Acebeam E70 Mini Review
Acebeam E70 Mini High-CRI EDC Torch#
- Specifications
- Introduction
- Torch in use
- Build quality
- LED, bezel, lens and beam
- Size and comparison
- User interface and driver
- Batteries and charging
- Performance
- Beamshots
- Conclusion
- Product page
Specifications#
| Brand/model | Acebeam E70 Mini High-CRI EDC Torch |
|---|---|
| LED | 3*Nichia 519A 5000K |
| Maximum lumens | 2,000 lm |
| Maximum beam intensity | 5,875 cd |
| Maximum throw | 153 m |
| Battery | 1*18650 Li-ion |
| Onboard charging | No. Acebeam 18650 Li-ion cell has USB-C charging. |
| Material | Aluminium |
| Modes | 6 |
| Blinkies | Strobe |
| Reflector | TIR |
| Review date | July 2022 |
Introduction#
Acebeam have released the E70 Mini with three Nichia 519A emitters! It is the smaller high CRI version of the E70 with arguably nicer emitters.
If you have heard of Nichia 219B emitters, due to their popularity for being rosy, then you may have noticed that the torch enthusiast community has become super excited about the Nichia 519A emitters.
A 519A emitter is fairly neutral with the dome left on. To make the beam rosy and to reduce the Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT), you could remove the domes of the emitters (warning: this may void the warranty). Acebeam have left the domes on.
After receiving an Acebeam Rider RX from a giveaway, I bought a few for family and friends due to the excellent build quality and ease of use. While chatting with Acebeam, they asked if I would like to review the Acebeam E70 Mini. This torch was provided by Acebeam for review for free. I have not been paid for this review nor have I held back my opinions.
Packaging#
The E70 Mini came in a small white retail box with a window. The box came inside a slightly larger box with bubble wrap. It was very well packed.
The following was included in the box:
- Acebeam E70 Mini
- Acebeam 18650 3100mAh Li-ion cell (optional)
- Lanyard
- Spare o-rings
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- User manual
Torch in use#
The E70 Mini looks like a tactical torch with a matte black finish but it is comfortable, there are no sharp edges, and the beam that it produces is easy on the eyes.
A slightly recessed electronic tail-switch with an aluminium switch cover has been used and the lanyard holes are on the side of the tube. This allows the E70 Mini to tailstand.
There is an inner tube and an outer tube to allow the signal from the electronic tailswitch to reach the driver in the head of the torch.
The stainless steel pocket clip is held in place with two screws. It is fairly rigid but there is sufficient flexibility to allow it to clip onto my pocket.
There is no magnet in the tail. This is not unusual for a torch with a tailswitch.
Build quality#
The anodising looks perfect. I like the matte black finish. This aluminium version of the E70 Mini is lightweight.
The bezel, head, button, outer tube and inner tube are made of aluminium while the pocket clip is made of stainless steel.
Square cut threads on the tube came well lubricated. It is easy to screw on the head of the torch.
The included Acebeam 18650 cell with built-in USB-C charging sits flush with the top of the tube when the head is removed. The cell can be pressed down further due to the spring at the tail end. The cell does not wobble around when the torch is being shaken. However, it would be nice if slightly longer spring with less tension are used so that a common flat top 18650 cell could be used.
The CNC’d aluminium switch cover looks and feels nice. It has an audible click that you would expect from an e-switch.
The twelve 7.1mm by 1.7mm slots near the head of the torch for tritium vials is a nice touch for those who like to decorate their torches.
LED, bezel, lens and beam#
The E70 Mini has three Nichia 519A emitters behind a TIR optic and an anti-reflective coated glass lens. Although the bezel looks sharp, it is smooth.
I have taken Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) and Colour Rendering Index (CRI, RA of R1-R8) measurements with the E70 Mini positioned one metre away from an Opple Light Master Pro III (G3).
The CCT is about 4700K and it is 90+ CRI.
The Delta u, v is very close to zero and a little bit negative (rosy).
The beam produced is neutral and floody.
| Mode | CCT (K) | CRI (Ra) | x | y | Duv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra-Low | 4692 | 97.9 | 0.3544 | 0.3582 | -0.0003 |
| Low | 4696 | 98.4 | 0.3545 | 0.3597 | 0.0004 |
| Mid1 | 4696 | 98.1 | 0.3543 | 0.3588 | 0.0000 |
| Mid2 | 4723 | 97.9 | 0.3535 | 0.3584 | 0.0001 |
| High | 4802 | 97.4 | 0.3508 | 0.3546 | -0.0007 |
| Turbo | 4849 | 96.7 | 0.3488 | 0.3474 | -0.0036 |
Calculate Duv from CIE 1931 xy coordinates
Dimensions and size comparison#
Dimensions#
I took the following measurements using digital callipers.
| Measurement | Unit (mm) |
|---|---|
| Torch length | 111.5 |
| Head diameter | 26.0 |
| Tube diameter | 23.4 |
Weight#
I took the following measurements using a digital scale.
| Measurement | Unit (g) |
|---|---|
| Weight of torch with battery | 124.8 |
| Weight of torch | 72.4 |
| Weight of battery | 52.8 |
EDC size comparison with its competition#
From left to right: Emisar D4V2, Acebeam E70 Mini, Convoy S2+.
From left to right: Emisar D4V2, Acebeam E70 Mini, Convoy S2+.
User interface and driver#
Double click for On is a bit odd but it was deliberately designed like this to help prevent accidental activation.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Double click | On (mode memory except Ultra-Low and Turbo) |
| Off | Hold for 0.5s | Ultra-Low |
| Off | Hold for 5s | Activate lock-out |
| Off | Triple click | Strobe |
| On | Triple click | Strobe |
| On | Click | Off |
| On | Hold | Cycle (Low, Mid1, Mid2, High) |
| Ultra-Low | Click | Off |
| Ultra-Low | Hold | Cycle (Low, Mid1, Mid2, High) |
| Ultra-Low | Double Click | Turbo |
| Ultra-Low | Triple Click | Strobe |
| Turbo | Click | Off |
| Turbo | Hold | Cycle (Low, Mid1, Mid2, High) |
| Turbo | Double click | Return to mode memory |
| Strobe | Click | Off |
| Strobe | Hold | Cycle (Low, Mid1, Mid2, High) |
| Strobe | Double Click | Turbo |
| Lock-out | Hold for 3s | Deactivate lock-out and enter Ultra-Low |
Low voltage protection#
The E70 Mini will step down when the battery is less than 20%. It will turn off when the battery is less than 2.7V.
PWM#
I did not notice any visible PWM.
What I like about the UI#
- Simple user interface.
What could be improved#
- A single click for on instead of a double click would be nice but that is just my personal preference.
Batteries and charging#
Battery#
The E70 Mini takes an 18650 Li-on cell. Protected and unprotected button top 18650 cells fit. Unprotected flat top 18650 cells are too short and do not fit (e.g. Sony VTC6, Samsung 30Q).
A button top Acebeam 18650 3100mAh cell with built-in USB-C charging was included inside the E70 Mini. The cell arrived with a voltage of 3.58V, and it was isolated with a piece of plastic to avoid standby drain.
A capacity of 2957mAh was measured using Capacity Test mode at 500mA with a Vapcell S4 Plus.
Charging profile#
Power source: Generic 5V 2.4A Power Supply
Room temperature: 13 C
USB Meter: Ruideng UM25C
I used a Ruideng UM25C USB Meter to monitor the charging current while charging the included Acebeam 18650 3100mAh cell with built-in USB-C charging.
The charging current started at 120mA when the cell was 2.77V, increased to 750mA after a minute, and slowly reduced as the voltage reached 4.15V. The cell stopped charging at 4.15V and the LED went from red to green.
The LED indicator of the cell changed to blue when I attached a USB-C to USB-C between it and a case for charging wireless earphones. The 18650 cell might share the same circuitry as the larger 21700 cell where Acebeam have an EDC bulb accessory that clips into the USB-C port. The output was not sufficient to charge my phone.
Power supply compatibility#
I tried to charge the Acebeam 18650 3100mAh cell using the following power supplies:
| Power supply | USB Type | Protocol | Does it charge? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple 61W Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| Google Pixel Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| Generic 5V 2.4A Power Adapter | USB-A | Yes |
Performance#
Official specifications from the manual:
Li-ion Battery (Acebeam 18650 3100mAh)
| FL1 Standard | Turbo | High | Mid2 | Mid1 | Low | Ultra-Low | Strobe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Output | 2000-600lm | 900-600lm | 380lm | 170lm | 60lm | 20lm | 1000lm |
| Runtime | 40s + 2h | 2min + 1h 55min | 3h 15min | 7h | 19h | 56h | 2h |
| Throw | 153m | 102m | 71m | 52m | 39m | 20m | 112m |
| Intensity | 5,875cd | 2,625cd | 1,275cd | 675cd | 375cd | 104cd | 3,150cd |
Lux Meter: UNI-T UT383BT
Lumen measurements#
| Mode | Specs | Lumens @turn on | Lumens @30 sec | Lumens @10 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra-Low | 20 lm | 11 lm | 11 lm | 11 lm |
| Low | 60 lm | 69 lm | 68 lm | 68 lm |
| Mid1 | 170 lm | 184 lm | 181 lm | 179 lm |
| Mid2 | 380 lm | 392 lm | 383 lm | 371 lm |
| High | 900 lm | 914 lm | 875 lm | 584 lm |
| Turbo | 2000 lm | 2016 lm | 1841 lm | 587 lm |
Note: I usually measure the current at “turn on” for each mode but I skipped this step after trying and failing to remove the tailcap with circlip pliers. I managed to measure the standby drain by holding a cell against the driver and by touching a probe to the pad for the outer tube.
EDIT: Turbo and High were measured again with a TSL2519 sensor. All other modes were measured with a VEML7700 sensor.
Standby drain#
71.8 µA.
Runtime graphs#
I built a lumen tube and forked bmengineer’s project RuTiTe to add support for a VEML7700 light sensor and MCP9808 temperature sensor with help from Owen. Calibration lights from maukka were used. I changed the sensor to a TSL2591 to improve the accuracy above 800 lumens and tested Turbo and High with it.
Note: Lumen measurements may be off by 10% with my DIY lumen tube.
Temperature may vary due to the room temperature and it may be lower than expected due to how I attached the sensor. Measurements were taken in my office where the ambient temperature may fluctuate between 6C and 21C during winter.
I like how Acebeam have included a breakdown of when the light output steps down in the manual instead of simply saying that Turbo will last two hours. For example: Acebeam stated that Turbo will start at 2000 lumens and last 40 seconds before stepping down to 600 lumens for two hours.
The E70 Mini switched off when the Acebeam 18650 3100mAh Li-ion cell reached 2.77V at the end of each runtime test. I charged the cell to 4.20V in an external charger before each runtime test.
EDIT: There was an issue with my DIY lumen tube. I replaced the VEML7700 sensor with a TSL2519 and tested Turbo and High again. Turbo started at 2016 lumens while High started at 914 lumens.
The light output and runtime for Turbo, High, Mid2, Mid1 and Low that I observed were similar the Acebeam’s official specifications.
I only tested Ultra-Low for 10 minutes because the expected runtime is 56 hours.
Throw#
I took lux measurements with a UT383BT at 30 seconds for each mode. Ultra-Low was measured at two metres. Low, Mid1, Mid2, High and Turbo were measured at five metres.
| Mode | Specs (cd) | Specs (m) | Candela measured (cd) | Distance (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra-Low | 104 | 20 | 12 | 6 |
| Low | 375 | 39 | 100 | 20 |
| Mid1 | 675 | 52 | 375 | 38 |
| Mid2 | 1,275 | 71 | 900 | 60 |
| High | 2,625 | 102 | 2,225 | 94 |
| Turbo | 5,875 | 153 | 5,200 | 144 |
Beamshots#
5000K WB, 1/3 shutter speed, ISO 100
Ultra-Low
Low
Mid1
Mid2
High
Turbo
Conclusion#
The Acebeam E70 Mini produces one of the most neutral beams that I have seen. It is a lovely tactical EDC torch!
I am impressed again with the build quality from Acebeam.
Pros:#
- High-CRI.
- Neutral tint.
- Excellent build quality.
Cons:#
- Unprotected flat top 18650 cells do not fit.