# Olight R50 (XHP50, 26650, rechargeable) Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and more!



## selfbuilt (Aug 30, 2016)

_*Reviewer's Note:* I am very backlogged with lights, so expect less detail than typical in my upcoming reviews. I will prioritize analyses over text descriptions._











The R50 is the latest member of the rechargeable R-series lights from Olight, featuring the XHP50 emitter and a custom 26650 Li-ion battery (standard 26550 will also work in the light). 

*Manufacturer Reported Specifications:* 
(note: as always, these are simply what the manufacturer provides – scroll down to see my actual testing results).


LED: CREE XHP-50
Output / Runtime: Turbo: 2500 Lumens / 2 Minute Burst, High: 1200 Lumens / 12 Minute Burst, Medium: 300 Lumens / 6 Hours, Low: 50 Lumens / 50 Hours
Peak Beam Distance: 297 Meters
Peak Beam Intensity: 22,000cd
Lens: Double-sided anti-reflective tempered glass
Runtime up to 50 hours in lowest mode
3 Unique brightness settings
Powerful defensive strobe mode
Multi-function side switch
Battery indicator glows red when battery is low
Remembers last used mode via memory function
Rechargeable via included USB cable
Aircraft-grade aluminum body
Anti-scratch type III hard anodized
Chamfered edges are ergonomic and easy to hold
Lock-out function prevents accidental activation
Waterproof up to 2 meters
Included Accessories: Micro-USB Cable (1 Meter), User Manual, 4500mAh 26650 Battery, Lanyard
Dimensions: Length: 5.24", Head Diameter: 1.65", Body Diameter: 1.26", Weight: 8.99 oz (Including Battery)
Runs on 1 x 26650 Li-ion battery (Included)
MSRP: ~$120


















The display packaging is good quality, with detailed info and specs across the box. The light comes with a micro USB charging cable, AC adapter (with appropriate country plug), manual, spare o-rings, and basic wrist strap. A 4500mAh protected 26650 from Olight is also included. No holster is included. 










All dimensions directly measured, and given with no batteries installed:

*Olight R50*: Weight 158.3g (255.4g with 26650 battery), Length: 133.0mm, Width (bezel): 42.0mm

*Foursevens MMU-X3*: Weight: 172.0g (264.2g with 26650), Length: 135.8mm, Width (bezel): 46.0mm
*Foursevens X10*: Weight: 156.9g, Length: 135.5mm, Width (bezel): 46.0mm
*Lumintop SD10*: Weight: 117.6g, Length: 120.3mm, Width (bezel): 40.1mm
*Manker U21*: Weight 294.4g (391.5g with 26650 battery), Length: 149.1mm, Width (bezel): 59.1mm
*Olight S80*: Weight 162.5g, Length: 151mm, Width (bezel): 38.7mm
*Skilhunt K26*: Weight: 188.2g (301.9g with 26650 battery), Length: 163mm, Width (bezel): 44.1mm

























The R50 is reasonably compact for a 26650 light.

Anodizing is black, with no blemishes or flaws on my sample. Labels are clear against the dark background. Knurling is not very aggressive, but overall grip is still decent. Note that the light can roll fairly easily.

There is a single electronic switch in the head, with typical feel. There is a red LED that serves as a low-voltage warning feature under the switch. :thumbsup: Starts as solid red (below ~30% or so), and then flashes as near the end.

Charging is done in the tailcap, and uses a custom 26650 cell with both positive and negative terminals in the tail region. The light will work just fine with a regular 26650 Li-ion, but only this special cell can be recharged inside the light (i.e., in-light recharging isn't possible with a standard 26650). There is a good quality rubber dust plug for the micro-USB charging port in the tail (and green/red LEDs around the port, to indicate charging status).

Screw threads are square-cut, and anodized for tailcap lockout. A quick turn of the tailcap is all you need to lock out the light. The light can tailstand stably.










The XHP50 emitter is well centered, at the base of a heavily textured reflector. This should help reduce the hotspot dark spot/donut hole effect common to many multi-die emitters (like the XHP50). Scroll down for beamshots.

*User Interface*

Click the electronic switch to the turn the light on/off.

When On, press and hold the switch to cycle through the three main output modes as follows: Lo > Med > Hi, in a repeating loop. Release the switch to select the mode. 

Light has mode memory for the regular output modes, and returns upon re-activation. A press-and-hold from Off will always turn the light on in Lo, however.

Turbo is accessed by a double-click of the switch (from On or Off).

Strobe is access by a triple-click of the switch (from On or Off).

There is no memory for the Turbo/Strobe modes.

The light has an electronic lock-out feature to prevent accidental activation. Press and hold the switch for >3 secs from Off. The light will first activate in Lo mode after ~1sec. After another ~2 secs, the light will shut off and lock-out the switch. To unlock, hold the switch down for about ~3 secs again, the light will now active in Lo.

*Video*: 

For information on the light, including the build and user interface, please see my video overview:



As with all my videos, I recommend you have annotations turned on. I commonly update the commentary with additional information or clarifications before publicly releasing the video.

*PWM/Strobe*






As with other Olight lights, there is no sign of pulse width modulation (PWM) at any level. The light appears to be current-controlled, and is flicker-free at all output modes. 

Strobe:





Strobe is a fairly typical 9.8 Hz.

*Standby Drain*

Since the switch is electronic, there needs to be a standby current when the tailcap is connected. I measured this as 56uA. For the included 4500mAh battery, that would translate into over 9 years before the cell would be fully discharged – and so, is not a concern.

Note that you can lock out the light by a simple twist of the tailcap.

*In-Light Charging*

Because the light uses a USB charging cable, I was able to take direct measures of the charging parameters using my Xtar VI01 "USB Detector" (basically a specialized USB current/voltage meter). There are many of these on the market now, and this model was favorably reviewed by HKJ here.

For charging tests, I left the USB detector in place for all readings. Note that the voltage reading on this device refers to the input voltage (i.e., from the USB port).










Initial charging current was 0.86A, at 4.88V input voltage. 

At one hour into the charge, current was 0.97A, at 4.84V.

At two hours, current was 1.01A, 4.82V

At four hours, current was 1.02A, 4.81V.

After this point, current began to drop slowly for next several hours. At five hours, current was 0.30A, 4.88V.

A complete charge cycle took a little over 6.5 hours, with LED showing green for termination.

*Beamshots:*

For white-wall beamshots below, all lights are on Max output on an AW protected 18650 battery. Lights are about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences.





























































Note: that is not a defect in the hotspot of the R50 - it is a scratch on the wall I'm using.

The light has a broad hotspot and very wide spillbeam (i.e., wider than the camera frame). The reflector does a good job of smoothing out the hotspot of the beam.

My sample has a slight greenish tint (most noticeable on Lo), but that is likely variable between samples.

*Testing Method:* 

All my output numbers are relative for my home-made light box setup, as described on my flashlightreviews.ca website. You can directly compare all my relative output values from different reviews - i.e. an output value of "10" in one graph is the same as "10" in another. All runtimes are done under a cooling fan, except for any extended run Lo/Min modes (i.e. >12 hours) which are done without cooling.

I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values (ROV) to estimated Lumens. See my How to convert Selfbuilt's Lightbox values to Lumens thread for more info. 

*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/FL1.htm for a discussion, and a description of all the terms used in these tables. Effective July 2012, I have updated all my Peak Intensity/Beam Distance measures with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter (orange highlights).






Max output and throw for the R50 are consistent with Olight specs. This is a reasonably high output light for such a small size.






The R50 output levels are pretty consistent with Olight specs across the board, although the step-down levels on Hi and Turbo are a different. See runtimes below for more info.

*Output/Runtime Graphs:*

All my current runtimes are done under a cooling fan.











The R50 shows a multiple-step-down pattern on Hi/Turbo (that is a bit different than the report step-down in the specs). The first step-down on Turbo is at 3 mins.

Overall efficiency seems good for the class, and the light is very flat-stabilized.

Note that there is a red LED low voltage warning feature under the switch, so you are never left in the dark without warning.

*Potential Issues*

The light uses an electronic switch, and therefore requires a stand-by current when fully connected. However, this drain is negligible (59uA), and likely below the self-discharge rate for Li-ion. You can physically lock-out the switch with a simply tailcap twist, breaking this current and preventing accidental activation.

While the R50 can run on standard 26650, only the included custom battery can be recharged inside the light. The bundled Li-ion shows good performance. 

Although the bundled AC adapter is capable of charging at up to 2A, the light's built-in charging feature is limited to 1A (taking ~6.5 hours to fully charge the bundled 4500mAh cell)

Turbo is not on the main sequence (accessed by a double-click of the switch). There is no Moonlight mode.

Light can roll easily.

*Preliminary Observations*

The R50 is a nice light from Olight – compact, simple interface, high-output, long runtime, and a broad and useful beam. :thumbsup:

Interface is fairly basic, but serviceable and easy to remember. The only thing missing for me is a Moonlight mode (and maybe a slower signaling strobe), but these things are not common on high output lights like this. Mode spacing is decent overall.

The R50 comes with a custom 26650 Li-ion, with good 4500mAh capacity. The R50 even features in-light charging, with a decent 1A charger (AC). While standard 26650s with work in the light, you need to use the bundled custom battery for the in-light charging feature to work. As an aside, this is one of the most substantial rubber dust plugs I've seen for a micro-USB port. 

The beam profile is well done, with a big hotspot and decent spillbeam (broad and bright). The textured reflector does a great job smoothing out the hotspot (without the "donut effect" you can see on some other more focused XHP50 lights). 

Performance-wise, you get good current-controlled efficiency and output regulation, as usual for Olight. The step-down levels on Hi/Turbo are reasonable, and well implemented.

There really isn't much to criticize here – this is a well-designed and implemented little torch. It's great to see this much output for a relatively small hand-held model. Of course, those looking for throw or more sophisticated programming modes will need to look elsewhere. But for those looking for a general purpose, hand-held light with a lot of floody output "oomph", the R50 may fit the bill nicely. :wave:

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R50 provided by GoingGear.com on behalf of Olight for review.


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## maukka (Aug 30, 2016)

Thanks for the review once again! My sample also has a green tint. The charger is actually really nice and is able to output 2.5 amps without the voltage sagging too much.

Even though the R50 is not too throwy, its hotpot is still much tighter than on some MT-G2 lights I compared it to (Klarus G30, Nitecore SC4SW).


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## selfbuilt (Aug 30, 2016)

maukka said:


> Even though the R50 is not too throwy, its hotpot is still much tighter than on some MT-G2 lights I compared it to (Klarus G30, Nitecore SC4SW).


That's true, and a good point to mention. But most MT-G2 lights are larger, and I'm thinking people may not be quite as use to seeing this relatively broad beam profile on a light the size of the R50. It's certainly a very useable profile.


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## zs&tas (Aug 31, 2016)

Can olight confirm that all lights do not dropto 800 lumens and actually do drop to the lower level ( that apears to be the case ) 
Awesome review as always , very detailed and helps us to really see what we are getting when we purchase a light ! 
So glad selfbuilts around ! :thumbsup:


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## pblanch (Aug 31, 2016)

I was eyeing off this light for a while but having no way to charge a spare battery is a killer for me. None of the Australian supplier have any batteries that will charge in it. Also the proprietary battery sounds a little dangerous if I wanted to charge it outside the torch or stick in another torch. If I only had the 1 and was going to stick with it for a few years would be good but I know what I am like.


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## vadimax (Aug 31, 2016)

pblanch said:


> I was eyeing off this light for a while but having no way to charge a spare battery is a killer for me. None of the Australian supplier have any batteries that will charge in it. Also the proprietary battery sounds a little dangerous if I wanted to charge it outside the torch or stick in another torch. If I only had the 1 and was going to stick with it for a few years would be good but I know what I am like.



You may have as many spare batteries as you want. The only limitation will be inability to charge them inside the light.


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## ven (Aug 31, 2016)

Thanks for the great review selfbuilt,:thumbsup: i am a very lucky chap and received one as a gift from some great friends on CPF here(big THANKS). I love the 26650 form full stop, this feels so compact yet fits in the hand perfect with the body diameter. The USB charge cover is a beefy one and surpasses other manufacturers in quality/robustness by a good way. I am a fan of the simple UI , with the press/hold to advance of which the low/med/high are well spaced out(compared to say the srmini which to me are close to the eye).

I have a few spare 26650 cells just sat there saying "come on man, give me a home!" .............now they will get some use out of storage. The cell provided works well as is anyway, but its always nice to have a back up, even if you cant charge that cell inside. Unfortunately you cant charge the supplied cell outside of the light, no big deal tbh as it would be unlikely to get left in the dark from a full charge. The rate seems decent enough at 1a with all things considered(no waiting for ever on a crazy 0.5a rate for example).
Compact and comfy in hand











Real good light for general purpose/anything type uses. From car to field to work to home and everything in between with the big intense hot spot and plenty of bright spill


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## zs&tas (Aug 31, 2016)

Hi ven, what did vin do then? Dont supose u could chuck a pic of it next to the mmu x ?


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## markr6 (Aug 31, 2016)

ven said:


> i am a very lucky chap and received one as a gift from some great friends on CPF here(big THANKS).


 
Nice! I want some great friends


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## ven (Aug 31, 2016)

zs&tas said:


> Hi ven, what did vin do then? Dont supose u could chuck a pic of it next to the mmu x ?



Shaved dome and current bump .

I dont have an x3 to do a pic next to, it maybe a tad longer but its nothing dramatic in size difference. Maybe mr selfbuilt might be able to


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## Lumenwolf (Aug 31, 2016)

Have just seen some beam shots on YouTube from a German chap comparing beams between the R50 and Acebeam EC50 gen 11 and 60. Think the olight looks a better beam and better colour too. Decisions decisions.


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## tops2 (Aug 31, 2016)

Lol.. The R50 is just so close for me. Only if it had a shortcut to a low/moonlight and same UI as the Olight S1. A holster is a nice bonus but I can live without.


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## Lumenwolf (Aug 31, 2016)

Anyone know if will ship R50 with battery to Uk, thinking of ordering Vinh spec 1 with XHP 50 dedome?


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## ven (Aug 31, 2016)

Yes as mine has come from over the pond . Cells are not an issue when contained in a device(flashlight in this case), so don't worry there. The issue arises if they are "loose" so to speak.


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## Lumenwolf (Sep 1, 2016)

ven said:


> Yes as mine has come from over the pond . Cells are not an issue when contained in a device(flashlight in this case), so don't worry there. The issue arises if they are "loose" so to speak.



Thank you


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## selfbuilt (Sep 1, 2016)

pblanch said:


> I was eyeing off this light for a while but having no way to charge a spare battery is a killer for me. None of the Australian supplier have any batteries that will charge in it. Also the proprietary battery sounds a little dangerous if I wanted to charge it outside the torch or stick in another torch. If I only had the 1 and was going to stick with it for a few years would be good but I know what I am like.


Yes, if you wanted to re-use the custom R50 cell in another light (or charge in an external charger), I would recommend masking out the outside positive contact ring on the tail. The center contact is a standard negative battery terminal, and should therefore work fine with any other light or charger. But for devices with fat springs, you may risk a temporary short while assembling everything. But as others have pointed out, there is no problem in using a standard 26650 in this light - the charging feature simply won't function.


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## maukka (Sep 4, 2016)

There's something wonky going on in the runtime graphs here. The 50 % times don't match the x-axis at all.

edit: yeah, even the turbo doesn't match


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## Lumenwolf (Sep 4, 2016)

Is it the lumen output that is different on step down or the amount of time it takes to step down from what Olight say?
2500-1200 and 1200-800
Thanks


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## maukka (Sep 4, 2016)

Lumenwolf said:


> Is it the lumen output that is different on step down or the amount of time it takes to step down from what Olight say?
> 2500-1200 and 1200-800



It is the output on turbo and output and time on high. But it maybe depends on the temperature. I haven't yet tested if it has a temp regulation. Also, there seems to be different versions for sale. Mine (bought from flashaholics.co.uk) goes from 2300 to 1670 lumens at 3 min 20 sec. Valostore's data seems similar.


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## ven (Sep 4, 2016)

Lumenwolf said:


> Is it the lumen output that is different on step down or the amount of time it takes to step down from what Olight say?
> 2500-1200 and 1200-800
> Thanks



Specs show...
Turbo mode 2500lm for 2m then it steps down to 800lm and will run for 130m
High mode 1200lm for 12m then step down to 800lm for 130m


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## zs&tas (Sep 4, 2016)

Yeah but selfbuilts didnt do that.


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## ven (Sep 4, 2016)

zs&tas said:


> Yeah but selfbuilts didnt do that.




Is mr selfbuilts test not done under a cooling fan though, olight just states at 25oC in a windless lab. Maybe this has to do with 3m before step down.....


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## Lumenwolf (Sep 4, 2016)

Looks like the times and step down in lumens varies from light to light


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## zs&tas (Sep 4, 2016)

All olights previous lights are timed , like the instructions here show but looks like theyve changed production ? Selfbuilts graphs and lumen comparisons differ ? 
Turbo steps to highish then stays there.
High stays high and does not step down for a longtime.
Actually prefer this test sample but who knows what youl end up with ?


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## BOB21 (Sep 5, 2016)

Does vin mod help with throw?


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## ven (Sep 5, 2016)

BOB21 said:


> Does vin mod help with throw?




Yes , have a look at the r50vn thread, xhp50 shaved dome increases the kcd.


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## maukka (Sep 5, 2016)

The R50 is temperature regulated. That's why there are differences in runtimes and stepdown levels between reviewers and mfg specs.


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## ven (Sep 5, 2016)

Took these out before




I let it run in turbo, no timing(too busy enjoying the beam!) but i noticed no step down before my hand said "hey bro, gettin kinda hot here" . I could hold it further down the body but that is not the point, the head was getting toasty so i knocked it down a couple of levels to medium. Would say around 18oC outside, very misty too so he beam hit a wall much past 100m across the field. 




Awesome light!!! really is


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## selfbuilt (Sep 8, 2016)

maukka said:


> There's something wonky going on in the runtime graphs here. The 50 % times don't match the x-axis at all.


Yeah, the x-axis is off by a factor of 2. I will correct when back in my office next week.

On the issue of step-down levels and time, I have not tested different conditions. As mentioned in the review, my runtimes are all done under a cooling fan. If I get a chance to try without a fan, I will update the review. Not sure when I can get to this, though.


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## carl (Oct 11, 2016)

Great review!

Does anyone have a problem finding that flat power button quickly in the dark? Yes, there are two flats to feel for but why two when there is only one power button?

I still don't understand why Olight doesn't provide a beacon under the power button. Maybe because LEDs have a life limit of 50,000 hours which is 5.7 years?


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