Preface
The Nitecore MH12S is the latest iteration of the MH (Multitask Hybrid) series of flashlights.
Let’s check out the merits and demerits of this new Nitecore MH12S model.
Packaging & First Impressions
This is what the light will come with as shown below.
- The threads and o-ring were well lubricated. Threads were rather smooth and clean (no gritty feeling at all).
- The side electronic and mechanical tail switches require a fairly firm and deliberate press to activate, and helps in preventing any unwanted activation/mode changes of the light.
- Anodizing of the light is uniform without any missing specs.
- The provided clip is reversible.
- The clip does not have much tension to ensure that the light will stay clipped to any material or prevent the light from falling out. We recommend using the included NTH10 holster together with the clip.
- The provided lanyard is able to support the full weight of the light and should hold up to the test of time.
- NTH10 – Tactical Holster provided is of decent quality and should be able to withstand day-to-day abuse without issue. It is refreshing seeing a specifically built tactical holster included instead of a standard covered holster with the usual Velcro closure.
- The clip on the Tactical Holster is adjustable width-wise and should fit most duty belts. This iteration/batch of NTH10 seems to have improved retention from the one included with the Nitecore MH12 V2 model.
- Battery compartment holds the provided non-proprietary Nitecore 21700 5000mAh (NL2150) battery with more than sufficient room for a slightly thicker and/or longer battery width.
- When using the 18650 Battery Magazine, 1*18650 OR 2*CR123A OR 2*RCR123A/16340 batteries can be used instead. There is no battery rattle when the 18650 Battery Magazine is used.
- Scanning the QR code with your phone/tablet on the box’s back would bring up the Nitecore MH12S’s product page.
Notes:
- Before using the flashlight for the first time, remove the Insulation Film from the battery compartment.
- The 18650 batteries showcased with the 18650 Battery Magazine below are not included with the MH12S.
Front:
Back:
Sides:
Top:
Bottom:
Contents:
18650 Battery Magazine:
Remove Insulation Film:
Quick Overview (Manufacturer Specifications)
- Body Material: Black HAIII Aluminium
- LED: Luminus SST-40-W
- Battery Format: 1 x 21700, 1 x 18650, 2 x CR123A OR 2 x RCR123A ONLY
- Output & Runtime (with 21700 3.6V 5000mAh battery):
- Ultra-Low (1 lumen / 62days 12h)
- Low (50 lumens / 1day 21h)
- Mid (300 lumens / 7h 15min)
- High (1050 lumens / 3h 15min) – there is a temperature-based output step down
- Turbo (1800 lumens / 45min) – there is a temperature-based output step down
- Strobe (1800 lumens)
- SOS (1800 lumens)
- Beacon (1800 lumens)
- Max Beam Distance: 294m
- Beam intensity: 21,600cd
- Waterproofness: IP68 (2m)
- Impact Resistance: 1m
- Dimension: 141mm (length) x 25.4mm (head/body diameter) x 27.2mm (tail diameter)
- Weight: 75.5g
- Battery reverse polarity protection
- Accessories Included:
- 1*Nitecore NL2150 21700 Batteries (3.6V/5000mAh)
- 1*USB-C Charging Cable
- 1*Clip
- 1*Lanyard
- 1*NTH10 Tactical Holster
- 1*18650 Battery Magazine
- 1*Spare O-ring
- Optional Accessories:
- GM03 (Adjustable Mount)
- GM04 (Fixed Mount)
- GM02MH (Magnetic Mount)
- RSW3 (Remote Switch)
- MSRP: ~$90
UI (User Interface)
UI for this light is suitable for both Every Day Carry (EDC) and tactical usage as it is rather straightforward to use.
Switching ON and OFF is done by the mechanical switch on the TAIL of the flashlight, so momentary activation is possible.
There is a total of 2 switches on the flashlight – TAIL mechanical switch & SIDE electronic switch.
This light has 2 Modes – DAILY Mode and TACTICAL Mode, of which the differences are as follows:
- DAILY Mode –
- Last Mode Memory is any of the brightness levels (except SOS and BEACON modes).
- Mode change sequence is ULTRA-LOW, LOW, MID, HIGH & TURBO → ULTRA-LOW, LOW, MID, HIGH & TURBO.
- Special Modes are STROBE, BEACON and SOS.
- TACTICAL Mode –
- Last Mode Memory is TURBO or STROBE modes only.
- Mode change sequence is TURBO, HIGH, MID, LOW, ULTRA-LOW → TURBO, HIGH, MID, LOW, ULTRA-LOW.
- Special Mode is STROBE.
Normal Operation (DAILY Mode)
From OFF:
- 1 Click (TAIL) – Light will switch ON to last used mode (last mode memory) – any of the brightness levels (except SOS and BEACON modes).
- 1/2 Press (TAIL) – Light will switch ON to MOMENTARY last used mode (last mode memory) – any of the brightness levels (except SOS and BEACON modes).
From ON:
- 1 Click (TAIL) – Light will switch OFF.
- 1 Click (SIDE) – Mode change (light cycles through
- ULTRA-LOW, LOW, MID, HIGH & TURBO → ULTRA-LOW, LOW, MID, HIGH & TURBO).
- HOLD (SIDE) – Mode change (light cycles through STROBE, BEACON & SOS → STROBE, BEACON & SOS); release to select mode and 1 Click (SIDE) again to return to previous mode.
Normal Operation (TACTICAL Mode)
From OFF:
- 1 Click (TAIL) – Light will switch ON to last used mode (last mode memory) – either TURBO or STROBE mode only.
- 1/2 Press (TAIL) – Light will switch ON to MOMENTARY last used mode (last mode memory) – either TURBO or STROBE mode only.
From ON:
- 1 Click (TAIL) – Light will switch OFF.
- 1 Click (SIDE) – Mode change (light cycles through TURBO, HIGH, MID, LOW, ULTRA-LOW → TURBO, HIGH, MID, LOW, ULTRA-LOW).
- HOLD (SIDE) – Direct access to STROBE and 1 Click (SIDE) to return to previous mode.
Switching Modes (DAILY ⇔ TACTICAL)
From OFF:
- HOLD (SIDE) [~3 secs] & 1 Click (TAIL) at same time.
- Release TAIL, the SIDE button LED will flash the following:
- 1 Flash (DAILY mode is activated).
- 2 Flashes (TACTICAL mode is activated).
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 till desired mode is activated.
Power Indicator
There is 1 type of Power Indicator for this flashlight.
From OFF:
- HOLD (SIDE) & 1 Click (TAIL) for [~1 sec] before Release (SIDE) – the Battery Capacity Indicator function will be activated (SIDE button LED will flash BLUE in the following sequence).
- Each BLUE LED blink signifies 1V
- After a ~1.5 sec pause, the next BLUE LED blink signifies 0.1V.
- Hence, 4 BLUE LED blinks, followed by a ~1.5 sec pause and another 1 BLUE LED blink – signifies 4.1V.
- If 2 x CR123A / RCR123A batteries are used, the battery reading will be the average voltage of the 2 batteries.
Note: After the Battery Capacity Indicator has completed the flashes/blinks, the light will switch ON on to the last used mode (last mode memory).
Form Factor
For flashlights that are intended to use on a daily basis (EDC)/tactical EDC and for possibly a long period of time, form factor is extremely important.
This light feels rather well balanced in a medium sized hand (not head/tail-heavy). Switching between overhand and underhand holding method is easy with its form factor. The new knurling & grooves on the light enable it to be sufficiently “grippy”, even with wet hands/gloves.
Due to the protruding mechanical Tail switch, this flashlight is unable to tail-stand.
The included NTH10 tactical holster enables for fairly quick ingress and egress of the MH12S. When the NTH10 holster is brand new, it will feel tight but repeated ingress and egress of the MH12S will loosen it slightly over time for faster ingress & egress process.
Without Clip:
With Clip:
More pics of the MH12S:
Nitecore MH12S with NTH10 Tactical Holster:
From Left to Right: Nitecore i4000R, Nitecore MH12 V2 and Nitecore MH12S.
Charging Process
With the provided USB-C Cable, the battery was charging at ~1.98A.
The flashlight cannot be operated on any mode when charging.
The blinking BLUE indicator on the SIDE switch depicts charging in progress and Solid BLUE indicator depicts charging has completed.
Beam Style/Beamshots
For this light, the spill, corona and hotspot is somewhat predictable due to the relatively shallow Smooth Reflector. With the LED used, the beam is still “throwy” for recognising items in the near to mid-range distance.
The above beam profile is a rough interpretation of what is seen when white wall hunting.
The beam has a rather distinct hotspot with some slight corona and a fairly wide usable (circular) spill. It also helps that the LED is perfectly centered in this sample. There are some rings in the beam when white wall hunting but not visible in real world usage.
All of the beamshots taken below are done so with the following camera settings (ULTRA-LOW: 2.5 sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, LOW: 0.5 sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, MID: 1/8 sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and HIGH: 1/15 sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and TURBO: 1/20 sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB).
Some pictures have been adjusted slightly to depict as close as to what is seen in real life. The distance of the light from the door is 4.6m.
Control shot:
ULTRA-LOW (1 lumen):
LOW (50 lumens):
MID (300 lumens):
HIGH (1050 lumens):
TURBO (1800 lumens):
Mode (Output) Spacing
Mode spacing appears to be progressively brighter to the eye and the modes are well spaced enough to be able to know which mode one is currently in. With that in mind, TLR tend to view mode spacing as battery life indicators (amount of runtime left) rather than the specific output (lumens).
The ULTRA-LOW mode of 1 lumen which is what most would call a moonlight mode and is perfect for night-adjusted eyes and midnight snack runs.
On a side note, it would be nice if Nitecore had gone with a slightly lower MID mode of ~250 lumens instead of 300 lumens to ensure an even longer runtime, as that difference in output is almost imperceptible to most human eyes.
Tint & CRI
Nitecore did not disclose the tint (color temperature) and/or the CRI (Color Rendering Index) for the LEDs used in their light. For this light, a guesstimate would be in the 6500K and 70CRI ballpark.
There are tint shifts throughout the beam profile. The hotspot is cool white whilst the corona possess a yellowish-green tint; and the spill having a slight purple tint.
This is however, not as noticeable in real life.
Waterproofness
The light was subjected to warm water submersion, followed by cold water submersion and left under room temperature running water tap whilst running on TURBO.
No signs of water intrusion in the head, body, switch or charging port was seen.
Lockout Capability
No electronic lockout but mechanical lockout is possible when needed, like during transportation in a bag.
A quarter turn (anti-clockwise) of the tailcap will enable mechanical LOCKOUT.
Quick Comparison with Nitecore MH12 V2 & Nitecore MH12GTS
| Description | Nitecore MH12S | Nitecore MH12 V2 | Nitecore MH12GTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| LED Used | Luminus SST-40-W | Cree XP-L2 | Cree XHP35 HD |
| Max Output | 1,800 Lumens | 1,200 Lumens | 1,800 Lumens |
| No. of Modes (Excluding Strobe, SOS & Beacon) | 5 Modes | 4 Modes | 5 Modes |
| Max Beam Distance | 294m | 202m | 226m |
| Beam Intensity | 21,600cd | 10,200cd | 12,760cd |
| Length | 141mm | 158mm | 144mm |
| Battery Included | 21700 (5000mAh) | 21700 (5000mAh) | 18650 (3500mAh) |
| Charging Type | USB-C | USB-C | Micro-USB |
| Holster | Tactical Type (NTH10) | Tactical Type (NTH10) | Velcro Type |
| Waterproof Rating | IP68 (2m) | IP68 (2m) | IPX8 (2m) |
| Tail-stand Capability | No | No | Yes |
Scale Comparison (Ruler)
Summary
To sum up, we believe that the most important part of any review is if given the chance to purchase the same light for our own usage or to gift to our loved ones out from one’s pocket (wallet), would we still do it?
For this light, it is a YES, if the tint shift and lack of tail-stand option are not an issue for your usage.
The faster USB-C charging capability, included non-proprietary high capacity 21700 battery, maintaining the body/head width of 1″ (25.4mm) despite accommodating the thicker 21700 battery, battery capacity indicator, option to switch between DAILY Mode and TACTICAL Mode, fairly straightforward UI with direct access to MOMENTARY STROBE or MOMENTARY TURBO from OFF (if in TACTICAL mode), numerous optional accessories, inclusion of the improved NTH10 Tactical Holster and included 18650 Battery Magazine (to suit a wider range of battery compatibility options) are all plus points for this flashlight.
That said, it would be nice if Nitecore had retained the tail-stand capability which had been a feature since the original Nitecore MH12 model. It is still possible to design tactical-orientated lights with a flush button especially since having a flush button gives added protection against accidental activation.
Here is a bonus size comparison picture with other Nitecore flashlights.
From Left to Right: Nitecore E4K, Nitecore MH12S, Nitecore MH12GTS, Nitecore MH12 V2 and Nitecore i4000R.
As with all gears, two is one and one is none.
Stay safe,
The Lite Review
Disclaimer: Light was provided for by Nitecore (manufacturer) for this review. No other compensation was provided.
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Nitecore MH12S
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