I received the MT22A from Nitecore for the review.
The MT22A is a 2xAA flashlight, with an innovative body design: instead of having the AA battery inserted one after the other, vertically, the MT22A has them side to side in the polycarbonate body; while in the head there is a XP-G2 S3 CW emitter.
The body of the MT22A is available in different coloration (I got the black one).
As you can see, the MT22A doesn’t seem like a typical 2xAA light: the body is very compact. Finally a 2xAA light that you can keep in my jeans pocket, even in my shirt pocket.
The polycarbonate body has some bumps and is rounded for better comfort
On the back there is a blackened stainless steel clip, held in place by 2 screws. It allows somewhat of a deep carry.
The light is controlled by the switch on the back of the body
The XP-G2 LED in the small smooth reflector
To open the light you need to press the metal rod on the body of the light, near the head. There is an o-ring on the head, so the light remains IPX8.
The thick metal rod and the inside of the light.
A couple of Eneloop PRO cells
The MT22A has mechanical protection against polarity inversion. The head goes on the body only in one way.
UI
Click once to turn the light on and off.
The light doesn’t have memory, and turns on at high mode.
Click the switch to scroll through high-medium-low-strobe modes, in loop.
Output and runtime
Beamshots at 0.5 meters from the wall
The XP-G2 has a decent amount of throw even in a small reflector.
Thermal Test
My thoughts
The MT22A is well built and finished.
I like the simple UI, with direct access to high mode and good flat regulation.
Personally I would have preferred if the strobe mode would have been hidden.
This way of accommodating the batteries makes the light much more compact and carriable. For people who still shine away from li-ion cells, the only way of carrying a decent amount of output and runtime, is to opt for a 2xAA light.
“Conventional” 2xAA lights are usually long and hard to carry in trousers pocket. The MT22A on the other side, is much more compact. For putting things in prospective, the last 2xAA light I reviewed it’s 27×155 mm, while the MT22A 21x40x81mm, almost half the length. Also, the non metallic body makes the whole light lighter.
The MT22A is a good choice if you are looking to a 2xAA with good regulation, simple UI and more “traditional” form factor compared to the “linear” 2xAA led lights we are used to. Especially for a not flashlight guy, the MT22A with the yellow body can be a really good find.
The only thing I dislike about the light is the releasing pin.
It happened once during many uses that I accidentally depressed it while holding firmly the light with my hand, opening the light. To further prevent this from happening, the metallic rod should be more protected or have a longer travel. I’d like to see the MT22A with a NW tint.
Thanks to: AntoLed for the camera advice, the Thermal Camera and the luxmeter.
