The Nitecore P35i solves the LEP problem by combining a traditional 3000-lumen LED floodlight with a 410-lumen LEP module.
You opt to use either mode alone or mix both together at the same time.
The Nitecore P35i is the world’s first combined LED flashlight and LEP.
Is this the ultimate EDC?
At the very least, it solves the LEP problem.
What is an LEP Flashlight?
But have you heard of LEP?
The LED will emit blue light, which the phosphor absorbs, and changes into white.
How is this new LEP technology superior to LEDs?
The main reason to use an LEP is that the beam can be more easily focussed.
This results in an extremely narrow beam with almost no light spillagea bit like a real-life lightsaber.
A little light can indeed go a very long way.
And a quick warning: this is Class 1 Laser Product.
you could burn things with this.
Turbo mode will get very hot very quickly, but only on the emitter side.
The emitter features a roughly inch off-center lens for the LEP module, surrounded by six Cree XP-G3 LEDs.
Uniquely, these are all positioned in a crescent moon shape.
Just under the lens shroud is a small OLED screen and mode button.
It ends up feeling slightly front-heavy unless you push your grip forward slightly.
The diameter at the head is 2.56".
It’s definitely an afterthought to get an IP rating; I wouldn’t suggest getting this wet.
When the P35i is off, hold down the mode button and punch the power to cycle through these.
Switching modes will activate the respective light momentarily, so it’s not something you might do discreetly.
Both Spot and Flood have five levels to choose from.
If you’re in Mix mode, you get three intensities to choose from instead.
At this point, it’s worth mentioning that tiny OLED screen again.
When off, it’s possible for you to press the button to indicate what the last mode is.
When Turbo mode is activated, it instead switches to a countdown timer represented by a bar.
Like most of you, I assumed sticking an OLED screen onto a flashlight was a silly gimmick.
But having now used it, I can really appreciate the utility.
In actual usage at a distance, you won’t notice it.
At a distance of 10 meters, it hovered between 4500 and 5000 lux.
This gives a possible throw distance of 1414m, or around one mile.
Nitecore claims 1650m, which is within the margin of error for my basic testing equipment.
The X75 blasts that light out in a huge radius; the P35i focuses it on a single spot.
This flashlight will throw the equivalent of moonlight at however many meters in one spot.
For observers from a distance, the beam may appear to travel further.
For those standing in the projected area, moonlight might not be enough to make use of.
Batteries and Charging
Interestingly, you’ll find two options included in the box with the P35i.
The first is the 21700-sized 5000mAh battery, a Nitecore NL2150HPi.
The second option is to use the CR123 battery holder, which takes two CR123 batteries.
The handle feels too small for my hands, but mostly the USB-C port cover is terrible.
The button protrudes too much, and I’m not convinced about this plug-in USB-C tactical switch.
But that’s really just nitpicking because in actual practical use, I love this thing.
Also, did I mention a five-year warranty?
That’s pretty awesome.
As both a general-use and long-range flashlight, the P35i hits all the right spots.
It’s not the brightest LEP flashlight around, nor is it the brightest flood in this price range.
But if you’re only going to carry one light, it should be this one.
