# Fenix TK76 Review



## firelord777 (Dec 15, 2013)

Hey guys,
Fenix generously sent me one of their new flashlights as a participant in their global campaign. What’s different about this flashlight is that it has been engineered with an unusual geometric layout, and capabilities.
*First Impressions*
When I got the TK76 sample, I picked it up and immediately felt quite a bit of weight. I was even wondering if it had batteries already inside. When I put in the batteries, it became a bit heavier. Most of the weight comes from the head, which I applaud Fenix for. This means that the TK76 will have enhanced heat dissipation, and will be less likely to trip the thermal protection mechanism when running on max outputs. 
My next thought was, “wow, this flashlight looks really awesome and futuristic.” I think maybe Hollywood and movie companies will start using the TK76 in their sci-fi movies. 
:tinfoil:









Now, what do I mean by the unconventionally shaped flashlight? Ask yourself if your average flashlight looks something like this:




Or, like this:




I guess now we have a general idea of what I mean. This light is known as the Fenix TK76 (though you might have known that already from the title anyways…), and it is a highly dynamic flashlight, able to serve a wide range of purposes. It has three Cree XM-L2s all of which are tailored to different beam profiles. Speaking of wide ranges, the UI almost looks like a full-blown control panel:




This is the left LED, which has the floodiest beam out of all three LEDs, and seems to be equipped with a special optic which gives it a 120 degree spread. The right LED is a neutral white XM-L2 T6 LED, which has a 60 degree spread through the use of an optic, which I personally love for its tint and well balanced beam. The top has a cool-white XM-L2 sitting in a reflector almost as big as the Fenix TK41, and throws almost as good. 
















The knurling is quite simple
















The heat fins you see do a great job dissipating the heat from the LED, but later on I’ll show you guys another use for them.
The TK76 has a convenient tripod hole under its belly:








From this angle, with a bit of imagination, it is reminiscent of a battleship gun turret…




The TK76 uses a battery carrier for the four 18650s batteries, in an emergency it can use 2 18650s or 4 CR123s.




My sample came very well lubed and healthy o-ring.




If you look closely, you can see that the screws used are somewhat corroded. I suspect this may be because my sample is just that, a sample. Therefore, I only assume Fenix may have understandably tried to minimize costs and used some old screws they had laying around. In my case, the screws do not affect the TK76’s performance.
I am aware of the fact that other reviewers also have these particular components corroded; however, I highly doubt Fenix will do this on production models for consumers.
















I recall some reviewers noting that their samples used older generation XM-Ls, rather than the newer XM-L2s. Maybe I’m wrong, but from what I can tell, there are XM-L2s on my sample.




















The screws on the heads give the TK76 an armored, tough look to it, what do you guys think?




Here is the TK76 with the tripod base attatched:
















I recently used the TK76’s tri-pod-able abilities to scour my family’s 10,000 Christmas tree for busted bulbs
:ironic:




Of course, I used the TK76 for a really long time and soon after it started giving me the low voltage lights. Please note, when this happens the TK76 doesn’t just turn off randomly, rather, it steps down to a lower output.




Here is the cool heat fin idea I was talking about. I noticed my laser pointer could fit in the hole of the heat fins, and one could potentially make a “mega-light”, attaching many different lights to the TK76. Though here is my watered-down version of the TK76 “mega light”, a laser pointer/flashlight.








Here’s the Fenix family: (From left to right- TK76, TK41, LD41 TA21, TK20)








Reflector size comparisons:
















I went to Fenix and asked if the TK76 was waterproof. They assured me it was, though my primary concern was the switches. In the TK41, they are rubber:




And in the TK76 they are plastic,








*Beam Profiles*
Below I will be comparing the beam spreads and angles of the TK76’s many heads. The order is – 120 degree, spotlight, 60 degree.
Control:
(Note the camera was set to auto-exposure)




120 Degree:




Spotlight:




Neutral White 60 Degrees:




*Whitewall Beamshots:*
I took these pictures to give you guys a better idea of the various beam profiles. The order is same as before.
Control:




120 Degrees:




Spotlight:




Neutral White 60 Degrees:




*Totally Unscientific Waterproof Test*
Well, Fenix did say their TK76 was waterproof, so here I go:
Bucket full of water




Ah-ooo-ga!








Full steam ahead!




















Joking aside, I basically filled a bucked with water, and played with all the switches underwater for around five minutes. I was never worried about any water going in, I just made sure the tailcap and everything were properly sealed. After all, Fenix knows what they’re talking about, in fact, they even encouraged me to submerge it.
:devil:I don’t know about diving though, I’ve never done any SCUBA before. To this time, the TK76 works just as when it first came in the mail.
*Outdoor Beamshots*
Yeah! Now we’re talking! 
I took these yesterday, because the weather was perfect, nearly cloudless, and it was a full moon. I could see everything thanks to the moon, I never knew a full moon could give out so much light, I bet I could have flown an airplane perfectly fine through the clouds, which were completely visible. But I had to lower the exposure times or else the camera would be overloaded with photons. All beamshots below have equal exposures and were done with their highest outputs.
Control:




First up my beloved, good ol’ TK20 (Also a neutral white)




Fenix TA21:




Fenix LD41:




Fenix TK41:




Fenix TK76 – 120 Degrees:




Fenix TK76 – Spotlight:




Fenix TK76 – Neutral White 60 Degrees:




Fenix TK76 – All LEDs on max power:




Fenix TK76 in lightsaber mode:




Here is the TK76 lighting up my house. I had to go farther away, because the sheer brightness of the two flood heads tended to overwhelm the camera, as well as my eyes. And so, the picture is as close to what my eyes see in real life:
Control:




Flood LEDs on:




Me and my brother were playing soccer in our backyard using the TK76 on the tripod, sucks I couldn’t get a picture of that though. It’s really cool and the neighbors expressed interest in the light and I let them play around with the TK76.
Thank you guys for reading my review. If you guys have any questions or suggestions feel free to post them or send me a PM,
Cheers,
-Alain


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## FlashLion (Dec 15, 2013)

Thanks for the review.Very nice close up pictures and beamshots :thumbsup:


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## firelord777 (Dec 15, 2013)

FlashLion said:


> Thanks for the review.Very nice close up pictures and beamshots :thumbsup:



Thanks buddy, I appreciate it. Your pictures are nothing short of spectacular either

Cheers


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## tobrien (Dec 15, 2013)

dude, amazing review and congrats on the review unit for such an expensive light!

I wonder if the two empty bays up on the front will be good for modding more stuff in or, perhaps, an add-on you can buy


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## firelord777 (Dec 15, 2013)

tobrien said:


> dude, amazing review and congrats on the review unit for such an expensive light!
> 
> I wonder if the two empty bays up on the front will be good for modding more stuff in or, perhaps, an add-on you can buy



Thanks bud! Yeah, the two bays, I think, could certainly provide add ons how you say...

Cheers man!

-Alain


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## tobrien (Dec 15, 2013)

firelord777 said:


> Thanks bud! Yeah, the two bays, I think, could certainly provide add ons how you say...
> 
> Cheers man!
> 
> -Alain



no problem! 

(you need to clear out your pm inbox btw)


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## firelord777 (Dec 15, 2013)

Oops, done


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## Lightning Bub (Dec 15, 2013)

Thanks for the great review. I really thought this light was a joke when I originally saw the pictures. I'm sure somebody out there thinks this thing looks good or makes sense, but I certainly won't be buying one. In a package that size, they certainly could have given the buyer more output. It is quite the conversation piece...kinda like a Desert Eagle Mark XIX.


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## Lightning Bub (Dec 15, 2013)

Do you think the production model will have hex-head bolts instead of those horrible phillips-head screws?


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## firelord777 (Dec 15, 2013)

Lightning Bub said:


> Do you think the production model will have hex-head bolts instead of those horrible phillips-head screws?



I honestly have no idea man, would you like me to ask Fenix? Hexagons would look cooler I suppose...


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## Lightning Bub (Dec 15, 2013)

I just think that all of these companies are going for the industrial look, and those screws detract from that look.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk


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## kj2 (Dec 15, 2013)

Thanks!


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## ven (Dec 16, 2013)

Thanks for the great review and pics,love this light more so for being different.Its on my list after xmas to get,i do wander over the rusty screws though as would expect it to be perfect for samples......
How long on turbo before it steps down,does it get quite warm or stay cool with the head size?
My only slight concern with it being so "futuristic" is that it will probably look dated imo in 12 months.......if makes sense.
Either way i want one!
:thumbsup:


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## applevalleyjoe (Dec 16, 2013)

This has to be the UGLIEST flashlight that I've ever seen!


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## tobrien (Dec 16, 2013)

firelord777 said:


> Oops, done



thanks! I'll respond tomorrow or Wednesday lol. I had drafted out a response on a different laptop and I'm not at that one currently.


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## kj2 (Dec 17, 2013)

Mine came in today


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## kj2 (Dec 17, 2013)

Mine came in today, but look at this (and compare with yours). Two versions of the TK76??

edit: looking at the release pic from Fenix. It looks like, I've a later review-release version.


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## firelord777 (Dec 17, 2013)

ven said:


> Thanks for the great review and pics,love this light more so for being different.Its on my list after xmas to get,i do wander over the rusty screws though as would expect it to be perfect for samples......
> How long on turbo before it steps down,does it get quite warm or stay cool with the head size?
> My only slight concern with it being so "futuristic" is that it will probably look dated imo in 12 months.......if makes sense.
> Either way i want one!
> :thumbsup:



Hey man,

Thanks! The TK76, depending on your batteries, steps down from turbo after a few minutes if either the batteries cannot handle the high draw currents or if the thermal management kicks in. Fenix sent me a picture here:






Cheers


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## firelord777 (Dec 17, 2013)

tobrien said:


> thanks! I'll respond tomorrow or Wednesday lol. I had drafted out a response on a different laptop and I'm not at that one currently.



Awesome dude, I'll be patient


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## firelord777 (Dec 17, 2013)

kj2 said:


> Mine came in today, but look at this (and compare with yours). Two versions of the TK76??
> 
> edit: looking at the release pic from Fenix. It looks like, I've a later review-release version.



I'm glad it finally came in! I do think you got sent an updated review sample, lucky you!

Look forward to your review my friend,

-Alain


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## firelord777 (Dec 17, 2013)

Fenix has confirmed that the neutral white LED in my sample is in fact an XM-L, but that production models will ship with XM-L2s LEDs


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## kj2 (Dec 17, 2013)

firelord777 said:


> Fenix has confirmed that the neutral white LED in my sample is in fact an XM-L, but that production models will ship with XM-L2s LEDs



I'm seeing also green at my lens, so I suspect that I've xm-l too.


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## firelord777 (Dec 18, 2013)

Regardless, I love the NW tint...


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## kj2 (Dec 18, 2013)

firelord777 said:


> Regardless, I love the NW tint...



Yea, am not that big kinda fan of NW, but with this one it's nice. Starting to like it more and more  
Hope weekend comes soon


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## HIDblue (Dec 18, 2013)

Wow, great photos...especially, the outdoor beamshots!


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## firelord777 (Dec 18, 2013)

HIDblue said:


> Wow, great photos...especially, the outdoor beamshots!



Thank you bud


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## Cataract (Dec 18, 2013)

Great pics! Thanks for comparing sizes and beamshots with other Fenixes, it makes it a lot easier on figuring out what it's like in person. I often go out on the trail with multiple lights just for kicks but, even with a comparable lumens count, the TK76 seems even better. Gotta switch from chicken to rice for a while to get me one


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## Patriot (Dec 18, 2013)

Outstanding! That shot with all three beams on is one of the neatest I've ever seen. You have to give Fenix credit for the beam quality from these new, multi-beam models like the TK76 and TK71. It's great to see new ground being broken and I'm glad it's Fenix that's doing it.


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## ven (Dec 19, 2013)

Many thanks firelord:twothumbs
So unless i am missing something with the right conditions(temp)it can run for an hour at 90% +(obv with the right batts) if so thats fantastic.


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## markr6 (Dec 19, 2013)

Wow that's one ugly SOB. But the beamshots are great and show how functional this light can be; a nice all-in-one package. It would be neat to see something like it on a smaller scale, maybe 2,3 or 4 AA.


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## firelord777 (Dec 20, 2013)

Cataract said:


> Great pics! Thanks for comparing sizes and beamshots with other Fenixes, it makes it a lot easier on figuring out what it's like in person. I often go out on the trail with multiple lights just for kicks but, even with a comparable lumens count, the TK76 seems even better. Gotta switch from chicken to rice for a while to get me one



Thanks man, I'm just like you, I always tell myself "only a few flashlights..." Next thing I know I bring my whole collection of lights lol


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## firelord777 (Dec 20, 2013)

Patriot said:


> Outstanding! That shot with all three beams on is one of the neatest I've ever seen. You have to give Fenix credit for the beam quality from these new, multi-beam models like the TK76 and TK71. It's great to see new ground being broken and I'm glad it's Fenix that's doing it.



Thanks bud

If you don't mind, I tried searching for the TK71 and couldn't find anything, would you care to illuminate me?

Cheers


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## firelord777 (Dec 20, 2013)

ven said:


> Many thanks firelord:twothumbs
> So unless i am missing something with the right conditions(temp)it can run for an hour at 90% +(obv with the right batts) if so thats fantastic.



Yep, that's basically it


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## firelord777 (Dec 20, 2013)

markr6 said:


> Wow that's one ugly SOB. But the beamshots are great and show how functional this light can be; a nice all-in-one package. It would be neat to see something like it on a smaller scale, maybe 2,3 or 4 AA.



Although we all have different opinions on appearances, I do agree. I too would love to see something like this in AA format...


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## Richwouldnt (Sep 15, 2014)

markr6 said:


> Wow that's one ugly SOB. But the beamshots are great and show how functional this light can be; a nice all-in-one package. It would be neat to see something like it on a smaller scale, maybe 2,3 or 4 AA.



Agreed 100% with the smaller AA version or a TK35 battery tubed compact head version but it looks to me like the size, mass and styling will kill it as the popularity seems to be underwhelming based on the minimal responses to the test reports both here and on BLF. People go ape over the maximum throwers but a design like this which is intended to handle 98% of practical uses, with reasonable throw and outstanding flood, seems to be going over like a lead balloon. I do have one on the way which I found on a clearance sale from a major web seller. Clearance sale on a 6 month since introduction light for $244 including shipping?! Still not cheap though.

One thing I have not figured out is the purpose of the vented openings above the wide angle lights lenses. They look like they are about the right size to warm your Vienna sausages for lunch or supper


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## InfinitusEquitas (Sep 15, 2014)

I used my TK76, modded to increase output to ~4400 lumens, and with two LEDs dedomed (the center, and the non 90 degree flood) last weekend for camping.

The light is absolutely fantastic for practical purposes, and allowed me to have perfect mid range illumination with the center LED off.

The vented openings are a design aesthetic combined with need for heatsinking. On my modded light it does get hot on turbo, and I expect even on a stock light you would run into problems with temperature eventually. The biggest issue in terms of hurting sales with this light is it really is a tool, and departs completely from the traditional flashlight aesthetic. I got several comments about how it's something out of star trek.

That said, from a user perspective, my biggest problem with it, is that it's quite top heavy. I highly suggest grabbing a TK75 extension tube for it (it fits just fine) to balance it out.

The UI is also very intuitive, and simple. Only downside is that if you set a multi LED configuration, for example, left led Level 1, center off, right LED Level 2, if you turn off, and turn back on, the center LED will also come back on with whatever level you had it set to, before it was turned off.

For all practical purposes, short of Search & Rescue which requires a longer reach, the TK76 definitely fills a niche... the other option would be to carry 2-3 lights instead.


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