I finally have the HL20 in my hands (and on my head). I came back to work this morning, and retrieved my HL20 from the mail box, where it had been sitting all weekend. I had considered making the commute to get the headlamp from the office, but sanity prevailed.
The headlamp was a little smaller than I expected (which is a good thing), and was packed in a plastic shell that is as tough as nails. It was difficult to open even with sharp scissors, but my effort was rewarded with a nifty little headlamp. (In hindsight, I should have used a razor knife.)
This is everything that is inside the package. Notice the lack of battery. It is a good thing that I keep a stash of cells in my desk drawer. But what happened to that Energizer lithium cell???
The battery is inserted with the tail into the headlamp. There is reverse polarity protection provided by the plastic nubs on the tailcap. The headlamp was tested at the factory, as evidenced by the circular mark in the battery cap. The alkaline is all that I had on hand at the office. I need to test this light with a lithium primary cell, as that is what I plan on using exclusively. My initial impression of the headlamp is very positive. The battery gives a good perspective on just how small this headlamp really is.
Another shot of the endcap. The polarity protection "nubs" are more visible, as are the contact areas for the positive battery connection to the sleeve inside the plastic body. You can also see the diffuser, and how it attaches to the headlamp. The raised inner rim of the diffuser slides into the gap at the end of the headlamp. The plastic feels very hard, and I get the impression that the diffuser may break at some point when installing, or removing it.
The diffuser in place. The diffused beam still has a noticeable hotspot, but the floodiness is increased considerably. I can see myself using the diffuser often. I would have liked for it to be even more diffused than it is.
The diffuser in the "up" position.
Side view.
A shot of the perfectly focused and centered XP-G LED. The beam is a white wall hunter's dream. To my eyes, the tint is pure white, leaning ever so slightly toward neutral. There is no tint variation in the beam at all. I have not tested the light for throw (against my shed, from standing in the driveway), but will check it out this evening. It did well in the controlled environment of a dark office.
As I said, this is a small headlamp. Obviously not Zebralight small, but considerably smaller than the likes of the Princeton Tec EOS. I can say without hesitation, that the HL20 will be my go-to headlamp, and the (Seoul modded) PT EOS will be getting a lot less love. Will I be selling the EOS now that the HL20 is in town? Well... maybe. :laughing:
The UI takes some getting used to, but is actually starting to grow on me in the short time that I have used it. This UI will eliminate accidental level changes, because you have to
want to change the level to make it happen. The last level memory is good, though I could handle it starting on low, and going up one level with each click. But, this is the UI that Fenix chose for this light, and I can live with it.
What is my overall impression of the HL20? I would have to say that it is a winner. It is comfortable to wear, the beam is excellent and the pivot feels solid. Contrary to earlier posts, I actually like the headband. I do have the headband nearly maxed out for size, though. I am not a fan of the top strap on headlamps, and that is the primary reason that I rarely use my PT APEX.
I am glad that I took a chance on buying this headlamp. If it performs as well as I expect on an Energizer lithium cell, it will make me consider retiring, or selling my EOS. (That is a
huge compliment.) I have owned a lot of headlamps over the past 3+ years, and have not found a suitable replacement for the Seoul modded EOS headlamps. They have always been my go-to headlamp due to their performance and size. IMHO, the Fenix HL20 has the modded EOS beat on both accounts.
Pros:
- Small and lightweight (especially with lithium primary cell).
- Solid feel and good range of tilt. The plastic body is a non-issue IMHO.
- Well regulated, with good runtime from a single cell. With a spare in my pocket, I would go anywhere with this headlamp. But I am not a caver, so I can't comment from that viewpoint.
- Flawless beam, perfectly centered emitter. No artifacts, or rings from the XP-G R2 LED. The tint is excellent on my headlamp. It is a clean white, leaning very slightly toward neutral.
- Excellent throw, nice side spill.
- UI is great for headlamp use. (This took a while for me to like. The switching avoids level jumping.)
Cons:
- Medium and high levels are too close together. There could be a lower medium, or add a 4th level between low and the existing medium.
- Small headband, of average quality. Could use some improvement.
- The included diffuser doesn't work as well as I had hoped. The beam is not diffused enough, and there is some spill of light back into the eyes.
- Diffuser doesn't fit the light as well as I would have expected, and will likely break while in the up position if bumped into anything. I would have preferred that it slip onto the head like the AD401, not clip onto the head. This would allow the diffuser to flip downward onto the battery tube, not upward.
One thing I have noticed is my diffuser seems to stick on something, and doesn't sit flush against the aluminum bezel n the down position. Anyone else have this problem? It's probably just a case of shaving some plastic away in the right spot.
Mine has the same problem. It is one of the items on my con list.
