Speras EST Mini Flashlight Review
The Speras EST Mini tactical flashlight offers a dual-switch interface, good throw and output and a toothy bezel. And it includes the standard 18350! Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Speras EST Mini tactical flashlight product page.
Versions
There’s just one version of the Speras EST Mini tactical flashlight I think. Also available is the bigger version of the same light, the “EST MAX.” I’ve reviewed it already!
Price
MSRP and the going price for the Speras EST Mini tactical flashlight is $56. That includes the cell seen in this review.
What’s Included
- Speras EST Mini tactical flashlight
- Speras 1100mAh 18350
- Charging cable (USB to USB-C)
- Lanyard
- Spare 0-rings (2)
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
Build quality here is fine – it’s on par with what you’d expect out of a flashlight at this price.
The threads are anodized and smooth. The head does not come off the body, but does appear to be a separate piece. I guess the head is thread locked onto the body.
The Speras EST Mini tactical flashlight is marketed as a tactical light and so as you’d expect, there are springs on both head and tail ends.
Size and Comps
88mm x 25.4mm and 65g (without cell).
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 below is a custom laser-engraved Convoy S2+ host 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
A friction-fit pocket clip is included. It attaches only on the tail end, allowing bezel-down carry (only).
A lanyard is included too. You could attach that on the pocket clip, but the best places is either loop in the tailcap.
Power and Runtime
Speras has chosen to power the EST Mini tactical flashlight with a single 18350 cell. This is a standard 18350 (and that’s a nice change/upgrade from the EST MAX!)
The cell goes into the light in the usual way: positive terminal toward the head.
Below are a couple of runtime tests. Output is good, but I didn’t measure it as anywhere near the claimed 1900 lumens, even at turn-on. The light does exhibit low voltage protection, as well as having a switch warning.
The power level indicators on the e-switch are as follows:
Green: 100-70% power
Orange: 70-30% power
Red: 30-10% power
Red flashing: 10-1% power
Charging
There’s a built-in charging option for the Speras EST Mini tactical flashlight: USB-C on the head-end of the light.
That’s fine, of course, as USB-C is a great way to charge lights like this. A charging cable (USB to USB-C) is included.
This charging graph may look a bit weird, but charging works fine and doesn’t take long at all (around 1.5h). A to C and C to C both work fine.
When charging, the switch is red. When charging is complete, the switch turns green. If charging is going incorrectly, the switch will be orange.
Modes and Currents
Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
---|---|---|---|---|
Turbo | 1900 | 1.5h | 1475 (0s) 1339 (30s) |
6.14 |
High | 800 | 1.7h | 828 (0s) 787 (30s) |
2.09 |
Medium | 400 | 2h | 400 | 0.79 |
Low | 100 | 8h | 114 | 0.18 |
ECO | 10 | 57h | 16 | 0.02 |
Pulse Width Modulation
No PWM is seen on the Speras EST Mini tactical flashlight, but there’s a bit of SMS ripple on (looks like) all modes. Nothing to worry about, 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 Speras EST Mini tactical flashlight is controlled by two switches. First is the mechanical tail switch.
This is a standard forward clicky mechanical switch, and shouldn’t give you any surprises.
Next is the indicating e-switch near the head of the EST MAX. It can indicate in red, green, and orange.
Here’s a UI table!
State | Action | Result |
---|---|---|
Off | Click tail switch | On (Mode memory) |
Off | Tap (shallow press, not click) | Momentary mode memory |
On | Click tail switch | Off |
Off | Double-tap the tail switch | Strobe |
Off | Double tap tail switch (but shallow, and not clicks) | Momentary Strobe |
Off | Any e-switch action | Nothing |
On | Double click e-switch | Strobe |
Strobe | Click e-switch | Previous state or mode (which can be confusing, surprisingly) |
On | Hold e-switch | Momentary turbo |
On | Click e-switch | Mode advance (ascending) |
Off | Hold e-switch, click tail switch | ECO |
I think that covers the UI but please let me know if I’ve missed something. The user interface can be a little bit confusing if I’m being honest. It’s sort of unusual for a tactical light to still work with the tailswitch off.
LED and Beam
Speras has used a Luminus SST-40 in the EST Mini tactical flashlight. That emitter is coupled with a clear TIR and together they make a very nice and throwy beam.
The bezel is nice and toothy. Small teeth, but aggressive. I quite like it!
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
The CCT is cool, as you’d expect in a tactical light. But maybe not as bad cool white as you’d guess. It ranges from around 5500K (lowest mode) to around 6100 (Turbo). That’s fairly cool white. CRI is also low, at around 70. Again, this is standard fare for tactical lights!
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. These photos are taken around 18 inches from the door.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Summary and Conclusion
The Speras EST Mini tactical flashlight is a reasonable consideration in the $60-range tactical flashlight market. It offers reasonably tactical features, including high output, good (enough) throw, and a dual-switch interface. I appreciate the differences in this (Mini) compared to the other (MAX). This one is much more suited to EDC (particularly if you can swap the emitter!) The indicating switch is nice.
The Big Table
Speras EST Mini tactical flashlight | |
---|---|
Emitter: | Luminus SST-40 |
Price in USD at publication time: | $56.00 |
Cell: | 1×18350 |
Runtime Graphs | |
LVP? | Yes |
Switch Type: | Both |
Quiescent Current (mA): | – |
On-Board Charging? | Yes |
Charge Port Type: | USB-C Charger |
Charge Graph | |
Power off Charge Port | No |
Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1900 |
Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1339 (70.5% of claim)^ |
Candela per Lumen | 7.97 |
Claimed Throw (m) | 211 |
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 463lux @ 5.018m = 11658cd |
Throw (Calculated) (m) | 215.9 (102.3% of claim)^ |
Claimed CCT | – |
Measured CCT Range (K) | 5500-6100 Kelvin |
Item provided for review by: | Speras |
All my Speras 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
- Dual switch interface
- Indicating e-switch
- Meets throw claim
- Nice build quality
- Good for EDC (even if marketed as tactical)
What I don’t like
- Cool white output
- Low CRI
- Doesn’t meet output claims
Notes
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
- For flashlight-related patches, stickers, and gear, head over to PhotonPhreaks.com!
- Please use my amazon.com referral link to help support zeroair.org!
- Please support me on Patreon! I deeply appreciate your support!