I reviewed the Sofirn SP36 back in 2019, and this is the updated version of the SP36 Pro. So instead of this being a full review like I typically do I am going to go over the differences that the Pro has over the standard version, mainly being the different LED’s, increased output, and different UI. Thanks to Sofirn for being understanding on this review, it took longer than expected with life getting in the way. They have provided a coupon on where you can find the SP36 and SP36 Pro for a discount in the description below.
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Accessories
The light ships with options of including batteries or not, mine came with batteries. Everything else here was the same as before.
LED
The light is using 4x SST40 LED’s. It’s available in a 5000k or 6500k tint. The non pro was using Cree XP-L2. The difference in the beam shot is the SST40’s are a bit brighter at 8000 lumens, so an additional 2000 lumens and a little more throwy, more on par with the original Q8. It’s still a pretty floody beam with some artifacts around the edges, pretty normal for this type of reflector. The beam has a pretty defined hotspot and no noticeable tinges at lower powers.
Runtime
Since the light is running Anduril I highly recommend you calibrate it. I did that on this when I first got it, it resulted in longer runtimes. Below is a graph comparing the two runtimes with the lights different emitters. This graph compares 100%w output with each light, so this isn’t a comparison of brightness, it’s really a graph of runtimes plotted against each other with the relative outputs being equalized. While the batteries are not the exact same (Sofirn batteries in the Sp36 Pro, vs 30Q in the SP36) they are similar.
For me the big takeaway is that running Andruil on the calibrated SP36 Pro the outputs are more active and can step back up as the light cools off, resulting in a more efficient output (along with the different LED’s). The result is more usable light for longer and the tail end of the graph shows that si there is 15-20% more light.
UI
The Pro here is running running Andruil firmware vs the standard light’s Narsil M firmware. I won’t take a ton of time to explain Andruil 1.0 because I think a lot of people are familiar with it. It’s complex and flexible for your needs, ramping or stepped. My advice would be get the diagram and take some time to learn it.
Charging
No changes on the charging to report here. Still requires a USB-A to C cable to charge. Max changing speed is 1.86A.
Conclusion
The Sofirn SP36 Pro is an enthusiast light, and a nice little upgrade over the standard SP36 with the additional output and switching over to Andruil 1.0 Firmware. It’s like a scaled down BLF Q8 with still a ton of power and Andruil firmware. The SP36 and Q8 are still my favorite can style lights, the SP36 Pro is a nice edition that I can recommend if you want a little more output and tint options too, and don’t mind the complexity of the Andruil firmware. Overall a good light at a good value price.