IMALENT MS12 MINI Review
IMALENT MS12 MINI⌗
- Specifications
- Introduction
- Torch in use
- Build quality
- LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam
- Size and comparison
- User interface
- Batteries and charging
- Performance
- Beamshots
- Conclusion
- Price
- Product page
Specifications⌗
| Brand/model | IMALENT MS12 MINI |
|---|---|
| LED | 12*CREE XHP70.2 |
| Maximum lumens | 65,000 lm |
| Maximum beam intensity | 268,600 cd |
| Maximum throw | 1,036 m |
| Battery | 4*21700 battery pack |
| Onboard charging | Yes (19-24V 2A DC socket) |
| Material | Aluminium |
| Modes | 6 |
| Blinkies | Strobe |
| Reflector | OP |
| Waterproof | IP56 |
| Review date | September 2023 |
Introduction⌗
IMALENT are known for their powerful torches. You may have heard of the MS18, or perhaps the new SR32?
IMALENT reached out on BLF to ask if I would like to review anything.
I asked for the IMALENT MS12 MINI because I thought that I would be capable of testing it using my 90mm DIY lumen tube. I was wrong.
The IMALENT MS12 MINI fits at the end of my lumen tube. But it overpowered the light sensor as soon as I turned it on!
I built a bigger 160mm lumen tube and calibrated it with a dozen lights. Now I can test powerful torches. :-)
Here is my video review of the IMALENT MS12 MINI:
IMALENT kindly sent this torch for review. I have not been paid for this review nor have I held back my opinions of this torch.
Packaging⌗
The IMALENT MS12 MINI comes in a large black box with shiny blue metalic lettering. An outer cardboard sheath has an image of the torch while the black box inside has a flap that can be lifted to reveal the torch. It is a really nice box.
The following was included in the box:
- IMALENT MS12 MINI.
- Holster.
- 240V AC/DC 19V 2A plug pack with a plug for Australia.
- Two spare o-rings.
- Lanyard.
- User manual.
Torch in use⌗
The IMALENT MS12 MINI is a pretty hefty soda can size torch. It is pushing the upper limit of a soda can size.
There is a lanyard included but I feel more comfortable holding the torch by the tube with one hand.
The holster has a velcro strap that slips around my belt. It is comfortable to walk around for an hour or so with the torch and holster on my belt.
I have had a lot of fun using this torch to light up the side of a mountain!
I wish that the torch had a hole to mount it to a tripod. The torch gets pretty hot when using Turbo.
The torch can tailstand.
Build quality⌗
The IMALENT MS12 MINI is made of aluminum and has a matte black anodised finish. There are no sharp edges.
I like combination of lines and square patterns on the tube. There is plenty of grip.
Protective film was on the lens. I removed it before using the torch.
The metal button gives a satisfying click. The quality seems really nice. However, I would actually prefer a rubber button because the metal button can become too hot to press (i.e. turn it off while using Turbo).
The threads for the battery pack are anodised, well lubricated, and turn smoothly.
The tailcap unscrews to reveal the DC socket for charging the torch. I have a lot of fun spinning the tailcap.
LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam⌗
The IMALENT MS12 MINI has twelve CREE XHP70.2 emitters and an OP reflector. The lens appears to have an anti-reflective coating.
The torch is sealed fairly well.
CCT, CRI, and duv⌗
I have taken Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) and Colour Rendering Index (CRI, RA of R1-R8) measurements with the torch positioned five metres away from an Opple Light Master Pro III (G3).
The CCT is around 5865K. The CRI is around 69.
The Delta u, v is positive (green) on Low and less green on higher modes.
The beam produced has a white hotspot with hint of green, a small corona, and slightly purple spill. The edge of the spill looks a bit like a flower pattern. At least, that is what it looks like on a white wall at a lower mode. It looks a massive wall of light on High or Turbo when used outside.
| Mode | CCT (K) | CRI (Ra) | x | y | Duv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 5733 | 68.8 | 0.3270 | 0.3478 | 0.0060 |
| Middle Low | 5761 | 69.1 | 0.3264 | 0.3465 | 0.0055 |
| Middle 1 | 5778 | 68.6 | 0.3260 | 0.3470 | 0.0059 |
| Middle 2 | 5859 | 69.4 | 0.3244 | 0.3429 | 0.0046 |
| High | 5957 | 69.9 | 0.3225 | 0.3392 | 0.0036 |
| Turbo | 6104 | 70.6 | 0.3198 | 0.3344 | 0.0025 |
Calculate Duv from CIE 1931 xy coordinates
Dimensions and size comparison⌗
Dimensions⌗
I took the following measurements using a digital caliper.
| Measurement | Unit (mm) |
|---|---|
| Length | 147.21 |
| Head diameter | 85.11 |
| Tube outside diameter | 56.34 |
| Button diameter | 12.85 |
Weight⌗
I took the following measurements using a digital scale.
| Weight | Unit (g) |
|---|---|
| Torch with batteries | 787.5 |
Size comparison with its competition⌗
From left to right: IMALENT MS12 MINI, Lumintop Mach, Nightwatch Chaos NS59v2, Wuben X1
From left to right: IMALENT MS12 MINI, Lumintop Mach, Nightwatch Chaos NS59v2, Wuben X1
User interface⌗
There are five modes in the main group:
- Low
- Middle Low
- Middle 1
- Middle 2
- High
Turbo may be accessed with two clicks. Strobe may be accessed by two clicks from Turbo.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Press and hold for 3 seconds | Turn the fan on or off |
| Off | Click | On (mode memory) |
| Off | Two clicks | Turbo |
| Off | Three clicks | Low |
| Off | Four clicks | Lock |
| Locked | Four clicks | Unlock |
| Locked | Press and hold for 3 seconds | Turn the fan on or off |
| On | Press and hold | Cycle (Low, Middle Low, Middle 1, Middle 2, High) |
| On | Click | Off |
| On | Two clicks | Turbo |
| On | Three clicks | Low |
| Turbo | Two clicks | Strobe |
| Turbo | Press and release | Low |
| Strobe | Press and release | Low |
Mode memory⌗
The torch will memorise the last used mode (Low, Middle Low, Middle 1, Middle 2 or High).
The torch defaults to Low when the battery pack has been disconnected and then reconnected by untwisting and twisting the head back onto the battery pack.
Fans⌗
The fans will automatically turn on when the output exceeds 5,000 lumens.
The fans can be turned on and off manually by holding the button for 3 seconds while the torch is off.
Strobe⌗
Strobe has an alternating frequency.
Low voltage warning⌗
Red indicator LEDs will flash at 2 Hz when the torch is on and the voltage is low.
PWM⌗
I did not notice any visible PWM (flickering).
What I like about the UI⌗
- Simple to use.
- Shortcut to Low from off.
- Shortcut to Turbo from off.
- It’s cool how the fans can be turned on without turning the torch on.
What could be improved⌗
- Direct access to Strobe from off would be nice.
Batteries and charging⌗
Battery⌗
The battery pack is sealed and has four 21700 cells.
I measured a voltage of 16.6V when the battery pack was full.
Charging⌗
The tailcap can be unscrewed to reveal a DC socket that accepts an input of 19 to 24V 2A.
A 19V 2A charger with a centre positive DC plug and an AC plug for Australia was included. The DC plug appears to be 5.5x2.1mm.
It takes about 2 hours to charge the battery pack. That’s pretty fast!
The indicator LEDs at the end of the torch change from red to green when charging is complete.
It would be nice to see IMALENT use USB-C for charging a battery pack.
Performance⌗
Specifications from the manual:
| ANSI/NEMA FL1 | Turbo | High | Middle 2 | Middle 1 | Middle Low | Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 65,000 + 13,000 | 25,000 + 13,000 | 13,000 | 5,000 | 3,000 | 1,500 |
| Runtime | 45s + 40min | 3min + 43min | 48min | 1h 23min | 2h 50min | 4h |
| Beam Distance (metres) | 1,036 | |||||
| Beam Intensity (cd) | 268,600 |
Lumen measurements⌗
Note: Lumen measurements may be off by 10% with my DIY lumen tube.
| Mode | Specs | Lumens @turn on | Lumens @30 sec | Lumens @10 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 1,500 | 2,173 | 2,025 | 1,937 |
| Middle Low | 3,000 | 3,453 | 3,366 | 3,241 |
| Middle 1 | 5,000 | 4,235 | 4,087 | 3,999 |
| Middle 2 | 13,000 | 10,597 | 10,324 | 9,889 |
| High | 25,000 + 13,000 | 24,638 | 23,806 | 9,964 |
| Turbo | 65,000 + 13,000 | 66,064 | 43,650 | 10,075 |
Turbo kind of fell short of 65,000 lumens at 30 seconds (ANSI/PLATO FL1). I measured 43,650 lumens at 30 seconds. But it appeared to exceed 65,000 lumens at turn on with 66,064 lumens recorded.
Results for the five lower modes were fairly close to what IMALENT claimed.
Runtime graphs⌗
I used my own DIY lumen tube with a TSL2591 sensor and forked bmengineer’s project RuTiTe to record runtimes.
The room temperature was approximately 12 C.
Runtime⌗
Here is a summary of the runtime results:
| Mode | User manual | Runtime | Turn off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 45s + 40min | 40min 44s | 40min 44s |
| High | 3min + 43min | 36min 56s | 36min 56s |
| Middle 2 | 48min | 46min 58s | 46min 58s |
| Middle 1 | 1h 23min | 1h 52min 49s | 1h 52min 49s |
| Middle Low | 2h 50min | 2h 37min 4s | 2h 37min 4s |
| Low | 4h | 4h 7min 36s | 4h 7min 36s |
“Runtime” is the time until the output reduces to 10% of the output at 30 seconds (as per the ANSI/PLATO FL1 2019 Standard).
“Turn off” is the time until my DIY lumen tube no longer detects more than 1 lumen.
“+” indicates that the light remained on after recording had stopped.
The driver will limit the output to less than 13,000 lumens when the temperature of the torch body reaches 50 C.
The runtime results were pretty to close to what IMALENT claimed.
The regulation and sustained output is impressive!
Throw⌗
I took lux measurements with a UNI-T UT383BT at 30 seconds. Each mode was measured at ten metres.
| Mode | Specs (cd) | Specs (m) | Candela measured (cd) | Distance (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 5,100 | 142 | ||
| Middle Low | 8,100 | 180 | ||
| Middle 1 | 9,800 | 197 | ||
| Middle 2 | 25,900 | 321 | ||
| High | 63,400 | 503 | ||
| Turbo | 268,600 | 1,036 | 113,800 | 674 |
The beam distance for Turbo at 30 seconds was much lower than expected.
Beamshots⌗
I went to a local park and aimed the IMALENT MS12 MINI at a tree 70 metres away while using Turbo.
Beamshots were taken using a Sony RX100M2 using 3.2", f3.2, ISO 100, 5000K WB.
IMALENT MS12 MINI (Turbo)⌗
Nightwatch Chaos NS59v2 9xSFQ60.3⌗
Lumintop Mach (Turbo)⌗
Wuben X1 Falcon (Turbo)⌗
Conclusion⌗
There is nothing small about the IMALENT MS12 MINI. It is a beast!
The output regulation and the sustained output is impressive. Middle 2 mode produced 10,000+ lumens for 46 minutes.
Did it reach 65,000 lumens? Yes, at turn on. It stepped down to 43,650 lumens by 30 seconds. This is still pretty impressive.
Turbo reached a beam distance of 674 metres after 30 seconds. This is just over half way to the 1,036 metres that IMALENT claim it can throw.
The user interface is simple to use. I like how I can turn the fans on and off manually (they are noisy but effective).
It would be nice if the torch had a 1/4th inch hole to mount a tripod. It gets very hot while using Turbo.
This is such a fun torch.
There are some more beamshots in this video.
Pros:⌗
- Excellent build quality.
- Great runtimes and output regulation.
- 65,000+ lumens at turn on!
- 10,000+ lumens for 46 minutes!
- The fans can turn on automatically or manually.
- Simple user interface.
Cons:⌗
- Lower beam distance than expected.
- The fans sound a bit like a vacuum. They are noisy!
- No 1/4th inch hole to mount a tripod.
Price⌗
The IMALENT MS12 MINI is US$409.95 from imalentstore.com at the time of writing.
It is also available with a warmer colour temperature (MS12W).
Product page⌗
Promo code: DZYJ10YHM
IMALENT MS12 MINI at imalentstore.com (affiliate link)
I may earn a commission if you use an affiliate link or a promo code. This will help fund future torch reviews and tutorials.