Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC Flashlight Review
The Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight runs a single 18650 and has three emitters (and three options!). There’s an array of RGB, too! Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Versions
The Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight has multiple body options (black, blue, and desert aluminum, stainless, and titanium) and three emitter options. Those are Luxeon HL4X, Nichia 519a, and Luminus SFT-25R HI.
Price
The Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight sells for $59.90, and that includes the cell! I recommend you buy the Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight at KillzoneFlashlights.com!
What’s Included
- Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight
- Acebeam 3300mAh 18650
- Charging cable
- Lanyard
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Manual etc
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
It is probably no surprise to you that I like tube lights – and the Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight is a tube light. Other examples that I love are the Convoy S2+ and the Olight Baton-type lights (Baton, Warrior Mini, etc). I just really like tube lights!
The Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight is a good one – it’s a tube light, but it’s a triple. You can scarcely build or buy a Convoy S2+ triple for this price, so the Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight represents an extraordinary value.
The tailcap is removable. I believe you can remove the magnet if you wish. Threads on both the head and tail are unanodized. Uunanodized threads means that the Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight can’t be locked out by just unscrewing the head or tail. (That’s a bit unfortunate.)
The head, like the tail, has a spring. And the head is removable too, I just didn’t realize it for this photo.
Size and Comps
Length: 109.51mm/4.31”
Head dia.: 25.4mm/1”
Tail dia.: 24mm/0.94”
Weight: 116g/4.09oz (Incl. 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 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 in the photo above, my Standard Reference Material (SRM) flashlight is the Hanko Machine Works Trident, an 18350 light. 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 to the inexpensive Convoy S2+, another great SRM.
Retention and Carry
The Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight uses a collar-style clip, which is much more secure than a more typical friction-fit clip.
It’s nice that the clip is a collar-style, because that’s the only place to attach the included lanyard.
In the tailcap is a magnet strong enough to hold the Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight in place.
Power and Runtime
Power to the Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight is from a single lithium-ion cell. My package included a cell, and this cell is included in the purchase price. The cell is a standard 3300mAh 18650.
The cell is installed into the Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight in the usual way – the positive terminal toward the head.
Below are a number of runtime charts. The general shape of the results is the same as from my test of the EC20 with Lumins SFT25R HI, but the output is a bit lower. That’s expected.
The switch does indicate when the battery voltage is low.
The temperature lines in these charts are included as general context, not precise measurements. The values represent the range (min to max) during testing, but should not be taken as exact readings. A temperature sensor is not always attached to the bezel (or even the hottest spot, assuming that could be defined). Even with ideal placement, too many variables affect temperature to definitively state a specific max value.
Charging
The Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight itself does not offer built-in charging, but the included cell does. Anyway, the included cell has a USB-C port on the positive end.
A USB to USB-C cable is included.
When charging, the LED indicator lights red. When charging is completed, this turns green.
Charging is quick at around 2A and finishes in around 2 hours.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 1900-470-25 | 35s+2h30m+1h | 1645 (0s) 1487 (30s) |
8.42 |
| High | 1000-470-25 | 5m+2h20m+1h | 777 (0s) 754 (30s) |
2.65 |
| Med1 | 400-25 | 3.5h+1h | 314 | 0.93 |
| Med2 | 140-25 | 9h+1h | 105 | 0.33 |
| Low | 25 | 24h | 15 | 0.10 |
| Ultra-Low | 1 | 36h | 0.13 | 0.05 |
Pulse Width Modulation
The Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight does not have PWM in any mode! That’s great. And one of the things I love about Acebeam flashlights.
Click here to 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 EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight is controlled with a single e-switch. The switch is hard (probably not metal) and has an indicator right in the center.
It’s not a proud switch, but still accessible. The action is very low.
Below you can see the switch indicating in green – it can also blink and indicate in red. Also, check out the toothy bezel!
This is a nearly standard Acebeam user interface (but there’s ramping! Ramping, I tell you!). Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | Mode 1, 3: Mode memory Mode 2: High |
| Off | Hold | Ultra-Low |
| Any | Double click | Turbo |
| Off | Click hold Release after 1, 2, or 3 flashes (number of flashes indicates mode) |
Change between Mode 1, Mode 2, and Mode 3. Mode 1: Stepped, increasing direction Mode 2: Stepped, decreasing direction Mode 3: Ramping group |
| On | Hold | Mode 1: Increase (stepped) Mode 2: Decrease (stepped) Mode 3: Increase or Decrease (opposite of previous hold) (ramping) |
| Any | Click 3x | Strobe |
| Strobe group | Hold | Strobe advance (Strobe > SOS > Beacon) |
| Off | Hold >1s | Ultra-Low then RGB (Red – Green – Blue – Multi RGB |
| On | Click | Off |
| Off | Hold >3s | Lockout (white emitters blink 4x to indicate lockout) |
| Lockout | Click | Switch blinks quickly red/green to indicate lockout |
| Lockout | Hold >3s | Unlock to Ultra-Low |
LED and Beam
There are other options, but this copy has Nichia 519a emitters. This option has the highest CRI among the three choices, and is the warmest CCT, too.
If you want more output, you’d probably pick the Luxeon HL4X. If you want more throw, you’d pick the Luminus SFT25R HI. In fact, I have the SFT25R HI and love it, but also love CRI and warmer output. That’s why KillzoneFlashlights.com agreed to send this light for testing – basically because I asked. I really appreciate that!
The optic used seems to be a standard Carclo, but the bezel did not unscrew easily enough for me to remove it. It’s likely possible, though. I do really like the bezel!!
Below, you can get an idea of the RGB options. I sort of like how this is set up, with red, green, and blue as standard options (in that order) and the fade RGB of multiple colors in the fourth slot. Each individual color does not have multiple modes, and the user interface for RGB isn’t really fleshed out, but it’s still plenty good. I’m happy that red is first, and there’s no RGB memory.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
As stated above, if you want warm and high CRI, you’d get the Nichia 519a. And the testing below supports that – the CRI is very high (higher than claimed!) and the CCT is warm (warmer than claimed). Both of those are great for me (but if you’re aiming for exactly 5000K, note this is slighly warmer).
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 really like the Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight. And as I expected, I do love the Nichia 519a the most, while still placing a great value in the Luminus SFT25R HI higher throw (over twice the cd/lm of this Nichia version). It’s a tube light, which is fantastic for me. The user interface is familiar but (for the first time?) adds ramping (and it’s added cleanly – it won’t get in your way ever if you (like me) are not into ramping).
Even the cost is great – as I said above, you can barely build a Convoy S2+ triple for this price, much less one with secondary emitters and the other features the Acebeam EC20 Nichia 519a EDC flashlight offers. Highly recommended!
The Big Table
| Acebeam EC20 multi-light source EDC flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Nichia 519a (CRI 90, 5000K) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $59.90 |
| Cell: | 1×18650 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | ? |
| Switch Type: | E-switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C (on cell) |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | – |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1900 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1487 (78.3% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 3.8 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 270 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 274lux @ 4.817m = 6358cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 159.5 (59.1% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | 5000 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 4600-4900 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | killzoneflashlights.com |
| 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 build quality
- Reasonable price
- Nice user interface (newly incorporating ramping, nice!)
- High CRI option (Nichia 519a)
- High throw option (this Luminus SFT-25R HI)
- High output option (Luxeon HL4X)
- It’s a triple!
- Secure collar pocket clip
What I don’t like
- It can’t be mechanically locked out because of the unanodized threads
- Mode memory (but at least Ultra-low is accessible from off)
Notes
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