# Niteye EYE30 Desert Edition Review



## subwoofer (Apr 14, 2012)

Niteye appear to be making an impressive transition from OEM manufacturer to building a brand of their own.

On test here is a special edition of the compact triple XM-L light, the EYE30 Desert Edition.



Initial Impressions:

They say that with food the first bite is with the eye, well with the Desert Edition of the EYE30, the eye is certainly well fed. From the carry case to the crisply finished light inside the EYE30 impresses.

Taking the EYE30 into your hand and when you see and feel the finish of the Desert Edition you know you are holding something special.



What is in the box:

Already knowing the specifications of this light, when the package first arrived I expected it to be something different, but it was the EYE30, the case is just surprisingly small. The EYE30 package is contained in a well presented and finished aluminium and plastic carry case.







The front of the case has the main specifications listed.






The rear of the case has more specifications.






Opening the case reveals the EYE30 Desert Edition in a foam liner with the car charger, spare o-ring, handle, holster, instructions and warranty card.






The contents out of the case.






A side view of the EYE30 in its holster and the optional handle. The holster has a fixed belt loop and Velcro loop.








Taking a closer look and looking inside:

This section is going to be longer than normally as there is so much detail to take in with the EYE30.

The EYE30 tailstanding






The EYE30 has two main sections, the head and body tube. Looking inside the head shows the central positive contact surrounded by the large negative contact






The main threads are fully coated and trapezoid in form, with a single o-ring






A closer look at the thread






Looking down the body tube shows the strong spring that keeps the battery holder firmly in place






In keeping with the overall quality, the battery holder is solidly built using metal construction.






The battery contact springs are strong and the positive contacts are raised metal pads ensuring flat top cells will work.






The holder has identical ends with positive and negative terminals so it can be inserted into the light either way round.






The four AW 3100mAh cells lined up ready to go.






The fully loaded battery holder






Looking at one of the three identical XM-L LEDs and reflectors








So with the basics covered there are several more details that need to be taken in to appreciate the EYE30.

On one of the three plain panels on the battery tube (with no knurling) the Niteye logo is crisply laser etched






The second panel has the model and basic specifications/standards






A stainless steel tailcap ring finishes the base of the aluminium tube and protects it from damage and wear






The triangular head has a different function on each face. Here the built in charging port is shown






And the blanking screw for the handle fixing point. The third face has a battery power meter which I’ll cover later on.






The thick glass lenses are fully coated for optimum light transmission.






Each lens is held in place with a stainless steel bezel.






To fit the included handle, the blanking screw is removed. The recess acts as a locating key for the handle to keep it perfectly aligned.






A substantial thumb screw is used to attach the handle. Inside there is a split washer to stops the thumb screw loosening during use.






Very well designed, then handle provides an alternative comfortable grip for the EYE30 for users with any size hands.






To give an idea of scale the EYE30 is shown next to a single AW 18650 IMR cell (so is slightly shorter than a protected cell)






Fit and finish of all components of the EYE30 is really excellent. The finish on the Desert Edition is outstanding. The Desert finish is matt, making the entire light incredibly tactile and increases the available grip. The colour is a real breath of fresh air and complete contrast to the standard black/grey smooth anodised we are so used to.




Modes and User Interface:

Niteye have chosen a magnetic ring interface, so the EYE30 has no buttons or click switches, just the main control ring near the head of the light.

There are no markings to indicate the OFF position or any of the mode positions, so it is a matter of trial and error.

While pointing the light away from you, turning the control ring clockwise to the first tactile detent point, switches the light into Low (single LED). There is a ball bearing/detent system to give a location point you can feel as you turn the ring; there is one for each mode position.

Continuing to turn the control ring clockwise moves on from Low (single LED) to Med (two LEDs), High (three LEDs) and Turbo (three LEDs double output).

The modes which do not use all the LEDs cycle between the LEDs each time it is turned on and off to balance the ‘wear’ on the LEDs.

Each time you change mode, the battery status meter shows the current battery state of charge relative to that mode.






This means that once the batteries are slightly use, in the lower modes the meter may show all four lights, but as you ramp it up to turbo, it may then show three or fewer lights.

Taking the control ring back to the OFF position, you then have three modes accessible by turning the control ring anti-clockwise.

There is only one position in the anti-clockwise direction, so the modes are selected by turning it anti-clockwise, then back to OFF as many times as needed to select the mode.

First mode, just from turning it anit-clockwise, is Strobe. The next mode, after a brief OFF and on again it the Beacon mode (Niteye call this Cruise Warning) and then after another brief OFF and on you get the battery status meter showing the no-load condition of the batteries.

The OFF and on process to change these modes must be completed within a second or two as if you leave it longer, you have to start again. For example, if you have entered Beacon mode and a couple of minutes later want to check the battery level, you will need to go through strobe, beacon and then access the battery meter.



Batteries and output:

The instruction manual states that the EYE30 uses 4x 18650 batteries. In fact the EYE30 is more versatile than that.

The battery holder uses the 18650s in 2P2S configuration resulting in 8.4V at the holder’s terminals. This means that you have the choice of 2x18650 or 4x18650. Obviously is you use 2 your runtime will be at least halved and turbo may not run.

Using 2x18650 IMR cells, such as those sold by AW, will allow Turbo to run, but with a lower runtime than when using 4x18650.

I’ve been running AW 3100mAh cells which I bring to precisely the same resting voltage using the built in voltage display of Cottonpicker’s Nona-Charger.







You may also notice in the manual, that it states the working voltage is 6-12.6V. This allows for two extra, useful, features. Firstly, the EYE30 has built in protection as it will not run once the voltage from the battery holder drops below 6V (though this may not get all available power from the newer NNP li-ions in the 3100mAh rnage). Secondly, what is not stated specifically in the manual, but has been confirmed by Niteye when I asked, is that the EYE30 can run on 4, or 8 CR123s. RCR123s are NOT allowed as these will give too high a voltage, but for those who want to use primary CR123 cells, and have a massive output, the EYE30 is an option.

If used in hostile environments, you will not be bothering with rechargeable cells, so can use CR123 primaries. In less hostile environments, you may choose between unprotected or protected 18650s and the battery holder allows for a large variation in battery length.

Niteye specify the EYE30 as having a 2000lm output. Does it live up to this?

I used an integrating sphere, that I have recently constructed, to give an estimate of the output. The sphere has been calibrated using many well known lights which have reliable outputs and the average of these used to give the factor for working out the actual lumen output of any other light. AW 3100mAh cells were used for the testing.






Niteye specify the outputs as being 60, 300, 1000, 2000

The calculated lumen readings from the integrating sphere are as follows:

58, 273, 1002, 1891

These do correlate well with Niteye’s specified output figures.

Please note that the measured figures are from a DIY built and calibrated integrating sphere, so should not be taken as absolute.

Having a magnetic control ring rather than a click switch means there is a control circuit which must always be powered up. This leads to parasitic drain. The drain on the EYE30 was measured at 0.06mA (or 60uA). With four 3100mAh cells in 2P2S the capacity is 6200mAh and at this level of parasitic drain it would take over 11years to exhaust the batteries.



In The Lab

_In an attempt to quantify the actual beam profile I developed the following test. There are probably many flaws in my method, but it is simple and easy to carry out and seems to provide a good enough comparison.

The method used was to put the light on the edge of a table 1m from a wall, with a tape measure on the wall. The zero of the scale is placed in the centre of the hotspot and a lux meter is then positioned at points along the scale, with the measurements recorded. Beam shots are often taken with the light shining on a flat white wall, so this method is simply measuring the actual intensity across the beam on a flat surface, not the spherical light emission.

The results are then plotted on a graph.

For the best throw you want to see a sharp peak with less of the distracting spill. For the best flood light the trace should be pretty flat._

The EYE30 is shown here with the Fenix TK41 (known for its massive throw) and with the standard Cree R2 I often include for comparison. The EYE30 beam is floody and is excellent for area lighting.






_Taking this a little further, I calculated an approximate factor to apply to the lux measurements, as each measurement gets further from the centre of the beam, it corresponds to a larger area onto which the light is falling. It seems to me that this should also be taken into consideration, so I applied these area corrections and came up with this odd looking graph.

The key quantity here is the area under the graph line. This should correspond to the total light output._






This shows the massive amount of light the EYE30 outputs which totally swamps the TK41’s already impressive output.



The beam of the EYE30

The previous graphs show the massive amount of light the EYE30 it outputting, and that although the beam has a strong central brightness, it is very floody lighting up the whole area.

So bright in fact that your eyes start to close down (as in sunlight) so in some instances you may not realise just how bright it is.

Taking these lights outside for some beam shots, each set of photos uses the same exposure settings so is an accurate comparison.

Starting on the driving range with the Fenix TK41 which is a really strong light.






And then the EYE30






And a tree lined track again first with the TK41






Then the EYE30







Using the EYE30

The EYE30 takes you back to when you got your first ‘pocket rocket’. Unexpected brightness from such a small package. Now you almost have too much light – although that is not something a flashaholic will think for long.

In particular I like the colour and feel of the Desert Edition’s special finish. It is a real break from the norm, and is not different for differences sake, but has great feel and appeal.

The finish is the result of a careful process of pickling, anodising and powder coating which is difficult to achieve an even finish. Niteye have said the finish is as hard wearing as anodising.

The EYE30 Desert Edition just asks to be picked up, and more than any other light I have used it has a very tactile appeal.

I would have preferred the light to have some better indication of the off position as I have often found myself strobing when switching off quickly.

When running on Turbo the EYE30 does get noticeably warm, but the mass of metal in the head and the cooling effect of holding it in your hand means it never got too hot. This is different if you sit it on a bench on Turbo indoors when it will get very hot. If you want to use it tailstanding as a room light, it is better to keep it on no more than High.

Pay careful attention to fitting the batteries into the holder. The flat-top AWs I have been using resulted in me accidentally putting one in the wrong way round. I noticed straight away, not because sparks flew( in fact nothing bad happened possibly due to the cells protection), and quickly corrected it.

You also have to sort-of ‘squeeze’ all the cells into the middle, as there is a tendency for the holder to not fit into the battery tube if the cells are sticking out slightly. It is quite natural to do this, so not a problem. When screwing the two halves of the light together, the top plate of the battery holder does have a tendency to catch on the top of the battery tube. All it takes is a little jiggle to get the battery holder into the end of the tube and then you can screw the light back together.

The option of in-light recharging is very useful, meaning you can top up the cells or give them a full recharge. The built in charging circuit seems good, but remember that you have the 2P2S configuration and it is better to take out the cells after a few in-light recharges, and charge them individually, as the EYE30 does not have a balancer.

The built in battery meter is very useful and allows you to keep an eye on the remaining life in the cells. The fact that each time you change mode, the battery status meter shows the current battery state of charge relative to that mode, gives you confidence and allows you to plan the use of the light. Imagine your mobile phone not having a battery meter, and now think how we usually use our lights, with no way of knowing how much charge is left in them. No more constant topping up ‘just in case’. I’d like to see more lights including a battery meter like this.

The finish of the Desert Edition of the EYE30 does make it stand out from the crowd, and in a good way. It has a great feel and one that adds grip and prevents reflection. Even my ‘better half’, who just about tolerates my involvement with flashlights, thought the Desert EYE30 was lovely, and nearly didn’t give it back to me to test.

The only problem I have with the EYE30 is that I like it too much. So much so, that my natural tendency is to keep it safely wrapped up, perfect and safe in its case, rather than showing what it can do. But every time I look at it I have to pick it up.

Rarely do I need as much light as the EYE30 can produce, but now I am always looking for a good excuse to let it rip!

Oh dear… I think I may have lost some of my objectivity over this one.





Stock photo from Niteye showing the Desert edition with stainless control ring.

Review sample provided for review by Niteye.

I’ll update post 2 of this thread once I have some more comments to add....


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## subwoofer (Apr 14, 2012)

Update - Using with CR123A cells

As mentioned in the main review, the EYE30 can also run on CR123A cells, and with testing this in mind I have recently obtained a quantity of the reasonably priced CR123A cells made by Xtar.

This is also an opportunity to see if the Xtar cells are up to the job of allowing the EYE30 to output its 2000 odd lumens.

Lined up and ready to go next to the EYE30’s battery cradle






And fully loaded..






And the result is the full 1891 lumens, exactly as previously recorded using the AW 3100mAh cells.

As the CR123A cells provide a slightly higher voltage, the EYE30’s battery meter shows higher charge levels than the 18650s. As the EYE30’s regulation is working well, it does not need to draw as much current from the CR123As as with the 18650s.

The Xtar CR123As are rated at 1400mAh, so using them rather than 18650s gives you less overall capacity, but does give you the option of reliable disposable cells which will keep working down to lower temperatures than 18650s will.

The EYE30 is optimised for 18650s as it has a cut off voltage of 6V, which will take the two banks of four CR123As down to 1.5V each (4S2P). Usually CR123A powered lights allow the cells to reach 1V, so once mostly depleted, you will likely need to work only at lower levels and the CR123As should still give you light.

Look out for more testing of these Xtar cells coming soon.


Xtar cells provided for review by TorchDirect.


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## Bigmac_79 (Apr 14, 2012)

Thanks for the review! Sorry if you answered this and I missed it, but what's your impression of the tint?


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## 380long (Apr 14, 2012)

Where can this special edition be purchased from? I have a real weakness for these tan body colored flashlights!


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## subwoofer (Apr 14, 2012)

Bigmac_79 said:


> Thanks for the review! Sorry if you answered this and I missed it, but what's your impression of the tint?



Tint, to my eyes, is cool white. Possibly a hint of off-white surrounding the around the central diffuse hotspot, but this is not an obvious colour.



380long said:


> Where can this special edition be purchased from? I have a real weakness for these tan body colored flashlights!



I think Niteye are still finalising the pricing, so it might not be on full release yet. Google Niteye and send an email, they have always been very responsive to emails in my experience.


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## Draven451 (Apr 14, 2012)

subwoofer,

Another nice review! 

I have not really been interested in the Niteye brand but this light looks interesting. I recently purchased the Nitecore TM11 which is also a triple XM-L light. The tint is much warmer on the lower settings than I would like. Do you have a TM11 to do a comparison with> for overall size, brightness and throw?


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## subwoofer (Apr 14, 2012)

Draven451 said:


> subwoofer,
> 
> Another nice review!
> 
> I have not really been interested in the Niteye brand but this light looks interesting. I recently purchased the Nitecore TM11 which is also a triple XM-L light. The tint is much warmer on the lower settings than I would like. Do you have a TM11 to do a comparison with> for overall size, brightness and throw?



Thanks 

Unfortunately I don't have a TM11, so can't help with a direct comparison.


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## Shooter21 (Apr 14, 2012)

nice torch i love that tan color.


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## warmurf (Apr 14, 2012)

That was an outstanding review thank you! Lovely light! One of the better builds. How well did it handle the heat at high? Did you find it getting very hot, or was it sheading the heat well?


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## iron potato (Apr 15, 2012)

Oh man ! look at the EYE30 at the tree lined track beam, I WANT one !

Thanks subwoofer for the great review :thumbsup:


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## RCLumens (Apr 16, 2012)

Very nice review! Excellent beamshots and very well described!!


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## Baddog (Apr 18, 2012)

looks good, but seems the desert edition is rarer than hens teeth


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## Nyctophiliac (Apr 18, 2012)

What a brilliant light! Love the uniqueness of it's design.

Is the bridge in the first shot over the A27? I envy you your local Downs.

Looking forward to seeing this at the next meet up.


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## Patriot (Apr 19, 2012)

Another great review! Sure love the color of this desert version!!!


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## tobrien (Apr 19, 2012)

Patriot said:


> Another great review! Sure love the color of this desert version!!!


ditto. i may have to grab one of these. thanks sub!


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## GehenSienachlinks (Apr 20, 2012)

subwoofer how did you get this light , did you contact niteye and they send you sample if so do you have to send it back ?


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## Baddog (Apr 20, 2012)

emailed Emily, she showed no interest the moment i declared i wasnt a dealer. go getters they arnt!


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## tobrien (Apr 21, 2012)

@the two above: no such thing as a free lunch, guys

also, subwoofer, i'm assuming this is a pretty heavy light when loaded?


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## subwoofer (Apr 21, 2012)

Despite taking 4 x 18650, the fully loaded light is not excessively heavy.

I've been asking Niteye about general availability and price, and got the following response:

"MSRP for EYE30 desert editon is around USD345. You can check with Goinggear and Illumination Supply in USA"


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## tobrien (Apr 24, 2012)

thanks man. i guess the handle helps out a lot with usability?


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## subwoofer (Apr 24, 2012)

tobrien said:


> thanks man. i guess the handle helps out a lot with usability?



The handle is indeed a very useful feature.

I frequently need to use both hands while using the light. OK I could use a headlight, but with the handle I can just hang the EYE30 from my little finger while picking something else up with the same hand.

It also acts as further heat-sinking, as with the EYE30 running on maximum it gets quite warm, and you can feel the handle also getting warm near the head of the light.

For the last couple of weeks I have had the handle attached and this is probably going to be its permanent configuration.


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## richardcpf (May 1, 2012)

Absolutely great review, I've been planning to buy between this and the TM11. I think after this review it's sure which im going after.


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## nitric (May 29, 2012)

Ordered one from a local seller in malaysia. can't wait to get my hands on it. temptation is too great.


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## biglights (May 29, 2012)

Nice review.


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## tobrien (May 29, 2012)

subwoofer you do such amazing reviews, very nice always!


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## fyrstormer (May 29, 2012)

That's one heck of a soup can.


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## subwoofer (May 29, 2012)

Just updated post 2 having got in a batch of new CR123As:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ition-Review&p=3923572&viewfull=1#post3923572





biglights said:


> Nice review.





tobrien said:


> subwoofer you do such amazing reviews, very nice always!



Thanks for saying so


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## Baddog (Jun 22, 2012)

great review, but the lumen:dollar ratio is way off


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## subwoofer (Jun 23, 2012)

Baddog said:


> great review, but the lumen:dollar ratio is way off



If you are worried about Lumen: Dollar ratio then there are loads of budget lights to choose from. They will give you great bang for you buck, for a month or two when the switch fails, or the driver goes up in smoke.

The EYE30 is a great performer with good design and is well built and should last.


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## Baddog (Jun 23, 2012)

subwoofer said:


> If you are worried about Lumen: Dollar ratio then there are loads of budget lights to choose from. They will give you great bang for you buck, for a month or two when the switch fails, or the driver goes up in smoke.
> 
> The EYE30 is a great performer with good design and is well built and should last.


Oh i agree totally, however, i prefer to compare it with my X6 Marauder for dollar value where i get a ratio of 1cent per lumen.


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## easilyled (Jun 24, 2012)

Baddog said:


> Oh i agree totally, however, i prefer to compare it with my X6 Marauder for dollar value where i get a ratio of 1cent per lumen.



What about the dollar to inconvenience ratio of a substantial battery pack clipped to your belt with a cord running between it and the handheld light?


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## Baddog (Jun 24, 2012)

easilyled said:


> What about the dollar to inconvenience ratio of a substantial battery pack clipped to your belt with a cord running between it and the handheld light?


No inconvinience what so ever for me, sorry


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## subwoofer (Jun 24, 2012)

easilyled said:


> What about the dollar to inconvenience ratio of a substantial battery pack clipped to your belt with a cord running between it and the handheld light?





Baddog said:


> No inconvinience what so ever for me, sorry



You can take a horse to water....


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## easilyled (Jun 24, 2012)

subwoofer said:


> You can take a horse to water....



Yes indeed.


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## Baddog (Jun 24, 2012)

Most horses will drink whatever mud is dished up, this one knows better 

1 cent to 1 lumen on a well built light is a damn good deal in any language. End of story.

(update: ty to ebay, its mine for a cent a lumen):twothumbs


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## Baddog (Jul 5, 2012)

In all fairness folks, this light, which i received yesterday, is pretty damn fine. Its switch mechanism is far more human friendly than that of the TM11 and this particular one is about 20% brighter than my TM11 which also boasts an awful green hue as opposed to the Niteye30's pure white beam. Highly recommended....


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## easilyled (Jul 5, 2012)

Baddog said:


> In all fairness folks, this light, which i received yesterday, is pretty damn fine. Its switch mechanism is far more human friendly than that of the TM11 and this particular one is about 20% brighter than my TM11 which also boasts an awful green hue as opposed to the Niteye30's pure white beam. Highly recommended....



Pleased to hear that, but a refined switch mechanism has nothing to do with "1 cent to 1 lumen" so I'm surprised you appreciate it. :nana:


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## Baddog (Jul 5, 2012)

only paid $200 on ebay, so am really chuffed...


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## fyrstormer (Jul 5, 2012)

The light you bought outputs 20,000 lumens?


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## Baddog (Jul 5, 2012)

$200/2000l


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## Dr. Strangelove (Jul 5, 2012)

Interesting discussion, but unless I read the title wrong isn't this thread supposed to be a review of the Niteye EYE30 Desert Edition?

I must say I'm very impressed with the spill. Someday when I'm in the market for a thrower this is definitely on my short list.


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## tobrien (Jul 5, 2012)

this is a very eye-catching light, I mean that no so far as how bright it must be in person, but it looks GOOD in that color


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## nitric (Jul 8, 2012)

I received my niteye desert edition 2 weeks ago but i had to send it back to the dealer 3 days after that. One of the LED didn't not shut down / terminate properly when the magnetic ring was on OFF setting. That particular LED output very minimal amount of light, but enough to produce a very faint spill on the wall from a distance of 1-2 feet. 

The problem is that niteye requested the dealer to order some more lights from them before they can send the new replacement. I think that's not the way to solve warranty issues. All they need to do is to send the head since the rest of the light is perfect and they could have select a cheaper method of shipping but instead they are trying to insist the dealer to order another shipment of lights. I think this is the first and the last time i buy anything from niteye. This is my most expensive light i ever bought and the after sales service didn't even come close to Eagletac's. ET's warranty service is pretty good and professionally done but with a waiting period of roughly a month (which is reasonable).


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## subwoofer (Jul 9, 2012)

nitric said:


> I received my niteye desert edition 2 weeks ago but i had to send it back to the dealer 3 days after that. One of the LED didn't not shut down / terminate properly when the magnetic ring was on OFF setting. That particular LED output very minimal amount of light, but enough to produce a very faint spill on the wall from a distance of 1-2 feet.
> 
> The problem is that niteye requested the dealer to order some more lights from them before they can send the new replacement. I think that's not the way to solve warranty issues. All they need to do is to send the head since the rest of the light is perfect and they could have select a cheaper method of shipping but instead they are trying to insist the dealer to order another shipment of lights. I think this is the first and the last time i buy anything from niteye. This is my most expensive light i ever bought and the after sales service didn't even come close to Eagletac's. ET's warranty service is pretty good and professionally done but with a waiting period of roughly a month (which is reasonable).



That is very disappointing, but just to add another point of view, it may be the dealer causing the problem. The dealer should offer you a refund so you can buy one from elsewhere.

Did you contact Niteye directly, or only the dealer you bought it from?


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## nitric (Jul 9, 2012)

subwoofer said:


> That is very disappointing, but just to add another point of view, it may be the dealer causing the problem. The dealer should offer you a refund so you can buy one from elsewhere.
> 
> Did you contact Niteye directly, or only the dealer you bought it from?



I'm from Malaysia so i think this is the only dealer carrying niteye here. Anyway, he is a reputable and well known dealer and my friends and myself had bought a lot of lights from him. He is always in contact with me through phone calls and i had send back some lights (from other manufacturers) for warranty claims and his after sales service is pretty good. I think i started to buy from him when ET just released the M3C4 triple XPG. 

HE called me last night to informed that he had sent the light back to niteye. So the problem here is the after sales service from niteye. They could have just send a replacement head and try to find the cheaper shipping method, instead they just requested the dealer to order more items so that they can send the replacement.

This light is not cheap and its about double the price of my m3c4 xml and i would expect better support from the company.


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## fyrstormer (Jul 10, 2012)

Baddog said:


> $200/2000l


That's _ten_ cents per lumen, not _one_ cent per lumen. Just sayin'.


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## fyrstormer (Jul 10, 2012)

Back on-topic, in all likelihood Niteye is ordering parts from an independent factory, and they don't have any parts laying around that haven't already been assembled into complete lights. Hence their insistence on a complete exchange instead of just swapping the defective part.

Not that we needed more proof that Niteye is just a corporate clone of Jetbeam, but if you look at their website you'll see some new "tactical" lights that look remarkably like the Jetbeam RRT-15 and RRT-21.

Jetbeam has an established brand reputation in the USA, and Niteye doesn't. I'm content to continue buying that factory's products under the Jetbeam name, since there's no functional difference at this point in time.


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## subwoofer (Jul 10, 2012)

There are indeed other products which are very similar to some of the Niteye range, but in the EYE30 (the subject of this review) Niteye have created a distinctive and great quality light.

Unfortunately a bad one has slipped through (or damaged in transit somehow) and it is a great pity there is an issue with the dealer getting a replacement, especially if they are reputable.

Nitric, I would still take what I am told with a pinch of salt. Though the dealer may be reputable, I have had seemingly reputable dealers lie to me to cover up their own mistakes. I'm not saying this is the case with your situation, but would not jump to conclusions based on one side of the story. The Dealer may have had a specific contract with Niteye which relates to how faulty items are replaced from stock and sent back to Niteye in bulk.

Unfortunately in this day and age, thanks to the internet, we hear a great deal about the few times someone has a problem and not how many people are happy with the service.

It might be worth contacting Niteye directly to explain the situation and that you, as the customer, should be getting good service and the dealer and any future orders they may place has little to do with you and your faulty light. It might help speed up the process. Good luck with getting a speedy replacement, you will enjoy the Eye30 when you have it back.


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## nitric (Jul 10, 2012)

subwoofer said:


> There are indeed other products which are very similar to some of the Niteye range, but in the EYE30 (the subject of this review) Niteye have created a distinctive and great quality light.
> 
> Unfortunately a bad one has slipped through (or damaged in transit somehow) and it is a great pity there is an issue with the dealer getting a replacement, especially if they are reputable.
> 
> ...



i agreed with what you stated. i will be contacting niteye. But this is not a really good experience from niteye. I had my hands on the eye-30 for 2 days before i sent it back to the dealer. Boy it was bright, way brighter than my m3c4 xml. the sand color coating is very nice to hold and everything else was real nice except the unfortunate faulty circuitry.


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## Patriot (Jul 10, 2012)

Originally Posted by *Baddog* 

 
$200/2000l



fyrstormer said:


> That's _ten_ cents per lumen, not _one_ cent per lumen. Just sayin'.



I wasn't going to say anything but since you pointed that out, the X6 is actually 5000L not 2000L. Also they retail for $549 not $200 regardless of whether he got his on ebay. Had he purchased it for a dime and a handshake, it would have been that much better than the EYE-30.

I've got the black EYE-30 and I've had no issues with it. Sure, the possibility exists that any flashlight can have a failure, just look at the first 6-9 months of the TM-11. Although sold in smaller numbers the Niteye seems to have a really good track record thus far.


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## Baddog (Jul 11, 2012)

ya all crack me up with ur two lumens worth, yes Pat the X6 is 5000lumens bought on ebay for $500 and the Eye30 bought on ebay for $200. Am very happy not having to deal with greedy site sponsors anymore who dont have it in them to refund or replace faulty goods as per the above discussion.


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## nitric (Jul 12, 2012)

just an update after taken the advice from subwoofer to contact niteye:

Niteye verified what my dealer told me. This is a reply from niteye with some minor modification by me to omit the dealer and the representative's name. "The dealer requested niteye to send a replacement but the niteye representative told the dealer that the express is expensive ,so the dealer asked to sent one EYE30 head to him. Is it impossible send the head for free,I am sorry"

I was also told by niteye that the light will be send to factory for repair and i was expecting a new replacement for the head since its only like 2 days in my hands and i could not send it back during the weekend. Well, i more or less gave up and fairly disappointed. i will update once i have something new. I kinda out of the mood. If i know this sort of things will happen, i will not spend my money on the niteye.

I understand that its just unlucky i get an unit with a faulty circuit and it can happen to anybody and nothing is perfect. I do not mind waiting for the warranty claim to be done but it should be handled properly and professionally.


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## easilyled (Jul 12, 2012)

nitric said:


> just an update after taken the advice from subwoofer to contact niteye:
> 
> Niteye verified what my dealer told me. This is a reply from niteye with some minor modification by me to omit the dealer and the representative's name. "The dealer requested niteye to send a replacement but the niteye representative told the dealer that the express is expensive ,so the dealer asked to sent one EYE30 head to him. Is it impossible send the head for free,I am sorry"
> 
> ...



I completely agree with you. 
This certainly puts me off ordering any Niteye products.
I hope that despite all this inconvenience, that eventually you will have a mint, properly working EYE30 in your hands.


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## CRiley65 (Jul 12, 2012)

This is a pretty neat looking light! You mentioned it would probably be in the $300 range. A bit too steep for my wallet--though I'd love to have it!


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## Baddog (Jul 13, 2012)

a timely reminder to only deal through paypal and only with companys displaying the reseller ratings logo.


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## barlala (Jul 13, 2012)

subwoofer said:


> The handle is indeed a very useful feature.
> 
> I frequently need to use both hands while using the light. OK I could use a headlight, but with the handle I can just hang the EYE30 from my little finger while picking something else up with the same hand.
> 
> ...



Very positive review,I think I also want to try it!


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## nitric (Jul 13, 2012)

easilyled said:


> I completely agree with you.
> This certainly puts me off ordering any Niteye products.
> I hope that despite all this inconvenience, that eventually you will have a mint, properly working EYE30 in your hands.



I had bought 2 xeno g42, 2 eagletac m3c4 xml, 1 m3c4 triple xpg from the same dealer and any warranty claim had been properly dealt with and my friends and myself are pretty satisfied with the way the dealer handled the warranty claims but this case has tested my dealer's negotiation skill to the fullest.

whatever that happens, the thrill of owning the eye-30 is already washed down the drain. im no longer excited to wait for the light to come back.

by the way, thanks, and i hope so too or else i will just have to consider an investment went wrong


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## Jayman (Jul 14, 2012)

Excellent review with some very tempting photos. I posted a link to this review on Niteye's Facebook fan page so others can enjoy as well:thumbsup: https://www.facebook.com/Niteyelight


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## nitric (Jul 20, 2012)

niteye is sending back my eye-30 through UPS after repair. I will update again once i receive the package by next week.

Just came across niteye eye-40 with 3000 lumens. The article is in mandarin. Boy, its really tempting.

http://www.51shoudian.com/thread-15358-1-1.html

Update on my warranty claim:

Received the torchlight and its accessories and in good condition. I need to go and look for a real dark place to try it out.


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