Right up the front, the Olight M30 Triton has a removable stainless steel crenellated bezel up the front which both protects the head and also works as a defensive tool. This bezel is easily unscrewed by hand if you wish to use the M30 without it. Behind the bezel sits an AR-coated anti-shattering glass lens which is very, the AR coating is very well done and when compared to regular glass you will clearly see the difference. Sitting behind he lens is a medium textured aluminum reflector with a well-aligned LED sitting at the bottom. The exterior of the head has a band of squares towards the front end and a series of fins towards the rear which serve as heat sinks. The M30 comes with a beam diffuser which slips on the front end, it is made of rubber which fits snugly and does not require any screwing to attach it.

The battery tube of the M30 is mostly covered in a bold, checkered texture with two flat faces where branding is printed on. It provides good grip, yet not as rough as diamond-textured knurling. There's a removable clip which allows the M30 to be carried head down if you decide not to use the included holster. The clip is held in place securely by a retailing ring and is removable is desired. It also sits in a notch on the battery tube which prevents it from sliding and rotating around the battery tube. The holster has a very minimal design but serves it's purpose well. It looks a lot like the holster used to carry batons and has button snap straps. A battery magazine is also included for use with 3x CR123 cells to prevent them from rattling inside the battery tube. Threads on either end of the battery tube are smooth and well-cut, no problems here. There are also two rubber o-rings placed on each end providing better seal over the usual one. The M30 comes with an extension tube which allows the M20 to run on 2x 18650 cells. The tail cap has shallow scallops machined around the end and a hole for lanyard attachments. The rubber switch cap sits recessed within the tail cap which allows the M30 to tail stand without problems. Inside the tail cap are two switching mechanism which control output and mode selection. The main rear switch is a forward push button which allows for momentary activation. It has average travel and tension with positive clicking feedback. The side-mounted switch is more of a toggle switch and has almost no travel, though is has average tension as well so you won't accidentally click it if you decide to hold the M30 is a cigar-style grip.

If you're unfamiliar with any of the terms used in this review, click here for explanations on common flashlight related vocabulary.

The M30 is advertised to output a maximum of 700 lumens and has four output modes in the following order:

Off > Low > Medium > High > Strobe

As mentioned earlier, the M30 employs a two-button user interface. The main switch on the rear end provides activation of the constant illumination modes. With it engaged, the modes will cycle as shown above by clicking on the side-mounted toggle switch. When in Off position, pressing this side-mounted switch activates the Strobe mode directly. The M30 has a memory feature so every time you switch it on, it will be on the previously used mode. The lower brightness level are achieved my means of PWM, the frequency of which causes noticeable flickering effect when the light is waved around. There is also a subtle buzzing sound made by the electronics in the head as a result of this PWM.

The beam profile provided by the M30 is mostly clean with no artifacts, although there is a slight darker area just around the hotspot. The medium sized hotspot has a soft corona, and the spill beam provides adequate peripheral illumination. With the beam diffuser attached, the M30 produces a very smooth area illumination which lights up a larger area very evenly. The runtime provided is rather disappointing and there is almost no sign of regulation on High mode, and it's even worse when running on the 2x 18650 configuration as the output fluctuates considerably. On medium mode the output is maintained much more consistently with either battery configurations, although runtime is still pretty short. Due to the PWM, control shots were only taken for High mode since the Medium and Low mode can't be accurately represented.

[Update: June 06, 2009]
The initial review sample had some issues when running on High in 2x 18650 cell configuration. The second sample tested produced a more consistent and smoother runtime curve, and also no longer produced the buzzing sound on any level.

The Good - Excellent build quality and finishing. Two button interface for mode switching works well. Beam diffuser and holster are well designed and can be quite useful, all house in a convenient carrying case.

The Bad - Runtime and regulation is below average.

The Relative - Beam profile is mostly smooth and has a slightly cool color temperature. Forward push button allows for momentary activation. Is able to tail stand.

Beam diffuser (front view).

Head (front view).

Body (side view).

Battery tube (rear view).

Extension tube (front view).

Extension tube (side view).

Extension tube (rear view).

Tail cap (front view).

Tail cap (side view).

Tail cap (rear view).

11620 Lux

1260 Lux