Mateminco MT35 Mini Flashlight Review

Mateminco MT35 Mini Flashlight Review

The Mateminco MT35 Mini is a very throwy flashlight using a single 26650 cell and has the option of Anduril or Narsil. Read on for testing!


Official Specs and Features of the Mateminco MT35 Mini Flashlight

Here’s a link to the Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight product page.

Versions

Mateminco is a hard brand to track exactly – I’m not sure that they have an official home page. So I’ll just call the “versions” what I see on the FlashQuark page. There are three bodies: blue, green, and black. The non-black option both have stainless steel bezels, too. Every option has a Luminus SST-40, but can be had at 5000K, 5700K, or 6500K.

Also very importantly this light has Narsil user interface by default but can be flashed to Anduril by request (by Flashquark!). I recommend that, and that’s what I have here.

Price

The version of the Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight seen in this review is $54.99 at flashquark.com.


Short Review

This light is very throwy! Surprisingly so, probably. My version has Anduril and 5000K, and that’s what I’d recommend. I also like the stainless bezel. All in all, this seems to be a solid value light. A 26650 cell is not included.

Long Review

The Big Table

Mateminco MT35 Mini Flashlight
Emitter: Luminus SST-40 (5000K)
Price in USD at publication time: $54.99 at Flashquark.com
Cell: 1×26650
Turbo Runtime Graph High Runtime Graph
LVP? Yes (at least, switch to very low)
Switch Type: E-Switch
Quiescent Current (mA): Switch high: 0.12mA
Switch low: 0.06mA
Switch off: 0.03mA
On-Board Charging? Yes
Charge Port Type: USB-C
Charge Graph
Power off Charge Port Lowest few modes
Claimed Lumens (lm) 2400
Measured Lumens (at 30s) 2081 (86.7% of claim)^
Candela per Lumen 91.1
Claimed Throw (m) 875
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) 2980lux @ 6.082m = 110232cd
Throw (Calculated) (m) 664.0 (75.9% of claim)^
Claimed CCT 5000
Measured CCT Range (K) 4200-5200 Kelvin
Item provided for review by: Flashquark
All my Mateminco 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

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight what's included

  • Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight
  • Spare o-rings (2)
  • 26650 to 18650 adapter
  • Lanyard
  • Manual

Package and Manual

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight box

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight box

Note that the manual included covers Narsil. My Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight is flashed with Anduril, so this manual is completely irrelevant.

Build Quality and Disassembly

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight

Mateminco usually has good build quality. I would say “as I’ve said in all my other Mateminco reviews” but I can’t find any! This might be my first Mateminco review! I know I’ve owned from this brand before though, so I have experience. They’re solid lights!

The stainless bezel is a very nice touch.

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight stainless bezel

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight tailcap

On the tailcap is a nice beefy spring.

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight tail spring

Same on the head end – nice beefy spring! The tail threads are anodized, but the threads connecting the head are unanodized. This means if you want o mechanically lock out the light, you’ll need to loosen the tailcap.

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight head spring

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight dual springs

Size and Comps

Size: 170mm x 69.5 (Body length/Head Diameter)
Weight: 301g not including battery

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 in the fourth photo).

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight in hand

Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+.  Mine’s a custom “baked” edition Nichia 219b triple.  A very nice 18650 light.

Also above is 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 lanyard is included for carrying the Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight. It attaches on the tailcap, through these two holes you can see below.

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight lanyard holes

The whole setup there does allow for nice tailstanding.

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight lanyard

No other options are included. There’s no pouch or belt clip or anything.

Power and Runtime

The Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight runs on a single lithium-ion cell. In this case, a 26650 is the right size, though with the included adapter (below) you can use a 18650 safely, too.

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight with 18650 adapter

The cell goes the normal direction – positive end toward the head.

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight with cell installed

Here are a few runtimes! I did calibrate the thermals on Anduril.

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight runtimes

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight runtimes

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight runtimes

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight runtimes

Charging

Built into the Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight is USB-C charging, which is on the head just opposite the switch.

No charging cable is included, and only USB-A to USB-C charging worked for me. Charging is quick, though.

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight charge graph

Modes and Currents

Mode Mode Claimed Output (lm) Claimed Runtime Measured Lumens Tailcap Amps
9 (double click turbo) 2400 (probably for the 6500K) [1718 0s] 8.37
8 (highest stepped) [1051 0s] 3.82
7 [673 0s] 2.00
6 482 0.95
5 239 0.48
4 102 0.20
3 35 0.06
2 (lowest stepped) 5.4 70.5mA
1 (lowest ramping) 0.10 1.61mA

Pulse Width Modulation

There’s PWM on most of the lower modes.

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

A single switch controls all operations of the MT35 Mini. It’s an e-switch and has indicating features in green (only.)

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight e-switch

Below you can see the switch backlit in green.

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight e-switch green backlight

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight e-switch actuation

As I have said numerous times now, the light uses Narsil by default but can be flashed to Anduril. Mine has been flashed to Anduril. Anduril 2, in fact!

I love Anduril 2. I think it’s an improvement over the first iteration(s).  There are some things some users might not love about it, but I think overall it’s much more approachable.  I will note though that the nomenclature might be a bit confusing – the light (all lights with Andúril2) ships in Simple UI.  This is not Muggle Mode.  You may think “well duh” and by now you’ve already seen the blistering runtime on turbo of Simple, so you get it.  But just be aware, don’t hand this light to the uninitiated thinking they won’t set their hand on fire while using Simple UI.  Here is where I’d tell you how to switch to muggle mode.  There is no muggle mode.

Here’s a UI table!  This table is directly from ToyKeeper’s Andúril2 manual, which you can view here:

http://toykeeper.net/torches/fsm/anduril2/anduril-manual.txt

I am putting this in a table here with ToyKeeper’s permission.  Thanks, TK!  This is so much better than me writing it because it’s more reliable, and I completely trust its accuracy (at least, if I can paste it accurately).  I’m breaking it up a little differently than ToyKeeper did, though I certainly understand why it was done her way originally.

First, the table for Either User Interface.  These actions work whether you’re in Simple or Advanced UI.

State Action Result
Off 1C On (ramp mode, memorized level)
Off 1H On (ramp mode, floor level)
Off 2C On (ramp mode, ceiling level)
Off 3C Battcheck mode
Off 4C Lockout mode
Off 13H Factory reset (on some lights)
Off 15+C Version check
Ramp 1C Off
Ramp 1H Ramp (up, with reversing)
Ramp 2H Ramp (down)
Ramp 3H Tint ramping (on some lights)
Ramp 3H Momentary turbo (on lights without tint ramping)
Ramp 4C Lockout mode
Lockout 1C/1H Momentary moon (lowest floor)
Lockout 2C/2H Momentary moon (highest floor, or manual mem level)
Lockout 4C On (ramp mode, memorized level)
Lockout 4H On (ramp mode, floor level)
Lockout 5C On (ramp mode, ceiling level)
Batt check 1C Off

A table for only Simple User Interface:

State Action Result
Off 2H On (momentary ceiling level)
Off 10H Disable Simple UI
Ramp 2C Go to/from ceiling

A table for only Advanced (aka “Full”) User Interface:

State Action Result
Off 2H On (momentary turbo)
Off 3H Strobe mode (whichever was used last)
Off 5C Momentary mode
Off 7C Aux LEDs: Next pattern
Off 7H Aux LEDs: Next color
Off 10C Enable Simple UI
Off 10H Simple UI ramp config menu (1: floor, 2: ceiling, [3: steps])
Ramp 2C Go to/from ceiling (or turbo if at ceil already)
Ramp 3C Change ramp style (smooth / stepped)
Ramp 5C Momentary mode
Ramp 5H Sunset timer on, and add 5 minutes
Ramp 7H Ramp config menu (1: floor, 2: ceiling, [3: steps])
Ramp 10C Turn on manual memory and save current brightness
Ramp 10H Manual memory config menu (1: off, 2: set timeout)
Lockout 7C Aux LEDs: Next pattern
Lockout 7H Aux LEDs: Next color
Lockout 10H Auto-lock config menu (1: set timeout)
Strobe (any) 1C Off
Strobe (any) 2C Next strobe mode
Strobe (any) 3H Tint ramping (on some lights)
Strobe (any) 5C Momentary mode (using current strobe)
Candle 1H/2H Brighter / dimmer
Candle 5H Sunset timer on, add 5 minutes
Party strobe 1H/2H Faster / slower
Tactical strobe 1H/2H Faster / slower
Biking 1H/2H Brighter / dimmer
Lightning 1H Interrupt current flash or start new one
Batt check 2C Next blinky mode (Temp check, Beacon, SOS)
Batt check 7H Voltage config menu
Temp check 1C Off
Temp check 2C Next blinky mode (Beacon, SOS, Batt check)
Temp check 7H Thermal config menu
Beacon 1C Off
Beacon 1H Configure beacon timing
Beacon 2C Next blinky mode (SOS, Batt check, Temp check)
SOS 1C Off
SOS 2C Next blinky mode (Batt check, Temp check, Beacon)
Momentary Any On (until button is released)
Momentary Disconnect power Exit Momentary mode
Config menus Hold Skip current item with no changes
Config menus Release Configure current item
Number entry Click Add 1 to value for current item

To be completely honest, I’m not entirely sure yet what’s the best way to tell if you’re in Simple UI or Advanced UI.  Based on what I see here and with the light in hand, I think the fewest-clicks way will be 3 clicks from on (technically “Ramp” in the table, but I think “On” is accurate.)  This action – 3C from Ramp – in Advanced UI will iterate smooth or stepped.  In Simple UI, this action will do nothing.  There are other ways, though.  For example, double-clicking from the top of the ramp will either do nothing or go to Turbo.  If it does nothing, then you’re in Simple.  If it goes to 11, then you’re in Advanced.

Another great way to tell, thanks to a reader is to see what the lowest level of ramping is.  Advanced UI has a quite low low.  Simple UI has a much higher “lowest level.”

LED and Beam

In the Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight is a Luminus SST-40 emitter. There are options, but mine is 5000K (and that’s what I recommend.) The reflector is wide, deep, and mostly smooth.

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight emitter

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight reflector

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight on low

This stainless steel bezel (as well as the black aluminum bezel) has shape, so light escapes while headstanding.

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight shaped bezel

Mateminco MT35 Mini flashlight on

LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)

Mateminco rates the CCT accurately at 5000K. From the low to highest output, the CCT ranges from around 4800K to 5200K. That’s good. CRI is not great at below 70 for most levels.

Beamshots

These beamshots are always with 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

  • Great throw!
  • Good build quality
  • Uses Anduril, so it’s a “known quantity” (you should have other Anduril lights, right?)
  • Uses USB-C charging

What I don’t like

  • Doesn’t include 26650
  • Inconsistent anodization
  • C to C charging doesn’t work

Notes

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1 thought on “Mateminco MT35 Mini Flashlight Review”

  1. This is a great light! Even better when you bump it up to 26800 cells with their extension tube. I’m sure you already know that this is the exact same light as the Astrolux FT03 that they made for BLF via Banggood a few years back. I’m glad it’s still around for sale and hasn’t been discontinued. A lot of smaller throwers have been introduced in the last couple years but this one is such a solid mid-size capable thrower.

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