M2C4 and M2XC4 and Olight M30

Sorry if I missed the answer elsewhere in the forum! I've got my week old Olight M20 Warrior Premium - what a great light! Walking the dogs I love to put this thing on 'high' and light up the path 100s of feet ahead of me.

As I've mentioned elsewhere in the forum, I'm hooked on the power. I like the throw and the spill of this light with the OP reflector - it's a smooth, defined beam that, to its limit, is great.

Now, I want a wider spill and a longer throw. More power. Urgghh.

I listed 3 lights in the subject - all about the same price and having the option of using 2 18650 batteries. I like the shorter length of the Eagletac - the lumen ratings are similar - they all seem to use different LED configurations. Prices are all about the same - right around $150.

So, would someone recommend which one would give me the 'little extras' I am looking for?

Thanks!

olight m30 can be run with 3 cr123a in standard host.

:twothumbs

i can only speak for the m30 since its the only one of the three that i own, and i highly recomend it. although that strobing effect on low and medium modes have people in an uproar, it seems to have no effect on my eyes. i guess its like DLP tv's and thier infamous "rainbow effect". some people see it, others dont. i dont know if youll have a lot more throw than you M20, but you will have a ton of useful spill, nothing will be able to sneek up on you at night.
just make sure you dont blind your dog.

I don't have the M30, but I can say that the M2XC4 has a fantastic combination of long throw coupled with a surprisingly wide flood. It will make a stoplight glow brightly from 500-600 feet while having enough flood to see your immediate area.

It's now my favorite light for walking the dogs at night.

Run4jc:

For walking your dog in an urban environment, I'd recommend the M30. With the diffuser on, it illuminates a wide swath. Flip the diffuser off and you've got more throw than you'll ever need for this application. It's the perfect size for handcarrying.

The longer I carry it, the better it feels! It feels better 2 hours later than at the start of my night walks. It's light, but not too light. It's small, but not too small. It is perfectly balanced. It has three flat sides that simply MELD into my hand. (The fourth side was thoughtfully left round for those who prefer the round feel.) The rounded checkered knurling which I thought was a bit "soft" on the M20, work wonderfully on the M30 - it reminds me of a shiatsu massage, the way they stimulate my hand as I walk.

I removed the clip, because I never use it. Now, I use the clip's retaining ring as a lock washer to position the tailcap sideswitch in line with the center flat. With a lanyard to tether the flashlight securely, I can deftly slide my entire grip whenever I want to change modes. My thumb slides down the center flat and settles on the sideswitch. Effortless. Nice!

Note: If you're in a rural environment, zero ambient lighting (other than the moon), I'd temper my recommendation a bit. It is possible that on long walks, you'll begin to notice the PWM flickering. The longer the walk, the darker the night; the greater the likelihood of your noticing the issue.

1dash1 said:

Run4jc:

For walking your dog in an urban environment, I'd recommend the M30. With the diffuser on, it illuminates a wide swath. Flip the diffuser off and you've got more throw than you'll ever need for this application. It's the perfect size for handcarrying.

The longer I carry it, the better it feels! It feels better 2 hours later than at the start of my night walks. It's light, but not too light. It's small, but not too small. It is perfectly balanced. It has three flat sides that simply MELD into my hand. (The fourth side was thoughtfully left round for those who prefer the round feel.) The rounded checkered knurling which I thought was a bit "soft" on the M20, work wonderfully on the M30 - it reminds me of a shiatsu massage, the way they stimulate my hand as I walk.

I removed the clip, because I never use it. Now, I use the clip's retaining ring as a lock washer to position the tailcap sideswitch in line with the center flat. With a lanyard to tether the flashlight securely, I can deftly slide my entire grip whenever I want to change modes. My thumb slides down the center flat and settles on the sideswitch. Effortless. Nice!

Note: If you're in a rural environment, zero ambient lighting (other than the moon), I'd temper my recommendation a bit. It is possible that on long walks, you'll begin to notice the PWM flickering. The longer the walk, the darker the night; the greater the likelihood of your noticing the issue.

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I've been on the forum reading most of the morning. I was pretty much settled on the M30 until I started reading about this flicker - PWM (what does that stand for? I understand what it means to me.....). I've flip flopped from the Eagletac M2C4, M2XC4 cool - a brief consideration of the Fenix TK40 - then back to the M30 - then I think about the flicker again.
I know of the quality of my M20 Warrior Premium - it's impressive - so the Olight track record with me is solid.
It appears that most of the concern over the flicker is at the lower settings, right? I don't use the low power settings on my walks - if I did, why bother getting a brighter light? And my walk is definitely urban - street lights scattered here and there - some areas very dark but always 'some' light somewhere. If the flicker is an issue only on lower settings and after a long runtime, then I don't think it is an issue.
Thanks for your info - could you offer just a bit more and clarify the flicker? I have read the very detailed review (http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff97/selfbuilt/M30-LoStrobe.jpg) and it seems to indicate that the flicker is indeed a low power phenomenon. HELP!! I want to order this weekend! And I have to stick to 'one at a time'...although I'm sure there are more in the future as the budget permits.....

run4jc said:

Sorry if I missed the answer elsewhere in the forum! I've got my week old Olight M20 Warrior Premium - what a great light! Walking the dogs I love to put this thing on 'high' and light up the path 100s of feet ahead of me.

As I've mentioned elsewhere in the forum, I'm hooked on the power. I like the throw and the spill of this light with the OP reflector - it's a smooth, defined beam that, to its limit, is great.

Now, I want a wider spill and a longer throw. More power. Urgghh.

Click to expand...

From information gatherered here, here, and here:

Olight M20 w/OP reflector on 18650 - 11,200 lux
Olight M30 - 11,000 lux
Eagletac M2C4 - 12,500 lux
Eagletac M2XC4 Neutral -25,000 lux
Eagletac M2XC4 - 28,000 lux


If you want appreciably more throw over the M20 than the M2XC4s are what you want. From what I understand they should have a bit wider spill than your M20 as well.

run4jc said:

PWM (what does that stand for? I understand what it means to me.....)

Click to expand...

PWM stands for Pulse Width Modulation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-width_modulation

Pulse-width modulation (PWM) of a signal or power source involves the modulation of its duty cycle, to either convey information over a communications channel or control the amount of power sent to a load.

Click to expand...

Run4jc:

PWM = Pulse Width Modulation

PWM is highly dependent on individual sensitivity. For me, the degree of sensitivity to the M30 low mode and M30 medium mode are equal. If I notice the strobing effect and then switch to the opposite mode, the effect remains the same - doesn't get worse, doesn't get better.

The M30 high mode PWM is virtually unnoticeable. I cannot visually detect it without some sort of mechanical intervention (viewing the light through an LCD monitor, taking a photograph of the beam, etc.).

P.S. If you're really looking for a flashlight to outthrow your M20 Warrior, the M30 is not it. Like Toaster said, for throw, the M2XC4 would give you the longest throw of the three flashlights you were interested in. But for the best combination of spill, throw and form for walking your dog ... you already have my recommendation.

Okay - I think I have the answer. This is, after all, a purchase justified by the morning dog walks. Truth be known, the spill of the M20 does not light up the dogs - a bit more coverage area is desirable. And as for the throw, as I mentioned, the M20 is amazing for throw considering the size.
1Dash1 - thank you - I think you made up my mind for me. I'll go with the M30 for now and add an 'uber thrower' in the future. And as for the PWM, I doubt I'll be using the light on low or medium anyway -

Thanks all - sure is a lot of great information here!! Heck, here I am, 51 years old, and before I found this forum I though the pinnacle of flashlights was the Maglite!

Brand Loyalty,You have the m20 and like it, your sure to like the M30.

Dent Spot on M2XC4 reflector ???

My M2XC4 (coolwhite) reflector has 2 small dent spots on it about the size of a 1.0mm ballpen head . It looks like the reflector is punctured by something. I don't know if any M2XC4 owner has the same problem with their reflector or it's just me ?

If you remove the strike bezel from the M20 you will get a bit more spill. If you remove the strike bezel and place the diffuser accessory on you get a fantastic flood light with NO hot spot.

Re: Dent Spot on M2XC4 reflector ???

Mine is fine.

Toaster said:

From information gatherered here, here, and here:

Olight M20 w/OP reflector on 18650 - 11,200 lux
Olight M30 - 11,000 lux
Eagletac M2C4 - 12,500 lux
Eagletac M2XC4 Neutral -25,000 lux
Eagletac M2XC4 - 28,000 lux


If you want appreciably more throw over the M20 than the M2XC4s are what you want. From what I understand they should have a bit wider spill than your M20 as well.

Click to expand...

If someone specific is not having all the flashlights you can't tell for sure the difference. There are a lot different lux meters.

ergotelis said:

If someone specific is not having all the flashlights you can't tell for sure the difference. There are a lot different lux meters.

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You must have very little faith in Selfbuilt and Flashcrazy if you believe a 11,000 lux measurement from one and a 28,000 lux measurement from another falls within the margin of uncertainty :laughing:

run4jc said:

Thanks all - sure is a lot of great information here!! Heck, here I am, 51 years old, and before I found this forum I though the pinnacle of flashlights was the Maglite!

Click to expand...

same here. I thought Maglite was the top of the top flash light in the world hehe. how narrow minded I am kekeke.

but if you are walking the dog with the M30.
does the dog will get bother with the flicker?
since I did not know the effect of it to the animal eyes.

sorry if I wrong, this is just my consideration for the doggie.

PS: I my self is a fan of Olight M30

Toaster said:

You must have very little faith in Selfbuilt and Flashcrazy if you believe a 11,000 lux measurement from one and a 28,000 lux measurement from another falls within the margin of uncertainty :laughing:

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You are wrong.Not all lux meters are the same. There are lux meters that have a difference of about 40% in the results, even good ones.
I trust them both but if they are having different lux meters then such a comparison might not be accurate.

ergotelis said:

You are wrong.Not all lux meters are the same. There are lux meters that have a difference of about 40% in the results, even good ones.
I trust them both but if they are having different lux meters then such a comparison might not be accurate.

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So tell me what is the difference between 11,000 lux and 28,000 lux? Does it fall within this 40% margin of error? Or is it in fact well outside that range? You can continue to believe the numbers don't prove anything. But the beamshots and user reports already posted along with tests performed and the simple observation of difference in size and construction between the two make it pretty obvious imho which one of these lights throws farther

Toaster said:

So tell me what is the difference between 11,000 lux and 28,000 lux? Does it fall within this 40% margin of error? Or is it in fact well outside that range? You can continue to believe the numbers don't prove anything. But the beamshots and user reports already posted along with tests performed and the simple observation of difference in size and construction between the two make it pretty obvious imho which one of these lights throws farther

Click to expand...

We are talking on a different basis. Don't change the point of my post.
Someone asked about lux readings.There are lux readings, but it must be said that flashlights are measured by a different lux meter.To be accurate, Lux measurements should be taken by the same lux meter so as to show the difference.There might be no difference, but we don't know it. I have nowhere posted that i doubt that M2X has almost 2-3 times higher lux readings than other 2 flashlights. I truly believe that, it is logical.
But you cannot tell for sure that M2 has the same lux reading with M30, both are so close, depending on the lux meter, one can show 10000 and the other 14000 and the opposite. I guess that M2 should be somehow a bit more brighter due to larger reflector, though there is a different led and design.
Go and check some ernasanda's and selfbuilt reviews, same lights with different lux reading. The problem is that the two lux meters are not equaly calibrated.
Because of that problem, a lot of cpf members have made some serious work. Go and check this thread https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/94232