Last Updated on September, 2024
The Fenix E35 V3.0 is the third iteration of the popular E35 model produced by Fenix and it’s come to take the market by storm with an impressive max output of 3000 lumens and a ton of new features.
With 6 light modes and a beam distance of 787 feet, the Fenix E35 V3.0 sounds like a dream.
But the question is, does it live up to its impressive product description?
Stick around to find out because in this article, I’ll be reviewing the one and only Fenix E35 V3.0!
Brightness
Beam Distance
Runtime
Table of Contents
About Fenix E35 V3.0
Based in Shenzhen, China, Fenix is among the top 10 manufacturers of flashlights.
They are primarily known for their tactical flashlights, but Fenix lights are also excellent outside this category.
The flashlight I’ll be reviewing today is the Fenix E35 V3.0 EDC flashlight, the third version of the E35 model produced back in 2012.
The first E35 model had an output of 235 lumens, and subsequent versions saw the flashlight upgraded to 1000 lumens.
This 2020 version left all previous versions in the dust with an output of 3000 lumens, so stick around to find out whether this flashlight delivers.
The Basics of the Fenix E35 V3.0
What Comes in the Package?
The Fenix E35 V3.0 is shipped in regular packaging, and you can expect to find the following in the package.
- The Fenix E35 V3.0 flashlight
- A 21700 USB-C rechargeable battery (lithium-ion)
- A pocket clip that is attached to the flashlight
- USB-A to USB-C USB cable for recharging the battery
- A wrist lanyard
- Two spare o-rings
- A warranty card
- A user manual
- A Brochure
Specifications
The following are the specifications of the Fenix E35 V 3.0
| LED | Luminus SST70 |
| Lumens | 3,000 lm |
| Beam Intensity | 14,400 cd |
| Battery Configuration | 1*21700 |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Modes | 6 Modes |
| Blinkies | Stobe |
| Reflector | TIR optic |
| Waterproof | IP68 |
The Light Modes Available
The following are the lighting modes available with this flashlight.
Turbo
This mode has an output of 3,000 lumens and it features a beam distance of 787 ft (240m).
High
With an output of 1,200 lumens, the high mode covers a distance of 492 ft (150m).
Note that thermal regulation is applied to the turbo and high modes of the flashlight and output is decreased to conserve the LED.
Medium
The medium mode has an output of 450 lumens and it features a beam distance of 295 ft (90m).
Low
This mode emits 150 lumens and covers a distance of 164 ft (50m).
Eco
The Eco mode has a total output of 50 lumens and covers a distance of 98 ft (30m).
Strobe
The Strobe mode produces an output of 3,000 lumens.
Physical Dimensions
The physical dimensions of the flashlight are as follows;
- Head: 26.56mm (1.05 in.)
- Body (grip area): 24.77mm (0.98 in.)
- Tail Cap: 25.08 mm (0.99 in.)
- Switch region: 27.81 mm (1.09 in.)
- Full Length: 118.11 mm (4.65 in.)
- Weight with no accessories: 65 grams (2.29 oz.)
- Weight with battery and clip: 142 grams (5.01 oz.)
Using the Fenix E35 V3.0
Handling the E35 V3
The E35 V3.0 sits nicely in the hand, and the additional width of the battery compartment contributes to this.
The side switch is in a convenient and easily accessible location as it’s where your thumb would naturally rest, making operating the flashlight a breeze.
And yes, the flashlight is entirely operated by the side switch as it doesn’t have a tail switch, which might throw some people off.
You can attach the light to your shirt or pants with a pocket clip or a lanyard if that’s more your speed. However, the pocket clip is not reversible, so the light will always point downwards.
You can also use a diffuser to tail stand your light as a reading or bedside lamp, which is always a plus.
The User Interface
The Fenix E35 V3 is operated by a single copper side switch with a circular pattern.
Because the side switch is copper, you won’t be plagued by the usual wearing down of the side switch experienced with silicone or rubber switches.
On the switch is also an LED light that acts as the battery level indicator.
The following is how to recognize the battery status with the LED light:
- If the light is a constant green, your battery level is between 100% and 85%
- Flashing green indicates a battery level between 85% and 50%
- If the light is a constant red, your battery status is between 50% and 25%
- And finally, a flashing red is your low battery warning of a level between 25% and 1%
To access this indicator, you must single-click the switch while the light is switched off. The LED light will also flash red while you use the flashlight to indicate a low battery. This is a handy feature considering you won’t be caught by surprise if your battery dies.
Something cool about the Fenix user manual is that they include graphical representations of how the UI works, which makes it super simple to figure things out.
Regardless, let’s briefly go through how to operate this light.
To turn the light on, press and hold the side switch for half a second.
To cycle through modes, you must click the side switch until you reach the mode you want. The modes will cycle through in the following order: eco mode, low output mode, medium mode, high, and turbo mode.
This Fenix light also has mode memory, so switching on the flashlight will start you off at the last mode you used.
To switch off the light, press and hold the side switch for half a second.
To enter strobe mode, press and hold the switch for 1.2 seconds. You can do this either when the light is switched on or off. Single click the side switch to exit strobe mode, and you will return to the last mode you used (except for turbo mode).
The Fenix E35 V3 also has a lockout mode. To access this feature, double-click the switch when the light is switched off, and the primary LED will flash two times. Double-clicking the switch again will unlock the flashlight, and until then, the flashlight will not turn on.
Battery, Charging and Runtimes
The Fenix E35 V3 uses the Fenix ARB-L21-5000U 5,000 mAh 3.6v 18Wh USB-C Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery.
As its name very ~subtly~ indicates, this is a rechargeable battery. It has a tiny USB-C charging port on the positive side of the battery for you to connect the provided USB-A to USB-C cable and recharge the battery.
There is also a tiny LED on the positive side of the battery for indicating the charge status, with red for charging and green for fully charged.
Getting the battery up to fully charged will take approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.
You can only use button-top batteries because the driver has physical reverse polarity protection. So flat-top batteries are off the table with this flashlight.
Fenix also states that the battery status indicator will not work with batteries not a part of the Fenix ARB-L21 series.
Charging the battery does require you to take it out of the flashlight, and doing so repeatedly can cause damage to the O-rings. However, Fenix provides you with spare o-rings, so I didn’t find it to be that big of an issue.
The runtimes of each mode with the provided battery are as follows;
- Turbo Mode: 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- High Mode: 2 hours and 40 minutes.
- Medium Mode: 7 hours.
- Low Mode: 20 hours.
- Eco Mode: 60 hours.
Build Quality and Possibilities for Modification
The Fenix E35 V3.0 is well built with no wayward rattling and loose parts.
It’s made out of A6061-T6 aluminum and has a black hard-anodized finish to help with durability.
The typical diamond-shaped knurling is replaced with reading in this flashlight, which is how all the new Fenix flashlights are made.
This light uses a Luminus SST70 “Cool White” LED.
The anodization leaves the flashlight shiny, which you might not be a fan of if you prefer a matte finish. Regardless, the finish on this EDC light is done well.
The flashlight threads are lubed, as is the o-ring meant to keep water out. All the other supplements to the flashlight are also well made and sound.
The bezel of this flashlight is presumably snapped in (instead of glued); seeing as how it rotates when the light is rotated, it does not come off or loosen.
This means you can remove the bezel to access the optics and make modifications. There are also two pin holes in the circuit board, meaning you can remove the arrangement with the correct tools.
However, it isn’t advisable to do so until your five-year warranty period is over, and the Fenix store could not fix your flashlight. This is because disassembly will void your warranty.
Price, Refunds, and Manufacturer Warranty
The Fenix E35 V3.0 is currently priced at $74.95, and you can purchase it from their website here.
As mentioned earlier, Fenix offers a five-year warranty period. Within these five years, they will repair your light for free. After the five years is up, Fenix will charge you for the parts required to fix the light.
The pocket clip, battery, and lanyard have a one-year warranty period.
Fenix will replace the product within the first fifteen days of purchase.
Customer Reviews
This EDC flashlight has glowing reviews on both Amazon and the Fenix website, with a rating of 4.5 on Amazon and the Fenix website.
User comments praise the light for the immense brightness produced despite the light’s compact size and go so far as to dub it the “finest EDC/EDU product on the market.”
However, there are a few criticisms of the light in these comments. These include the lack of a tail switch and that the light rises in temperature after the first few minutes of use in the turbo and high modes.
Equally, many people don’t seem to mind the lack of the tail switch and praise the flashlight’s simple UI. Concerning the latter issue, the light level does drop after a bit to combat the heating.
The E35 V3.0 is also praised for not having a port for charging on the light itself. This is mainly because the port is better protected this way.
It also means that if your charging circuitry goes haywire, you only need to replace the battery instead of the whole light.
Pros and Cons
Pros
3000 Lumens
I loved this light’s maximum high and stable output of 3,000 lumens. It is super bright and perfect for any purpose as its TIR lens provides a flooding light and a suitably pronounced hotspot.
A Rechargeable Battery
The rechargeable battery is very convenient, as is having the port for charging on the battery. This better protects the port, and you must replace only the battery if anything goes wrong with the circuitry.
Compact In Size
The weight of this light is 65 g (2.29 oz.) without the battery, meaning that it is very lightweight considering its power.
High Build Quality
The E35 V3.0 is built exceptionally well and is highly durable, considering that it is waterproof and has a cold resistance of -35°C to 45°C.
Cons
No Direct Access to Turbo Mode
Something this flashlight lacks is a way to directly access turbo mode, as cycling through the modes can be a bit inconvenient and time-consuming.
No Moonlight Mode
The eco mode (the lowest mode in this flashlight) is 50 lumens, which is still too high to use as a moonlight mode. There should ideally be a mode of fewer than 5 lumens in an EDC flashlight.
No Tail Switch
As I mentioned earlier, this can be a downside for many people because accessing the side switch may be more challenging than reaching for a tail switch.
I didn’t find this to be a huge issue but keep this fact in mind if you are partial to the tail switch.
Other Fenix brand’s flashlight reviews:
Final Thoughts
To sum up, the Fenix E35 V3.0 is a great flashlight, and I loved using it!
It does have a few downsides (what flashlight doesn’t?), but its positives more than make up for it.
The UI is easy to use and adapt to, making this EDC flashlight perfect for its purpose.
I hope this Fenix E35 V3 0 review helped you figure out whether this is the flashlight for you and if you think it is, you can purchase this light from the Fenix website here.
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