Fenix make some very bright torches, and their latest rechargeable RC40 2016, is their most powerful one to date.
It can deliver up to 6000 lumens which is unbelievably bright. To put it in context, a car headlight is around 1000 lumens, and an old 6D Maglite with fresh batteries puts out around 160 lumens.
The torch comes in a hard plastic carry case, with a mains charger, car charger, shoulder strap and some spare dust covers for the power ports.
The mains charger is pretty fast, outputting 3.5A which will completely charge the torch is under 4 hours. A USB charging port would have been nice, but charge time would be almost doubled so I can understand why Fenix have gone this route.
The included 7.4V 7800 mAh rechargeable battery can be purchased separately, but does have to be charged in the torch itself.
The first things you’ll notice when you remove the torch from its case, are its size and considerable weight. The torch weighs 1240g, and the head of the torch with its 6 LEDs is huge; almost 11cm in diameter. But the build quality is excellent, with the all-aluminium components nicely machined and finished.
The torch comes with a shoulder strap, which you’ll be very grateful of if it’s going to be carried for any length of time.
In use
There are 2 buttons for controlling the output of the torch. The main switch (counter-intuitively to me at least) on the right turns the torch on with a press and hold of 0.5s, and then cycles through the various brightness levels:
- Eco mode: 45 lumens (125 hours)
- Low: 500 lumens (18 hours 50 minutes)
- Mid: 2000 lumens (4 hours 5 minutes)
- High: 4000 lumens (1 hour 50 minutes*)
- Turbo: 6000 lumens (1 hour*)
The last used mode, like with nearly all Fenix torches, is remembered when you next turn the torch on. In the “turbo” and “high” mode, the torch will drop down a level if the torch reaches over 65°C to protect the LEDs.
A press of the left switch will operate the 2 flashing modes (strobe and SOS), and a single press of the right button will return to the previous standard mode.
Holding down the two buttons for 3 seconds will lock (and unlock) the torch, so it can’t be accidently switched on.
The LEDs are well recessed behind a toughened lens, which enables the torch to throw an impressive 730m beam and makes the torch a great search light.
Additional features
The bottom of the torch has a battery level indicator activated by pressing the black button once. Underneath is the port for charging the torch off the mains or car charger, and below that a USB port for charging your gadgets using the 15600mAh capacity of the internal battery.
I tried this charging the Parrot Cargo mini drone which has a nice feature in its accompanying app that shows the actual charge it’s taking.
The app displays either a low, moderate or fast charge, and you can see below the torch is able to charge the drone at its maximum rate. The 3A is an exaggeration but it’s still reassuring that you can charge some more demanding gadgets too using the torch’s built-in charging port.
The torch is also waterproof to IPX8 like most of Fenix’s torches, which means it can be submersed in water to a depth of 2m for 30 minutes and is impact resistant up to a drop of 1m. I’ve not tested this torch against these two claims, but I have many Fenix torches that I have used and abused for years which haven’t skipped a beat.
Beam shots
Conclusions
Pros
- Huge 6000 lumens maximum output
- Usual Fenix build quality
- Waterproof to IPX8 and impact resistant to 1m
- Rechargeable with fast mains charger and car charger included
- Replaceable battery
- Charging port for gadgets
- Decent case, shoulder strap and thoughtful inclusion of spares
Cons
- Heavy at 1240g (but to be expected)
- Not rechargeable via USB, although see notes above
- A charging dock would be a nice addition, even if optional
- Other battery options would be nice
- No tripod mount
Overall the Fenix RC40 2016 is a fantastic torch, capable of delivering a very powerful maximum output. The only real two negatives are the price and the weight and these both need careful consideration.
I would imagine the torch would have major appeal in two areas: emergency services, where the combination of powerful search beam and long battery life on lower (yet still bright modes) would be very useful.
And torch aficionados who just want the brightest torch they can get their hands on – and why not!
If you have found this article useful please consider clicking on the link(s) below. You pay the exact same price and it’ll enable me to keep these articles coming! Please note, this torch is not generally available on Amazon but is available in my retail shop, so I’m linking to my website on this occasion. But that does not sway my review in any way.
Any questions, please ask away in the comments section below.
A brilliant video, clearly showing the features and versatility of the torch. Very good the way you compared to torches, etc., that people would already have familiarity with, to put it in context.
Very well written and comprehensive article too.
Thank you for your comment! I’m glad you found the article useful.
Really clear demonstration – even a non-technical person like me could understand it! Thank you.
How did you guys get a 15,600 mAh battery as your review states? Everywhere I look it’s a 7,800 mAh battery and I would think Fenix would have correct this as I’m sure they know it’s a mistake and wouldn’t want false info out there?
In the article it states the battery is 7800mAh which it is. I also mention the correct capacity of the battery in the video too, so not sure where you got 15600mAh from?.
Outstanding review. Greatly appreciated.
Re query over internal battery, in report it states (copy text) “USB port for charging your gadgets using the 15600mAh capacity of the internal battery.”