Olight S1R Review
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Hey folks today I will be reviewing the Olight S1R this light was given to me for review by Skyeben. They sell on amazon and eBay i will leave a link here in case you want to check them out. S1R Purchase link
This is also my first Olight product so I am still learning the UI its a bit tricky to learn. At least for a simpleton like me. Its a pain to remember so many different lights UI and being an electronic switch the option are infinite in theory. I have had this light for over a week. Lots of people post reviews straight away but i feel like it doesn’t give me a proper feeling of the light. Today is Monday i got the light two Fridays ago. Okay maybe i am just lazy! lol
What comes in the pack?
- Olight S1R
- Carry pouch
- Instructions
- Reversible Clip already on the light
- USB Magnetic charging dock
- 550 Mah RCR123A battery High discharge
- Lanyard
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If i start typing what i want this will be one long ass review but i have always wanted to feel like Carrie from sex in the city. A show i have never watched! Cough Cough The brunette is hot so some times its okay to have a little look. Just probably don’t do it while your hiding in the bushes! Or if your name is Ralph Harris!
Okay where to start? Well I would say the output and size are the most standout things about this light. It is a whopping 900 lumens that is absolutely amazing from such a small light. Being my first Olight product I was amazed at the size its tiny (I hope that is not what she said). It is way smaller and lighter then my Xtar WK21 my old EDC and it is still smaller and lighter then my even older EDC the Solarstorm SC03. This light weights an amazing 54 grams with the battery not batteries like i first wrote lol. There can only be one! Its total length is 66mm long and the head diameter is 21mm the head and the tail cap diameter are the same on this light.
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Any one that knows me which is probably one person reading this and they probably don’t even know how much i love my CR123/16340 lights. They are so cool because they are so small like cartoon size and the output of this light is also cartoonish mmmm spell check says no. This light is technically a tiny monster or if it wasn’t copy written i would say its a pocket monster. Now Olight rates this light at 900 ANSI lumens which is great but i have a sneaking suspicion it is a tad more then that. I think to pass the ANSI rating they start the light at 1000 lumens then it drops to 900 lumens. I will do some thing different this review i have a EL cheapo lux meter and we will do some ceiling bounce test. I was sitting in the shed playing with the meter and this light got 90 lux compared to my S2+ at 3 amps that only got 65 lux and the Jetbeam Jet Mk1 got about 40 lux. I am finding now after looking at so many 1000 lumen lights i need a guide to see the difference. I will add that S2+ has a XPG2 on a Noctigon Board with a more NW tint. Of course ceiling bounce isn’t the best way to gauge seeing as the beam pattern plays a big part.
Battery sits upside down or maybe its because i am in Australia?
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We have been stuck in a loop for a while with production lights. The most lumens you generally see from a production 18650 XML2 light is about 1000 maybe some times a tad more. Its been this way for a few years this light is no different I guess besides it gives this option from a small form factor 16340 battery flashlight with a built in charger. Now i have seen a step forward here on BLF to smaller EDCs or at least the A6 or S2 with a 18350 tube so why not just upgrade to a S1R? It is heaps smaller then a cut down S2 or A6. It has all the bells and whistles thermal step down and regulation it is even IPX 8 rated to 2 meters waterproof and it 1.5 meter drop resistant how awesome is that? For me personally this is all a must i have a habit of dropping lights and getting them wet. As a added bonus you get a really strong magnet built into the tail cap we will talk more about that later.
Magnetic charging dock is so sticky!
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The S1R uses the top of the line XML2 emitter if it was two years ago i would have seriously written that. In hindsight it still top of the line and most preferred emitter by many people. Its a step up from the lights lately that have been using XPG2s. Olight couldn’t use a XPG2 in this light because output is higher then what CREE rates the XPG2. I think running it normally XPG2 is rated at almost 800 lumens? The S1R also uses TIR optics which is another reason for using a XML2. I find the XML2 and optics go hand in hand i also like the XPL using optics. Olight doesn’t state what degree the optics are at i will take a stab in the dark and say 15 degrees because the light is fairly throw heavy.
The S1R is using a fairly white LED tint maybe 6000k its not the worse by any means but its not so much a NW tint. Compared to my XPL-HI V2 1A Its a tad lighter. I do not know if its just me but i find optics makes the tint lighter? Is it just me? I have been playing with optics lately and when using them i find the beam becomes a tad lighter colour? Could i be mad? Most probably yes! Also thanks to the optics you get a peak beam intensity of 5250cd which is 145 meters of throw. I have tested this to 100 meters and it gets there easy even if it spread out.
The S1R uses a electric side switch which is one of my pet hates. Why go this route if you do not have to? Am i the only one that likes a mechanical feel? Am i the only one that hates the parasitic drain on the battery? Which Olight says is under 30 Micro-amps. Am i the only one that hates going to turn a light a on and the battery is flat because the electronic switch has turned itself on? This has been the main reason why i have stayed away from these types of lights i had these issues with my Solarstorm Sc03.
Threads are perfect and the knurling is a little more aggressive then i am use to! (Not a bad thing)
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Has Olight fixed all these issues? yes and no! The S1R gives the option to lockout the electronic switch. Which in theory is great right? Well first you have to program the lock out which is easy enough you just hold the switch for a few seconds then the light will go into moonlight mood then switch of again then you quickly tap the electronic switch once more. Then red light under the switch will give you a long blink. Yes the switch has a red light that activates for this and for low power mode i believe. Now this is great right? Well of course it is in theory but am i a lazy? Why even ask when you know the answer? Hahaha if you can not have a laugh at your self you shouldn’t be laughing at other people!
Spring on the head end.
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The other issue is lockout last a whopping 2 seconds! Meaning you only have to press and hold the switch for 2 seconds to reactivate the light. Now what is the chance that what ever is pushing the button will be applying force for longer then 2 seconds? Seeing as this switch doesn’t even sit flush with the body id say a pretty big chance. Ways to fix this? You have probably already guessed but i am no engineer! But some times common sense will do the trick. I have seen it on other Olight flashlights where they at least make the switch sit flush with the body and not above the body. If you can some how recess the switch inside the body this would alleviate the need for a lockout. I do not know how you would then turn it on as i said i am no engineer.
Maybe design a cover for the button? For now for this light the lockout works fine it does its jobs. As long as your not constantly using the lockout i should see no issue but if you need to use your light every 5 minutes. Then have to program the lock out again every single time it would be a big pain.
But in theory if you did use a mechanical switch it would make the light a lot bigger so you take the good with the bad. They could always opt for a rotating switch which would keep the size down and the be more versatile. All in all i can not complain to much the switch feel good and is super responsive and they have at least tried to fix known issues with an electronic switch. The included light is awesome to let you know the S1R is running low on power.
Nip slip or TIR optics?
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Now we will go over the modes this light has 5 basic modes plus a hidden strobe all these modes can accessed different ways.
- MODE 1: 900 lumens for 30 seconds then steps down to 300 lumens for 55 minutes
- MODE 2: 300 lumens for 60 minutes
- MODE 3: 60 lumens 4.5 hours
- MODE 4: 12 lumens 33 hours
- MODE 5: 0.5 lumens 15 days (True moonlight)
- Hidden strobe appears to be at 900 lumens with an unknown run-time. (Website has no specs)
p=. The Olight S1R is just that an R series meaning it is rechargeable so it comes with all the bells and whistles it comes with an included RCR123A/16340 this is rated at 5C. So this means it is a high discharge cell it also comes with a magnetic charging dock that charges at 750Mah so it will take under an hour to fully charge this cell. Which is good because using this light on high mode will drain the battery quick. Other 16340 cells work in this light but they can not be charged in this light i tried a Soshine 16340 and a Fandyfire 16340 both will not charge as in the specs rated by Olight. That is fine because they supply you with a cell and charger any ways. You will need high discharge cells to run this light i tripped the current protection on the Soshines and it would no longer work till it was reset but the Fandyfire is an IMR cell so it works good.
Shorter then the rest
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Almost as thin as the Jet MK 2
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The included clip is cool it is an typical Olight clip that site on the top of the light so the S1R will be facing up instead of down which makes it awesome because the S1R can used as a headlamp. Olight included a ramping feature with this light you can not control it. But instead of the light instantly turning on or of it ramps on or ramps of. It is cool but not a necessity but it still has its uses it is supposed to decrease the stimulation on your eyes when the light suddenly changes. If a doctor is reading this feel free to chime in!
Even the clip is upside down lol
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By far the best feature of this light besides the mega output is flat tail cap that has a super powerful magnet. It is used for the charging dock to holds its self on. The magnet on the S1R is also powerful enough to hold its self to a wall or to a roof its like the Spider man of flashlights!
New work light has been found!
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Sticky as Brooo! ( when i read this i read it in a kiwi accent i could possible be racist) no problems holding its self to the roof
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Olight is marketing this light at a wide range of people it has all the features that every one wants in a light. They make up for the run time by having an included charging dock and battery. Yes yes yes i had a whinge about the button but overall does that matter? No not one bit the lockout helps a fair bit plus it can recharged on the go you can even use solar power awesome for a bug out situation. Flashaholics ( sounds like a porn category) will love it for the features and the tiny form factor. I personally think its to small for me i am worried about losing it but you normal folks will enjoy it.
Normal people who want a flashlight/torch can buy one of these with no worries and not have to think about charging it. It has reverse polarity protection and the charger charges to an optimal 4.2 volts i have run about 10 charging cycles on this light so far. Olight has been doing this form factor light for a very long time i should see no reason why you wouldn’t be getting the best. Just think it wouldn’t be so long ago that a light like this would be some ones dream and only a figure of there imagination and now it is available to every one at a reasonable price.
Green means go
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- TIR lens to create a balanced beam
- Positive polarity on the battery faces the tail of the flashlight for enhanced reliability and a more compact size
- Built-in timer: 3 minutes or 9 minutes
- Flat tail cap design contains a strong magnet providing the ability to place it upside down and use it as a hands-free work light
* The S1 features a wide range current circuit and can be powered by 1 x CR123A (built-in protected board)
- Reverse polarity protection to prevent improper battery installation
Red means charge
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Okay lets start the Beam shots best part I also have a lux test to put up this S1R is punching well above its weight!
S1R @ 0.5 lumens Mode 5
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S1R 12 lumens Mode 4
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S1R 60 lumens Mode 3
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S1R 300 lumens Mode 2
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S1R 900 lumens Mode 1
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S1R 900 lumens Mode 1 Tree is 100 meters distance
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S1R Left and Nitecore HC30 (1000 lumens) Right
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S1R left and Xtar WK21 Right (500 lumens)
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S1R left and right Jetbeam Jet-1 MK (Rated 480 lumens)
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Olight S1R left and right is a custom made S2+ with 8 7135s on a Noctigon XPG2 you can see the massive tint difference.
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Video review here
