Fireflylite Z1 Artemis Flashlight Review

The Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight combines great build quality, a perfect FFL5009R emitter, and a PWM-free Lume X1 driver in a perfect everyday flashlight.

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Official Specs and Features

Here’s a link to the Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight product page.

Versions

The Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight is available in a few body colors: Matte black, Astral aluminum, and Void white. Many emitter options are available too, including the 3500K FFL5009R seen in this review.

Price

As configured in this review, the Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight is priced at $60. Add the optional cell (as I did) for $6. It’s a standard flat-top, but still a fine choice.

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What’s Included

• Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight
• Spare O-rings (5)
• Lanyard
• Manual
• DMEGC INR18650 3000 25A 18650 (optional)

Package and Manual

Build Quality and Disassembly

The build quality of the Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight is very good. I think this angled knurling is how most Fireflylite flashlights are now, but (I think) this is my first one in this style. I like it fine, even though I usually do not prefer directional designs like this.

There’s no separate bezel on the Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight.

Both the head and tail have reasonable springs.

The cell tube is not reversible. The tailcap is removable, but I wouldn’t – I recommend always opening the light from the head end.

Below you can get a better idea of the tailcap. You can remove the tailcap and also unscrew the parts of the tailcap to remove the pocket clip (and probably the magnet).

Size and Comps

Fireflylite does not seem to state the dimensions of the Z1 Artemis flashlight. It’s just over 4.5″ and just over 1″ in diameter. I’ll get more specific measurements when I find my calipers!

Here’s the light in hand:

Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. This is a brass version, which is a good bit heavier than aluminum, but has the same dimensions: 24mm in diameter by 117.5mm in length.

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.

This feels like one of the more reasonable size comparisons. The Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight beside the Zebralight SC65c HI. They’re very similar in size!

Retention and Carry

A number of options are included for carrying the Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight. First, there’s this pocket clip. It’s a very nice collar-style pocket clip, attached under the tailcap. No friction-fit clip here!

Also included is a lanyard. In this case, FireFlyLite has gone with a more standard lanyard. I’m very much ok with this.

The tailcap magnet is sufficient to hold the light, too.

Power and Runtime

The Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight page has an optional cell, the DMEGC INR18650 3000 25A 18650. This cell adds $6, which is moderately pricey, but still within reason. I’d just add the cell they offer. The Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight uses a flat-top 18650, though, if you decide to use your own cell.

The cell goes into the Z1 Artemis in the usual way – positive end toward the head.

Below are runtimes on the highest four levels.

The temperature sensor fell off during this run, and I attached it at around 90 minutes.

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 Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight does not offer built-in charging.

Modes and Currents

Mode	Mode Claimed Output (lm)	Claimed Runtime	Measured Lumens	Tailcap Amps
Turbo (Double click)	–	–	1890 (0s) 1094 (30s)	12.68
High (Highest Stepped)	–	–	1180 (0s) 1102 (30s)	4.76
5	–	–	569	1.77
4	–	–	230	0.58
3	–	–	59	0.13
2	–	–	4.6	[low]
1	–	–	Very low	[low]

Pulse Width Modulation

None of the modes use PWM! I believe this is a product of the light using the Lume X1 driver.

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

A single e-switch controls the Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight. It’s a nice metal switch with an indicating feature right in the middle. This switch version is absolutely fantastic. I am not even sure what they could improve.

Just like some other recent FireflyLite lights, there’s a metal bezel around the switch too, which makes the whole experience of clicking the switch quite pleasant. This version (or this “generation”) just seems better.

The Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight uses a Lume X1 driver by LoneOceans) and has Andúril2 user interface..

Here’s more info about the Lume X1 driver, apparently called “Lume1-ff-6af” https://github.com/loneoceans/lume1-ff-6af

One thing I love about the Lume1 X1 driver: no PWM!

Here’s a user interface table!  This table is directly from ToyKeeper’s Andúril2 manual, which you can view here:

http://toykeeper.net/torches/fsm/anduril2/anduril-manual.txt

I am putting this in a table here with ToyKeeper’s permission.  Thanks, TK!  This is so much better than me writing it because it’s more reliable, and I completely trust its accuracy (at least, if I can paste it accurately).  I’m breaking it up a little differently than ToyKeeper did, though I certainly understand why it was done her way originally.

First, the table for Either User Interface.  These actions work whether you’re in Simple or Advanced UI.

State	Action	Result
Off	1C	On (ramp mode, memorized level)
Off	1H	On (ramp mode, floor level)
Off	2C	On (ramp mode, ceiling level)
Off	3C	Battcheck mode
Off	4C	Lockout mode
Off	13H	Factory reset (on some lights)
Off	15+C	Version check
Ramp	1C	Off
Ramp	1H	Ramp (up, with reversing)
Ramp	2H	Ramp (down)
Ramp	3H	Tint ramping (on some lights)
Ramp	3H	Momentary turbo (on lights without tint ramping)
Ramp	4C	Lockout mode
Lockout	1C/1H	Momentary moon (lowest floor)
Lockout	2C/2H	Momentary moon (highest floor, or manual mem level)
Lockout	4C	On (ramp mode, memorized level)
Lockout	4H	On (ramp mode, floor level)
Lockout	5C	On (ramp mode, ceiling level)
Batt check	1C	Off

A table for only Simple User Interface:

State	Action	Result
Off	2H	On (momentary ceiling level)
Off	10H	Disable Simple UI
Ramp	2C	Go to/from ceiling

A table for only Advanced (aka “Full”) User Interface:

State	Action	Result
Off	2H	On (momentary turbo)
Off	3H	Strobe mode (whichever was used last)
Off	5C	Momentary mode
Off	7C	Aux LEDs: Next pattern Switch LEDs: Next option
Off	7H	Aux LEDs: Next color
Off	10C	Enable Simple UI
Off	10H	Simple user interface ramp config menu (1: floor, 2: ceiling, [3: steps])
Ramp	2C	Go to/from ceiling (or turbo if at ceil already)
Ramp	3C	Change ramp style (smooth / stepped)
Ramp	5C	Momentary mode
Ramp	5H	Sunset timer on, and add 5 minutes
Ramp	7H	Ramp config menu (1: floor, 2: ceiling, [3: steps])
Ramp	10C	Turn on manual memory and save current brightness
Ramp	10H	Manual memory config menu (1: off, 2: set timeout)
Lockout	7C	Aux LEDs: Next pattern
Lockout	7H	Aux LEDs: Next color
Lockout	10H	Auto-lock config menu (1: set timeout)
Strobe (any)	1C	Off
Strobe (any)	2C	Next strobe mode
Strobe (any)	3H	Tint ramping (on some lights)
Strobe (any)	5C	Momentary mode (using current strobe)
Candle	1H/2H	Brighter / dimmer
Candle	5H	Sunset timer on, add 5 minutes
Party strobe	1H/2H	Faster / slower
Tactical strobe	1H/2H	Faster / slower
Biking	1H/2H	Brighter / dimmer
Lightning	1H	Interrupt current flash or start new one
Batt check	2C	Next blinky mode (Temp check, Beacon, SOS)
Batt check	7H	Voltage config menu
Temp check	1C	Off
Temp check	2C	Next blinky mode (Beacon, SOS, Batt check)
Temp check	7H	Thermal config menu
Beacon	1C	Off
Beacon	1H	Configure beacon timing
Beacon	2C	Next blinky mode (SOS, Batt check, Temp check)
SOS	1C	Off
SOS	2C	Next blinky mode (Batt check, Temp check, Beacon)
Momentary	Any	On (until button is released)
Momentary	Disconnect power	Exit Momentary mode
Config menus	Hold	Skip current item with no changes
Config menus	Release	Configure current item
Number entry	Click	Add 1 to value for current item

LED and Beam

My copy of the Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight uses a FFL5009R emitter that states 3500K and High CRI (95), as well as being “rosy.” I love all those things! Fireflylite pairs that emitter with this TIR.

The Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight has RGB secondary, too. It offers quite a few colors.

LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)

The Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight is stated to be 3500K and CRI95, and both of those are true. The CCT drifts upward as the output increases, but stays under 4000K. The CRI is 95 or above the whole way!

CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) refers to the measurement of the color appearance of light, expressed in Kelvins (K), which indicates whether the light is warm (yellowish) or cool (bluish). A lower CCT (below 3000K) is considered warm light, while a higher CCT (above 5000K) gives cooler, bluish light.

CRI (Color Rendering Index) is a measure of how accurately a light source renders colors in comparison to natural sunlight. Scored on a scale from 0 to 100, higher CRI values indicate that colors appear more true to life and vibrant, similar to how they would look under the sun.

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 absolutely love the Fireflylite Z1 Artemis flashlight. The Lume X1 driver, excellent switch, and Andúril 2 make for a fantastic user experience. I wholeheartedly recommend the FFL5009R emitter, as it delivers on the high CRI and 3500K claim. And it has the rosy output I prefer. Build quality is great, the beam is excellent, and collar-style pocket clips are much more reliable than friction-fit clips. I honestly have very little to complain about. At $60, this is an outstanding light and a serious contender for my Flashlight of the Year.

The Big Table

Fireflylite Z1
Emitter:	FFL5009R (3500K)
Price in USD at publication time:	$66.00
Cell:	1×18650
Runtime Graphs
LVP?	Yes
Switch Type:	E-Switch
Quiescent Current (mA):	?
On-Board Charging?	Yes
Charge Port Type:	–
Charge Graph
Power off Charge Port	–
Claimed Lumens (lm)	1700
Measured Lumens (at 30s)	1094 (64.4% of claim)^
Candela per Lumen	5.3
Claimed Throw (m)	165
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	227lux @ 5.076m = 5849cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	153.0 (92.7% of claim)^
Claimed CCT	3500K 3500
Measured CCT Range (K)	3500K 3500-3800 Kelvin
Item provided for review by:	Me
All my Fireflylite 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

• Excellent FFL5009R emitter (3500K, high CRI, rosy tint)
• Lume X1 driver with no PWM
• Fantastic metal switch
• Andúril 2
• Great build quality
• Excellent beam profile
• Useful pocket clip and magnetic tailcap
• Reasonable price
• “Astral Aluminum” – everyone needs this one.
• Isn’t complicated by onboard charging

What I don’t like

• [blank]

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Notes

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