The Minimus 300 arrived today.......... Pics below (including package shot with specs.)
Package included the headlamp (with battery), instructions, a red filter and spare velcro with adhesive for the "Breathe-O-Prene" pad.
Here are my initial thoughts after 30 minutes of use:
Fit and build
Fit and build are classic Surefire. Very high quality. Tight tolerances, no blemishes or flaws. Just feels solid. (But is not heavy - 3.3 oz is what the package claims.)
The headlamp rotates smoothly (but is not loose at all) in the enclosure. It definitely takes some pressure - there's no way it would rotate freely on its own. I'm assuming that Surefire also included the screws behind the "Breathe-O-Prene" pad that the previous Minimus had for adjusting how much force is needed to rotate the lamp - but I don't want to peel the velcro off just yet!
The dial for adjusting brightness spins easily and smoothly. It does spin completely freely in either direction - there are no stops. Not sure how I feel about this - it feels a little bit odd to be able to keep rotating the dial once you hit maximum or minimum and have nothing happen. I'm sure I'll adapt, though, once it becomes familiar. (More on this later.)
The button is on the end of the dial that adjusts brightness on the right side. (Actually, lefties could probably just flip the headlamp over to reverse that - the lamp looks symmetrical...) The button is quite firm to depress. It is recessed and takes some pressure to activate it. There's no way to "lock the headlamp" other than loosening the battery compartment, but it would take quite a bit to accidentally activate the headlamp. I'm 50/50 on whether I'd loosen the battery compartment when I cram it in a pack (my intended use for this light) - I wouldn't suspect the light to accidentally activate, but just to be safe I might loosen the battery compartment... You can activate the button with one hand, but you definitely have to reach across the headlamp and apply opposing force against the other side - otherwise the pressure required to activate the button would move the headlamp on your head. My initial feeling on the button is that it seems pretty solid. Only quibble would be that with gloves it might be difficult depress the button. But I'm quibbling.
Strap and headlamp enclosure seem very similar to previous model. It's very comfortable to wear and the "Breathe-O-Prene" pad eliminates "headlamp-forehead."
It's fairly light on the head. As with the previous model, you can wear this comfortably for a long time. Not having a battery on the back is nice for some applications. The lamp doesn't feel top- or forward- heavy.
Knurling on the knob and battery enclosure are very good - not too deep and feel tacky - fingers don't really slip at all. Haven't tried it wet.
Battery compartment threads are nice and deep - spins smoothly.
Overall, 10/10 for fit and build. As I said, classic Surefire - I can't find a flaw in the build.
Operation
As described above, there is a button on the end of the brightness adjustment knob that turns the lamp on or off. Pressing and releasing turns the light off and on. Holding for 4 seconds activates the SOS (blinking) feature.
Once the light is on, rotating the dial adjust brightness up or down. Once you reach the maximum (or minimum) the dial keeps spinning but brightness doesn't increase (decrease.) So clearly digitally controlled. It feels smooth, though, and you have to look hard to see any "jumps" between brightness levels. Turning slowly, however lets you dial in whatever level you want. The levels are spaced fairly close together, so the dial feels pretty sensitive. If I were quibbling I might spread them out just a bit more. But it is really helpful that if you want to rapidly increase/decrease brightness you don't have to rotate the dial too far...
The headlamp has memory so it switches on in the last brightness level you used. I'm curious - and will try to determine - if this causes any parasitic drain... Rotating the brightness adjustment knob while the lamp is off does not adjust brightness. (So this is NOT similar to how the HDS Rotary lights work...)
If you open the battery compartment the memory is cleared and it appears the lamp always switches on at the lowest level. (So in a pinch you can always "reset" to the lowest level by loosening and then tightening the battery compartment.
I mention this because there may be times when you may want the light to come on at a particular brightness level (i.e. to preserve night vision.) You just have to be aware of how this light functions. My preference is that in general I want my light to come on in the lowest setting (again - to preserve night vision and prevent unwanted, full-brightness surprises.) Accordingly, my habit will probably be to always turn the light to the lowest setting before turning off. This will have the added benefit of helping the battery last longer in case of an accidental activation...
On operation I'll give the light an initial 8/10. I really like the rotary knob UI. So much cleaner (IMO) than the multiple clicks or press-and-holds of other systems. Call me a simple guy but this is just easy. The button adds nice functionality. The HDS Rotary UI beats this out by a hair with the ability to adjust brightness while the lamp is off...
Beam
So this was probably my biggest concern over previous versions of the Minimus. As mentioned in a previous post, the earlier versions of the Minimus were plagued with beam artifacts and annoying "prismatic rings."
I am very happy to report that my version of the Minimus 300 exhibits NONE of these artifacts. The optics have been totally redesigned (a previous poster says they look similar to the Maximus.) I spent some time white wall watching and cannot see any LED die artifacts or rings whatsoever. (Whew!!!)
The beam is comfortably floody with no discernible hotspot. It is not "ultra-wide" - it doesn't flood everywhere. As with the previous versions of the lamp, I think this is a very practical all around outdoor use amount of flood. It's clearly not a "thrower" but also therefore does not create as much tunnel vision when using it. You get a good look at your surroundings. I'd feel very comfortable using it around camp and probably even for running. (Although the high-end Petzl headstraps are much better for this application.)
The packaging claims that the light is "warm colored light." I would actually say it's neutral. It is not bluish or green or white at all. However it is not yellowy like my Malkoff M61w. It sits right in between those two, giving a very accurate and pleasing color rendition. I'm very happy with the color...
(It's raining cats and dogs tonight but at some point I'll try to add some beam shots.)
So overall, 10/10. A very clean, practical, all-around beam profile that works for many applications.
Overall impressions
Overall, my initial impressions are very positive - the Minimus is a light I've wanted to like for a long time but I've struggled with the abysmal beam problems of previous versions. This light has none of those problems. The UI has changed a bit from previous versions, but I think in the end the addition of the button and memory feature will prove to be beneficial to many. We'll have to see if there are any parasitic drain issues caused by the memory...
My main use for this light will be hiking/camping/backpacking - since I've consolidated on the CR123 form factor because of other items that are part of my kit (Steripen, ...) I don't need 1,000 lumens on my head for most camping duties and I really like the ability to dial in the exact brightness I want/need. For what I'll be using it for, I'm hoping that I can depend on Surefire's typical durability and dependability (and excellent guarantee...) And I like the fact that I'm supporting a US company and US manufacturing...
YMMV, but I'm pumped: we may have a real winner here!