Sofirn SC33 EDC Flashlight Review

The Sofirn SC33 EDC flashlight is a single-emitter light using a 21700 cell and offers massive output along with a tail e-switch. Read on for testing!

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Official Specs and Features

Here’s a link to the Sofirn SC33 EDC flashlight product page.

Versions

I only see one body but there are two emitter options (5000K and 6500K) as well as a kit with or without the cell.

Price

The base price is $29.99 with the 21700 cell adding $3. You can buy the Sofirn SC33 EDC flashlight here.

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Short Review

There’s a lot to like about the Sofirn SC33 EDC flashlight. Output is good (though it doesn’t hit the specification of 5200 lumens), the user interface is good, and the build quality is good. I really like the idea of the light, but I’d love to have been able to test the 5000K version, which would likely suit me better (even if it probably has slightly lower output.)

Long Review

The Big Table

Sofirn SC33 EDC flashlight
Emitter:	Cree XHP70D HI
Price in USD at publication time:	$29.99
Cell:	1×21700
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
Claimed Lumens (lm)	5200
Measured Lumens (at 30s)	1942 (37.3% of claim)^
Candela per Lumen	6.64
Claimed Throw (m)	327
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	507lux @ 5.84m = 17292cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	263.0 (80.4% of claim)^
Claimed CCT	6000-6500
Measured CCT Range (K)	6700-8000 Kelvin
Item provided for review by:	Sofirn
All my Sofirn 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

• Sofirn SC33 EDC flashlight
• 5000mAh 21700
• Charging cable (USB to USB-C)
• Lanyard
• Spare o-rings (2)
• Manual

Package and Manual

Build Quality and Disassembly

Build quality here is very good, especially for a $30 light.

Both head and tail have springs, and on the head end there does appear to be some flashing pads. I don’t have the slightest idea how to use those, but maybe someone does. Or maybe the light can’t even be reflashed.

Size and Comps

1. Dimension: 131 mm × 32 mm
2. Weight: 110 grams (without battery)

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 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. I also reviewed that specific edition, the “Oveready BOSS FT Collector Vintage Brass” 35. I love it!

Retention and Carry

A screw-in clip is used on the Sofirn SC33 EDC flashlight. It’s three screws, which is a bit unusual, and they appear to be Torx screws, too.

A lanyard is also included, and should be attached on the pocket clip. Since it’s a screw-in clip, this is a reasonable place.

Power and Runtime

If you buy the kit (and you should), a Sofirn-branded 5000mAh 21700 is included.

That cell goes into the light in the usual way – positive end toward the head.

There’s a little icon on the tail in case you forget that information.

Below are a few runtime tests. Even at startup, I’m only seeing 3400 lumens (well short of the claimed 5200 lumens). That drops off quickly though, settling around 2000 lumens for another minute or so.

There’s an indicating LED on the head. This indicator will let you know when the cell voltage is low. It’ll also indicate right after the light is turned on, as follows:

Green: 70-100% power remaining
Flashing Green: 50-75% power remaining
Red: 25-50% power remaining
Flashing Red: <25% power remaining

Charging

Built into the tail of the Sofirn SC33 EDC flashlight is a USB-C charging port.

A USB to USB-C cable is included.

Charging proceeds as expected, and completes in around 3 hours.

While charging, the indicator mentioned above is red. When charging is complete, this indicator turns green.

Modes and Currents

Mode	Mode Claimed Output (lm)	Claimed Runtime	Measured Lumens
Turbo	5200	1.5h	3402 (0s) 1942 (30s)
High	1800	1.85h	1210
Medium	750	5.3h	491
Low	300	11.5h	189
Eco	50	45h	31
Moonlight	10	300h	6

Pulse Width Modulation

None of the modes use PWM.

For reference, here’s a baseline shot, with all the room lights off and almost nothing hitting the sensor. Also, here’s the light with the worst PWM I could find. I’m adding multiple timescales, so it’ll be easier to compare to the test light. Unfortunately, the PWM on this light is so bad that it doesn’t even work with my normal scale, which is 50 microseconds (50us). 10ms. 5ms. 2ms. 1ms. 0.5ms. 0.2ms. In a display faster than 0.2ms or so, the on/off cycle is more than one screen, so it’d just (very incorrectly) look like a flat line. I wrote more about this Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight and explained a little about PWM too.

User Interface and Operation

A single tail e-switch controls the Sofirn SC33 EDC flashlight. The switch has a nice metal (or hard plastic) cover. It’s very pleasant to use!

Here’s a UI table! This table is mainly for the stepped output options. The user interface also has a ramping option, which is pretty simple. Much of the information below also covers that group, too (like strobes and lockout).

State	Action	Result
Off (Unlocked)	Click	On (Mode Memory)
Off (Unlocked)	Hold	Moonlight
On	Hold	Mode advance (Eco>Low>Medium>High)
Any (Unlocked)	Double click	Turbo
Turbo	Double click	Iterate Moonlight>Turbo
Any (Unlocked)	Click 3x	Strobe
Strobe	Click 3x	Strobe advance (Strobe>SOS>Beacon)
Strobe	Click	Off (The manual has this wrong – it says a click will put you in the previous mode.)
Off (Unlocked)	Click 4x	Lockout (light blinks twice to indicate)
Lockout	Click 2x (or 3x or 4x)	Unlock and on in mode memory
Lockout	Click	Main emitter blinks twice (side indicator doesn’t do anything)
Off	No action >1 minute	Lockout
Lockout	Hold	Momentary Moonlight
On	Click 4x	Iterate stepped and ramping output

LED and Beam

Sofirn says this emitter is a Cree XHP70D HI. There’s an orange peel reflector to go along with that, too.

LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)

CRI and CCT are probably about what you should guess from a light driven hard enough to produce a claimed 5200 lumens on Turbo. The CCT is cool white and the CRI is low.

Beamshots

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)

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 build quality
• Low cost
• Includes cell for just $3
• Good user interface
• Ramping is an option
• C to C charging

What I don’t like

• Very cool CCT
• Low CRI
• Output isn’t met

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Notes

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