AardvarkSagus
Flashlight Enthusiast
Olight S65 Baton - Submitted for consideration for the review forum
Trying to define a new category of, Olight is aiming this mega performer at an everyday crowd. Has this concept been fully fleshed out yet, or does there remain some room for improvement back on the drawing board?
Olight S65 Baton
Meat and Potatoes
With it's unique cylindrical body It may be fairly apropos to be called the Baton, however when I first wrap my hand around it and thumb the activation button, I very nearly expect to hear the signature snap-hiss of George Lucas' premiere invention, the Light Saber. The S65 has a fantastic feel in hand. Balance, size, and heft are all ideal for a compact mega-light. That's really the best description I can offer for this light. It has all the output of the huge lights from just a year or two ago, and yet a size that is not enormously larger than your average duty light.
The giant output of the S65 comes courtesy of the mid-size powerhouse Cree XM-L LED. This extremely versatile emitter is capable of producing a huge quantity of lumens and the S65 doesn't disappoint. Capable of unleashing a searing 700 lumens of top end power, it is also adroit enough to efficiently squeeze out a meager 20 lumens for a claimed 360 hours.
Cree XM-L
This LED sits nestled at the base of a lightly textured reflector. It is similarly sized and appears to possess a similar geometry to many of the existing XM-L duty lights that Olight has released lately. The S65 shares an identically machined head including this reflector with its smaller sibling, the S35. It produces a very useful general-purpose beam that is neither pencil thin focus, nor a pure flood beam. It has a relatively tight hotspot that is well blended in to a bright spill beam through a generous transitional corona. In effect this creates an excellent nighttime walking light especially when combined with the soft-touch electronic side switch that promotes underhanded carry and use.
The LED, head and reflector is not all the S65 shares, the UI is also identical along these family lines. It is a 3 mode L-M-H setup with mode memory. The operation hails from Olight's earlier forays into electronic switches in the extreme SR series. While the light is on, simply press and hold the switch and it begins to cycle through all three modes. Release when you land on your desired output and go about your business. There are a few hidden features as well, such as a strobe mode that is accessible with a quick double click from any point, as well as a standby/lockout mode activated by holding down the button (and cycling through the modes) for 9 seconds. Also of note, something that I forgot to mention in my review of the S35, these two models have a low battery indicator in the form of a red led behind the switch. This method of power indication is far more preferable than anything interfering with the main beam, either through flashing during use, or only showing up when asked for. It is simple, passive and non-intrusive.
Fit and finish of the Olight Baton series is, in my opinion, superb. The subtle ridging that is used in place of the standard knurling is both unique and from personal experience grippy enough to not cause consternation. I have heard some people express concerns about slippery handling with wet hands or in colder weather, but I haven't personally experienced it to be an issue. The remainder of the machining also lives up to standard Olight quality and they have set the bar quite high.
Olight S65 Baton
Constructive Criticism
While definitely not as large as many of the super-sized mega-lights out there, the S65 is definitely of the type requiring deliberate carry intent. It's not much of a light that you would just happen to have on you when you might need it, but more of the type that you grab specifically to go out flashlighting (or camping, dog-walking, etc.). I wasn't provided with any of the usual included accessories, so I can't comment on their usability or even presence for that matter, but I can say that the S65 would really benefit from a quality holster. It is still narrow enough that having it firmly affixed to your belt would not be a serious hindrance over the course of an evening out and about.
Power for the S65 comes courtesy of 6 (yes, 6!) AA cells stored in an integrated battery magazine, similar to the S35 and other lights. While I applaud them for using a common battery type to try and entice a less enthusiast/aficionado crowd, I think that this is just too many. I have a bit of an issue with multi cell setups, and my minor gripe increases toward a major one with the number of cells. Having this many in one application just gives the end user that many more opportunities for mis-balanced battery setups. This increases the risk of batteries leaking and/or damaging your light significantly. I really would have preferred to see this use some other source for power than quite so many AA's.
Battery Magazine
Conclusions
The S65 Baton is a capable tool, and quite a joy to use. I just wish it didn't require quite so many AA's to run. I have no qualms about recommending it to people, just as long as I know they will be careful about what they feed it.
Provided for review by the kind folks at 4Sevens.
Trying to define a new category of, Olight is aiming this mega performer at an everyday crowd. Has this concept been fully fleshed out yet, or does there remain some room for improvement back on the drawing board?
Olight S65 Baton
Meat and Potatoes
With it's unique cylindrical body It may be fairly apropos to be called the Baton, however when I first wrap my hand around it and thumb the activation button, I very nearly expect to hear the signature snap-hiss of George Lucas' premiere invention, the Light Saber. The S65 has a fantastic feel in hand. Balance, size, and heft are all ideal for a compact mega-light. That's really the best description I can offer for this light. It has all the output of the huge lights from just a year or two ago, and yet a size that is not enormously larger than your average duty light.
The giant output of the S65 comes courtesy of the mid-size powerhouse Cree XM-L LED. This extremely versatile emitter is capable of producing a huge quantity of lumens and the S65 doesn't disappoint. Capable of unleashing a searing 700 lumens of top end power, it is also adroit enough to efficiently squeeze out a meager 20 lumens for a claimed 360 hours.
Cree XM-L
This LED sits nestled at the base of a lightly textured reflector. It is similarly sized and appears to possess a similar geometry to many of the existing XM-L duty lights that Olight has released lately. The S65 shares an identically machined head including this reflector with its smaller sibling, the S35. It produces a very useful general-purpose beam that is neither pencil thin focus, nor a pure flood beam. It has a relatively tight hotspot that is well blended in to a bright spill beam through a generous transitional corona. In effect this creates an excellent nighttime walking light especially when combined with the soft-touch electronic side switch that promotes underhanded carry and use.
The LED, head and reflector is not all the S65 shares, the UI is also identical along these family lines. It is a 3 mode L-M-H setup with mode memory. The operation hails from Olight's earlier forays into electronic switches in the extreme SR series. While the light is on, simply press and hold the switch and it begins to cycle through all three modes. Release when you land on your desired output and go about your business. There are a few hidden features as well, such as a strobe mode that is accessible with a quick double click from any point, as well as a standby/lockout mode activated by holding down the button (and cycling through the modes) for 9 seconds. Also of note, something that I forgot to mention in my review of the S35, these two models have a low battery indicator in the form of a red led behind the switch. This method of power indication is far more preferable than anything interfering with the main beam, either through flashing during use, or only showing up when asked for. It is simple, passive and non-intrusive.
Fit and finish of the Olight Baton series is, in my opinion, superb. The subtle ridging that is used in place of the standard knurling is both unique and from personal experience grippy enough to not cause consternation. I have heard some people express concerns about slippery handling with wet hands or in colder weather, but I haven't personally experienced it to be an issue. The remainder of the machining also lives up to standard Olight quality and they have set the bar quite high.
Olight S65 Baton
Constructive Criticism
While definitely not as large as many of the super-sized mega-lights out there, the S65 is definitely of the type requiring deliberate carry intent. It's not much of a light that you would just happen to have on you when you might need it, but more of the type that you grab specifically to go out flashlighting (or camping, dog-walking, etc.). I wasn't provided with any of the usual included accessories, so I can't comment on their usability or even presence for that matter, but I can say that the S65 would really benefit from a quality holster. It is still narrow enough that having it firmly affixed to your belt would not be a serious hindrance over the course of an evening out and about.
Power for the S65 comes courtesy of 6 (yes, 6!) AA cells stored in an integrated battery magazine, similar to the S35 and other lights. While I applaud them for using a common battery type to try and entice a less enthusiast/aficionado crowd, I think that this is just too many. I have a bit of an issue with multi cell setups, and my minor gripe increases toward a major one with the number of cells. Having this many in one application just gives the end user that many more opportunities for mis-balanced battery setups. This increases the risk of batteries leaking and/or damaging your light significantly. I really would have preferred to see this use some other source for power than quite so many AA's.
Battery Magazine
Conclusions
The S65 Baton is a capable tool, and quite a joy to use. I just wish it didn't require quite so many AA's to run. I have no qualms about recommending it to people, just as long as I know they will be careful about what they feed it.
Provided for review by the kind folks at 4Sevens.
