NiteCore D10

Review by Phil
Elmore

4Seven‘s
NightCore
D10 is a compact, daily-carry, pocket-sized, knurled and
anodized 7075-grade aluminum body LED flashlight that features
programmable
brightness levelss. Shipped with thoughtful
accessories (including extra O-rings and an adjustable
lanyard), the light makes a great utility flashlight that could also be
used for “tactical” applications.
The best part about the D10, in my opinion, is that it does
everything it does powered by a single, commonly available AA alkaline
battery.

4Sevens’ website states that the company’s goal is to provide
“the best lights for
the best value, without compromising quality.” Based on my
experience with the D10 and its Quark
Tactical model siblings,
I would have to agree. For context, the company is also
responsible
for the Fenix line of lights, with which many consumers of tactical and
utility flashlights will be familiar.

The NightCore D10’s technical specifications are as follows:

Power: 1 AA Alkaline Battery

Output Max/Min: 130 Lumens/3 Lumens

Runtime Max/Min: 80 minutes/60 Hours

Light Modes: Programmable Across Spectrum

Length/Diameter: 3.5 inches/0.75 inches

As the battery power diminishes, the maximum output of the
light
also diminishes, but this is common in LED flashlights and the battery
is easily and cheaply replaced. What’s notable about the D10
is
that it’s not just programmable from among set levels of brightness.

I
won’t reproduce the instructions here in writing; you’ll need to read
them with one of these lights in hand, anyway. The pattern
one
taps on the piston tailcap switch determines whether the light enters
minimum mode, maximum mode, or some level of brightness between those
two extremes. Maximum and minimum brightness are always
accessible by tapping the switch a few times (holding it for the
maximum brightness setting). The light can also be ramped
down
from maximum brightness with a couple of quick taps or, if you want to
get fancy, you can hold the switch with the light on and watch while it
adjusts itself from maximum to minimum and back again (giving you time
to stop the process and choose a brightness level).

As someone who’s not the most mechanical fellow in the world,
I had to play with the light for a while before I got the hang of
programming the brightness. The nature of the NightCore D10’s
switch setup makes it easier to program than its Quark cousins, at
least for me, but it’s not as if any of these lights are so complicated
that you can’t manage it. I guess the exception would be if
you
were one of those people who could never program his or her VCR in the
1990s.

Once
you’ve read the instructions, played with the light, and gotten
comfortable with adjusting the settings, you’ll find you have a very
powerful lighting tool in your possession. You can choose the
brightness that is best suited to your particular utility task,
emergency, or self-defense application.

These lights are bright
enough, on their brightest settings, to be used as weapon lights, for
example. By this I mean you could hold the light in your off
hand
and quickly switch on (or click to) that maximum setting, using the
light with a weapon or simply (potentially) to blind (temporarily) an
assailant in low-light conditions.

On the lowest settings, such as
the dim “moonlight” setting, the light is perfect for tasks like
checking your watch in a darkened movie theater (while not blinding
everyone around you, or drawing undue attention to yourself with a
pillar of staggeringly bright white light). Depending on your
preferences, you
could choose one of the other settings along the spectrum between the
light’s lowest and highest levels of output. Your desire to
spare the
battery, extending its life for the duration of a specific scenario,
might drive your choice. Incidentally, the light produced is nicely white, not nearly so blue-tinted as one gets from some LED lights.

Fit and finish of the light is superb.
It exhibits good workmanship throughout, feels very solid,
and
has holes in the tail end that allow the user to affix the provided
lanyard. The piston switch feels incredibly solid and it is
easy
to use.

The utility benefits of such a light are obvious.
The tactical
function of a light used with a weapon is also obvious, and as I’ve
said, the D10 could be used in this capacity. Physically, the
light can only be used as a fist load, however. It’s not
quite
long
enough for use as a yawara/pocket stick as I describe in the book Flashlight Fighting,
but
I have long carried a light of just this size as a daily pocket carry
item. Larger lights sometimes get in the way, or aren’t
compatible
with the mode of dress required. The D10 is a light
that can be
carried all day, every day, in your pocket or hanging from its lanyard.

I can’t say enough good
things about this light. I absolutely love it. It’s
of high
quality, offers features desirable in a daily carry tactical and
utility light, and its programmable brightness levels allow you to
choose the
illumination that best meets your needs. While it may have more
features than some consumers want or need, it is ideally suited
to a great many users who know exactly what they do want in varying
day-to-day, first response, emergency, and tactical scenarios.
>>

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