R50 Pro/R50 Pro LE Discussion

[kj2]

The R40 is indeed easier to find, IMO. But since there is a led underneath the switch of the R50, a beacon function would've solved the problem.

 

[vadimax]

The R40 is indeed easier to find, IMO. But since there is a led underneath the switch of the R50, a beacon function would've solved the problem.

BTW, Nitecore MH20 does have that button-beacon option.

 

[carl]

The Nitecore MH20 has some problems with their e-switch in that it is a 2-stage camera-like button and some users have reported the switch becomes unreliable with age - they don't always get into the mode they want and have to click it a bunch of times to get it to work.

Some Zebralight users have this same issue with reliability.

Manker offers a backlit button on their side clickies but you have to choose that backlit mode every time before you shut down the light - not ideal for someone who always wants that backlit feature there.

The good thing about Olight's e-switch (although it isn't backlit) is it has a very good record regarding reliability and quality - there are very few (if any) user complaints about it's function and reliability. This is one good reason why Olight has a decent reputation and is considered an upscale brand. This is also why they can offer one of the longest warranties in the industry too.

 

[carl]

The R40 is indeed easier to find, IMO. But since there is a led underneath the switch of the R50, a beacon function would've solved the problem.

Yes, but what about the LED getting dim or burning out after several years of being constantly on ? A small tiny LED under the button lasting the whole 5 years of Olight's warranty period? Don't know about that.

We have to remember that the advertised lifespan of an LED is based on the very best of circumstances and doesn't take into account things like repeated exposure to mechanical shock, heat, on-off cycles, etc.

Bottom line is that LED technology isn't quite there yet to give us what we want.

 

[monow]

I plan on walking the Coast to Coast accross England in 2017 in aid of Prostate Cancer research. I was looking for a light to take on the trip. I have spent months reading and watching reviews (this forum is a superb place to learn). I have the S1 Baton Titanium for inside tent use but need something with a large capacity to last the walk (7-10 days). My requirements are :

1. Size and weight (weight is an issue, every gram needs hauling)
2. Lockout (my S1 sometimes fires up in my pack or pocket)
3. Ability to withstand rain.
4. I need to be able to flood the walking area when I am walking into the night (some parts of the route are a little hairy).
5. Capacity, I may only carry one battery.

The features that appeal to me as an added bonus are the fact I can take the charge cord with me and charge as and when I manage to get a roof over my head and access to a usb. A magnetic tailcap, very useful on my S1 with the difuser on, it lights up the whole tent (although I think using the R50 for this purpose would be overkill).

The only issue I have with Olight so far is the switch, which is sometimes hard to locate.

I have three questions :

1. I live in Sweden, is there a stockist over here?
2. What grade of aluminium is used for the body (makes a difference to lifespan on that knurling), and is it cast and machined or machine cut?
3. Will this be made in titanium in the not too distant future?

 

[carl]

If you're walking and carrying your light, every ounce/gram will count.

1) The R50/Pro is way too big and heavy to carry for long distances and duration. Get a smaller lighter light.
2) It's low mode is too high (50 lumens) to give long battery life. Get a light with a lower low mode to get you more battery life.
3) Not being able to find the switch quickly is a problem with almost all side-click lights so get a tail clicky. Olight has some great tail switch lights to choose from. The R20 comes to mind because it has a mini-usb port but doesn't have a magnetic tailcap feature.
4) Olight uses very high quality aerospace-grade aluminum with a durable high quality hard anodize coating to protect the aluminum surface. No need to look for another material IMHO.
5) A light this size (R50/Pro) will never be made in titanium - cost is too high and the heat absorbing properties of titanium are not good enough for a hot running light like the R50 and R50 pro. Titanium is also heavier than aluminum.

If I were taking a long trip, I would get the S30R because it has a hi-capacity 18650 battery, a magnetic tailcap recharger, and you can unscrew the tailcap one turn to lock it out and prevent accidental turn-on. The side switch can be found easily enough in the dark since the clip can be used as a reference.

 

[kj2]

Just ordered the LE version. Should arrive tomorrow, so can compare this weekend against the regular R50 and the R40.

 

[wimmer21]

would the tail cap from the r50 work on the r50 pro? if so how could I order the r50 tail cap

Just the opposite for me... I want the R50 Pro tail cap for my R50vn.

 

[noboneshotdog]

Olight, could you please let us know when we will be able to pick up R dock for the pro version. I would like to pick one up.

 

[lstmichel]

"Olight, could you please let us know when we will be able to pick up R dock for the pro version. I would like to pick one up."

I would as well - and also a R50Pro tail cap I could use on an R50.

 

[noboneshotdog]

"Olight, could you please let us know when we will be able to pick up R dock for the pro version. I would like to pick one up."

I would as well - and also a R50Pro tail cap I could use on an R50.

I just found Olight is selling the R Dock on thier website for $50. At that price I think I will stick with the charger that came with the non LE model. Or maybe wait for a sale. I'm in no rush.

 

[lstmichel]

ouch
makes me wish I purchased the LE model in stead of saving $20 and getting the base model

 

[noboneshotdog]

ouch
makes me wish I purchased the LE model in stead of saving $20 and getting the base model

I got the base model from Vinh as I was able to have the led swapped to NW. If he was selling the LE model I would have picked it up. In time I will get the R Dock.

 

[lstmichel]

I got the base model from Vinh as I was able to have the led swapped to NW. If he was selling the LE model I would have picked it up. In time I will get the R Dock.

YEAH - I got an early NW (on amazon) and sent it to VinH for his magic - i'll eventually get a dock as well

 

[needforspeed]

Thanks Olight for a very good light. I personally love the whole setup and function of both the R50 and R50 pro LE (I have both). This light is exactly what I like for work in the dark. The only negative I have is that the switch is too easy to activate. Several times I have found it turned on, in the belt holder, on my belt. I will have to find a solution to this soon!

 

[HughJorgan]

I've had this light for a couple of weeks now. In another thread I said I could see the value-add justifying the markup from the regular to the pro, but not the pro to the pro LE.

I'll have to eat those words because I ended up getting a pro LE. I was concerned about the issue observed where the charge didn't stop at full with the button charger (was that ever answered or resolved, btw?) and I found a Black Friday deal on the LE I couldn't pass up, priced the same as olight's Black Friday pro non-LE deal.

And I have to say, I'm impressed. Well packaged, and the dock came well equipped with mounting options - two mounting platforms (the pieces you install on your desired surface, on which the dock slides and locks), four Velcro patches for attaching those platforms, and a set of screws and anchors for more permanent mounting.

And the dock is more than just a housing to place the light in. It has magnets in both the base and the side to provide a very secure grip. You can pretty much mount this in any position and the light isn't going to fall out. It's almost too secure; you can't remove the light from the dock one-handed unless the dock is mounted to something, i.e. you can't just have it sitting loose on a table unless you use one hand to hold the dock and the other to remove the flashlight.

The emergency light mode I tested immediately, and it works exactly as advertised - light comes on with power loss, turns off 10 seconds after power is restored. Nothing gimmicky there.

All said, the price markup between the pro and the pro LE now feels a bit more justified.

Regarding the light itself, pretty dang impressive. Yes, I prefer a more tactical design, but that's not what this is trying to be, despite the LE designation. My "layman's" impressions:

At very close ranges, like less than 7M, it is a bright light but doesn't seem much different from other lights with a third the max lumen output. At 15M+, though, you hit a sweet spot. This has a very wide spot, and at that range it's enough to light up the entire side of a two-story house with just the spot. And light it up it does, like the rising sun. Its ability to deliver such intensity over such a wide angle, I can see it being quite effective in S&R applications. Or otherwise sending rats scurrying away to dark corners, which they can't find because the R50 pro is lighting up everything...

In general, I'm happy with the purchase and its functionality compliments the rest of my (mostly) olight array.

 

[Luxrider]

Just wanted to thank olight for a very impressive little light. I have a 1/2 acre backyard and it's been a battle to find a flashlight that will briefly illuminate the entire thing. Well the r50 pro has been the answer for me.

Fit and finish is top notch, so I was very pleased as this is my first olight. One minor things I noticed, which is not so much a complaint as an observation really...when I plugged the included charger in and connected the charger cable to the flashlight, the led indicator on the charge cable wouldn't light up. I had plugged the charger into a surge protector/power strip which was on and was plugged into the wall outlet. Interestingly, when I moved the charger directly to the wall outlet, the led indicator came on.

Again, no big deal, just something I was wondering about. The flashlight is fantastic. I am definitely going to be grabbing another olight in the future (x9?). 👍

 

[Olightworld]

Great thank you so much for the feedback. We spent a lot of time getting the reflector just right to be able to have a wide spot like you said that can light up the side of a building for example.

I've had this light for a couple of weeks now. In another thread I said I could see the value-add justifying the markup from the regular to the pro, but not the pro to the pro LE.

I'll have to eat those words because I ended up getting a pro LE. I was concerned about the issue observed where the charge didn't stop at full with the button charger (was that ever answered or resolved, btw?) and I found a Black Friday deal on the LE I couldn't pass up, priced the same as olight's Black Friday pro non-LE deal.

And I have to say, I'm impressed. Well packaged, and the dock came well equipped with mounting options - two mounting platforms (the pieces you install on your desired surface, on which the dock slides and locks), four Velcro patches for attaching those platforms, and a set of screws and anchors for more permanent mounting.

And the dock is more than just a housing to place the light in. It has magnets in both the base and the side to provide a very secure grip. You can pretty much mount this in any position and the light isn't going to fall out. It's almost too secure; you can't remove the light from the dock one-handed unless the dock is mounted to something, i.e. you can't just have it sitting loose on a table unless you use one hand to hold the dock and the other to remove the flashlight.

The emergency light mode I tested immediately, and it works exactly as advertised - light comes on with power loss, turns off 10 seconds after power is restored. Nothing gimmicky there.

All said, the price markup between the pro and the pro LE now feels a bit more justified.

Regarding the light itself, pretty dang impressive. Yes, I prefer a more tactical design, but that's not what this is trying to be, despite the LE designation. My "layman's" impressions:

At very close ranges, like less than 7M, it is a bright light but doesn't seem much different from other lights with a third the max lumen output. At 15M+, though, you hit a sweet spot. This has a very wide spot, and at that range it's enough to light up the entire side of a two-story house with just the spot. And light it up it does, like the rising sun. Its ability to deliver such intensity over such a wide angle, I can see it being quite effective in S&R applications. Or otherwise sending rats scurrying away to dark corners, which they can't find because the R50 pro is lighting up everything...

In general, I'm happy with the purchase and its functionality compliments the rest of my (mostly) olight array.

 

[Olightworld]

Thanks a lot! That issue probably has something to do with the voltage coming from the wall itself being higher and a more constant current than the surge protector.

Just wanted to thank olight for a very impressive little light. I have a 1/2 acre backyard and it's been a battle to find a flashlight that will briefly illuminate the entire thing. Well the r50 pro has been the answer for me.

Fit and finish is top notch, so I was very pleased as this is my first olight. One minor things I noticed, which is not so much a complaint as an observation really...when I plugged the included charger in and connected the charger cable to the flashlight, the led indicator on the charge cable wouldn't light up. I had plugged the charger into a surge protector/power strip which was on and was plugged into the wall outlet. Interestingly, when I moved the charger directly to the wall outlet, the led indicator came on.

Again, no big deal, just something I was wondering about. The flashlight is fantastic. I am definitely going to be grabbing another olight in the future (x9?). 

 

[JB]

I was about to get the R50 Pro when I noticed that there is no true memory for High mode. According to the manual, the memory for High only lasts for 10 minutes after shut off. After 10 minutes without use, the mode reverts to Medium.

This is a poorly implemented UI and a bad decision on the part of Olight.