Flashlight review: Olight S30R III 1050 lumens

Howard Law

AirOpsMgr

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I'm always on the hunt for my next high power "EDC" flashlight, enter the Olight S30R baton III as my most recent trial.

(Stock image from the web as purchased)
olight-s30r-iii-10-1.jpg

The major points:
1. They claim 1050 lumen
2. 1" shorter, body is 0.25" smaller in circumference and its 1oz lighter than standard 18650 torches, however, both head units are the same size @ 1".
3. Has a magnetic USB charging base, if you're into that kinda stuff (I prefer my 4 slot NiteCore digital charger).
4. One-button control for mode / function.
5. Uses a single 18650 battery, my purchase came with an Olight branded 3.6V 3500mAh 18650 battery and magnetic USB charging base.

Size comparison: Olight at the very bottom, Fenix above it, and a couple of other torches for comparison sake:

20171006_204651.jpg

So my Fenix PD35 @ 950 Lumens (2014 version, not the newer Tac light version) has been my EDC going on a couple of years now, it's been through hell and back, beaten to death, dropped from the main deck of a Boeing 747 (let's call it about 16' off the ground) run over by a Tug tractor, soaked numerous times in rain storms, yet it keeps on ticking.

While I love my PD35, I just had to see if this smaller and "more powerful" version by Olight was any better.

ETA: Another reason that I was looking for a slightly smaller unit (in length) is that the left-leg pocket on 5.11 pants can barely fit a standard 18650 torch and close properly; while this may be a trivial / non-existent concern to some, it's a big factor for me as I utilize all of my pants pockets when working.

The Olight isn't exactly cheap, $80 on Amazon, but when you start pushing past the 900 lumen mark, it falls in the ballpark price range .... but, it's much smaller than its competition.

Can you tell a difference between 950 Lumens and 1050 lumens?... not really .... here are the side-by-side pics; it seems to me that the Fenix has a better throw.

Fenix PD35 2014 ver. @ 950 Lumens:


20171006_203709.jpg

Olight S30R baton III @ 1050 lumens:


20171006_203731.jpg

Where you find the major difference is in size and weight. The PD35 weighs in at 134g ~ 4.75 oz, the Olight S30R comes in at 107g ~ 3.75 oz. Then you have the 0.25 circumference difference leaving the Olight as the clear winner as the more compact and lighter unit.

Fit and finish are similar, the belt clip is 1" longer on the Olight than the Fenix, only time will tell if the Olight can match the durability of the Fenix. I plan to carry both over my next few trips, beat it up and report back.

So thus ends the basic review :yo:

Update: After trying some other 18650 batteries in the Olight and using the supplied magnetic charging base, none of my other 18650s will charge inside the light, only the supplied Olight battery will charge.

Will look into this further to see what's up and advise...
 
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Cudruln

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I have an olight s10r baton for the night stand. It is an amazingly bright light and super compact. Anybody looking for a good light i highly recommend olight.
 
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madHatter

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olight is my favourite torch mfgr.

maverick, baton and i have 2 mini valkyries on the way. if you dont know what the pl valk is... look into it.
 
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AirOpsMgr

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olight is my favourite torch mfgr.

maverick, baton and i have 2 mini valkyries on the way. if you dont know what the pl valk is... look into it.
I like the looks of the PL-Mini, looks much smaller than the StreamLight TLR-2 and TLR-4 I have, but at 400 lumens, thats starting to get to a point where I'm not sure I want that bright of a light on my bump-in-the-night gun.
 

Huddy

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Oh man, I love running into fellow torch nerds. I catch hell at home bc I can't help but try various ones. I've been "testing" a couple of streamlight units lately and have not been disappointed. I want to try out a few olights to see how they hold up. I look forward to your future reports on how this one performs long term.
 
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AirOpsMgr

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Oh man, I love running into fellow torch nerds. I catch hell at home bc I can't help but try various ones. I've been "testing" a couple of streamlight units lately and have not been disappointed. I want to try out a few olights to see how they hold up. I look forward to your future reports on how this one performs long term.
We need to form a flashlight forum .... ;)
 
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Huddy

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We need to form a flashlight forum .... ;)
Ooooooo weeeee!! I'd love to get in on that.

As a side note, I will miss Marshall Hoots light reviews. Pretty sure I've watched all that he ever produced and he helped me pick out my first surefire years ago. For anyone that doesn't know him, he was the owner of Going Gear in Smyrna GA and passed away last week.
 

madHatter

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I like the looks of the PL-Mini, looks much smaller than the StreamLight TLR-2 and TLR-4 I have, but at 400 lumens, thats starting to get to a point where I'm not sure I want that bright of a light on my bump-in-the-night gun.
i am sure there is a selector switch, no way would 400lm be good for the night vision of the guy sweeping.

still....a smaller, cheaper, brighter pistol light? i mean... cmon.










side note: i do performance/safety testing on lighting, and am familiar with FL-1
 

Hayata

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My latest. Truly amazing the amount of light it throws.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZPT47Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm a closet flashlight nerd for sure - but like most things have a hard time affording the hobby.

61VifWV-zSL._SL1000_.jpg
 
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Hayata

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You piqued my interest, just ordered one. For $35, why not? :)

Don't forget the batteries but it looks like you already have some.

Let me know what you think. I haven't bought a flashlight in some time and I think there's alien technology involved with this one somehow. The low beam is a good level low but then as you up the power you'll wonder when the last time it rained because the pine straw starts smoldering...
 
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AirOpsMgr

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Don't forget the batteries but it looks like you already have some.

Let me know what you think. I haven't bought a flashlight in some time and I think there's alien technology involved with this one somehow. The low beam is a good level low but then as you up the power you'll wonder when the last time it rained because the pine straw starts smoldering...
Yessir, stocked on batts, as a matter of fact, I ordered some new "Eastshine" 3.7V/3500mAh batts with the Olight order.

Normally I just run the Panasonic NCR18650B 3.6v 18650/3400mAh batts, but wasn't sure if they would work in the Olight. Good thing I ordered the Eastshines as the included batt with the Olight (Olight branded 3.6V/3500mAh) and the new Eastshines are just a tad longer ... my normal Panasonic 18650s didn't work as they were too short (New experience for me as I thought all 18650s were the same length)

18650s.jpg


ETA: Just measured them for the heck of it:

Panasonic NCR18650B 3.6v 18650/3400mAh = 6.5cm / 2.55"

Olight 3.6V/3500mAh & Eastshine 3.7V/3500mAh = 6.8cm / 2.67"
 
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