Review: Odepro KL52 Plus

Lux-Perpetua · 2019-01-23T19:29:17.000Z

Hey flashoholics,

Today I want to present you the Odepro KL52 Plus, a versatile, zoomable hunting flashlight. Jenna Zhang from Odepro Outdoors kindly contacted me to make this review. I did not receive any compensation except for the flashlight.

Specifications of the KL52:

Manufacturer	Odepro (subsidiary of Brinyte)
Model	KL52 Plus
Type	twistable zoomable flashlight
Dimensions:	length: 5.82in/148mm flood mode length: 6.73in/171mm spot mode diameter: 2.12in/54mm bezel diameter: 1.16in/29.5mm tailcap
Weight:	8.46oz/240g without battery
Power:	1x 18650 3.7V lithium-ion cell (3.0V – 4.2V)
LED	single modules/pills: 1x XM-L2 U4 cold white 1x XP-E green 1x XP-E2 red 1x XR-E infrared 850nm
Material	6061 aircraft aluminum, HA III matte black anodization
Lens:	aspherical convex glas lens, AR-coated
Switch mode:	forward tail clicky
Light modes:	white: low, medium, high, strobe, SOS (5-modes) red/green/IR: one mode
Runtimes: (from Odepro)	white: 1.6 hours (high mode) red: 3.3 hours green: 4.1 hours IR: 2 hours
Output: (from Odepro)	white: 36lm on low, 240lm on medium, 800lm on high red: 100lm green: 110lm IR: unknown
Range: (from Odepro)	white: 400 yards / 365m red: 375 yards / 343m green: 452 yards / 413m IR: depending upon night vision device
Mode Memory	Yes
Impact Resistance	3.28ft / 1m
Water Resistance	IPX8 (immersion beyond 1m)
Warranty	30 days free replacement, 24 months free repair, limited lifetime warranty (charge of replacement for damaged parts) after 24 months
Table of content	1x KL52 Kit box with: 1x Odepro KL52 1x remote switch 1x 18650 dual-slot charger 3x exchangeable pills in jars (red, green, infrared) 1x universal rapid / scope mount 1x picatinny rail mount for rifles (incl. 1x hex screw key) 2x 18650 li-ion battery, 3.7V, 3.000mAh, button top 4x o-ring 1x manual in German language 1x manual in English language 1x warranty card

Some initial thoughts…

Well, we have seen this kind of zoomie already before as the Brinyte B158. Moreover, there are several other zoomable flashlights like the CPF Italia Cometa or the Haikelite HT35. So, what’s so special about the Odepro KL52? As you might have seen on the box already this light comes with different colours and a quite unique mechanism for using different emitters in white, green, red and infrared for multirole applications.

For instance, red colour is within a wavelength some wild animals are not sensitive to unlike human beings. Thus hunters have a significant advantage using red light for orientation while preying upon deers, boars and so on. Furthermore, red light is known to be better for maintaining one’s night vision ability, so the eyes would take less time to get adapted to darkness compared to usage of white light.

Green light however is known to be more advantageous when you venture to unknown territory without using white light that is much more intense to (animals) eyes than green light. That means green light will let you see further than red light does in return of more reflectivity to your surroundings.

Infrared light can only be seen with special equipment for night vision but is the adequate choice for staying absolutely invisible in certain hunting scenarios. As I neither hunt nor use special infrared devices so far, I was unfortunately unable to test the IR-module or use the flashlight in actual hunting applications like the flashlight being mounted on a rifle.

Where to get the Odepro KL52?

The flashlight can be found on Odepro's website:

http://www.odepro.com/en/zoomable-flashlight.html

Odepro distributes their flashlights via Amazon. This ensures a quite convenient order process with fast shipping and great customer service.

Here's a selection of sources where to order the KL52 Plus from:

US: https://www.amazon.com/Odepro-Zoomable-Flashlight-Pressure-Packaging/dp/B0755FQFP1

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Odepro-zoomable-hunting-flashlight-remote/dp/B0755FQFP1

Spain: https://www.amazon.es/Odepro-linterna-blanca-interruptor-distancia/dp/B075V6QCZG

France: https://www.amazon.fr/Odepro-zoomable-lumière-interrupteur-distance/dp/B075V6QCZG

Germany: https://www.amazon.de/Odepro-zoombare-Taschenlampe-ir850-Wildschweine/dp/B075V6QCZG

What's inside?

The KL51 Plus comes with its accessories in a nice suitcase made of plastic. All parts are orderly placed in lasercutted foamed plastic.

The KL52 Plus comes with LED modules for red, green, white and infrared light.

The universal rapid mount can used for multiple purposes such as for mounting it on a bike.

The Picatinny rail mount and the hex screw key is used to mount the KL52 to a rifle. As I did not have a rifle here for demonstration I cannot show the KL52 mounted onto a weapon.

The battery charger is a very simple one.

Its specifications are found on the rear side.

The kit contains a set of two protected 18650 batteries, labeled with 3000mAh and 11.1Wh. Both batteries had a resting voltage of 3.78V before I charged them for the first time.

In order to operate the KL52 when mounted onto a rifle there's a remote switch. It can be easily attached to the KL52 by exchanging the tail cap.

The noiseless switch has a velcro strap.

The tail cap's spring is hidden underneath a brass canopy. The threads on the battery tube and the tail cap are deanodized.

Furthermore, there are two manuals, one in English and the other one in German as well as a warranty card and several spare o-rings.

Last but no least, the actual flashlight. It's not capable to do a tailstand but due to its crenelated bezel it can do a headstand.

Swapping the LED module...

Beamshots

Beamshots were made on an ancient building located in a remote park for less distraction by background lighting. The KL52 was operated in high mode (= maximum). As I do not have the proper equipment to take beamshots of infrared light I could not test the IR module.

One the left side you can see the Haikelite HT35 XHP35 HD in neutralwhite tint. On the right side you see the coldwhite XM-L2 of the KL52.

While the Haikelite HT35 has more intensity/brightness than the Odepro KL52 the latter one is better focussed.

The KL52 fully focussed with the coldwhite XM-L2 dropin.

The Haikelite HT35 XHP35 HD fully focussed.

The KL52 fully defocussed with the coldwhite XM-L2 module.

The KL52 fully focussed with the green XP-E module.

The KL52 fully defocussed with the green XP-E module.

The KL52 fully focussed with the red XP-E2 module.

The KL52 fully defocussed with the red XP-E2 module.

Final thoughts

The flashlight is well made and very solid. I did not find any flaws on the anodization. The zooming mechanism works smooth and without any significant clearance. The aspheric lens did not contain any substantial amount of dust. However, you got to be careful when swapping the LED modules as dust can move into the inner side of the lens quite easily. All LED modules can be exchanged without any difficulties. Beamshots revealed no significant visible artifacts or distortion in the beam. The beam pattern looks quite good both defocussed and focussed except for some slightly visible rings when fully focussed. I did not manage to get the KL52 running hot but I felt the light becoming warmer when focussed. While I do like the simple user interface I think it really needs to be optimised as I do not like to have strobe or SOS in the regular mode order. Unscrewing the tail cap is a bit tricky sometimes as it can happen that the zooming mechanism will also be triggered. So, make sure to grab the very end of the battery tube when twisting the tailcap.

Overall, the KL52 is a versatile and quite unique flashlight with its different LED modules. The big benefit is the easy exchange of these modules. With those many accessories included in the kit the KL52 is surely great for hunters or for military purposes. The sales price sounds a bit ambitious to me when comparing the KL52 with other zoomable flashlights like Haikelite HT35 or CPF Italia Cometa. However, if you want to have maximum flexibility with different LED options there's no real alternative to it.

Many thanks to Odepro Outdoor for the opportunity to test and review this flashlight!

ChibiM · 2019-01-23T20:53:10.000Z

Very nice package/case! Thanks for the review!

saypat · 2019-01-23T22:50:47.000Z

Thank you/ very nice and thorough review. Can’t imagine them not including a blue module at that price.

Nitesun_Flashlight · 2019-01-28T01:09:55.000Z

a very attractive flashlight

Lightbringer · 2019-01-28T01:20:54.000Z

Nice! Didn’t know they’re a subsidiary of Brinyte. Makes sense, as they’re famous for their big-lens zoomies, and the KL52 fits right in.

Odepro’s got some nice stuff. I reviewed the TM30 kit… everything you’d need was included.

Lightbringer · 2019-01-28T01:24:05.000Z

saypat:

Thank you/ very nice and thorough review. Can’t imagine them not including a blue module at that price.

Unno, I can’t see much use for blue. Red and green are most used for night-vision, IR same ’though with IR-registering scopes (btw, you can judge its IR performance by using your cellphone as a video-camera, even if it’s not recording, and seeing how it lights up things).

Blue might get some things to fluoresce, but then I’d rather have a real UV module (385nm at the very least, preferably 365nm). Blue is the hardest light to see, or even for your eyes to focus on (everything looks blurry). A blue module might be a novelty, just not terribly useful.

Lux-Perpetua · 2019-01-28T06:38:19.000Z

I must apologize to you and to Jenna Zhang for the original link to my German counterpart-review for the KL52 Plus on TLF that had to be removed again by myself. :FACEPALM:

I had promised to and I felt obliged to release a German review on TLF, too. I want to explain why if anyone was wondering what happened:

After I completed and published my review there, the TLF admin team decided to reject/not publish it for reasons of legal concerns about the picatinny rail mount. They told me it even violates against the weapons law in Germany to possess this picatinny rail mount in combination with the flashlight. As far as I have informed myself about it, this is not true as the picatinny rail mount is not solely intended to be used on rifles but also for non-military applications like on helmets, bikes, softgun/airgun etc..

The only scenario that causes law enforcement to become alerted and that truly violates against the law is to mount the KL52 with the picatinny rail mount onto a rifle. Picatinny rail mounts can be bought without any restrictions everywhere in Germany as they are known to be universal mounts, approved to be sold with a minimum age of 14 years. For instance, here's a another eBay link to a German retailer that legally sells flashlights with picatinny railmounts:

eBay

LED Gewehr Taschenlampe 2000lm 2 Modi Pistole Flashlight Licht Camping online...

Entdecken Sie LED Gewehr Taschenlampe 2000lm 2 Modi Pistole Flashlight Licht Camping in der großen Auswahl bei eBay. Kostenlose Lieferung für viele Artikel!

If the TLF admin team's opinion was proven right, even Amazon would violate against German law as they offer Odepro's and Brinyte's flashlights with this mount on their German marketplace platform.

A simple notice like "Attention: It is strictly forbidden to use the KL52 mounted onto a rifle in Germany" at the beginning of my review - amended by the admin team - would have sufficed in my opinion but their approach was to have me cut out any information about the picatinny rail mount in order to release my review to the public. I hope for your understanding that I am unwilling to comply and rather prefer to have them deleted the entire review. Please excuse the ranting about my discontent...

Cheers,

Thomas

chbracke · 2020-02-20T18:19:45.000Z

I know this thread is old but I just bought one of these and would like to mod the green module (and possible the red) to increase the lumen output so that it will illuminate better at longer distances. Really and truly, 100 or 110 lumens for red or green light is pretty inadequate for any game beyond 50-75yards. I am a total noobie to modifying flashlights but if it’s just a matter of soldering I can definitely handle that. Can anyone tell me how to make this thing light up better at greater distances in green (and red)?