Sofirn SR12 Pocket Flashlight Review
The Sofirn SR12 pocket flashlight offers a very throwy cool white Luminus SFT-25R emitter and a familiar Sofirn user interface. USB-C charging is built in, too!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Sofirn SR12 pocket flashlight product page.
Versions
There’s just one version of the Sofirn SR12 pocket flashlight.
Price
MSRP of the Sofirn SR12 pocket flashlight is $59.99 but there’s currently a coupon or two. All the discounts bring the Sofirn SR12 pocket flashlight price down to $33.99. That includes the 18650, too.
The Sofirn SR12 pocket flashlight is available on amazon.com, too! It lists at $41.39 but there’s a 25% off coupon. Buy the Sofirn SR12 pocket flashlight with my referral link!
What’s Included
- Sofirn SR12 pocket flashlight
- Sofirn 3000mAh 18650
- 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. I particularly like some of the design choices for this tube light. The bezel, for example.
Both the head and tail have thick springs.
The tailcap threads are well-lubed and long. The head also comes off – the cell tube is completely removable.
Size and Comps
Size: 25mm x 112.5mm
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here. If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll also show that here too!
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!
In the photo above, you may note that the SRM (standard reference material) flashlight for comparison has changed! I used a TorchLAB BOSS 35 for ages. Now what you can see as the 18350 SRM is the Hanko Machine Works Trident. While I have not reviewed or tested the Gunner Grip version seen here, I have tested a Hanko Machine Works Trident Total Tesseract in brass. I love the Trident, and it’s a striking contrast next to the inexpensive Convoy S2+, which also makes a great standard reference material.
Retention and Carry
A friction-fit pocket clip is included. The clip is a two-way type and there’s a hole where a lanyard can be attached.
Another place to install the lanyard is through this hole in the tailcap.
The lanyard is very basic.
In the tailcap is a magnet which is plenty strong for holding the Sofirn SR12 pocket flashlight in place.
Power and Runtime
The price includes a 3000mAh 18650 cell. It’s a button-top cell.
The cell goes with the button toward the head. In case you forget that, you can check the little printed cell orientation icon on the tailcap.
Below are a few runtime tests. The light does not hit the claimed 1450 lumens. After the stepdown, output is steady at around 550 lumens. That’s respectable and also will provide a good bit of throw due to the beam profile.
Low voltage protection was observed in every test and the switch will also indicate the power level (as follows):
Green: 85-100% power
Green flashing: 50-85% power
Red: 25-50% power
Red flashing: 1-25% power
Charging
Charging is built in. There’s a USB-C port in the head. This port has a press-in cover.
I don’t love the charging port cover; I find it hard to press back in!
A USB-C 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 fine – steady charging at nearly 2A, with completion at around 2 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 | 1450-720 | 1.5m+1.5h | 1095 (0s) 994 (30s) |
3.51 |
| High | 800-720 | 5m+1h55m | 619 (0s) 611 (30s) |
1.58 |
| Medium | 350 | 5h10m | 268 | 0.50 |
| Low | 100 | 15h | 84 | 0.12 |
| ECO | 10 | 120h | 9.3 | [low] |
| Moonlight | 1 | 480h | 0.5 | [low] |
Pulse Width Modulation
There’s really no PWM here, which is great!
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 SR12 pocket flashlight is controlled by a single indicating e-switch. Below you can see the switch indicating in green.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | On (Memory) |
| On (Except Turbo) | Click | Off |
| On | Hold | Stepped Group: Mode advance (ECO>L>M>H) Ramping Group: Brightness increase. (Depress and repress for brightness decrease) |
| Off | Hold | Moonlight |
| Any | Double click | Turbo |
| Turbo | Click | Return to the previous mode |
| Turbo | Double click | Moonlight |
| Any | Click 3x | Strobe |
| Strobe | Click | Return to the previous mode |
| Strobe | Double click | Turbo |
| On | Click 4x | Iterate between ramping and stepped^ |
| Off | Click 4x | Iterate lockout |
| Lockout | Click | Blink twice to indicate lockout |
| Lockout | Hold | Momentary moonlight |
^ The manual doesn’t actually cover the ramping output. It’s pretty basic, though.
LED and Beam
Sofirn is using the Luminus SFT-25R emitter in the SR12 pocket flashlight. It’s a cool white option, stated at 6000K-6500K.
The beam profile is very throwy! I like that quite a lot.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
in the lower levels, the CCT is near the claim of 6000K. At the higher levels, the CCT edges upward, nearing 7000K. CRI is low.
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.
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
I love the Sofirn SR12 pocket flashlight for its throw – check out the cd/lm in the table below. Very throwy! Everything else about the Sofirn SR12 pocket flashlight is basically as you’d expect. It’s a solid offering for a low price. I’m glad ramping is available because I know many people like that but I’m more pleased that there are plenty of stepped modes (6) and moonlight is available from off (weirdly also available from Turbo).
The Big Table
| Sofirn SR12 pocket flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Luminus SFT-25R |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $33.99 |
| Cell: | 1×18650 |
| 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 and /or tube: lowest 4(ish) modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1450 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 994 (68.6% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 34.46 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 396 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 1019lux @ 5.956m = 36148cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 380.3 (96% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | 6000-6500 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 6000-7000 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
- Great throw
- Low price
- Familiar user interface
- Ramping option in the user interface (but stepped is good)
What I don’t like
- Does not hit the output claim
- Very cool white
- Low CRI
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!
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It’s worth mentioning that it’s compatible with a short 18350 tube from Wurkkos (I imagine also from Sofirn), so you get an 8cm launcher. It’s the same length as a Trustfire MT20, but with longer range, more modes, and a better user interface. Even the clip is interchangeable. Therefore, I recommend purchasing the SR12 with this tube and a pair of 18350 batteries. You’ll have two flashlights in one.