Dimensions & Weight
Case Material
Case Features
Case Access Type
Switch Type
Reflector Type
Lens Type
Bulb Type
Circuit
Beam Type
Beam Characteristics
Overall Output
Nominal Color
Battery / Power Type
Battery Life (advertised)
Environmental Protection
Accessories
Special Items of Note
Warranty
Retail Availability & Cost

- Sleek and industrial aesthetic. A contemporary hand-held flashlight. Geometry is a bi-laterally symmetrical round cross-section/featuring 2 opposing flat milled sections, strategic & functional grooved accents.
- Entire flashlight profile is geometrically a nearly uniform diameter cylinder with cut-in (turned & milled) accents.
- The flashlight feels small and very lightweight, even with a battery- and yet it's not so small as to be difficult to manipulate with a large or medium sized hand. This is not however a 'fingertip' sized flashlight.
- The aluminum wall thickness of the battery tube is 2 mm.
- All sections fit precisely and threading action is fast & smooth.
- Anodizing throughout (presumably) makes highly corrosion resistant -it exudes detailed quality.
- There is no 'play' or rattle anywhere. 'O' rings provide shock absorption, a snug fit and a seal against the elements- especially water.
- Rugged look & feel with handsome and minimalist contours. It reminded us of the Hummer automobile and the milling suggests that this light would make a nice partner to the Extrema Ratio 'Nemesis' -folding knife. As such, its as elegant in a briefcase or purse as it would be reliable on the battlefield or a campsite.

1- Ambidextrous. Even more pleasant to hold than to behold
2- One half of a palm completely surrounds the smooth round body of the Micra , with the thumb and first or second fingers- naturally locating the flat milled 'cut-ins' at just behind the head-section.The body of the light fills 1/2 of a medium (*1) sized palm. Its ideal for smaller hands but eminently hold-able by medium or large hands as well. A 'forward hold' on the head section may be used with third finger fitting naturally into the underside flat cut-in. It may be hand-held in various positions including: Harries Flashlight Technique,Rogers hold, forward, upward and downward pointing 'standard' flashlight hand-held modes. The lack of customary knurling over the body section is a refreshing departure from the norm (our tests have shown that knurling shinny anodized metal does not always yield a better griping surface) and is more than compensated for by the grip-ability of the cut-in flat-milled sections. Large grooves cut circumferentially into the tail cap section further aid gripablity.
3-One deep groove cut-in at the rear of the head may aid 'indexing' (by aiding in head or tail identification in total darkness) as well as performing the cooling fin function of dissipating heat away from the LED capsule and reducing surface temperature where a hand may otherwise experience discomfort. An imprinted warning on the head section reads 'Caution: Hot Surface' and the international symbol for 'Hot Surface' is imprinted above that.
4-Two attachment points on the tail cap- allow for a variety of attachment options.
-- One 1/4"X20 threaded hole positioned at one side edge-90º to the tail cap switch is suitable for tripod/monopods or other 1/4X20 connection
-- One 1/8"D (3mm) smooth & round lanyard hole is positioned diametrically opposite to the side-drilled 1/4X20 threaded hole and is suitable for a ring, spring-clip or cord lanyard attachment
5- Thanks to a fully inset click switch activator button on the tail cap, and coupled with extreme light weight and a very low center of gravity ( dead-on at the midpoint along the length of the light), 'candle/ceiling mode' are extremely stable with this flashlight.
6- No other native mounting options for fire arms use are evident, though the mid-section may allow for dedicated clamping brackets or other improvised and custom designed attachment solutions.

1-Anodizing protects a satin smooth surface that is finely machined along the body section with a series of micro-grooves that make the surface 'feel' like it has a finely tooled pattern engraved into it. It's a pleasure to experience this signature of the manufacturing process. The so-called 'Hard' anodizing doesn't have a glossy look or slippery feel as sometimes is the case with flashlights. As mentioned in the section (Ergonomics & Mount Options), The light's contours and machined profile seem designed to be held securely in one's hands or even between fingers in a 'Cigar' hold or 'Rogers' grip. We did not perform a 'pull' test but it was obvious that the light was both extremely easy to manipulate with one hand - and not about to slip away from it's operator- due to a slick surface.
2-The lack of a holster (useful for protecting the light and especially its lens) is more than made up for by the attachment points previously cited. As such it operated extremely well as a 'tethered' light- hanging from this reviewer's personal neck lanyard (via a 'lobster claw' clip + split ring)- and was at the ready and not easily losable or drop-able. An included-accessory wrist lanyard with a high quality clip may well help to keep the light attached to its operator in cases where an inadvertent loss may occur. A coiled & tangle- free lanyard is offered as an additional accessory for those that prefer to tether the light away from their neck. No neck-lanyard is currently offered by Longbow. In addition, Longbow are releasing a 'Button' style belt clip for belt carry - a belt-carry solution borrowed from the mobile phone industry .Since the Micra is abut the length of many cell phones, this hang-clip should be a good accessory for those that prefer quick-access from a belt rather than from a pocket or sheath.
3- The lightness and highly compact form factor make it suitable for pocket carry (depending on the type of pocket). It may also be used as a small Kubotan/Baton light . It is certainly suited for outdoors, water-sport and rough environmental exposure- where reliability and toughness are of paramount importance.
4- In using it continuously for a 1/2 hour in 66ºf ambient , I barely sensed that the head was too warm to touch by any means. I suspect that the warning imprinted on the head is more to protect against potential liability than as a caution of any significant heat issue.
5-The tail cap (click On/Off) switch requires a focused and firm press of a finger or thumb for activation. However, the switch is user adjustable for 'feather-touch' momentary activation and a lighter switching 'On' tensioning.
Steps for adjusting the Click On/Off Switch.
* Remove the entire tail-cap from the body of the light by unscrewing it till it separates from the battery compartment.
*With the tail-cap firmly held in one hand, use the thumb of your free hand (no finger-nails!) to very firmly push the black rubber button in (it will click) until the entire switch mechanism feels like it's moving through the opposite side of the tail cap. This may require very firm pressure!
*Once the mechanism is completely out, remove the large conical-shaped coiled spring from it's 'seat', and set it aside.
*The rubber switch cap easily comes off to reveal the white plastic switch mechanism itself.
* Looking downwards at the button, turn the surrounding- white plastic crown anti-clockwise a few degrees (+ or - 20º ) inside its surrounding metal collar- to affect a noticeable degree of 'lightening' of the click switch tension.
*Conversely, turning the crown clockwise in the metal ring results in a 'hardening' of the switch tension.
-Re-assemble the switch by replacing the rubber switch cap and re-inserting the switch mechanism- with a firm but careful push of a strategically positioned thumb or finger.
Once it's properly re-seated, replace the spring (wide end down) and make sure to properly seat it into it's dedicated inset cavity . This is important! If this step is too tricky, then back out the process and properly seat the spring before the switch is re-inserted into the tail cap.
-Finally, re-screw the entire tail cap, and enjoy the adjusted click-switch. One or more re-adjustments may be required to fine-tune the switch button's travel/tension.
6- As referenced in the section on Affordances, switch activation is a click toggle between On & Off with a momentary functionality for signaling, tactical and brief lighting tasks.
Tail cap push-button type switches, such as the one on the Micra, facilitate easier single-handed operation as well as afford the use of momentary 'On' mode, arguably a useful option in certain situations where a brief, energy saving burst of light- followed by a return to ambient lighting is the preferred scenario. As an example, on a recent walk with this light I turned it 'On' about 8 or 9 times in the course of 10 minutes - doing so for a mere 15 seconds or so each time. The momentary use is more discrete and battery saving, given the brightness of the Longbow Micra's emitter. In tactical situations, brief bursts of light allow for quick 'clearing' of spaces without projecting or telegraphing the operator's position for too long.
7- Because the Longbow designed tail cap has two attachment points, several tethering options are possible.
8- A conspicuous advantage of the inset (nearly flush-mounted) switch activator button is the fact that it allows for controlled and protected low-profile activation. It doesn't necessarily take a 'poke' to make the switch work. Even the 'flat' of a thumb or finger will activate it momentarily. And yet, the inset allows for secure upwards-pointed placement of the light on an even and level surface.
9- The color of the 'Olive Drab' sample Micra we reviewed is actually more of a warm & dark olive gray- The colors Anthracite and Carbon spring to mind. Its nearly identical to Pantone Matching System color #405(MC)(*4). This nearly neutral Gray camouflages & blends in well with a variety of 'Olive Drab' or 'OD' products that we sampled at a local military surplus store. It also compliments warm grays,breen or greenish browns,titanium,carbon,bronze,gold,brass,raw aluminum,black, tan, sand and white.

1- The beam is square shaped, though with softer edges than we've seen from similar optics/lights. The narrowness of the 6º hotspot capitalizes on the clean brightness of a premium Bin 1 Watt Luxeon emitter, while still delivering a useful spill of around 12º beam angle. I would characterize such a beam as 'tactical' -as its very similar to the beams put out by several tactical weapons lights. It would serve admirably for search/rescue, ems, law enforcement, military and extreme outdoor sports.
2- The square-shaped beam didn't affect our ability to use this light normally for searching or to create ambient room lighting through ceiling bounce or candle mode modes. It creates a subject illumination in a category that we've codified as a Context Inclusive Illumination Window (CIIW) as compared with a Context Exclusive Illumination Window (CEIW) (*5)
3- For one test, I mounted the Mini (a larger sibling the Micra) in my preferred holder- a Nite-ize headband, and ran a local woodland trail for 2 miles. It easily illuminated the blue blazing on trees as far away as 320 feet (about 100 Meters), creating a subject circle of about 2 meters in circumference.
4- The beam lacks any artifacting or anomalies that might adversely affect the judgment of illuminated subjects at normal distances for this type of a light. Simply put - it works perfectly -right out of the box.
5- While the supplied optic is probably ideal for a wide range of uses- accessory heads extend the functionality of the Mini to more specialized contexts- a welcome approach to user and task centered design.
6-To test the throw of the Micra, we conducted a Maximum Distance for Object Identification or MDOI (*2) trial and managed to confidently differentiate our test subject (a Black 33 Gallon (124Litre) Trash Bag) from its immediate surroundings, from as far away as 140 feet (xxx Meters) with the subject area in near total darkness and the evaluators and flashlight in a moderate level of street sodium vapor ambient lighting. This test simulated a person searching for an object of known size -a person for example- but located in an unknown or difficult to spot container -a black trash bag, for example. From 140 (xxx Meters) feet away, the Micra positively lit up the vegetation surrounding our subject enough to clearly distinguish it from the Black 33 Gallon Trash Bag, that lay on the ground.The estimated contrast ratio was 3:1
7- The hotspot or 'focus' of the beam from the Micra we reviewed was noticably off-center from the rest of the beam. A slight anti-clockwise unscrewing of 90º or so re-centered the hotspot but with a very slight 'softening' of its intensity. This variance may be a function of how the emitter dies are centered in the LED during manufacturing the modules. Unscrewing the head a couple of degrees should not adversely affect waterproofness and it brings the hotspot back into the center of the beam. We judge this anomaly it to be a quality control oversight or alternatively, an acceptable margin of imperfection commensurate with the price-point for this high value added product.
Beam-shots Page >>

1- Our conclusions for the Micra were similar to those that we arrived at in evaluating the Mini. The designers of the Longbow Micra and it's packaging, clearly spared no expense in talent or materials. We suspect that a lot of these flashlights might well be marketed through the high-end retail channels and we see them being offered as gifts.The Micra crosses age, gender and life-style stereotypes, to fill a niche in the personal tools market that is either served by an obscure (even if elite) cadre of custom light makers, or is otherwise populated by attractive but otherwise inadequate mass market pocket lights. The build quality of the Micra, coupled with respectable performance, frames a picture of a handsome, rugged, virile and well dressed flashlight-small in stature yet able to punch light into the darkest labyrinths or to reach out across a distance and illuminate an obscure subject. (*4)
2- This light provides intense 'close-up' illumination and it delivers a bright diffused overhead light when used in ceiling/bounce mode (optics on- pointed at a light colored ceiling). For close-ups there are lights that contain variable resistors and circuits to reduce the output to manageable levels. Another option would be for Longbow to offer an accessory Lantern Attachment or Filter that would diffuse light from the stock optic, without the need for removal of the head assembly
3-Value. With new flashlights in the 1 & 2,CR123 / 1W Luxeon market space -being released weekly- it's hard to define a relative value when comparing non-comparables. At this point in time, the Longbow Micra rates as our top choice in it's price and quality class - for it was hard to fault the package or product. We've award it 5 stars out of a possible 5 stars.
4- Our minor gripes were... A) Off centered hotspot or 'focus'

5 Stars- Highly Recommended-Best In Class

Accessory Booster Head >

Footnotes:

(*1) Medium Men's glove size- Also, a Standardized Flashlight Hand Size Metric (SFHSM)

		Small A-B = 4.5" or Shorter
		Medium A-B = 4.5"-5"
		Large A-B = 5"-6"
		X-Large A-B = 6" and Longer

In addition, Standardized Flashlight Hold Positions (FHP) will be established soon.

(*2) Maximum Distance for Object Identification (MDOI). The maximum distance that a person without the aid of magnification-can with normal or corrected vision, under a given ambient level of light, identify an object of known size, and clearly distinguish it from its surroundings. We have tentatively identified the following scenarios for such measures:

• A single average sized person/body identification scenario
  • Urban (city, inside buildings, dark alley, lit streets)
  • Rural (countryside,farm residential backyard)
  • Environmental (dessert, woods, wetlands, over water)
  • Natural & manmade disaster (fire, flood/mudslide,earthquake, hurricane /tornado,bombing scene, collapsed structure etc)
• Small Inanimate Object (smaller than a shoe-box)
• Medium Inanimate Object (Black Plastic 33 Gallon (124Litre) Garbage Bag stuffed with a big sleeping bag)

(*5) Context Inclusive Illumination Window (CIIW) as compared with a Context Exclusive Illumination Window (CEIW) .

• CIIW describes a subject illumination paradigm weherein the illumination target is the focus of the beam's brightest disc or 'Hotspot' and peripheral objects to the target are more dimly illuminated in a larger disc that surrounds the focus or hotspot. This outer region is also referred to as a corona or penumbra.
• (CEIW) describes a subject illumination paradigm weherein the illumination target is the focus of the beam's brightest disc or 'Hotspot' and peripheral objects to the target are not sufficiently illuminated to be easily discernable at the periphery of subject beam's focus or hotspot.

© 2004 - Imägo Metrics - All Rights Reserved
Original standards designations (including acronyms) depicted in this, as well as all of our evaluations are the exclusive intellectual property of Imägo Metrics LLC and subsidiaries. Reproduction without prior written permission is strictly prohibited

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