Fenix E15 LED Flashlight (2016 Edition)

TJZ

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The last LED flashlight I bought was the Fenix P1D CE flashlight, 135 lumens. I bought it when they first came out and still have it.
I bought it after I did my last review here in 2007 for the Huntlight FT01 XR-E Cree flashlight, 113.8 lumens which I still have both of them in new condition.
I wanted to get a newer technology flashlight that I could carry on me in my pocket so I bought the Fenix E15 2016 Edition.
I also purchased the Fenix Rechargeable 16340 Li-ion 3.7V 700mAh Battery.

It the Fenix E15 comes with a key-chain and spare O-ring and a printed out user manual and warranty card.
You can also download the user manual like I did on the Fenix web site. It is in a PDF file.

The E15 is a nice flashlight and it is even smaller than my P1D CE.
It is very bright, and in Turbo mode with the 16340 3.7V Li-ion rechargeable battery it is extremely bright!

The Fenix E15 2016 Edition can be used with a standard CR123A 3.0V battery or a 16340 Li-ion rechargeable battery.
I have also run it with my RCR123A 3.0V 900mAh battery and it worked great, but you don't get the ultra bright Turbo Mode (450 Lumens) due to the 3.0 volts. It needs a 3.6v/3.7v battery to get the ultra high 450 Lumens.
I have also used a RCR123A 3.6v 900mAh battery and it works great, the Turbo Mode (450 Lumens) works also.

The E15 has a Low Voltage Warning when the battery voltage drops low. It will downshift to a lower brightness level and blink three times every five minutes to remind you to replace or recharge the battery.

The new version E15 is small and light (29 grams) for an everyday carry flashlight. It is just a keychain-sized flashlight that is extremely bright, especially with the 3.7v battery.
It is using the Cree Cree XP-G2 R5 White LED.
It has a twisty head switch. The default mode is low then goes to Mid, High, then Turbo Mode.
Repeatedly turn on/off the light to cycle through Low-Mid-High-Turbo.

The finish on it looks well done. It is made from premium type 3 hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish.
The flashlight is made of aircraft-grade aluminum.
The threads are nice and smooth. The head and threads are made of solid brass or it has a brass coating.
The head has reverse polarity spacers which are for reverse polarity protection so you can't install the battery incorrectly and burn out the circuit. They look like two half moons located
on the head where the positive battery contact is for the battery.
The E15 also has over-heat protection and has digitally regulated output to maintain constant brightness. This is one feature I really like on my Fenix P1D CE.

The E15 can stand on a flat surface to act as a candle.
There is no rattle of the battery with this new version. All you need to do is back off the head a tiny bit when it is on and it will stay off, even if you push the head in.
I read the reviews on the first version of the E15 and the battery rattle and having to back out the head a large amount to keep it off were two big issues.
The new version also has a heavy spring in the bottom to keep the battery snug.


The only issue that I don't like with the E15 is that it has some green tint in the beam. I like my lights to be pure white like my Fenix P1D CE and Huntlight FT01 XR-E Cree.



Edit: All pictures were deleted. Photobucket wanted the pictures removed or pay a monthly fee to host them.
When I posted the pictures years ago it was free, no monthly fee to host them.





My 16MP smartphone camera does not take good beam shot pictures so I made some videos.













I purchased my Fenix E15 2016 Edition and Fenix 16340 Li-ion 3.7V 700mAh battery from brightguy.com
They are very friendly and super helpful. You can also call them like I did for any questions.


Lumens and Runtimes with a CR123A 3.0V Battery

Low Mode = 8 Lumens – 72 hours runtime
Med Mode = 50 Lumens – 12 hours and 30 minutes runtime
High Mode = 110 Lumens – 5 hours and 5 minutes runtime
Turbo Mode = 270 Lumens – 1 hour 35 minutes runtime


Lumens and Runtimes with the Fenix Rechargeable 16340 Li-ion 3.7V 700mAh Battery

Low Mode = 8 Lumens – 40 hours runtime
Med Mode = 50 Lumens – 9 hours 25 minutes runtime
High Mode = 110 Lumens – 3 hours 15 minutes runtime
Turbo Mode = 450 Lumens – 5 minutes then it will then drop down to 270 lumens and operate for about 50 more minutes


Specs:

Cree Cree XP-G2 R5 White LED with a lifespan of 50,000 hours
Maximum Beam Distance: 433 feet
Digitally regulated output - maintains constant brightness
Four brightness levels
Intelligent drive circuit for better battery performance
Low voltage reminder indicates when battery replacement is needed
Over-heat protection to avoid high temperature of the surface
Twist head to turn ON/OFF the light and select output mode
Reverse polarity protection, to protect from improper battery installation
Reliable twisty head switch
Better one-handed experience
Capable of standing up securely on a flat surface to serve as a candle
Made of durable aircraft-grade aluminum
Premium Type III hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish
Uses high efficient lens with total reflective coating
Length: 2.6 inches (64.8mm)
Body Diameter: 0.7 inches (19m)
Weight: 1 oz. (23-gram) (excluding battery)
 
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TJZ

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Jan 6, 2007
Messages
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Location
Ohio, USA
Awesome write up and review. Good job on the video aswel, this one seems like a no brainer to add as an edc light.

Thanks. It is an awesome little flashlight. I was very surprised how bright it was. The camera and video can't capture just how bright it really is but it gives you a good idea.


* This post is for more pictures, videos and information. I didn't want to add anymore to my first post as I didn't want to make it too big to scroll through. *



Edit: All pictures were deleted. Photobucket wanted the pictures removed or pay a monthly fee to host them.
When I posted the pictures years ago it was free, no monthly fee to host them.





Video of the E15 in Turbo Mode 450 ~ 270 Lumen drop-down using the Fenix 3.7v 700mAh Rechargeable Battery.



 
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hiuintahs

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..........The only issue that I don't like with the E15 is that it has some green tint in the beam. I like my lights to be pure white like my Fenix P1D CE and Huntlight FT01 XR-E Cree.
The first E15 2016 edition I got also had kind of greenish tint. I'd say more green than your beam shots. But its not anywhere near as bad as a Thrunite TH20 headlamp I got recently. I bought two more E15's and they were like your typical cool white light.
 

roger-roger

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the Former Territory of Hawaii
My E15 has a slight yellowish-green tint, mostly on the outer edge of the hotspot. The hotspot itself is to my eyes nicely white. The simple UI is easily and quickly taught to a non-flashlight enthusiast in a pinch.
 

TJZ

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* I added a video to Post #3 *


Thanks for the review. I appreciate the time and effort you put into it. Nice job!

Your welcome and thanks!


The first E15 2016 edition I got also had kind of greenish tint. I'd say more green than your beam shots. But its not anywhere near as bad as a Thrunite TH20 headlamp I got recently.
I bought two more E15's and they were like your typical cool white light.

The tint seems to be the nature of LED's in the manufacturing process. If the LED is made for white or soft white some of them are going to have a tint in them. Some of us will get lucky and get the one with no tint and others will get one with a tint.


My E15 has a slight yellowish-green tint, mostly on the outer edge of the hotspot. The hotspot itself is to my eyes nicely white. The simple UI is easily and quickly taught to a non-flashlight enthusiast in a pinch.

It does have a simple UI. I like how it starts out in Low then goes to Medium - High - Turbo. I also like that the light does not have SOS or Strobe. Those are two modes that I never use in my other lights and adds extra unwanted twisting going through the modes.
 

roger-roger

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the Former Territory of Hawaii
* I added a video to Post #3 *


...It does have a simple UI. I like how it starts out in Low then goes to Medium - High - Turbo. I also like that the light does not have SOS or Strobe. Those are two modes that I never use in my other lights and adds extra unwanted twisting going through the modes.


Took the 2016 E15 out a few minutes later yesterday for the pre-dawn dog walk, and reacquainted with that feature. Thanks for your review as I have a renewed appreciation, for this decidedly non-glamorous although compact and practical light.
 

TJZ

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New Video - Fenix E15 2016 Edition: 450 ~ 270 lumens drop-down

I just made a video of the E15 in Turbo Mode 450 ~ 270 Lumen drop-down using the Fenix 3.7v 700mAh Rechargeable Battery.
The drop-down from 450 Lumens to 270 Lumens happened at the 4:30 time mark.
The flashlight was hot but not too hot. It cooled down pretty quick after I turned it off.
The test was done with a fully charged battery.
The test was done to show the drop-down lumens from 450 to 270.
The video was not a run time test in Turbo Mode as I didn't want to make a very long video (about an hour long). It is rated to run in Turbo Mode for almost an hour.
Also I don't know if my smartphone can take a single video for about an hour and assuming there is enough space in the memory card for a video of that size.








Also did I post this review in the correct forum?
I see there is a forum for flashlight reviews too but I also see reviews in this forum.
 

lohtse

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We have these fantastic lights mounted on our helmets when caving as a back up..plus we have them on our keys too...Tried many similar lights but none came close to the E15...Great review and I can certainly recommend them and have done many times.....
 

hiuintahs

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We have these fantastic lights mounted on our helmets when caving as a back up..plus we have them on our keys too...Tried many similar lights but none came close to the E15...Great review and I can certainly recommend them and have done many times.....
I'm curious as to how you have it mounted on your helmet? I agree the E15 is a great little light.
 

Bdm82

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Re: New Video - Fenix E15 2016 Edition: 450 ~ 270 lumens drop-down

I just made a video of the E15 in Turbo Mode 450 ~ 270 Lumen drop-down using the Fenix 3.7v 700mAh Rechargeable Battery.
The drop-down from 450 Lumens to 270 Lumens happened at the 4:30 time mark.
The flashlight was hot but not too hot. It cooled down pretty quick after I turned it off.
The test was done with a fully charged battery.
The test was done to show the drop-down lumens from 450 to 270.
The video was not a run time test in Turbo Mode as I didn't want to make a very long video (about an hour long). It is rated to run in Turbo Mode for almost an hour.
Also I don't know if my smartphone can take a single video for about an hour and assuming there is enough space in the memory card for a video of that size.








Also did I post this review in the correct forum?
I see there is a forum for flashlight reviews too but I also see reviews in this forum.

When taking long videos, I use an app called Lapse It. Basically you can tell it how often to snap a photo (5 seconds, 30 seconds, etc) and then it compiles it into a video when done. This saves a ton of space relative to a 30 frames per second video.

Also, as for the E15, I also support it being a great little light. My own outperforms the rated specs by a bit... which is rarer than it should be! It's also held up great to my kids, which is the ultimate torture test!
 

asqasu

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Re: New Video - Fenix E15 2016 Edition: 450 ~ 270 lumens drop-down

thanks for the sharing. It's a fantastic key chain light
 
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