I'd like to review my best torch ever. I've had this torch for several years now. It is my almost constant companion for working around the house, repairing electrical devices, installing computing equipment, fighting fires at night. I have no connection with the company other than being a happy customer.
The Fenix E30R
Small, bright and tough:
This torch is small, not tiny but fits into a pocket easily. Aluminium makes it light and tough. It has a maximum brightness of 1600 lumens. It has only one side button and does lots of things but is fairly easy to get used to.
Travel lock:
It has a travel feature that works: double clicking the button when the torch is off, puts the torch into and takes it out of travel mode. In travel mode clicking the button causes the torch to flash twice. In travel mode you can't burn through your bag or pocket, even if the button is pressed.
No memory:
One thing that I really like and find essential. It doesn't have a memory function. The torch always starts at minimum brightness. Short presses increase the brightness in 4 steps to maximum and then back to minimum. Why torch makers insist on having a memory function that turns the torch on to the last brightness level I really don't know! Some random brightness level I used maybe a day ago or a week ago is unlikely to be right for what I want now. I have other torches I use sometimes that have this memory function. One goes to 6000 lumens. I hardly ever would want it to start on this brightness level. Yet because of the memory function, every time I use a higher than minimum brightness level I have to cycle through the brightness levels until I get to the minimum before I turn it off. What a pain. I can sort of understand why some people might like this function but it would be really good to be able to turn memory off or have a starting brightness level chosen by the user no matter what the previous level was. I understand that torch makers think it's a great idea to have memory and have worked hard to put it in and don't want to allow users to turn it off. Grrr.
Black:
Why do so many gadget makers make their gadgets black? So easy to get stuff lost, in your pocket, under the sofa, in the dark, in your bag with all the other black gadgets, on a burnt fireground. Make it a bright light colour, how hard is that?
Charger:
The torch has a peculiar and unique magnetic charger. It doesn't compromise the water proofity (technical term here) of the torch and it works, are the only things that can be said of it.
Pros: Small, 1600 lumens, no memory
Cons: Black, weird charger, they appear to have discontinued it. Damn!
