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Usage and performance
The Fenix light TK10 is powered by two CR123
batteries and with a single led can output light
at 225 Lumens.
LED
have several advantages over incandescent bulb
as they provide longer life and their light
emission is constant until drop-off near the
exhaustion of the battery (see side graph). The
TK10 uses a
Cree Premium (Q5) 7090 XR-E LED with lifespan of
50,000 hours and has two modes of operation
(selectable via front bezel rotation) :
Turbo Mode: Constant 225 Lumens, 1.5 hours
General Mode: Constant 60 Lumens, 10 hours
The LED has also the advantage of producing a
whiter light compared to incandescent bulb,
therefore colors of illuminated objects appear
“truer”. But let’s move on to performance: that
was the reason I bought this flashlight in first
place !
Having used my trusty old AA pocket for many
years I was accustomed to its illumination, the
very first time I went out at night with the
Fenix TK10 I was not prepared…
I just turned on my old one, focused down the
beam to spot , illuminated target some 20 yards
out and took some pictures. Then I switched on
the TK 10 …. Woah ! now the sun is shining… the
power of this small beast is impressive… then I
turned the bezel in turbo mode and…
WOW now I
need sunglasses !
Just do not take my words for it… look at the
pictures: the first picture is from my old
flashlight (I will not cite the brand, but it is
quite well known) with 2AA batteries freshly
recharged (Energizer 2500mA , some of the best
around) the flashlight is focused to have a spot
beam an pointed at target. Picture 2 and 3 are
taken with the very same exposure (camera set to
Manual mode*). First and most important ( to me)
is that even in low power the Fenix TK10 has a
flood beam that is much brighter that the spot
of my old one. In turbo mod the amount of light
is simply unbelievable considering it comes out
of a single LED and that you can have such
brightness for 1.5 hours.
* Although this is not a scientific measurement
the tree pictures can give you an idea of what
the relative difference in brightness is.
Pictures taken with Nikon D200 set to manual (M)
at ISO 200 f/4.2 2.5sec for all three exposures
You can also notice that the light beam of the
Fenix TK 10 has a very bright center spot and a
larger but softer flood area all in the same
beam , that is really useful to illuminate the
area around the spot you are aiming at.
On the handling side I like the anti roll design
that also gives the flashlight a tactical look,
the TK 10 is also quite small and light to
carry, maybe not small enough to be a pocket
light but here the enclosed pouch comes handy.
The main switch is conveniently recessed on the
tail cap, enough to prevent accidental or
unwanted activation. The TK 10 is well built and
engineered: the body is sealed via two O rings
with replacement ones supplied in the package,
rating the Flashlight at waterproof
IPX8; the knurling on the main body has a
good grip while not being hard on bare hands.
Front bezel and tail cap threads are also well
machined without burrs. The normal mode-turbo
mode activation via front bezel rotation is
functional and easy to operate. Battery life at
10 hours in Normal mode or 1.5 hours in Turbo
mode is aligned with performance. The black
anodized finish proved to be durable and scratch
resistant.
The flashlight is available in anodized Black or
Olive, we have no MSRP but you can find it at
just below $75 from online stores.
Conclusions
This Fenix TK10 flashlight is a terrific
product, its brightness is outstanding and
definitely it is an item that should not be
missing from your hunting backpack.
I
think I am going to buy another one to carry in
my office bag…
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