WANTED: Cree LED bulb regulated headlamp

Has anyone yet seen a headlamp with a REGULATED CREE bulb?

Since the CREE bulbs are brighter than Luxeon bulbs & use less power I've been waiting for a good company like Princeton Tec to make one with regulated circuitry (to keep the brightness steady over most of the battery life). Ideally it would have at least 3 brightness levels plus a flashing mode.

Seems proper regulated circuitry is beyond those Frenchies that make Petzl so maybe Black Diamond or Brunton could also make one as well.

I have a small Coleman pop-up Cree LED lantern for home and car camping use. It's VERY bright for its size. Coleman comes up with fairly well thought out stuff.

Eric

“Has anyone yet seen a headlamp with a REGULATED CREE bulb?”

These guys fit your request: http://www.zebralight.com/ but my wife won’t let me buy one <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> She says we have too many headlamps as it is <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
So I have just been using the Fenix L1D (1AA rechargeable battery) with its regulated cree bulb. I clip it to my hat bill when backpacking and also clip to my bike for day/night rides.



-Barry

I have a Zebralight H-50 Q5 and I must say it's the best headlamp I've ever owned by far. Output, cell life and build quality are all outstanding. The basic design is outside the box and I like that.

The only possible downside is the beam pattern. There are no optics (other than the L.E.D. itself) so the throw is not fantastic. I would not use it for running at night. But it does put out a diffused wall of light that will illuminate your entire campsite.

And it's more than a headlamp. It can be attached to a belt or sternum strap with the (included) clip if you want your light a little lower.

Yes, it's not cheap but IMO it's worth every cent.

Did I mention that I like this light? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Trailrunner,

What's the difference between the P4 and the Q5 (other than price)? I didn't find much info on the zebra website.

L.E.D.'s are binned according to, among other things, brightness. A "Q" bin is the natural evolution from a "P" bin. Check the Cree chart below:



As you can see a Q5 is about 26 lumens brighter than a P4. But from what I have read the difference to the naked eye is not as much as the numbers may indicate.

The first R2 binned lights came out a few months ago. If you're not in a hurry just wait and I'm sure Zebralight will follow suit.

Princeton Tec will be releasing the "new" EOS sometime in June that will have the new Luxion Rebel 80 Lumen LED. In all of their tests, they have had the best consistency and light quality out of the Rebel than any other they've tested to date (including the Cree).

The new EOS will be as bright as the current Apex (65+ Lumens), but will not drain anymore battery power than the LED their currently running in it. The EOS is already voltage regulated and completely waterproof. The price will also be the same ($39.95).

The Apex and Apex Pro will also receive and upgrade to the 100 Lumen Rebel LED. This will increase light ouput significantly. Again, it will be available in June sometime.

I find that surprising since many flashlight manufacturers have been steering away from Lumileds/Luxeon products toward Cree products lately.
Surefire, one of the most respected manufacturers of flashlights in the world and supplier to the U.S. military has chosen to use Crees.

What exactly does PT mean by "light quality"? Tint? Brightness? Efficiency? Lack of artifacts or rings? It's hard to make a valid comparison without being specific because there are many versions of both the Rebel and the Cree. Which Cree was the Rebel 80 compared to? Were the tests done with or without optics? In the real world, what comes out of the business end of most LED headlights is a combination of emitter and optics, not just the bare emitter.

Indeed, the Rebel has had its teething pains including a recall

I would never choose any light by virtue of its LED "light quality" alone. Optics, housing and circuitry must also be considered.

Trailrunner:

All great questions and ones that I need to delve deeper into. I'm relaying the info given to me by my sales manager at PTEC. I do remember asking him why they aren't using Crees and what he told me is what I posted.

I've seen the new EOS recently and have been amazed by the amount of light it emits. However, I don't know how the new Rebels compare to the similar Cree LED. I will let you know as soon as I hear anything.

Thanks guys,

This info is VERY good. Guess I'll check out a Zebra headlamp in person if I can find one. I wonder if it's that much brighter than my PT Quad.

The "bulb wars"ontinues.

Eric

I have both and believe me, the Zebralight blows away the Quad even on medium. On high it's no contest.

I'm curious: "EOS" and "Rebel" -- aren't those Canon's proprietary terms? Are they the ones behind these lights or what?

Jason,

Yeah, I asked this before but wanted any new info if it was out there - and it WAS with your info on the new P.T. EOS. Thanks a lot for this update. I'll be looking for it. Interesting that the Luxeon is rated better than the CREE bulb. I've read the opposite but "There's 'facts' and there's real facts.". I think P.T. would use the best bulb they could get.

Eric

I second the Zebralight. I also had the Quad prior to the zebra and agree with the above statement.


just imagine a huge spill/wall of light as opposed to a focused area. in a medium sized room, say 20x20, the zebralight lights it all up evenly.

if you need more convincing, go to candlepowerforums.com