Olight i3 EOS series...E Black vs. E silver vs. S models.

sim1tti

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Ok, flashlight smarties. I've got some questions for you. Some are basic, some are a bit more technical. I've scoured the internet looking, but to no avail. Please help me out or direct me to something I've missed.

Here is my quandary:

Though they appear (nearly) identical, the different I3 EOS models reportedly perform and operate strikingly different from one another. The runtime and consistent output of the i3E is very impressive, but its on/of only functionality is a bit of a downer for me. I was surprised to learn the i3S, with its three different modes, tests significantly worse for runtime than the i3E:
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direct.php

Green is the i3s EOS. Red is i3e EOS. Both with AAA lithium.
http://www.valostore.se/jamfor_ficklampor?t=92,118


i3E and i3S have different components so that makes sense, but there are also clearly differences between the I3E black/colored models and the I3E silver/bronze models. The manufacturer specs report 120lm on the silver and 90lm on the black, but offers no info on different components, nor does Olight provide figures for runtime differences between the two, nor have I seen any independent tests done on the silver/bronze.


  • Can the clip from an i3S be used on an i3E?
-Boris74 says yes, it can.


  • What do you imagine accounts for the extra lumens put out by the i3E silver/bronze models?


  • Seems crazy that a couple extra modes (for the i3s) would result in such a dramatic drop in runtime. What do you imagine accounts for the extra runtime on the i3e compared to the i3s? The led?...The circuit?....Both?....Something else?


  • Has anyone seen reliable testing done for the runtimes/lumen output for the I3E silver/bronze models? I've been able to find surprisingly little done about this specific light.


  • Aside from the link I cited earlier, has anyone seen a comparative test done of the i3E vs the i3S? I've found plenty of great write ups/tests done on each individually, but almost nothing comparing the two with the same testing methodology.


  • Are assemblies interchangeable between the i3S and i3E? For example, could I take the head of an I3E and put it onto the body of an I3S?
-Boris74 says a bronze i3s head works on an i3e body, but not the other way around. Functions like an i3s.


  • Could one expect the led from an i3E to work with the circuit for an i3S? Basically, could I remove the LED from an i3S and solder a Philips LUXEON TX LED onto the circuit and expect it to operate like an i3S but with the runtimes of an i3E? .


  • Lastly,has anyone come across a AAA light that can outperform the i3E's tested runtimes and consistency at around 100 lm? That's my sweet spot.

Thanks for the help, everyone.
 
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Boris74

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I havena black E and a raw brass S. I noticed long ago the E runs significantly longer than the S. I don't mind, I don't know who would expect either to run all night, they're made for short burst use and both do great at that.

I swapped the heads and to my amazement the raw brass S head works perfect on the E model aluminum body. The E head on the raw brass tube does not work.
 

sim1tti

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I havena black E and a raw brass S. I noticed long ago the E runs significantly longer than the S. I don't mind, I don't know who would expect either to run all night, they're made for short burst use and both do great at that.

I swapped the heads and to my amazement the raw brass S head works perfect on the E model aluminum body. The E head on the raw brass tube does not work.

Thanks for replying. Hmmm...does the S head on the E body retain the 3 mode functionality of the S or does it wind up working like the E (just on/off)? Also curious if you've tried putting the S's clip on the E.

Yeah, for EDC use, I'm sure the battery life on the S is plenty. For my purposes however, the longer run time is a real priority. Looking to use it for long distance backpacking. No real need for a hefty light, but more than an hour of runtime would be a real plus.
 
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Boris74

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The clips interchange perfect.

It still does the three modes.

If if I were to make a choice between the two for your purpose I'd take the one mode E as well. The S is nice for an extra small yet powerful light for intermittent use.
 

holygeez03

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You need both... the S for the multiple modes and the E is the world's greatest spare AAA carrier... it's smaller than most other AAA holders and it also functions as an awesome light.

If you really want to see something, and impress your friends, get the Silver E and put an unprotected 10440 in it... just be careful not to over-discharge the cell and only use it sparingly and/or for novelty purposes... if your AAA E breaks, you now have a backup for that.

As for the runtime difference.. it is probably either: the E has a very efficient driver with one mode, or the LED is slightly more efficient/newer.

I once knew the alleged reason for the increased reported lumens in the silver/bronze model... but now I forget... it is probably either a slightly higher binned emitter or the materials allow for more heatsink or conductivity/current.
 
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Edward78

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I agree, My I3e has great runtimes and I always felt the S was not much better and I guess this is why


Edward Lindsay
 

sim1tti

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You need both... the S for the multiple modes and the E is the world's greatest spare AAA carrier... it's smaller than most other AAA holders and it also functions as an awesome light.

I never thought of it like that. Makes sense.
 

Gt390

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Holygeez any output estimates running the 10440. Would be kind of neat as an impress the kids kind of thing. If it didn't let the magic smoke out that is.
 

terryoregon

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A 10440 in an I3e will get you about 3X normal brightness. HOWEVER, when I tried this a few months ago, the light turned off after about six minutes (which got it very hot). It was then DEAD, nothing could revive it. ONLY TRY this parlor trick for a couple of minutes if you dare. Fortunately, I have several of these lights, some still in blister packs for future presents.

It would appear that Olight is phasing out the i3e, several colors are no longer available on their website, and the silver 120lm version has been hard-to-find for months. I know of one source for the silver version, pm me if you want to know where.

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Gt390

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thanks terry, I probably won't bother ruining one just to get a few minutes of wow out of it. Makes me wonder if there are any of these cheap 100 lumen +- aaa lights that can handle a 10440.
 

holygeez03

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Most "cheap AAA" light will probably go poof very quickly with a 10440... if it's true that the I3E Silver is getting scarce/discontinued, I will probably not run it with 10440 and keep it around as another backup... hopefully Olight is just consolidating the colors and maybe making slight changes to the design or packaging? It really is a wonderful light for $9.99 and so simple that it can be gifted to mom, dad, sister, grandma, etc...

I gave a co-worker, who is a very educated/smart guy, an I3S several years ago and I still need to occasionally remind him that it has a medium and high mode... which really comes in handy during dark warehouse inspections.
 

HaileStorm

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I've been recently addicted to aaa lights. On top of the four aaa lights I already own, I actually have 3 more coming in.

This Olight i3e/s also sounds quite interesting. I saw on another thread that there is an i3T coming which is 160lm with a tail clicky. I dont have much info on it yet but that would make a sweet little pocket rocket.
 
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