Zoomable Cree SK68 Flashlight for $1.98

In a whole range of flashlights, it mostly is about the motto: bigger, brighter, better. But if you are still looking for a small version that is easy to transport and also bright, you have now found a suitable companion in the Cree SK68 flashlight.

• Cree SK68 flashlight
  • at AliExpress for $1.98 | Zapals for $1.99  

With this gadget you have a compact flashlight, which still provides a very bright light. With a diameter of 2.5 cm and a length of 8.8 cm, the torch is very small and handy, so that it lives up to its name and should fit comfortably in your pocket. In addition, it is a torch with zoom function, which is also a rare function for its size. This means you can move the lens in front of the LED chip so that the focus changes and you have the light either focused on a point or widely scattered.

The LED chip Cree Q3 with an output of 3 watts provides the necessary light. To the Cree Q3 in connection with the LED driver, which is installed in the SK68, one finds different data to the brightness in the Internet. So I found several values in a range from 80 lumen up to 300 lumen, as it also says in the article description. But you should probably rely on the lower data, as experience has shown that sellers like to gloss over a few technical data in order to boost sales figures. But how bright the lamp really is can be seen in this video, where the zoom function is also demonstrated:

https://youtu.be/bffJkSRmMYw

That’s impressive, isn’t it? Now we come to the power supply, which is possible in two different ways with the SK68. So you have the possibility to run it either with normal AA batteries or with a 14500 Li-Ion battery. If you want to get everything out of the small lightbringer, you should choose the 14500, because it works with a voltage of 3.7 volts in contrast to the normal batteries.

You can find the SK68 flashlight under different manufacturer names. Besides the Cree brand, this torch is also available from companies such as SIPIK or Trustfire. These models are identical except for the brand label and all have the Q3 LED chip. There is a large community around this lamp and many use it to modify it and pimp it up a bit. In this Youtube video you can see for example a modified SK68, which has been changed with several modifications. But I think even without modifications you can get a very small but also very bright flashlight for very little money. If you are looking for different small flashlights, you can have a look at the different Nitecore models, like the Tip, Tube or Tini.