I thought I might start a thread where we can post some small reviews of some of our favorite lights. I don't really intend to do in depth reviews like the very excellent type that they do over and BudgetLightForum. Theirs are complete with charts and graphs and every detail one can imagine. I just figured we could do small reviews that go over the basics of the lights and what it is that we like about them.
Lots of benefits hearing of ones personal views on lights. Looking forward to both of you doing reviews. Thank you in advance.
Sos24, thank you too for a great review. I am a fan of twisty, since it helps to reduce body size, and has one less mechanical failure to worry about. But having said that, I too could appreciate the convenience of a button flashlight, especially it requires programming or it's longer in length. IIRC, Olight was one of the first brands to bring out a small form factor with side button, and it was an instant hit. I do love the firefly or moonlight mode being really low indeed and only visible for dark adjusted eyes, which by all intent and purposes, great for emergency/survival use.Nice tip on using the clip to prevent accidental turn-on for the Fenix! I just looked up it's spec, and am thoroughly impressed by its small size. I think being at 2in, it's even shorter than the 47 MK3.
Excellent review Stefano!!!!
Thanks for the review, Stefano. I completely agree with buying a second if you really like the light, which os why I have two of a few different lights.
Here is a picture of the 47 MK3 and the S1 Mini side-by-side. The E16 is slightly smaller than both of them. I would have added the 47 Mini, but mine is a Vinh modded one with different emitter and driver.(Image removed from quote.)
Olight M2R Pro WarriorWhen the Black Friday deals started coming in, I was scouring the internet looking for ones I could not pass up. Olight came out with some great deals and I was able to get a couple of M2R Pro Warriors for $75 each. A lot of the folks over at BudgetLightForum are not too pleased with Olight on this one because it uses a proprietary battery and it is a bit expensive. When I mentioned the Olight Black Friday deals over at BLF, there were a lot of people that thought making the purchase was not very smart...but then again, we enthusiasts buy lights that the average person would laugh about in the first place. Besides, we buy Lithium Ion batteries for prices that seem ridiculous when compared to the prices of AA or AAA batteries. I guess it is all perspective. Me...I am happy with my purchase.I bought this light because I intend to mount it on my M14 Rifle, but also because I saw a light that checks a few boxes for me in an EDC light as well. As I have previously stated, the things I like are long run times at lower levels, but also the ability to put out an incredible amount of light when needed. All this needs to have a UI that does not require me to go through a lot of settings that I don't want to use. I also like usb charging. I know there are many in the flashaholics community that have not warmed up to usb charging, but I love it.The M2R Pro is a dual switch model. It has a tail switch and a side switch. Unlike many tactical lights of this configuration, you do not have to engage the tail switch first on the M2R Pro. The switches basically run two different UI functions on the light. The side switch is pressed to turn on the light at the last mode chosen. A long press activates the moonlight mode (1 lumen) and double pressing it activates turbo (1800 lumens). Triple tap for strobe. Once on, press and hold to cycle through brightness levels.The tail switch can be pushed part of the way in and it activates the medium 2 mode (250 lumens) push in all the way for turbo. Pressing and holding activates momentary mode on the tail switch, but if you quickly press and release quickly (either half way or full press), the light will stay on until you press the tail switch again.All of this might seem like a lot, but once you get used to it, it really is pretty simple. What I like about this set up, is that I can set the side switch to come on in moonlight mode, so any time I want to navigate without disturbing others, or destroying my night vision, I can just use the side switch. However, the setup of the tail switch lets me quickly access high light outputs without having to cycle up. I will post run times and tech specs at the bottom of the page.Here is the light. It is a tank of a "tactical" light and I can see this handling about any activity.(Image removed from quote.)As you can see, the light is definitely aimed at tactical use.(Image removed from quote.)Tail switch. It has three raised elements on the outer ring to prevent accidental activation and to allow the light to tail stand.(Image removed from quote.)The tail switch and outer ring also act as the charging area for the proprietary magnetic charger. What it nice is there is no need to try to plug in a mini usb cable, The magnetic charger snaps onto the light with ease. The optional remote switch attaches this way also.(Image removed from quote.)(Image removed from quote.)TECHNICAL DETAILSBeam Distance (ft) 984.3Beam Distance (m) 300Max. Performance (lumens) 1800Charge type-MCC3 Magnetic USB Charging CableCompatible Batteries-Customized 5000mAh 21700 rechargeable lithium batteryLight Intensity (candela)-22,400Lens / Reflector Type-Smooth reflector (central area and flood area).Mode Operation-Dual SwitchLIGHTING LEVELS:LEVEL 1 (lumens) 1800~750~250Run-time LEVEL 1 4.5 minutes (145+45 minutes).LEVEL 2 (lumens) 750~250Run-time LEVEL 2 160+40 minutes.LEVEL 3 (lumens) 250Run-time LEVEL 3 10 hours.LEVEL 4 (lumens) 60Run-time LEVEL 4 40 hours.LEVEL 5 (lumens) 15Run-time LEVEL 5 130 hours.LEVEL 6 (lumens) 1Run-time LEVEL 6 50 days.Strobe YesSOS / BEACON YesTECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICSWaterproof IPX8Weight (g / oz) 179g/6.31ozLength (mm / in) 136.50 / 5.37Head Diameter (mm / in) 29.50/ 1.16Body Diameter (mm / in) 26.20/1.03Led High performance neutral white LEDPackaging Carton boxUse hunting, tactical, military, security and protection, police, EDC, outdoor, professional activities, police;Package Contents Olight M2R Pro flashlight x 1Stainless Steel Pocket Clip x 1Customized 5000 mAh 21700 Rechargeable Lithium Battery x 1MCC3 Magnetic USB Charging Cable x 1Lanyard x 1Holster x 1user manual x 1
I remember seeing a few of your lights are being modded by Vinh, and am curious are there any great benefits to that? Or it caters the light better to the user(tint/levels)?I remembered back in the days when led tech just came in, people on cpf were finding all different ways to retrofit the led and circuit with multiple levels/features into exist bodies. But as time progressed, all those bells and whistles became the new norm, and the need to mod felt less necessary.
His mod vary in complexity but may be as complex as emitter, optics, and drivers.The FourSevens Mini, pictured above, has a different emitter, driver and is also boosted in output power. The Mini has an SST 40 that gives 1200 lumen with 20 different configurations available depending on personal preference. I also have an Emissar D4 v2 by Vinh that has throw optics and a different emitter (White 2). This configuration has a decrease in max lumens to 3900 but increase the throw by about 80m to 424m.I also have a Jetbeam RRT01 with just a different emitter (HiCri SST20) which was main.y because he was one of the first people to have them for sale.