Quick and dirty review of the new Olight S10R Baton III!!!
Let me get the business out of the way first. This light was provide by OlightStore.com for my consideration and review.
20-35% OFF sale on www.olightstore.com for all OLIGHT products begins on November 24th and ends on the 28th. If you are at all interested in Olight products this sale will be worth visiting!
S10R Baton III
S10R Baton III manual.
Features as listed by Olight:
Utilizes the brand new, highly energy efficient Luminus SST-40 LED delivering a maximum output of 600 lumen
Smooth aluminum reflector paired with hardened glass with a coating on both sides allowing for a 99% light transmission rate
Low profile tactile black silicone gel side switch that protects from accidental activation in a pocket
Magnetic tail cap that allows it to be secured to ferrous metal surfaces for hands free work
New USB desktop charging dock provided. This flashlight also has a charging port that is compatible with Olight magnetic charging cables and can be charged up on the go.
Low power (for RCR123A only) indicator under the side switch. When the battery voltage is running low (below 3.1V), it will glow red.
Thermal management program. To protect the users hand and flashlight from heat, the 600 lumen turbo mode will stay on for 1.5 minutes before stepping down to 50% of the initial brightness. The light can go back up to turbo once it has cooled down for one minute.
Direct access to turbo mode: when the flashlight is not under the lockout mode, double click to activate the turbo mode
Timer function: long timer (9 minutes) and short timer (3 minutes)
What the kit includes:
Flashlight (with stainless steel clip) x 1
Customized 650mAh 3.7V RCR123A Battery
4.2V 1000mAh Desktop Charging Dock x 1
50cm Micro-USB Cable x 1
Lanyard with Perforating Tool x 1
Instruction Manual
Published technical specs:
General Data
Light Form concentrated spot , very bright.
Light Intensity (candela) 3,500
Max. Performance (lumens) 600 lumens (~300lm) - 60m
Beam Distance 118 meters
Mode Levels
Level 1 600 lumens (~300lm) - 60m
Level 2 120 lumens - 2.5hr
Level 3 12 lumens - 33hr
Level 4 0.5 lumens - 15 days
Strobe yes
Now that I have the basics taken care of it, what do I think of it???
UI
Standard Olight UI with no surprises.
- 1 click from off takes you to the last used mode. It the last used mode was high and the light has been off for 10 minutes it will revert to medium (120 lumens).
- 2 quick clicks from off/on will take you directly to high (600 lumens).
- 3 quick clicks from off /on will take you into strobe mode. To exit either turn the light off or hold the mode button to revert to the last mode used.
- Hold the mode button to cycle from low to high while the light is on.
- Moonlight mode is entered by holding the power/mode button while the light is off. Moonlight can be memorized. Quick note, the manual indicates that moonlight mode is part of the mode cycle. It is not, the light will only cycle through L/M/H once moonlight mode is left.
- Shutdown timer. This is activated by a double click and hold while on. 1 blink sets a 3 minute timer and 2 blinks set a 9 minute timer. Once the timer is set, you can adjust the timer to either mode with the same procedure.
This light also includes a red LED under the power button. The LED will glow red when the power button is pressed and the light is in lockout mode. The manual does not indicate that it is a low battery indicator, but I assume it is and I have the light running now and will update when and if the LED acts as a low battery indicator. It is a low battery indicator as well, kicked on at 3.10V.
I have glaucoma and the last thing I do before bed is put in eye drops. Often my wife is already asleep, if she is I find myself using the 3 minute timer with the light pointed at the ceiling while I put my drops in. This is an interesting feature for me, but may not be for most.
General thoughs
This is very subjective. I have smallish hands and really like the way this light fits my finger tips. The knurling is very pronounced and makes a 2 or 3 finger grip pretty easy, comfortable and secure. The light has a slightly larger hex machined above the barrel and does a good job of preventing rolling when used without the clip.
Size comparison to the Olight S1 Baton. The S1 Baton uses a TIR optic and the S10R Baton III uses a smooth reflector.
This light includes the wonderful magnetic tail cap that will stick at about any angle to a reasonably flat steel surface.
Also included is a charging base that connects to a standard USB port and to the base with a standard Micro USB port. The dock has an LED that glows red while charging and green when charging is completed. This is a very handy system, it will also work with the S1R charging cord! The light uses a special 16340 battery to accomplish charging. The light included is rated at 650 mAh, it is not listed on their site yet but fits and looks the same as the battery in the link. A normal 16340 battery may be used, but cannot be charged in the light! Also the light seems to work fine with a CR123A.
The clip works very well, but is only for head up carry. There is a small nubbin in the clip that I assume was intended to make it hold tighter, I think it could be done away with. This little nubbin tends to wear on thicker jeans and straps on packs. I have yet to have a clip come off of an Olight, this is a huge credit! I have lost other lights due to clips slipping off. The following pic shows the little nubbin in the clip.
SST-40… What do I think of it?
This is my first light with the Luminus Devices SST-40 . While the SST-40 is being used to increase the efficiency of the light and to squeeze a few more lumens out of it, I am not convinced it was a good move. When combined with the smooth reflector, that I assume was designed for the previous S10R Baton II I find that there is a very odd artifact in the beam. The artifact annoys me, it is visible when white wall hunting and in real use when solid colors are involved. I had a very hard time photographing the artifact, but I have include a shot that shows it and the same shot with a red square around the artifact. Aside from this anomaly, this light definitely has a better beam profile than the ringy S10R Baton II and for a light of this size it throws fairly well!
Wrap up:
Pros:
- Size
- Hand fit
- Charging system
- Magnet in the tail cap
Cons:
- Odd artifact in beam
- Requires special battery for in light charging
Overall, I think this is a pretty good light. I only say pretty good because of the beam artifact and the cool white tint. It is nice to have a little extra reach when compared to the TIR based lights. The overall size increase is very minor, with the gain of a reflector.
Thanks for taking a look, Matt