Review Olight M2R in NW! Added beamshots & comments. Photo heavy!

I had mine apart to do some amperage readings for my review I am working on……the MCPCB in my sample has regular white thermal paste under it and with a side to side wiggle it popped right up when the tension was disturbed from the slight suction under it.

Like many of you, I am a NON-tactical user. I am not an LEO, Fire, security, etc… Just a regular ordinary guy wanting a nice double e-switch light. I would love to see Olight add firmware to select between Tactical (instant turbo at tailcap switch) and mundane Civilian (memory mode at tailcap switch or better yet, same UI as side switch).

cncyana, that what you wish for may already be present to some degree, there is an option to change interface actions but it remains to be seen whether it suits your purpose or not. I have it on good faith that the beam profile and extended reach is quite nice. :wink:

I assume you are talking about something more than picking between momentary/constant turbo and turbo/strobe at the tailcap?

More UI flexibility should be more than possible now with better chips to handle and store the extra firmware. The next version of the upcoming Zebralight SC600 is supposedly going to have several UI groups to pick from.

As I look through the comments on the various forums and even Olight’s website, I see several folks saying the lack of flexibility of the tail switch UI is keeping them from buying this light. It’s surprising that none of the reviews I’ve read seem to think this is a limitation.
If Olight put in a secret mode that enables the light be configured to allow the tailcap to control something other than full blast or strobe, I would think it would be in their best interest (increased sales) to let folks know about it.

jimahi

I think things like UI flexibility will likely be seen in newer S, R and SR series lights, whenever they come out.

In my review, I do not see it as a problem since the light has a tactical design. The idea is one thing, a very simple method of access to something very bright or very blinky. This light is not designed to be an S30R with a tail switch. This light is meant to be either an off hand pistol light or a rifle mounted tactical light. The tactical use is considerably different than the typical EDC use. I do suspect that we may see this physical interface appear in other platforms. It also appears that a remote tactical switch will be out for this light, Olight has not confirmed when it will be out yet.

The only “bug” I have really found so far is that the tail switch does not override electronic lockout. I think this is somewhat serious in this platform. Use in a holster or pack would suggest that one locks out the light, but in a situation requiring quick access to the light… one would have to hold the side switch first to unlock the light before it could be used tactically.

mattlward

I noticed you didn’t say much about the bezel. I really like the aggressive design of my M18 striker (the M1X striker has the same one). I wonder why they went away from that with this light, I could understand the M1R with milder crenelations, but, the length of this light almost demands it to be a more aggressive tool.

Your thoughts?

I am not sure where their thoughts are with that bezel. It looks nice, but is very mild. Personally I am not a fan of the uber defensive bezel designs, I like the more conservative Solarforce style designs. I am kinda glad they chose it since more aggressive crenelations would have increased the lights length. This is a handful light, if it were rolled in the hand and used for mass during defense it would make a dent!

I am EDC’ing it this week and trying to figure out what I really think of it. I do like it, it is a big first step toward an EDC tactical light for them. I have emailed a few of my thoughts to them and I hope to get some responses back before I finalize the review. I want to get some night shots, but have been suckered into helping with Homecoming this weekend and it looks like rain at night. I do not get out of town at night to remote locations to test lights except on the weekends and this one looks shot. May have to update with everything except beam shots this weekend. BTW very bright and not a bad beam profile at all. It has a few XHP35 artifacts in the beam, but the OP reflector really cleans it up.

Deputy Dog, are you a LEO? Do you find the bezel to make a real difference in that line of work?

I’m a retired Fish and Wildlife officer. In plain clothes or off duty, I always like the idea of having a decent improvised impact weapon in or near my hands. If you need to lay it on someone, the M18 would leave a mark as good as a tattoo. If you know what I mean.

TAIL SWITCH
The tail switch features either standard or enhanced tactical operation modes.
SOFT PRESS: Turbo mode activated for momentary on (standard: 1,000 lumens;
enhanced tactical: 1,500 lumens).
DEEP PRESS: Standard – Constant on turbo mode. Enhanced tactical – momentary
strobe mode.
SWITCH BETWEEN OPERATION MODES:
METHOD 1: Deep press the tail switch and hold it while clicking the side switch at the
same time to shift between turbo for constant on (standard mode) and momentary strobe
(enhanced tactical). Release the tail switch to stay on the setting you choose.
METHOD 2: When the flashlight is on, press and hold the side switch to cycle through low,
medium, and high. After it cycles through 3 times, it will then cycle between turbo
(standard mode) and strobe mode (enhanced tactical). Release side switch to stay on the
setting you choose.
NOTE: If the battery used is not at least 6A, it will not support the 1,500-lumen turbo
mode. If the tail switch has been set to enhanced tactical mode, the flashlight cannot be
turned on via the tail switch. If this happens, to activate the tail switch, press and hold
the side switch to set it back to the standard mode (follow method 2).

Dale

I would love to see the guy who thought this up going through drills on our range. :smiling_imp:

It’s the perfect :zipper_mouth_face: (OOOH $h*t) light.

I know, right? They need to take polls from LEO and training facilities then come up with REAL tactical lights!

That’s kind of what I was thinking too. This light is neither a well thought out tactical light nor a well thought out EDC. It could have been an excellent light… but IMHO is just another good (and relatively expensive) light.

I’d take my Emisar D4 into a hand to hand battle before this one. The D4 is 3 times brighter, just as easy to work, not to mention the cost difference.

The D4 cannot throw as far as the M2R, won’t last as long on a cell, is not regulated at high power and doesn’t have tactical interface. Different type of light intended for a different purpose. The D1 now… or the D1S…. interesting.

Thinking about this made me consider a question… I know there are different themes for different uses and that people invariably have personalized variations on a theme that suits them in most things. Locked and loaded or hammer down on an empty chamber? Automatic transmission or stick? To MAH toe or To MAY toe?

Tactical, what does it really mean? Are we trained to use the flashlight weak handed, EVERY single time? So the gun hand stays available? From my neighbor, an ex-cop only recently, he prefers a large enough light to hold under his arm, keeping both hands free. This he adopted from 25 years on the force. So can a small light be useful, in every situation? Perhaps, perhaps not. The real point is that Olight has made a light with some very considered differences, they think it will be embraced by LEO and Rescue type operators. I’m sure there will be those that find it the cat’s meow, and there will be those that wouldn’t have it to throw at a cat.

Different camps, and all that.

Has anyone actually successfully used a tactical bezel on a flashlight for self defence?

DB Custom

You’re right… and I was speaking about hand to hand. My point about the D4 is that it is easier to use in a pinch. A double click and my opponent is seeing nothing but spots (even in the day time). IT doesn’t have a strike bezel either.

I’ll bet your neighbor uses more than one light. If he were looking for a lost person/child in the woods he would/should use a good/real searchlight, something with some throw.

I own a few (19). I’ve lost and broken quite a few too. But I carry a light with me for self defense everyday all day. During daylight hours I want it more as an impact tool.

The M2R might work OK mounted on a rifle (maybe that’s what it’s designers had in mind?). I have a M3XS-UT for that. The M2R has a ways to go to rival that.

stephenk

It happens quite often. Not me personally (yet). I’ll have to look up some stats.