Olight is a flashlight manufacturer. They used to retail lights under both the Olight and the ITP brands.
Under the latter brand they had a highly regarded single cell AAA light flashlight called the ITP A3 EOS.
In the latter half of 2011 Olight merged the two brands. The ITP A3 EOS was modified and relaunched
as the Olight I3. The Olight I3 has the ability to tailstand which the ITP A3 EOS did not.
Latter versions of the ITP A3 EOS used the Cree XP-G R5 led. This was carried over to the Olight I3.
I bought the Original Olight I3 last summer after reading some fab reviews.
It's a super light but there were a couple of things that I didn't like. The new version is called the Olight I3S and this addresses the two things I felt could be improved (for me :)). There is an additional feature which I really like. There are other improvements which certainly add to the light but which I personally wasn't too bothered about.
What's in the box?
The Olight I3 comes in a clamshell plastic pack. A small split ring is attached to the bases of the light for attachment to a keyring. There is an instruction pamphlet, two spare 'O' rings, a Duracell AAA cell and a small hex key whose purpose is to allow you to remove the two hex bolts which secure the pocket clip in place.
The Olight I3S comes in a rather smart looking plastic box with a foam insert. There is an instruction pamphlet, two spare 'O' rings and a Duracell AAA cell. The Olight I3S also has an attached chain and lobster claw for easy keyring attachment. This is an excellent addition.
Here is a size comparison of the Olight I3, Olight I3S and a AAA cell.
(The I3S is slightly shorter than the I3)
And here are some pics of the inside bits of the two lights and the LED's.
(Olight I3S on the bottom & left).
In use
To turn the light on you just tighten the Head. To cycle through the modes you loosen the head and immediately re-tighten, continuing till the desired output is reached.
The I3 sequence is: low > med > high
The I3S sequence is: med > high > low > med > high > low > strobe
The principle changes that I'm aware of are:
- A lobster claw keychain on the I3S (instead of the split ring on the I3)
- A new LED The I3 has an XP-G R5 LED. The i3S has a CREE XP-G2 LED which increases the maximum output, from 70 to 80 lumens. I was surprised to see a noticeable difference, the I3S appearing significantly brighter.
I3S I3
These shots were taken from about 150cm from the wall.
The I3S in these pics looks creamy. It appears noticeably brighter than the I3 to my eyes.
- Pocket Clips The pocket clip on the Olight I3 is retained by two hex screws and is not reversible.Various reviews criticised this, as the ITP A3 EOS pocket clip was reversible. The pocket clip on the Olight I3S is similar to the clip on the original ITP A3 EOS. It is a push-on/pull-off design. The pocket clip can be reversed and placed at the other end of the main body of the light. This gives you the ability to attach the I3S to a baseball cap, as an improvised head light.
The Olight I3S is on the left.
- Strobe The I3S now has a strobe mode. To get to the strobe, go through the sequence: med>high>low>med>high>low>strobe by tightening and loosening the head for each mode change. If you don't want a strobe, it's sufficiently well hidden. If you do want a strobe, you've got one! Perfect! Personally I like the option :)
- Lower 'low' output The I3 puts out 3 lumens. The I3S puts out 0.5 lumens. I really like this lower 'low' as it doesn't ruin night vision. I found the low on the I3 too bright so for me, this is a welcome improvement.
- A better design for use with keyrings The I3 has a split ring which attaches to a fixing point in the main body, just above the base. This facilitated tail-standing, which was a shortcoming of the ITP A3 EOS. The problem with this feature is that the body of the I3 does not hang vertically but at an angle. This is a design shortcoming which should have been addressed prior to production. The I3S addresses this shortcoming with an elegant redesign which allows tail-standing without compromising carriage on a keyring.
Specs
I3 I3S
In Summary
A well thought through redesign.
If you preferred the higher low output of 3 lumen of the Olight I3, then this is still a good light. If the shortcomings of the Olight I3 bug you and the 0.5 lumen output of the Olight I3S meet your needs, then like me, I think you'll love the redesign!
Readers should note I'm very limited on flashlight knowledge or experience.
