Any Experience with the Surefire Headlamps?

[Gray Ghost]

I hope I am posting this in the right forum. I hit the woods for deer season yesterday, and an hour before sunrise determined that both my primary and backup headlamps were not functioning adequately. I pulled the Surefire EDCL1-T from my pocket and carried on, but I think I need a better headlamp. It looks like Surefire offers two: The Minimus, which has a max output of 300 lumens and runs on CR123 batteries, and the Maximus, which is rechargeable and has a max output of 1000 lumens.

I don't really like rechargeable stuff, as it is a hassle to keep up with if you don't use it every day. That said, I also like all the lumens, and 300 seems a bit marginal.

Does anyone have experience with either model? Are they worth the coin?

Maximus:


Minimus:

[ST911]

No negative input on the SF headlamps.

I use a lot of the Black Diamonds: https://www.blackdiamondequipment.co...s-and-lanterns. Lightweight, functional, spot/flood/output/red/lockout options, inexpensive enough to have a bunch. I stash them everywhere and rotate batteries. Check out the 2018 or 2019 Storm. For me, ~300 on a headlamp is plenty for the woods (work or fun), as I'm mostly using larger landmarks, avoiding ground hazards, or working with something at or near my feet. I found a better quality flood to be more useful than a brighter spot. In snow, 300 is even better.

[DocGKR]

I have had a Minimus since they first came out--best headlamp I have ever used. Fantastic for multiple uses, including austere medicine.

[Clusterfrack]

I have a couple of the SF Minimus and they are excellent. I’ve even been able to squeeze out a little more lumens by using a IMR 16340 rechargeable.

[Jeff S.]

I had a Surefire Minimus Vision. The tint and UI were absolutely great. High CRI is really, really nice for work in the woods (camping, hiking, hunting, etc). I’m bummed they discontinued the Vision version of their lights.

Maybe I had an early version or a bad sample, but, while I loved the UI and tint, the beam was unbearable. Artifacts and prisms in the beam galore. I had a prism from the lens run right across the bridge of my nose, which made the light unbearable to use.

I switched to Zebralights because they have so many high CRI and battery offerings. Zebralight headlamps will be smaller and lighter than Surefire headlamps, will have more options, and will cost half as much, but Surefire will have the better (more simple) UI and will be more reliable.

~Two cents

[LittleLebowski]

I had a Surefire Minimus Vision. The tint and UI were absolutely great. High CRI is really, really nice for work in the woods (camping, hiking, hunting, etc). I’m bummed they discontinued the Vision version of their lights.

Maybe I had an early version or a bad sample, but, while I loved the UI and tint, the beam was unbearable. Artifacts and prisms in the beam galore. I had a prism from the lens run right across the bridge of my nose, which made the light unbearable to use.

I switched to Zebralights because they have so many high CRI and battery offerings. Zebralight headlamps will be smaller and lighter than Surefire headlamps, will have more options, and will cost half as much, but Surefire will have the better (more simple) UI and will be more reliable.

~Two cents

I’m intrigued by the Zebralights.

[Caballoflaco]

No negative input on the SF headlamps.

I use a lot of the Black Diamonds: https://www.blackdiamondequipment.co...s-and-lanterns. Lightweight, functional, spot/flood/output/red/lockout options, inexpensive enough to have a bunch. I stash them everywhere and rotate batteries. Check out the 2018 or 2019 Storm. For me, ~300 on a headlamp is plenty for the woods (work or fun), as I'm mostly using larger landmarks, avoiding ground hazards, or working with something at or near my feet. I found a better quality flood to be more useful than a brighter spot. In snow, 300 is even better.

The light quality on the Black Diamond headlamp I have is nice, but the single switch ”switchology” for changing modes/output gives me the angries (press and hold, no quick press, press again argghhh!)

[Super77]

I’m intrigued by the Zebralights.

This is the one to get: H503c LH351D 4000K Neutral White High CRI Flood

http://www.zebralight.com/H503c-AA-L...amp_p_238.html

[paperman]

Not sure how you feel about Fenix but I like that their hl50 headlamp can use cr123 and aa batteries

https://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-hl50-led-headlamp/


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[secondstoryguy]

I just bough the SF Minimus to replace my Black Diamond and Petzl headlamps. While I could do without the size and price of the Minimus the overall simplicity of the controls, durability and the ease of battery change on the minimus make it worth it for me. I also now only carry 123s for all my lights which makes it more practical. Overall I really like my Minimus.

Don't get me wrong, both Black Diamond and Petzl make a good light, I just grow weary of the pain in the ass multi click programming, trying to figure out which way the AAA batts go in and the things being dead from the button being depressed in my bag/pack.