge port cover is a secure press-in silicone cover, and the port is very well fit into the opening.
Charging is a very consistent 0.2A, and requires around 84 minutes to complete.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 260 | 45m | 231 | – |
| Med | 80 | 1h15m | 82 | – |
| Low | 30 | 3h | 30 | – |
| Eco | 5 | 18h | – | – |
| Red | 4 | 5h30m | – | – |
Pulse Width Modulation
There is non-visible (very fast) PWM on the lower three white modes. The red does not use PWM.
Red: (no PWM).
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
There’s an indicating e-switch on one side of the E03R. The switch has a metal cover and is very pleasantly clicky. There’s just enough texture so you’ll know which side of the light it’s on without extra effort, and it’s flush with the body.
The switch has some battery indicator functions which have been covered above.
Here’s a UI table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | Battery Indicator |
| Off | Hold (0.5s) | On – White |
| Off | Hold (1.2s) | On – Red |
| Off | Double Click | Lockout (indicated by double flash of white) |
| Lockout | Click | Indicator for lockout (two white flashes) |
| Lockout | Double Click | Unlock to Low |
| On | Hold | Off |
| On | Click | Mode advance (ELMH for white) (Red > Red Flash for red) |
The UI is quite simple, but the Hold for on (of either emitter) did take some getting used to.
LED and Beam
There are two emitters in the E03R. The white is a Match CA18, and the red is an Everlight 2835. I haven’t experienced the Match CA18 before. Both are behind a lightly frosted TIR.
With the switch on top, the white is on the right hand side. In the photo below, the switch is “up” and at left (facing you) is the white, with red being the more clear of the two.
These beamshots are always with the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure.
Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)
Test light is on the left!
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348, because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Conclusion
What I like
- Good build quality – no seams
- Dual output
- Good use of indicating switch
- Very nice switch overall (the cover, the action, the size, the placement – everything about this switch is right)
What I don’t like
- Built in (probably not replaceable) battery
- Could use lower output on red (even if the higher was removed).
Notes
- This light was provided by NealsGadgets.com 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!
- Use my amazon.com referral link if you’re willing to help support making more reviews like this one!
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