Layman’s Flashlight Reviews

Icon Modus 1

The Modus series by aesthetically focused manufacturer Icon is another shot at fusing high technology and practical usability with a look that takes flashlight design to an art form.  The Modus 1, like its larger sibling, with its seemingly cephalopod inspired design virtually guarantees it will garner more in-depth study.

Icon Modus 1

Meat and Potatoes

The Icon Modus 1 is not the same as every other flashlight in your collection. It is not designed to be the rough and tumble utilitarian piece that resides in the bottom of your toolbox just collecting dings until you need it in a pinch. The aesthetics of the Modus designs look like they would be completely at home with the silver jumpsuits of classic Hollywood future. It really looks more like the kind of light you would leave prominently displayed on an easy to reach shelf, where it can both look good and be used often around the house. Its polymer construction would likely withstand quite a bit of use and abuse, but I am not sure how well the appearance would hold up considering its current white/gray color scheme.

The skeletal tentacular design of the Modus series is nothing if not bold. You either love it or you hate it and there seems to be a bit of debate on that front. Equal parts of my circle of contacts fall on either side of that line. Some are completely enthused by it and others immediately express their dislike. This facet of the Modus line falls firmly into the category of personal opinion, and mine is that of rising affection.

The two modes of the Modus 1 are very well placed providing a decent gap between outputs. This is in effect the only difference between the two models in this line. The Modus 1 sheds the excess length of its two celled sibling, but at the expense of the output being halved as well. The Modus utilizes the same circuit as the Rogue 1 so it exhibits the same gradual brightness step down on the high mode. I don’t find myself running into this very often because I don’t seem to use the light on High for very extended periods of time. When it does kick in, it is so gradual that I don’t generally perceive anything, therefor functioning exactly as it is intended, reducing output to maximize runtime while providing no noticeable change in perceived illumination.

The Modus 1 averts itself from the currently traditional reflector design, opting instead for a lens based optics system. As I have said several times before, I am a big fan of lensing because of the overall beam profile. I vastly prefer the fact that the spill beam gradually fades to nothing, rather than providing the tunnel-vision inducing sharp dropoff.

Icon Modus 1

Constructive Criticism

Though the use of lensing does provide the Modus with a much more useful beam profile, it does lack one point that the Icon Rogue series had nailed. The beam of the Modus series is riddled with quite a few rings. Though these don’t really cause much issue with actual use, they do leave serious longing for the completely artifact free smoothness of the Rogues.

The switch used in the Modus series definitely has a more solid feel than I first was expecting after experiencing previous Icon offerings. This time however it was decided to recess the switch most of the way. This location makes the switch a little more difficult to activate but does not at all allow for tailstanding. I believe that this switch should either protrude a little further or should be completely recessed. Half way doesn’t cut it for me.

One last point I have found that could use a little improvement is the threading. Re-attaching the head of the light after a battery change reveals that the threading is awfully fine and relatively easy to cross-thread. This hasn’t yet proven itself to be an issue but I am very glad that I discovered it early so I can watch carefully in the future.

Icon Modus Series

Conclusions

In short, I am the type of person who prefers rugged durability in all my lights. Quality hard anodizing is my favorite finish on a flashlight. I generally will choose function over form any day of the week. The Icon Modus series, however, is my guilty pleasure.

Provided for review by Paul Kim of Surefire and Icon.

The Rogue series of lights is the first foray into the illumination market by relative newcomer Icon. Late addition to the game however, Icon is no stranger to flashlights. Their design originates with Surefire VP Paul Kim, himself an icon to many flashlight connoisseurs.

Icon Rogue 1

Meat and Potatoes

The Rogue series of lights appears to be intended for mass market appeal more than dedicated flashaholics in many ways ranging from their standard plastic clamshell packaging to their complex power regulation scheme that is one of the most unique I have ever seen (more on that in a moment). However being aimed at mass markets has not reduced these light’s effectiveness as quality illumination tools. Rather, choices were made to provide a less intimately informed audience with the best overall user experience they could receive.

The Icon Rogue 1 appears to be a light that has been composed primarily with aesthetics in mind. One look at the Rogue 1 and you see a torch completely set apart from the rest of the pack by it’s daring design. Icon has raised the bar when it comes to flashlight visuals providing an excellent mashup between form and functionality that rivals devices costing many times more. The large open finned design of this light provides excellent heat dissipation while flying in the face of the traditional tubular design of nearly every other light available. Icon’s offering of a splash of color is also a welcome addition to the traditionally monochromatic flashlight market.

Icon has chosen to power the Rogue series using easy to procure AA cells which are arguably the most common portable power source on the planet. The two levels of this light have been carefully determined to give a decent level of illumination for tasks at hand without compromising runtime considering the limited capacities of those cells. The 50 lumen high is bright enough to impress most uninitiated into the true capacities of modern LED lights while still providing an extremely respectable 3 hours of illumination. To those who have seen more than a corner of the flashlight market, this choice is still a refreshing sight because it represents a company that is consciously purposing to put overall usability ahead of a statistic based drag race. The high output is more than adequate for most day to day tasks and the low mode is superb for preserving night vision and prolonging battery life to titanic proportions.

Speaking of prolonging battery life. The regulation style for the Icon series of lights is the most unique I have ever seen. When starting off in high mode the Rogue 1 begins at a very constant level matching their specifications. According to several independent runtime tests however, within a few moments the light begins a very controlled gradual step-down in intensity until over the course of time it finally lands much nearer the low output. This is apparently also a conscious decision as (I am assuming) a method to preserve battery life by assuming that if you are using the light for an extended period of time you likely will not need the brightness as much as the longevity. The gradual rate that the light steps down allows your eyes to continue to be fully adjusted to the light level issuing forth even as it is reducing. The net result of this is that you do not notice the reduction at all. Turning the light off for a few moments and back on again will reset the level to it’s full output once again proving that this is not merely a case of poor regulation, but rather of a unique one.

One arena that the Icon Rogue 1 has not only equaled but rather surpassed many more expensive, high-end lights is, in my opinion, the most important aspect of a flashlight. This reviewer always places high importance on the appearance of the beam since when it comes down to the wire, flashlights are designed for illumination. The beam of the Icon Rogue 1 is one of the most beautiful smooth beams I have come across yet, surpassing even XP-E based lights that appear to be prone to a smoother beam to begin with. White wall hunters will not fail to be impressed at the flawless transition from spot to spill with nary an artifact to be seen.

Icon Rogue 1

Constructive Criticism

This light is a very well contrived device with few glaring faults. Instead I have found myself forced to be far more critical in my dissection to discover flaws or other areas that can be improved. The most obvious of these that has presented itself to me is the choice to use plastic as a window element. I find this to be unacceptable in a light of this caliber. Just the morning of this writing in fact I noticed a collection of small scratches that had developed on the window marring my otherwise perfect beam for life. This was owing to merely transporting the Rogue 1 in the same pocket as my cellular phone. Plastic in such usage is, in my opinion, very short sighted for a device that otherwise exudes quality.

The design of this light, while undoubtedly aesthetically pleasing (obviously, your opinions may vary) does leave the final product with a myriad of relatively sharp edges. These sharp edges likely will prove detrimental to the standard type II anodizing used on this light, and possibly to the willingness of its intended users to consistently carry it. I have not yet been afforded any injury due to the Rogue 1, but I can sense a potential in that direction. Is there a major risk of severe blood loss? No, absolutely not the case. I just can see a few scrapes in it’s future.

One other detriment that occurs as a direct result of the aesthetic design process is that the Icon Rogue 1 takes it’s place as a remarkably large light for only having a single AA cell powering it. The resultant creation approaches such herculean proportions that it surpasses the girth and nears the length of several 2xCR123A lights I have tested. This is kind of a shocking concept immediately after reviewing a light that resides on the polar opposite end of the spectrum yet utilizing an identical energy source. I am not sure if this is something that can be addressed and yet preserve the very qualities that set this light apart, but it is a consideration that should be made.

Icon Rogue 1

Conclusions

In spite of any misgivings I have stated, I find this light to be surprisingly well thought out and executed. I was unsure what the quality of this light was going to be before my review began. I feared that since so much emphasis was placed on design, the function of the light would suffer. I see now that this is not the case. What appeared to me statistically as financial compromises, now present themselves as informed decisions to better provide for the end users needs. The Icon Rogue 1 is an excellent light that I expect to live up to the large amount of use I intend to give it.

Provided for review by Paul Kim of Surefire and Icon.