ROFIS Transformers JR30 Rotating Head CREE XP-G R5 1xAA LED Flashlight Review @ ModSynergy.com
By: Michael Phrakaysone
Flashlights have come a long way from incandescent models that are taxing on batteries and not as bright compared to new high-power LED variants which are capable of being powered by popular AA and AAA batteries you can pick up locally.
The flashlight is without a doubt one of the most invaluable tools ever invented in history. This hand-held light source comes in various shapes and sizes, and can provide important lighting in emergency situations such as search and rescue, home power outages, leisure settings such as camping, hunting and anything you can think of.
'Light-emitting diodes' or LED have many benefits over incandescent lighting technology such as when it comes down to heat being generated and exhausted, and the amount of energy being drawn from the battery source reflecting in longer runtimes. LEDs also have much longer lifespan expectancy than their incandescent counterparts, they are generally sold as a lifetime bulb as they cannot be replaced because they are soldered on permanently. You likely still own a few electronic devices that use LED's and are still working till this day, it is not uncommon to hear.
All of the flashlights sold in retail stores and ones I have seen throughout the years have always been the same, meaning the head of the flashlight stays in a stationary position. It's always been like this for decades upon decades. Innovation on this front hasn't been very revolutionary, nothing has really changed. Yes there are flashlights that are either shooting straight forward horizontally or ones that shine at an angle, but none could ever tilt, swivel, or change angles on the fly.
Well all of that has changed recently with LED flashlight technology making it possible for companies to formulate ways to achieve this unique design because of the smaller scale. Not too many companies are doing something like this, it is more a niche product right now, but LED flashlights with rotating angle-head designs have been popping up recently. Today I have one to share with you from Shenzhen based company ROFIS.
Don't worry, I have never heard of ROFIS either, Hong Kong Rofis Technology Co., Ltd. is a relatively new company in the LED flashlight movement, even for most hardcore LED flashlight fanatics they might not have heard about them. Well I hope to share with you about ROFIS, who they are, and what you should expect from their LED flashlight products. Apparently ROFIS calls themselves The pioneer transformable flashlight in the world. Today I share with you about the excitingly new ROFIS Transformers JR30 Rotating Head CREE XP-G R5 1xAA LED Flashlight that sells for about $50USD online.
About Hong Kong Rofis Technology Co., Ltd.
"With the rapid development of illumination industry, the consumers have more and more choices between different illuminating products, Rofis brand came into being in this context.
As the new strength of illumination industry, Rofis Technology Co., Ltd sincerely serve all the consumers with the service philosophy "overturn tradition, innovate for customer" and ensure that every product is most suitable for the consumers.
Rofis brand is established due to the new exploration in the existing markets of illuminating products, we adopt unique technical solutions to meet different illuminating demand from the customers, so as to ensure the customers get more cheerful product experience.
Rofis R&D department has the top structural engineers and electronic engineers with rich experience in the illumination industry, they are dedicated to make the high quality, high-performance illuminating products for the customers, so all the products they designed are so extraordinary. As the first series, Rofis JR series transformable flashlights adopt unique design, not only have the general flashlight function, but also possess the function of the angle light, they are the perfect combination of general flashlight and angle light.
We have been continuously increasing our product series and strengthening our innovation consciousness, we try our best to let the most unique innovation reflected in the most perfect products , we firmly believe that Rofis products will be your helpful illuminating tools and good choice!"
Brand Tale: Rofis, derived from English “Roof Iris”, the Chinese translation is "rainbow", it symbolizes the beauty and Luck. As the national flower of republic of France, Iris is regarded as the "light" flower in France, it’s the symbol of a bright future and freedom.
ROFIS Transformers JR30 Product Overview (Quote Taken from Back of the Box)
"Unique design, a perfect combination of flashlight and angle light. Powered by one AA (Ni-MH, Alkaline) battery, JR30 has multiple functions. The constant circuit can ensure the stability and safety when using it. Plus with the creative side switch mode, JR30 will be your good partner when outdoor hiking, camping and caving, etc."
ROFIS Transformers JR30 Product Features
ROFIS Transformers JR30 Product Specifications
- Cree XP-G LED (R5) with a lifespan of 50,000 hours
- Uses one 1.5V AA (Ni-MH, Alkaline) battery
- 119mm (Length) x 22mm (Diameter)
- 75-gram weight (excluding battery)
- Two modes and six types of output
- Digitally regulated output - maintains constant brightness
- Intelligent memory circuit, automatically memorizes the brightness level when switched off
- Reverse polarity protection, to protect from improper battery installation
- Waterproof to IPX-8 standards (underwater 2m)
- Tactical tail cap switch with momentary-on function
- Made of durable aircraft-grade aluminum
- Premium Type III hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish
- Toughened ultra-clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating
Notice: The above-mentioned parameters (tested in lab by using quality AA battery ) are approximate and may vary between flashlights, batteries, and environments.
First Impressions + Visual Overview
This is my first experience with ROFIS so I was pretty excited to be reviewing a product coming from a new company as it will allow me to discern what kind of company they are by analyzing all the little details from the product box, bundle, to the actual product. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out.
I'm sure most of you who have seen the Transformers movie know what they are, some of you may have children who love the whole series of movies and toy action figures. Transformers are basically alien looking robots that can transform from standing stance to a vehicle form for instance, they can transform into just about any type position on the fly. The ROFIS JR30 I am reviewing today is given that same Transformers moniker. In the case of the ROFIS JR30 LED flashlight, it means that the head of the flashlight can transform and rotate from normal position into other angles simply by twisting or turning to the position you choose, depending on the type of situation and space you find yourself in.
The ROFIS Transformers JR30 comes packaged in a simple yet effective cardboard package that showcases the product through a window. It's a nice compact design that utilizes a smooth touch material on the package, and uses the companies signature black, blue, and orange colors throughout. A tab is located above the package so that it may be easily hung on store shelving. The blue and orange colors are eye-attracting so it will be easy to recognize.
The front of the package contains a small window that shows the actual flashlight, and there is a visual trace outline of the flashlight in regular and rotating head position so you have an idea of how it works, the blue background signifies the light output coming out of the flashlight while the model name text sits on the foreground.
Mentioned up front are key technical features, mention of ratings under new ANSI/NEMA FL 1 standards. Key features are 120-lumens of maximum light output, 75-hours of maximum runtime, beam distance of 80m, peak beam intensity of 1620cd, impact resistance from 1.5m drop, and waterproof and submersible of about 2m deep.
Turning to the back we have the extension of the blue light beam on the back where they mention their company website and address, and brief description of the ROFIS JR30. The side of the box mention Activate Your Wonderful Experience, and mentions that the JR30 can give you a maximum of 120-lumens light output from its CREE XP-G R5 LED, 6 types of output, accepts 1xAA battery, and that the JR30 is capable of conforming to IPX-8 waterproofing standards. Also mentioned is that the JR30 contains a patented head design.
Open the package, slip out the plastic insert and see the revealed bundled items which include the...
- ROFIS JR30 Transformers LED flashlight
- ROFIS branded flashlight holster
- High-quality wrist strap with push lock (paracord-style)
- Replacement rubber O-ring (x2)
- Replacement rubber tail cap push button
- Metal pocket clip (pre-assembled on flashlight)
- User Manual
- ROFIS lineup product guide
I have to give ROFIS credit on the bundle they gave with the JR30 because it's as complete as you can get, everything that you need and more is included; fantastic job ROFIS!
I love the fact that the ROFIS JR30 has a wrist strap (locking type) as this is really an invaluable tool to have on a flashlight, especially for something as small as the JR30. It will surely prevent any damage from possible falls. I also appreciate very much the metal pocket clip which is already fitted to the flashlight body, this proves handy time and time again as I can insert it into my breast pocket or pant pocket without incident. The neat thing about the JR30 is that you can position the clip either way by flipping the battery tube body so it can be used for example as a headlamp on your baseball cap. The other way will conceal it when inside your pockets, very good execution.
I love the ROFIS branded holster that is included with the JR30 because it's of high quality material and design, it's not some cheapie just thrown in just because they could. Material is top notch, stitching is thick and generous, the Velcro flap to open and close really sticks with force, the fitment of the JR30 inside the holster is very snug. The holster can be looped and locked into a Carabiner for instance or on your key chain.
The ROFIS JR30 is an extremely strong flashlight as its made of durable aircraft-grade aluminum alloy, meaning that it can withstand just about every scenario most people will ever put their lights through. With rubber O-rings around the JR30, be rest assured it can be subjected to many environmental and climatic conditions, exposure to severe weather and altitude and come out unfazed. It's waterproof and is able to be submerged down to about 2m deep because of its IPX-8 standards rating.
It also contains a premium Type III hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish on its anodized matte black body. It is also lightweight coming in at only 75-grams without a battery installed. Length wise the ROFIS JR30 measures about 119mm long and about 22mm in diameter, basically conforming to the size of a single AA battery, it fits in the palm in your hand very nicely and handles very easy when in use because of the semi-aggressive knurling it has for your fingers to grip on. The knurling is a diamond cross pattern around the battery tube and end cap portion of the flashlight. It has nice grip to it, though it could be more effective if the knurling was even more aggressive by cutting down deeper. Having this also cuts down on greasy fingerprints from being showcased. The rest of the flashlight tube is smooth surface. The body is fully round and can roll off tables, but due to the metal clip, this does not happen.
Once you've experienced such an aluminum constructed flashlight such as this one, you'll never want to go back to plastic. Not only will aluminum perform better on impact, it acts like a heatsink and will be better for heat distribution and dissipation, whereas plastic flashlights would trap heat in the flashlight and not be as tough. Disadvantages would be under cold weather, the aluminum exterior gets very cold quickly (while running cool at the same time).
ROFIS mentions under their specifications a couple of things that could put the JR30 above others on the market. They claim that the JR30 has safety features that protect against reverse polarity, meaning in the event that you place the battery incorrectly, the JR30 won't die prematurely. LED's can die if run in reverse polarity. ROFIS also claims of a digitally regulated output, meaning the JR30 is supposedly able to maintain constant brightness when under operation. I am skeptical of this claim because all of the LED flashlights I've tested so far, even the one that claims it did have this feature, did not maintain their brightness at a constant level. Only the Lithium-Ion based Stanley FatMax LEDLISL and HIDLISL spotlights were truly able to showcase this feature. So I will see if the JR30 does actually have this, or will its brightness fall considerably against the capacity of the battery under operation. ROFIS also suggests that the JR30 has an intelligent memory circuit that allows the flashlight to automatically memorize the brightness level when switched off and back on again.
The ROFIS JR30 is different from past LED flashlights I have tested because not only does it have the conventional ON/OFF switch on the end cap that can act as the momentary-on button (a forward style clicky), it also features a side dimmer button which can cycle through the two modes and six types of output the JR30 contains. I believe the JR30 has or shares the most about of modes that I have ever seen on a flashlight. You can cycle between low, medium, high, strobe function, SOS function, and frequent flashing function. Some people like it simple and just want on and off, while some others love multiple modes. The JR30 gives you the best of both worlds with the momentary-on button and side dimmer button, you can choose to use one or both depending on how you choose.
Inserting a single AA battery inside the JR30 is simple. Simply unscrew the end cap section of the flashlight to have access to the battery chamber. Pop in the battery (positive pole facing the LED) and close the flashlight with the end-cap. Opening and closing the end cap has moderate noise, you can hear the metal threads working away and it gets harder once close to the O-ring. The spring on the end cap acts as a contact once screwed back on for the flashlight to operate. Threads were lubricated generously.
Simply press the end-cap rubber momentary-on button (a forward style clicky) waiting for an audible click, this turns on the flashlight, or press half way for momentary on (no click). Press and click again to shut off the flashlight. Once the JR30 is on, simply tap the side dimmer button to cycle between the modes. Tapping will cycle between the low, medium, and high settings while holding the side dimmer button for about 2 seconds will enter the 3 flashing modes (tapping once to cycle through the flashing mode), and holding again for 2 seconds will exit out of the flashing modes and re-enter the 3 basic low, medium, and high modes once again.
I don't know how to explain this but the ROFIS has a really neat way of cycling through the different modes. Other flashlights I've tested, once you tap the button to enter between low, medium, high, it immediately gets to that desired brightness. With the ROFIS it is different, when you tap the side dimmer button, the light moderately ramps up to the desired brightness (like slow motion), it's very stimulating to see in person, it's almost like the smooth fading effect in a PowerPoint presentation. According to the manual, low mode is 5-lumens, medium mode is 50-lumens, and high mode is 120-lumens. Like the manual said, the JR30 remembers the last mode you were in and re-enters that mode once shut off and turned on again making it a convenient feature to have.
The JR30 is able to 'tail stand'. Tail stand meaning you can stand it up and have it illuminate the room you are currently in (or even downwards in a camping tent--using the wrist strap). Some flashlights do not have this ability and it's really a great attribute for all flashlights to have.
The JR30 can be taken apart in 2-pieces, one way by the end-cap, the other above the battery chamber allowing you to see the underside of the emitter, you do not have access to the glass lens. The underside allows you to see the backside of the emitter and its PCB circuit which looks very clean and well executed. You also see the golden center contact and outer ring that acts as reverse polarity protection by allowing only the positive pole of a button top battery to be inserted. Placing a battery upside down, or a flat-top battery will not work, as it will not touch the center contact.
One of the firsts that I've experienced on any flashlights I've reviewed is that the ROFIS JR30 Transformer LED flashlight contains a toughened ultra-clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating. It's the first time I've seen anti-reflective coating on any of the flashlights I've looked at in the past, a purple cast is reflected to verify the coating, such as that of eyewear anti-reflective coating. This ensures less ghosting, artifacts or reflections of any kind when projecting light. Looking inside the lens we find the JR30 to have a semi-aggressive case of orange peel effect on the reflector system. The reflector system isn't very deep so this suggest with orange peel, the JR30 should offer more spill lighting when turned on, as opposed to directly focused laser beam-like thrower characteristics, but we'll see.
The main selling feature of the ROFIS JR30 Transformer LED flashlight is indeed the rotating head design. This allows you to angle the flashlight in different positions to suit your needs in certain situations. As seen in the gallery, the JR30 is able to rotate 90-degrees to the right. You cannot turn the head left, only right. But the great thing is that while turning the head rightward you can simply leave it in any angle you choose, it won't move. Just simply hold and twist away.
The slight issue is that, at least on my sample, it can get top heavy that it can tip over when the head is facing rightward if shaken hard enough. This tipping over is caused precisely to how the end-cap was made, it has two sides that are raised above the rubber button and two sides that are not. When you twist the flashlight head rightward and try to leave it standing, the way the end-cap raised sides are positioned is what causes the imbalance and tipping over of the flashlight if you shake it hard enough.
The only reason why it doesn't tip over when the head is angled is because of the weight of the battery holding it down allowing the flashlight to stay upright, but it's still wobbly at this point and can be tipped over should you really shake the surface that it sits on. They should have made the end-cap fully flat throughout, not just two sides, or made the end-cap always screw on in the correct position facing the same direction as the head when angled. This was a bit of an oversight in design. The other way to compensate to prevent any falling when the head is angled is by mounting it somewhere with the metal clip.
Testing Phase
Not only will I share with you my personal experience with the ROFIS Transformers JR30 rotating head LED flashlight, I will seek to determine if the rated lumens is accurate by way of a digital LUX meter. Tests are completed with a fully charged battery in place.
Results - How bright does it shine?
*Lumens Rating Results - Take it as a guideline, not definitive
ROFIS rates low mode at 5-lumens, medium mode at 50-lumens, and high mode at 120-lumens.
- Rated high-mode lumens: 120 lumens, medium: 50-lumens, low: 5-lumens
- Experienced lumens HIGH MODE: 156 (x10) LUX or 144 lumens @ 1 meter
- Experienced lumens MED MODE: 58 (x10) LUX or 53 lumens @ 1 meter
- Experienced lumens LOW MODE: 4 (x10) LUX or 4 lumens @ 1 meter
Beam Shot Images
For these beam shots of the ROFIS JR30, I used my Nikon D50 DSLR with these camera settings. I will be using these same settings for future flashlight reviews to keep a level of consistency for the beam shot portion.
- Nikon 18-70mm DX Lens (shot at 18mm)
- Manual Mode set at f/5.6, 2 second exposure time, automatic white balance
Real-World Usage Comments and Overview
Factoring in the relatively compact size, the ROFIS JR30 performed at high level, it really is one of the best single AA LED flashlights I have tested. It has one of, if not the best beams I have seen. It's beam is literally one of the cleanest and smoothest you will see projected. You see no weird artifacts, no weird rings, no halos, the beam transitions beautifully creating a smooth projection of light. The semi-aggressive orange peel effect on the reflector is one of the reasons why it does so well in this regard, and also the anti-reflective coated glass lens is also another factor that contributes to its clean projection of light. Working together, these components allow the ROFIS JR30 to excel at a very high level. I was and am still highly impressed at how the JR30 performs.
Yes there is great amount of spill light to the light output as expected because of the orange peel reflector, but I was very surprised that it had a powerful center hotspot that allows it to throw far as well, I experienced pretty much what the box and manual rates at 1-meter distance, but saw a slightly higher medium and greater high-mode lumens (I saw 4-lumens low, 53-lumens medium, and 144-lumens high).
The CREE XP-G R5 LED when paired with the semi-aggressive orange peel reflector and anti-reflective coated glass lens produces a very pleasing color cast when projected. It's really truly white, but also has a tiny hint of warmness (yellow) to its color, just the way I like it. Under operation the light gets warm but never hot, despite the warning of 'hot' written on the head of the flashlight.
I love the rotating head how it can angle any way you like, it really came in handy in a number of situations and tight spots. Yes it may wobble a little when the head is facing 90-degrees and tail standing on its end-cap, but I found the JR30 to be really useful in this position and using the metal clip in these position will help prevent any falls. It has easily become one of my "go-to" flashlights in my arsenal.
One of the only other nitpicks I have with the ROFIS JR30 is that the metal clip that is already pre-assembled onto the barrel of the flashlight can scratch the finish of the flashlight if you keep turning it. The metal clip grabs on too tight so you can to be careful not to ruin the finish when turning the metal clip.
I also enjoy as I stated earlier the user interface of the JR30. With the momentary-on button located at the end-cap and when used in conjunction with that side dimmer button, it works beautiful under operation and I appreciate how the light remembers and re-enters the last mode you were in. The side button clicks easily and is not hard to operate. The momentary-on button requires more force but it gets the job done. Getting nitpicky, I noticed that on my sample, the end-cap rubber button had a permanent marker dot on it, so it wasn't completely clean. The replacement rubber button didn't have this permanent marker dot placed on it.
Speaking earlier about how ROFIS claims that the JR30 can maintain constant brightness, well it turns out that it is true to an extent. As it's not a lithium-ion battery flashlight, it loses its brightness gradually like all the other non-lithium flashlights I looked at already in the past. But the ROFIS JR30 is the best of them all as it does maintain constant brightness better (longer) than others. It slowly and gradually gets dimmer once the battery level capacity gets lower, but it can do this for longer periods of time, I think it just runs more efficiently.
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Conclusion
The ROFIS Transformers JR30 rotating head CREE XP-G R5 1xAA LED flashlight is one of the best ones I have tested so far. It offers great versatility as it maintains an innovative rotating head design that works well in many different situations and provides stiffness that allows it to stay in one position, the JR30 also has a great simple to use user interface, and great overall performance providing constant brightness for longer periods of time than I've seen from other similar flashlights suggesting it offers a high level of efficiency.
The way it projects light output with its semi-aggressive orange peel reflector system and anti-reflective coating on its glass lens shown by the purple hue, it just executes at a high level. The JR30 produced one of the cleanest and smoothest beams I have ever seen.
Add the fact that the ROFIS JR30 contains a complete bundle as you can get, it really is something that should be on your shortlist of flashlights to check out.
Yes there were minor cons associated with the JR30 such as the metal clip scratching the body when turning from how tight it is, or the slight wobbles of the flashlight when the head is rotated due to the end-cap design not being totally flush all the way around, or the rubber boot switch being marked with a permanent marker, but those are minor and the positives outweigh the negatives in this case.
The only other potential negative for some could be the price tag of $50. For a single AA LED flashlight, that can be considered too expensive for some, but considering its high performance, complete bundle, craftsmanship, and overall high-level execution, along with its innovative rotating head design, I think the ROFIS JR30 is worth its price and earns our Editors Choice Award!
