The head of the Dosun R1 houses a Cree XR-E emitter. Right up the front it has a stainless steel bezel which does a good job protecting the head from drops as opposed to plain aluminum. Behind the bezel the R1 uses a culminating optical system instead of a reflector to focus light from LED out the front end. Alignment of the optic to the LED is quite precise, so no complaints here. The lines seen in the image to the right are reflections from the base of the optic and not scratches on the lens as it may seem. Mid-way down the head, the R1 has a 360° selector ring which is the mechanism used for the selection of output levels and modes. There are small icons printed on this ring indicating the levels and modes. The ring twists in steps which clicks into each position and provides tactile feedback as well as a soft clicking sound.

The first thing which most people would probably notice is that the entire body of the R1 is pretty huge for a 2x AA powered light. The exterior the battery tube has 6 narrow slots running its length which somewhat helps with grip. The entire light is coated in Type 3 anodizing for improved durability. Looking at the battery tube from the rear you'll see that it's really much wider that it needs to be. After inserting the AA cells, there's a good 3mm gap all around the cells. However, the AA cells do not rattle inside the battery tube as there are protruding rails running down the inner wall of the battery tube which holds and aligns the AA cells securely. The battery tube has a rather thick wall which should give the R1 added strength. The threading at the rear end of the battery tube are rather finely cut, they are also very smooth and fit well with those on the tail cap. A rubber o-ring sits just above the threads which provides water proofing. Dosun advertises the R1 to be water proof up to 30M. The tail cap houses a forward push button which allows for momentary activation. The rubber switch cap sits slightly recessed inside the tail cap so the R1 is able to tail stand without problems. The switch has average stiffness with good tactile feedback and audible clicking feedback. There are ridges machined all around the exterior of the tail cap which provides grip during battery changes. Finally, there's a hole machined along the side of the tail cap for lanyard attachments.

If you're unfamiliar with any of the terms used in this review, click here for explanations on common flashlight related vocabulary.

As mentioned above, the Dosun R1 uses a selector ring around its head for brightness/mode selection. Here are the modes available in sequence.

Level 1 > Level 2 > Level 3 > Level 4 > Level 5 > Level 6 > Short Strobe > Medium Strobe > Long Strobe > S.O.S. (8x/min) > S.O.S. (2x/min) > S.O.S. (1x/min)

The beam produced by the R1 has a very warm color temperature, especially for an LED. The manufacturer advertises the R1 as using a Cree 1W LED, it might be the XR-C which would explain the warm tint. The optics used provides a focused central hot spot with a very wide corona, side spill is very minimal. There are some minor rings right at the outer area od the spill beam, but the hot spot and corona are relatively artifact-free. The brightness from the R1 is rather low as compared with other 2x AA powered light currently in the market. Regulation is average and runtime is rather short.

The lower output levels are implemented via PWM. The frequency used for the PWM used is low enough to cause noticeable pulsing effect when waving the R1 around. Another thing I didn't like is that while the switch allows for momentary activation, there is always a quick single blink and flash at the brightest levels right after engaging the switch from off.

Note: My review sample started to produce some erratic fluctuations in output before I could perform runtime tests on levels 1 through 3. Also due to the frequency used by the PWM brightness control, I couldn't take accurate control shots of the lower levels.

The Good - Selector ring provides a simple and easy output selection interface..

The Bad - Large size and heavy weight. Below average output brightness.

The Relative - Beam has a warm color temperature. Uses a forward pushbutton. Is able to tail stand. The frequency of the PWM used produces noticeably flickering at lower levels.

Head (front view).

Body (side view).

Battery tube (rear view).

Tail cap (front view).

Tail cap (side view).

Tail cap (rear view).