Black Diamond Spot Headlamp - 2010

Comments about Black Diamond Spot Headlamp:

I love this Headlamp! I was lucky to find 1 at my local REI..For the price this headlamp is awesome! You cant beat it! Ive compared and ended up with this new Spot for 2011. I would definatley recommend buying one. It has features that meet every part of what I do when Im on an Adventure.

Comments about Black Diamond Spot Headlamp:

First off I'll list my past headlamp experience so people know where I'm coming from:
-Petzl Tikka
-Princeton Tec Aurora (2)
-Princeton Tec APEX
-Princeton Tec EOS
-Princeton Tec Switchback 2 (bike light)

When purchasing, I was looking for a small headlamp that had the power to throw light a good distance when needed, but also not blind everyone when rummaging around at campsite. The Spot is brighter than my EOS, but 'slightly' wider with wider secondary halo too. I'd say EOS can illuminate a 'far' point object ever so slightly better with it's narrower beam (despite being 5 lumen less), but the Spot is more flexible and I prefer the lower settings for close/normal use. APEX is brighter than all with nicer beam, but overkill for what i need these days. The Spot's dim feature is incredibly useful as are the Red LED's (non-dimming) which was a major selling point for me. It has a firm ratcheting tilt to adjust mount angle. Battery indicator is useful, but I honestly don't look at it much. Power lock is nice if you tend to accidentally turn your light on when packed (I've never encountered this need, but it's nice to have so you don't drain batteries unexpectedly). Non regulated isn't that big of a deal for me (most in this size/price point aren't either) since I've always been disappointed with regulated times at higher outputs. Since I like to use one lamp for all activities (kayaking/hiking) I value water resistance. I'd have given it a 5 star if it was IPX 7, but regardless, the Spot is my new go to lamp for the dark.

Comments about Black Diamond Spot Headlamp:

This is without a doubt, my favorite headlamp. i have the old version of the spot, and everything that one doesn't have, this one does. black diamond added the red led bulbs, and a battery meter that has 3 colors (each indicating a different amount of battery life), and a locking postition (which is indicated in a 4th color). Not to mention, it is 15 lumens brighter than its predecessor. Also, it is very easy to access the battery port, unlike most headlamps, where u need a screw driver to pry it open. Also, the dimmer on this headlamp is amazing! it allows you to dim the headlamp at any brightness you want, in between the high and low settings. Most headlamps only have 3 brightness settings, which is a disadvantage.

Comments about Black Diamond Spot Headlamp:

I decided to do a side by side comparison between Tikka Plus 2 and Black Diamond Spot headlamps. First, I used a set of brand new batteries,Rayovac, in both headlamps as I also wanted to test how good these batteries were. I let them run until they were completely drained out and recorded their time.

Ergonomics: I liked the Tikka better as it actually had a real handle and a hinge for opening and closing the battery compartment. The plastic on BD felt a bit cheaper but I thought they were of equal quality. To me, Tikka looked nicer with its smooth curves and edges over BD Spot.

Illumination: BD was very bright but it had an ugly dark spot/shadow in the middle of the circle and its color was yellowish. Tikka was definitely more white and its illumination was very smooth and even. I also noticed that when the battery was low, Tikka's outer circle was actually bigger than BD. Since these headlamps are non-regulated, their brightness levels go down as the batteries drain out. The red LED on the Tikka was bright and I liked the red strobe as it could be used as a safety signal in urban area (like cycling). Unfortunately, The red LED on BD was pretty much useless because it was so weak that you could barely see it even at full power. Worse still, at very low power, the red LED on BD was completely gone while that on the Tikka was still fully functional.

Button operation: I was disappointed at how awkward the BD button operation was when switching between different lights. When I turned off the main LED and turned it on again, it went into the small LED light not the main LED, Why BD? So I had to press it again in order to go back to the main LED. That didn't make sense to me and it was rather inconvenient. Also, to get to the red LED light on BD you had to cycle pass the small LED light and then pressed it for a brief seconds to activate the red LED. Tikka's operation was excellent. When I turned off the main LED and back again, I was back to the main LED, not the small LED. To activate the red LED light, I just pressed the button for a brief seconds and the red LED would come on (without having to cycle pass anything else).

Low battery indicator light: Tikka's low battery indicator light was very pleasing as it flashed at a slower pace, like every 2.5 seconds or so, so it didn't bother my eyes. BD however was blinking so fast that it became annoying.

Lock indicator: This function was nice if it was easy to use. Tikka didn't have this function but BD did. Unfortunately, I needed to cycle it pass the different steps to get to this function so it was a pain.

Battery run time: I tested both and Tikka lasted about 73 hrs while BD lasted 83 hrs or so. I found that when the battery was below 50%, lets say 30%, they became so weak that their illuminations didn't do much anymore. They were still on but not bright enough to see much to be useful.

If you are looking for a bright light, BD is very bright at 75 lumens. But considering the more user friendly and well thought out design of the Tikka, Im keeping the Tikka. I think there are better headlamps than BD Spot if you look around.

Comments about Black Diamond Spot Headlamp:

This is a great light. No other light on the market has 75 Lumens at this price. You also get the battery light indicator and the red light. I love the way it looks. Good job BD.

Comments about Black Diamond Spot Headlamp:

I purchased this headlamp about a year ago after working with several other brands over a five year period. Though I was somewhat satisfied with one of them, I knew I was missing out on something. After my first trip with the Black Diamond Headlamp, I found that missing feature to be (mainly) a reliable, bright beam! After side-by-side comparisons – including reviews of many headlamps, I was eager to give this thing a try. I wasn't the least bit let down!

The best comparison I can think of in regards to the brightest headlamp I had used prior to this one is this:
On the night of a full-moon on a mountain plateau where I often camp, I used to marvel at the brightness of the moon, especially during the winter, by noting that "It was so bright that I couldn't even see the beam from my headlamp on the ground in front of me!" Well, not to ever take anything away from the brightness and beauty of, say, an October full-moon, unimpeded by any unnatural light whatsoever up there, on its high-light setting, my Black Diamond headlamp punched a hole right through it! As cool as I thought it was to have a full-moon brighter than my headlamp, in reality, navigating the desert backcountry landscape, carpeted with loose rock and cactus in the dark of night in search of firewood without proper lighting, is quite dangerous! This light removed that dangerous threat.

The use of the low-light mode is perfect for doing most things in or around your campsite, including cooking, eating, reading, et al. In fact, you should only need the high beam when outside of your camping area or for example, for illuminating an area outside your campsite b/c of an unidentified sound (for example).

Maneuvering through this headlamp's different lighting options is as simple and effortless as one could wish for. And after just weathering a severe-warned thunderstorm two nights ago in the desert, crouched down in as low a profile as I could make myself, I can attest to this light's reliability in very wet conditions, as well.

In closing, whereas I get the most use out of this light in the backcountry of the Arizona desert, it also comes in very handy when daylight disappears while in the middle of cooking burgers on the grill, or when I need an excellent source of light while working under the hood of my car.

In its brightest mode, it will fulfill most of your lighting needs, but try to stick with the low-light mode. The high-light mode is HARD on batteries. On a multi-night trip, I would definitely carry an extra set of batteries. You won't need them if you follow my advice, but it's good to have them just in case. Rechargeable batteries are your best bet.

Comments about Black Diamond Spot Headlamp:

BD has done a great job to improve an already excellent product. Power indicator, lock out mode and red LEDs are great additions. New design reduces light in eye when wearing the headlamp. All things I wished for with my old Spot. Improved control for dimming. Compact. Clean lines. Excellent versatility for trail or at camp. One wish/suggestion for the next version, that the red LEDs we the same size/lumens as the whites. Good for in-hand objects, not quite enough for anything further. Still 5 stars. Overall, love the light. Nice job BD.

Comments about Black Diamond Spot Headlamp:

First, I love this headlamp. The design of the main beam pattern is excellent. It always seems to be just exactly the pattern I want in every situation, meaning the spot in the center and the amount of spill on the sides always seems to fit what my eyes want for usability. Whoever designed the main beam pattern USED this light. Read below for comments on the secondary light characteristics. Be aware, since this light is not regulated, that after a few hours the light is throwing around half of what it does initially on fresh batteries. One way I found to mitigate this is to use rechargables, which have a flatter discharge curve and make the light act a little like a regulated light. The real gripe I have is the hinge. It is definately weaker than the Tikka XP hinge, and has less adjustment positions. In practical use, I have not found the adjustment positions to be much an issue. Occasionally, though, I find myself wishing it had more, like the Tikka XP. The hinge did break on the Spot, and that with very mild use, no bumps, no falls. REI replaced it with a second gen, which has the same hinge, so I expect it will fail again as we are going to go on more and longer backpacks this year. I hate the secondary beam color. The main beam is a very good white, but the secondary light is a bluish/ultraviolet color that bugs me every time I use it. I use it for proximity and reading, and I do not like the color for reading. It ends up hurting my eyes after a half hour, and I do not like the color for walking at night. I much prefer the whiter color of the Tikka XP, that uses the same bulb for far and proximity. Three other people I know personally that have also used the Spot extensively think I am crazy, so the color may not be an issue for many people. I have used the second generation model for a year now, and the first gerneration for a year before that. This new one is the third generation, but I feel my comments are relevant because the design is very similar, especially the hinge, just the light is brighter now.

Comments about Black Diamond Spot Headlamp:

We live in the center of a San Juan Island amidst the trees and away from any artificial lighting. We need good headlamps all winter long just to walk around the land and make it out to our cars. The Black Diamond Spot is exceptionally bright, with variable dimming, and offering two lower power white light diodes and a two diode red light night-vision functionality. All for right around $40. Another great Black Diamond product. Very very pleased.

Comments about Black Diamond Spot Headlamp:

This is my third light owned, and by far the best.

The last light I had was a Princeton Tec with red light function. It had a red lens that rotated in place over the main light and the red eventually wore off.

For those who have not used red light, I have to say it's absolutely indispensable for in-tent use, for not waking/blinding your tent-mates. Give it a try.

Lights - Fantastic versatility.
- The spot is as bright as some of my backup diving lights.
- The secondary, dual white LEDs are a nice flood light. I will probably use this mode most of the time as it's plenty bright and I try to avoid being invasive with my lights at camp sites.
- The dual reds are fantastic for night use, as mentioned above. Awesome, when you power down in red mode, it will power back up in red mode. Once I enter the tent at night, I'll put into red mode and leave it, so subsequent toilet breaks during the night will be in stealth mode, not waking my family (due to light, anyway).

Adjustability and ease of use
Before the light arrived, I was apprehensive that all that functionality would be hard to put into practice. I was very happy for those fears to be unfounded. The system is very easy to use and all three modes and infinite adjustment of brightness to each of the two white modes are intuitive in use.

Lock and battery check are useful and easy as well.

Access to batteries is excellent.

A great light
My wish list for improvements:
- More water resistance. Would be great to have an o-ring on the battery sealing surface.
- I worry about the hinge latch for angle adjustment. None of ours has broken, but it seems like a potential Achilles heel to an otherwise sturdy unit.