IMijomi J81 Flashlight Review
The Mijomi J81 flashlight offers a dual-switch interface with an indicating e-switch. It has USB-C charging, and includes an 18650! Read on!
Official Specs and Features
I am not sure that Mijomi has an official site yet, and I can’t seem to find the product on Amazon right now.
Versions
There is only one version as far as I know.
Price
Mijomi has updated the listing for this light on Amazon. Here’s an affiliate link. The light is 50% off right now, which put the price of the Mojimi J81 under $15!!!
Short Review
I think there is a price for the Mijomi J81 that makes it a compelling flashlight. The J81 is feature-rich. USB-C. Mechanical tail-switch. Indicating e-switch. Includes a cell. All in all, it’s a great package. The build quality sort of puts it into a price range under $50, though. So if you can score one for $30 or so, and you like the other aspects of testing you can see below, then I’d call it perfectly great.
Long Review
The Big Table
| Mijomi J81 Flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Osram P9 |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $15 (50% off price) on amazon.com |
| Cell: | 1×18650 |
| High Runtime Graph | Medium Runtime Graph |
| LVP? | Switch Warning |
| Switch Type: | Dual Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | – |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1300 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 972 (74.8% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 9.3 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | ? |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 415lux @ 5.069m = 10663cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 206.5 |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5600-6300 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Mijomi |
| All my Mijomi 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
- Mijomi J81 flashlight
- Mijomi 2600mAh 18650
- Charging cable (USB to USB-C)
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Lanyard
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
Broadly speaking, the build quality of the J81 is “fine.” It isn’t exceptional, and at the right price would be acceptable.
In my hand, the grip area of the body section is a little sharp. Not in the way knurling can be “sharp” and is effectively “grippy.” But sharp in a way that isn’t totally pleasant in hand and probably more importantly, will allow the anodizing to flake off more easily.
The second thing I don’t care for on the J81 is the thread feel on the tailcap. It’s not smooth. It’s not gritty – despite these threads being anodized, they feel unanodized. That’s a big downside for me – like nails on a chalkboard.
Both head and tail have a spring though, which is a nice touch.
Size and Comps
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll show that here, too (usually the fourth photo).
Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. Mine’s a custom “baked” edition Nichia 219b triple. A very nice 18650 light.
And here’s the light beside my custom-engraved TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light. I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats.
Retention and Carry
A friction fit pocket clip is included.
The clip has a nice little flared end. This is a nice touch – I’m not sure why it appeals to me as much as it does, but I really like the flared tip here. Functionally there might be a very slight advantage to it. But probably not much.
Also included is a lanyard, which attaches through these two holes in the tailcap.
Power and Runtime
The Mijomi J81 flashlight is powered by a single 18650 lithium-ion cell. This 2600mAh button top is included.
The cell goes into the J81 with the positive terminal toward the head.
Here are three runtime tests. It looks like the output is well below the claimed 1300 lumens. The stepdown is fairly quick too, but fortunately doesn’t look to be quick in a “game the standard” way. Around 1 minute at the highest output is “fine.”
The indicating e-switch does provide a warning when the cell voltage is low. Also, the light steps down dramatically too, so you’ll be able to see that the voltage is low. The switch indicates as follows:
Green: 50-100% power
Yellow: 20-50% power
Red: 5-20% power
Red blinking: 1-5% power
Charging
The J81 has built-in charging, too. This is by way of a USB-C port in the head.
A USB to USB-C cable is included.
Here’s a charge graph. I noticed the charging indicator on the e-switch turns green well before power stops flowing to the cell. I also noted that the final voltage on one test was 4.21V, which is a little high.
C to C charging does not work.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 1300 | 3h | 1001 | 3.44 |
| Medium | 400 | 4h | 421 | 1.21 |
| Low | 150 | 5h | 150 | 0.40 |
| Econo | 50 | 15h | 49 | 0.14 |
| Firefly | 1 | 20d | 1 | ~ |
Pulse Width Modulation
None of the modes use PWM.
Here you can see a “baseline” – a chart with almost no light hitting the sensor.
Then there’s the Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight, which has some of the worst PWM I’ve seen. It’s so bad that I used a post about it to explain PWM! Here are multiple timescales (10ms, 5ms, 2ms, 1ms, 0.5ms, 0.2ms) to make comparing this “worst” PWM light to the test light easier. That post also explains why I didn’t test the WF-602C at the usual 50us scale.
User Interface and Operation
First up is the mechanical tail switch.
It’s easily accessible with gloved hands, but not so proud that it prevents tailstanding.
Next up is the indicating e-switch.
Here you can see the switch in green, but it can also indicate in yellow and red. I actually quite like this e-switch. It’s big and textured and accessible.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click Tail Switch | On (Mode memory including strobe) |
| On | Click Tail Switch | Off |
| Off | Click Side Switch | No action |
| On | Click Side Switch | Mode advance (low to high direction, all 5 steady output levels) |
| On | Double click Side Switch | Standard mode advance (ie no special action) |
| On | Hold Side Switch | Strobe |
| Strobe | Click Side Switch | Slow flash |
| Slow flash | Click Side Switch | Reenter main (steady) modes at Econo level |
| Off | Tap Tail Switch | Momentary memorized mode |
LED and Beam
In the Mijomi J81 flashlight is an Osram P9. Mijomi does not seem to state a CCT. The emitter has a smooth reflector around it.
With the smooth bezel as seen below, light doesn’t escape when headstanding the J81.
The bezel does unscrew easily.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
Surprisingly the lower modes have a CCT of around 5600K. But as the modes go higher, so does the CCT – all the way up to the mid 6000K’s. CRI is not spectacular, at around 68.
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.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Conclusion
What I like
- Complete package
- Dual switch interface
- The e-switch has a very good cover
- Indication from the e-switch is very good too
- Uses USB-C charging
What I don’t like
- Osram P9 with the low CRI and creeping CCT
- C to C charging doesn’t work
Notes
- 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.com!
- Please use my Amazon.com referral link to help support zeroair.org!
- Please support me on Patreon! I deeply appreciate your support!