[carrot]

This will be my third flashlight review, and I'll apologize for the lack of (good) pictures because my digital camera has died. This time around I'll try to break down the review into sections. I've been playing with the passaround Kroma for the past few days, and I can say I'm suitably impressed.

Build quality and aesthetics
Typical of the Surefire brand, the K2 Kroma does not disappoint. It is solidly built, with the aesthetic refinements you'd expect from a $300+ flashlight. The K2 Kroma, like the similarly designed U2 Ultra, is hard anodized black for that "tactical" look. On one side, "Kroma" is engraved, and on the other, the Surefire logo.

Usability
The K2 Kroma is comfortable to grip in the hand, in fact, even more so than the A2/L2-sized (Digital series) lights due to its larger body diameter. I thought that perhaps its larger size and bezel-down configuration would make it harder to carry in a pocket than the slimmer Surefire Digital series of lights, but it carried comfortably clipped inside my pockets.

A special feature of the K2 Kroma that may not be readily realized is that it has red, blue and white light output. On low, accessible by twisting the Nitrolon selector ring, blue and red are too dim for nighttime navigation but appear "just right" for close-up work. Twist the selector ring clockwise or counter-clockwise further, and the blue or red LEDs step up the output, plenty for walking around at night, albeit with odd color perception. (Under the blue LEDs, my UK 4AA looked muddy green, and fluorescent materials glowed brightly.) Red, of course, has the benefit of preserving night vision, and blue allows certain colors to stand out more.

When the selector ring is centered (easily recognized by counting the detents as you rotate the ring), the Kroma puts out only white light. On low, the white output, with its tightly focused beam, works surprisingly well on objects about 20 feet away in darkness, casting just enough light to make out shapes without being conspicuously bright. Up close, the low white output can be used for reading, but a floodier white would be preferable. Take note that the low white output is really low, but is not without utility.

High white output is accessible from any detent setting on the selector ring. When red or blue is selected, a visible halo of red or blue light, respectively, surrounds the focused white beam. When the selector ring is set to the middle detent, you are rewarded with a beautiful white beam. A tight, bright hotspot surrounded by a larger, gradually diminishing circle of light and a fair bit of flood/spill. There is a faint corona, or ring around the edge of the spill. Overall the beam seems about as balanced as that of a P60. With a rated two hours of output on high, this makes the Kroma a very appealing candidate for EDC.

Final remarks
The Kroma seems to be a very well-designed light for its intended purpose (utility that may require monochromatic light), but for those who don't need the colors, it offers considerably less value for the money. On the other hand, after using the Kroma, I definitely can foresee occasions when having monochromatic output at the twist of a ring would be exceptionally useful. It's a great light, but it has a very specialized design. Recommended.

Comparison picture for size:

G2 Nitrolon, A2 Aviator, K2 Kroma, L2 Lumamax