Olight R50 Seeker Review

Glockinmypocket · October 13, 2016, 2:57pm

*Disclaimer: This review is based solely on my own pretenses. I was not paid for my personal opinion.

So as I set here and I review the contents of my bug out bag, from the food supply all the way down to the comfort items I have realized that my bugout lighting is significantly lacking. All I have is a basic Mag Light and a nice 250L Bushnell headlamp. These are both nice pieces of gear, but I got to wondering, is this really sufficient? What if somebody gets separated and we need to search for them, or what if we need a light bright enough to draw the zombies in the other direction?! I did some research, and came across three lights (as usual) that I wanted to consider being my primary bugout lamp. Something that could save some space be used for more than JUST searching, and be a jack of all trades basically. The options I chose were the Fenix PD40, Thrunite TN32, and the Olight R50 Seeker. In typical Glockinmypocket fashion I have added the basic statistics of lights below, all information and images are direct from the manufacturer’s website.

Fenix PD40

Cost: $128.00

Battery Type: 26650 (Used for stats below)

Dimensions: 5.7”L x 1.6”dia

Weight: 6.1oz (no battery)

Battery included? No

Thrunite TN32

Cost: $129.95

Battery Type: 18650x3 (Used for stats below)

Dimensions: 7.9”L x 3.1”dia

Weight: 22.9oz (no battery)

Battery included? No

Olight R50 Seeker

Cost: $120.00

Battery Type: 26650 (Used for stats below)

Dimensions: 5.24”L x 1.65”dia

Weight: 8.99oz (no battery)

Battery included? Yes

So now that the statistics are out of the way let’s get into why I put these lights in my lineup for my choices. I had a very specific list of what I wanted for my “bugout” flashlight:

Now I’d like to touch on why each of these points were important to me. Having more than 1500 lumens is important to me for the simple fact of I want to see, and I want to see clearly, remember this is going to be used as a possible search light. So having a good beam distance paired with the ability to make it daylight at 2am was two of the key features I need.

The cost was important to me because while I have an above average income, I still don’t want to spend more than I have to, plus telling your wife you’re spending $400.00 for something to spend 99% of it’s life unused isn’t the easiest thing. Now I will say that I have the MSRP listed for all of these lights, some of them can be had for less than the prices listed on the manufacturer website.

The light needing to be compact was extremely important. I wanted a light that I can mount on my belt, or my pack, and not have to worry about it constantly getting hooked on things or hindering my ability to sit regularly.

The low lumen modes are honestly the thing that meant the most to me. I’m not talking that I need a .5 lumen mode on a light like this (I have my EDC light for that), but something I could use for light just to simply cook with, or illuminate my hammock at night.

Now, let’s talk about why I would chose the R50 over the other lights listed here. I knocked the PD40 for two reasons. One, beam distance was lacking, being the lowest out of the three, searching for my son or my wife that got separated from me is a time that I want to see as much as possible. The secondary reason that I knocked the PD40 out was the runtime. The Fenix website doesn’t even list a runtime for the turbo mode, and that scares me. What are they hiding? A measley 20 minute run time? That reason alone was enough for me to through it out of the running.

As for the TN32, it got thrown out for one reason, it is HUGE! I couldn’t see how this light wouldn’t hinder me. It’s throw distance made me consider it, along with it’s massive runtime, but a 3” bezel with an 8” long body is just out of the question for my application. Not to mention the fact that it requires 3 18650 batteries to run.

So, now here is the reason why I would go with the R50 over the other lights in this category:

• Size

• Lumen Output

• Built in Recharging

• User Interface

So now let’s touch on these points, the first one being size. When it comes to size, the TN32 can’t even compare, the PD40 is close in size comparison, but the R50 still comes out on top in this category. It fits well in the hand (I wear medium-large gloves), and rides on a belt well!

Moving on to lumen output, this is where the R50 really shines, and is the main reason it wins in this comparison for me! Not only does the R50 have a nice 50L low setting, which is perfect for illuminating my tent or hammock, but it also puts out a BLINDING 2500 lumens for the times when you really need to see what’s ahead. It’s also bright enough to stun a deer, which is illegal and not condoned at all, but we are talking about a SHTF scenario here. Whether it is searching houses and buildings or searching the woods, this light will serve all task very well. This is a 15x22 room, and as you can see the R50 makes easy work of it. (Not that any of us doubted a light of this capacity could do that)

Low:

(Please excuse the quality here, I don’t currently have a camera with great low light capability)

Medium:

(Please excuse the quality here, I don’t currently have a camera with great low light capability)

High:

(Please excuse the quality here, I don’t currently have a camera with great low light capability)

Turbo:

(Please excuse the quality here, I don’t currently have a camera with great low light capability)

Low (Outside):

(Please excuse the quality here, I don’t currently have a camera with great low light capability)

Medium (Outside):

(Please excuse the quality here, I don’t currently have a camera with great low light capability)

High (Outside):

(Please excuse the quality here, I don’t currently have a camera with great low light capability)

Turbo (Outside):

(Please excuse the quality here, I don’t currently have a camera with great low light capability)

A big factor for this light that made it land in my bug out bag, is the fact that it has recharging built in. Other lights lights in this class can use rechargeable batteries obviously, but the Olight is the only one with on board charging. It’s a simple interface, with a Micro USB port on the tail end of the light, while it’s charging the port illuminates red, when it is finished it will illuminate green!

Last but not least, the true 100% decider for this light is the user interface. Just like most Olight’s it is very simple to use. Simply hold down the power switch on the side to switch through all the modes. A quick double click will activate turbo mode, and a quick triple click activates the strobe! This light does also have a lockout feature! All you have to do is hold the power button for three seconds from off and the light will be locked. To disengage the lockout just simply hold the button for another 3 seconds, when it is locked the power button will illuminate red when pressed!

Now let’s go onto a point that for bugout purposes doesn’t matter at all, but for me it shows the quality of a company, the packaging! The Olight R50 Seeker comes with:

• Micro USB Charging Cable

• Wall USB Charger

• 4500MAH 26650 Battery

• Lanyard

All of this comes in a very nice and detailed packing that is cut solely for the R50 Seeker:

Now like always I want to close with something that I believe the company can change about their light to make it a little better. In the case of the R50 there are only a couple of things that I believe could be changed. First off the feature of the red illumination for the power switch, this is a great feature, but not when it’s used to tell you the battery is dead, plus that the light is locked. I’ll admit that I accidentally locked the light out when I got it, and was trying to figure out why it was telling me it was dead and wouldn’t come on when the charge port was illuminated green LOL. Secondly I would LOVE to see this light come with some sort of bag attachment or belt holster. All in all I give this light a solid:

4.5 out of 5

The only reason I am not giving it a solid 5 out of 5 is because of the small issue with the red power switch. It is an astounding light, the fit and finish is amazing (which is expected from Olight), it comes with a great little kit, and it will shine far enough ahead of you that you never have to worry about what lies in the darkness ahead. If you’re in the market for a practical light for your SHTF or Bugout bags, then look no farther than this light!

Thanks for reading,

Glockinmypocket

Glockinmypocket · October 13, 2016, 2:57pm

Please excuse the missing pictures. Photobucket decided to delete them for some reason. Will reupload them and add again tonight!