Olight S1 Mini Baton (Post #1 is now updated as review)

rookiedaddy

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So I was told I can post about this S1 Mini Baton on the 20th November 2017... it's 1:03am, 20th November 2017 at this side of the pond here...

2 versions available, Cool White 70CRI and a not so Cool White Hi CRI 90.

Available soon...

  • USB Rechargeable RCR123 battery included
  • Max 600 lumens CW and 450 Lumens Hi CRI
  • Dual direction pocket clip
  • Magnetic tailcap
  • TIR lens
  • Timer function
  • Low battery indicator at side switch

I'm hoping my local distributor can get their hands on the HCRI stocks soon... I'm just curious how that XP-G3 90-CRI with 450 lumens and 5300-5500K would bring to the color rendering we see in real life...

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Update 2017.12.17: Updating this post as a review

Due to Hi-CRI model availability, I have again agreed and received these 2 small and compact lights from Olight for review.

Olight S1 Mini CW and HCRI

Reviewer's Overall Rating: ★★★★★
Summary:
KbCaB3w.jpg


Pros:

  • Small and lightweight
  • 600 lumens Bright (450 lumens for HCRI model)
  • Micro-USB rechargeable RCR123A battery included (Micro-USB cable included too)
  • Instant access to Moon mode and Turbo mode
  • Dual direction pocket clip
  • Colour reproduction of HCRI model is good
  • Underrated lumens

Cons:

  • Magnet strength is much weaker than other Olight flashlights
  • Blue bezel ring is flush
  • Presence of artefacts in the beam profile
  • Turbo and low battery warning not available when using Primary CR123A

RJZ8nzm.jpg


gPEk5zv.jpg


hgpWfk4.jpg


WO31r0J.jpg


UlQZloE.jpg

The HCRI model name is printed at the tailcap.

Features / Value: ★★★★★
Retail at US$49.95, with plenty of coupon/discount codes and promotions especially during this year-end festive season, it's really a steal for such a small, compact and bright flashlight. The included micro-USB rechargeable RCR123A battery is plenty good and adds more value to the light as a whole. Olight even included a quality micro-USB data cable (yes, it can be use for both data sync and charging).

charging in action...
hgoBmcf.jpg


charging completed...
Ea3Pizy.jpg


Design / Build Quality: ★★★★★
The build quality is of typical high quality from Olight. The anodizing is good. Modes switching is very stable via the side switch.

BWPGEMZ.png

As we have direct access to Turbo mode via double clicking, memorizing Turbo mode is not necessary. I'm glad Olight chooses to leave Turbo mode out of memory group.

mKyuPQJ.jpg

Only the high mode will be memorized for 10 minutes, not the Turbo as written in the User Manual. There is a workaround/surprise if you turn off the light in High mode and loosen the tailcap to lockout the S1 Mini. You will find that even after 10 minutes, when you then tighten the tailcap back and turn on the light, it comes back on in High and not reset to Medium. This is due to no power being supplied for the 10 minutes timer to work.

KG9iSJ5.jpg

Loosening (>3 seconds) and tightening the tailcap will also disengage the electronic lockout mode.

IVWQC0i.jpg

The clip, the pocket clip, the 2-way pocket clip that is similar in design to FourSevens' Mini MKII but IMO is better by a tad bit because the clip covers the whole length of the S1 Mini unlike Mini MKII. This allows deep pocket carry both way while MKII only allows deep pocket carry in a head-down direction. Both are functional of course and the MKII design suits the twisty nature of the light and is probably why it is designed as such for better UX on the MKII while the electronic switch made this 2-way deep pocket carry clip on S1 Mini possible without compromise.

plpCVen.jpg

Unlike previous S-series model, the magnet at the tailcap is weaker, much weaker and possibly due to Olight trying to squeeze out every milimeter to make it the shortest possible light while still incorporates the positive design feedback of previous S-series model. One of the criticism when Olight released the S-Mini limited edition last year was the missing magnetic tailcap, some users have expressed they would like to see the magnetic tailcap return in such a small form factor light and IMO, Olight has deliver.
I also have in confident from Olight Engineer that one can "demagnetize" the tailcap magnetism by heating up the tailcap if one desire the non-magnetic tailcap on their S1 Mini. If you have a demagnetizer, that will probably do the job too.

Now, about that bezel design... not that I have any proof that it's not as good as the older S-Mini protruded bezel, but I have more faith in the protruded bezel protecting the flashlight head than the S1 Mini's flush bezel. It's just a personal preference.

Citi7jH.jpg

The optic are different between the normal CW and HCRI model, the CW is using optic similar to S1 and S-Mini models, but HCRI is using a flat, lightly diffused TIR optic... probably trying to reduce the ugly tint-shift of the XP-G3 LED tho... above picture shows the clay imprint of the different optics used. From left, S1 Mini CW, S1 Mini HCRI, S Mini Ti Polished.

yWwrMc7.jpg



Battery Life: ★★★★☆

ZiQb7wK.jpg

The included Micro-USB rechargeable RCR123A is labelled to have 650mAH capacity, and following is the runtime tested...
mT5vu3u.png


Below included a runtime in Medium mode...
cRV6Gak.png

Above runtime is consider decent. A 4-star rating due to the light does not have Low Voltage Protection (LVP) and rely solely on the protected RCR123A LVP, this mean you should not use unprotected LiIon cell in the light. This also creates an issue for when running the light with primary CR123A as the warning RED LED will not function when using primary CR123A (besides the fact that S1 Mini doesn't goes Turbo mode when using primary CR123A).
The Low Voltage Warning function needs above 3.4V to function, where the RED LED located at the switch button will lights up when the Voltage goes below ~3.2V and continues to light up until the battery protection kicks-in. Thus, as good primary CR123A starting Voltage is ~3.25V, the Low Voltage Warning never comes into activation.
vIm8kYc.jpg

Picture showing the Low Voltage Warning activated when battery power is low.

Light Output: ★★★★★
My home-made lightbox gives the following readings:
6eadtr3.jpg

Note that the above measured lumens are by no means authoritative nor an indication of over/under-stating the output by manufacturer (although in this case, I'm confident that Olight S1 Mini has mostly under-stating their lumens output). It's calibrated against some known output lights (e.g. Fenix, SureFire) so take it with a grain of salt and just as a relative reading.

measured current to be:
yDRe5d3.jpg

Standby current or parasitic drain: 25µA

About the artefact in the S1 Mini CW beam profile... yes, it's there. There is a cross/star shape artefact in the beam when white wall hunting.
What about the green corona and tint-shift in the S1 Mini HCRI? Yes, it's there too when white wall hunting.
Now, see below picture of the hard to capture artefact and green corona...
4FEhj2b.jpg


Ripples/PWM-effect in the light? Yes, it's there when taking the Optic front with a camera that can do ultra fast shutter speed except it's impossible for my eye to capture that no matter how fast I wave the light in front of myself like a crazy flashaholic.

So ignoring the ripples effect, what can we crazy flashaholic (I mean myself) do about that artefact and green corona? Well, I dug out my old magic diffuser film, cut a small round shape and stick it to the front optics...
uHikJeC.jpg

and...
WLlLTVa.jpg

Voilà! No more artefact and green corona (above pic shows what the diffuser film do to cast the green corona away, and I guess you just have to trust me that it also removes the CW beam artefact too).

Summary: ★★★★★
I think Olight has improves a fair lot since the S1 Baton released 2 years ago. Design and build quality of this S1 Mini is top-notch, the included Micro-USB rechargeable RCR123A battery is good, the 2-way clip is likely the best clip amongst all Olight S-series light and the HCRI model, although the beam is not as pleasing to look at as Nichia's 219B LED, but the High CRI part of XP-G3 90-CRI delivers. And the color rendering is as good as the Nichia R9050 LED.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this S1 Mini to anyone looking for a pocket/purse EDC light... and my personal preference would be the HCRI model of course. With the various price promotions this festive season, it's a good gift option to consider.

I'm gonna leave you with a couple of box shots of S1 Mini...
UptPACv.jpg


Qy5JDM4.jpg


Hl9o954.jpg


J2Y9nY6.jpg
 
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Ozythemandias

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

High Cri cool white xp-g3 sounds gross, no offense
 

Ozythemandias

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

Good news is that it's XP so a 219b or c swap should be simple enough, I had to stick a warm XML2 in my SMINI
 

jon_slider

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

[*] USB Rechargeable RCR123 battery included
[*] Dual direction pocket clip
thanks for the pics

like the USB option

like the high CRI option
(concerned the XP-G3 might have more green than I want, but, hope you post pics and win the lottery)

Here are a couple photos, I could not find an XP-G2 to compare

MEM said:
 
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Tachead

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

Looks like a nice light but, it sucks there are only cool white options. That eliminates it as an option for me. Looks like another non-reversible clip too which is disappointing. I wonder if they finally added an AR coated glass lens to protect the optic? And, I wonder if they got rid of the PWM on the moonlight mode?
 
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Joe Talmadge

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

These are aluminum? If so, are these the first aluminum s1 minis? I don't remember seeing any aluminum in the past, could have just missed it
 

Ozythemandias

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

These are aluminum? If so, are these the first aluminum s1 minis? I don't remember seeing any aluminum in the past, could have just missed it

These are new, I believe Olights intention is to phase out the S Mini as they were a limited edition and replace it with these
 

Tachead

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

High Cri cool white xp-g3 sounds gross, no offense

I have to agree. Not only is cool white not desirable but, I am guessing many will be pretty green tinted to boot depending on what bin they got. I don't understand why they are not offering a nice high CRI neutral white like 4000-4500K nominal. Olight always seems to miss the mark imo and it's too bad because they have some good ideas and design features.
 

rookiedaddy

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

manufacturer's pic with clip...

<< updated image coming soon... >>

and front of S1 Mini...

<< updated image coming soon... >>
 
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Boris74

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

Good to see they aren't in the lumen race with this one. Just a purely useable light at a moderate lumen level.

What actual users will want to know and talk about is what's the other lumen settings and run times. Says usb rechargeable. So is it magnetic. Or is does the battery have a port on it. Is it their regular rcr123 or the H1R or S1R battery or is it an all new battery. What's the battery capacity and draw.

I am fine with cool white or neutral white as long as they don't look brownish or Antarctic deep sub zero blue. Not really worried about white wall tints.
 

rookiedaddy

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

Full specifications page from manufacturer... hopefully this would suffice and answer most of the questions you may have for now... well... at least until someone get their hands on these and do some testing... :sssh:

<< updated image coming soon... >>
 
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ZMZ67

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

Nice. Just like my s mini with a 4sevens mini mark2 clip.

Looks like they paid some attention to the thread discussion on the Smini going with a Mini Mk II style clip. Looks good but I am in the 4000-4500K neutral camp so it won't be replacing my S1 or Smini neutrals.Wonder how the UI works ? There are some differences between the S1 and Smini. Might be worth getting one of the 5500K HCRI models eventually just for fun if the price is decent.
 

mightysparrow

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

I agree that a neutral tint would be great, but this is a cute and handy little light anyway. I'm not certain how well the in-light charging works, given that I have no lights with that feature, but I'd give it a try and consider giving these as gifts, if the price is no higher than around $40.

Edit: just noticed the magnetic tail cap. That doesn't work for me, as I need to carry too many magnetized secure access and ID cards to risk the magnet coming near them. Maybe it's removable?
 
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ZMZ67

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

I agree that a neutral tint would be great, but this is a cute and handy little light anyway. I'm not certain how well the in-light charging works, given that I have no lights with that feature, but I'd give it a try and consider giving these as gifts, if the price is no higher than around $40.

Edit: just noticed the magnetic tail cap. That doesn't work for me, as I need to carry too many magnetized secure access and ID cards to risk the magnet coming near them. Maybe it's removable?

I don't think it is "in-light" charging, from the description it sounds like the battery has a built in USB port. The magnet is removable on the original S1 so hopefully it will remain the same on this light. The magnetic tail cap doesn't work for me either.
 

jon_slider

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

I don't think it is "in-light" charging, from the description it sounds like the battery has a built in USB port.

I agree
like these, and they are protected




manufacturer's pic with clip...

Q0O5VEY.jpg
thanks for the pics, I think its really cool that the bezels give the led details
great gift item, thanks to the rechargeable cell
the protection gives me peace of mind also

and finally high CRi, not just low cri neutral
it also works as a cap light, and has a sublumen low
that checks a lot of boxes!

whats not to like?
(where is the buy it now button?)
 
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Boris74

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

I agree
like these, and they are protected





thanks for the pics, I think its really cool that the bezels give the led details
great gift item, thanks to the rechargeable cell
the protection gives me peace of mind also

and finally high CRi, not just low cri neutral
it also works as a cap light, and has a sublumen low
that checks a lot of boxes!

whats not to like?
(where is the buy it now button?)

My s Mini is the best carry all day and night and everywhere light I've ever owned. I'm not a white wall tint critic but I can say the NW in the limited edition Ti is perfect for telling colors apart in real use and it don't blast back in your face like CW does straining the eyes. That battery would be the weak point. If its going to be a user light like this one will most likely be seeing it's made from recycled beer cans, it'll get knocked around and dropped. Them batteries with the usb charge on them tend to not take drops as good. I'd keep it as a spare and run a 16340 that needs a charger, like I do with my current S Mini. The magnetic cap will be a go for normal users. If I were in a situation where I am carrying a card that is magnetic sensitive I'm smart enough to move it to a different pocket. There are plenty of times I use my H1R or S1R because I specifically need the magnetic feature and being a regular need to use user of lights, it's a feature most will find a pro, not a con. If you're buying it to collect it and don't want a magnetic cap get one of the limited edition ones. In the overall picture the most expensive S Mini is very affordable. With the new beer can version coming out the LE ones will drop in price because they aren't going to move once it comes out. Black Friday, there's going to be a good sale at the Olight store dot com page. 😑

when available, I am going to get that clip though. Looks way better than the LE clips.
 

Nichia!

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Re: Olight S1 Mini Baton

It doesn't make sense to me. Because why they choose cree for CRI they know we want nichia.
 
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