Manker MC13 II Flashlight Review
Manker released an updated version of the MC13 – the II, still an “ultra-throw” flashlight but now with a Luminus SFT-40 emitter. Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Manker MC13 II flashlight product page.
Versions
Of the “Manker MC13 II” version of the MC13 flashlight, there are two body colors. Black (seen here) and sand. They both use a Luminus SFT-40 emitter.
Price
MSRP for the Manker MC13 II flashlight is $64.95. I got mine from flashlightgo.com, and you should too!
Short Review
The Manker MC13 II flashlight has impressive throw just like the original version. I love that version! This one is great too. Adding 18650 support in the way it’s been incorporated here is very neat, and has worked very nicely for me. Throw is still incredible, and I’m quite fond of the user interface, too!
Long Review
The Big Table
| Manker MC13 II Flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Luminus SFT40 |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $64.95 |
| Cell: | 1×18350 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | with cell: all modes without cell or body: lowest 3 modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1800 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 912 (50.7% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 82.8 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 600 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 1539lux @ 6.992m = 75239cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 548.6 (91.4% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 6100-7100 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | flashlightgo.com |
| All my Manker reviews! | |
| Manker MC13 II Flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Luminus SFT40 |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $64.95 |
| Cell: | 1×18650 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | with cell: all modes without cell or body: lowest 3 modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 2000 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1147 (57.4% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 82.8 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 600 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 1993lux @ 7.111m = 100779cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 634.9 (105.8% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 6200-7400 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | flashlightgo.com |
| All my Manker 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
- Manker MC13 II flashlight
- Manker 18350 cell
- Charging cable (USB to USB-C)
- Lanyard
- Diffuser
- Spare o-ring
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
You may remember the first iteration of Manker MC13 as part of the “muscle combo.” I loved that muscle combo, in particular because the set allowed use of a single 18350 or single 18650 cell, depending on which body was installed on which head. (The muscle combo was the MC13 thrower coupled with a floody quad, the Manker E14 III).
In the new version of MC13 II flashlight, Manker built support for both cells into one body! Pictures below will reflect both bodies as much as possible. The build quality is good. Even the extension tube is very nice. It sort of disappears, and if you didn’t know it was there, you might not ever pay any mind to the fact that this light is a little bit thicker than your average 18350 light because of this extension tube.
The head end has a nice beefy spring.
Actually all of the components here look to be nice quality.
Below you can see the extension tube, and maybe the added thickness it causes.
Inside the cell tube is a spring that retains a magnet in the tail end.
The extension tube isn’t just free (obviously, or the light would never work with a single 18350). To extend the tube, you need to unscrew from the tail cap, which unscrews the extension from some inner threads. This part (the tail end and extension tube) is captured, though, so you don’t have to worry about it falling out. It’s a pretty clever way to implement support for two cell types!
Size and Comps
Head diameter: 40.4mm
Body diameter: 25.9mm
Extension tube diameter: 21.8mm
Length (18350 setup): 91.33mm
Length (18650 setup): 118.13mm
Weight: 99.8g without battery, 126.4g with included 18350.
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll also show that (usually in 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.
Also above on the left is a new feature light!! Laulima Metal Craft sent this Todai in tumbled aluminum for some size comparison photos like the ones above. Laulima has a bunch of incredible items. I’ve tested one (the Laulima Metal Craft Hoku) (the official site for Hoku is here) that was a Friend Fund Friday review. I was impressed enough by that Hoku that I bought a Laulima Metal Craft Diamond Slim (also in tumbled aluminum) (review is upcoming!) These lights by Laulima have impeccable build quality and not only that, they’re quite configurable. There are some (great, actually) default configurations, but Joshua Dawson (of Laulima Metal Craft) is open to ideas and emitter options and the like. I haven’t reviewed this Todai, but I have to say, it feels absolutely fantastic and I love it thus far. (Notably, I love how warm and eggy those emitters look through the TIR.)
Retention and Carry
Unlike the previous MC13, the MC13 II does not have a pocket clip. That’s a big loss in theory but in practice, this isn’t a light meant for clipped pocket carry anyway. What is included is a lanyard, which attaches through this hole in the tail cap.
That’s it!
Power and Runtime
With the default 18350 body, the MC13 II runs on a single 18350 cell. Since both ends have springs, various 18350 cells should work just fine. Manker includes the cell you can see below.
The cell is installed in the usual orientation: positive terminal toward the head.
Below are a few runtimes with the included 18350 cell.
I also tested a bit with an 18650 cell. I happened to have a Samsung 30q, and it does look like performance (specifically output) is better with this high current cell. You’ll also get some extended runtime duration thanks to the larger capacity.
During operation, the indicating switch will approximate the cell voltage for around 10 seconds, as follows:
>3.4V: switch is blue
3.4V to 3.2V: switch is purple
3.2V-2.8V: switch is red
<2.8V: light turns off
Charging
The Manker MC13 II incorporates USB-C charging into the body, another upgrade over the previous generation. The charging port press-in cover seems very secure, but isn’t difficult to open.
A USB to USB-C cable is included.
I tested charging a few ways, both with the included 18350 cell and the 30Q 18650 mentioned above. Charging seems to be about the same regardless of which size cell is in place, and at 2A, that might be a higher rate than you want to charge a single 18350. It won’t directly harm the cell, but could affect cell lifespan.
Charging with both USB and USB-C looks good, with one small note (below).
If you leave the light on a charging source with USB-C, the charger seems to ping the power supply occasionally, and top up the cell. My cell wasn’t over charged after the scenario below, but it’s probably better to not leave the light on a charger permanently. This didn’t seem to happen with USB power (only USB-C).
While charging, the indicating switch is red. When charging is complete, the switch turns blue.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo (18650) (18350) |
2000 1800 |
1h35m 30m |
1147 912 |
5.91 |
| High (18650) (18350) |
750 750 |
1h50m 38m |
557 556 |
1.70 |
| Medium (18650) (18350) |
450 450 |
3h20m 1h10m |
367 374 |
1.00 |
| Low (18650) (18350) |
100 100 |
18h30m 6h20m |
92 85 |
0.22 |
| Ultra-Low 2 (18650) (18350) |
50 50 |
40h 18h |
42 37 |
0.11 |
| Ultra-Low 1 (18650) (18350) |
20 20 |
70h 25h |
17 17 |
0.06 |
| Moonlight (18650) (18350) |
0.1-2 0.1-2 |
135h 55h |
2 2 |
0.03 |
Pulse Width Modulation
There isn’t any PWM to be seen.
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
Like the original MC13, the MC13 II uses an e-switch. Unlike the original, this switch is on the head, a much more traditional e-switch. This one also features an indicating function and can light in blue, purple, or red.
The action is good, and feels pretty normal.
The user interface is nearly like the original MC13, with the difference that there are fewer levels in the moonlight section. This is a good update.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | Memorized mode (LMH only) |
| Any | Double Click | Turbo |
| Off | Hold | Memorized ECO mode^ |
| On | Click | Off |
| On (ECO Group) | Hold | ECO cycle (lowest to highest) |
| On (LMH Group) | Hold | LMH cycle (lowest to highest) |
| Any | Click 4x | Lockout (noted by 3 flashes of emitters) |
| Lockout | Click 4x | Unlock to LMH group (Mode Memory) |
| Any | Click 3x | Strobe group (Strobe memory) |
| Strobe Group | Hold | Strobe advance (Strobe > Beacon > SOS) |
^ The manual seems to indicate that the ECO modes go to memory but as far as I can tell, ECO always starts on the lowest ECO level. This is MUCH preferred, and it’s the best way. So while I don’t love the manual being wrong, I love the fact of the ui, and always starting ECO in the lowest level. (Also note that, unlike the 5 levels of the original MC13, all levels on the MC13 II Eco mode are useful.)
LED and Beam
Another (and the biggest, I guess) update to the MC13 is that the emitter is now a Luminus SFT-40. This emitter can handle high current and has great output, too.
There’s a TIR for the single emitter.
Manker includes a dome diffuser.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
Unsurprisingly for this dedicated throwy emitter, the CCT is cool (around 6100 to 7200K and the CRI is low (around 70). Since the 18650 drives the light a bit harder, the higher modes are a bit cooler.
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
- Built-in extension to run 18650 is included
- USB-C Charging (C to C works)
- Great throw
- Good user interface (love ECO always starting in the lowest mode – no memory)
- Indicating switch
What I don’t like
- Low CRI
- Cool white emitter
- 2A charging for 18350 could be a bit fast
Notes
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