S30R II vs MH20 vs MH12

So i have narrowed it down to three light that are very closely related and i cant really decide which one i like more and figured why not see what you guys thought was best. So its between the Olight S30R II or the Nitcore MH12 or MH20. Thanks for your opinion, i appreciate it

Bump, come one no one has any opinion on which is better? I cant make up my mind and would really like to know what others think.

Those are kinda different lights, and all good for some reason or another. Its hard to say which one is better without knowing what you want it to be able to do. I own two of the three you've mentioned and I've used the third quite extensively, so I'll try to hit the high points for each:

• S30R-II: Recharging base is much nicer than a cable & port setup. Plus this one is nice and slender, a good edc size. Magnetic tailcap is handy.
• MH12: Thinnest of the bunch, but long.
• MH20: Short, stubby, cool UI. Has real thermal regulation. Very throwy.

Of course some of that is just my opinion. If I had to choose only one, assuming just general edc use, it would probably be the S30R-II. The MH20 is really neat though. The MH12 is probably my least favorite of the bunch.

Not sure if it helps or not, but here's a quick beamshot comparison video I made a while back with the S30R and the MH12 in it. There's also a Zebralight in the mix you'll have to ignore. I didn't have my MH20 yet so its not represented, but its beam is quite similar to the MH12.

rustlerdudr987 said:

Bump, come one no one has any opinion on which is better? I cant make up my mind and would really like to know what others think.

Click to expand...

I'm not a fan of 'rechargeable' lights, preferring to charge my batteries/cells up in dedicated tabletop chargers. I also have no experience with any of those lights, but it seems that the S30R II and the MH12 are pretty similar in size and output modes, save for the charging interface.

The NiteCore MH20 seems to be a bit fatter at the head, with a larger reflector and probably a bit more throw. It also seems to use some sort of thermal regulation circuitry, much like the Zebralight SC600 MkII.

If you want a light with a nice docking station, then the Olight is nice, but if you want something more simplistic, then the micro plugin sockets might be fore you. However, if you lose those rubber socket plugs, you might be in trouble should you get the light wet.

They're all within $5 on Amazon, so it's a wash there. Personally, I like the looks of the Olight S30R II better than either of the NiteCores.

Chris

I have both the S30R II and the MH20 and love them both. Do you frequently run down your batteries? The S30R II is real fast to put on the dock when you get home and grab it on the way out. If you are commuting and driving a lot, the MH20 seems more stable than the dock. Both are solid built with good user interfaces. The MH20 is more compact, so if size is a factor that also comes into play. I have the entire S series and SR series and they have been rock solid for reliability. One word of caution-the S30R II required the battery be inverse so the positive terminal is at the tail end of the light(the reverse of 99% of all other lights) so use caution if you swap out a battery. Both lights are excellent so go with the charging method that works best for you.

I think the s30r and the mh20 are two of the best , but i would choose the MH20 because of its compactness, beam profile and the best battery count in the business.

Crazyeddiethefirst said:

I have both the S30R II and the MH20 and love them both. Do you frequently run down your batteries? The S30R II is real fast to put on the dock when you get home and grab it on the way out. If you are commuting and driving a lot, the MH20 seems more stable than the dock. Both are solid built with good user interfaces. The MH20 is more compact, so if size is a factor that also comes into play. I have the entire S series and SR series and they have been rock solid for reliability. One word of caution-the S30R II required the battery be inverse so the positive terminal is at the tail end of the light(the reverse of 99% of all other lights) so use caution if you swap out a battery. Both lights are excellent so go with the charging method that works best for you.

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You can charge only Olight dedicated batteries inside the S30R II. This is a huge drawback for me. I don't know how it is with Nitecore.

rustlerdudr987 said:

So i have narrowed it down to three light that are very closely related and i cant really decide which one i like more and figured why not see what you guys thought was best. So its between the Olight S30R II or the Nitcore MH12 or MH20. Thanks for your opinion, i appreciate it

Click to expand...

oh this is sooooo easy

s30r-II uses proprietary 18650, not a good idea

MH12, the rubber flap covering usb port peels off too easily

MH20. rubber usb cover stays on reliably. doesn't require proprietary battery. has thermal regulation similar to zebralights. has voltmeter. great UI which allows easy access to max, moon, strobe, plus memorized mode, all from off. great beam pattern of the large shallow reflector so you get decent throw plus lots of peripheral vision

it's a no brainer, get the MH20

I have only owned the Olight S30RII which is a good light but I didn't like the proprietary battery it comes with and the fact you can only charge the battery that comes in it, you can't even charge Olight's standard 18650's with this light. I would much rather a dedicated charger and a non rechargeable light as I never need to stop using it, even if I only owned a single bay charger like the $6 Xtar MC1. I didn't like the UI on my nitecore EAX so I haven't purchased the mh20 because of it, the mh20 also doesn't come with a battery.

Have you seen these bundles?

http://www.thrunite.com/tn12-2016-cw-u1-3400-1/

http://www.thrunite.com/tn12-2016-cw-mcc-2-3400-2/

If you're conservative, the S30RII.
If you're bold, the MH20.

Olight has put lower output modes and that makes for good run times throughout its choices.
Looking lasting and sleek, discreet.

Nitecore, has dim, then bright options, no in-between. Tight glaring hot spot up close, modes are bright and blasting.
Bulky, powerful for size, in your face carry.

Hope this makes sense to someone lol.
Sorry can't help with MH12, didn't like, don't own one.

Well its for college so i personally think that the MH20 is the most ideal because i have the capability to plug the USB in anywhere

It may be the better, charge anywhere basically.
Update us, with your new light and thoughts on it after getting one.

Maybe a forth choice? A JETBeam RRT0SE.

No USB but you can have a charger somewhere to serve your needs.