[Review] Olight i5T EOS - 300 lumens Single AA 2 modes flashlight.

[rookiedaddy]

Received a review sample of i5T EOS about a month ago, a light that continue the design line of i3T EOS (AAA) and M1T Raider (CR123A) but using AA battery as power source.

Let's look at a few FAQ...

1. Does i5T EOS support 14500 LiIon battery?
Officially, Olight does not support the use of rechargeable LiIon AA-size (14500) battery in i5T EOS as stated in the user manual:

and the "available batteries" section mentioned above is:

2. Can I use 14500 in i5T EOS even-though Olight says not to?
Sure, but use it at your own risk and you will likely void the warranty of the light as it put i5T EOS in direct drive mode and it will draw close to the max current your 14500 battery can provide.

3. What are the pros and cons of using 14500 in i5T EOS?
Cons:
- you will likely shorten the life of the i5T EOS due to excessive heat generated by and current going into the poor OSRAM P9 LED.
- you will likely run into warranty issue.
- you will lose the low mode and the ramping feature... actually you will also lose the high mode and go into a super overdrive super turbo mode.

Pros:
- you get an AA tacti-cool light that can do more than 1,000 lumens (I get ~1,600 lumens with a high drain IMR) at turned-ON.
- you will join the secret list of an elite squad of brave souls who dare to do what others are not.
- you get the bragging rights of "my light is brighter than yours".

4. Can I use Olight 14500 battery in i5T EOS?
Nope. The Olight 14500 model ORB-145P07 battery is too long to fit in i5T EOS. The tailcap will not close fully even if you manage to screw on the tailcap. The O-ring will be exposed and you are running the risk of crushing the i5T EOS circuit or the ORB-145P07 protection circuit.

5. Can I get i5T in neutral white LED?
Maybe. Olight generously distributed a special batch of i5T EOS neutral white version during their shot-show 2020 new light launch event while the normal version that you can get after the launch event is cool white. Olight is contemplating whether to release a neutral white version or not (I'm guessing from their history, the sales number for lights other than cool white command a low number). Here is hope that they do.

Also, the blue accents along the double helix design at the i5T body was pitched as special version for a charity sale to help provide medical supplies to China to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Here is also hope that Olight will maintain the blue accents design for the i5T EOS.

With the FAQ out of the way, let's get to the main review. Here is the specifications of Olight i5T EOS:

Olight i5T package:

It comes with a GMCELL Alkaline battery inside the light...

I'm really not a fan of having an alkaline battery being pre-installed in the light, this type of batteries are call alka-leaks for a reason. I wish Olight would stop doing this in their packaging. A lithium primary or NiMH would be a much welcome change.

Copper tailcap of i5T EOS...

Inserting battery by positive (battery nipple) side towards the head...

the head contact...

the TIR lens with OSRAM P9 LED...

a couple of close-up i5T EOS shots...

my measured output of Olight i5T EOS:

The usual disclaimer: I do not claim the above measured lumens as authoritative nor an indication of over/under-stating the number given by manufacturer. It's calibrated against some known light output (e.g. SureFire, Elzetta, etc.) so take it with a grain of salt and just as a relative reading.

and speaking of output, when tested with the following 14500 batteries:

I get these output...

Olight i5T EOS runs hot, fast using that Nitecore IMR battery...

for comparisons, here is the regular standard 1.5V AA output vs 3.7V 14500 output:

and for an idea of just how bright Olight i5T EOS is when using 14500 battery, below is a video comparing it against Olight S2R Baton II:


where Olight i5T EOS really shines is the runtime. what Olight quoted in the user manual:

but when using the included GMCELL Alkaline battery, I get the following:

I don't get the full 3 minutes of 300 lumens runtime with the included GMCELL Alkaline battery.

however, when using a better alkaline battery, this is what I get:

and getting a full 3 minutes of 300 lumens is no problem:

as such, continue the test with the following batteries:

and plotting the runtime chart against different batteries:

reveals that the fight is at the ~190 lumens output among different batteries.

In conclusion, I'm very happy with this Olight i5T EOS release and would wholeheartedly recommend this light to anyone who needs a small EDC light with easily available AA-size battery. I'll probably be getting half a dozen of these when Olight's production catch-up after their long break (they returned to work on 17th February 2020).

 

[pjandyho]

I have been running Energizer ultimate lithium in this light but am contemplating running it with Eneloop Pro. By any chance will you be able to do a runtime test using Eneloop Pro if you have it?

 

[ZMZ67]

Nice review ! I have a couple on order from the special when it was released. I like the M1T and i3T so I couldn't pass on the on the i5T! The cool white has been pretty good on my Olights but if they release a Neutral version I will probably get that model as well.

 

[rookiedaddy]

I have been running Energizer ultimate lithium in this light but am contemplating running it with Eneloop Pro. By any chance will you be able to do a runtime test using Eneloop Pro if you have it?

I only have the older generation...

and this older Eneloop Pro performs very similar to the IKEA LADDA 2450 AA.
i don't have the newer generation 2550mAh Eneloop Pro. Sorry mate.

 

[Grunthos]

Excellent review, thanks for posting. Am now contemplating uying (albeit at a discount).

 

[EDCLantern]

Do you lose the ability to have a high and low setting when using the eneloop pro batteries?

I only have the older generation...

and this older Eneloop Pro performs very similar to the IKEA LADDA 2450 AA.
i don't have the newer generation 2550mAh Eneloop Pro. Sorry mate.

 

[ecallahan]

Do you lose the ability to have a high and low setting when using the eneloop pro batteries?

No, I use them in this light.

 

[EDCLantern]

Awesome, thats what i was hoping to hear. Thanks ecallahan

 

[edcninja]

How did you modify the body to change the color of the inset part? it looks awesome. Wonder if I can do that on my brass version...

Edit: After some searching I realized this was a limited release from Olight!

 

[Dark Attic Works]

I was so excited for this light because I love the i3T but the ramping feature just bugs me. So I picked up a used M1T and I love it. Plus I prefer the 5 lumen low of the i3T and the M1T. Go figure.

 

[bengc]

Hello, sorry for this offtopic and the fact that I don't contribute anything to this community, but I would like to ask a question.
How is it that the Energizer Lithium is marketed at ~3000+ mAh, the panasonic evolta at ~2500 mAh and the panasonic lasted longer? Is it due the fact that the panasonic voltage is more stable under heavy load compared to the Energizer, which is falling faster under heavy load? Sorry for bad english and inconvience.

 

[3_gun]

The Energizer held a much higher lumen level for a longer time using up its reserves doing so. The Evolta drops more quickly to a much lower level but holds it longer. Use the battery that best matches your lighting needs

 

[bengc]

Ok beautiful review with alot of information that enlighted many information about lights and batteries for me.
Do I understand right that the flashlight can work with both 1,5 V batteries and 1,2 V rechargable batteries with the same power(lumen)? Is there some circuit inside that changes the 1,2 v to a higher voltage which then drains the stated rechargable battery mAh faster? Is this the same for non rechargable batteries or are they non upped to a higher voltage? Thanks for the reply, appreciate it .