Preface
As shared in our prior Foursevens Mini MKIII series review, Prometheus Lights had acquired Foursevens back in Q1 2018.
The Maelstrom range has had a very long history going back to perhaps the “first iteration/generation” Maelstrom S12 or Maelstrom X10 model (basing on form factor only) with its 26650 battery and Luminus SST-90/Cree XM-L LED.
Besides the Maelstrom Mx3F model, there is also a Maelstrom MXS (Standby) which essentially means it will be fully charged and ready-to-switch-ON the moment the power/electricity goes out.
Let’s check out the merits and demerits of this current generation Foursevens Maelstrom Mx3F model.
Packaging & First Impressions
This is what the light will come with as shown below.
- The threads and o-rings were lightly lubricated. Threads were smooth and clean (no gritty feeling).
- The recessed side electronic switch requires a fairly firm and deliberate press to activate and helps in preventing any unwanted activation of the light.
- There is an option to switch between the medium pattern optic (25º) which comes installed from factory and the wide optic (60º) to get different beam profiles.
- A Switch Tool is included to aid in swapping among the 3 colors switches provided (Blue, ‘Clear’ and Black).
- Anodizing of the light is uniform without any missing specs.
- No lanyard, holster and/or clip is provided.
- Bump Protection which prevents the light from skipping to the next Mode is a rather useful feature especially for since this is tail stand-capable.
- The provided non-proprietary Foursevens 26650 battery will work in other flashlights.
- Battery compartment should be able to take other 26650 batteries that have a slightly thicker battery width.
Note: Before using the flashlight for the first time, remove the Insulation Film from the battery tube.
Front:
Back:
Sides:
Top:
Bottom:
Box Contents:
Removing Insulating Film:
Quick Overview (Manufacturer Specifications)
- Body Material: Dusk Blue HAIII Aluminum
- LEDs: 3 * Nichia 144A
- LED Specification: 90+CRI 4000K
- Battery Format: 1 x 26650 ONLY
- Output & Runtime (with included Foursevens 26650 3.6V/5500mAh battery):
- Moonlight (5 lumens / 10days 10h)
- Low (50 lumens / 1d 16h)
- Mid (400 lumens / 4h 30min)
- High (1600 lumens / 1h 30min)
- Burst (2600 lumens / 30sec) → (1600 lumens)
- Max Beam Distance: 150m
- Waterproofness: IP68 Standard (1m)
- Impact Resistance: 1m
- Dimension: 127mm (length) x 44mm (diameter)
- Weight: 323g (including batteries)
- Accessories Included:
- 1*Foursevens 26650 3.6V/5500mAh Battery
- 1*Switch Tool
- 2*Rubber Switch (‘Clear’ and Black)
- 2*Spare O-rings
- 1*Wide Optic (60º)
- Optional Accessory:
- Flex Charger ($18)
- MSRP: ~$165
UI (User Interface)
UI for this light is suitable for both Every Day Carry (EDC) or walking/hiking light as it is straightforward to use after the initial learning curve.
Switching ON and OFF is done by the side electronic switch on the light, so momentary activation is not possible.
Normal Operation
From OFF:
- 1 Click – Last brightness level (all modes except BURST is memorized) is activated.
- 2 Clicks – Direct access to BURST; 1 Click to switch OFF or HOLD down to switch modes.
- HOLD (~2 sec) – Direct access to MOONLIGHT.
From ON:
- 1 Click – Light will switch OFF.
- 2 Clicks – Direct access to BURST; 1 Click to switch OFF, 2 Clicks to return to previous mode or HOLD down to switch modes.
- HOLD – Mode change (light cycles through MOONLIGHT, LOW, MID & HIGH only; BURST is not part of the sequence), release switch to select Mode.
Note: There is no blinky mode (STROBE /SOS) for this light.
Battery Indicator
There is only 1 type of Battery Indicator for this flashlight and can be found on the side switch.
When the flashlight is first switched ON, it will glow the following for a few seconds:
- GREEN – Power is >20%.
- RED – Power is <20%, do recharge the batteries.
Electronic Lockout
From OFF:
- 5 Clicks (rapid) – LOCKOUT mode is enabled (the LEDs will flash 2 times);
- 5 Clicks (rapid) – LOCKOUT is disabled (the LEDs will flash 2 times again).
When Electronic LOCKOUT mode is activated, any button presses will cause the GREEN LED on the switch button to activate for about 1 sec.
Note: Changing out the battery will disable the Electronic LOCKOUT.
Form Factor
For flashlights that are intended to use on a daily basis (EDC) or walking/hiking usages and for possibly a long period of time, form factor is extremely important.
This light feels surprisingly well balanced in a medium sized hand (not head/tail-heavy). Switching between overhand and underhand holding method is easy with its form factor. With the grooves and knurling, the flashlight enables is rather “grippy”, even with wet hands/gloves.
Due to the flat tailcap, the flashlight is able to tail-stand perfectly without the slightest wobble, even with the lanyard attached.
Beam Style/Beamshots
For this light, the spill, corona and hotspot is somewhat predictable due to the TIR optics. The LEDs are mostly covered under the TIR (Total Internal Reflection) optic. With the LEDs used, the beam is still relatively “throwy” for recognizing items in the near to mid-range distance.
The above beam profiles are rough interpretation of what is seen when white wall hunting.
The beam with TIR medium pattern optic (25º) has a somewhat distinct hotspot with some slight corona and a fairly narrow (circular style) spill, with most of the lumens output focused into the hotspot. The beam with TIR wide optic (60º) has almost no distinct hotspot at all or corona/spill.
The TIR medium pattern optic (25º) which comes installed from factory has much more noticeable range/distance “throwy” as compared to the TIR wide optic (60º) which more soft flood beam profile.
It also helps that the LEDs are perfectly centered in this sample. There are some beam artifacts 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 (MOONLIGHT: 1.3sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, LOW: 1/2sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, MID: 1/6sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, HIGH: 1/13sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and BURST: 1/15sec, 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.
With TIR – Medium Pattern Optic (25º)
Control shot:
MOONLIGHT (5 lumens):
LOW (50 lumens):
MID (400 lumens):
HIGH (1600 lumens):
TURBO (2600 lumens):
With TIR – Wide Optic (60º)
Control shot:
MOONLIGHT (5 lumens):
LOW (50 lumens):
MID (400 lumens):
HIGH (1600 lumens):
TURBO (2600 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).
There is no true moonlight level (sub-lumen or 1 lumen) option available. However, it is still somewhat acceptable for night-adjusted eyes and midnight snack runs (might need to squint slightly at first).
On a side note, the HIGH mode (1600 lumens) could use a slightly lower output of say 1200 lumens to ensure a cooler & longer runtime – as the difference in output is almost imperceptible to most human eyes.
Tint & CRI
Foursevens (Prometheus Lights) used the Nichia 144A LED that has a tint (color temperature) of 4000K and 90+ CRI (Color Rendering Index), enabling colors pop rather vividly.
There is a slight tint shift in the beam profile. The hotspot has a slightly yellowish tint with the corona and the spill possessing a slight hint of purplish tint.
This is not noticeable in real life usage.
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 HIGH.
No sign of water intrusion in the head, switch or tail was seen.
Lockout Capability
There is no mechanical lockout but there is electronic lockout available when needed, like during transportation in a bag.
See UI (User Interface) – Electronic Lockout, on how to activate and deactivate Electronic LOCKOUT.
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 EDC 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 lack of a true MOONLIGHT mode is not an issue for your usage.
The extremely straightforward UI with Direct Access to “MOONLIGHT” or BURST from OFF, unique dusk blue anodization, switch tool included with 3 color options, choice of having 2 different TIR medium pattern optic (25º) or TIR wide optic (60º) to easily switch between to have 2 different beam profiles and high capacity battery are all plus points for this flashlight.
However, it would be nice if Foursevens (Prometheus Lights) had included a holster for easier transportation of the MX3F model.
Here is a bonus size comparison with some of the other flashlights we reviewed previously.
From Left to Right: Foursevens Quark QK16L MKIII, Foursevens Maelstrom MX3F, Armytek Prime C2 Pro Max, Foursevens Preon P2 MKIII, Foursevens Quark QK2A MKIII and Nitecore MH25 Pro.
As with all gears, two is one and one is none.
Stay safe,
The Lite Review
Disclaimer: Light was provided for by Foursevens – Prometheus Lights (manufacturer) for this review. No other compensation was provided.
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Foursevens Maelstrom MX3F
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