Fenix PD36R Pro

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Fenix PD36R Pro specifications

Brand & Model	Fenix PD36R Pro
Flashlight category	Tactical
LED	Luminus SFT70
Max. output	2800 lumens
Max. beam distance	380 meters
Max. beam intensity	36,600 cd
Battery config.	1*21700
Onboard charging	USB-C / Proprietary / Battery has a USB-C port / N/A
Modes	5
Blinkies	Strobe
Waterproof	IP68
Review publication date	November 2022

Fenix makes a huge array of lights.  In fact, they have an actual PDF catalog on their website (I imagine it’s probably also distributed in paper form as well) that is 48 pages long and chock-full of products ranging from tiny EDC lights all the way up to a couple really big boys that I’ve been fortunate enough to check out: the LR50R 12,000 lumen monstrosity and the HT30R 1500m throw LEP.  If you need a light, chances are that Fenix will have a nice offering to fill that need.

By and large, I really like Fenix – my first “real” flashlight was a Fenix (the 187 lumen E25 model, if you’re curious).  From my experience, Fenix lights are really well designed, they use quality materials and finishes, have great constant-current drivers, and publish truthful ANSI specs. I recently reviewed the small E18R V2.0 EDC light and the small-midsize PD25R. This new flashlight is the PD36R Pro.  As the naming would imply, it shares a lot of features with the smaller PD25R, but of course with its predecessor, the PD36R. So what extra features does the “Pro” model bring to the table? As you’d expect: more lumens and more throw. But also a transition to dual tail switches and support for a remote pressure switch. Sounds like a worthy upgrade!

Package quality.

The packaging for the Fenix PD36R Pro is instantly recognizable as having come off the same line as the other Fenix models that I recently reviewed. They used the exact same design language and materials: a showy black and orange carton with a heavy-duty plastic tray inside. I think it’s great that Fenix is using consistent packaging as it helps drive brand recognition. Arranged in the tray was:

• Fenix PD36R Pro
• Battery
• Charging cable
• Spare o-ring
• Holster
• Pocket clip (pre-installed)

• Lanyard
• Manual and other literature

Size-wise, I consider the PD36R Pro to be very comfortable to hold and operate. I feel like 21700 lights strike a nice, happy medium on sizes and overall sit in the hand pretty well even if they tend to be too big for EDC carry. In terms of carry, the Fenix PD36R Pro comes with a pocket clip preinstalled. The clip is very firmly attached and should work well, though I can’t see pocket-carrying the PD36R Pro too often – it’s on the large side of lights that I would stow away in my pocket unless I really knew I was going to need it. Fenix included a lanyard that is a small step above your average flashlight lanyard – it is embossed with the Fenix logo and it has an adjustable bead for cinching the lanyard down. Lastly, Fenix also threw in a fabric holster for this light. The holster seems to work well and would probably be my preferred carry method if I wanted the PD36R Pro with me frequently.

The Fenix PD36R Pro has two switches, and both of them are on the tailcap. The main switch is a clicky on-off switch that also provides momentary activation. The second, less pronounced, button is an e-switch that is used for instant-Strobe and switching modes. Due to tail switches protruding from the end of the light, this light does not tail-stand.

First and foremost, I see the PD36R Pro as a tactical/duty light. With the dual switch tail design, access to instant strobe, momentary functionality, and compatibility with remote switches (sold separately), I think that’s a great use for this light. But you could just as easily use it hunting, hiking, or when something goes bump in the night.

Fenix used A6061-T6 aluminum in the construction of the PD36R Pro, then coated it in premium type III hard anodizing. The fit and finish look absolutely great, as I’ve come to expect from Fenix.

There’s no knurling to speak of. There are tiny grooves machined into the battery tube but they don’t provide much grip. Likewise, there are some light grooves in the tailcap that assist slightly when removing and installing the tailcap.

Warranty:

• 15 days from date of purchase: replacement from Fenix for manufacturing defects
• 5 year from date of purchase: free repairs
• Lifetime maintenance, with customer covering the cost of parts
• Extra 6 month warranty period for products registered on Fenix’s website

Fenix went with a Luminus SFT70 LED for the PD36R Pro. This isn’t an LED that I’ve seen much of. It’s a lot like the SFT40 – it retains the same 5050 footprint and a similar physical appearance, but it’s a quad-die LED and runs at 6V or 12V. According to Luminus, the LED is capable of producing over 3500 lumens. Being a domeless LED, it throws very well. It is 70 CRI LED. The LED is nicely centered in a medium-sized, smooth reflector. The reflector produces a clearly defined hotspot and moderate spill.

I got the following measurements of the center of the beam with my Opple Light Master at 3 meters with the Fenix being on Turbo:

• CCT: 6526K
• CRI: 71.0 Ra
• DUV: +0.0011

Dimensions: 

Dimension	Millimeters	Inches
Length	146 mm	5.7
Head diameter	27 mm	1.0
Body diameter	26 mm	1.0

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

Weight: 

Weight	Grams	Oz.
Without battery:	99	3.5
With battery	171	6.0

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

Flashlight size comparison with its competition

Group 1: Fenix E-CP, Fenix PD36R Pro

Group 2: Fenix PD25R, Fenix PD36R Pro, Fenix HT30R

Group 3: Nitecore P20iX, Fenix PD36R Pro, Wuben T1

The UI of the Fenix PD36R Pro is relatively simple. It uses two buttons, both of which are on the tailcap. The main button, which Fenix calls the “Tactical Switch”, is a forward-clicky that is responsible for on-off. The other button, which Fenix calls the “Functional Switch”, is a smaller, less pronounced e-switch that is used for “instant strobe” and for mode switching.

Available modes: Turbo, High, Medium, Low, Eco

Available blinky modes: Strobe

User interface:

From OFF:

• Tactical Switch, half-press and hold: momentary on
• Tactical Switch, single click: turn on 
• Functional Switch, press and hold: momentary strobe 

From ON:

• Tactical Switch, single click: turn off
• Functional Switch, press and hold: strobe
• Functional Switch, single click: switch modes 

Mode memory:

• Yes, it will remember the “normal” modes, but not Strobe

Shortcuts:

• To momentary Strobe: press and hold the Functional Switch from Off
• To constant Strobe: press and hold the Functional Switch from On

Low voltage warning:

• The light will step down in modes until it reaches Eco mode. Once it gets to Eco mode, the battery indicator LED will blink red
• When you turn the flashlight, the battery indicator LED will light up for 3 seconds to show the battery level:
  • Green, constant: between 100% and 85%
  • Green, flashing: between 85% and 50%
  • Red, constant: between 50% and 25%
  • Red, flashing: between 25% and 1%

Strobe/blinkies

• Yes, there is both a constant strobe and a momentary strobe
• From Off, press and hold the Functional Switch to enable the momentary strobe
• From On, press and hold the Functional Switch to enable constant strobe

Lock-out mode: 

• There is no electronic lockout, but you can physically lock it out by twisting the tailcap

PWM

• There is no PWM

Additional info on the UI: 

• There is “intelligent overheat protection” that reduces output to keep the temperature at or below 60° C

The PD36R Pro comes with a Fenix-branded cell, the Fenix ARB-L21-5000 V2.0. It is not a proprietary battery, just a button-top 5000 mAh 21700 battery with a protection circuit. I tried a flat-top Samsung 40T battery and it was too short to make contact. Even a solder-blobbed 40T was a bit too short. You’ll need to run protected cells in the PD36R; thankfully Fenix included a nice one in the box.

The Fenix PD36R Pro has built-in USB-C charging via a port on the side of the head which is covered up by a typical rubber dust plug. Fenix says that a fully depleted battery should take 3 hours to recharge. While charging, the indicator LED will illuminate red, then switch to green when charging is complete. In my testing, I observed a 11 watt charge rate (2.2A at 5V) and the cycle completed in 2 hours 51 minutes.

Lux was measured by a UNI-T UT383 BT at 5 meters. Lumens were measured in a homemade lumen tube using a TSL2591 sensor, calibrated with a Maukka calibration light. The temperature was monitored with a MLX90614 IR temperature sensor. The included Fenix battery was used for testing.

Lumen measurements

Mode	Specified	turn on	30 sec	10 minutes
Eco	30 lm	32 lm	32 lm	–
Low	150 lm	130 lm	130 lm	–
Medium	350 lm	392 lm	390 lm	384 lm
High	1000 lm	1104 lm	1098 lm	829 lm
Turbo	2800 lm	3119 lm	2494 lm	832 lm
Turbo at 3.7V	–	2884 lm	2257 lm	–

Parasitic drain:

• could not measure due to flashlight design

Battery Life: Runtime graphs

Mode	Specified	Measured runtime (ANSI)	Time till end of test
Eco	42h	–	–
Low	19h	–	–
Medium	8h 15 min	7h 58 min	11h 34 min
High	3h 55 min	3h 53 min	8h 21 min+
Turbo*	3h 30 min	3h 21 min	4h 22 min+

In the runtime tests, the output got to points where it would rapidly fluctuate a small amount (say, 5-10% of output). The difference is enough that it would trigger my lumen logger to take a reading several times per second and eventually the flood of data would overwhelm my humble logging setup. Because of that, I had to terminate the tests before the light fully shut off, but well after it got below the ANSI 10% threshold as described below.

ANSI FL1 standards: The runtime is measured until the light drops to 10% of its initial output (30 seconds after turning 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.

Peak beam intensity and beam distance measurements

Measured at 5 meters after 30 seconds with my UNI-T UT383 BT

Mode	Specified	Candela measured	Meters	Yards
Eco	400 cd	475	44	48
Low	1900 cd	2100	92	100
Medium	4300 cd	4775	138	151
High	12,800 cd	13,800	235	257
Turbo	36,600 cd	34,200 cd	370	405

Extra info: Peak beam distance according to ANSI FL1 standards: The calculated value of distance 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). Columns Meters and Yards show rounded numbers.

Beam shots of the building are taken at 15 m (16 yd) using a Pixel 7 set to ISO 200 with 1/10 second exposure time.

Beam shots of the playset are taken at 30 m (33 yd) using a Pixel 7 set to ISO 200 with 1/2 second exposure time. The trees in the background are around 65 m away.

Beamshots of the following flashlights compared:

• Fenix PD36R Pro
• Nitecore P20iX
• Olight Warrior Mini 2 Cu

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