Imalent SR16

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Imalent SR16 review: lumen monster

Imalent SR16 specifications

Brand/modelImalent SR16
Flashlight categorysearchlight / work light / lumen monster
LED16*CREE XHP50.3 Hi
Max. output55,000 Lumens
Max. beam distance1,715 meters
Max. beam intensity736,000 cd
Battery config.Battery pack (4*21700 4000mAh)
Onboard chargingDC port 19V
Modes7
BlinkiesN/A
WaterproofIP56
Review dateNovember 2022

Introduction:

You may have noticed our Imalent reviews if you’ve visited our website. And if you checked some of our buyer’s guides, including The Brightest Flashlights on Planet Earth, you must have noticed a recurring theme. Basically, only 1 brand focuses on getting the most lumens possible in a hand-held flashlight. And that’s Imalent!

After producing so many high-lumen flashlights, Imalent decided to give it a little twist and change a few things. 1 of them: finally, they included a carry handle (with a built-in switch). The other is 16 CREE XHP50.3 Hi instead of the popular CREE XHP70.2 in most of its other lights.

A summary: The SR16 is a high-power, long-range flashlight… and the rest.. you’ll read below

Package quality.

Imalent sends the SR16 in their familiar black and blue packaging with the following inside:

  • Imalent SR16
  • Carry handle with switch (already installed)
  • 19v DC charging adapter
  • Spare O-rings
  • Allen screwdriver
  • Spare fallen screw for the handle
  • Manual

Flashlight in use

Like I mentioned in the intro, the SR16 comes with a carry handle and a built-in switch. Until recently, most handles that were shipped with flashlights weren’t electronically connected to the flashlight. They sometimes had a fan built-in (like the Acebeam X70) but you couldn’t change modes or turn the light on/off.

Brands like Manker and Acebeam started implementing switches in their handles, so you didn’t need 2 hands anymore. And that’s a really great feature. So, the SR16 also has a built-in switch, although not very obvious and maybe even unhelpful for 10% of the population.

Why? Because it’s located on the left side of the handle, near the place, it connects to the flashlight. For 90% of the population who are right-handed, that is fine, but it won’t be too helpful for the other 10%. You could still use your index finger if your are left-handed, but that’s just a little less comfortable than using your thumb IMHO.

The flashlight uses an electronic switch located 90 degrees from the handle, also on the left side. Both switches can be used interchangeably. You can turn the light on with 1 and turn it off with the other, etc. I haven’t noticed any ‘special’ features with either of them.

Unfortunately, Imalent still hasn’t upgraded the switch. It’s still hard to find (without the handle attached).

The body of the light houses 4*21700 batteries and is, therefore, pretty wide. And the carry handle is a very welcome accessory. But you don’t really have to use the handle, as it’s removable, and you can still use the side switch. This is something that the Acebeam X75 doesn’t have. You lose all features once the handle is removed on that flashlight.

Another benefit of the handle is that it serves as an anti-roll feature.

And since the tailcap uses a flat charge-port cover, you can make it tail stand.

But one thing I missed is a proper tripod mount. Especially with this size flashlight, it could be important to have one.

Build Quality, and Warranty

Imalent’s build quality is pretty good regarding materials used, etc. There had been some issues in the past with the red-light trouble. But during my testing (which is only limited to about 1-2 weeks of testing) I didn’t find anything worrisome.

Anodization is done pretty well, and I like the rougher machining on this SR16 compared to its bigger siblings, the MS12 and MS18.

The handle is adequately strong and has a switch built into it. When removed, it exposes 2 pogo pins, and an indicator LED. Unfortunately, the indicator LED is VERY hard to see when the handle is attached, and I think this is a design flaw.

With the handle installed, you really have to search for it to see it. I believe the indicator LED should have been on the side of the handle and not ‘inside’. I hope the following pictures can show more clearly what I mean.

There’s a DC charging port in the tail cap, covered with a flat metal screw-on plate. This makes the SR16 able to tailstand.. in case you wondered.

Imalent’s warranty (from their website)

  1. Free Repair/Replacement within 15 Days after Receipt

Within 15 days after receipt and under normal use, any quality problem with your IMALENT flashlight, you can either send the light to repair or a new one of the same type with same specifications will be replaced; if the same model has been discontinued or not able to be replaced timely due to other reasons, another model with same or better performance will replaced instead;

2. 60 Months’Free Repair

Within 60 months after receipt and under normal use, any quality problem with your IMALENT flashlight, you can send it to repair for free;

. Lifetime Limited Maintenance

IMALENT provides you with lifetime limited maintenance for your flashlight, after the 60 months free repair period, any probems with your flashlight, IMALENT can repair and maintain it,repairing fee will be charged on an actual cost basis, no labor cost charged;

The warranty is nullified in all of the following situations:

  1. The product(s)is/are broken down, reconstructed nd/or modified by unauthorized parties.
  2. The product(s) is/are damaged through improper use.
  3. The product(s) is/are damaged by leakage of batteries.

LED, Lens, Bezel, Beam, and Reflector

Unlike many of Imalent’s other offerings of high-power flashlights, they went with the CREE XHP50.3 Hi LEDs for the SR16. Most of the other high-power flashlights use CREE XHP70.2s or 70.3s. The CREE XHP50.3hi is a great combination of high power and throw.

They are perfectly centered in 16 shallow, smooth reflectors. While the XHP50.3 Hi’s are ‘throwy’, the shallow reflectors would normally produce a wide beam. So, this is a pretty good combo.

The reflector is protected by a glass lens with AR coating, which is again protected by a relatively flat bezel with several small cutouts.

I used the Opple Light Master III to measure the beam temperature and tint, in 2 modes, the lowest and highest.

Lowest mode:

  • 5962K
  • CRI Ra 69.4

And Turbo mode:

  • 6745K
  • CRI Ra 71.9

And believe it or not, the beam still has a clear hotspot and a bright spill.

Dimensions and size comparison

Dimensions: 

Imalent SR16MillimetersInches
Length154 mm6 in
Head diameter109 mm4.3 in
Body diameter56 mm2.2 in

Dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter, and to the nearest tenth of an Inch.

Weight

Imalent SR16Weight in gramsWeight in Oz.
Without handle:1164 g41.1 oz
With handle1207 g42.6 oz

Weight is rounded to the nearest gram, and to the nearest tenth of an Oz.

High Power flashlights comparison

Size compared to other high-lumen flashlights, and the world’s most powerful flashlights.

Group 1, soup can flashlights from left to right, rear row: Imalent SR16, Imalent MS08, Imalent MS12 Mini, Imalent MR90, Acebeam X45 II, Acebeam X75.
Front row, left to right: Acebeam X80 GT, Acebeam X80 GT2, Imalent RS50, Acebeam X50, Manker MK38

Group 2: Lumintop GT94X, Imalent R90TS, Acebeam X70, Imalent MS12, Imalent MS18
Front row: Imalent MR90, Imalent MS12 Mini, Imalent SR16, Imalent X75, with a combined total of over 500,000 lumens!

Driver & User Interface:

The SR16 has 2 switches that can be used interchangeably. There is 1 built into the body, and 1 in the handle. They both work the same, but having the one on the body, makes the light still usable when you remove the handle. So the number of clicks etc.. work for both switches.

Available modes:

  • Moonlight, Low, Middle Low, Middle 1, Middle 2, High, Turbo
  • Strobe

From OFF: (with either switch)

  • Single-click: to last used mode ( mode memory)
  • Double click: Turbo (and another double click for strobe)
  • 3 clicks: moonlight mode
  • 4 clicks: Lockout
  • 5+ clicks: nothing
  • Press and hold: turn on cooling fans (repeat to turn them off, if not in Middle 1 or higher)

From ON: (with either switch)

  • Single-click: off
  • Double click: Turbo
  • Triple-click: Moonlight mode
  • Press and hold: Cycle through the menu from Low to High

Shortcuts:

  • To Turbo: double click from Off or On
  • To Strobe: 2 times double click (it will first enter Turbo, before entering Strobe)
  • To Moonlight: 3 clicks from On and Off

Mode memory:

  • Yes (single click from off returns to last used mode)

Blinky modes menu:

  • Strobe: double click from Turbo (so if you are in any mode, double-click for Turbo, and do another double-click for Strobe

Low battery warning:

  • The red indicator lights turns on, but it’s almost invisible.

Lock-out mode:

  • 4+ clicks from off. The green indicator blinks 3 times to indicate the lockout mode is activated. Repeat 4 clicks to deactivate again. Unlike some other Imalents, you really need to click 4 times. Other Imalents would lockout with any number of clicks, more than 3..

PWM:

  • Not visible

I like that Imalent included a real Low mode, and added a switch to the handle. I just don’t particularly like the way the indicator LED is hidden, even though I usually don’t check it much anyway.

Batteries & Charging

Imalent chose to use a built-in battery pack rather than separate cells. They also did that on the MS12, MS12 mini, and MS18. A battery pack has some benefits but also several drawbacks. Here’s a short list:

  • Need to stop using the light when batteries are empty (can’t replace batteries and continue, although you can buy a spare battery pack)
  • Can’t replace batteries easily when they turn bad
  • Can’t use your favorite battery charger
  • Have a set of batteries with the same use (so can’t accidentally mix discharged and charged batteries)

I’m not 100% sure if it’s a feature, but I could continue using the light when the power was plugged in.

The power adapter for charging has an output of 19V and 2Amps and I measured at about 35watts. Charging took me 2 hours and 09 minutes. During charging, there is a red light, which turns green when charging is finished.

The battery packs for the MS12 Mini, the MR90, and the SR16 seem to be the same. I tried the battery pack of the MR90, and it worked on the SR16. I also tried the MS12 Mini on the MR90 which also worked. So that way, you can have a backup battery pack.

Maybe it’s time for Imalent to move on to USB-C charging, use the battery pack as a power bank, and charge it with any USB-C charger. Just a suggestion!

Performance test

Lumen measurements:

The output measurements in this review are based on my homemade integrating spheres, each equipped with an Extech SDL400 Lux Meter. For consistency and accuracy, a calibration light (Convoy S2+ with 249lm and a Convoy S2+ with 261lm) is measured prior to each set of lumen measurements.
For high-output lights, one of the lux meters uses an ND camera filter to prevent the lux meter to max out. This is either the Kenko PRO1D ND16 for up to about 80,000 lumens or the Gobe ND32 for anything above.

All of my readings were taken from a fully charged battery pack.

The measurements were taken manually at turn on and 30 seconds. The 10-minute numbers are taken from the runtime graph.

Specified lumens At turn-on30 sec10 minutes
Moon5093 lm92 lm
Low1,2001,671 lm1,671 lm1,678 lm
Mid Low2,8003,049 lm3,043 lm2,957 lm
Mid14,2004,462 lm4,414 lm4,229 lm
Mid211,0009,728 lm9,523 lm9,184 lm
High23,00024,900 lm21,762 lm8,969 lm
Turbo55,000 lm53,657 lm43,115 lm8,956 lm

I didn’t test the runtime test in Moon mode, as it is supposed to run for 98 hours. I have too many modes and flashlights to test, so I usually keep them within 24 hours. When I have time, I sometimes let it run for 2-3 days, but that doesn’t happen too often.

Imalent SR16 battery life and runtime graphs

The runtime tests were done in the 50cm home made integrating sphere, combined with the Extech SDL400 data logging Lux Meter.

ModeSpecified runtimeMeasured runtime (ANSI FL1)Time till shut off
Moon98h
Low7h6h 40min6h 40min
Mid Low3h3h 05min3h 05min
Mid 11h 54min1h 57min1h 57min
Mid 252min49min49min
High51min40min40 min
Turbo*43min40min40 min

ANSI FL1 standards: The runtime is measured until the light drops to 10% of its initial output (30 seconds after turning it on). This does not mean that the flashlight is not usable anymore. The last column shows how long the light actually works till it shuts off. If there is a + symbol, it means that the test was stopped at that particular point, but the light was actually still running. This happens on certain occasions with certain drivers, firmware, or batteries.

Imalent SR16 Peak beam intensity and beam distance measurements

Measurements were taken outdoors at 10 meters and indoors at 5 meters with a Hagner E4-X Lux Meter. Measurements were taken 30 seconds after turn on. I used the 5-meter measurements, as they were a few percent higher than the 10-meter measurements.

SpecifiedMeasuredin meterin yards
Moon9506267
Low19,550280306
Low Med34,425371406
Mid150,250448490
Mid2108,500 cd659720
High237,750 cd9751066
Turbo736,000 cd472,500 cd1375 meters1503 yards
Turbo start736,000 cd612,500 cd15651712

Before I tested throw, I already ‘knew’ it wasn’t going to reach the specified distance or intensity. This is a recurring theme with Imalent, unfortunately. I’m not saying that 1375 meters / 1503 yards is bad, but it would have been nice if it reached the claimed 1715 meters.

Extra info: Peak beam distance according to ANSI FL1 standards: The calculated distance value in meters at which the flashlight produces a light intensity of 0.25 lux. (0.25 lux is about the brightness of a full moon shining on an object).

Imalent SR16 vs MS08 vs RS05 vs MS12 mini.

Below you can see the dark blue line, which is the SR16. It’s just below the 10,000 lumen line for 40 minutes straight.

High power flashlight comparison

Here is the list with most of the high-power flashlights we reviewed in this category (Category: high-power soupcan sized flashlights).

FlashlightMax. Outputafter 30sec
Acebeam X45 II17,97217,116
Acebeam X5035,50730,383
Acebeam X7564,29573,716
Acebeam X80-GT27,765
Acebeam X80-GT231,89027,143
Astrolux EC0618,1118,352
Fenix LR50R11,69810,849
Imalent MR9052,32632,128
Imalent MS0620,479
Imalent MS0825,74519,615
Imalent MS12 Mini68,77346,750
Imalent RS5020,30216,939
Imalent SR1653,65743,115
Lumintop GT316,26715,168
Manker MK38 (SFT)16,01313,129
Olight Marauder 214,25113,964
Thrunite TN5018,20017,360

(Interactive line graphs below)

Hover your mouse over the lines in the graph to see more details, or select a flashlight in the graph.

Using a mobile phone? Hold your phone horizontally!

Another comparison, focusing on the first 10 minutes after activation

And here’s another comparison, but zoomed in. The first 60 minutes after activation.

Beamshots

A week before I did these beam shots, I went for a walk on a dyke (we have lots of those here in the Netherlands), which really showed its potential. Behind some fields, a couple of hundred meters away, a treeline was lit very brightly.

For the following beamshots, I used a Canon EOS 5D Mk2 with a 50mm lens. Manual settings: ISO1600, 1/4sec, F4, 5000K

The shed is about 65 meters / 71 yards away, and the reflective fence is about 200 meters.

The following flashlights are compared:

  • Acebeam X75
  • Imalent MS18
  • Imalent MR90
  • Imalent SR16
  • Imalent MS12 Mini

The first set of pictures is whitewashed.. just like you would see in person. I know this is not the best comparison, so the next set will show some longer-distance shots.. Hopefully, they will do a bit more justice. At least you should be able to see that it’s also a good thrower.

Disclaimer: This flashlight was sent to me for review at no cost by Imalent. I have not been paid to review, nor have I been holding back on problems or defects.

Final Verdict

Pros

  1. Very powerful, and reaches over 50,000 lumens at turn-on and over 40,000 lumens after 30 seconds.
  2. Removable carry handle with built-in switch
  3. Can be used without the handle!
  4. Finally, a real low-output mode (albeit still relatively bright for a ‘Moon light’ mode)
  5. Cooling fans keep the temperature in check, and sustain a high brightness.

Cons

  1. No tripod mount
  2. Battery indicator LED position is designed poorly. Hard to see in normal use.
  3. Not reaching claimed beam intensity (candelas/throw/distance)
  4. Cooling fans are still noisy and don’t seem to be temperature controlled.
  5. The switch is still difficult to find when the handle is removed

Explanation on star ratings:

1: Avoid: my phone flashlight would be a better choice – 2: Poor: significant defect or issues; almost unusable – 3: Average: some defects or issues; but still usable 4: Good: recommended (minor issues) – 5: Great: highly recommended

Reviewer Marco
Author: Marco

4 stars: ★★★★

Imalent has been adding more and more high-power flashlights to its lineup. The SR16 is another crazy bright flashlight, running on a battery pack with 4*21700s. I really like that they added a carry handle with a built-in switch. And if you don’t like using it, you can remove it, and use the ‘normal’ switch.

There are a few quirks though, including the noisy fans, and hard-to-see battery level indicator.

In terms of performance, it’s doing a pretty good job. Both in lumen output and in throw.

Buy Imalent SR16 with a discount.

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