The MicroFire flashlights are designed to be a lower-cost competitor for the "high end" tactical flashlight market. They are made in China by MicroFire Technology Company, Ltd. The lights appear to be uniquely designed (not a rip-off of another company's design) and are rather well made. The light tested is the M4 - a four cell 123A design - which uses both an incandescent xenon bulb and 6 LEDs to provide light. For spotting, all of the lighting elements are turned on. For lower level lighting the bezel can be rotated to lock out the xenon bulb, turning the unit into an LED-only flashlight.

Body: The body of the M4 is hard anodized aircraft aluminum. The head is significantly larger than the body and has decorative cutouts at its base. Below that is a ring of checkering around the center of the body tube. The checkering is not very aggressive but does aid in grip. The tailcap has 6 cutouts for grip. The rubber covered tailcap has a slight texture as well.

Bezel/Head: Looking into the front of the light you see the 6 LEDs around the periphery of the reflector and the xenon bulb in the center. The head of the light can be rotated to disengage the xenon bulb, allowing only the LEDs to light. This is done by unscrewing the head about one turn. Note that the bezel/head is not textured at all which means that you need to grip it very tightly to overcome the resistance created by the O-ring seals. Continuing to twist will cause the head to open for changing out the xenon bulb. The LEDs should never need replacing. The reflector is metal with a slightly bumpy texture to smooth out imperfections in the beam. The xenon bulb sits in a lamp assembly which can be unscrewed from the body when the head is removed.

Inside you find the large lamp assembly with its unique design and the bulb held in place by two plastic clips and mounted in a brass base.

Output: The screaming bright white light produced by the xenon bulb is a typical incandescent white which is a relatively low color temperature and appears slightly yellowish when compared to a daylight white light source, which is normal. In practical use it appears as a pure white light. The beam has a bright wide, smooth central spot, corona and a dimmer spillbeam. The LED beam is a bit bluish, but is very smooth and provides a very even spot of relatively dim light.

   
Beam at one meter at target center, incandescent and LED

Runtime Plot: The manufacturer advertises the light as having a 45 minute runtime. We found it to be a bit shorter than that (~18 minutes) to 50%. In 40 minutes it had dropped to about 25% starting output. Titanium brand cells were used for this test.

Runtime completed with "Titanium" brand batteries. More information on runtime plots is available HERE.

After the disappointing curve I found when using Titanium cells with the M2 version of this light, I decided it may be a good idea to run the test again with Battery Station 123A cells in the M4. The result was slightly better performance...

Runtime completed with BatteryStation brand batteries. More information on runtime plots is available HERE.

When the batteries become very depleted in this light the beam turns very orange, the LEDs stop functioning (unless specifically selected) and the incandescent bulb blinks on and off.

Switch: The switch is a rubber capped clickie. Press gently for momentary use, press until it clicks for constant on. Unscrew the tailcap to lock out the switch and prevent accidental activation. The switch produces a slight auditory feedback, but almost no tactile feedback when clicked. The difference in stroke between momentary and constant activation is significant, requiring moderate additional pressure to click the switch. The rubber cap does protrude above the level of the tailcap, so the light cannot stand on end.

Seals / Water Resistance: The light is advertised as splashable. It has O-rings and rubber seals in all the right places.

If it gets wet inside, just disassemble as much a possible without tools and let it dry before using again.

Ergonomics: It's a good sized light (meaning fairly large...). It seems to be comfortable to use and hold. It has a some heft, but is not heavy.

Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light

Batteries: Four 123A cells power the light. I would recommend BatteryStation or Surefire brand cells for less than $2 each. I would not recommend purchasing these cells at retail stores since they cost $10 a pair or more in most retail stores!

To change out the batteries: unscrew the tailcap, drop out the old cells, place in new cells observing proper polarity. Reattach the tailcap and you're ready to go. Note that batteries go in NEGATIVE first, with the positive end pointing toward the tailcap.

Accessories: You can use Pila rechargeable cells in this light. The light requires two 168A or two 168S type Pila cells and a lower voltage bulb. That or you can purchase the rechargeable version which comes with everything you need. A host of other accessories are available for this light as well.

What I Liked: Water resistant, Very bright, Able to switch to LED only mode for battery conservation

What I Didn't Like: Nothing significant.

Picky Little Things: Remember that this is an incandescent light and it is not specifically designed to be shock resistant. Dropping the light or other types of shock can cause that delicate white-hot tungsten filament to break, just like with any other incandescent lightbulb.

Conclusions: A very good hybrid light. Extremely bright incandescent output, but able to switch to a low level of light for normal/administrative type use. The volume of light the M4 produces will put it in 3rd place for highest output of those lights tested for overall output.

Quick Facts Table: