Lumintop ODL20C Flashlight Review
Lumintop has released the ODL20C a thrower flashlight with a Cree XHP35 HI. The onboard charging benefits from an indicating switch, too.
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Lumintop ODL20C Flashlight product page.
Versions
Only one version of this light is available.
Price
The going price is around $80, but it could be there are some coupons around. If I find one, I’ll post it here. 🙂
ODL20C with battery. ODL20C.
Short Review
This is a solid light in one of my favorite categories. I love the size format of [small] 26650 throwers.
Long Review
The Big Table
| Lumintop ODL20C | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Cree XHP35 HI |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $68.00 |
| Cell: | 1×26650 |
| Turbo Runtime | High Runtime |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (A): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Chargetime | |
| Power off Charge Port with no Cell? | ? |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 2000 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1985 (99.3% of claim)^ |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 860 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 3940lux @ 6.987m = 192344cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 877.1 (102% of claim)^ |
| All my Lumintop reviews! | |
^ Measurement disclaimer: Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.
What’s Included
- Lumintop ODL20C
- Charge cable (USB to USB-C)
- Lanyard
- Spare o-ring
- 26650 to 18650 adapter
- Paperwork
No cell is included! I think Lumintop has 26650 branded cells; that’d be a nice addition to this package. (In fact, then we could say it’s a complete package, since it charges too!) (Indeed, there’s even a Lumintop 5000mAh 26650 shown in some of the product images for this light.)
Package and Manual
The ODL20C ships in Lumintop’s typical cardboard box, with Lumintop branding and a very general spec/UI/etc chart on the back. I quite like this packaging. The light rests in foam in side. The foam isn’t glued down, and the paperwork is under it.
Build Quality and Disassembly
I find Lumintop lights to be improving in quality, rivaling and possibly surpassing other major brands. This light just feels nice in-hand. The anodizing is smooth and well finished (and no nicks during my use of this light!).
There’s a nice faux-pineapple pattern in some of the grip. It doesn’t add so much grip as knurling, but it’s a nice accent. There are fins around the head and switch area; thick fins, great for heat dissipation.
The switch is fairly large, and the ergonomics are great.
Here’s a small teardown. I wasn’t able to unscrew the bezel. The head and tail unscrew readily – in fact either is a good choice for cell swaps. The tailcap has a nice thick double spring, and the head has an interesting springy button.
Size
Officially 147.5 x 59 x 35mm, and 300g without cell.
It’s not a small light but for it’s class, it’s pretty reasonable. Below, it’s beside the venerable Convoy S2+.
Retention
There’s really only one included means to carry this light, and that’s the lanyard. The lanyard attaches on the tailcap, through a small hole.
There’s no pouch, and no pocket clip.
Power
Primarily powered by a single 26650, the package also includes an adapter for using a single 18650. I’ve used a flat top 26650 for my testing; flat or button top will work. You will need to use a fairly capable cell, however, since the light draws 7 Amps on turbo.
Below is a runtime on Turbo. Output trails off until a stepdown at around 15 minutes, to a stable output higher than “High.” I measured thirty second output at around 1950 lumens (rating is 2000). The switch indicates when the voltage is low by blinking red. At the end of this test, the cell was at 2.87V.
Similar story for the second runtime – except rock solid output on High for nearly the complete runtime. I measure this at around 1120 lumens, slightly higher than the rating of 1000 lumens. Similar cutoff voltage here, of 2.86V.
Charging
This one also has onboard charging. It’s a USB-C port, but the cable connects via regular USB. A nice test would be a proper USB-C to USB-C cable, to see if that’s faster charging.
Charging proceeds at around 2A – but just under – for most of the charge. It’s an extremely clean charge graph though, and I’ll take this over a faster charge.
User Interface and Operation
The ODL20C has a single button. It’s a side, indicating, e-switch, and has a rounded dome-like shape. I’ve become accustomed to flat buttons, so this one is noteworthy in that regard. The switch is very clicky and moderately loud. It’s a fine clicky, and a great switch.
The user interface is exactly like the ODF30 I just reviewed recently. Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | On (Mode Memory) |
| Off | Hold (~2s) | “Eco” mode (Very low) |
| Off | Long Hold (>4s) | Lockout^ |
| On | Click | Mode Advance (LMH) |
| On | Hold | Off |
| On | Double Click | Turbo |
| Eco | Double Click | Strobe |
| Strobe | Click | Eco |
^ Lockout of course starts in Eco, but doesn’t switch off when lockout has been enabled. Instead, it switches to a slow but bright flashing. The switch is capable of momentary in this setting. To exit lockout, the tailcap must be unscrewed and tightened.
Modes
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 2000 | 2h | 1984 | 7.00 |
| High | 1000 | 2h30m | 1135 | 2.42 |
| Med | 350 | 6h5m | 390 | 0.66 |
| Low | 100 | 22h55m | 114 | 0.15 |
| Eco | 8 | 9d | 3 | 0.00 |
LED and Beam
Lumintop has chosen the Cree XHP35 HI for this light. A very sensible choice for this thrower. The reflector as you can see below, is very smooth.
The beam is very much a spot, with little spill.
Beamshots
These beamshots always have the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure. These photos are taken at floor level, and the beam hits the ceiling around 9 feet away.
Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)
I keep the test flashlight on the left and the BLF-348 reference flashlight on the right.
Random Comparisons and Competitive Options
Here’s a relevantly filtered page on parametrek.com. The competitor to this light is the Manker U21. Same emitter, 26650, and available in NW, it’s a compelling offering. I’m not sure the U21 is still available and doesn’t seem to be driven quite as hard, with only 1300 lumens output.
Conclusion
What I like
- Build quality
- Good charging
- Indicating switch
- Great throw
What I don’t like
- Must unscrew tailcap to exit Lockout
- Not available in NW
- No pouch for carry
Not a negative, but again I’d love to see Lumintop include a cell for the purchase price of this light.
Notes
- This light was provided by Lumintop for review. I was not paid to write this review.
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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Great review!
Thank you, Arno!