Olight OPEN 2 EDC Pen Flashlight Combo Review
The Olight OPEN 2 EDC pen is the second edition pen from Olight, and a refinement of the first. The bolt action pen features a side emitter, and an e-switch. Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Olight OPEN 2 EDC pen product page.
Versions
Just two versions as far as I can tell. Blue (seen here) and black.
Price
The Olight OPEN 2 EDC pen is selling for $59.95 at the moment. You can buy yours at OlightStore.com – that’s my referral link!
Short Review of the Olight OPEN 2 EDC pen
I don’t love bolt action pens, and certainly not ones that have the action so low on the barrel. I will say, however, that the ability to separate the light from the body and have usable [both parts] is pretty clever. This does, however, mean that when used as one, the whole thing is very long. Also, I appreciate USB-C charging, and also that the flashlight part hits the claimed specifications. All in all, it’s a solid effort, just not one I’d buy.
Long Review
The Big Table
| Olight OPEN 2 EDC pen | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Osram P9 (Cool White) (unofficially) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $59.95 at OlightStore.com |
| Cell: | Internal |
| High Runtime Graph | Medium Runtime Graph |
| LVP? | ? |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | All modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 120 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 130 (108.3% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 0.5 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 16 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 17lux @ 2.098m = 75cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 17.3 (108.1% of claim)^ |
| All my Olight 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
- Olight OPEN 2 EDC pen
- Spare refill
- Charge cable (USB to USB-C)
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The build quality here is good, and fairly standard fare for Olight.
The ink comes wax tipped, and sealed.
Olight does sell refills, too. I’m unsure if this is a standard cartridge, or if you’ll have to get refills from Olight. I have a suspicion that this ink is proprietary….
The threads between the flashlight part and the body part are very smooth. They’re’ anodized, and lubed.
The charge port is protected by a seal when the parts are screwed together.
The tip also comes off easily. Same threads but the diameter of the piece is a little narrower than the flashlight half. Removal of the tip is how you’ll swap inks.
Size and Comps
Weight (g / oz) 38 / 1.34
Length (mm / in) 145 / 5.7
Tip Diameter (mm / in) 0.6 / 0.024
Body Diameter (mm / in) 12.7/ 0.5
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll show that here, too (usually the fourth photo).
Like I said, for use as a pen, and when all as one piece, it’s quite large.
Retention and Carry
The pocket clip is the only real means of carry for the Olight OPEN 2 EDC pen. It’s a decent enough clip but features a proprietary removal screw. It’s a bit stiff, and also a bit difficult to get over a pocket – the mouth is quite small.
Note that there does appear to be a slot for tritium in the clip, which is an interesting touch!
Power and Runtime
The Olight OPEN 2 EDC pen is powered by an internal cell, which Olight states as a 110mAh battery.
Here are runtimes for the three higher modes.
Nothing too exceptional, but noteworthy that the specs are in fact hit!
Charging
The OPEN 2 features USB-C charging. The charge port is hidden between the pen halves.
An appropriate cable is included. It’s a very short USB to USB-C cable.
Charging looks good, and does not require a full hour to complete.
While charging, the red LED is lit. When charging is complete, the red indicator goes off. There is no other indication that charging is complete.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 120 | 20m | 130 | ? |
| Medium | 60 | 40m | 72 | ? |
| Low | 20 | 2h | 25 | ? |
| Moon | 5 | 8h | – | ? |
Pulse Width Modulation
There is PWM on every mode. Such PWM, that I had to change my timescale just to show a complete cycle of it. The PWM is so slow you’d think it would be terribly visible but surprisingly it’s not actually. It is visible, but not oppressive. First, the normal timescale:
And now the timescale where you can see a full cycle:
Here you can see a “baseline” – a chart with almost no light hitting the sensor.
Then there’s the Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight, which has some of the worst PWM I’ve seen. It’s so bad that I used a post about it to explain PWM! Here are multiple timescales (10ms, 5ms, 2ms, 1ms, 0.5ms, 0.2ms) to make comparing this “worst” PWM light to the test light easier. That post also explains why I didn’t test the WF-602C at the usual 50us scale.
User Interface and Operation
A single e-switch operates the Olight OPEN 2 EDC pen. It’s in the tail, and is very proud. It prevents tailstanding, too.
Despite looking like a pen clicky, it’s not at all. The pen is completely controlled by the bolt action. This tail switch is only for the flashlight.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | Moon |
| On | Click | Off |
| On | Hold | Mode cycle (LMH) |
| Any | Double Click | High |
| High | Double Click | Previous Mode |
| Off | Hold (>3s) | Lockout |
| Lockout | Click | Red indicator |
| Lockout | Hold | Unlock (to Moon) |
LED and Beam
Though Olight doesn’t state what emitter is used in the OPEN 2 EDC pen, based on other Olights I have I’m fairly confident this is an Osram P9.
There’s a diffusing window, and the output is entirely flood. That red emitter seen below isn’t usable as a red secondary, unfortunately. It only indicates charging, and lockout.
These beamshots are always with 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.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Conclusion
What I like
- Hits specifications for Output
- Also hits specs for throw
- Good combo when used as individual parts
- Build quality is good
- USB-C charging
- Simple user interface and Moon is the default
- The pocket clip has a tritium slot (!!!)
What I don’t like
- Bolt action
- Overall size
- Price
- Pocket clip hard to use
Notes
- This light was provided by Olight for review. I was not paid to write this review.
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
- For flashlight-related patches, stickers, and gear, head over to PhotonPhreaks.com!
- Please use my amazon.com referral link to help support zeroair.org!
