Nitecore MH12S

NOTE: Nitecore sent me this MH12S for free, in exchange for writing a review. So here is the review:

Now it's summer in New Zealand, so not the best time to test a torch outside, as I'd have to wait until pretty late at night.  I expect that there will be plenty of reviews for this flashlight with beam shots, for people to get a feel for the range and brightness.

Considerations:

Normally here I write about what I would consider before buying a torch, but as this was sent to me for free from Nitecore, the decision to have a MH12S was made for me.

• Availability:

This is not yet available in New Zealand, as far as I know, so If I did want to get this torch, I'd have to order it from overseas. I'd guess that this would retail around the NZ$200 mark. (Edit April 2021: It is now available in New Zealand, see "Additional comments after four months of use" at the end of this post.)

• Brightness and runtimes:

1800 Lumens on Turbo. Now THAT'S a "fuck off and get out of my face" level of brightness. But is it too bright? Advertised run times are pretty impressive (don't get fooled by the 1500 h runtime claim, because this is for Ultra Low 1 lumen mode), still, it claims over three hours in High (1050 lumens), so that's not to be sniffed at.  

• Multiple modes:

Extra Low (1 lumen), Low (50 lumens), Medium (300 lumens), High (1050 lumens), Turbo (1800 lumens), Strobe, S.O.S and Beacon  (all 1800 lumens). Fairly standard levels these days, although the 1800 lumen turbo mode does make a statement.

• Power source:

I do like to carry a spare battery with me, as torches have the habit of running out of juice when you need to illuminate something. With the 21700 battery still being pretty new, this would be a significant consideration, especially as I don't have a suitable charger. If the MH12S didn't have built in charging capability, then I probably wouldn't consider this torch at this time, as I wouldn't want to have to invest in another charger. I know USB-C is becoming the standard now, but I only have a couple of devices that use USB-C at present, so it's not as if I'm always carrying an appropriate cable with me. 

It does come with a sleeve to use an 18650 or two CR123s, but I'm unlikely to carry it around with me. 

• Ease of use:

Tail cap switch a mode switch behind the head. I've said before that I love the selector ring interface in the SRT series from Nitecore, and have two SRT7GTs, so having to learn the button sequences will be a fun challenge. 

The verdict:

Remember how the 2AA Maglite Mini was the gold standard torch to carry? Earlier this week I saw one advertised online at an army surplus shop, and wonder why people would still buy them, especially at NZ$49. I mean 14 lumens? COME ON! Okay, so they are robust units that last forever, and AA batteries are cheap as chips, and power it for a decent amount of time. Yes, and sometimes one doesn't need to illuminate a rugby field, but Low mode on most of my torches is more usable than the 14 lumens from a Maglite Mini (Yes, I had upgraded my Maglite Minis with the NiteIze LED Upgrade Kit II, which is a more suitable 30 lumens.)

Umm. I'm rambling a bit. The point I was originally going to make was that this torch is shorter than a 2AA Maglite Mini, and has a diameter similar to that of the 2AA Maglite Mini head. 

The MH12S doesn't have the same heft as the SRT7GT, in fact it's less than half the weight (It's even lighter than a 2AA Maglite Mini.)

Nitecore SRT7CT, 2AA Maglite Mini,
Nitecore MH12S, for size comparison.

Maybe it's the twist head of the Maglites to go from spot to zoom and back again that has gotten me accustomed a rotating interface, hence my enjoyment of using the SRT7GT: It's easy to increase or decrease the brightness. This is probably the main thing I don't like about the MH12S: Pressing the mode button increases brightness, until it goes from Turbo to Extra Low.  This is a bit of a hassle when one realises that the selected brightness is too high, and one has to cycle through the brightness levels and start from Super Low. 

Note that the belt clip can be adjusted 
to fit different belt sizes. 

I'm not a huge fan of having to press and hold the mode button as it cycles through the Strobe, Beacon and S.O.S modes, as it's not always obvious when the latter two have started.  This said, these are not something I will be using a lot, and I'd be deliberately wanting to select the Beacon or S.O.S modes. 

The included NTH10 holster is a step up from that provided with the SRT7GT. I do prefer soft holsters with a flap, to provide an extra bit of security, but this hard plastic holster is a very snug fit, and although the torch doesn't quite feel like it fits properly, it is secure.  As a bonus, by inserting the torch in tailcap first, it allows the torch to do a tailcap stand. I do like how the clip can be adjusted to fit different size belts more securely. The holster has been pretty comfortable to wear: I was concerned that it may sit too high, but it was quite comfortable to wear, and pretty discrete. I may have to get a couple of NCP30s to use with this torch, to use on my pack straps.  I really like the larger NCP40, that I use for the SRT7GTs, although I may just dig out my old Nite Ize Pock-its Mini holster. 

The kit comes with a few extra bits, other than the holster and battery. These being a pocket clip, spare O-ring, and a lanyard. The SRT7GT came with a spare rubber button cover, which the MH12S doesn't come with, although I've not yet had to replace a button cover on any of my SRT7GTs, it's not a huge issue I guess. The pocket clip is nice, although I do feel that it may damage the finish of the torch... it hasn't (yet)! I'm not a fan of keeping a torch of this size in my pocket, generally, but this one doesn't make a prominent bulge in the pants. 

The beam is nice and even (one of things I don't like about the SRT7GT is that the beam is uneven, due to the red, blue, green and UV LEDs embedded in the reflector.) 1800 lumens in Turbo does make a statement (although it didn't scare away the cat who wandered onto our property a few nights ago). 

I do like that there are significant differences in brightness between Extra Low, Low, Medium and High.  This makes the memory function more useful (Compared to my Klarus FL1A UV, for example.)  I've generally kept it on Low when using it around the house, and Medium outside.  Other reviewers will post beam shots, so I won't post any, as I'm sure those reading this review would have read or watched several other MH12S reviews before deciding on whether to purchase it or not.

Is that a flashlight in your pocket
or are you just pleased to see me?

Final thoughts:

No doubt about it, this is a good torch. A great torch, even. It's compact, lightweight, bright, and versatile, so it ticks a lot of boxes. 

Does it fit my particular needs? Not completely. It's probably a bit of an overkill for my relatively casual needs: I'm not a military nor law enforcement professional, nor do I consider myself a hardcore user, but I like to have quality, reliable equipment on hand for when I need it, and the MH12S is definitely quality. 

If I were looking at buying a new torch, this would definitely be one of the serious options for me, but my enthusiasm is somewhat tempered by having to take into consideration whether I'd want to add a 21700 powered flashlight to my stable of 18650 powered flashlights. 

I am a little tempted by the newly released 21700 Intelligent Battery System, though, and now that I've got this MH12S, I might consider buying this instead of just buying a single 21700 battery as a spare (Hey Nitecore, I'd be happy to review a 21700 Intelligent Battery System is you want to send one my way!)  

As mentioned at the start of this review, the MH12S is currently unavailable in New Zealand, so I'd have to factor in the cost and time delay of ordering it from overseas. Now if Nitecore were to make an updated SRT5 fuelled by a 21700, then I'd probably just say "Take my money, now!"

Additional comments after four months of use:

I've had this torch as my EDC torch for four months or so, and now it's starting to get darker for longer as winter sets in, I'm able to use it during my walk to the train in the morning.

This flashlight is now available in New Zealand from Torchmonster for NZ$159 and RubberMonkey for NZ$149 (April 2021), which is cheaper I had expected it to be. Not bad, not bad. 

I do like its compactness, its reasonable heft also offers some sense of security in a worst case scenario, whilst still being lightweight.

The 300 Lumen "Medium" setting is pretty much the main brightness level I use, which is plenty to both see and be seen.

I have, on more than one occasion forgotten that pressing the mode button doesn't switch the torch off, but switch to strobe mode instead. Opps.

Pro tip: The mode switch is not always easy to locate, especially with gloves on, so to help me quickly locate this switch, I have rotated the pocket clip to be opposite the mode switch, so when holding this torch, I make sure the pocket clip is along the inside of my knuckles, so my thumb will naturally rest on the mode button.

I've also been using the NCP40 holsters, as I have them on most of the bags and packs I use, and the MH12S fits nicely. 

Going back to the 2AA Maglite Mini theme, the

head of the MH12S is the same as that of the 2AA Maglite Mini, which means accessories fit. I've had the 2AA Maglite Mini anti-roll filter holder attached to the MH12S, which does indeed prevent the flashlight from rolling around too much. I did put in one of the original Maglite orange filters, but the heat generated started to melt it!