Nitecore MT2C Pro Review – Simple, Slim Pocket Thrower

Posted byTactical GrizzlyPosted inAll, NitecoreTags:, , , , , , , ,

Contents

Pricing & Availability

I specifically requested this light for review because I was excited about it. Nitecore was gracious enough to send me this sample in exchange for an honest review. Here is the official product page where you can see current pricing.

What comes in the box?

I like Nitecore’s boxes. The black and yellow theme is a nice departure from the typical Apply-style white boxes many products come in these days. They don’t seem expensive to make either, so I feel like more of the customer’s money goes into the flashlight instead of the unboxing experience. Inside is:

  • The light itself
  • Battery (inside the light)
  • User manual
  • USB A-to-C charging cable
  • Wrist lanyard
  • Spare O-ring

Design & Construction

I love the design of MT2C Pro. It’s elegant, not “tacticool”. The screw-on clip really helps it look sleek. My favorite part is how the head doesn’t flare out dramatically like most pocket throwers.

Build quality is great. Everything feels tight and well-made. The anodizing is my favorite deep satin finish that you can’t seem to get on budget lights.

Size & Measurements

Nitecore MT1C Pro | Nitecore MT2C Pro | Sofirn SP31 V3 | Skilhunt EC200 | Mini Maglite

(All Nitecore) EDC27 UHi | MT1C Pro | MT2C Pro | EDC33 | EDC35 | MH25 Pro

MeasurementMeasured (mm)
Bezel Diameter26.8
Maximum Head Diameter28.0
Length117.7
Switch Diameter12
Lens ThicknessU/M
Lens DiameterU/M
Reflector Hole DiameterU/M
Reflector DiameterU/M
Reflector HeightU/M
MCPCB SizeU/M
LED FootprintU/M
Body Tube Diameter21.4
Tail Diameter24.4
Driver Diameter~21.5
Included Battery Length71.0
Weight with included battery (g)114
U/M means I was unable to measure that dimension due to an inability to disassemble the light

User Interface

This is a simple UI. I like a simple UI, but this one is a little too simple and has one glaring issue.

How it works:

  • On/off: Click for constant on, or half-press for momentary on. Click again or release the switch to turn it off.
  • Modes: It always starts on high. Turn off and back on to cycle between High and Low. A double-tap from off will take you straight to Low, but there will be a flash of High mode first.
  • That’s it. No more levels, no blinkies, no electronic lockout (loosening the head works fine).

What they got right:

  • It’s simple. You can pick up the light, turn it on/off a couple times, and you completely understand how it works.
  • There’s no mode memory. That’s great on mechanical switch flashlights because it’s consistent. It’s easy and quick to tap-tap directly to the mode you want.
  • There’s no strobe. I don’t really care whether a light has Strobe or not, as long as it doesn’t get in the way.

What they got wrong:

  • It turns on high first! Lights with a mechanical switch should always turn on in the lowest mode. That way you can access it without accidentally blasting the area with too much light. High mode would still be instantly accessible with a double tap.
  • There are only 2 modes. That’s not quite enough for something that gets this bright. I find myself wanting something between Low and High modes that’s still plenty bright for outdoor use, but that won’t make the light heat up too fast. A ~2-300lm medium mode would be great, and then Low could be lowered to ~10lm or less for more versatility.

Emitter & Beam

M2TC Pro used a NiteLab UHi-20 LED. I’m not certain it’s exclusive to Nitecore, but no one else is branding it “NiteLab”. It’s an intense round-die domeless 3V emitter that’s GREAT for throw. The color properties are sub-par, but I don’t think high CRI and good tint are important in throwers. I tried to unscrew the bezel but it wouldn’t budge.

The beam is very narrow, possibly the narrowest I’ve seen from an LED flashlight this size. The hotspot is fairly crisp too, with just a hint of asymmetrical corona. The spill is even and relatively dim (compared to the hotspot) but sufficient for peripheral illumination. I love this beam.

In the beamshots below, camera settings are fixed and the wall is 2.8M away.

Nitecore MT2C Pro | Nitecore EDC33 Turbo
Nitecore MT2C Pro | Nitecore MT1C Pro
Nitecore MT2C Pro | Acebeam T35 6500K

In the beamshots below, camera settings are fixed, the basketball goal to the right of the hotspot is 39M away, and the power pole in the center is 185M away.

Nitecore MT2C Pro | Nitecore EDC33 Turbo
Nitecore MT2C Pro | Nitecore MT1C Pro
Nitecore MT2C Pro | Acebeam T35 6500K

Mode Chart

Disclaimer: All of my measurements are taken at turn-on. Lumen measurements were taken on a Texas Ace 3.5″ Lumen Tube. A candela measurement was taken at 10 meters with an Opple Light Master III on the highest brightness, and other candela figures were calculated relative to that. CRI, CCT, & DUV data were taken for each mode from a few feet away at the center of the hotspot with the Opple Light Master and Waveform DUV Calculator. Runtime tests were performed with the Ceilingbounce app on my smartphone. These tests were performed with a fully charged included battery unless otherwise specified. I cannot measure moonlight directly, so moonlight readings are calculated based on the brightness relative to the next-lowest mode. None of this is professional equipment, so take these measurements with a grain of salt.

The official specs are above, followed by my own measurements below.

LevelLumensCandelaThrow (Meters)CRI (Ra)Color Temp. (K)DUV (Tint)
High1600800005606257900.0104
Low5326501005652100.0187
I only tested with the included 18650 battery.

Runtime

Performance is good. High only lasts for 30 seconds before stepping down halfway to ~800lm. Low ran dead flat for 53 lumens for 29 hours and 15 minutes. I didn’t include it in the graph to save space.

Thermal regulation consists of a timed stepdown at 30 seconds to a cap of ~800lm. From there it has active thermal regulation and will adjust brightness based on temperature, but it won’t exceed ~800lm unless you turn it off and back on.

LVP (Low Voltage Protection) is present and works well. When the battery is effectively empty, the light will shut itself off. It doesn’t rely on the battery’s protection circuit and the light can be re-activated in an emergency.

Driver & Regulation

Based on the supported batteries and measured performance, I believe this is a Buck driver. The head is glued so I can’t take it apart for photos. Those two brass arms on the board are physical reverse polarity protection, so flat-top cells won’t work.

Regulation is good/average. It will provide near full-charge brightness down to ~25% charge.

PWM: No PWM is visible to my eyes or camera, nor audible to my ears.

Parasitic Drain: There is no parasitic drain because this light uses a mechanical switch.

Switch

The switch is a forward clicky mechanical covered by a silicone boot. Being a forward clicky allows you to half-press it for momentary activation and fully click it for constant on, but you can’t change modes without turning it off and back on. I prefer forward clicked because I like momentary activation, and I like to tap-tap to the mode I want before fully clicking the light on.

It’s very well protected by a raised ring around the switch so it’s nearly impossible to turn on by accident. Since the switch is so far recessed, it can tail stand nicely.

Carry & Ergonomics

Ergonomics: Holding the light is comfortable in a reverse or cigar grip. It’s got plenty of milling for traction, but none of it is sharp and the flared head and tailcap make it even more secure. Clicking the switch is challenging in a reverse grip though. Half-pressing it is easy, but latching it on is difficult because it’s so far recessed. No issues with a cigar grip.

The clip is excellent. It screws onto the tailcap so it can’t rotate or pop off by accident. It carries deep enough, and the clip lands on a smooth part of the body tube so it won’t tear up your pockets or scratch the head during battery changes. The screws can be removed to adjust the clip tension or remove it entirely.

I’m delighted they designed a bespoke clip that fits this light well. Many lights come with generic two-way (bidirectional) clips that let you clip the light to your hat (even if it’s too heavy). They tend to get snagged on seatbelts and bent out of shape more easily and they often seem too big or too small so they land in inconvenient places.

Batteries & Charging

The battery in the box is a standard 3600mAh 18650 cell. It’s button-topped and has a USB-C charging port built in. Unprotected 18650 cells will work fine too because the driver has low voltage protection, but it also has physical reverse polarity protection. That means you must use button-top batteries. Flat-top cells won’t work unless you have a spacer like this one.

Alternatively, two smaller cells may also work. Two CR123As definitely work. Two 16340s (“RCR123As”) or 18350s can also work, but they should be protected or married together so one doesn’t become over-discharged. Longer 16340/18350 cells like ones with a USB charging port may be too long to fit. Using two smaller cells will reduce maximum brightness to 800lm and ~30,000 candela according to the box.

Charging is facilitated by a USB-C port on the side of the battery. Both A-to-C and C-to-C cables work just fine. The light cannot be used while charging because you must remove the battery to charge it. While charging, a small LED on the battery glows red and will turn blue when charging is complete.

Battery indicator: there isn’t one.

Competition

Here are some lights in the same class and how they compare.

Fenix PD32R: e-switch alternative

  • marginally more expensive
  • similar lumens, less throw
  • a little bit larger
  • USB-C port built into the light instead of the battery
  • cool two-stage silent electronic tail switch

Acebeam T35: dual-switch alternative

  • marginally less expensive
  • similar lumens, less throw
  • a little bit larger
  • USB-C port built into the light instead of the battery
  • traditional and simple dual switch UI (tail for on/off, side switch for mode changes)

Convoy S6 with SFT40 or Osram: budget alternative

  • dramatically less expensive
  • similar lumens (SFT40) or similar throw (Osram)
  • simple tube design
  • fully user serviceable
  • customizable UI
  • battery optionally included
  • no charging solution included
  • no clip included (can be purchased separately)
  • reverse clicky switch (no momentary)

This section is not comprehensive. If I didn’t include a particular light here, it doesn’t mean it’s bad or doesn’t deserve to be here. I simply cannot list every possible competitor.

Conclusion

I’ve been looking for a pocket thrower I like for a long time. I wanted something easy to carry and simple to use with a great beam. MT2C Pro delivers. My only complaints are UI gripes and the lack of a battery indicator.

This is my secondary light when I wear a floody headlamp or want something compact and throwy. I’m delighted to finally have a light that works well for me here. If you’re in the market for a pocket thrower, consider MT2C Pro.

Thanks to Nitecore for sending me this light for review!

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