| NatFire SF2 | |
|---|---|
| LEP class | N/A |
| Distance/intensity | 537,900 cd / 1,466 meters (tested) |
| Lumens | 183 lumens (tested) |
| Modes | 3 |
| Avg. Price | $90 |
One of the cheapest LEP flashlights
While there are about 30-40 LEP flashlights on the market as of today, most of them are a couple of hundred bucks. And it’s only been a year since we started to see an LEP on sale just below $100, but that has changed with the coming of the SF2.
The SF2 is a very affordable LEP for well below $100. In fact, during sales and with discount coupons, the price becomes even quite a bit lower.
And I’m glad we finally see LEP lights for this price because most people would have never had the opportunity to get one.
The quality is not too bad. It has an electronic side switch for power and mode changing. There’s a convex lens at the front, without any protection. So just keep in mind that you probably damage the plastic lens easily, and at one time might have to replace the lens. A non-perfect lens does influence the beam, of course, but not as bad as you may think.
Batteries, and charging
Did you believe me if I say that for that price you get a battery, and powerbank feature?
Yes, the SF2 has a built-in (nonreplaceable) battery with a capacity of 5,000mAh. But it’s soldered, so you have to do some modding in order to replace it. There’s 2 different USB ports, 1 for charging, and 1 for discharging (power bank). So you can charge your phone on the fly. It’s discharging at about 0.9A (which means it’s charging the other device at that speed). The battery itself seems to be the Panasonic NCR21700T.
Performance
LEP lights don’t have the highest outputs, so don’t expect anything fancy here.
This is what we got:
| Mode | Amps at start | Lumens @turn on | Lumens @30 sec | Lumens @10 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 630 mA | 52 | 52 | 47 |
| Med | 950 mA | 95 | 92 | 89 |
| High | 1.77 A | 186 | 183 lumens | 181 |
But the most important aspect of LEPs is their throw capabilities, so this is what you can expect:
| Mode | Candela measured | Meters | Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 156,500 cd | 791 | 865 |
| Medium | 245,100 cd | 990 | 1,083 |
| High | 537,900 cd | 1,466 | 1,603 |
That’s quite a bit of throw, for sure.
Cheap flashlights usually have a few quirks, and the Natfire also has some. First of all the build quality isn’t close to other brands like Weltool, Acebeam etc. And secondly, there is some visible shimmering in the beam.
The original review was done by Nick, a reviewer at 1Lumen, my other site.
