Thrunite Catapult or Olight M21 Warrior?

[Painful Chafe]

The M30 actually has a little more throw, and the M30 isn't at all a thrower. The hotspot is very wide. I do like it for indoor use and if I was walking in woods. It does light up a room very nicely. If you are at all looking for throw, I would go with something else. I think it is a very good light for certain purposes. It is very bright for its size. There are probably some MC-E and P7's its size that are as bright, but they get very hot after a few minutes and I'm assuming the M21 will have better runtime. I've had the M21 running for about 15 and it only gets warm.

It's not that I'm not impressed with it. I am. I was just hoping for a little more throw. Just imagine what an MC-E would look like in a light with a reflector the size of an M21. This does make perfect sense since the LED's are about the same size. If this is what you are after, I recommend it. If you are looking for a light with throw close to an M20, but brighter, the M21 is a totally different animal.

 

[Painful Chafe]

I found a really good picture of a M20 Ti compared to a M20 R5 and Q5. This sums up pretty well what I'm seeing with the hotspot. The M21 does have a slightly larger reflector than the M20 Ti, so the throw/lux may be a little bit better.

M20Ti---M20 R2---M20 Q5

Here is the M20 Ti

And the M20 R2

 

[ZRXBILL]

Thanks for the beam shots.
You wouldn't happen to have any taken between 100-150 ft. would you?

 

[Painful Chafe]

Sorry, the pictures above were stolen from other peoples reviews. That is all I could find.

 

[stallion2]

I would love to see some beam shots if you can get a camera!!

I think i am swaying towards the Catapult at the moment. It just looks like a very well made light that should be able to put up with any potential knocks that may come its way when i'm on duty. Ive only ever had cree emitters though so i will be stepping into "unlightened" territory!!:candle:

Here are some pics I said I would post yesterday, sorry for the delay.
I showed the M20 w/ both reflectors. The image does not adequately reflect that Catapult's true tint. It is far more yellowish, not unlike some of the high performance driving lamps you see on some vehicles, notably some PIAA's w/ the amber lenses. I hope this helps.

The M30 actually has a little more throw, and the M30 isn't at all a thrower. The hotspot is very wide. I do like it for indoor use and if I was walking in woods. It does light up a room very nicely. If you are at all looking for throw, I would go with something else.

Thanks for the information...it proved to be extremely helpful. So the M30 can out throw the M21??? That seems like a wasted opportunity for Olight considering the amount of buzz the SST-50 and 90 have generated. If you're gonna revamp the M20 w/ the new LED it seems obvious to make it brighter, which they've done. But I would think they would want to design the light to outperform their M30 in some fashion. Throw would have seemed the obvious factor to address, especially when you consider that Olight has no dedicated thrower in their product line. I'm not saying the M21 should have been a dedicated thrower but it doesn't take much to out throw an M30. It does sound like an extremely practical light but I've got that covered.

I decided to opt for Dereelight's DBS V3 w/ the MC-E. I also ordered and R2 pill (WG bin) and an SMR reflector. I figure that w/ 4 possible configurations that I should be able to get at least 2 different lights from one base unit. And then there is also the aspheric head...which are just plain fun. Thanks again for the info, Painful Chafe...that might be the first time I've ever typed the word "chafe."

 

[MattK]

To make the M21 a thrower the reflector would have been too big and taken the light out of the tactical size class. Most 'tactical' situations take place in a relatively short range, not over distance, so a dedicated thrower doesn't make sense for tactical applications.

 

[droeun]

Thanks for the information...it proved to be extremely helpful. So the M30 can out throw the M21??? That seems like a wasted opportunity for Olight considering the amount of buzz the SST-50 and 90 have generated. If you're gonna revamp the M20 w/ the new LED it seems obvious to make it brighter, which they've done. But I would think they would want to design the light to outperform their M30 in some fashion. Throw would have seemed the obvious factor to address, especially when you consider that Olight has no dedicated thrower in their product line. I'm not saying the M21 should have been a dedicated thrower but it doesn't take much to out throw an M30. It does sound like an extremely practical light but I've got that covered.

How much bigger is the M30's reflector compared to the M21? I think the M30 vs K50 might be a better comparison.

 

[Biodarren]

Thanks a lot for all of the beam shots. Really good.

I 'WAS' just about to buy the Catapult as it looks like the better performing light overall. However, this may be a minor point to some, but, i've noticed that the Olight comes with various extras, including a holster. This is quite important to me as i have to carry it for up to 12 hours a day. The catapult is 'that' much bigger than my MTE that i doubt very much whether it will fit in my existing holster.

Does anyone know of a decent holster that will hold this securely??

Many thanks again for all of your help so far

 

[stallion2]

How much bigger is the M30's reflector compared to the M21? I think the M30 vs K50 might be a better comparison.

head dia: 36mm, 40.2mm, 43.5mm
the M20, M21, M30 respectively

as far as the K50 or 90 goes who can tell? i've given up speculating on what they'll be like...only makes me more impatient. if there are more specifics beyond the emitters they're using then i've yet to find it.

Thanks a lot for all of the beam shots. Really good.

I 'WAS' just about to buy the Catapult as it looks like the better performing light overall. However, this may be a minor point to some, but, i've noticed that the Olight comes with various extras, including a holster. This is quite important to me as i have to carry it for up to 12 hours a day. The catapult is 'that' much bigger than my MTE that i doubt very much whether it will fit in my existing holster.

Does anyone know of a decent holster that will hold this securely??

Many thanks again for all of your help so far

yeah...selling the lights as a kit of sorts is pretty cool. initially i was happy my M30 would have a small case to put it in for travel. i wish all my lights were like that. eventually i'm gonna have to get a Pelican case or some affordable knockoff. too bad there isn't a diffuser for the M21. i use the one for my M30 a lot more than i thought i would.

 

[Painful Chafe]

I am actually liking this light more an more. The wide spot is great indoors. The spill is moderately wide bright. I just
had high hopes in the 500 lumens claim, and hoped the larger deaper reflector gave it more throw. If Olight came out with this light and stated it outputs 350 lumes, I still would have purchased it. That is where most of me beef is.

But what is does, it does well with Olight's top tier quality.
​

 

[Direwolf]

There are quite a lot of choices in flashlights out there with pros & cons in all of them. ThruNite only produced a good quality keychain light before the Catapult and wanted to produce a high quality search & rescue flashlight using the latest SST-50 led. I'm sure there are flashlights now that equal or better it's performance in so many ways and there will be flashlights to come that will surpass it. For now I'm glad I made the right choice in getting the Catapult, I think they have created an excellent flashlight with it's build,looks and finish,despite any picky 'faults'. They have stated in another thread that they will probably be bringing a holster out next year and possibly a diffuser, someone else in another thread have found a holster that works for now, you'll have to search for that one though.

 

[Biodarren]

Direwolf, thanks for the input. I was really impressed with the catapult and all of the specs, UNTIL, i read about the output from only a single battery is almost half as with the extension tube. This is a big factor for me. I am not able to carry a torch which is so long on my belt and it seems like a compromise. I think that i will probably order the Olight now.

 

[Cleron]

The Catapult is not flexible enough for what you probably want. The tail "clicky" is the only way to change the levels, and frankly it's an awkward design, if you intend to use the extender at least. Even with out the extender I'm still not sure it's the right light you are looking for. Brightness is not always the best thing to go by. Most LEDS have a very "white" tint that dose not display colors overly well. It's great for lighting up a room, or a foot path, but if you want color rendition you need to look at a light with a more yellow tint in the lower K like 4000-5000k rather then the 6k most leds tend to come in at. Sadly I'm not the biggest incan fan, but I'm sure others might be able to come up with something along those lines.

In terms of the lights i own & can speak for (mostly leds, or huge incans) i feel the Lumapower MVP dose an over all better job then any of the other led search lights i have tried/bought (Including the Catapult). It has fantastic build quality & a second clicky for mode changing that makes it far more flexible (in my opinion) on the fly then the Catapult. It has a nice balance between flood & throw, but it's still a bit on the big side, although it is smaller & i believe lighter then the catapult.

The only light that i "own" that comes close to what you would probably want is somewhat expensive. I own a JetBeam "TI" TC-R3 that's pretty small, but still puts out 250L. It has the advantage of having a rotary switch as well as a tail clicky that offers fantastic flexibility on the move. You can jump between settings if your fast enough, and while it's not as bright as the M21 it's not quite as awkward to hold, unless you intend to "always" use the tactical hold. It's certainly small enough & light enough, and even bright enough for what you probably want. I believe Jet beam have a standard version of some sort out their right now that should be much cheaper.

As for the M21 i don't own it. I do have the "little brother" M20 witch is a fine light, but i always found the rotary switch on the Jet Beam far more practical when I'm out and about. Swiveling the head on the M20 to change modes can be somewhat annoying. I'm not sure if the M21 uses the same system, but it's worth finding out.

 

[Direwolf]

Ignore this,the internet screwed up my posting.See below.

 

[Direwolf]

Direwolf, thanks for the input. I was really impressed with the catapult and all of the specs, UNTIL, i read about the output from only a single battery is almost half as with the extension tube. This is a big factor for me. I am not able to carry a torch which is so long on my belt and it seems like a compromise. I think that i will probably order the Olight now.

I have not found the output to be much different in single and two battery mode.With two batteries you probably get about 20% more throw and of course longer run time but about the same spill. I would liked to have had a ring switch on the Catapult like the Jetbeam Raptor and Fenix TA21, a definate improvement and easier to control, but I was after a thrower. Before splashing out on the Cat I had short listed other contenders like Eagletac M series,Jetbeam Raptor,Fenix TK40 and Olight M30 Triton. The Triton I found seems to suffer from PWM flicker, the TK40, though a good thrower, has too light a construction and too many (though more common, readily available) batteries, the Jetbeam Raptor, a close contender,nice looks and construction but not much of a thrower and the Eagletac Ms, a very close contender with it's ring switch and throw, but the Catapult won in the end with it's construction,built to last (I hope) it's weight and heft,it's looks and finish, a new on the block SST-50 led and included extention tube. Some people have complained about the yellow corona around the centre beam but I don't shine the light off of white walls to look at it, it probably enhances green foliage at night and is probably down to the SST-50 led type. So, there is just as much light output with single battery,just a fraction less throw and a shorter run time. ThruNite finally chose the tail clicky to be cycling through the modes in momentry with full on first, then with full click on,high first then dimmer with each click then strobe, no memory, but always high on with first click. Good luck in your final choice, it's horses for courses. Have you chased up the other threads in the forum on the Catapult.

 

[HKJ]

I have not found the output to be much different in single and two battery mode.

Visually they might be closed, but a measurement shows a rather large difference. On my Catapult medium and high measures the same output on a single battery, but with two batteries the high output is 70% more than medium output.

 

[Biodarren]

I have looked and looked at all of the posts that i can find about the catapult and they all say that it is a good flashlight but, and i know that you disagree Direwolf, but the measurements of the output are pretty conclusive.

I think im talking myself out of most of these lights unfortunately.

It cant be THAT hard to find a good light that will last me!!!
Ho hum, i will continue with my quest i think a bit more. Maybe wait for another manufacturer to produce a flashlight with the SST-50 (or maybe SST-90) emitter.

I have just noticed this though
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.31869
Unfortunately it will not fit in my holster for work. Looks interesting though!!!

 

[berry580]

as a patrol light, i can't see why would you need a something in the 2x18650 format.

just get something like TK-11 or Jet-III M, they'll be easier to carry, and can easily throw past 100 metres. What's your experience of tracking suspects at that range?

SSTs although on paper they're technologically superior, but if you look at empirical data (say Selfbuilt's reviews), they're not driven hard enough to take advantage of things. e.g. the catapault and the M1X actually has very similar overall output.

So to be short, don't feel pressed to buy lights with SSTs as you probably won't benefit much more than with lights using XR-Es, you're not missing out THAT much.

 

[Direwolf]

I have looked and looked at all of the posts that i can find about the catapult and they all say that it is a good flashlight but, and i know that you disagree Direwolf, but the measurements of the output are pretty conclusive.

I think im talking myself out of most of these lights unfortunately.

It cant be THAT hard to find a good light that will last me!!!
Ho hum, i will continue with my quest i think a bit more. Maybe wait for another manufacturer to produce a flashlight with the SST-50 (or maybe SST-90) emitter.

I have just noticed this though
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.31869
Unfortunately it will not fit in my holster for work. Looks interesting though!!!

The Cat might be a bit big for a duty light anyway, maybe,maybe you should look at a smaller light that is well built like the offerings from Streamlight, Pelican, Microfire or Surefire or possibly Jetbeam and Fenix, or the Neofab Legion II the brightest single led flashlight in the world! A good larger thrower seems difficult to find to have all the virtues your looking for in a flashlight, just have to keep looking. The one your looking at on Dealextreme,the UniqueFire UF-1500 Cree SST-50 5-Mode 1250-Lumen Memory LED Flashlight, I don't know, have you Googled this one, there's not much on it and I don't think anyone has reviewed it yet. It could be your average dubious chinese manufacture and depends how well it's made and put together, it's cheaper,but cheap is not allways best and for a duty light you want something durable,rugged and dependable. I know the Thrunite has been developed and made in Hong Kong but the quality seems to be there, I hadn't got round to testing the Cat in single and two battery mode, I'm not really into that. You could check out the Aurora SSC AK-P7-5 900 Lumen, there's some vids posted on youtube too, also you can't always go on manufacturers lumen ratings. If you get anything through Dealextreme be prepared for a long wait, I ordered my batteries,charger and small pocket light through them, it took nearly three weeks for the batteries for my Cat in one package, a few days later my charger arrived but no pocket light, still waiting, been a month now, but checking online it is being shipped, so things will be slow but you'll get your stuff.
Just trying to help a fellow Brit, I used to live next door to Kent, in Hastings for 18 yrs before emigrating over to here and getting hitched. Good luck on your quest.

 

[zemmo]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.


If anyone has any alternative suggestions other than these two that i could consider then please let me know!!

By the way, i always love the dedication and knowledge on CPF, it makes a refreshing change from some forums!! lovecpf

Did you look at the Lumapower D mini VX Ultra? It also uses the SST-50 emitter.