Wanted a pocketable 21700 “tactical” light with a tail switch. I liked the PD40R V3.0, so I figured the new PD36R ACE would be good too. The hotspot on the PD36R ACE is huge and the spill is very wide. There’s less of a corona around the hotspot compared to the PD40R v3.0, which makes the overall beam look cleaner IMO. The screwing USB port cover is a neat feature too, and seems more robust than silicone(?)/rubber(?) covers. Considered the TK21R instead, but the head diameter of that light was probably going to be too much, and apparently the switch is mushy. Also, from what I saw in some beam shots of the TK21R, the indented edges of the spill due to the strike bezel looked somewhat unsightly.
Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised by how NOT green the tint of this light is. The SFT70 Gen2 seems to be more consistent in tint across brightness levels than the SFT70 Gen1. Lower brightness levels in Gen1 are so green. In image 5/6 and 6/6, PD40R V3 with the SFT70 Gen1 is on the left, and PD36R ACE with the SFT70 Gen2 is on the right. Image 5/6, both lights are on 350 lumens mode. Image 6/6, both lights are on 30 lumens mode.
Just wish they kept the dual tail switches of the PD36R Pro, but with turbo on the secondary switch instead of strobe. A couple observations about the tail switch: It’s oddly narrow, but it’s extremely clicky. So loud and tactile. Pretty satisfying, but Weltool TC20 tail switch is still my favorite. This Fenix tail switch is a close second.
One quibble is the side (neck mounted) switch feels kind of cheap. There’s a lot of play, it spins, has some take up before it actuates, and off center presses feel scratchy, like the button is scratching the sides of the cutout for the button. Oh, and no spring on the head side inside the battery tube is kind of a bummer, but whatever I guess.
But overall, real nice. I’m quite happy with it.
…damn, I don’t know why I wrote so much, smh. Talk about long winded NLD…
by MistyElk
