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

1-Classification- The Coast/Led Lenser Micro Tac Torch is the 1XAAA member of a new series of flashlights introduced in 2005 by the venerable manufacturer of fine pocket lights. For the Micro Tac Torch and it's entire family of tactical torches, LED Lenser has updated the now classic silhouette of it's products from ones that have a uniformly smooth surface to a range of surface treatments that include lightly incised knurling as well as highly aggressive knurling.The Micro Tac Torch is aggressively knurled. In addition, the pervasive and distinctive black button side switches of last year have been moved to the rear at the tailpiece in this series.To complete the tactical look and feel, all these switches now feature a momentary On as well as constant On/Off functionality. The Micro Tac Torch is ideal for tasks with which such lights are associated- finding keyholes or rummaging inside briefcases, purses and other small dark and labyrinthineplaces.It's also an admirably bright near proximity navigation aid. It is not however a truly tactical torch as one might use the term in a Special Forces sense of the word. The 'Tac' moniker must surely refer to it's improved tactility.
2- Geometry- it's a radially symmetrical cylinder.
3- Build Quality- The Micro Tac Torch is made of High Strength Aluminum with matte Silver anodizing. This is a mass production high quality light that is suitable for moderate duty everyday use.
4- Physical Features -The Micro Tac Torch is one of the largest flashlights that fit within the limits of what one might characterise as keychain lights and is one of the middleweightsof the new 'Tac' types. Fine aggressive knurling covers all of the body section and rings the tailsection for sure gripability. The signature LED Lenser vent holes surround the bezel . The activation switch button protrudes unobtrusively from the tailsection and the attachment point ring hole has been moved from it's previous location at the tail section to one side of it instead.
5- Wall Thickness- The aluminum wall thickness of the battery tube is 2mm.
6- Finish- Matte Silver anodized aluminum. The use of aluminum rather than brass is a breakthrough for LED Lenser- making their entire 2005 line of tacticals -very lightweight compared to the weighty brass lights of previous years.
7- Fit- The tailpiece fits well with some roughness and some battery rattle.

1-Controls- The aluminum click On/Off tail switch button is the only control device.
2-Component/Section Accessibility- The battery compartment is accessible through the unscrewing of the tailpiece. With effort the bezel head sectio may be unscrewed from the body section- revealing the tail end of a well entrenched emitter module. The design of the bezel and photon management system is virtually unchanged from previous years- with only subtle changes in edge treatment. The Micro Tac Torch gets a boost in throw / focus from a single glass magnifying lens that's situated at the front of the bezel.This lens serves to project the emitted photons into a bright and narrow spot beam.LED Lenser's proprietary crystal reflector tube system does a handy job of maximizing the throw of a minimum of emitted light within the tight and narrow tube section.

1-Deployment- The Micro Tac Torch’s form factor and size suggest that it may be stowed and deployed in a manner similar to other lights of this category. As is the case with many lights of this type, the keychain that hosts them is often the main 'handle' while the light itself is simply another 'appendage'- one that also happens to be a tool for pointing illumination.
2-Changing 'States'- Focus is fixed at a usable spot type beam. It has no variable focus capability.
3-Usage Options The Micro Tac Torch is just small enough to use as a key chain light for keyhole location . It may also be pressed into service for near distance navigation in darkened rooms, passageways and theaters (as in ...movie, film and stage.. not battlefields)

1-Summary Comments-The Micro Tac Torch is a well crafted mass produced flashlight from a reputable manufacturer of small personal accessories. It's at large end of the scale of the new breed of Tac-tile keychain and pocket flashlights from the largest manufacturer of such niche products in the world. As such, it makes a welcome gift to anyone that wishes to have a user-centric keychain light that's dressy enough to carry with formal attire and yet is rugged and aggressive enough for casual use as well. LED Lenser has finally entered the fray of aggressively textured flashlights with this very practical tactile tactical. With little fanfare, the Micro Tac Torch is also a new 1XAAA battery type entry for LED Lenser - an astute battery choice for an increasingly battery aware niche market within the keychain flashlight space.
2- Outstanding features:
- Excellent fabrication quality
- Highly ergonomic and user centric
- Very reasonably priced
- Good aftermarket support
- Timeless minimalist form factor
- Excellent styling
- Updated switch and terminal hardware
- Astute choice of a unbiquitous battery type.
- Excellent presentation packaging
3-Value. Excellent quality to price-point ratio.
4-Areas Cited For Improvement A) Deserves a smoother beam pattern B) switch tip could benefit from some texturization or concavity C) Does not stand on its tail for ceiling bounce mode

4.75 Stars-Highly Recommended

ABOVE.Direct Beam Shot (DBS)

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

(*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)

(*3) Usability testing results - in progress.

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

• CIIW describes a subject illumination paradigm wherein 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 wherein 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.

© 2005 - 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.

All Photographs © 2005 - Imago Media