Introduction
Last year, I reviewed the Olight PL-3:
In my review, I disliked a few things about the Olight:
- The two-mode switching always left me wondering whether I was in “high” or “low” mode.
- Even when I verified high mode, the light output dropped so quickly that I had a hard time figuring out if it was in high mode visually
- Side switches aren’t great
- Olight removed the convenient throw lever in favor of a screw mount
- Typical current Olight products use their magnetic rechargeable system, which this light uses 2x CR123A batteries.
However, I did like the sliding rail key system for mounting. It does away with having to fiddle around and change keys to fit it on any particular pistol.
I went back and forth with Olight on this review quite a bit. They even asked me to retest with their batteries, and I did. However, the results still weren’t great. After I posted the review, they asked me to remove it. To date, I think my review of the Olight PL-3 is the most viewed YouTube content on that light.
Fast forward to April 2023. I didn’t know a new light was coming out. Typically, Olight marketing gets a hold of me to get an early sample for holster design, and we will often review the light as well. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear from Olight for this product launch. Perhaps Olight has put us on their “naughty” list for our no-so-glowing review.
Perhaps Olight has put us on their “naughty” list for our no-so-glowing review.
I bought the PL-3R and fit it up for testing. It looks like Olight addressed a couple of the criticisms I had:
- The light “remembers” the previously set high / low mode. No more guessing which mode it is in!
- Olight added wireless charging
Ok, let’s see how well the light does in testing.
Olight PL-3R Valkyrie Specs
Here are the specs, as compared to the previously-tested PL-3.
| Manufacturer Specifications | Olight PL-3R Valkyrie | Olight PL-3 Valkrie (Previous Version) |
|---|---|---|
| Lumens | 1,500 | 1,300 |
| Runtime | 1.5+82+43 minutes | 1.5 + 82 + 43 minutes |
| Candela | 10,200 | 12,500 |
| Color Temp | Not specified | Not specified |
| Price | $99.99 | $79.99 |
The new version is a little more expensive, but is supposed to have more output. Let’s see…
Lab: Lumens
This data allows me to calculate lumen output as follows:
| Lumens | Olight PL-3R | Olight PL-3 Valkyrie (Previous Version) Brown Run 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Max Lumens | 1774 | 1348 |
| ANSI / PLATO Lumens | 1385 | 900 |
Nicely done — Olight exceeded advertised specs on this version — even using FL-1 standards.
Lab: Runtime
I can also calculate runtime to 10% of advertised lumen rating, and to 10 lumens as follows:
| Runtime | Olight PL-3R | Olight PL-3 |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime to 10% of Lumen Rating | 0:47:25 | 2:29:11 |
| Runtime to 10lm | 0:47:25 | 2:31:03 |
The PL-3R sample that I tested turned off at just over 47 minutes, giving us the same runtime no matter how I measure it. The PL-3 previously tested lasted longer and did take some time (almost 2 minutes) to die out. I don’t think either runtime is an issue for most tactical light situations., but it is good to know. If your situation requires you to depend upon the light running for an hour, then the PL-3R probably isn’t for you.
Lab: Candela
My first run of candela testing netted a lackluster 2,060 initial candela dropping to 2035 at 30 seconds. Hmmm… I think the light must have somehow gone into low mode. Let me try again.
Second run came back better:
| Candela | Time Zero (Instant) | After 30 Seconds Runtime |
|---|---|---|
| Olight PL-3R Valkyrie | 10690 | 10540 |
The light has a reasonably strong hotspot. It’s not blazing strong like the Surefire X-300 Turbo, but it’s strong enough for indoor and short distance use.
Lab: CRI, Color Temperature
Here is the data I have on light quality.
First, the CRI chart:
For a weapon light, CRI of 72.5 is actually pretty good. We can also see that color temperature is 5549k, also pretty good.
I’m going to start including TM-30 data as it shows the ways in which a light is not particularly true to color. The way to read this chart is that the circle is the reference — perfect color. The arrows show the difference between how a color -should- look and the way it actually looks with the light. If the measured color has higher saturation, the result will be outside the circle. If less saturation, then it will be inside the circle. Finally, the arrow indicates how much the color shifts from how it should appear to how it actually appears.
This oval look is pretty consistent with what I see from weapon lights. Studio grade lighting would be very close to the circle.
Finally, let’s see where the 5549k color temperature falls on the scale:
Again, this is reasonably good for a weapon light.
Beam Shots
I think it appropriate to compare the PL-3R to one of the most well known and loved lights, the Streamlight TLR-1HL.
You might be wondering if something is off with these two pictures. We did, so we retook them on another day, and got the same results. Yes, the Olight is that much dimmer than the Streamlight. The photographer said he could barely see my face with his eyes when using the Olight, and that’s reflected in the picture above. From my end, the Olight was noticeably less strong as well.
Holster Selection
This light shares the same external dimensions as the PL-3. Unfortunately, holster support for the PL-3 (and now, PL-3R) is not common. Werkz now has holsters for these lights with Glock pistols, but we don’t currently have plans for additional support. Let me know if you’re needing other pistol support in the comment section below.
Conclusion
I appreciate this update to the PL-3. The light provides over 650 lumens for the first half hour of use, and light quality is good. I very much appreciate the fact the light remembers previously set “high” or “low” settings. I cannot imagine ever using low mode, but at least I can mostly ignore now. The side switches are not my favorite, and limited holster support will be problematic for people who wish to carry this light.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Produces over 650 lumens for over 30 minutes 10,000 candela Good light quality Addition of magnetic charging Light remembers when you set it on “high” mode | Side switches are not as ergonomic as downward-press switches Missing an Olight staple: the throw lever mount Limited holster selection |
