Sofirn SC13 Flashlight Review
The Sofirn SC13 flashlight is the newest 18350 Luminus SST-40 offering, with USB-C charging and an indicating switch. The tail has a magnet, too. Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Sofirn SC13 flashlight product page.
Versions
There’s just one version of the Sofirn SC13 flashlight but it’s available with or without the 18350 cell.
Price
With the cell (which is what you should buy), the Sofirn SC13 flashlight is only $32.99!
What’s Included
- Sofirn SC13 flashlight
- Sofirn 1100mAh 18350
- Pocket clip
- Lanyard
- Charging cable
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The build quality is fine. There’s nothing bad to say here.
The tailcap therads are well-lubed and long. The head does not come off – the body is one part.
Below you can see the positive terminal – just a button. A nicer build quality would probably include a spring, but this button does work just fine in a non-tactical light like this one.
Size and Comps
28.5mm x 64.6mm and 40g without the 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+. 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 just 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
Sofirn includes a friction-fit pocket clip with the SC13 flashlight.
This clip attaches only on the very front-most part of the SC13. The clip can’t go anywhere else, and I’d say also that the light looks weird without the clip, too.
A lanyard is included, and it attaches through this loop in the tailcap. You could also use the pocket clip hole, too.
And finally, there’s the magnet in the tailcap. This magnet is perfectly sufficient for attaching the SC13 to things!
Power and Runtime
The package price (which adds just $2 to the base price of the SC13) includes an 1100mAh 18350 cell. It’s a button top cell.
The cell goes with the button toward the head.
If you forget that orientation, you can observe the battery orientation indicator on the tailcap.
Below are a few runtime tests. The light does not seem to hit the claimed 1300 lumens. It does have high output though, for a minute or so – around 1000 lumens. That’s quite impressive, even if it’s not the claimed 1300 lumens. The stepdowns after a minute are dramatic, to around 300 lumens.
Low voltage protection was observed in every test and the switch will also indicate the power level (as follows):
Green: 70-100% power
Red: 30-70% power
Red flashing: 0-30% power
Charging
Charging is built in. There’s a USB-C port in the head. This port has a press-in cover.
A USB to USB-C charging cable is included, too.
Below you can see a C to C and A to C charging test. They’re both very good – steady charging at around 1C, with completion at around 1.5 hours.
While charging, the switch is red. When charging is complete, the switch turns green.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 1300-500 | 2m+1h20m | 1060 (0s) 1002 (30s) |
3.67 |
| High | 500 | 1h30m | 411 | 1.06 |
| Medium | 150 | 3h30m | 139 | 0.38 |
| Low | 10 | 17h36m | 8.3 | 0.03 |
| Moonlight | 1 | 100h | 0.9 | [low] |
Pulse Width Modulation
Only the lowest mode doesn’t use PWM. The other modes use fairly fast PWM, though.
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 Sofirn SC13 flashlight is controlled by a single indicating e-switch.
I like this switch (so this is not a complaint): it has a good bit of travel (but it’s clean travel and not mushy). There’s also a hollow-ish sound when clicking that you’ll probably notice (but not hate).
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | On (Memory) |
| On | Click | Off |
| On | Hold | Mode advance (LMH) |
| Off | Hold | Moonlight |
| Any | Double click | Turbo |
| Turbo | Double click | Strobe |
| Strobe | Double click | Turbo |
| Off | Click 3x | Lockout (LED flashes twice to indicate) |
| Locked | Click 3x | Unlock to on (Mode memory) |
| Locked | Hold | Momentary Moonlight |
| Locked | Click | LED flashes twice to indicate lockout |
LED and Beam
Sofirn went with a Luminus SST-40 in this tiny little light. That emitter is coupled with a “ripple” TIR.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
The box of my SC13 says the output is between 6000K and 6500K. My tests indicate it at least starts a bit warmer than that (around 5300K) but then does cool off (to around 6200K) as the output gets higher. CRI is low.
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!
Summary and Conclusion
I happen to love 18350 flashlights and I’m pleased to see the SC13 offering by Sofirn. The user interface is nice and simple while offering the features I want, and overall the performance is fine. I would prefer a warmer CCT and (much) higher CRI, but this is a nice start. USB-C charging works great, too.
All this for around $30, and the Sofirn SC13 flashlight seems like a deal.
The Big Table
| Sofirn SC13 Flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Luminus SST-40 (6000-6500) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $30.99 |
| 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 or without cell or tailcap: lowest three modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1300 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1002 (77.1% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 8.82 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 217 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 401lux @ 4.856m = 9456cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 194.5 (89.6% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | 6000-6500 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5300-6200 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 I like
- Good build quality especially for the price
- Complete pacakge
- Runs an 18350 cell
- Good e-switch
- Simple but useful user interface
- Good tailcap magnet
What I don’t like
- Low CRI
- Cool white
- If you don’t install the pocket clip the head looks sort of weird (like you forgot to add a part)
- Does not quite hit output specification
Notes
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