Hello
The S30 Baton is a new compact 18650 flashlight in the Olight's Baton series flashlights.
A rechargeable version of this light(S30R) was released earlier. Both versions share the same design and UI.
1000 Lm max output(on Turbo mode,which lasts about 2 minutes).A flat side switch(not protruded and easy for accidental activation as the first baton flashlights with the blue switch).Cool white Cree XM-L2 LED.Powered by one 18650 or two CR123A batteries.
Aluminum alloy body.Black matte hard anodizing.
First impression-the S30 is a really compact flashlight powered by 18650 battery.
Thanks to the use of just one side switch the flashlight is much shorter than other compact 18650 lights as the Fenix PD35 and ThruNite TN12(2014).
It's even slightly shorter than the Neutron 2C due to the shallower reflector.
Olight S30 stays well in hand. There is enough knurling/relief for a good grip.
The S30 produces a lot of heat while working on max output. 3 cooling fins help with dissipating the heat that comes from the LED.
Olight has redеsigned the blue side switch and now all new Baton models come with a new flat switch with a cap of a transparent plastic that allows mounting a red indicator light underneath.
The switch has thick metal periphery around it,which gives the advantage of hard accidental pressing,but also makes the switch hard to find by touch in the dark.
I found the switch quite convenient and not much harder to find compared to other side switches.This is a personal opinion of course and depends on different factors.
Here is a comparison with the Olight S10L2.
More close-up pictures of the switch.
The red indicator LED light warns for fully discharged battery and also when the switch is electronically locked(blinks after pressing the locked switch).
The S30 is equipped with a deep pocket clip-well attached,not easy to remove accidentally.
Not too stiff,not too loose,the clip is really made for use,not just for the look.
Specifications from the user manual.
(Read my measurements later in the review.)
The User interface is the same great UI used in the other baton flashlights.
Total 5 constant light modes + Strobe mode.
Main modes Low-Mid-High
Additional Turbo and Moonlight modes.
Briefly press for ON/OFF.
Press and hold to cycle through Low-Mid-High.
Double press to activate Turbo from Off or ON.
Press and hold for a second to activate Moonlight mode(from Off).
Triple click for Strobe.
There is a memory for the last used mode-including Low,Mid,High,as well as the Turbo and Moonlight mode.
No memory for Strobe mode.
The mode memory works flawlessly instantly,as usual for all Olight flashlights.No guessing on which mode the light will start.
There is also a switch locking function to prevent accidental activation.
Press and hold the switch(from Off state) for more than a second.The light will start on Moonlight and then will turn off.
The switch is locked.
To unlock it-press and hold again for a second.The light will start on moonlight mode.
Standard Olight packaging.
Spare O-rings and rubber pad to replace the tailcap magnet if you decide to remove it.
A blue sealing 0-ring with glow in the dark particles.
Ultra clear glass lens.
Smooth aluminum reflector,Cree XM-L2 LED
The tail is clean,almost flat allowing stable tail-standing.
There is no hole or loop for lanyard attaching anywhere on the flashlight (at least on my sample).
A strong magnet is mounted in the cap,providing strong enough force to keep the S30 attached horizontally or vertically to metal objects,but not as stably in horizontal position as it could be with a short flashlight as the Olight S10. The S30 is long ~12cm and this length requires way too big and strong magnet to keep it stable horizontally-the center of the weight is far from the mounting point... But I found the magnet feature quite useful,especially there are just a few 18650 size flashlights with a magnet tailcap to choose from.
The magnet can be removed with pliers and replaced with a rubber pad included in the accessories.
Overall,the Olight S30 impressed me with its compactness and practicality,but minor flaws are not missing.
As you can see from the picture below,due to the long,deep pocket clip,part of it sits too close to the tailcap and scratches will be hard to avoid after some time of use.
This part is probably designed to ensure more stability and hard accidental detachment of the clip,but at the expense of the tailcap finish.
Here you can see the size of the magnet and how it is mounted.
The machining of all parts is on top level,as the threads are really impressive.
Long thread,square cut,anodized. I really didn't expected so stable threads in a EDC flashlight.
The O-ring and the threads are well greased.
With a protected 18650 battery inserted.
There is a spring at the + end.
This is a runtime graph,illustrating the output on High and Turbo mode in the time(in minutes).
A 3400mAh battery is enough for about 2 hours on High mode.
My lumen measurements:
Turbo ~985 Lm
High ~580 Lm
Mid ~153 Lm
Low ~22 Lm
Moonlight ~1.1 Lm
Here are the first 20 minutes from the same graph,for a better view.
As expected from a compact flashlight without enough mass to handle all the heat from the LED,the S30 steps down to about 55% of the initial output(equal to the High mode)after 2 minutes on (1000 lumen) Turbo mode,as the step is slow and gradual and takes 1 minute.
The two minutes Turbo output does not effect much the overall run time.
The light from the Cree XM-L2 LED is cool white without visible greenish or bluish tint.
The beam is good combination of hotspot and spill with a clearly defined hotspot(due to the smooth reflector).
Maybe a little more "thrower" looking than expected.
As I already mentioned in previous reviews,an orange peel reflector is a much better choice for an EDC light because of the well mixed light,more convenient for everyday use.
The fact is that almost all new flashlights come with a smooth reflector which gives a little bit better throw and probably output,but the beam is not quite well mixed.I can see a darker zone in the beam's center,not so noticeable,but it's there.
Beamshots
White wall
Olight S30 Moonlight-Low-Mid-High-Turbo
1 meter 1/20sec
1 meter
1/50sec
Here is a comparison between the lowest modes of Neutron 2C and Olight S30.
5 meters
1/6sec
5 meters
1/50sec
The front of the S30 and Neutron 2C.
Very similar design.Slightly deeper reflector on the 2C.
The Olight S30 baton is another great choice for a compact 18650 flashlight.
I like the high build quality and the whole design.I like the deep pocket clip without a hole for lanyard attaching.
It is a flashlight really easy to carry and hold.
Great user interface.Good amount of modes-well spaced. Quick access to Moonlight and Turbo mode is a big plus.
A status indicating light under the switch is always a useful feature and it's great to see it in the Baton series flashlights.
Concerning the side switch operation-it is depending on different factors,one is the hand size.It is definitely not the easiest to find in the dark,but the pocket clip comes really useful here.Just remember the position of the clip and this will help you a lot to know where is the clip.This method works just great,at least for me.
A thing that I would like to change is the finish of the reflector. An orange peel reflector is always a better choice for small reflectors in EDC flashlights.
I would like a little bit better beam profile with a better mix between hotspot and spill and no dark zones in the center.
Thanks for reading!
Hope the review is helpful for you.
The Baton S30 flashlight was provided by Olight for test and review.
