Olight T20-T Q5 Review

[mulder89]

I went to post this in the Flashlight review section but was denied and couldn't so here it is here.

They say that first impressions are lasting ones and with the Olight T20-T Q5 its all good. From the moment you first hold the light you can tell the build quality is excellent. When taking the tail cap off to put your batteries in you can feel how smooth the threads are and believe me its as smooth as! The machined knurling in the middle of the light is aggressive but not sharp and allows for a solid hold on the light in numerous conditions. The reflector has an orange peel effect close to the led and turns smooth about half way up the reflector. The body has flat sections milled into it allowing the torch to sit flat and not roll if placed on a flat surface.
The T20-T Q5 is the tactical version and has 5 different lighting levels that are accessible by turning the light on and turning the front bezel 1/8th of a turn and back again. Very simple and even I got it right the first time I used it. The switch also allows for momentary on/off if required. The last brightness setting is also memorised for the next time you turn the light on. If you require the Strobe or SOS feature it is available on the "M" version but you will lose 2 brightness settings. No biggy.
How bright is it? Very bright in a nut shell! I compared it to my Streamlight Scorpion with a Xenon globe, which is rated at 70 Lumens, and it appeared to me to be at LEAST twice as bright and a whole lot whiter in colour (I was using Panasonic Lithium CR123A batteries). The specs state that the maximum lumens is 220 but I have no way of testing that but I took the light for a test run out side and its throw has to been seen to be believed! I could easily see objects almost 60 metres away with no problems at all. At the lowest setting its still way bright enough to light your pathway when walking or doing work in the dark. The beam is very circular, crisp and very clean. Also the olight is water resistant, anti shattering and anti scratching. It is built to MIL-STD 810F standards and is Hard Finished with Type 3 anodization.

Below are the specifications :-

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Utilises the very latest Cree XR-E Q5 LED with a lifespan of 50,000 hours[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Uses 2 x CR 123 A Batteries[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Five levels of constant Brightness: 220 lumens (1.5 hrs) - 100lumens (3.8 hrs) - 44lumens (10hrs) - 18lumens (30hrs) - 7 lumens (70 hrs) Max 220 Lumens [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]70 Hours of runtime on the 7 lumen brightness level![/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]No SOS or Strobe modes[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Digitally regulated brightness ensures consistent brightness throughout the life of your batteries[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Tactical Momentary-on forward Switch[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Cigar Hold for tactical application[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Auto-memorisation of the current level when powering off[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Accessories: One lanyard, two spare O-rings, one tail cap and one holster.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Length 128.5mm [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Weight 68.5g (with no batteries)[/FONT]
Batteries Not included.
The kit comes with, of course, the olight, holster, 2 spare "O" rings, lanyard and tail cap. An optional pocket clip is also available.
Is the light worth the money? You bet it is! I'm very happy with it and I think you will be too.
mulder89

On a closing note I purchased this light from Extreme Torches here in Australia and the service was nothing short of superb!
I sent several emails asking questions and received prompt responses and a recommendation for a light which turned out to be spot on. To add icing to the cake I ordered the light Monday afternoon and I had it Tuesday morning. You cant do better than that!
So to Luke and Extreme Torches I salute you and your fantastic service.

Added Beam shots
Brightest setting

Second Brightest Setting

Third Brightest Setting

Fourth Brightest Setting

Lowest Setting

All on a wall about 10 feet away. I dont know the camera setting as it was on auto, no flash.
Reflector

Middle of Light with Knurling

Head Circuit Board

And of course the torch its self

I hope you like the photos. Sorry they are not the best as I took them inside in low light.
mulder89

 

[Thujone]

Thanks for your post, now just add some pictures to round out your review. A couple shots of the light and a couple of the beam would be fantastic.

 

[primox1]

Thanks for the review! :thumbsup:
Considering that almost everything about the light is great, the only thing that would bother me is that you have to twist the head back and forth to change output levels. Seems too involving compared to the standard tailswitching style.

 

[phosphor]

GREAT review mulder89....VERY well done !

Thanks for the review! :thumbsup:
Considering that almost everything about the light is great, the only thing that would bother me is that you have to twist the head back and forth to change output levels. Seems too involving compared to the standard tailswitching style.

....actually it's a breeze ! I prefer the IU to the Fenix digital series, several of which I also own. With Olight's set-up you can quickly "scroll" through each out-put level and never have to "encounter" strobe or SOS. It really is a nice, well-thought-out IU !

- regards

 

[lukestephens777]

:thumbsup: Thanks Mulder89!
Glad you like the torch!

 

[youreacrab]

light-reviews.com got significantly longer runtimes than spec'd on the t-20-t. this is my next torch for sure. lack of strobe and sos is huge. tailcaps are for power. heads turns are for modes.

 

[Rookie 101]

I went to post this in the Flashlight review section but was denied and couldn't so here it is here.

They say that first impressions are lasting ones and with the Olight T20-T Q5 its all good. From the moment you first hold the light you can tell the build quality is excellent. When taking the tail cap off to put your batteries in you can feel how smooth the threads are and believe me its as smooth as! The machined knurling in the middle of the light is aggressive but not sharp and allows for a solid hold on the light in numerous conditions. The reflector has an orange peel effect close to the led and turns smooth about half way up the reflector. The body has flat sections milled into it allowing the torch to sit flat and not roll if placed on a flat surface.
The T20-T Q5 is the tactical version and has 5 different lighting levels that are accessible by turning the light on and turning the front bezel 1/8th of a turn and back again. Very simple and even I got it right the first time I used it. The switch also allows for momentary on/off if required. The last brightness setting is also memorised for the next time you turn the light on. If you require the Strobe or SOS feature it is available on the "M" version but you will lose 2 brightness settings. No biggy.
How bright is it? Very bright in a nut shell! I compared it to my Streamlight Scorpion with a Xenon globe, which is rated at 70 Lumens, and it appeared to me to be at LEAST twice as bright and a whole lot whiter in colour (I was using Panasonic Lithium CR123A batteries). The specs state that the maximum lumens is 220 but I have no way of testing that but I took the light for a test run out side and its throw has to been seen to be believed! I could easily see objects almost 60 metres away with no problems at all. At the lowest setting its still way bright enough to light your pathway when walking or doing work in the dark. The beam is very circular, crisp and very clean. Also the olight is water resistant, anti shattering and anti scratching. It is built to MIL-STD 810F standards and is Hard Finished with Type 3 anodization.

Below are the specifications :-

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Utilises the very latest Cree XR-E Q5 LED with a lifespan of 50,000 hours[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Uses 2 x CR 123 A Batteries[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Five levels of constant Brightness: 220 lumens (1.5 hrs) - 100lumens (3.8 hrs) - 44lumens (10hrs) - 18lumens (30hrs) - 7 lumens (70 hrs) Max 220 Lumens [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]70 Hours of runtime on the 7 lumen brightness level![/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]No SOS or Strobe modes[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Digitally regulated brightness ensures consistent brightness throughout the life of your batteries[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Tactical Momentary-on forward Switch[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Cigar Hold for tactical application[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Auto-memorisation of the current level when powering off[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Accessories: One lanyard, two spare O-rings, one tail cap and one holster.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Length 128.5mm [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Weight 68.5g (with no batteries)[/FONT]
Batteries Not included.
The kit comes with, of course, the olight, holster, 2 spare "O" rings, lanyard and tail cap. An optional pocket clip is also available.
Is the light worth the money? You bet it is! I'm very happy with it and I think you will be too.
mulder89

On a closing note I purchased this light from Extreme Torches here in Australia and the service was nothing short of superb!
I sent several emails asking questions and received prompt responses and a recommendation for a light which turned out to be spot on. To add icing to the cake I ordered the light Monday afternoon and I had it Tuesday morning. You cant do better than that!
So to Luke and Extreme Torches I salute you and your fantastic service.

GO 4 IT ============

nice light+++++++++++++++++:wave:

one to buy:wave:

 

[primox1]

....actually it's a breeze ! I prefer the IU to the Fenix digital series, several of which I also own. With Olight's set-up you can quickly "scroll" through each out-put level and never have to "encounter" strobe or SOS. It really is a nice, well-thought-out IU !

- regards

I guess...maybe I just need to give it a try. Would you prefer the T20-T over the P3D? The strobe & SOS do not bother me since I can skip pass them quickly without seeing them if Im doing a full rotation of the modes.

BTW, are your emitter and reflector perfectly aligned? I had a T15 (not Q5) that had misaligned emitter/reflector. Thats something that bothers me.

 

[phosphor]

I guess...maybe I just need to give it a try. Would you prefer the T20-T over the P3D? The strobe & SOS do not bother me since I can skip pass them quickly without seeing them if I'm doing a full rotation of the modes.

BTW, are your emitter and reflector perfectly aligned? I had a T15 (not Q5) that had misaligned emitter/reflector. Thats something that bothers me.

Frankly they are both great lights....I do prefer Olight's UI however.
If you already own a Fenix P3D, the Olight might be redundant....unless you crave the tactical features on the T20-T.

The emitter on my T20 Q5 is perfectly aligned. Incidentally, the beam color on my T20 is VERY cool white, and the beam pattern has a remarkable hot-spot due to the unique, half smooth/half OP, deep-set reflector. There is plenty of useable spill, however.

- regards

 

[mulder89]

Perfectly aligned as far as I see it. Photos just as soon as I can. Im in hospital tomorrow so Im out for a couple of days.
Cheers
mulder89

 

[primox1]

phosphor & mulder - thanks.

I dont have the p3d, but I do have the L2D, which has the same UI.

 

[roymail]

mulder89, good review and pics. Appreciate you posting all the information and your personal impressions. Lots of useable spill on those beams as far as I can tell.

The most remarkable thing is the output, or appearance of output, at the second level. It looks very close to the first level. Is the second level really that bright?

 

[BabyDoc]

GREAT review mulder89....VERY well done !

....actually it's a breeze ! I prefer the IU to the Fenix digital series, several of which I also own. With Olight's set-up you can quickly "scroll" through each out-put level and never have to "encounter" strobe or SOS. It really is a nice, well-thought-out IU !

- regards

1+ The neat thing, too, is the light remembers the last level you used (At least my T-10 does). So you may have to twist the head to get the level you want, but you can keep it there and never need "to do the twist" again, or at least not very often. In an emergency, you just hit the tailswitch to get it to strobe, no matter what level you are in.

I only have to gripes about my T-10 which may not apply to the T-20. The tailswitch is a bit stiff. The LED on my is white, but a bit too cold (a hint of blue) for my taste.

 

[torpeau]

light-reviews.com got significantly longer runtimes than spec'd on the t-20-t. this is my next torch for sure. lack of strobe and sos is huge. tailcaps are for power. heads turns are for modes.

I have a T20 Q5, but not the tactical version -- mine has the strobe & SOS. I'm surprised Olights don't get mentioned more -- they seem like quality products to me.