To justify the spoiler, let’s start with the conclusion:
An updated 26650-size rechargeable flashlight that in-my-not-at-all-humble-opinion, Olight has got it almost… just almost right this time… oh, so close… and yet so far…
Pros
- Magnetic Contact-based Rechargeable
- Comfortable to hold
- Bright! 3200 lumens bright
- Magnetic base/tailcap
- Tailcap/physical lockout
- Fast charging using R Dock
- Half-baked emergency ON option using the optional R Dock is a good try
Cons
- It’s greenish! Especially the low mode, it’s puky green, like my SureFire Titan A puky green! Yuck!
- Proprietary 26650-size battery
- Electronic lockout
- No lanyard hole
- Missing Nightlight (sub 10 lumens) mode, hey, even the X7 Marauder has a 3 lumens Nightlight!
- The R Dock will just top up the light to full whenever R50 Pro Seeker is docked… wait… is that a Pro?!
- No Magnetic Charging Cable included in LE Kit
The FAQ section (you know, the section where I pretend to be someone else asking the questions…)
Is this an EDC light?
Nope!
Must we use the Olight proprietary battery in this light?
Yes!
Seriously? But I heard others say can use after market 26650-size LiIon battery!? Are you sure?
Yes! I’m serious! Why would you buy this R50 Pro Seeker if you intend to use after market batteries where you can’t recharge using the purpose-built recharging tailcap/mechanism? If you want to do that, you are better off buying other 26650 flashlight. and Yes! I’m SURE!
But I have tons of 26650-size batteries… can I at least use those as backup?
First of all, are you insane?!! Why would you keep tons of 26650-size batteries around?!!
Second of all, only flat-top 26650 LiIon battery between the length of 65mm - 67mm do not have any fitment issue. Also, make sure the battery negative plat is hard enough to withstand the strong constant pressure from the tailcap contact pin. Fenix and KeepPower branded 26650 battery tested to be too long to get a good fit, and remember not to use force to tighten the tailcap!
The LE Kit, is it meant to be use by Law Enforcement officer? Is that a vehicle mounting kit?
No no no, like all flashlights marketed as “for Law Enforcement”, “for Military”, “for Tactical Applications” and endorse by “ex-Seal Team”, “ex-Commando”, “ex-SWAT”, “ex-Special Force”, “ex-Terrorist”, “ex-Militant”, “ex-Dictator” and “ex-Wife”… we, as law abiding citizens of the free world are absolutely free to make up our own mind to use R50 Pro Seeker to light up our dark closet.
You haven’t answer about the vehicle mounting kit…
What vehicle mounting kit? Oh, you mean the R Rock! Unless you are sure the climate change doesn’t turns where you live now into hot equator weather, yea, go ahead and mount it in your vehicle. But where I live now, the temperature inside of my vehicle easily reach 50-60°C under the sun (not that I’m gonna use R50 Pro Seeker in broad day light), but out of concerns for the LiIon battery, I suggest if you decides to mount the R Dock in your vehicle, don’t leave R50 Pro Seeker docking when you leave your vehicle… and remember to turn off that Emergency button.
Wait… what “Emergency button”?
This…
Emergency button, hey, I’ve even switch it off for you in the picture…
now, when you switch it on…
and unplug or doing something like the following animated gif where I simulate blackout…
the light will almost instantly turns on itself thanks to the IR Receiver on R50 Pro Seeker…
See the round black shiny thingy there? that is the IR Receiver that receive the signal from R Dock to turn itself on when power suddenly cutoff.
How is the tint?
LOL! You are such a tint snob aren’t you!? Check out the following beamshots and see for yourself…
But your beamshots doesn’t tell if the tint is creamy, bluish or natural… how?
Yes, the above beamshots are pre-architect to hide the puky greenish tint from the light. Look at how full-of-life those green grasses are when using Olight R50 Pro Seeker compare to Fenix PD40.
What LED is used in this R50 Pro Seeker?
XHP70. A greenish XHP70. A puky green XHP70… and I have a picture to proof that it’s using XHP70…
Are there any special features with R50 Pro Seeker?
Nope! Nada… wait… maybe… just maybe…
here, some kind of GITD (Glow-In-The-Dark) material are being stuff underneath the blue PVD coated bezel ring.
Wow! That’s cool! How long does it glow?
5 seconds… and it dimmed to a level that you can hardly find it in the dark… and the conspiracy theory side of me starting to suspect it’s not GITD after-all, it might be some form of alien organic matter that disguise as normal GITD… you know how they always say that ancient aliens visited China before?
Can I lockout the light when not in use?
Sure you can…
The switch button glow a bright red when you click the switch button after you’ve lockout the light. To enable lockout, first make sure the light is turn off, then press and hold the switch button until R50 Pro Seeker turns on in Low mode and and turns off, then release the button. Now that you are in lockout mode, click the switch button to play with that bright red glow. To unlock, just press and hold the switch button until R50 Pro Seeker turns on in Low mode and now you can let go of that switch button.
and then there is this loosen the tailcap 1/4 turn lockout option that’s so much more intuitive than the electronic lockout.
OK, enough with the FAQ… now on to some random pictures…
Front of box
Back of box
Everything that’s included in the box that’s useful…
R50 Pro Seeker Flashlight
PVD coated blue bezel ring
Tailcap
Positive contact
Negative contact
The included proprietary 26650 battery
The R Dock when connected to power source
R50 Pro Seeker Charging… orange/yellow glow meaning light is almost done charging, you can undock the light and use it if you want to as it should have approximately 80% charged when the charging LED turns from Red to orange/yellow, or, you can wait ’till it’s fully charged… that’s when the charging LED turns green.
User Manual
so there you have it… the new Olight R50 Pro Seeker.
You might be wondering, what can Olight improve upon to get it just right? Well, for starter, get rid of the greenish LED!!!
below is a non-exhaustive list:
1. Use a Neutral White LED of 4500K - 5000K.
2. Improve the design of R Dock. With current design, you cannot pull the R50 Pro Seeker out from the R Dock sideway or front!!!
3. Do something about the Emergency Lamp function, you are half way there, now go sit in the corner and finish your homework!
4. Don’t use proprietary battery.
5. The Low mode is too High (can’t believe I’m actually saying this…), where is the Nightlight mode like the one in X7 Marauder?!!! Do you know that 60 lumens was considered tactical lumen mode not too long ago?