Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP Flashlight Review
The Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight is a new light offering an “LC DEL” to modify the normally tight LEP beam. The W35 features dual switches and zoom! Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a referral link to the Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight product page at killzoneflashlights.com.
Versions
There appears to be just one version of the Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight.
Price
The Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight comes in at a whopping $339.90 and is available at killzoneflashlights.com right now. The price includes one 21700 cell (as seen here.)
What’s Included
- Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight
- Acebeam 5000mAh 21700
- Charging cable
- Lanyard
- Spare O-rings (2)
- Manual etc
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight is a very interesting flashlight. It offers a very “LEP” feature set (namely, it’s very throwy) but it also has the “Liquid Crystal Diffractive Electro-optic Lens (LC DEL), which allows modification of the beam for a less throwy output. I think it’s a completely new design!
As for the light itself, it’s typical (great) Acebeam quality.
The W35 features an inner sleeve. This facilitates charging and/or allows the e-switches to work. Either way, you need it. Threads on the tail end are unanodized and square. Very nice threads.
Both the tail (above) and head (below) have springs.
The tailcap has a mechanical switch as well as onboard charging.
Size and Comps
Size: 189.9mm/7.48in x 60mm/2.36in x 30mm/1.18in
Weight: 327.4g w/ 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+. The version you see below is a custom Convoy S2+ host that’s been laser engraved by GadgetConnections.com. I did a full post on an engraved orange host right here! Or go straight to GadgetConnections.com to buy your Convoy S2+ now!
Also above is the light beside a 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’s no pocket clip or pouch or anything with the W35. What there is, though, is a lanyard. This lanyard attaches to the tailcap through holes/loops.
It’s also possible to attach the lanyard through the tactical grip ring.
Power and Runtime
Power to the Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight is from a single lithium-ion cell. My package included a cell, and this cell is included at the purchase price. The cell is a 5000mAh 21700.
The cell is installed into the W35 in the usual way – positive terminal toward the head.
Below are a few runtime tests. The light shuts off when cell voltage is low (around 3V).
The power level indicator near the e-switches does give an indication when the voltage is low, as follows:
Green: >30%
Red: 30-10%
Red flashing: <10%
Charging
Acebeam incorporated USB-C charging into the W35 itself. The charging port is in the tail and is protected by a press-in silicone cover.
A USB to USB-C cable is included.
When charging, the LEDs near the switch light in red. When charging is completed, these turn green.
Charging is quick at around 2A but then holds for hours at a very low current. In reality, “full charge” takes about 3 hours (reasonable), but will sort of continue for a long while after.
While charging, the change indicator (near the e-switches) is red. When charging is complete, this indicator turns green.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 800-470 | 6m-1h40m | 419 (0s) 388 (30s) |
| High | 470 | 2h | 248 |
| Medium | 230 | 4h | 118 |
| Low | 80 | 8h20m | 41 |
Pulse Width Modulation
The Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight does not have PWM in any mode! That’s great. And one of the things I love about Acebeam flashlights.
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
The Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight features a couple of switches. First, there’s a mechanical tail switch. The light doesn’t do anything if this switch is in the off position.
Next are these two e-switches. One controls the light output and the other controls how zoomed the light is. In the photo below, the top (or “left” in hand) controls zoom, while the bottom (or “right” in hand) controls the level.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click tail switch | On (Mode memory excluding turbo and strobe)^ |
| On | Click tail switch | Off |
| On | Click output switch | Mode advance (LMH) |
| On | Double click output switch | Turbo |
| On | Triple click output switch | Strobe |
| On | Click zoom switch | Cycle between 9 levels of flood to throw |
| On | Double click zoom switch | Iterate between max spot and max flood |
^ There’s an interesting point about memory here. Yes, as usual Turbo and strobe are not memorized. No surprise there. But also if you utilize the double click zoom button (to jump to either fully zoomed or fully flooded), that is not memorized either. So when you turn the light back on after having double clicked the zoom button, it’ll be on whatever flood/zoom level from before the double click. That is not even the list bit of a big deal, but it is a surprise.
LED and Beam
This isn’t really a LED – it’s a LEP.
Below you can see what is most likely the LC DEL lattice that diffuses the beam. This is what allows the light to be more floody. The grid or lattice is not something you’ll observe at all during normal use of the Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight.
The bezel is toothy, so light can escape when headstanding.
Below you can see both extremes: fully zoomed in and fully zoomed out .
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
CRI and CCT are really not the point of the Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight. However, we can still check it! There is a bunch of tint shift across this very throwy beam; I usually take readings from as close to the center as I can get. So the edge might appear different in the photos than what the reports say. CCT is neutral, at around 5500K and CRI is very low, in the low 60s.
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.
Above, the gallery is every output level across both extremes (zoom and flood). Below you can see every zoom level within one specific output level. It’s the same story below, too.
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. (The LEP tint is really accentuated in these photos in a way that I do not experience in real usage.)
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Summary and Conclusion
The Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight is a very interesting LEP! It offers extreme throw, but with the unique diffuser, also can be used for floody or up-close work, too. I appreciate the user interface, but could see an improvement or two. Charging works well, and it’s nice that the package includes a cell.
The Big Table
| Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | LEP (tightest) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $339.90 |
| Cell: | 1×21700 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | Both |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | – |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 800 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 419 (52.4% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 1526.13 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 2600 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 31800lux @ 7.193m = 1645308cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 2565.4 (98.7% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5400-5700 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Acebeam |
| All my Acebeam reviews! | |
| Acebeam W35 Zoom LEP flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | LEP (floodiest) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $339.90 |
| Cell: | 1×21700 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | Both |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | – |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 800 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 419 (52.4% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 11.17 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | – |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 173lux @ 4.614m = 3683cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 121.4 |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5400-5700 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Acebeam |
| All my Acebeam 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 I like
- Great throw!
- Nice complete package
- Charging works well
- Zoom switch is neat (even if zoom is a bit slow?)
- Double clicking zoom button gives access to both extremes
What I don’t like
- Zoom is a little bit slow
- Cost
- “Does not hit output numbers” but really it hits the throw numbers, so don’t worry about the lumens.
Notes
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