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The NightCutter 3C is one of Lightship Enterprises' "commercial" series of lights. Simple design and simple operation is the standard here. The 3C runs on two 123A lithium cells, and the only moving part is the head of the light which acts as the access point for the battery compartment and also as the switch. Inside the head are three 5mm white (reviewed) or green LEDs which provide a nice smooth flood of short-range light.
The body of the light is Type II anodized aluminum with checkering around the body and ridges on the head for grip. The tail is flat, allowing the unit to stand on end. The tail also has a drilled tab for attachment of a lanyard.
The head of the light contains the 3 LEDs which are recessed into pockets machined into the face of the light. There is an additional ring of material around the head of the light which protects the face of the unit from impacts.
Output is pretty standard for a 3 LED light. It produces a smooth directional flood of bluish tinted light. The fact that the LEDs are recessed gives the unit a little more directional capability as compared to exposed LEDs.
 
Beam profile at one meter centered on target, on target
edge to show spillbeam
The Runtime Test revealed about 8 hours to 50% brightness. It went about 7 hours before output really started to drop off, and 9 hours before it bottomed out. This lower level of output should be maintained for many, many hours before the light becomes totally unusable.
Runtime
completed with included "Powerizer" batteries.
More information on runtime plots is available HERE.
The switch is a simple head-twist contact. Tighten the head to turn on, loosen to turn off. Although very simple, this results in only one potential point of access for water and environmental contaminants. As a result, the single o-ring provides water resistance to 75 feet underwater (advertised).
Ergonomics: This light is small and is very conveniently sized. It is comfortable in the hand and very easy to turn on and off one-handed by gripping the body with your 3 lesser fingers and twisting the head with your thumb and forefinger.
The 3C takes two 123A lithium cells for power. Simply remove the head to change the batteries and replace with new cells when necessary, observing polarity requirements. These cells are best purchased online to recognize considerable savings over retail stores.
What I Liked: Waterproof,
Tough/impact resistant, Good battery life,
Relatively Bright, Easy battery change, Lightweight, Stands up
What I Didn't Like: Not too much at all
Other Things I Noticed: I noticed some flickering on occasion as I knocked it around a bit. Turning it off and back on seemed to fix the issue when it happened.
Conclusions: Great little (literally) pocket light. Good output for normal tasks where you would use a small pocket light. Seems to be pretty tough and durable, and even though it "only" runs 8 hours (to 50% output) compared to the manufacturer's claim of 80 hours (of "usable light"), 8 hours isn't too shabby at all! Would make a great emergency kit light due to it's long runtime and because the batteries naturally have a 10 year shelf life.
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