Nitecore MH12 Pro Review
Nitecore MH12 Pro Review
Introduction
If you're a fan of Nitecore, you'll recognize
their tagline "Keep Innovating". As a brand that has existed for more
than 16 years, Nitecore is one of the market leaders in the industry of
professional lighting. Their company is dedicated to making quality
products along with innovation every year, with many achievements
worldwide.
Today I'm going to review the newest product from
Nitecore, the MH12 Pro. This is another example of Nitecore products
reflecting ideas from their community. Big innovation that Nitecore
provides for every Nitecore fan!
The MH12 Pro isn't like the
older MH series; it comes with plenty of new features that make the new
MH12 Pro special and different from others.
The new MH12 Pro is
the first product from Nitecore to use their own LED, called UHi LED.
Their new type of LED is from Nitecore Nitelab R&D.
The MH
series from Nitecore stands for Multitask Hybrid Series; all the line-up
from the MH series will suit most of the daily tasks.
Once
again, Nitecore always provides their products as a complete kit
package, which I really appreciate with their quality package,
especially for their holster. The MH12 Pro comes with a new generation
holster; they don't use quickdraw holsters like the MH series before;
instead, the new holster is made from quality nylon with double loop
velcro. For me, this kind of holster is perfect; the MH series is not
tactical like the P series, so I don't think we need a quick-draw
holster.
1 x Nitecore MH12 Pro
1 x Lanyard
1 x 21700 battery inside the flashlight
1 x Clip
1 x USB Type-C Cable
1 x Spare O-Ring
1 x Really great quality Holster
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty card
Build Quality and Impression
I
have to admit that Nitecore is evolving; their tagline, Keep
Innovating, is a real spirit of their company. The new MH12 Pro is an
example of how they keep changing, following the ideas, the spirit of
the flashlight community, and market demand. MH12 Pro is the first
line-up from Nitecore that uses their own LED called UHi LED 40, which
stands for Ultra High Intensity. The new type of LED claimed to be more
efficient yet more powerful. The body of the MH12 Pro is fundamentally
changed from the predecessor; it is more aggressive, and the 1mm texture
knurling on the body maintains a secure grip while using a glove or
sweaty hand.
The MH12 Pro also uses a two-way clip in two
positions: front and rear. I'm not sure if this is the first two-way
clip from Nitecore, but the clip is tough and not so cheap like other
brands. Personally, I don't buy a flashlight that uses a two-way clip;
it's not practical in a real-life scenario (clipping on a hat), and I
hate a flashlight that uses a clip on the front with the head position
on top; that's so weird. Nitecore does understand this is a simple thing
that matters, so two-way clip with two positions front or rear, kudos!
The
MH12 Pro is also the first Nitecore that has a built-in optical sensor
on its LED to prevent accidental activation. The sensor will detect any
close obstruction and automatically decrease the output to a safe level
of 300 lumens, so no more burned pants! Beside that, you can also turn
off the sensor by pressing the mode button while it's on.
The
MH12 Pro also has an output level and battery indicator on the side of
the mode button—the four blue and green dots that represent output and
battery level—in an intuitive design for every user.
The MH12 Pro
comes with a compact body, and although it's powered by a 21700
battery, compared to most 18650 flashlights, the MH12 still looks good
and is not bulky.
Specifications
LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam
Now
comes the interesting part: the new UHi LED from Nitelab (Nitecore
R&D) for their own LED. The MH12 Pro uses UHi 40 LEDs that claim to
be equivalent to or much better theoretically than Luminus SFT-40. The
UHi 40 is 32% smaller than the SFT-40; it's only 4,53 mm2 in rounded
shape and can produce up to 3,750 lumens!
From the Nitecore
datasheet, the MH12 Pro's max output is 3300 lumens with a max intensity
of 63500 candela, which means you can shine your flashlight at any
object up to 505 meters away!
Compared with the Luminus SFT-40,
the beam profile from UHi LED is very interesting; it has a good spill
and a wide amount of perfect rounded hotspots on a smooth reflector.
The
MH12 Pro also has a new design bezel; it isn't an aggressive type
bezel, and as an EDC flashlight, the MH12 Pro is a perfect flashlight to
carry everywhere with no worry.
Size and Comparison
User Interface
The
MH12 Pro has two different modes: daily mode and tactical mode. The
tail switch for on/off and the side switch or mode button. The UI is
very simple: press the tail switch to turn it on, press the side switch
to choose the desired output, and half press to temporarily turn it on.
There's
special output for strobes, beacons, and SOS. To access the special
output, when the flashlight is turned on, press and hold the side switch
to cycle between strobe-beacon-sos. Mode memory won't work on SOS and
beacons.
You can access moon mode by holding the mode button first, then pressing the tail switch to turn it on.
The
last UI is tactical mode, to change from daily mode to tactical,
similar to accessing the moon mode but keeping pressing until it blinks.
One blink for daily mode and two blinks for tactical mode
The
tactical mode is always on turbo when turned on, and you can cycle to
lower the output from the side switch. Both daily mode and tactical mode
can remember strobe as an output.
Batteries and Performance
The
MH12 Pro is powered by one protected 21700 (NL2153HP) battery. It's a
20A max discharge with a 5300 mAh capacity. The MH12 Pro doesn't use
Nitecore proprietary I series batteries; you can use other
21700-protected batteries, but make sure the current discharge is 20A to
get its potential output performance.
From the Nitecore
datasheet, the internal USB-C port is 5V/2A, and you can fully charge
the MH12 Pro in about 3,5 hours using standard 10 watt chargers.
Using
the included battery, 50 lumens of output can last for two days without
charging, and 8 hours and 30 minutes for 300 lumens of output.
Beamshots
Conclusion
Here
it is: the final verdict. I have nothing to say about the MH12 Pro;
it's a great EDC or tactical flashlight to have. It has everything that a
perfect flashlight should have: fast charging USB-C, a standard
battery, a level indicator, a good throw, good runtimes, and everything
in a compact, good-looking flashlight. Once again, good job, Nitecore!
The
MH12 Pro is the beginning of the new era of Nitecore's top-notch
flashlight line-up with "UHi LED Inside," with many possibilities in the
coming years from a well-experienced company. As the first arsenal from
Nitecore, the MH12 Pro is exceptionally a must-have Multitask Hybrid
Series flashlight for every Nitecore fan.
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