Last Updated on November, 2024
I couldn’t have been more excited to get my hands on the Nitecore MH12 Pro flashlight.
After all, Nitecore is an award-winning manufacturer, and their Multitask Hybrid (MH) series always delivers on power and performance.
How do you not get excited when you hear 3,300 lumens?
That’s brighter than any flashlight I have at that size. But is that enough to make the MH12 Pro the top dog in my flashlight collection or yours?
Let’s get into this Nitecore MH12 Pro flashlight review and find out, shall we?
Table of Contents
Specifications
The specs on the MH12 Pro look like this:
LED | NiteLab UHi 40 LED |
Battery | Nitecore 5300mAh 21700 Lithium ion |
Switch | Tail Switch, Side Switch |
Body | Anodized Aluminum with HA III Military Grade Finish |
Components | Clip, Holster, USB-C charging cable, Battery, Spare O-ring |
Max Beam Distance | 505 Meters |
Max Lumens | 3,300 Lumens |
Max Runtime | 650 Hours |
Beam Intensity | 63,500 cd |
Modes | Five brightness modes, three special modes |
User Modes | Daily mode / Tactical mode |
Reflector | SMO |
Waterproof | IP68 |
Impact Resistance | 1 Meter |
Rechargeable | Yes |
The Packaging
Excluding the flashlight, the entire contents of the package are as follows:
Flashlight Use, Build Quality, and Dimensions
Build Quality
The Nitecore MH12 Pro’s power is packed into a surprisingly compact build. The body is an aerospace aluminum alloy with an HA III military-grade hard-anodized finish.
The aggressive anti-slip knurling at the center provides excellent grip. Its IP68 waterproof rating makes it submersible up to 2 meters and is also impact resistant to 1 meter.
Carry
The package includes a two-way clip. The clip can be attached to either end of the flashlight, enabling you to pin the flashlight to your belt for carry or your hat brim for hands-free light.
If the friction-fit pocket clip isn’t appealing, you can opt for the lanyard. The lanyard can be attached to the shoulder of the clip. My preferred way is to attach it to the flashlight’s tail cap. The Nitecore nylon holster, which has Velcro attachments and a belt loop, is also included in the box.
Tail
The tail is U-shaped and features lanyard attachment points on both ends. The base features a rubberized power switch. The cap’s U-shaped design enables solid tail standing.
Physical Dimensions
The dimensions of the MH12 Pro look like this:
Inches | Millimeters | |
Length | 5.45 in | 138.5 mm |
Head Diameter | 1.06 in | 26.8 mm |
Weight | 82 g (2.89 oz) |
Weight In GRAMS | Weight in Oz | |
With Battery | 82 g | 2.89 oz |
This new Nitecore light is significantly smaller than the MH12 V2 from a few years back. The dimensions of that light made it too big for EDC. Meanwhile, the MH12 Pro’s compact build makes it perfect for everyday use. And it just looks better overall, too.
LED Specification
With the new Nitecore, the manufacturer has introduced its new NiteLab UHi 40 LED.
The “UHi” stands for ultra-high intensity, and this innovation is the reason for the MH12 Pro’s impressive specs. Something unique about this flashlight is the circular emitting die. You rarely see this feature, and it yields fantastic results when it comes to throw and output.
The LED emits through a smooth reflector, translating the power of the UHi 40 into a clear and radiant beam.
User Interface Design
Switch
The Nitecore MH12 Pro flashlight has two switches: the tail switch and the side-mounted e-switch. Both have distinct functions. The tail switch is for turning the light on and off.
The button is mechanical and rubberized. It works on a forward-click mechanism when engaged and delivers a nice, chunky click. When switched off, a tap on the tail switch will turn on the flashlight momentarily. A full click is required to switch it on for proper use. Similarly, a full click will turn it back off.
Meanwhile, the side switch at the head allows you to adjust the light output. Like the tail button, this mode button is very responsive and satisfying on the finger. The textured material also makes it easily identifiable by touch.
Modes
The flashlight has five brightness modes:
It also has three special modes:
All these fall under the MH12 Pro’s two user modes:
User Interface
The UI on this flashlight is complex, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly. Press the mode button to turn on the lowest light setting, then click the tail switch.
To switch between Daily and Tactical, press and hold the mode button for over five seconds. The flashlight will blink once to indicate Daily and twice to indicate Tactical.
You can access the five light settings and the Strobe/Beacon/SOS modes in Daily mode. When you switch off from Daily, the MH12 Pro’s mode memory will remember the last setting you were on. Mode changes on Daily happen in ascending order (Low, Mid, High, Turbo.)
Tactical mode does not have access to the Beacon and SOS. In it, you start in Turbo mode and cycle down to Low. There is no mode memory here, so switching off from Tactical and back on will return you to Turbo even if you were in a lower setting.
Hold the side switch from whichever user mode you are on to activate the special settings. On Daily, you’ll cycle through them from Strobe to SOS. Unfortunately, there is no instant Beacon or SOS; both come after Strobe. The MH12 Pro does have Strobe memory for instant access, though.
Indicators
Four blue LEDs are on the left side of the mode button to show your current output level. They will stay lit as long as the flashlight is running. I’m usually not into gimmicky features like this, but I like how they look on the MH12 Pro.
On the right side of the switch is a column of four green LEDs.
These are power indicators that show you the battery level:
Proximity Sensor
The Nitecore MH12 Pro flashlight has an in-built proximity sensor. The sensor comes into play when the flashlight is in High or Turbo mode. When it detects the head getting close to an object or surface, it automatically dims the brightness to Medium mode.
The sensor is a terrific feature, made better because of the right sensitivity. Test it out, and you’ll notice that the light won’t downgrade until the last moment before contact.
Battery and Charging
The Nitecore MH12 Pro flashlight has a USB-C charging port in the head, on the opposite side of the mode button. A rubber and plastic cover protects it.
When fully charged, the Nitecore 5,300mAh 21700 Lithium-ion battery has an impressive 650-hour runtime on the lowest brightness level. I also did runtime tests to see how it performed on the other light output modes. The results were excellent across the board.
Mode | Specified Runtime | Time till shut off |
Ultra-low | 650h | |
Low | 50h | |
Mid | 8h 30m | |
High | 4h 30m | 3h 7min |
Turbo | 30m | 3h 7min |
Nitecore’s li-ion battery meets that output with a continuous discharge current of 20 A, assuring a long lifespan. Charging via USB-C took about 3 hours and 30 minutes. The green LEDs indicate the progress. When the flashlight is close to a full charge, you’ll see the fourth one start to blink.
Brightness, Performance, and Throw
Output
Like I said at the start of this review, the Nitecore MH12 Pro flashlight is the brightest light in my collection at this size. Here’s the output of each brightness level:
Mode | Specified Output | Measured |
Ultra-low | 1 lumen | 1 lumen |
Low | 50 lumens | 49 lumens |
Mid | 300 lumens | 291 lumens |
High | 1200 lumens | 1219 lumens |
Turbo | 3300 lumens | 2891 lumens |
MH12 pro, at least according to my testing, did not reach the claimed max output, that’s a bummer. I guess the same goes for the three special modes, but not something to be worried about as the output is still high.
On the flip side, there’s also the Ultra-low setting. In my opinion, as low light settings go, there’s no beating a 1-lumen mode. I can work with 5, but 1 is great too.
Throw Distance
The new UHi 40 LED combined with the shallow reflector gives the Nitecore MH12 Pro flashlight some terrific throw, as highlighted below:
The light can fill a distance of over 500 meters, and the beam has an incredible spread.
Beamshot
The first thing you notice about the beam is that hotspot. It is crisp and vivid, thanks to the unique circular emitter inside the Nitecore MH12 Pro flashlight. Trying this light in the dark, I was amazed by how well it lit up the environment.
A close second is that spill. It radiates out from the hotspot and illuminates a massive area. There is also a green corona around the hotspot. When the light is set to High or Turbo, it barely registers on the eyes.
However, the Low and Medium hotspots have a very prominent tint, enough to put a bright green spot on your white wall. I can tolerate it. But many don’t care for tinted beams and could have real problems with this one.
Price and Warranty
Nitecore offers 15-day repairs and replacements for its products, which includes the Nitecore MH12 Pro flashlight. Your local distributor or reseller handles these.
The warranty period for defective products is 60 months. After that, a limited warranty covers labor and maintenance costs, but not accessories or replacement parts.
The return policy states that items are eligible if they are:
Products bought at discounted prices will be refunded accordingly, and free-shipped items will deduct the shipping cost from the refundable total.
As for price, you can purchase the Nitecore MH12 Pro here for $89.95. It’s also available on Amazon, AliExpress, and eBay.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Customer Reviews
Most user reactions I’ve seen for the MH12 Pro have been positive.
They focus on its EDC-friendly size, variety of brightness levels, and neat features like the green LEDs that indicate battery life. Tactical users also enjoy the carry options, the powerful special modes, and the in-built proximity sensor.
More critical users point to the MH12 Pro’s overheating problem in Turbo mode and green-tinted light. Despite that, most reviews point to this flashlight as a good purchase.
Nitecore brand’s other flashlight reviews:
Final Thoughts
There is a lot to like about this new addition to Nitecore’s MH series.
However, it kinda struggles to reach the claimed output in most cases and that can be a problem for some. For me, that does not make it a bad flashlight as it still produces plenty of power.
Those 2800 lumens are great and the runtime in high makes it a good EDC. With that, it also ticks many other boxes. From the built-in sensor to the mode and battery indicators, it has many great features for you to work with. And its compact size is also a step up from some previous iterations in this series.
Overall, the Nitecore MH12 Pro gives you plenty of bang for your buck!
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