# Nitecore EA4 (XM-L U2, 4xAA) Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, VIDEO and more!



## selfbuilt (Feb 3, 2013)

*Warning: pic heavy, as usual. *

Is this some new mystery light that I need to keep under wraps?







No, it is just the Nitecore EA4 – an incredibly small 4xAA light that actually fits inside a toilet paper roll. :laughing:














Let's see how it fares relative to the competition ... 

*Manufacturer Reported Specifications:*
(note: as always, these are simply what the manufacturer provides – scroll down to see my actual testing results).


Utilizes a CREE XM-L U2 LED
Output: Turbo: 860 Lumens, High: 550 Lumens, Mid: 300 Lumens, Low: 135 lumens, Lower: 65 lumens
Runtime: Turbo: 1hr 45min, High: 2hr, Mid: 4hr 30min, Low: 11hr, Lower: 22hr (based on 4.x 1.2V 2400mAh AA)
Boasts a peak beam intensity of 20,000cd and a throw distance of up to 283 meters
Novel 'Unique Integrated Technology' offers a more sturdy and lightweight body.
Integrated “Precision Digital Optics Technology” provides extreme reflector performance
Innovative single button two-stage switch offers a user-friendly interface (patented)
Eight rapidly switchable brightness modes to select from
High efficiency circuit board provides up to 22 hours runtime
Integrated power indicator light displays remaining battery power (patented)
Power indicator’s secondary function displays battery voltage (accurate to 0.1V)
Reverse polarity protection prevents damage due to incorrectly inserted batteries
Stainless steel retaining ring protects the core components from damage
Toughened ultra-clear mineral glass with anti-reflective coating
Constructed from aero grade aluminum alloy
Sturdy HAIII military grade hard-anodized
Waterproof in accordance with IPX-8 (two meters submersible)
Impact resistant to 1.5 meters
Tail stand capability
Dimensions: Length: 117mm, Head diameter: 40 mm, Tube diameter: 41.8mm
Weight: 159g (without battery)
Accessories: Quality holster, lanyard, spare O-ring
MSRP: ~$70






The EA4 comes in similar packaging to the other Nitecore Explorer series lights. Inside the cardboard box, you will find the light, good quality holster, simple wrist lanyard, extra o-ring, manual, and warranty card. Note that unlike most of the Explorer lights, there is actually a cut-out for attaching the wrist strap on the EA4 tailcap. 













From left to right: Duracell AA NiMH; Nitecore EA4; Olight S35, S65; Jetbeam PA40; Sunwayman M40A.

All dimensions are given with no batteries installed:

*Nitecore EA4*: Weight: 161.6g , Length: 117.9mm, Width (bezel): 40.2mm
*Lumintop PK30 6xAA*: Weight: 454.0g, Length: 218mm, Width (bezel): 62.0mm
*Fenix TK45 8xAA*: Weight: 307.3g, Length: 202mm, Width (bezel) 50.6mm, Width (tailcap) 44.0
*ITP A6 6xAA*: Weight: 209.9g, Length: 174mm, Width (bezel) 48.0mm, Width (tailcap) 37.8mm
*JetBeam PA40 4xAA*: Weight: 184.0g, Length: 183mm, Width: 40.8mm (bezel), 42.1mm (max width)
*Olight S65 6xAA*: Weight 215.4g, Length: 180mm, Width (bezel): 38.7mm 
*Sunwayman M40A 4xAA*: Weight: 247.0g , Length: 145mm, Width 57.0mm (bezel) 

The EA4 is incredibly small for a 4xAA light. oo: As you will see below, it is also quite "throwy", thanks to its relatively deep reflector. In case you are wondering how they fit all this together, there is a cut-out image of the light on the side of the box:






And now the rest of the light:






















In some ways, I suppose the EA4 looks like a miniature TM11/TM15. It is very cylindrical, but with ridges along the body to help with grip. There is no knurling, except on the tailcap (where it helps when performing battery changes). The power button is actually fairly "grippy" (more on this in a moment). Overall grip is ok, but the light does have a tendency to roll away from you. Anodizing is a flat black, and seems in excellent shape on my sample. 

Body labels are rather extensive, as with the TM-series lights. But they are very legible and clear.

Battery handle is quite compact, but easily houses 4xAA (alkaline, NiMH or L91). The battery compartments are molded right into the aluminum, with the cells in a series arrangement (as opposed to the TM11/TM15, where they are in parallel). 

Screw threads are anodized, but it doesn't matter – there is no physical lock-out, because the connection is carried by the contacts in the tailcap and not the body (i.e., it is fully dependent on the tension on the springs). In my handling, you will need to loosen the tailcap more than half-way off to even begin to break this contact (i.e., it's not very effective as a lock-out).

The light can both tailstand and headstand. There is a cut-out on the base to allow you thread a wrist-lanyard through.






_Switch design_

The switch design is particularly distinctive. In is a two-stage electronic switch, and in many ways functions similarly to the TM11 or TM15. But it also has a lot of differences – first off, the switch is smaller, with a rubberized "grippy" texture. This actually makes it relatively easy to access with bare hands (i.e., you will feel the difference easily). 

Secondly, the switch feel is different from either the TM11 or TM15 – you don't need to press it as hard to activate the first or second levels. It's hard to describe in words, but I would describe the pressure needed as more subtle than those TM-series lights.

There is also a faint blue LED located underneath the switch cover. This is used to signal the state of the light (i.e., battery status, voltage, etc). Scroll down for an explanation of the interface. 










The light has a flat stainless steel bezel ring, with a rather deep, smooth reflector. This should provide very good throw for this size light. The cool white XM-L emitter was well centered on my sample.

_*UPDATE May 14, 2013:* I have done some additional beamshot comparisons with two different diffuser covers that fit the 40mm opening of the EA4 - the Nitecore NFD40 and Olight M22-X diffuser. The NFD40 diffuses the beam to a greater extent than the M22-X diffuser. Scroll down the review for actual beamshot comparisons.



























I find the Olight M22-X filter to be a better fit, as it is very snug on the light and has a lower profile than the NFD40. The diffuser lens can also pop out of NFD40 more easily, given the design of the rubber holder. 
*
UPDATE May 28, 2013:* Based on a good tip from SCEMan, the Butler Creek Blizzard flip-open scope cover (size 5 - 1.6-1.69 inch, 40.64-42.92mm) fits perfectly. All you have to do is add your own diffuser film to the clear plastic lens, and you have a proper flip-style diffuser cover. I used some adhesive D-C-Fix diffuser material that I tested for jzmtl a few years back, for the pics below. 














And next to the Olight M22-X diffuser:









Note the hinge is spring-loaded, so it flips up with ease. It also seems to stay closed petty well, as long as you fully seat it (by pressing down on the two protruding flanges to close). Nice construction with the metal retaining ring holding the plastic window in place. You just need to get the metal retaining ring unhooked from the first plastic restrainer, and then can easily proceed in sequence (start from the end that is jagged, as you can slip a fine jeweler's screwdriver or tweezer in there). Once you get it out, the clear plastic lens falls out - which you can cover with your choice of material, and then reassemble. You could even sandpaper the clear lens, etc._

*User Interface*

The EA4 uses a very similar interface to the TM15's innovative two-stage electronic switch. 

Like the TM15, for Turbo output, press the switch all the way and release (for constant on), or press firmly and hold for momentary on. Also like the TM15, this "Search/Turbo" set also has a slightly lower Hi mode, which you can switch to and from (when locked on in Turbo) by half-pressing the switch and releasing. There is no mode memory on this mode set – the light always comes on in Turbo. Turn off by a full press and release.

For the lower "Daily" modes, only partially press the switch from Off (again, hold for momentary, release quickly for locked-on, like the TM15). Light will come on in the memorized lower output mode. As described above, to switch modes when on, simply half-press and quickly release the switch again. The light will advance to the next output, in repeating sequence of Lower > Lo > Med > Hi. The light has memory on this mode set, and will retain the last lower output used. Turn off by a full press and release.

Along with the "grippy" rubberized button cover, the pressure required to activate the various modes has changed slightly from the TM15 (i.e. it is less now, with less of a traverse).

Like the TM15, the light will read-out the voltage of the cells when you first connect the head, by a series of blue flashes under the switch cover. After the initial voltage read-out, the light will then flash once every three seconds (when off), to let you know you are in standby mode. The indicator stays constantly illuminated when the light is on. It will start to flash as the batteries begin to drain, at increasing frequency. 

A "hidden" strobe mode can be accessed by two rapid full presses of the switch from On. Turn off or double-click again to return to constant output modes. There is also a SOS and Locator Beacon mode that can be accessed by pressing and holding the switch all the way down when in Strobe mode. Simply release the switch to select SOS/Beacon as the light rotates through the options.

There is a switch lock-out mode that prevents accidental activation (and lowers the standby current, see below). From On, press the switch all the way down and hold for more than one second. There will be a brief flash - when you subsequently release the switch, the light will turn off and enter the lockout mode (and briefly flash out the voltage of the cells). 

Note that to exit the lockout mode, you have to do like the TM15 and fully press and hold the switch firmly for more than one second. The EA4 manual erroneously states to that you need to press the switch 3 times quickly, which is not the case.

*Video Overview:*

For information on the light, including the build and user interface, please see my new video overview:



Video was recorded in 720p, but YouTube typically defaults to 360p. Once the video is running, you can click on the configuration settings icon and select the higher 480p to 720p options. You can also run full-screen. 

*PWM/Strobe*

There is no sign of PWM that I can see, at any output level – the EA4 is fully current-controlled, as claimed. 

Strobe:





The "hidden" strobe is a true variable strobe, with a variable overall frequency and pulse duration. The average strobe rate is ~14 Hz, which combined with its variable nature, makes it quite disorienting. :green:

Beacon:





Beacon is a brief full power flash, once every 2.2 secs.

*Standby Drain*

A standby current drain is inevitable on the EA4, due to the electronic switch in the head. Unfortunately, I'm not able to easily measure it, as the batteries are arranged in series (i.e., I would have to connect everything under tension, without the tailcap in place, to get a reading).

For the other single-cell members of the Nitecore Explorer series, I found this current to be in the in the low uA range, with occasional spikes up to the low mA range when the indicator would flash. For the parallel multi-cell Li-ion TM-series lights, I typically found these to be in the high uA range, with low mA spikes for the indicator flash. The end result was that most of those related lights would give you several months of runtime before the batteries would be exhausted, under normal Standby usage. 

Note the EA4 includes an electronic lock-out mode. To lock-out the switch and reduce the standby current. I don't know how much this lowers the current, but it is likely to be significant. I recommend you make use of it. 

Note that although you can also break this current by unscrewing the tailcap, but it needs to be nearly completely unscrewed off to be reliable. It is the tension on the springs that maintains the connection (i.e., it has nothing to do with the anodized threads).

*Beamshots:*

And now the white-wall beamshots.  All lights are on Sanyo Eneloop NiMH, at the maximum supported number for the given models (4x, 6x or 8x). Lights are about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences. 





























































Overall beam pattern is similar to the Olight S65 or Jetbeam PA40, although the E4A is slightly throwier, with a slightly more defined hotspot. There were no artifacts or irregularities in the beam of my sample.

_UPDATE May 14, 2013: Here is a comparison of the EA4 beam with the two different diffuser covers shown earlier in this review. The light is on Hi (not Turbo), about 3/4 of a meter back from a white wall.








































As you can see, the Nitecore NFD40 diffuses the light to a greater extent than the Olight M22-X diffuser (i.e., the hotspot is further reduced with the NFD40 filter). I also find this filter "warms" up the beam tint slightly (compared to the M22-X filter, which didn't seem to have much effect on tint).

I have measure output by ceiling bounce, and the Olight M22-X filter reduces overall output by ~16%, compared to ~18% for the Nitecore NFD40. So while it looks in the beamshots like the NFD40 cuts the light output to a much greater extent, this is mainly a subjective effect of the greater diffusion. I would suggest you choose between the filers based on your preference for degree of diffusion and fit.
_
*Testing Method:* 

All my output numbers are relative for my home-made light box setup, a la Quickbeam's flashlightreviews.com method. You can directly compare all my relative output values from different reviews - i.e. an output value of "10" in one graph is the same as "10" in another. All runtimes are done under a cooling fan, except for any extended run Lo/Min modes (i.e. >12 hours) which are done without cooling.

I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values (ROV) to estimated Lumens. See my How to convert Selfbuilt's Lightbox values to Lumens thread for more info. 

*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see ANSI/NEMA FL-1 Standard page for an explanation and a description of all the terms used in these tables. Effective July 2012, I have updated all my Peak Intensity/Beam Distance measures with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter (orange highlights).






My centre-beam throw measure for the EA4 was 21,500 cd (lux @1m equivalent), which is very consistent with the Nitecore specs. Certainly very throwy for this size light.

The EA4 is quite bright for the class, as you can see above. Note that I make no claim as to the absolute value accuracy of my lumen estimates – they are just a useful guide for _relative_ comparisons between lights of a given class that I have tested. 

Here are my lumen estimates for all levels of the EA4:






One interesting thing I noticed – at the higher levels, my EA4 was consistently brighter on alkaline than it was on NiMH Eneloop. Not sure why - it's not something I've noticed on other lights of this class. :thinking:

Typically, I find pretty good concordance of my lumen estimates with Nitecore – in this case, my values seem to be slighty lower at most levels. Note that if anything, my lumen estimate values are typically higher than the specs of most other lights.

*Output/Runtime Comparison:*

Note: as always, the the NiMH runtimes are based on standard 2000mAh Sanyo Eneloops.



















Note that the EA4 has a pronounced drop-off on Turbo after 3 mins runtime – to a level pretty close to the Hi mode.

Overall output/runtime efficiency is what you'd expect for a good current-controlled light at these levels.  Moreover, initial output on Turbo is much higher than other lights I've tested in this class. For example, the output and runtime of the EA4 Hi is similar to the Jetbeam PA40 on Turbo, and the EA4 on Med is similar to the PA40 on Hi. Of course, Lo is where the very good efficiency of this setup really come into play, with extended runtimes.

Note that like many lights in this class, alkalines are really not well suited for the high drain rates on Turbo/Hi.

*Potential Issues*

Due to the electronic switch in the head, the light has a stand-by current when waiting to receive a button press. I have not measured it in this case, but on most Nitecore lights it tends to be in a range that will drain fully-charged batteries over a course of months. 

The electronic switch is fairly small, and it may take you a few seconds to find it when you want to activate the light. That said, I actually found it easier to locate by touch than I expected (thanks to the grippy switch feel). It may also take you some time to get used to the relative pressure required for the two-stage switch, although I personally got used to it very quickly.

The LED indicator under the switch is very dim, and it can be hard to see under typical illumination conditions (good in the dark, though).

You cannot easily lock out the light physically, so I recommend you use the electronic "soft lock-out" in regular use – both to lower the standby current, and to help prevent accidental activations. Note that it only takes a sustained press of >1 sec to unlock the light, so accidental activation is still possible (although far less likely).

The light doesn't have as low a minimum output level as most other lights in this class. 

*Preliminary Observations*

I'm impressed by the output and beam pattern of the EA4, for its diminutive size. Frankly, I am amazed that Nitecore could make a relatively throwy light with 4xAA, and still be smaller than a number of floody 3xAAA lights I've seen. oo:

Hand feel for the light is good, although I would personally prefer a few more grip elements and a bigger switch. It is not very heavy, even with batteries installed. The user interface is good for me, as it is virtually the same as the TM15 that I reviewed recently. The switch does have a different feel than the TM- or P-series lights from Nitecore, but it took me no time at all to get used to it and consistently get exactly the mode I wanted. It was also surprisingly easy to isolate by touch alone, given the very grippy, rubberized switch cover (although this could still be improved further).

No surprises with overall output/runtime efficiency or regulation – they remain very good, consistent with a good current-controlled circuit.  Note however than the EA4 uses a timed step-down (at 3 mins), as opposed to the more sophisticated thermal sensor-driven step-down on the TM-series lights.

Output levels are well spaced, and easily accessible. The light is impressively bright on max, although it does step down to a more typical high after 3 mins. You can always cycle back to Turbo after the light steps-down, but its hard to know how well the heatsinking would perform if you were to try it repeatedly. Also, I wouldn't mind an even lower low, but I always carry a dedicated light that purpose. 

The beam pattern is very clean – and relatively throwy for a light this size (which was the design intent). You have a couple of options for diffuser/filter covers for this light - Nitecore makes available a flat diffuser cover and filter set (NFD40 and R/G/B filters) and a diffuser cone (NDF40). I have also tested the Olight M22-X diffuser/filter covers, which are a perfect fit. See the beamshots and discussion earlier in this review to see how these two main options compare.

All told, the EA4 is very endearing light – its compactness and high output impress anyone I show it to. It has also has a fairly advanced interface (i.e., equivalent to TM15), with a low of nice features. If you are looking for an easily pocketable, high-output thrower that runs on standard batteries, the EA4 is definitely worth a look. :wave:

----

EA4 was supplied by Nitecore for review.


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## bugi (Feb 3, 2013)

Thanks for another great review!


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## Landshark99 (Feb 3, 2013)

I like my E4 a lot,nice light


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## MichaelW (Feb 3, 2013)

Any runtime of High mode on alkaline?
I think that it should provide 45 minutes of flat regulation, and then another 45 minutes of declining output, before the long goodnight.


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## selfbuilt (Feb 3, 2013)

MichaelW said:


> Any runtime of High mode on alkaline?
> I think that it should provide 45 minutes of flat regulation, and then another 45 minutes of declining output, before the long goodnight.


I haven't tried it yet, but that is what I would expect too.


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## Beamhead (Feb 3, 2013)

As always excelent review, did you use standard Eneloops (2000 mah) for your runtimes?


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## Bumble (Feb 4, 2013)

hi, if you look at the *Throw/Output Summary Chart it states 4x eneloop (2000mah,1.5v) was used *


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## selfbuilt (Feb 4, 2013)

Beamhead said:


> As always excelent review, did you use standard Eneloops (2000 mah) for your runtimes?





Bumble said:


> hi, if you look at the *Throw/Output Summary Chart it states 4x eneloop (2000mah,1.5v) was used *


Yes I did, and that should say "1.2V" in my table - I will edit.


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## gbsbg (Feb 4, 2013)

I have tried to measure the standby and lockout drain on my EA4W and the results are: 
standby: 0.55 mA when the blue LED is off and 7 mA when it is on that means on average about 3.8 mA or 22 days time with a 2000 mAh Battery
lock-out: 0.133 mA or 1.7 years of battery life.
It seems worth to lock-out because the standby drain is due to the blue light pretty high.


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## selfbuilt (Feb 4, 2013)

gbsbg said:


> I have tried to measure the standby and lockout drain on my EA4W and the results are:
> standby: 0.55 mA when the blue LED is off and 7 mA when it is on that means on average about 3.8 mA or 22 days time with a 2000 mAh Battery
> lock-out: 0.133 mA or 1.7 years of battery life.
> It seems worth to lock-out because the standby drain is due to the blue light pretty high.


Thanks for the measurements. The "average" current drain under regular usage probably isn't quite that bad, given that the higher current flash is only a fraction of a second once every three seconds. But based on your current draws, I would still expect that 2000mAh batteries would be depleted in well under two months.

Good to know the lock-out mode is such a low current, in contrast.


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## markr6 (Feb 4, 2013)

gbsbg said:


> I have tried to measure the standby and lockout drain on my EA4W and the results are: standby: 0.55 mA when the blue LED is off and 7 mA when it is on that means on average about 3.8 mA or 22 days time with a 2000 mAh Batterylock-out: 0.133 mA or 1.7 years of battery life.It seems worth to lock-out because the standby drain is due to the blue light pretty high.


Ouch!! I've made a habit of locking out most of the time becasue of this.


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## selfbuilt (Feb 5, 2013)

Just updated the review with the Hi mode alkaline graph (and fixed the figure legend for the Turbo run):






Basically, not much of a difference between Turbo and Hi. You get an extra ~5 mins or so of regulated output on Hi, but lack the extra 3 mins of initial Turbo. :shrug:

That's with Duracell alaklines, but performance should be similar on other brands.

I'm afraid that's it for runtimes for this review, at least for now. I don't plan to do L91 at this time, as this isn't part of my regular testbed (i.e., I haven't tested any of other multi-AA lights with them either). Depending on donations, I may try to start doing these in the future, we'll see.


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## MIKES250R (Feb 5, 2013)

Thanks again for another great review. I sure have enjoyed my EA4.


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## ser1a (Feb 6, 2013)

where to buy this light for reasonable price guys??


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## nanotech17 (Feb 6, 2013)

thanks selfbuilt - i like this light as well but was put on back order - awaiting for the EA4 NW.


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## senterholic (Feb 7, 2013)

i like this flashlight,but this flashlight is not good for anti roll design.


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## markr6 (Feb 8, 2013)

senterholic said:


> i like this flashlight,but this flashlight is not good for anti roll design.


I would normally complain to no end about lights without an anti roll (Fenix E11), but since the EA4 is so stable on its tail I'm fine with how it is.


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## selfbuilt (Feb 8, 2013)

markr6 said:


> I would normally complain to no end about lights without an anti roll (Fenix E11), but since the EA4 is so stable on its tail I'm fine with how it is.


Yes, this is my reasoning as well. I comment about the lack of anti-roll in the video, and generally like a clip on thinner lights to prevent roll. But the much wider base on the EA4 (compared to a 2xAA light) makes the light a lot more stable for tail-standing, which helps (i.e., you don't have to lay it down on its side, unless trying to look at something horizontally).


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## nicvri (Feb 18, 2013)

Great review!
The EA4 definitely has a lot going for it, but a 65 lumen _micro_ mode seems somewhat of a paradox.


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## selfbuilt (Feb 18, 2013)

nicvri said:


> Great review!
> The EA4 definitely has a lot going for it, but a 65 lumen _micro_ mode seems somewhat of a paradox.


Agreed, although it was a bit lower on my sample (i.e. <40 estimated lumens). But this is still higher than many other lights in this class.


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## Mr Floppy (Feb 19, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> Agreed, although it was a bit lower on my sample (i.e. <40 estimated lumens). But this is still higher than many other lights in this class.



Might placate some of the users wanting a lower low but probably not low enough for some. I kind of wished they had a Zebralight sort of UI where they had sub modes. Such are large range of output possibilities I feel.


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## xevious (Feb 25, 2013)

I wonder if Nitecore made a point of hand selecting an example for you to test, for the best beam pattern possible. While the beam pattern on mine has a hotspot that has definition similar to what yours shows as, I do see a rather prominent greenish ring around the perimeter of the hotspot zone. It's not really a concern when putting the light to use on non-white objects, but you can't help but notice it on a white wall. I'm just wondering if that ring got washed out in your photos, or if there are emitter variances in the production run. I've seen similar hotspot tint rings on other lights like the Olight M20, but the Surefire U2 and NovaTac 120P have extremely clean beams in comparison, at all levels.


I also agree that the lower beam should be down at least 50% less than what it is. There are 4 brightness levels, evenly spaced out in intensity, and it feels like I wouldn't bother with the mid level. I could see having 3 of those levels, with the 4th much lower as a kind of moonlight mode.


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## selfbuilt (Feb 25, 2013)

xevious said:


> I wonder if Nitecore made a point of hand selecting an example for you to test, for the best beam pattern possible. While the beam pattern on mine has a hotspot that has definition similar to what yours shows as, I do see a rather prominent greenish ring around the perimeter of the hotspot zone. It's not really a concern when putting the light to use on non-white objects, but you can't help but notice it on a white wall. I'm just wondering if that ring got washed out in your photos, or if there are emitter variances in the production run. I've seen similar hotspot tint rings on other lights like the Olight M20, but the Surefire U2 and NovaTac 120P have extremely clean beams in comparison, at all levels.


I didn't notice anything particularly green on my sample, but it's possible the auto white balance in the photos has washed things out a bit.

In my experience, all XM-L lights tend to have a warmer corona (yellow-green) than the overall spill. I suspect this is a feature of the emitter design, when coupled with a reflector. Some samples are worse then others - either due to the emitter itself, or the reflector design/placement (i.e., some light models seem more greatly affected by this shift than others).


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## xevious (Feb 27, 2013)

OK, thanks for letting me know selfbuilt.  I'm probably making mine sound worse than it really is... it's not a deal breaker by any means. This is a terrific light, raising the bar to a new level, IMHO.


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## Bumble (Apr 24, 2013)

Nitecore NDF 40 diffuser is now available at Fasttech for $4.94 delivered free world-wide. do not confuse this with the NFD 40 diffuser which is rubbish imo. dont forget your "cpf" discount code for 5% off. 

https://www.fasttech.com/products/1630/10003970/1325112


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## selfbuilt (Apr 24, 2013)

Bumble said:


> Nitecore NDF 40 diffuser is now available at Fasttech for $4.94 delivered free world-wide. do not confuse this with the NFD 40 diffuser which is rubbish imo.


Thanks. Just curious though - why don't you like the NFD 40 (flat frosted diffuser cover) over the NDF 40 (diffuser wand cover)? I typically prefer NFD flat-style diffusers for outdoor walking, etc (although the NDFwand-style can be useful for camping, etc.).


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## Bumble (Apr 24, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> Thanks. Just curious though - why don't you like the NFD 40 (flat frosted diffuser cover) over the NDF 40 (diffuser wand cover)? I typically prefer NFD flat-style diffusers for outdoor walking, etc (although the NDFwand-style can be useful for camping, etc.).



my wife keeps popping the lens out of the NFD diffuser lol ...also its just down to my personal preference really , so maybe i was being a little harsh by calling it rubbish. at the price Fasttech is charging for both the diffusers , purchase both would be my advice  and thanks for all the great reviews you do, much appreciated


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## markr6 (Apr 24, 2013)

Bumble said:


> my wife keeps popping the lens out of the NFD diffuser lol ...also its just down to my personal preference really , so maybe i was being a little harsh by calling it rubbish. at the price Fasttech is charging for both the diffusers , purchase both would be my advice  and thanks for all the great reviews you do, much appreciated



No, "rubbish" is appropriate IMO. I hate the NFD filter so I use the Olight M21-X 40mm filter instead. The Nitecore lens is cheaper, blocks TOO much light, much bulkier, and yes the lens pops out very easily.


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## selfbuilt (Apr 24, 2013)

Bumble said:


> my wife keeps popping the lens out of the NFD diffuser lol ...also its just down to my personal preference really , so maybe i was being a little harsh by calling it rubbish. at the price Fasttech is charging for both the diffusers , purchase both would be my advice  and thanks for all the great reviews you do, much appreciated





markr6 said:


> No, "rubbish" is appropriate IMO. I hate the NFD filter so I use the Olight M21-X 40mm filter instead. The Nitecore lens is cheaper, blocks TOO much light, much bulkier, and yes the lens pops out very easily.



Ah, I see, thanks. I was wondering how the quality compares to the roughly similar size Olight filter for the M21-X/M22 (which is also ~40mm, and which fits the EA4). 

FYI, Fasttech appears to sell the Olight M22 filter as well, for a similar price. I say "appears" because it is labeled as the M20 diffuser - but the pictures and dimensions clearly show it is for the larger M22. I've found the various-sized Olight filters to work quite well (on a wide range of lights).

I've just ordered the NFD filter, and I'll test it myself to see how it compares to the Olight version. Remind me a few weeks if I forget to update this thread.


----------



## xevious (Apr 24, 2013)

I find the Olight filter to be perfect, with just the right fit--fairly easy to remove but won't slip off by accident. Makes a great lens protector for travel, too. And it has a loop for securing a tether so you can clip it onto something for easy carrying. When it's not installed, I use the Streamlight anti-roll ring which also does a superb job of protecting the lens end.


----------



## Cb33 (Apr 26, 2013)

First, thanks for all of the information you all have provided on this forum. This is all new to me and I'm glad to have found this great resource. 

I plan to purchase either the EA4 or the EA4W. One of the many reasons for the purchase will be to use the light along with studio lights for photography. I have been trying to find the color temperature for these lights, but the best I have found is a broad range stated in a cree XM-L data sheet. It says the XM-L U2 used in the EA4 could be anywhere from 5000-8500 Kelvin and that the XM-L T5 in the EA4W is between 3700 and 5000K. Those are really big ranges. Does anybody know the color temperature of either model?

I may have found an answer. I just got an email from customer service at illumination supply. They reported these color temperatures: EA4 6500K, EA4W 5000K and their EA4 L2 6500K.

Now if I could just figure out the CRI for each...


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## markr6 (Apr 27, 2013)

Cb33 said:


> First, thanks for all of the information you all have provided on this forum. This is all new to me and I'm glad to have found this great resource.
> 
> I plan to purchase either the EA4 or the EA4W. One of the many reasons for the purchase will be to use the light along with studio lights for photography. I have been trying to find the color temperature for these lights, but the best I have found is a broad range stated in a cree XM-L data sheet. It says the XM-L U2 used in the EA4 could be anywhere from 5000-8500 Kelvin and that the XM-L T5 in the EA4W is between 3700 and 5000K. Those are really big ranges. Does anybody know the color temperature of either model?



In the past I've purchased two or three of the exact same lights and always got upset to find the tints varied a lot. So while I cannot say for sure every EA4W will be the same, mine is very nice. I would say it's 5000K and matches the 5000K on my Fenix PD32UE exactly.


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## Cb33 (Apr 27, 2013)

markr6 said:


> In the past I've purchased two or three of the exact same lights and always got upset to find the tints varied a lot. So while I cannot say for sure every EA4W will be the same, mine is very nice. I would say it's 5000K and matches the 5000K on my Fenix PD32UE exactly.



Good to know. I will buy from a vendor with a reasonable return policy just in case. 5000k should suit my needs well. 

Im excited.


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## __philippe (Apr 27, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> Ah,FYI, Fasttech appears to sell the Olight M22 filter as well, for a similar price. I say "appears" because it is labeled as the *M20 diffuser *- but the pictures and dimensions clearly show it is for the larger M22. I've found the various-sized Olight filters to work quite well (on a wide range of lights).



Word of caution about Fasttech currently advertised *Olight M20 Filters/Diffusers *specs: the dimensions shown are WRONG (if it is indeed an M20) ; the M20 filter has an actual inner diameter of 35.5 mm. NOT the advertised 43.7mm...:shakehead 
I pointed the discrepancy to FT a while ago; they promised to correct their data...

__philippe


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## selfbuilt (Apr 27, 2013)

Cb33 said:


> the best I have found is a broad range stated in a cree XM-L data sheet. It says the XM-L U2 used in the EA4 could be anywhere from 5000-8500 Kelvin and that the XM-L T5 in the EA4W is between 3700 and 5000K. Those are really big ranges. Does anybody know the color temperature of either model?
> I may have found an answer. I just got an email from customer service at illumination supply. They reported these color temperatures: EA4 6500K, EA4W 5000K and their EA4 L2 6500K.


If you keep scrolling through the XM-L datasheet, you'll see that Cree specifies that the typical CRI for Cool White (5000K - 8300K) is 65. The typical CRI for Neutral White (3700K - 5000K) is 75, and the typical CRI for Warm White (2600K - 3700K) is 80. They also sell higher minimim standard warm whites. So based on the specs, the EAW is in fact using a Neutral White emitter, with typical CRI of 75.

And :welcome:



__philippe said:


> Word of caution about Fasttech currently advertised *Olight M20 Filters/Diffusers *specs: the dimensions shown are WRONG (if it is indeed an M20) ; the M20 filter has an actual inner diameter of 35.5 mm. NOT the advertised 43.7mm...:shakehead


Good to know. Of course, not only did they get the specs wrong, but they actually included a picture of the diffuser on the M22! :shakehead:


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## Cb33 (Apr 27, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> If you keep scrolling through the XM-L datasheet, you'll see that Cree specifies that the typical CRI for Cool White (5000K - 8300K) is 65. The typical CRI for Neutral White (3700K - 5000K) is 75, and the typical CRI for Warm White (2600K - 3700K) is 80. They also sell higher minimim standard warm whites. So based on the specs, the EAW is in fact using a Neutral White emitter, with typical CRI of 75.
> 
> And :welcome::



Thanks for the warm welcome and the hand holding. 

I was a little thrown by the data sheet listing the T5 in both the neutral white and cool white categories. I'm just going to stop fretting and order an EA4W so that I can start enjoying it. 

I may eventually try to find a higher CRI light and use colored filters (gels from my photo gear) to control the color temperature, but that is for another time.


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## selfbuilt (Apr 27, 2013)

Cb33 said:


> I may eventually try to find a higher CRI light and use colored filters (gels from my photo gear) to control the color temperature, but that is for another time.


Yes, and a nice fringe benefit is that you could always use a very light gel filter to fine-tune the tint to exactly your personal "white" preference.

As a general rule rule, CRIs go up (and output bins go down) as you move to warmer emitters, for any given class. The reason for this is that Cree simply adds more phosphor to the die, "warming" it up in tint and improving the relative color balance, but at the cost of reduced light transmission. Typically, there isn't much of an output hit for Neutral White (i.e., often just one output bin down from Cool White). I often find Neutrals to be the "sweet spot", personally.


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## __philippe (Apr 29, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> Ah, I see, thanks. I was wondering how the quality compares to the roughly similar size Olight filter for the M21-X/M22 (which is also ~40mm, and which fits the EA4).
> 
> FYI, Fasttech _*appears to sell the Olight M22 filter as well, for a similar price. I say "appears" because it is labeled as the M20 diffuser *_- but the pictures and dimensions clearly show it is for the larger M22. I've found the various-sized Olight filters to work quite well (on a wide range of lights).



FT finally corrected their current Olight R G B Filters / White Diffuser products (previously mislabelled M20), 
which are now properly identified as *M22 models*, but FT's published Dimensional specs are still woefully approximative...
(inappropriate Depth/Height/Width terminology used to specify Flashlights dimensional specs, stated 43.7mmm "Width" which is actually the *outer* M22 Filter diameter...)

Been arguing back and forth with FT's Customer Support for weeks on end about those inadequate descriptions, to no avail...:shakehead

BTW, I updated the "Olight Filters/Diffusers for all seasons" table with the M22 specs.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...iffusers-for-all-seasons&highlight=__philippe

You'll notice the 0.5mm difference between M21X and M22 inner diameter, but I guess this small deviation should not matter too much if one were trying to fit either model on the Nitecore EA4 ?

Besides, I'm ready to bet those Olight M21x and M22 Filters/Diffusers models on the worldwide market are actually just one and the same product, with two distinct SKU's reference # attached....

Cheers,

__philippe


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## Gene (May 2, 2013)

Boy, I saw this great thread of the EA4 by selfbuilt, (great as always selfbuilt!), and fell in love with this light! 800+ lumens, side switch, and 4 AA power source. What's not to like?

I got an e-mail from Battery Junction about their 24 hour sale and got it for $56.00 with free shipping. Wish I would have known about Fasttech but through this thread I did!

Fasttech's everyday price is $48.29 with free shipping, (cool white). They have the absolute BEST prices on the internet! Oh well, at least you guys alerted me to them and for that I am very grateful.

At my age, (65), I can't discern much difference from cool white and natural white so I went with the cheaper cool white. Hope it doesn't have much blue or green in the tint but I can't wait to get it. Thanks for the "heads up" guys!


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## Bumble (May 4, 2013)

its $45.88 from fasttech with "cpf" discount code


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## Gene (May 4, 2013)

Thanks Bumble. Not to get off track here but I ordered the EA4 cone and M22 diffusers from Fasttech and tried putting in the cpf code and it didn't take.

EDIT: I just went on Fasttech to check and the CPF code is working now. Like I said, it wasn't working when I placed my order.


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## xevious (May 4, 2013)

The only problem I'm finding with this light is that when you don't use it very frequently, it's easy to forget the UI.

It's really not intuitive to have different presses for ON and OFF (half press on, full press off). Every time I pick up my EA4 I have to be conscious of having to half-press to turn it on. Sometimes I forget to "half press" and instead do a "full press" that brings on turbo mode. That's not the real problem though... it's turning it off that bugs me. Instead of doing a full press, I often accidentally half-press which advances the mode. And then I'm not wanting to leave it in that mode, so I have to cycle back to the desired mode where I then do a full-press to turn it off.  

Anyway, they say that as you get older it's good to challenge the brain, not let things get too routine. So, maybe it's a good thing.


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## Gene (May 6, 2013)

I finally received my EA4 from BatteryJunction today. WOW! What can I say? This thing is superbly built and feels so good in hand. I LOVE the side-switch button and as selfbuilt stated, it readily falls to hand as it is tacky and your finger goes directly to it.

I also really like the weight of this thing as it is a little heavy but has a very quality feel to it and as selfbuilt said, it should dissipate heat better. 

It's so neat to not have a separate battery holder and instead you can insert the batteries into the battery channels built into the flashlight body. BIG plus for me!

Listen folks, I became a member of this great forum over 13 years ago, (original member #123), when we just discussed how to improve our Mag-Lite flashlights. I could never in my wildest dreams dream of a light this good, this bright and with the quality this light is built with. You guys are so spoiled!!! Good job Nitecore! 

xevios,
I too hate complicated UI's. You should have seen the UI's of of just a few short years back. They were so convoluted, you almost had to have a degree in computer science just to operate them! I traded many lights from that time to one's with simpler UI's which were very rare at that time.

Back in the day, a light this quality built with this much brightness was non-existent. You could order a custom light with about 1/4 the lumens this one has for around $400.00-$700.00 dollars!

I hate to say this, but hooray for China for giving us lights that are so wonderful!!!


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## xevious (May 6, 2013)

Hey Gene,
Good to see you're happy with the EA4.  I agree, it's so easy to get caught up with one improvement after another, but sometimes we have to sit back and take stock, realizing that the LED industry has made some amazing improvements in a fairly short time period.


Gene said:


> I too hate complicated UI's. You should have seen the UI's of of just a few short years back. They were so convoluted, you almost had to have a degree in computer science just to operate them! I traded many lights from that time to one's with simpler UI's which were very rare at that time.


Tell me about it! I was fortunate to have bought a Liteflux LF5XT when they were available and while I liked the form factor and the option for programming, the UI for programming was _so complicated_! I was able to memorize the NovaTac UI, but couldn't get it down on the Liteflux. I had to let the light go (and thankfully they became a near cult product and appreciated). So yeah, while it's hard not to nitpick on the ON/OFF differences for the EA4, it's still a great light. Super bright for just 4AA cells in a short form factor. To me, it's a must-have in any flashlight collection.


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## selfbuilt (May 7, 2013)

Thanks for your comments Gene, very thoughtful. It does help put the rather rapid progress of LED lights into perspective.

And a very good point about the complicated UIs. Like xevious, I was thinking of the Novatac and Liteflux lights (and to a lesser extent, the original JetBeam IBS interface) - all of which have/had a very pronounced following here. People liked the versatility and programmability of those lights, and general operation - thought not necessarily intuitive - was at least fairly staightforward (once programmed). 

But that's really the key difference - if you wanted to reprogram those lights, you probably need to refer back to manual or a convenient flow-chart (since you were unlikely to recall all the details after a few days/weeks/months). While the EA4 is somewhat more complex than a simple single-pressure switch, you can easily work out all the modes again by simply playing with the light for a few minutes (regardless of how much time has passed since you last used it). That does speak to increased user-friendliness for the regular user (although I warrant greater programmability will always be desirable to some flashaholics).


----------



## Gene (May 9, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> Thanks for your comments Gene, very thoughtful. It does help put the rather rapid progress of LED lights into perspective.
> 
> And a very good point about the complicated UIs. Like xevious, I was thinking of the Novatac and Liteflux lights (and to a lesser extent, the original JetBeam IBS interface) - all of which have/had a very pronounced following here. People liked the versatility and programmability of those lights, and general operation - thought not necessarily intuitive - was at least fairly staightforward (once programmed).
> 
> But that's really the key difference - if you wanted to reprogram those lights, you probably need to refer back to manual or a convenient flow-chart (since you were unlikely to recall all the details after a few days/weeks/months). While the EA4 is somewhat more complex than a simple single-pressure switch, you can easily work out all the modes again by simply playing with the light for a few minutes (regardless of how much time has passed since you last used it). That does speak to increased user-friendliness for the regular user (although I warrant greater programmability will always be desirable to some flashaholics).



Thanks selfbuilt and thank you as always for your expertise with your reviews. You are dead on about those lights. The only problem I have with with the EA4 is it's hard to remember how to get to turbo mode and flashing modes. 



xevious said:


> Hey Gene,
> Good to see you're happy with the EA4.  I agree, it's so easy to get caught up with one improvement after another, but sometimes we have to sit back and take stock, realizing that the LED industry has made some amazing improvements in a fairly short time period.
> 
> Tell me about it! I was fortunate to have bought a Liteflux LF5XT when they were available and while I liked the form factor and the option for programming, the UI for programming was _so complicated_! I was able to memorize the NovaTac UI, but couldn't get it down on the Liteflux. I had to let the light go (and thankfully they became a near cult product and appreciated). So yeah, while it's hard not to nitpick on the ON/OFF differences for the EA4, it's still a great light. Super bright for just 4AA cells in a short form factor. To me, it's a must-have in any flashlight collection.



I agree and this light is so good, I might order another! By the way, why would anyone purchase the EA8 which is considerably larger and has only a smidgen more lumens? I know it has longer battery life but that doesn't matter that much when using rechargeable cells.


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## selfbuilt (May 9, 2013)

Gene said:


> I agree and this light is so good, I might order another! By the way, why would anyone purchase the EA8 witch is considerably larger, considerably larger and has only a smidgen more lumens? I know it has longer battery life but that doesn't matter that much when using rechargeable cells.


Yes, the EA4 is in rather a sweet spot. The EA8 may appeal to those who want max throw on AA cells, but I personally find the EA4 throwy enough for general use. And for those looking for greater output, the Eagletac SX25A6 is a nice light. Still waiting on the GX25A3, to see how that compares to the EA4.


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## xevious (May 10, 2013)

Gene said:


> By the way, why would anyone purchase the EA8 which is considerably larger and has only a smidgen more lumens? I know it has longer battery life but that doesn't matter that much when using rechargeable cells.


You do get more throw with the EA8, but you also get a full size flashlight too, a form factor that may be preferable for some. But I'm with you, in that the output is so comparable and the EA4 runtime is fine enough.... I'm perfectly happy to carry an extra pack of 4xAA if longer runtime is needed on the go.

I wonder how the GX25A3 will turn out, too. The new model release pace is still going strong. I'd thought about getting another EA4 too (the EA4W), but one is enough for me given what's coming down the pike in short order.


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## REDLINEVUE (May 11, 2013)

Okay... so the other day, I sent selfbuilt a PM asking about the run-time for the EA4 in beacon mode. I wanted to know If I went hiking, would I be able to leave this light in my car and know it was still running 3 days later when I returned so I could actually find my vehicle. The problem I had already started my test on Monday and it was still running so I was hoping for a quick answer.

However, for technical reasons (beyond my understanding) this test has not been "officially" done so he asked that I post my results here once I got an "answer"... The short answer is about 124 hours is what I got. Some details worth mentioning are that I used 4 freshly topped off Eneloops and kept the light with me everywhere I went (including being left in my car during the day at points)... but I also probably should mention that I had used the light on turbo mode for about 45 seconds at one point during the test. So by far not the best test by any means but it I do believe that is a good estimate.

Hope someone else finds this info useful as well... 

cheers


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## Gene (May 11, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> Yes, the EA4 is in rather a sweet spot. The EA8 may appeal to those who want max throw on AA cells, but I personally find the EA4 throwy enough for general use. And for those looking for greater output, the Eagletac SX25A6 is a nice light. Still waiting on the GX25A3, to see how that compares to the EA4.





xevious said:


> You do get more throw with the EA8, but you also get a full size flashlight too, a form factor that may be preferable for some. But I'm with you, in that the output is so comparable and the EA4 runtime is fine enough.... I'm perfectly happy to carry an extra pack of 4xAA if longer runtime is needed on the go.
> 
> I wonder how the GX25A3 will turn out, too. The new model release pace is still going strong. I'd thought about getting another EA4 too (the EA4W), but one is enough for me given what's coming down the pike in short order.



I agree that the EA8 might be more of an attractive alternative to some folks because of it's full size but 8 AA's are too much for me and like you say selfbuilt, my EA4 has plenty of throw for me.

Man, you two are right about the EagleTach GX25A3 looking interesting! Smaller form factor than the EA4, only three AA's and greater output. Looking forward to your review selfbuilt!

Like you xevious I was thinking about picking up a second EA4 so I could have one in both of our cars but that GX25A3 is looking good!

P.S. Upon checking into the GX25A3, it looks like it's almost DOUBLE the price I can get the EA4 for. That's too much of a price difference for me!


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## selfbuilt (May 11, 2013)

Hi Gene, yes, as for cost, the EA4 is quite economical for this class.



REDLINEVUE said:


> The short answer is about 124 hours is what I got. Some details worth mentioning are that I used 4 freshly topped off Eneloops and kept the light with me everywhere I went (including being left in my car during the day at points)... but I also probably should mention that I had used the light on turbo mode for about 45 seconds at one point during the test. So by far not the best test by any means but it I do believe that is a good estimate.


Good to know, thanks for sharing!


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## xevious (May 12, 2013)

Gene said:


> P.S. Upon checking into the GX25A3, it looks like it's almost DOUBLE the price I can get the EA4 for. That's too much of a price difference for me!


Yikes, I didn't know that. Bummer. With the EA4 being out-positioned in just a few more months, I'll bet anything we'll see the price for them come down a little more. Given how popular this light has become, even better deals on used but great condition ones will probably surface in about 9~16 months.


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## selfbuilt (May 13, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> I've just ordered the NFD filter, and I'll test it myself to see how it compares to the Olight version. Remind me a few weeks if I forget to update this thread.


My NFD40 diffuser arrived today. My first impressions support what has already been mentioned in this thread. It significantly diffuses the light - moreso than the Olight M22 diffuser (which also fits on the EA4 fine). Subjectively, NFD40 seems to reduce the output to a greater extent (but it's hard to compare visually, since it also diffuses the hotspot to a wider extent). I will do some ceiling bounce measures tomorrow and report back.

The fit is good, but I can see that the NFD40 diffuser disc can indeed pop out fairly easily from the rubber holder. There is less material holding it in place. I'll take some pics and post tomorrow as well.
:wave:


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## GordoJones88 (May 13, 2013)

Gene said:


> Upon checking into the GX25A3, it looks like it's almost DOUBLE the price I can get the EA4 for.



The Nitecore EA4 is retail $83.95 amazon BJ IG but with big markdowns

The Eagletac GX25 is $94.90 amazon LJ 

The EA4 is a budget light and 
someplaces have a giant discount, we know.

The GX25 is a professional class light and 
will not ever receive such a big discount.

It's like getting a big discount on a Hyundai,
but you're not gonna get the same discount on a Ferrari.

Indeed the EA4 has a really good value to it.


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## Bike Rider (May 13, 2013)

Thanks for the review! 

This just confirms I've made the right choice, hoping it lands by the end of the week. Paid $84AUD for mine (includes P+P).


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## selfbuilt (May 14, 2013)

Ok, as promised, I have done some additional beamshot comparisons with two different diffuser covers that fit the 40mm opening of the EA4 - the Nitecore NFD40 and Olight M22-X diffuser. 

As you will see below, the NFD40 diffuses the beam to a greater extent than the M22-X diffuser. But it doesn't actually cut the overall light output by as much as it initially appears.




























I find the Olight M22 filter to be a better fit, as it is very snug on the light and has a lower profile than the NFD40. As others have reported, the diffuser lens can also pop out of the NFD40 more easily, given the design of the rubber holder (i.e., doesn't hold it as securely). 

Here is a comparison of the EA4 beam with the two different diffuser covers. The light is on Hi (not Turbo), about 3/4 of a meter back from a white wall.








































As you can see, the Nitecore NFD40 diffuses the light to a greater extent than the Olight M22-X diffuser (i.e., the hotspot is further reduced with the NFD40 filter). I also find this filter "warms" up the beam tint slightly (compared to the M22 filter, which didn't seem to have much effect on tint). Always hard to tell from camera shots with automatic white balance turned on, but I find the beamshots above capture pretty well what I see by eye (at least on my monitor).

I have measured output by ceiling bounce, and the Olight M22-X filter reduces overall output by ~16%, compared to ~18% for the Nitecore NFD40. So while it looks in the beamshots like the NFD40 cuts the light output to a much greater extent, this is mainly a subjective effect of the greater diffusion. 

At the end of the day, I would suggest you choose between the filers based on your preference for degree of diffusion and fit. :wave:


----------



## markr6 (May 14, 2013)

Nice work as always selfbuilt! I was so let down by the Nitecore filter that I actually threw it away! I didn't like the construction or the effect it produced.

On the other hand, I use the Olight filter most of the time on this light. After a while it become a little loose; not to the point of falling off but just too easily removed when in a pocket or rubbing against something. I put a small piece of electrical tape on the inside of the filter on opposing sides for an even better fit.


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## selfbuilt (May 14, 2013)

markr6 said:


> Nice work as always selfbuilt! I was so let down by the Nitecore filter that I actually threw it away! I didn't like the construction or the effect it produced.


The effect is definitely quite distinct - the Nitecore diffuser provides much greater diffusion than the Olight filter, and seems to "neutralize" the tint somewhat. I was surprised by the ceiling bounce results though - it doesn't actually reduce light output that much more. It must the subjective effect of the more diffuse hostpot that makes it seem that way.

As for the fit, I find the secret to preventing accidental displacement of the frosted lens is to make sure you always grip it with one finger where the lanyard attachment is located. Due to the construction, if you grip it perpendicular to the lanyard attachment point, the pinching movement of your fingers can "pop" the lens right out. Annoying to be sure, but at least it can be avoided with consistent pressure placement.


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## TobyZiegler (May 15, 2013)

Thank you for the outstanding information. I am quite happy with the Nitecore diffuser. I use it with the EA4 on my bike, when cycling in the forest or on
difficult terrain (many curves, bushes, trees). It gives a very good overall beam for nearby vicinity.
But even in 65 Lumen mode this blinds all other traffic coming the opposite way, so careful usage is important :huh:


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## holylight (May 16, 2013)

REDLINEVUE said:


> Okay... so the other day, I sent selfbuilt a PM asking about the run-time for the EA4 in beacon mode. I wanted to know If I went hiking, would I be able to leave this light in my car and know it was still running 3 days later when I returned so I could actually find my vehicle. The problem I had already started my test on Monday and it was still running so I was hoping for a quick answer.
> 
> However, for technical reasons (beyond my understanding) this test has not been "officially" done so he asked that I post my results here once I got an "answer"... The short answer is about 124 hours is what I got. Some details worth mentioning are that I used 4 freshly topped off Eneloops and kept the light with me everywhere I went (including being left in my car during the day at points)... but I also probably should mention that I had used the light on turbo mode for about 45 seconds at one point during the test. So by far not the best test by any means but it I do believe that is a good estimate.
> 
> ...




Thanks for the test. The test lasted 124hrs or did the light stop after 124hrs.


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## SCEMan (May 17, 2013)

My diffuser solution has the same effect as the Olight filter. It's always on my EA4W and also adds anti-roll & lens protection. :thumbsup:

Although it appears the cap blocks part of the lens area, there's full 180 degree illumination (from my feet to directly overhead)


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## selfbuilt (May 17, 2013)

SCEMan said:


> My diffuser solution has the same effect as the Olight filter. It's always on my EA4W and also adds anti-roll & lens protection. :thumbsup:


Ok, I'll bite - where's that diffuser from? Looks good, I always like flip-top style diffusers myself.


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## __philippe (May 18, 2013)

Possibly a ButlerCreek Blizzard #4/#5 scope cover fitted with an improvised diffuser material ?

see illustrated write-up here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ve-Protector-that-snaps-open-amp-closed!-Pics!

__philippe


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## SCEMan (May 18, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> Ok, I'll bite - where's that diffuser from? Looks good, I always like flip-top style diffusers myself.


Diffuser material is pretty common once you start looking for it. After a couple trials, I found what I liked in my office
supplies at work.



__philippe said:


> Possibly a ButlerCreek Blizzard #4/#5 scope cover fitted with an improvised diffuser material ? see illustrated write-up here:
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ve-Protector-that-snaps-open-amp-closed!-Pics!__philippe


Bingo!


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## Gman363 (May 19, 2013)

Landshark99 said:


> I like my E4 a lot,nice light



:wave: I am new to the forum and do not have the expertise or knowledge of many others here (yet) but have always enjoyed flashlights. Thanks to this review I purchased the Nitecore EA4. Awesome flashlight for its size and great one to keep around in case of a power failure since it runs on AA batteries.

Thank you for the review


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## Gene (May 25, 2013)

SCEMan said:


> My diffuser solution has the same effect as the Olight filter. It's always on my EA4W and also adds anti-roll & lens protection. :thumbsup:
> 
> Although it appears the cap blocks part of the lens area, there's full 180 degree illumination (from my feet to directly overhead)



Yikes and after I just bought two of the M22 filters! That looks very neat SCEMan. Have you had any problems with the filter cover opening too easily as been reported on Amazon?

I will agree with selfbuilt that the M22's fit nice and tight which is nice but SCEMan's solution seems much better and handier.


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## SCEMan (May 25, 2013)

Gene said:


> I will agree with selfbuilt that the M22's fit nice and tight which is nice but SCEMan's solution seems much better and handier.



No, mine snaps tightly and won't open accidentally. When I'm walking and need a diffuser and occasional throw, I unsnap it and hold it down with my finger or release as needed. Very convenient.


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## Gene (May 26, 2013)

Looks like I've got to try one! Thanks.


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## Orion (May 27, 2013)

It's okay to run AA Lithiums, right?


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## __philippe (May 27, 2013)

Okay sure,...never mind expensive...


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## selfbuilt (May 27, 2013)

Orion said:


> It's okay to run AA Lithiums, right?


Yes, Energizer L91 or EA92 AA lithums are fine.


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## Gene (May 27, 2013)

SCEMan said:


> No, mine snaps tightly and won't open accidentally. When I'm walking and need a diffuser and occasional throw, I unsnap it and hold it down with my finger or release as needed. Very convenient.



Ordered one on eBay. $12.20 with free shipping.


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## SCEMan (May 27, 2013)

Gene said:


> Ordered one on eBay. $12.20 with free shipping.


Now just start looking for diffuser material...


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## selfbuilt (May 27, 2013)

Fortunately, Cabela's Canada also carries the Butler Creek Blizzard Scope Cover, size 5, that SCEMan shows above. :thumbsup:

Mine came today, which I quickly outfitted with some adhesive D-C-Fix diffuser material that I tested for jzmtl a few year back. 














And next to the Olight M22 diffuser:









This is really an excellent flip-up style cover - thanks for the tip SCEMan. :twothumbs The hinge is spring-loaded, so it flips up with ease. It also seems to stay closed petty well, as long as you fully seat it (by pressing down on the two protruding flanges to close). Nice construction with the metal retaining ring holding the plastic window in place. You just need to get the metal retaining ring unhooked from the first plastic restrainer, and then can easily proceed in sequence (start from the end that is jagged, as you can slip a fine jeweler's screwdriver or tweezer in there). Once you get it out, the clear plastic lens falls out - which you can cover with your choice of material, and then reassemble.

Note that the Olight M22 or Nitecore NFD40 diffusers are too big to fit into the Butler Creek, so you will have to relay on diffuser film. You can experiment with different kinds. The one I'm using above, d-c-fix (provided by jzmtl), is a relatively mild diffusion. I expected light loss in this case is less than the other two actual diffusers I've tested, but haven't measured it. But that's largely immaterial - pick whatever material you like, for whatever level of diffusion you want.  You could even sandpaper the clear lens, etc.

For the price, it seems like a great buy so far. Thanks again for the tip!


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## SCEMan (May 28, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> For the price, it seems like a great buy so far. Thanks again for the tip!



Glad I could help...


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## Gene (Jun 6, 2013)

I used the diffusion material sold by member vinhnguyen54 on mine and it's the best I've ever tried.


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## markr6 (Jun 6, 2013)

Thanks Selfbuilt. Any chance you can get a beamshot comparison of the M22 diffuser and Butler Creek? The Butler Creek opening looks rather small, so I'm wondering if that matters.


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## selfbuilt (Jun 6, 2013)

markr6 said:


> Thanks Selfbuilt. Any chance you can get a beamshot comparison of the M22 diffuser and Butler Creek? The Butler Creek opening looks rather small, so I'm wondering if that matters.


It doesn't seem to cause much of a problem - I still notice a very wide dispersion with the butler creek in place. Well worth it for the flip-top design, IMO. I'll see if I can do some pics eventually, but am currently away (and have a lot of lights waiting for me when I get back).


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## markr6 (Jun 7, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> It doesn't seem to cause much of a problem - I still notice a very wide dispersion with the butler creek in place. Well worth it for the flip-top design, IMO. I'll see if I can do some pics eventually, but am currently away (and have a lot of lights waiting for me when I get back).



No problem, I'll take your word for it! It's not too expensive so I'll probably order one and try it out.


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## holylight (Aug 3, 2013)

Bros I need a help, anyone can help me test what's the standby current draw to deplete the battery in years if I were to do a soft lock out. I asking this because hard lock out with tail cap is almost impossible unless I totally unscrew the tail cap. Help is very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.


bro selfbuild tested d40a takes 20years and gx25a3 takes 3years to deplete the batteries, which I think is very nice result( for information of AAs lovers out there)


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## JaimeB (Aug 14, 2013)

Hi Guys-

I recently received my EA4 and am not very pleased with it. The hotspot is donut shaped in that the very center has less light output than the "donut" ring that provides most of the illumination. This is followed by a very yellow tinted spill ring - and I mean very yellow - and ends with a cool white final portion of the spill area. 

I don't know if Nitecore got a batch of defective CREE XM-L's or if the reflector is not properly centered, but the light pattern on my EA4 is not what Selfbuilt caught on camera. Buyers beware!


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## selfbuilt (Aug 15, 2013)

JaimeB said:


> I don't know if Nitecore got a batch of defective CREE XM-L's or if the reflector is not properly centered, but the light pattern on my EA4 is not what Selfbuilt caught on camera. Buyers beware!


From your description, it sounds like a depth issue with the reflector (i.e., it is not fully seated). Sometimes an o-ring can get pinched under the lens/bezel, preventing proper fit. You could try opening up the bezel to see if you can manually reseat everything (being careful not to touch the surface of the reflector). Or simply return for a replacement. A mild donut effect can sometimes occur, due to natural tolerances - but if it is significant, you should be justifited in a return.

And :welcome:


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## JaimeB (Aug 15, 2013)

Selbuilt- Thank you so much for your incredibly quick response! Thanks also for welcoming me into the CPF Forum. I'm in contact with the Nictore customer service dept in China - let's see what happens. Bought my torch from the good people at Goinggear (I'm in South Florida).

Thanks again! Keep up the incredible work you do for all quality flashlight enthusiasts.

Jaime


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## AMD64Blondie (Aug 27, 2013)

So anxiously waiting to order my new Nitecore EA4 from Amazon.
(have to get my paycheck first.)

Looks to be an awesome light.I like the fact that it runs on AA batteries,as opposed to CR123A.

Quite shocking that a light barely bigger than 2 D batteries laid out end-to-end is brighter than my old Fenix TK40.


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## AMD64Blondie (Aug 31, 2013)

Just received my new Nitecore EA4.

I'm stunned at how stupid-bright this fairly small light is.

The first thing I stupidly did after unboxing it was insert the batteries and turn it on(full 860-lumen turbo) right at my bathroom mirror.OUCH MY EYES!!

I think i'm going to love this new little wonder.


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## Gene (Sep 1, 2013)

Good for you and yes, the EA4 is a bright light and I like mine too.

My only complaint with all these new lights is I wish they would come with TRULY SIMPLE U.I.'s! Like it was stated earlier in this thread, it's frustrating to remember each light's U.I. when switching from one light to the next and trying to remember a light's U.I. when you haven't used it for awhile.

The manufacturer's all claim their lights have "simple" U.I.'s but they could do better than all this pushing and holding and pushing!


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## Capolini (Sep 3, 2013)

I will be getting mine in a few days. I guess you can call me a "Turbo" freak!! lol! I use ALL my high powered lights[TK-75, BST] on turbo constantly. I am disappointed that this steps down after three minutes of turbo. If I go back to turbo immediately it will step down again in three minutes, right??? If so, I would have to constantly step it up every three minutes?

Has anyone used it continuously on turbo[with step ups!] and had any heat issues?

*Ciao,,, Roberto,,,"Capo di Capo" "KEEP LIGHTING UP THE DARKNESS"*


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## Fallingwater (Sep 18, 2013)

I recently lent my modified L-Mini (1x18650, new driver, XP-G) to a friend for a camping trip. He was ecstatic about how powerful it was, and his jaw pretty much dropped on the floor when I told him it was old-generation by now and showed him how soundly my SC600 beats it. I may have created a new flashaholic. 

Anyway, looking for lights of similar power to my SC600 but that don't require a commitment to an unfamiliar battery type that you can't find on shelves, I came across the EA4. Seems just what my friend would need, except I'm not sure how EDC-able it is, seen how it's quite a bit thicker than a 18650 light. What's your opinion on this?


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## markr6 (Sep 18, 2013)

Fallingwater said:


> I recently lent my modified L-Mini (1x18650, new driver, XP-G) to a friend for a camping trip. He was ecstatic about how powerful it was, and his jaw pretty much dropped on the floor when I told him it was old-generation by now and showed him how soundly my SC600 beats it. I may have created a new flashaholic.
> 
> Anyway, looking for lights of similar power to my SC600 but that don't require a commitment to an unfamiliar battery type that you can't find on shelves, I came across the EA4. Seems just what my friend would need, except I'm not sure how EDC-able it is, seen how it's quite a bit thicker than a 18650 light. What's your opinion on this?



Some people will say you can EDC it, but personally I say no way. On a duty belt in the holster, sure, but I would only do this maybe while camping. In a pocket, it would feel like I was carrying around a brick.


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## selfbuilt (Sep 18, 2013)

Fallingwater said:


> Anyway, looking for lights of similar power to my SC600 but that don't require a commitment to an unfamiliar battery type that you can't find on shelves, I came across the EA4. Seems just what my friend would need, except I'm not sure how EDC-able it is, seen how it's quite a bit thicker than a 18650 light. What's your opinion on this?


Personally, I like EDCing things in the 1xCR123A-1xAA size range - so i would find the multi-AA lights a bit much. The EA4 or its competitors would do great in a jacket pocket. Highly recommended for the general user.

Do check out my Sunwayman D40A and Eagletac GX25A3 reviews for some alternate user interfaces (all are similarly bright and throwy).


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## jakepen (Nov 9, 2013)

Does anyone else see a yellowish tint in the beam?


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## CampfireTalk (Nov 21, 2013)

Great review! I've been using the EA4 since this past summer & it's traveled with me to the beach & inside some caves. Using this light is a breeze. I was directed to this light by Patriot. At the time I told him I wanted something that ran off of AA's, was fairly priced & good quality. I feel like the EA4 met all those points.


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## HikingMano (Dec 2, 2013)

Thanks for the excellent review, selfbuilt:thumbsup:. I purchased the EA4w as a vehicle light and should be receiving it today. Can you (or anyone else) tell me what mode the light enters after activating it out of lockout? Does it go to one of the general use modes, or does it go straight to turbo/high?

Edited to add:
My light was waiting for me when I got home, popped some eneloops in and got to playing  When bringing the EA4 out of lockout, the light always goes to the default "daily use" mode, or the 2nd level of the 4 half-click levels. It has no memory when coming out of lockout.

I would rather the light be brought out of lockout on turbo. My girlfriend is not one for remembering UI's beyond click for on and click for off. If she wanted to use the EA4 in an emergency, and I had locked it out, she wouldn't remember to press and hold to turn on, then turn off and on again for max light. Too many steps. Press and hold to activate on turbo would be ideal, but I would have settled for press and hold to activate on High (4th of half-click levels) if the memory was retained after lockout.


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## Patriot (Dec 10, 2013)

CampfireTalk said:


> Great review! I've been using the EA4 since this past summer & it's traveled with me to the beach & inside some caves. Using this light is a breeze. I was directed to this light by Patriot. At the time I told him I wanted something that ran off of AA's, was fairly priced & good quality. I feel like the EA4 met all those points.




Gotta love Selfbuilt's reviews Campfire! You were asking me why I never bothered doing one on the EA4? Once Selfbuilt reviews a light it's an impossible act to follow...haha


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## Swedpat (Dec 30, 2013)

A bit late, but thanks Selfbuilt for the review!

Today I received an EA4 in neutral tint. This is a heavy light which gives a reliable feeling. It could be better knurled but the shape gives a pretty good hold.
Unfortunately it seems like I got a faulty sample: I have carefully read the manual and read your description of the UI and can't come to another conclusion.
While momentary on works properly the constant on doesn't: when I push the button to the buttom I can then cycle through the brightness modes with soft presses, but there is no strobe when I do two full double clicks(I can live with that). But the worst: when the light is on, it's not possible to turn it off with the button, when I do a fast full press it just cycles to the next mode instead of turning off. The only way to turn it off is to remove the tailcap. Otherwise I really like the feeling of EA4 and I am looking forward to get it replaced to a proper sample.


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## selfbuilt (Dec 30, 2013)

Swedpat said:


> Otherwise I really like the feeling of EA4 and I am looking forward to get it replaced to a proper sample.


Hmm, sounds like a faulty switch. Hopefully they replace the sample for you quickly.


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## Swedpat (Dec 30, 2013)

selfbuilt said:


> Hmm, sounds like a faulty switch. Hopefully they replace the sample for you quickly.



Thanks. Would be good if only the switch could be replaced but I guess that's not possible. I will contact the dealer.


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## markr6 (Dec 30, 2013)

Swedpat said:


> Thanks. Would be good if only the switch could be replaced but I guess that's not possible. I will contact the dealer.



Hopefully they can get you set up quickly. It's a great light and worth waiting for a second chance after repair/replacement.


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## markr6 (Jan 9, 2014)

I got tired of locking out my EA4, so I just left it sitting on standby for the last couple weeks. I turned it on last night and it acted strange and I figured it was a bad connection or switch problem, putting out less than the lowest mode (guessing 20 lumens or so). I put the Eneloop XX batteries into my charger and got low readings ranging from 0.84v - 1.08v.

This thing sure sucked them dry on standby! They were probably 90% charged since the last time I used the light. I'll need to go back to my habit of locking this out for sure.


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## HikingMano (Jan 9, 2014)

I experienced the same on my EA4w. Was kinda surprised - didn't expect it to drain that quickly. I'm going to put a set of full charge eneloops in there and note down how long it takes to drain a full set (n=1). Ever since then, I lock it out as a rule and just don't use it as a vehicle light (more for the GF's refusal to learn how to bring it out of lockout rather than anything else). My old Quark 2^AA went back into the car as a glove compartment light.


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## jazavac (Mar 4, 2014)

Hi. 

I'm wondering about the turbo mode. After 3 minutes, the output lowers. 
Does that mean that you can't have turbo output unitl you change/charge the batteries, or can you just turn the light of and then on, and have the full output again?

This is probably a silly question but please forgive me, I'm a flashlight noob.

Thanks.


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## selfbuilt (Mar 4, 2014)

jazavac said:


> I'm wondering about the turbo mode. After 3 minutes, the output lowers.
> Does that mean that you can't have turbo output unitl you change/charge the batteries, or can you just turn the light of and then on, and have the full output again?
> This is probably a silly question but please forgive me, I'm a flashlight noob.


No worries, it's an understandable question. As with most lights that have a timed step-down feature, you can re-activate in Turbo by turning the light off/on. As the batteries drain though, you may find the initial Turbo mode is not as bright as on a fresh set of cells (i.e., eventually, as the batteries drain, the highest modes may no longer be available).

And :welcome:


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## jazavac (Mar 4, 2014)

selfbuilt said:


> No worries, it's an understandable question. As with most lights that have a timed step-down feature, you can re-activate in Turbo by turning the light off/on. As the batteries drain though, you may find the initial Turbo mode is not as bright as on a fresh set of cells (i.e., eventually, as the batteries drain, the highest modes may no longer be available).
> 
> And :welcome:



Thanks a lot for the answer and for the welcome. Just wanted to be sure before I buy the light.
Cheers!


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## HikingMano (Mar 5, 2014)

Few months later, and still lovin my EA4w :twothumbs

Shot on recent hike, sunlight white balance on point and shoot, light is in one of the medium modes I think:


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## ven (Mar 5, 2014)

Great pic,and i still love mine:twothumbs just a great little light imo,and very good value too


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## markr6 (Mar 5, 2014)

Nice spot/spill shown in that pic! I still have both my EA4 and EA4w, but rarely use the cool white. Thinking about selling it, but I think I keep it around just to remind myself how nice the neutral is! EA4w is still the best tint of all my lights, except those with Nichia 219. Maybe even better than my new SC62d.


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## HikingMano (Mar 5, 2014)

It definitely has a pretty good tint! I agree, not as good as my L10 with Nichia 219, but still very very good and more than good enough for outdoors use. My H52w may be slightly better, but not discernible in practical use.


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## woodrow (Mar 8, 2014)

Thanks for this review ... and so many others as well, Selfbuilt. I have and love this light. Remembering that I am from the generation of flashlight users that used to think nothing of spending $10 for 2x123a batteries to power my SF 6p at 200 lumens for 20 minutes, I decided to throw some E2 lithium batteries in the light. 6.2 volts of blue flashes on the power switch and the light is noticeably lighter. Because of your review, I will keep the light in lockout mode when not in use, but taking it with me to work each day and having an extra pack of 4 e2's (now with 20 year shelf life) and I have the perfect glove box light. Thanks again for the great review.


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## Timothybil (Mar 8, 2014)

Love mine too, and also use E2s (at least until I can afford some Eneloops, now that I have my I4 charger). I would be careful with leaving your EA4 in the glove box, because some owners have been reporting problems with the switch cover that appear to be heat related. It's not that big, just stick it in its holster and leave it on your belt all the time. It can be an additional EDC.:thumbsup:


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## mcorp (Mar 8, 2014)

Yeah the switch cover would expand or even leaving the ea4 on high for abt an hour would cause it to expand. But they have since updated the switch cover and the new ones are fine


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## Swedpat (Mar 23, 2014)

I have played a while with the new EA4W now. The switch works properly and I can just say that I really like this light. The hold comfort is good, neutral tint is nice and the brightness and throw is impressive. This is not a pure thrower but pretty much an allround light with good throw and bright spill.
Even after a few weeks I am still impressed by the compact format for beeing a 4AA light and the amount of light it puts out. But while it's compact it still a substantial light: it feels pretty heavy in the hand which contribute to the quality feeling. Anything else than a cheapy plastic here...
Ok; there is still a small issue with the switch: now and then it happens that the strobe turns on when I want to turn off the light. But it may be that the switch is very sensitive and that I now and then fail to do an enough distinct full press on the switch. Otherwise it works properly.


If I would change anything with EA4 it would be a lower lowest mode and bigger steps between the modes. For example: 5lm, 50lm, 200lm, 500lm, ~750lm(based on that the neutral option has slightly lower output than the cool). Also a mode selection ring would make this light even better. But I guess that had result in longer light, so you can't get everything...

The conclusion is that Nitecore EA4 is the 4AA flashlight I like most of all 4AA lights I have experienced. I will do some runtime test soon, maybe this evening.

*Update:* 
I started the light 24 hours ago at the 300lm mode(around 250lm with the neutral). Budget alkalines from a swedish electronic dealer. During 2h and 40m the output was practically flat, only 4% drop at 2h 40m compared to the start. Short after that the brightness started to drop. 50% of initial brightness was at nearly exactly 3 hours. Around 15 minutes later the brightness had dropped to 10%. At 12 hours the light still shined at 5-10lm. And now at 24 hours mark it's almost as bright as 12 hours ago.
So it seems this light is a battery vampire. Good to know if you don't want to be left in the dark. I wonder if I shall let the light go another day(s) and night(s) to see how long it runs?...

*Update 48 hours from start:* the light is still almost as bright as at 24 hours mark. Propably it will continue a few days more, maybe a week at very slowly declining output but it's enough for me. Read that it's a theory that draining alkaline very low may increase the risk for leaking so I stop it now. I will put in the Eneloops again and enjoy the light.


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## maypo59 (Mar 25, 2014)

I bought one of these last summer, after a bit of research. Best flashlight I have ever used. I belong to a camping group, and by the time the season was over, 4 others had bought one.

I know this is an older thread, and this question is just a bit off topic, but on the (very nicely detailed) graphs, it appears the light runs best with enloops? I bought a couple sets of them for the long storage times, but have so far actually run the light just on decent quality alkalines. If it's not me misreading the graphs, it would seem running the enloops as my regular battery would be a good thing. Any advice on that..?

I haven't read far enough yet to find if a review has been done of the EC1 by Nitecore, but I picked up one of those to replace a minimag that died after 30 years, and have been very happy with it also.


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## selfbuilt (Mar 26, 2014)

maypo59 said:


> but on the (very nicely detailed) graphs, it appears the light runs best with enloops? I bought a couple sets of them for the long storage times, but have so far actually run the light just on decent quality alkalines. If it's not me misreading the graphs, it would seem running the enloops as my regular battery would be a good thing. Any advice on that..?


Alkaline is really designed for low current drain devices (lile remotes, clocks, etc.). NiMH rechargeable is much better suited for higher current drain (like flashlights). Multi-battery lights typically do "ok" on alkalines, as the load is shared across the batteries. However, the main problem is the risk of leaking - all alkalines can leak, and if they do, they will likely destroy the flashlight circuit. It is therefore much safer to use NiMH rechargeables.

Until the Eneloops came along, the main issue with NiMH was their high self-discharge rate. With the old NiMHs, charge them and put them in a light, leave it on the shelf, and it would be nearly dead when you go to use it in a year. This is no longer a problem - with Eneloop low-self-discharge characteristics, the batteries still have >70-80% charge remaining at a year. So, there really is no reason not to routinely run on Eneloops.



> I haven't read far enough yet to find if a review has been done of the EC1 by Nitecore, but I picked up one of those to replace a minimag that died after 30 years, and have been very happy with it also.


I've reviewed that light as well. See my master review list at flashlightreviews.ca.

And :welcome:


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## g4ptek (Mar 26, 2014)

Best compact flashlight I ever bought.
It is super bright and only uses 4 batteries that will last for a long time.


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## maypo59 (Mar 26, 2014)

selfbuilt said:


> Alkaline is really designed for low current drain devices (lile remotes, clocks, etc.). NiMH rechargeable is much better suited for higher current drain (like flashlights). Multi-battery lights typically do "ok" on alkalines, as the load is shared across the batteries. However, the main problem is the risk of leaking - all alkalines can leak, and if they do, they will likely destroy the flashlight circuit. It is therefore much safer to use NiMH rechargeables.
> 
> 
> And :welcome:



Thanks for the welcome.. 

And the reviews list direct link.

I always thought it was more about the voltage, that lights would run better because they had (nominally) in this case, 6volts on alkaline, but only 4.8v when using rechargeables. So I just guessed the light would 25% or less bright.

I did know the point of the enloops was to combat the self discharge issue. Went ahead and loaded the EA4 with them, seems just as bright to my eye, anyways, as when running alkaline batteries. So now a dozen of them are out of my emergency kit and in rotation. Oh, and know about that "leaking" years ago the Army lost my hold baggage for about 8 months. I would say about 2 days after it shipped, my (then stupendous) 3D maglight batteries apparently decided to dissolve themselves. When I finally got my stuff, it was in pretty sad shape, but I was able to spend a weekend cleaning it up and got it working again, still have it, I think I bought it in the PX in about 1980.


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## selfbuilt (Mar 26, 2014)

maypo59 said:


> I always thought it was more about the voltage, that lights would run better because they had (nominally) in this case, 6volts on alkaline, but only 4.8v when using rechargeables. So I just guessed the light would 25% or less bright.


No, all modern LED lights have a multi-power circuit that regulate output. There is typically no difference in initial brightness between 1.5V alkaline and 1.2V NiMH - although NiMH chemistry will allow a light to maintain Hi output levels for longer.

This is also why you were able to recover your old 3D Mag after the batteries leaked - all that likely happened is that they corroded the metal contact surfaces. But with the integrated circuit in modern lights, that stuff will eat right through and destroy them in no time.


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## flitter296 (Apr 9, 2014)

Thanks selfbuilt for this great review of the Nitecore EA4 flashlight! I had been looking for a bright LED flashlight with multiple modes in a small form factor that used AA batteries. Because of your review I ultimately chose the Nitecore EA4, and received it about a week ago. I've been using it a lot, partly to get used to the UI, and partly because I like it a lot. But I have a question. Based on my personal observations there is a very visible difference between the modes, except going from High to Turbo. Turbo, on my light at least, seems only SLIGHTLY brighter than High mode, yet it is rated as having the greatest increase in lumen output of any of the modes. 

Lower - 65lm to Low - 135lm = 70lm increase
Low - 135lm to Mid - 300lm = 165lm increase
Mid - 300lm to High - 550lm = 250lm increase
High - 550lm to Turbo - 860lm = 310lm increase

The different beam shots I saw all showed a more noticeable increase between High and Turbo than I am seeing with my light. I checked all of the (alkaline) batteries with a DMM and they all had 1.6x volts, and the light's voltage reading upon soft lockout confirms this. Is my light defective or is this just because High mode is so bright that my eyes just don't see that much of a difference when I switch to Turbo? Has anyone else noticed this with their EA4? Would using eneloops give me more brightness on Turbo?


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## roberta (Apr 9, 2014)

Good Day flitter296,

I have found a Very visible difference when I started using Eneloops rather than Alkaleaks (the output on Turbo is brighter with Eneloops)...
This is because the driver can draw a higher current from the Eneloops.

Regards,
Roberta


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## selfbuilt (Apr 9, 2014)

flitter296 said:


> Turbo, on my light at least, seems only SLIGHTLY brighter than High mode, yet it is rated as having the greatest increase in lumen output of any of the modes. ... I checked all of the (alkaline) batteries





roberta said:


> I have found a Very visible difference when I started using Eneloops rather than Alkaleaks (the output on Turbo is brighter with Eneloops)...This is because the driver can draw a higher current from the Eneloops.


I would normally agree with Roberta - that is typically the case. However, on my original EA4 sample, I noticed a peculiarity whereby the light was brighter on alkaline than on Turbo initially. See this table from the review






Of course, that is for brand new, fresh alkaline cells. Once they have a few mins of runtime on them, they will be lower in output on Max. And newer EA4 could be different from my earlier sample. :shrug:

In any case, I think the explanation for what you are experiencing has to do with how we perceive light. It is not the absolute lumen difference that you are perceiving, but _relative_ change. This is how nervous systems work when interpreting sensory data. If you look at the difference in relative output between levels, you will find that the jump from Hi to Turbo is in fact the _lowest_ relative change across all levels (i.e., the _relative_ percent change drops as you go up by each level).

But it is even worse that that - our perceptions are not linear to start with. There are series of power relationships that have been empirically determined to correspond to relative sensory perceptions. For a non-point source of light, a cube-root power relationship is the best fit. So that would further diminish the relative perception of what we seeing (i.e., even though its a ~55% increase from Hi to Turbo on NiMH, it might only seem like a ~15% increase). See this post for a discussion of the Stevens' power law for sensory perceptions.


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## ven (Apr 9, 2014)

I agree 100% with our perceptions,i have an ea4 and an ea8,both from high to turbo is noticeable but by not what you would expect it to be.The same on my tm15 which i find easier to explain with from another perspective.

On high its around 1300lm,turbo 2450lm so a huge 1150lm jump.It is obviously noticeable ,but not in the same way for example as going from 50lm to 1200lm,same difference in lumen jump but a lot bigger difference OTF .

iirc it takes around 4 x the lumens to appear twice as bright in general


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## selfbuilt (Apr 9, 2014)

ven said:


> iirc it takes around 4 x the lumens to appear twice as bright in general


Yes, that is the common view around here. It is what people mean when they way we see light "logarithmically". Of course, no one ever explicitly specifies the log base when they make that statement.  But the example for flashlights is always as given as above, which happens to be a log to base 2.

But as I discuss in this link, logarithmic-based adjustment scales for sensory systems are typically not consistent over a wide range. Modern psychometric research suggests a series of discrete power relationships better fit various human sensory perceptions. For non-point sources of light (i.e. >5 degree beam angle), the generally reported power relationship for human perception is 0.33 (which is a cube root). That would mean that you actually need 8 times the amount of light to seem twice as bright. :shrug:

However, brief flashes of light or point sources of light (i.e., <5 degree angle) best fit a square root power relationship. And that certainly matches the common "four times the light for twice the brightness" mantra here. I haven't seen any specific psychometric tests on flashlight beams, but it seems likely that most people's relative perceptions will be in-between the square and cube root power relationships.

I'm afraid I've wandered a bit off-topic, but it would be interesting to compare peoples' relative perceptions of throwy vs floody beams, to see how they fall. I expect the floody beams should be close to that standard cube-root power relationship (as expected), but throwy beams may be closer to the square-root of point-sources perception. :wave:


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## Swedpat (Apr 9, 2014)

I have found that my eyes perception of brightness is deceptive. While I usually perceive the difference as less at low brightness levels I perceive it more at higher. 
Sometimes I can find it difficult to notice a doubling at low brightness levels. But if we are talking about for example using a flashlight indoors in a room I will say that I perceive 400lm definitely more than twice as bright as 100lm. I think I can say that 300lm feels around twice as bright as 100lm. Anyway it's propably impossible to exactly state what the human perception of brightness differences is.


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## Gene (Apr 9, 2014)

I too agree that each individual has different perceptions in brightness and also tints or color temperatures. I've tried lights with so called turbo modes and I cannot discern the difference between high or turbo. Of course there were others where the difference was huge.

I'm also one who sees a quality CW as very pleasing to my eyes and very, very white. I've tried several lights from quality manufacturers in NW and my eyes always perceive the same thing. A slight green or a yellow tint which to me is very distracting.

I always kind of smile when I read where folks will ask what is the brightest this or that or what is a better tint, CW or NW. We all perceive things slightly differently and you just have to experience with your own eyes what is brighter or what tint you prefer.


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## flitter296 (Apr 10, 2014)

Thank you Roberta, selfbuilt, ven, Swedpat, Gene, and all others who may chime in, for the information in your replies and for sharing your experience with me. I am quite pleased with my EA4, and now have my perception question answered, along with the why (Thanks selfbuilt!). I tried freshly topped up eneloops in my EA4, and as Roberta noted it was definitely brighter on Turbo than it was with alkalines. Another good reason to NOT use alkalines!


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## ven (Apr 10, 2014)

flitter296 said:


> Thank you Roberta, selfbuilt, ven, Swedpat, Gene, and all others who may chime in, for the information in your replies and for sharing your experience with me. I am quite pleased with my EA4, and now have my perception question answered, along with the why (Thanks selfbuilt!). I tried freshly topped up eneloops in my EA4, and as Roberta noted it was definitely brighter on Turbo than it was with alkalines. Another good reason to NOT use alkalines!



:twothumbs
the ea4 or any other good AA or AAA light deserves nothing less than eneloops,better performance,more constant sustained out put level.But also you have the ability in emergencies to use alki cells,great versatility compared to li ion cells as these are not available in every shop,or can be pinched from remote controls/toys in that maybe once in a life time emergency.............


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## Swedpat (Apr 20, 2014)

Unfortunately I have to say that this light will not be my companion any more. I mentioned earlier about the problem with that strobe now and then kicks in when I want to turn it off. It isn't just that I am unfamiliar with the function. I have tried to not only firmly push down the switch but also hold it half a second to a second before I release it. It doesn't help anyway. Too often it will go to strobe instead of turning off. 
It's obvious that this advanced camera switch function has problem to work properly. My first sample I sent back and got replaced because of that it wasn't possible to turn the light off at all with the switch; it changed to next mode instead. And this time it now and then, yes pretty often, goes to strobe. In the long run I just not abide such an irritation moment. 

Maybe Sunwayman D40A is a better choice? I saw that it also was available in neutral tint.


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## texbaz (Apr 21, 2014)

Swedpat said:


> Unfortunately I have to say that this light will not be my companion any more. I mentioned earlier about the problem with that strobe now and then kicks in when I want to turn it off. It isn't just that I am unfamiliar with the function. I have tried to not only firmly push down the switch but also hold it half a second to a second before I release it. It doesn't help anyway. Too often it will go to strobe instead of turning off.
> It's obvious that this advanced camera switch function has problem to work properly. My first sample I sent back and got replaced because of that it wasn't possible to turn the light off at all with the switch; it changed to next mode instead. And this time it now and then, yes pretty often, goes to strobe. In the long run I just not abide such an irritation moment.
> 
> Maybe Sunwayman D40A is a better choice? I saw that it also was available in neutral tint.



My replacement EA4 has switch issues also. Get the Sunwayman D40A NW you will enjoy it so much more than the Nitecore. I try not to purchase the Nitecore products because of the way they handled the ballooning switch cover. I purchased a Sunwayman D40A NW version it's great, not perfect but very good.


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## goomashoom (May 28, 2014)

I got a replacement EA4 back in November 2013 for one purchased in February 2013. I had the ballooning switch problem. I've had zero issues with the replacement and a 2nd EA4 I purchased in November 2013. I'm pleased with the warranty service. Illumination Supply handled the return, so I didn't have to go directly to Nitecore.


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## ven (May 28, 2014)

I think nitecore/fenix or more than likely other brands from china suffer the same if need to be sent off,i have read a few issues regarding fenix and 6+ week waits......

On the ea4 front(along with my other nitecores) all have been issue free,i dont get as much use as i would like(too many lights) but all the same i am happy and for such a small compact light run on AA cells,its heard to beat cost/performance wise imho.


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## chiphead (Jun 9, 2014)

First of all, well done on the review! You do a flashaholic proud. But heard that there are 2 flavors of the E4, white and so called neutral. If this is the case, how would no which one I'm getting?
chiphead, Austin,TX


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## Timothybil (Jun 10, 2014)

chiphead said:


> First of all, well done on the review! You do a flashaholic proud. But heard that there are 2 flavors of the E4, white and so called neutral. If this is the case, how would no which one I'm getting?
> chiphead, Austin,TX



The EA4 with the neutral LED identifies itself as an EA4W right on the side, instead of just EA4.


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## selfbuilt (Jun 10, 2014)

Timothybil said:


> The EA4 with the neutral LED identifies itself as an EA4W right on the side, instead of just EA4.


Thanks Timothybill.

I would also add that neutral white versions are generally relatively uncommon for most lights. As such, if nothing is specified as to tint, it's highly likely you would be receiving the cool white version (i.e., this is the default model in almost all cases). Fortunately, Nitecore is clearer than most makers in that it actually modifies the model name for the neutral version, so there should be no confusion with this light.


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## richardcpf (Jun 12, 2014)

After 1 year with this light, I finally decided to pull the batteries out for good and keep it in the shelf for display only. 

It was the second time I grabbed the EA4 after about 2 months unused, just to realized the batteries were fully depleted due to the high standby drain. I always kept freshly charged eneloop XX on them. At first I thought there was a problem with the contacts, but now I know it would not serve as a emergency light. It also damaged many of my eneloop XX cells beause they now only charge to 1800-2150mAh, as shown in the MahaC9000.

I was a big fan of the size, tint and beam of the EA40, but this is a major issue and locking it out wouldn't make it a useful emergency light. My Jetbeam SRA40 had taken its place now.

And just to report that I did not have any problem with the switch boot, even after moderate use.


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## selfbuilt (Jun 12, 2014)

richardcpf said:


> It was the second time I grabbed the EA4 after about 2 months unused, just to realized the batteries were fully depleted due to the high standby drain.


Hmmm, that's unfortunate. But thanks for sharing!


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## DougL (Jul 16, 2014)

Speaking of emergency use, I think it's very important to know approximately what can be expected as far as emergency mode run times in a light that is being put in the role of one's emergency flashlight; I would consider the sos and beacon modes to be this light's emergency modes. Unfortunately, Nitecore wasn't able to give me estimated sos and beacon run times. I don't expect anyone to sit around for such a test, but perhaps some of the more technically savvy people out there can chime in on this matter as far as theoretical values based on the light's other known specifications.


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## richardcpf (Sep 19, 2014)

selfbuilt said:


> Hmmm, that's unfortunate. But thanks for sharing!



Just a little update here.

It was my mistake. Today I checked all of my eneloops for internal resistance and voltage drop @1A.

Because I classify and group my eneloops in pair of 4 to have them matched with the same version and manufacture date, I happen to have 1 bad cell in two of my eneloops XX sets. Both of these sets were used on my nitecore EA4. The bad cell in it was causing massive standby drain. How unlucky... 

Both of my bad cells showed IR of >500 miliohm. :fail:






Vdrop @1A was 0.6V, whereas a good cell stays in 1.2V. 

Thanks Selftbuilt


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## caltemus (Jan 28, 2016)

richardcpf said:


> After 1 year with this light, I finally decided to pull the batteries out for good and keep it in the shelf for display only.
> ...
> I was a big fan of the size, tint and beam of the EA40, but this is a major issue and locking it out wouldn't make it a useful emergency light. My Jetbeam SRA40 had taken its place now.






richardcpf said:


> Just a little update here.
> 
> It was my mistake. Today I checked all of my eneloops for internal resistance and voltage drop @1A.
> 
> ...



I've been running an EA4 for about a year now, and I never found the lockout to be obtrusive. Are you referring to the switch lockout (holding the button down until the light flashes once), or actually uncscrewing the tailcap? I notice that the newer "EA41" has a double switch, as opposed to the two stage switch on mine.


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