I am happy to present the Olight M2X-UT Javelot-a 1x18650 flashlight specialized for long distance illumination.
The M2X-UT Javelot combines compact single cell body,tactical yet practical design and large,impressive 55mm diameter smooth reflector.
In a picture or in the real life,this flashlight really attracts attention and will not leave you indifferent.
But not only the design is impressive.Olight M2X Javelot is the first flashlight that comes with a factory de-domed LED.
Removing the dome makes the beam more focused due to the smaller emitting area with less scattered light(smaller light source=smaller and more intensive beam hotspot).
Thanks to its LED,the M2X reaches impressive for its size 164000 cd peak beam intensity and 810 meters throw distance.(I measured 177000 cd, at 3 meters, 30sec after activation;Battery Keeppower 3400; The peak beam intensity may vary,depending on the battery used.)
The review flashlight was provided by Banggood.com in the original packaging and it is not a "special" test flashlight.
Body made of aluminum alloy. Matte black anodizing.
Aluminum grip ring.
Normal physical tail switch.
From User Manual
266gr with a 18650 battery
Big smooth aluminum reflector.
55mm diameter.
Extremely transparent and clean glass lens with excellent anti-reflective coating.
Toughened,ultra-clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating.
Dedomed Cree XM-L2 LED.(The newer batches of the M2X come with a Cree XP-L LED,also with an XM-L2 with a layer of the silicone dome,left for protection and better beam color).
The Big reflector is real pleasure for the eye.
User Interface
The UI is well known from Olight's M series flashlights.
It is convenient,without anything superfluous.
Three constant light modes,plus hidden Strobe mode.
Turning ON/OFF by a forward clicky switch(momentary On possible) and changing modes by loosening-tightening the head.
Low - Mid - High mode sequence.
Quick access to High mode is also available. Double press the tail switch(one half+one full) to activate High mode.
There is a memory for the last used mode.As usual for Olight it is without any critique-instantly memorizing the last used mode without having to wait a second or three or more...
If your last used mode is Low or Mid and use the quick method to activate High mode,after restarting the light,it will start again on Low or Mid respectively.
10 Hz Strobe mode can be activated only by triple pressing the tail switch.There is no memory for Strobe mode.
The M2X can be powered by 1x18650 or two (R)CR123A batteries.
I tested the flashlight only with a 18650 power source.
The runtime curve has the usual form for a powerful single cell flashlight.
About 3 1/2 minutes on Max brightness,then decreasing the output to 65% of the initial.
The step-down is gradual.Very slowly lowering the output in a period of about two minutes. Absolutely invisible step-down for the eyes.This is something new,that I see for a first time-so slow gradual step down. Really good job on the driver board.
After step down,the output is constant for about 55 minutes.A normal period of time for a single 18650 flashlight.
The M2X is programmed also to flicker(similar to Strobe) when the voltage of the battery is too low.This allows you to use unprotected batteries without worrying of overdischarging.
I tested Olight M2X Javelot with two different 18650 batteries to see how the driver electronics reacts on different battery types.
My lumen measurements
High 960Lm 30sec after activation
Mid 330Lm
Low 24Lm
Green curve-Keeppower 3400mAh
Red curve- Sanyo 2600mAh
Below are only the first 10 minutes of the run.
The step down came after 4 minutes with the Sanyo 2600 battery.
Operating the M2X is comfortable. Quite good grip. The battery tube is long enough to allow stable grip.
There is quite enough grooving with the characteristic shape for Olight.
All three main parts fit so well,you can't see where is the point to unscrew the head.
The M2X's body looks and feels really well build.
Unfortunately there is no any anti-roll design and the flashlight is rolling very easily.
There's nothing to stop it.
The cooling fins are machined extremely well.
Smooth,rounded.No sharp edges,at all.
They are important part not only by their look.
They do a great job transferring the heat from the LED to the air outside and keep the temperature in acceptable range.
There is no protective stainless steel bezel at the front.
There is a lanyard hole only on the grip ring,which is made of aluminum.
Tactical tailcap design allows stable tail-standing.
I am usually not pleased with the holsters that come from Olight,but this time I have to admit,the holster is really good.
The M2X fits well. Securely closing cover.Comfortable to close and open by normal force,not extremely hard to close as seen in other holsters.
Good impact protection.
The bottom is not closed,so that the M2X with extender will fit as well.
There is a velcro tape on the back for easy attaching to a belt or backpack.
The M2X Javelot comes in a plastic case.
Great option for protecting and easy carrying the flashlight and its accessories.
In the package-Holster,Long paracord lanyard,Spare O-rings,2xCR123A battery carrier,User manual.
All main parts are made of aluminum alloy with good thickness.
The battery tube is not as thick as seen in other flashlights,but this allows decreasing the weight.
Regular triangular cut threads at the head end.
Anodized square cut threads at the tail.
All threads are well made.
The grip ring is not threaded as the grip ring of Olight M22 Warrior.
It is not fixed in place.A second O-ring is used to prevent its free spinning.
Spring at the head end.
Everything is machined precisely. No scratches or notches.
Similar reflector with the SR52.
Aluminum reflector.
De-domed Cree XM-L2 LED.
Perfectly centered LED.
Closeup of the LED
The LED is absolutely clean,without any sign of the silicone dome.
Even closer look
As expected,removing the LED dome leads to color change of the beam to a warmer light,usually with a greenish tint. This effect appears more or less pronounced in different bin LEDs.
The used LED in M2X is a cool white XM-L2 (probably U2).
The tint is not that great,but we get the best output and throw from so compact thrower,so the tint shift is acceptable at some point,as we have to focus on a main goal on this model-an impressive distance of throw.
If you don't compare it to a neutral or pure white light,the tint is not so noticeable,but still the white objects don't look quite white.
All Beam shots here and in all my other reviews are taken with identical(locked) white balance settings on the same camera.
The visible tint will vary depending on the monitor we use for watching,but you can see roughly the difference between all compared flashlights in this review and my other reviews too.
5.5m 1/6sec Low-Mid-High
White wall
Comparison with other trower flashlights.
Olight SR52(~100kcd) ,ThruNite TN32(~200kcd),ThruNite Catapult V5(~100kcd) Neutral White(my favorite beam color,so far) and UFC8 with a dedomed Cree XM-L U3 LED(~45kcd)(just for color comparison)
The hotspot of the M2X's beam is visibly smaller than the other lights and has a "warmer" tint.
The spill is also much darker,which means more light is focused in the hotspot for better throw.
~5.5 meters, 1/6sec
~5.5 meters, 1/50sec
~5.5 meters, 1/200sec
~5.5 meters, 1/500sec
Outdoor Lightsaber Beamshots
At the stems
At the leaves
Dark night.No moon.Foggy weather.
Beam aimed at the stems
I am behind the camera.
Beam pointed at the stems.
I am behind the camera.
Olight M2X Javelot Vs ThruNite Catapult V5
Olight M2X Javelot Vs Olight SR52
Olight M2X Javelot Vs ThruNite TN32
Crop
Olight M2X - Catapult V5 - Olight SR52 - ThruNite TN32
I am behind the camera.
Beam aimed at the leaves
I am behind the camera.
Crop
This is an overexposed picture to see my position.
Crop
Olight M2X Javelot Vs ThruNite Catapult V5
Olight M2X Javelot Vs Olight SR52
Olight M2X Javelot Vs ThruNite TN32
Distance ~ 170 meters
An overexposed picture,just to check my position.
Olight M2X Javelot Vs Olight SR52
Olight M2X Javelot Vs ThruNite TN32
Distance ~ 170 meters
Overexposed
Distance ~ 170 meters
Olight M2X Javelot is defenitely a good choice for ultimate long throw flashlight.
High quality of every part,solid construction.No gaps or loose parts.
Great design.Compact body,easy to carry and use.
Pretty common performance of the driver,excluding the very slow step-down.
The beam is not with that good color rendering,but in return we get the best throw from such a small single 18650 cell thrower.
Thanks for reading!
The M2X Javelot was provided for test and review by webshop Banggood.com
Thanks to their support,people can find different reviews from different reviewers which is always great and helps learning more about the flashlight and deciding,does it meet your preferences or not.
My impression of their servise is only possitive,so far-quick shipping with good,safe packaging.
Check out them for this flashlight and many other great flashlights.
They offer also an extender tube for double 18650 use of the M2X if longer runtime is needed.
BG is offering a great discount code for this flashlight.
Use M2X
