Manker Striker Mini Aluminum Flashlight Review
Manker’s new release, the Striker Mini, is an aluminum EDC flashlight running a 14500 (included) or AA cell, and offers incredible throw with the Osram NM1!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Manker Striker Mini aluminum flashlight product page.
Versions
Only one emitter option exists for the Manker Striker Mini aluminum flashlight but that is available in a black body (seen here) or army green.
Price
The going price for the Manker Striker Mini aluminum flashlight is $49.99 at flashlightgo.com. That includes the 14500 cell seen in this review.
Short Review
I love lights that do great things they “should” do. You (probably) shouldn’t expect a light this to be a great thrower, but it is. It doesn’t offer high output, but the throw from the tight beam is so fun and impressive! I appreciate that the package includes a 14500 cell and am even more appreciative that the light will also run 1.5V cells, too!
Long Review
The Big Table
| Manker Striker Mini aluminum flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Osram KW CSLNM1.TG |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $49.99 at flashlightgo.com |
| Cell: | 1×14500 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | Mechanical |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C (on cell) |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | – |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 635 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 576 (90.7% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 76.81 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 430 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 1387lux @ 6.072m = 51138cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 452.3 (105.2% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5700-7300 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Flashlightgo.com |
| All my Manker reviews! | |
| Manker Striker Mini aluminum flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Osram KW CSLNM1.TG |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $49.99 at flashlightgo.com |
| Cell: | 1xAA |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | Mechanical |
| On-Board Charging? | No (not for 1.5V cells) |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 265 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 211 (79.6% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 76.81 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 265 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 457lux @ 6.085m = 16921cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 260.2 (98.2% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 6100-6900 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 Striker Mini aluminum flashlight
- 920mAh 14500
- Lanyard
- Spare o-ring
- Charging cable (USB to USB-C)
- Glow tubes (7)
- Manual etc
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
You might remember the non-Mini version of the Manker Striker. I reviewed a titanium version here. That’s a great light, and this is a very nice little sibling to it. They’re basically the same with two obvious exceptions. This Mini is aluminum and runs an AA-sized cell. The other one is titanium (but available in aluminum) and uses one 18650 cell.)
Below might be the best shot of the tritium slots in the tailcap. There are 6 around the sides along with one directly in the switch cover, too.
That strike bezel (or “murder bezel” as I like to call them) is quite striking indeed. It is reversible and in fact removable, so don’t get tied on that if you hate murder bezels.
The tailcap has a nice beefy spring.
The head, though, has only a button for contact on the positive terminal of the cell. That means this is less of a tactical light and much more of an EDC light. Reasonable.
The cell tube is fully removable.
Size and Comps
Size: 102 mm (Length) x 35 mm (Head diameter) x 16.8 mm (Body diameter) x 23 mm (Tail diameter)
Weight: 81.6 grams or 2.88 oz (Without battery); 103.3 grams or 3.64 oz (with 14500 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
There are a couple (or few, even) ways to carry the Manker Striker Mini aluminum flashlight. First is the pocket clip, which comes attached to the light.
This clip attaches only to the switch end and allows fairly deep carry. This is a two-way pocket clip and there’s a lanyard hole in the shoulder.
Next up is the lanyard, which attaches to the tactical ring. That ring is removable but is held in place by the tailcap. Thus, the lanyard attachment is very secure. You could also attach the lanyard through a hole in the pocket clip.
Don’t forget that you can use that tactical ring for tactical things, too! It’s great for grip.
Power and Runtime
The Manker Striker Mini aluminum flashlight is powered by a single lithium-ion cell. Manker includes the necessary type – a 14500. This particular cell is rated at 920mAh and has a button top.
It goes into the light in the usual way – positive end toward the head.
The light has only two modes, and I’ve tested them both. You can see the output below. The claim of 635 lumens is essentially met but output does drop off very quickly.
The light does exhibit low voltage protection, though, which is appreciated.
Here’s one runtime for a NiMH AA cell.
Charging
While the Striker Mini itself does not have charging, the included cell does. That’s by way of a USB-C charging port near the positive terminal.
A cable is included. It’s USB to USB-C.
Charging is acceptable and works with both USB and USB-C input.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14500 High | 635-260-8 | 3m-1h15m-40m | 628 (0s) 576 (30s) |
3.74 |
| 14500 Low | 50 | 6h30m | 59 | 0.12 |
| AA High | 265-100-8 | 40s-1h32m-1h | 211 | 2.66 |
| AA Low | 8 | 60m | 8 | 0.08 |
Pulse Width Modulation
Neither mode with either cell type really uses 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
A single switch controls the Manker Striker Mini aluminum flashlight. This is a forward mechanical clicky and allows for very simple operation, including momentary output.
Here’s a UI table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | High |
| Off | Tap | Mode select |
| On | Click | Off |
| Of | Tap | No action |
| Off | Double tap | Strobe |
The light will reset itself to high mode when off for longer than 2 seconds.
LED and Beam
Manker uses an Osram NM1 emitter in the Striker Mini. This emitter allows for great output and is small enough to also give great throw. The smooth reflector also helps with this goal.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
On low, the CCT is cool white. On high, the CCT is very cool white. CRI is unsurprisingly low, too. Neither of these things is surprising for a dedicated thrower like this light.
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
- Very simple user interface
- It’s so small for such great throw!
- Can run both 14500 and 1.5V cells too (primary, NiMH)
- Full package includes cell
- Cell has USB-C charging
What I don’t like
- Very cool white
- Just two modes (no “daily” interface, despite being an “EDC” light)
Notes
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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