Customer Reviews

Olight M30 Triton MC-E LED 700 Lumens

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I know I only gave it 4 stars. I was debating whether to give it 4 or 5 stars. In the end I felt like it was a little closer to 4 than 5. But it was almost 5.

I'll use Maglite as a base comparison since that's a light most people are familiar with. Size-wise, it is barely half the length of my 3D Maglite. It is also much skinnier and lighter. However at its brightest setting, it completely blows away any Maglite I have ever used. Even at medium, it is brighter than my 3D Maglite and it has a longer runtime too. Another reviewer noted that the throw is not as good as a Maglite. Given that it has a smaller head and shallower reflector, that is not surprising. That's the tradeoff for the smaller size. But at closer ranges of 100 feet or less it provides a lot more usable light. The brightness more than makes up for difference in throw at that distance. There are 3 different brightness settings plus a strobe.

It comes in a plastic carrying case with some accessories. There is a mostly useless leather holder with keychain clip. It also has a white diffuser cap (useful) and an extender tube and battery holder so it can run off 18650 or CR123A batteries. It comes with a clip and front striking bezel attached, both of which are removable. Although it doesn't say in the specs, it can also run off 18500 batteries.

The beam is a cool-white shade and fairly smooth with only a bit of ringiness right around the hot spot. If you leave the front bezel on, it makes the edge of the spill area into a pentagon shape instead of a circular shape (it is nice and round w/o the bezel). It can tail stand. If you remove the clip, the tail will help keep it from rolling on a level surface but it will likely roll off an inclined surface. The head runs pretty hot at the highest setting, but the heat sink keeps the heat from spreading to the rest of the flashlight body. The build quality feels fairly solid. I'm not about to purposely drop it, so I can't claim it is or isn't as tough as a Maglite.

Add it all up and you've got a solid flashlight. I find it's well worth the price. Also you'll save on batteries in the long run. Rechargeable RCR123A, 18500, or 18650s are kinda pricey initially. But compared to buying D batteries repeatedly they pay for themselves pretty quickly.

Oh the reason it ultimately got 4 stars instead of 5 is two minor problems. First, there is no momentary on switch. The momentary on only works for strobe mode. Which to me is useless. I'd much rather have momentary on access for the regular modes. The second reason I only gave it 4 stars is because I have some minor problems switching between modes. You switch between light levels by pressing the strobe button. Occasionally the light level doesn't switch unless I give the button several presses instead of just one.

9/24/2009
minor update - The problem i was having with the light occasionally not switching light levels when I press the button was fixed when I sent the light back for a replacement. Apparently I just got a bad one the first time. The new one has worked flawlessly since I got it.

I've got many needs and uses for my Triton and almost use it daily. It has several brightness modes which I like because it let's me utilize the batteries most efficiently.The brightness on high is 700 lumens and is EXTREMELY bright.My wife and I like taking our dog for a walk in the neighborhood at night. The Triton has one mode that flashes in the brightest mode.I LOVE this feature because at night when cars are coming,they see this VERY bright light flashing and they slow down.I feel very safe having this flashlight with this feature. If I had to pick out a negative it would be the cost of the batteries.They are about $10 each at Radio Shack but I found them online MUCH MUCH cheaper.You will really love this flashlight.I hope my review helps you with your decision.

The light that I received did not put out anywhere near the advertised 700 lumens. In fact my Fenix TA20 was brighter at 225 lumens. The tail cap bezel is not removable so it will not fit in most duty holsters. I did like the side switch for the strobe feature; it was easy to use and positioned fairly well. I liked the light in general with the exception of the poor power performance. I returned the light and have since replaced it with a Fenix TK30 which lives up to it's billing of 630 lumens.

This light is tough with a decent throw and spill, good to perhaps 100M. It is a user preference whether to emphasize throw (how far away one can illuminate an object usefully) vs. spill (near area spread of light). For a given light output, more spill results in less throw, the light is spread more so there is less light available to reach further out.

I also use the light to break 1/2" to 1" ice in horse buckets and troughs in the winter, the tactical stainless ring and strong glass light cover has stood up well so far (although it was with some dismay to see the M30 glowing brightly in the bottom of a 1M deep water trough with the ambient temperature of 10F, after the M30 slipped out of my gloved hand one day...).

OLight also makes a smooth end cap version which fits many duty holsters better.

The down side of the M30 is the somewhat unwieldy size with the extension tube for use with rechargeable batteries, and there doesn't seem to be a practical way to lock out the end cap button (turning (loosening) the end cap 2.5 times doesn't do it for me for some reason). If you accidentally turn on the light in your carry or pocket, it will not only burn through lithium batteries rapidly but also generate a considerable amount of heat. Heat as in too hot to touch the flashlight at the heatsink portion if there is anything insulating around the light, like a knit cap (ask me how I know that...). The light is thermally limited, but the first experience is alarming... some kind of workable lockout would be useful, even a plastic cover would do.

Overall I like the M30, although more throw would be useful for my purposes. Tactical (as in "takes considerable punishment") is a definite plus. For throw, perhaps a bulky SR90 (claimed throw to 1000M) when the prices come down although the durability might not be as high just due to sheer size. At the M30 price point, the throw vs. spill is a good compromise for my purposes.

I go fishing a lot, and I needed flashlight powerful enough to use on the lake, at night, yet compact, so it would fit in my tackle box.
Well ... this flashlight is bright, compact, but not long range.
The beam is rather wide (not at all like the image on the carrying case), so, beyond 200 feet it is less effective than any of the good old Maglites.
Definitely not worth the price.