Olight S1 Mini High CRI Review

I just received a complimentary review sample, of the Olight S1 Mini High CRI from Olight Direct Olight LED Camping & Hiking Flashlights with Batteries for sale | eBay Note they are located in USA, so shipping arrives very quickly, I like that :slight_smile:

Protected USB rechargeable battery included:
as well as the charging cable, there is no need for a charger, it is built into the battery.

Remove the battery isolator from the preinstalled battery

Let there be Light!,

UI and modes
Olight has my favorite UI. Click on Click off, with last mode memory.
Direct access to sublumen moonlight, direct access to Turbo, direct access to Strobe.
Hold to advance modes, there ia Low, Medium and High, in addition to Turbo and Moonlight.

Tint Check:
The Olight S1 Mini High CRI got a reputation for Green Tint early on, but, it is actually not as green tinted as many typical Cool White lights, for example my RRT-01.
On left N219b 4500k, in middle Stock 5500k XP-G3 in the High CRI Olight S1 Mini, on right stock RRT-01 w 6000k XM-L2

When to recharge
One of the really cool features of the Olight S1 Mini High CRI is the red LED that turns on when it is time to charge the battery. This feature makes the light a great gift or starter light for someone that does not know how to check battery voltage, and maybe does not own a DVM. I like that I do not need to open the light to check voltage, nor do I have to worry about overdisharging due to the battery protection.

When the red light turned on I removed the battery, it read 3.39 Volts on my meter.

Plugged in the USB charger:

2 1/2 hours later charging is finished :

Weights:
The Olight USB battery weighs 18 grams

The empty Olight S1 Mini weights just 20 grams. Total 38 grams.

I recommend this light, this is my 3rd one, I keep giving them to my camping buddies. The light is Very small, very light weight, includes battery and charging cable, no need for a charger. Includes pocket clip that works on a hat as a headlamp, red indicator light when time to recharge, no need for DVM, and no need to open the light to check when to recharge. Battery is protected so no risk of overdischarge.

Makes a great gift to someone with no prior LiIon experience or equipment.

Also makes a very versatile EDC for a flashaholic who appreciates moonlight, Turbo, a simple UI, multi function pocket clip, a free battery that does not require a separate charger, plus High CRI, all for a relatively modest price point.

So what emitter is going in this one Jon?

Thanks for the review, but I think you posted this to the incorrect forum.

Touché

Double standards, uh ?
That said, I’m still convinced that one can be entirely objective when it comes to criticize a light… even if it’s free.
I’ve been reviewing every new model from Olight for three years now, and I never lied or embellished any of my review…
Other brands, however, definitely asked me to make a “good” review for them… strangely enough, I don’t have news from them anymore

Thanks for taking the time to read and reply to my first Olight review.

I agree.
I hope you are continuing to enjoy your Ti S Mini. Your Nichia mod has been an inspiration to me.

I think reviews should offer original content. I see no reason to copy and repost info from the sales literature. My goal is to share real world, personal use, practical observations and information.

I bought and gave away 2 Olight S1 Mini High CRI to close camping friends, before I asked Olight for a review sample. I believe the Olight S1 Mini is a light with many worthy features, that I have been willing to pay for with my own money, more than once.

I wanted to put together a small flashlight kit for use when car camping with some of my friends.

So I bought the Olight Universal charger,
https://www.olightstore.com/olight-universal-magnetic-usb-charger
It works on the 16340 as well as the AAA battery in this kit:

There are two Eneloop AAA, two USB 16340, two High CRI lights, one warm, one cool, with hatclips, plus usb cable, universal charger, and two battery capsules

fwiw, countycomm does not have any CR123 battery lockers in stock

So I bought a clear PicoXL capsute for the spare 16340:
https://countycomm.com/collections/capsules/products/xl-pico-pull-waterproof

The PicoXL capsule fits a CR123, also the Olight protected and usb rechargeable 16340
its not mentioned on the website,
You heard it first Here!
(note this is not a budged priced capsule, if you want an inexpensive alternative, click here )

I bought this cute little case to house the lighting kit
https://www.olightstore.com/olight-accessories-case?search=olight%20case

sometimes I spend more time planning and preparing, than actually getting out and using my flashlights… its all part of the fun

I can relate with that :person_facepalming: :smiley:
I bring 4 or 5 “chosen” flashlights everyday, and if I use one or two (during the day) is to check if they’re ok or for fun :wink:

Nice pack you got there! :+1:

Thanks for the review slider. I like your kit. I have done some in small dry boxes. I think I like yours better. I don’t get around water much, and it looks like it would be quieter when packed loosely.

How do you feel about the in battery charging ?

Nice review. I’m interested in how to set up the camera for the tint check? is there some post processing going on here to increase the colour intensity, or is this ‘as seen’ by the camera?

I’ve got a the same HCRI light, plus an M1T and a Klarus P20 that I’d like to photograph as best I can and do comparitive review to post here and on r/flashlight. My camera should be adequate but my photography skill level is limited.

I love it.
I have bought several more because they are so convenient for me.
Unfortunately a really long and detailed post with tons of additional info got lost.

Basically, the charging chips in the batteries work very well. I have similar appreciation for the USB charging chip built into my Mecarmy PT16, pictured:

The charge rate of the USB 16340 starts at .27 amps, I like that
The charge rate of the Universal charger with a 16340 starts at .5 amps
both taper down as the voltage rises, and both cut off to full zero, just below 4.2v
the Universal charger also works for the Eneloops in my camping kit.

.

Im using my iPhone with automatic white balance. There is no post processing.

I recommend using a folded piece of white printer paper and arrange 3 lights in a row, warmest on left, coolest on right. If you have white balance control, use daylight white balance.

photos mainly give relative color, from one light to another, Tint is not an absolute thing, it changes with white balance. I take several photos, at different brightness settings, and then choose the one that looks closest to what I see with my eyes.
example, left to right, 4000k 219b, 4000k XPL, 5500k XP-G3 Olight S1 Mini High CRI

bear in mind that tint differences that are very obvious when comparing beams side by side, may not be “noticeable in actual use” when only one light source is involved. Our brain changes white balance based on what ambient light it is adapted to, and our brain will try to make a single source look “white”. So even though a light may be more pink, or more yellow, or more green than its neighbor, each light individually may not show the color differences that comparison photos show.

If you use auto white balance to take photos of individual beams, that is the worst way to try and capture the color of the beam, because the camera will try to make a single source its white balance reference. Otoh, IF your camera has a white balance setting and you use the daylight setting (5500k), for each individual beam, then you will get Relative color for each beam at that white balance.

Then again, if you set white balance to 4000k then it will make a 4000k light look white, which is not what most people expect to see when shown a 4000k light (because we usually compare to daylight)

I hope that helps, PM me if you want to brainstorm further

thanks for the review, didn’t know this model existed.

Thanks for the tips, that’s perfect. The camera I can use for this has got various white balance options including auto and a mode to set the white balance against a reference object. In previous attempts setting it against white printer paper or white cotton sheets I’ve found it to be somewhat green overall, especially under ordinary household LED lamps and energy saver CCFLs.

Given my previous lack of success I have just bought a proper white balance card, a very quick first try seems like it’s an improvement. I’ll need to do some trial and improvement but I’m hopeful now that I can get some respectable results that will be useful review material.