Review - Sunwayman V20C flashlight

Sunwayman is a rising star on the flashlight "scene" and a company whose products I have reviewed here before, in the form of the M40C. Now, since that original review, what used to be called SunwayLED at the time, is now Sunwayman. I honestly have no clue for the reasoning behind this particular change.
Be that as it may, the light that we are going to look at today is of a slightly different form-factor than the old M40C. LED technology has progressed significantly since the M40C was released, with more and more compact lights using more and more efficient LEDs.
The M40C uses two 18650 Li-Ion batteries (or 4 CR123 batteries) and the V20C uses a single 18650 Li-Ion (or two CR123 batteries), yet the much smaller and far more convenient V20C manages to produce 480 lumens for 2 hrs off that single battery, versus 630 lumens for hours from the M40C off two batteries. So, enough of the jibber-jabber, let's start looking at the V20C, starting with the specs as usual. Fair warning, this is going to be a nice chunk of text.

Features

● CREE XM-L LED, with a lifetime of up to 50,000 hours;
● Digital Sensor Magnetic Control system - slightly twist the Rotator Ring from left to right to select desired mode from super-low current standby, output ranging from 0.5 to 438 lumens, to strobe function:
Max: 480 Lumens (2hrs)
Min: 0.5 Lumen (120hrs)
Strobe:
● Standby current is 50 μA when the light is at OFF mode
● Constant current circuit, constant output
● Effective range of 300 meters
● Uses two 3V CR123A batteries or one single 18650 battery
● Working voltage: 3~8.4V
● High quality reflector maintains great throw distance and spread with an ideal beam pattern
● Dimensions: 134mm (length) x 32mm (head diameter) x 25.5mm (tail diameter)
● Weight: 120g（battery excluded）
● Aerospace-grade aluminum alloy
● Military Specification Type III- hard anodized body
● Waterproof, in accordance with IPX-8 standard
● Ultra-clear tempered glass lens resists scratches and impacts
● Tactical forward click switch with momentary on
● Tail stand capable- can be used as a candle
● Accessories: Metal tactical ring, lanyard, holster, O-ring, rubber cap 

See? Warned you.
So, basically what we have here is a roughly Surefire 6P sized light that has an infinitely variable output that ranges from roughly 0.5 lumen all the way up to 480 lumen. That is using the most recent CREE XM-L LED, although not an XM-L2. Which does mean that we might actually see another revision of this light that would bump outputs up another 20% or so. Or potentially, an easy modification.

Now, if you remember, the M40C also used a magnetic control ring, like the V20C, but unlike the V20C, the M40C's control ring had definitive stops with specific levels of output. There are only three "stops" on the V20C. Off, Max, and Strobe.
The light ramps up smoothly between Off and Max, which you'll see in the video. The video will cover some of my other thoughts on the light as well, and provide a demonstration of the interface. I also mention in the video that the light does not come with a clip, so bear in mind that the clip you see is NOT standard and was re-purposed for that use by yours truly.

The V20C, like all the SWM lights that I've seen, is a shining example of exemplary machining work. 

You can see the stainless steel retaining ring here. This protects the bezel if the light is dropped. The color is normally plain stainless steel, but I heat colored it with a propane torch. 

The control ring is knurled and the flat spot with the arrow you can see here, is the indicator of what setting you're  on. The laser etching is deep and crisp. 

What little knurling there is, is of good quality. Grippy, but not overly abrasive. 

The Sunwayman logo is embossed in the switch cover. Action of the switch is positive and smooth with a tactile and audible click. 

The inside of the tailcap is quite clean. Anodized threads provide for lockout functionality. The spring in the tailcap is gold-coated and has a sibling at the other end of the battery barrel. That makes the V20C very shock resistant and it should perform nicely as a weapons light. 

Of course, machinist' threads are used for the tailcap. 

Without the grip ring in place, the light is a lot sleeker and loses a significant amount of grip. What is nice though, is that the special threading used by SWM for the grip ring, is smooth and comfortable. 

The lens is AR-coated hardened glass. And the reflector, as you can see here, has a medium orange peel texture. 

The relatively shallow reflector of the V20C makes for a quite wide beam, with a large hotspot. By virtue of its sheer output power, the V20C still throws a remarkable distance. 

As you can see, the size is effectively identical to the Surefire C2 Centurion on the right. 

And that goes for the bezel as well. That should mean that most filters that will fit over a Surefire bezel will also fit on the V20C.

This shed is roughly 25 feet away. 2.5 second exposure, 8 aperture, ISO 100.  The camera doesn't quite capture the spill beam, but the center of the beam is pretty close to what I see with Mark I Eye Ball. 

Control shot. 

Overall, I am quite pleased with the V20C. The versatility of a variable output with such a wide range is almost unparalleled. The size is just about right for EDC, as long as you don't mind a full-size flashlight. And of course, as always, the build quality is impeccable. Sunwayman really have their machining down to an art form.

I - as always - have a few minor niggles.

First, while I like the magnetic control ring, the feel of it is not as nice as the one on the M40C. The resistance seems to vary some, depending on circumstance. That could be caused by the grease they're using. Also the ramping isn't the same in both directions. That one is a little stranger. I can't even begin to imagine why the ramping differs depending on direction of adjustment. I'd like to see both of those things be made more consistent. I'd also like to see this offered in a neutral-white LED. And lastly, it really needs to come with a pocket clip. 

Yes, it comes with a holster, which is even a nicer holster than you commonly see, but it really needs a clip. And it's something that would be very easy to add. The one that I put on the light works fine but I will likely construct one out of titanium at some point as a more permanent solution. 

But, other than those minor beefs, the V20C is an extremely solid option for EDC. 480 lumens of clean, white, light is a powerful argument. Sure, you can get brighter flashlights that are about the same size, but then you really start to sacrifice run-time. And none of these other options provide an infinitely variable output in a flashlight that costs less than a hundred dollars. To top it all off, the standby current on the control ring is ridiculously small, much less than most any of the other manufacturers, which also means that you don't have to worry about the batteries draining in a few months, like you can experience with other flashlights that use electronic switching. Of course, clicking the light off at the tailcap completely negates this standby current, so there you have another benefit. 

I will say that it is really nice to see how far Sunwayman has pushed their product development in the few short years that they have been around. I look forward to seeing what they come out with next. 

Definitely recommended.