[Bigmac_79]

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Olight has been a well respected flashlight company for quite some time now, with lights of all sizes and purposes. Now that Cree has updated thier emitters to newer, more powerful and efficient versions, Olight has been quick to update their lights with the new top-of-the-line emitters, and I've been sent a batch of these for testing. In this review I'll cover their single CR123 compact light, the M10 Maverick.


Thanks to Olight and GoingGear for providing the M10 for review.

I’ll be reviewing the M10 in two sections: first, I’ll discuss the light objectively (the facts about the light itself), then I’ll discuss the light subjectively (my impressions about the light's performance when used for specific applications). If you have any other specific applications you'd like the light tested for, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

2-Minute Overview

Below is a video "quick review" you can watch in just a few minutes, if you're not up for reading the full review right now:

Прямая ссылка на видео YouTube

This video is available in 720p HD, but defaults to a lower quality. To select the playback quality click the settings button (looks like a gear) after you've started the video.


Objective

Manufacturer's Specifications

Price: 55 USD




Packaging



The M10 comes packaged in a cardboard box with a large plastic viewing window, specs printed on the sides of the box.

Construction



The M10 uses a single CR123 lithium or 16340 lithium ion battery. It's not much larger than the battery itself, but the extra length from the side switch puts this light at about average size in it's class.



The M10 uses the new Cree XM-L2 emitter in a small, smooth reflector. The choice of smooth reflector will mean this light has slightly better throw than some of it's peers a the cost of beam smoothness, but in the end it's still a large emitter in a small reflector, so it's got more flood than throw. A stainless steel bezel protects the head from impacts.



The electronic side switch is between the head and body, a white rubber cover with an "S" on it (for Switch or Side?) encircled by a stainless steel ring.



The body is covered with a grid of grooves forming squares, giving grip to the light, except for two flat sections with the model name and the Olight logo.



The tail switch protrudes beyond the edge of the tail, so the M10 cannot do a tail stand. The tail has a small hole drilled through to attach a lanyard.

Now, let's take it apart!



The M10 is made of two pieces: head/body and tail.



At the end of the battery tube is a small spring to make contact with the positive battery terminal, and a larger spring in the tail makes contact with the negative. This means the M10 should help prevent damage to the batteries due to impact. The two metal "bean-shaped" posts to either side of positive contact point at the head seem to provide the reverse polarity protection, preventing a flat surface (te negative battery terminal) from contacting the small spring.


Dimensions



Accessories



The M10 comes with a spare switch cover and o-ring, lanyard, and clip-on-clip.


User Interface

The M10 uses a forward-click mechanical rear switch and an electronic side switch to control three brightness modes (Low -> Medium -> High) and one Strobe mode.

A single press on the back will activate the last used brightness mode. From there, a single click on the side switch will advance you to the next mode in the sequence Low -> Medium -> High, and holding down the side switch for about a second will activate the Strobe mode.

Two quick presses to the rear switch will activate High mode. Pressing the side switch does not do anything.

Three quick presses to the rear switch will activate the Strobe mode. Pressing the side switch does not do anything.

Action Shots

You can click on any of these shots to see them full size.

Light in Hand



BeamSlice


MugShot


White Wall (Low, Medium, High)
ISO 100, f/3.3, 1/20"


Indoor Shots (Low, Medium, High)
ISO 100, f/3.3, 1"


Outdoor Shots (Low, Medium, High)
ISO 100, f/3.3, 2.5"


Long-Range Shots (High)
ISO 100, f/3.3, 5"




Performance

Submersion: I submersed the M10 under a foot of water for about an hour, clicking both the rear and side switches periodically throughout that time. I could find no evidence of water entering the light or causing damage.

Heat: I found no significant heat buildup with the M10.

PWM: I could find no evidence of pulse width modulation on any output level of the M10.

Drop: I dropped the M10 from a height of about a meter onto various surfaces, including grass, carpet, packed dirt, and wood. There was no functional or cosmetic damage to the light.

Reverse Polarity Protection: Olight claims reverse polarity protection for the M10, and I believe it is mechanical (there are two protrusions in the battery tube that seem to prevent a flat surface from touching the positive terminal contact point). I inserted the battery backwards and attempted to turn the light on, and nothing happened. I then corrected the polarity and the light began working again, showing no damage from it's time with polarity reversed.

Over-Discharge Protection: I can find no claims or evidence for over-discharge protection on the M10, and the run times do not include a "warning" time of low output at the end, so I recommend using protected cells and exercising caution if you choose to use 16340 lithium ions cells. When using CR123 lithium cells, over-discharge is not an issue.


Spectral Analysis


All light that we see as white is actually made up of several different colors put together. The relative intensities of the different colors in the mix are what determine the tint of the white we see. For example, cool white LED's have a lot of blue, and warm white LED's have more red or yellow. This measurement was done on a home made spectrometer. The plot below the picture is corrected for the spectral sensitivity of the human eye. Note: the peak in the 900nm region doesn't really exist, it's a piece of the second-order spectrum that's showing up here because of the high intensity of the light source.

Output and Runtime


ANSI FL-1 runtime ratings are the time it takes for a light to fall to 10% of it's original output (counting from 30 seconds after turning the light on).

The vertical axis of the graphs below represents a relative brightness measurement using a home made light box. The horizontal axis is time in hours:minutes:seconds. Runtimes are stated in hours:minutes:seconds. These graphs may be truncated to show detail.

Mode Comparison


High



Medium




Throwing Distance

ANSI FL-1 standard for stating a light's throwing distance is the distance at which the peak beam intensity (usually at the center of the beam) is 0.25 lux. I calculate throwing distance and candela (lux at 1 meter) by measuring peak beam intensity at five different distances and using the formula lux*distance^2=constant.

Peak Beam Intensity: 3221cd
Throw Distance: 113m

Subjective Review

Quick break down:

+ Compact
+ Sturdy
+ Good regulation
+ Good beam pattern
+ Slightly more throw than it's peers
+ Useful UI
+ Reliable
+ Good clip design

- Slightly short for my big hands...
- UI requires shift of grip

When choosing a compact light like this, you usually have the choice of floody light with an XM-L emitter, or one with some decent throw using an XP-G with less overall output. The M10 strikes a bit of a middle line, using a deeper than average smooth reflector to get every possible bit of throw out of the XM-L2 stuck in a small package.

I appreciate the compactness of the M10, it's the kind of light that you can stick in your pocket and forget about. Unfortunately, with my big hands, I am forced to prefer a light with a bit more length on it. The M10 is slightly longer than some of it's peers due to using both a side switch and rear switch, so it's not too short. If you've got large hands the M10 might be a bit awkward, like any other compact light, but if you've got average to small hands you won't have to worry .

Along with the compactness, I like the design of the clip. It's useful to be able to clip it either direction, and the material is very strong and springy. Also, if you want it to ride deeper in your pocket head down instead of head up, you can take the clip off and flip it the other direction.

The user interface of the M10 is well implemented. I really like being able to get to High directly from Off very quickly, but also be able to have access to a lower mode first. The system of a single click for the remembered mode and two for High works well, and I got used to it very quickly. And, I can't say how happy this makes me, the Strobe mode is easy to access quickly but very unlikely to be activated by accident. It's reassuring to know I won't every Strobe myself without meaning to. The user interface works reliably, and works the same way every time you pick it up. My only complaint is that the rear and side switch combo requires a shift of grip to operate, as on other similar lights.

Overall, the M10 is a reliable and compact pocket light. As one of the first to use the XM-L2, it's got an edge on it's competitors for brightness and efficiency. It's got excellent regulation on both CR123 and 16340 (pretty much the same output levels on both). If you're looking for a compact pocket light with a good user interface and a bit of throw, the M10 Maverick would be a good choice.


Long Term Impressions
I'll fill this part in after carrying the light for a while. If nothing get's added here, either I find nothing else worth noting about the light, or I end up not using it often.