We need to talk about Olight

[NH Lumens]

Also a light on a handgun or rifle is the most effective solution, that's if it's a live or die situation

Yes, especially true for a civilian where (broadly speaking) it's only legal to draw a weapon if the use of deadly force is justified. Otherwise it could result in felony brandishing charges.

For the civilian a pistol WML is a "nice to have" but a properly configured "tactical" handheld is IMO mandatory - and far more useful.

This is my EDC "detached WML" that I carry concealed on the belt or can just drop in a pocket;

 

[jon_slider]

if the use of deadly force is justified

I see you sell single momentary mode tactical flashlights assembled in USA, which has nothing to do with the topic of this thread.

I encourage you to start a Gun Light thread, no need for China bashing.

thank you for your service, stay safe

 

[NH Lumens]

I see you sell single momentary mode tactical flashlights assembled in USA, which has nothing to do with the topic of this thread.

I encourage you to start a Gun Light thread, no need for China bashing.

thank you for your service, stay safe

Thanks for taking the time to comment. Just curious, are you a CPF forum moderator or site administrator?

 

[vicv]

Thanks for taking the time to comment. Just curious, are you a CPF forum moderator or site administrator?

No but this isn't a self defense fantasy thread. Should be kept on the topic

 

[NH Lumens]

No but this isn't a self defense fantasy thread. Should be kept on the topic

You started a thread about why you think "the olight hate may be a little overdone." I responded with a critique of one of their products and the way it's promoted.

Sorry that you think my later response was off-topic, but it's exactly that kind of information that manufacturers like Olight should consider to make their products more relevant for the intended use. If they don't understand the how, why & when a product will be used, it's a bit difficult to optimize it for that application. Misusing the Tactical label to promote a product to the uninformed is disingenuous.

Over and out.

 

[vicv]

You started a thread about why you think "the olight hate may be a little overdone." I responded with a critique of one of their products and the way it's promoted.

Sorry that you think my later response was off-topic, but it's exactly that kind of information that manufacturers like Olight should consider to make their products more relevant for the intended use. If they don't understand the how, why & when a product will be used, it's a bit difficult to optimize it for that application. Misusing the Tactical label to promote a product to the uninformed is disingenuous.

Over and out.

Well to directly respond to your issue. Their tactical button works exactly as you describe. So it matches your requirements. If you hold down the button, it's momentary turbo. When you let go it shuts off. Only a quick tap will leave the light on. Which is something that you're not going to be doing in that situation. It's less than a second. Maybe I don't do tactical well, but I have never needed to use momentary for less than one second. But if you do, then, yes. Their tactical UI is not for you.

 

[defloyd77]

Well to directly respond to your issue. Their tactical button works exactly as you describe. So it matches your requirements. If you hold down the button, it's momentary turbo. When you let go it shuts off. Only a quick tap will leave the light on. Which is something that you're not going to be doing in that situation. It's less than a second. Maybe I don't do tactical well, but I have never needed to use momentary for less than one second. But if you do, then, yes. Their tactical UI is not for you.

Have you actually had experience with that switch? I'm guessing not. Even in an everyday use, it's finicky. NH Lumens' post and criticisms are completely valid and on topic, unless you keep deciding to narrowly define the subject of this thread.

 

[vicv]

Not the x4, but I have the warrior 3s. Same switch. Works perfect. In no way finicky at all. If you have used one, it may have been a bad one.

Never mind. But try to keep it less personal.

 

[defloyd77]

This thread was silly from the start really. You say we need to talk about Olight, yet you seem to only want to have a 1 sided conversation. I seem confrontational. You seem dismissive. Respond to me or don't, doesn't matter to me, I won't lose any sleep.

 

[vicv]

This thread was silly from the start really. You say we need to talk about Olight, yet you seem to only want to have a 1 sided conversation. I seem confrontational. You seem dismissive. Respond to me or don't, doesn't matter to me, I won't lose any sleep.

I'm not dismissive. I've said at least 10 times as you keep saying the same thing over and over again. Yes they had a recall. They fixed it. New models don't have the same issue. I don't still hate Toyota because they had brake problems 15 years ago. And this was a couple lights turned themselves on by themselves. Oh no! I've acknowledged your issue. But you can't let it go. I've listened to all complaints. It isn't one sided. But they need to be a real pressing issue if you want to be taken seriously. Not that a five year old model can turn itself on. Lots of lights do that. I can only humor you so much. NH lumens had a real issue. That I addressed. But I didnt want the thread to turn into a self defense thread. We have enough of that here as it is.

 

[defloyd77]

I'm not dismissive. I've said at least 10 times as you keep saying the same thing over and over again. Yes they had a recall. They fixed it. New models don't have the same issue. I don't still hate Toyota because they had brake problems 15 years ago. And this was a couple lights turned themselves on by themselves. Oh no! I've acknowledged your issue. But you can't let it go. I've listened to all complaints. It isn't one sided. But they need to be a real pressing issue if you want to be taken seriously. Not that a five year old model can turn itself on. Lots of lights do that. I can only humor you so much. NH lumens had a real issue. That I addressed. But I didnt want the thread to turn into a self defense thread. We have enough of that here as it is.

When somebody who has actually owned a light and has experienced it's issues and you have not, saying "What piece of metal? It went on in your pocket because you accidentally clicked the button. If there was a chip of metal in the threads or something, that's bad maintenance by the user." THAT is being dismissive. "And this was a couple lights turned themselves on by themselves. Oh no!" Nope, not dismissive at all even though there were numerous complaints.

How many of those posts of me saying the same thing over and over again did it take before you realized that yes, the light was turned on by a piece of metal? How many repeat posts did it take for you to realize it's not acceptable? How many more posts would I have to make before you realize that this is more than a faulty switch, it's bad customer service? If you can't understand that any company that has a history of being negligent to their customers' reported issues is not one deserving of respect or support, I don't even know what to say to you.

As far as this turning into a self defense thread, since Olight advertises their lights as "tactical" lights (21 lights under the tactical category currently), the validity of their lights being classified as such is part of the conversation we need to have.

 

[Monocrom]

As far as what an actual tactical light is.... Look at the real thing, an original SureFire 6P. Add features that don't remotely get in the way of its ultra simple User-Interface. Such as an LED. A pocket-carry clip (either bezel-up or bezel-down). A narrower head for EDC purposes. Increased output. Along with a beam that is geared for a good combination of both flood and throw. (Perhaps favoring flood a bit more.)

Any add-on extra simply eliminates a light from being the real thing. From experience: Extra buttons or switches, FAR too easy to accidentally hit under stress. Whether a tailcap + side-switch combo., or two switches on the tailcap. And if you're using Turbo, what's the very next mode after if you accidentally hit that mode-selection switch? That's right, Low. Not good. Literally the only exception to this.... Thrunite TT20. The moment you activate that tailcap switch, the side-switch becomes disabled. Stays that way until the light is switched off. Brilliant! But, all is not perfect with the TT20 (though if you want the equivalent of an Olight 3S without the magnetic charging feature, this light is the closest you're going to get).

Momentary-only tailcap switch. Best for a true tactical light. Good luck finding that outside of SureFire, and a couple of Streamlight models. So, properly-made forward-clicky switch. Easier said than done. Above mentioned TT20 switch is nearly hard as a rock to push.

Ears on the tailcap: Great for preventing accidental activation of your light. Literally never had an issue with that. Gives you a lanyard attachment point. Worthless feature on a real tactical light. Let's you tailstand the light! Great, on an EDC light. Worthless on a true tactical light. Plus, those ears get in the way when you need to grab your hand-held tactical light in a hurry and activate it. Seems like a minor thing. Until you're hitting the range on a regular basis to train/practice with your concealed carry pistol. Sometimes when you draw your light from a pocket or holster, you over rotate it in hand. You go to slam the pad of your thumb onto the tailcap switch, and instead slam it onto one of the metal ears. See how long that nonsense lasts before you switch to a light without those silly ears on it. Sadly the TT20 has ears.

If you have a full tailcap shroud with a soft-press forward-clicky switch that isn't proud of the shroud, but level with it; you get the tailstanding feature but without the horrible disadvantage of ears.

More than one switch, lower modes that aren't hidden away, and a set of ears; call it what you like but that's not an actual tactical light.

 

[vicv]

As far as what an actual tactical light is.... Look at the real thing, an original SureFire 6P. Add features that don't remotely get in the way of its ultra simple User-Interface. Such as an LED. A pocket-carry clip (either bezel-up or bezel-down). A narrower head for EDC purposes. Increased output. Along with a beam that is geared for a good combination of both flood and throw. (Perhaps favoring flood a bit more.)

Any add-on extra simply eliminates a light from being the real thing. From experience: Extra buttons or switches, FAR too easy to accidentally hit under stress. Whether a tailcap + side-switch combo., or two switches on the tailcap. And if you're using Turbo, what's the very next mode after if you accidentally hit that mode-selection switch? That's right, Low. Not good. Literally the only exception to this.... Thrunite TT20. The moment you activate that tailcap switch, the side-switch becomes disabled. Stays that way until the light is switched off. Brilliant! But, all is not perfect with the TT20 (though if you want the equivalent of an Olight 3S without the magnetic charging feature, this light is the closest you're going to get).

Momentary-only tailcap switch. Best for a true tactical light. Good luck finding that outside of SureFire, and a couple of Streamlight models. So, properly-made forward-clicky switch. Easier said than done. Above mentioned TT20 switch is nearly hard as a rock to push.

Ears on the tailcap: Great for preventing accidental activation of your light. Literally never had an issue with that. Gives you a lanyard attachment point. Worthless feature on a real tactical light. Let's you tailstand the light! Great, on an EDC light. Worthless on a true tactical light. Plus, those ears get in the way when you need to grab your hand-held tactical light in a hurry and activate it. Seems like a minor thing. Until you're hitting the range on a regular basis to train/practice with your concealed carry pistol. Sometimes when you draw your light from a pocket or holster, you over rotate it in hand. You go to slam the pad of your thumb onto the tailcap switch, and instead slam it onto one of the metal ears. See how long that nonsense lasts before you switch to a light without those silly ears on it. Sadly the TT20 has ears.

If you have a full tailcap shroud with a soft-press forward-clicky switch that isn't proud of the shroud, but level with it; you get the tailstanding feature but without the horrible disadvantage of ears.

More than one switch, lower modes that aren't hidden away, and a set of ears; call it what you like but that's not an actual tactical light.

But you just described the warrior X4. It has all the features of your last two paragraphs

 

[Monocrom]

But you just described the warrior X4. It has all the features of your last two paragraphs

The new X4 has potential. What bothers me is two things. One, it's new and thus untested for now. That'll change soon enough though. Two, having researched this light, I've noticed all the usual suspects (blatant shills) on YouTube who have gotten review samples are strangely very vague regarding its User-Interface. Not a good sign when you have a potential tactical light contender with multiple output levels, relying on a single tailcap switch.

Definitely haven't dismissed it yet. Still researching it.

 

[vicv]

I watched chuels review on it. I don't think he's a shill but I take every review with a grain of salt. He definitely gets free stuff from them. But it's not really new. It's the same basic operation as the other warrior series. Just no side button. It only has two modes. Medium and turbo whether a short or long press of the tailcap. Like this two stage from surefire. Just this one is electronic and does not need to be twisted for constant. For a tactical still do think that a mechanical switch would still be more reliable, but I'm sure this one will serve fine. Not a light I am interested in, but it does fit the bill.

 

[defloyd77]

The new X4 has potential. What bothers me is two things. One, it's new and thus untested for now. That'll change soon enough though. Two, having researched this light, I've noticed all the usual suspects (blatant shills) on YouTube who have gotten review samples are strangely very vague regarding its User-Interface. Not a good sign when you have a potential tactical light contender with multiple output levels, relying on a single tailcap switch.

Definitely haven't dismissed it yet. Still researching it.

This thread really hasn't gotten into probably the biggest reason for the hate Olight gets and it's just that, the spineless, shameless shills. The ones who open the packages, read through the specs in the manuals, fumble through the UI and tote it as the greatest, smallest, brightest light on the market. The ones who care more about their cash cow than their subscribers and delete any negative comments about it. Before it was Olight being shilled out left and right, it was Thrunite, but it seems they wised up to the hate they were getting because of this and cut down on sending out all of their new lights to these "influencers".

I have no beef with reviewers who receive products in exchange for honest and real reviews, but when it becomes clear they're just being puppets for companies and not advocates to their viewers, that's a real problem.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

This thread really hasn't gotten into probably the biggest reason for the hate Olight gets and it's just that, the spineless, shameless shills. The ones who open the packages, read through the specs in the manuals, fumble through the UI and tote it as the greatest, smallest, brightest light on the market. The ones who care more about their cash cow than their subscribers and delete any negative comments about it. Before it was Olight being shilled out left and right, it was Thrunite, but it seems they wised up to the hate they were getting because of this and cut down on sending out all of their new lights to these "influencers".

I have no beef with reviewers who receive products in exchange for honest and real reviews, but when it becomes clear they're just being puppets for companies and not advocates to their viewers, that's a real problem.

That's why I quit buying/subscribing to gun magazines. In addition to the regular display advertising, the articles were just puff pieces on the products, there were never any negative comments, only positive comments. Of course, can you expect a magazine that is full of a company's advertising to write anything critical about them?! Of course not. So, I quit paying for the propaganda. Likewise, I try to avoid reading the shill articles posted on CPF.

 

[editor]

Proper hate can only come from love. Many haters only hate Olight because they love it or at least used to love it. They grew up into modern flashlights together with Olight. And they turned to different ways. Like divorced married couples. One progressed one way, other the other way. Flashlight fans followed the industry from only being able to emit a beam like firefly, learned the physics, experimented, collected batteries and chargers together with herds of lights, so they have expectations. And what happened? Olight fulfils somebody else's expectations. I hated this hatred but now I think it's instinctive. Custom light brands don't do marketing, Olight does. Custom brands support modding, Olight doesn't. Olight just wants to sell to a different audience, delivering complete solutions and supplies. Different way of doing business to a different audience. Until haters rethink this their instincts and emotions will rule.

 

[Monocrom]

I have no beef with reviewers who receive products in exchange for honest and real reviews, but when it becomes clear they're just being puppets for companies and not advocates to their viewers, that's a real problem.

The problem is, such individuals are never completely honest in their reviews. The dishonesty is to varying degrees.

Major issues gets down-played. I've seen that happen. Minor, annoying issues don't get mentioned at all. It's frustrating. The shills are good for close-ups of the products and explanations of the U.I., usually. That's about it. Plus, do a review that is more than just a bit negative? Watch how quickly that particular brand puts you on their "Do not send samples to" list.

I found one goth fashion reviewer who buys all her own clothes to evaluate things like fit, materials used, quality etc. I literally couldn't find a single truly independent gear review channel on YouTube.... So I created my own! Yup! How messed up is that? But yeah, so far my YouTube channel is the only independent one of its kind. I get nothing for review purposes! Zero sponsors. If I give a product a positive review, it actually earned it. If it's crap, I say so. If a certain feature is crap, I mention it. I spend my own money on everything I review. Literally no one else does what I do. Plus, I de-monitize my own videos. See an Ad, on one of MY videos? YouTube put that on there. Not I.

Not trying to get free advertising on CPF, so not going to mention my channel's name. And I get it, I'm sure some think I'm foolish as hell for giving out only free content. Call me crazy, maybe there should be at least one purely honest gear review channel on YouTube. Well, there is. (Maybe I'll start posting feet pics. on O.F. and make money that way.)

 

[defloyd77]

TheOutdoorGearReview is a pretty respectable YouTube reviewer who has never shyed away from burning a few bridges in the pursuit of honesty.

There's a decent amount of companies with products he has done reviews on and has pointed out major flaws and the companies do what's right and done recalls and redesigns.

Being completely independent can be a great thing, but there's also something to be said for having honest people with contacts within companies that are willing to speak up when needed.