lampeDépêche
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- May 15, 2012
- Messages
- 1,241
Notes on Petzl e+LITE, 2017 version
Hi Team! This won't be a full review, because I cannot take measurements or show photos. So I will just offer you some impressions and some reactions.
Executive summary: A good refresh of an excellent niche player. Some improvements, one or two steps backwards, but in general it's a solid performer. If you liked the old versions, you will probably like the new version even better.
I have in front of me three eras of e+Lites: the oldest, the middle, and the newest.
Oldest: 3 5mm white LEDs putting out max 13 Lumens; one clear-lensed, focusing red LED.
Fabric headstrap with whistle cincher.
Forehead brace has wire bracket for clipping to shirt-pocket.
Middle: 3 5mm white LEDs putting out max 26 Lumens; one milky-lensed, wide-angle red LED
Zipka-style internal retractible cord to wrap around head, in forehead brace.
No wire bracket on forehead brace.
New: 1 white LED putting out max 50 Lumens, one clear-lensed wide-angle red LED
Fabric headstrap with whistle cincher.
No wire bracket on forehead brace.
All three use the same body, same batteries, same switch arrangement, and same UI. Here I have to say that all of these are excellent. The body is amazingly small. It's the size of a walnut, or if you are my height (190cm) it's the size of the last joint on your thumb. The fabric strap adds more volume, on the old and new styles, and the forehead brace adds more volume on the Middle model (it is thicker to accommodate the spring-reel for the retractable cord). But the whole kit is still ridiculously small. It is shipped with a plastic carrying-case, but I don't find much value in it. Use a ziplock baggy if you are worried about water. The 2032 coin-cells are the size of a quarter, or a 20-cent Euro coin. Toss a few more pairs of cells in and you'll get hundreds more hours of light.
The switch and UI are dead simple, and I have always admired the way that the light has an Easy-Off position where the lever is accessible for quick switching, and a Stowed-Off position where the lever is pressed against the body. (I just made up those labels.) Excellent design. When it's in the Easy-Off position, you can turn it off and on with mittens on your hands. When it is in the Stowed-Off position, you can throw it into a pocket or backpack and never worry about it turning itself on.
One feature that I have often used is still available in the new light: you can run it on a single 2032, instead of the double-2032 that is specified. You get less output, and longer run-times because you are only using one battery at a time. (Probably not double, but a lot more). It's easy to do—just flip the top 2032 upside-down in the compartment. Because of where the contacts are in the battery-compartment, the current will not go through the upper cell, just through the sheet-metal of its positive contact. The negative-contact of the upper cell is not involved, so that cell is not in the circuit. This also means that you can keep both cells in the case, for times when you want to have the higher outputs.
So about the new version:
On balance, I like the head-strap. For longer use, it is much more comfortable than the retractable cord. Not as compact, and not as techy-nifty, it's true. But when I'm using it, I strongly prefer the strap. But here's my suspicion anyhow: Now that Petzl has upgraded the LED, my bet is that they will sell the head-strap version first, and then when sales cool off a bit they will introduce the retractable-cord version later. This is just a guess, of course, and I have no inside knowledge.
On balance, I miss the wire bracket from the earliest version. It took up no room, added minimal weight, and gave lots of good options for mounting the light on a pocket, on a ball-cap brim, and so on. I don't see any advantage to leaving it off. I understand why they could not incorporate it with the retractable reel, but with the move back to the headstrap for the new version, there is no good reason not to have it.
On balance, I think the new LEDs are an improvement. The quality of light from the white LED is *far* superior. Good tint, and very even spread over a wide area—maybe a 100-degree beam. It does not have the throw of the old 5mm LEDs, but it also does not have the ugly artefacts or the horrible blue-ish color.
Some of you are going to miss the the throw of the old 5mms. (It was not a lot throwier—probably not even 500 lux—but it was somewhat throwier than the new bare LED). Here's the thing to remember about this light: it's your back-up light, your reserve, your spare. You are using this because your main headlight failed, or ran out of batteries, or you left it somewhere else. You need to cancel your ambitious plans, and take the conservative route home. Don't treat this light like your front-line light, and you will not be disappointed—and you also will not need throw.
Are you caving, and your main light died? You want wide, even illumination while you get the heck out of the cave. This will give it to you—good thing you dropped it in your pocket.
Did you have a flat tire on your car? You want wide, even illumination while you change it. Good thing you dropped one in your glove-compartment.
Are you an office-drone and the power went out? You want wide, even illumination while you walk down the exit stairs. Good thing you carry one of these in your work-bag.
Are you running a down-hill mountain-bike race and your Lupine Betty died on your handlebars? Then you need hundreds of lumens, and thousands of lux of throw, to continue the race. The Petzl won't replace a Lupine Betty! Don't use this light to ride downhill! Walk your bike home and stay alive for the next race.
Are you skiing at night and have to break trail? Don't use this light to ski at night! Take your skis off, walk to safety, and ski again tomorrow. This light will get you home at a walking pace.
If you remember that the Petzl is your back-up light, not a front-line light, then you will not be disappointed by the (relative) lack of throw.
The main thing about this light is that it is so incredibly tiny, even with the fabric strap, and so light, even with a few spare 2032 cells, that there is no reason *not* to drop it in your pack, or your work bag, or your car's glove-box.
If you know that you will need a headlight, use a different one—a Zebralight, an Armytek, a full-size Petzl, or what have you. But when you didn't plan to need a headlight, or your headlight fails, you will be very happy to have this one tucked away.
(Needless to say, I don't work for Petzl or their distributors, and I bought all of these lights with my own money.)
Hi Team! This won't be a full review, because I cannot take measurements or show photos. So I will just offer you some impressions and some reactions.
Executive summary: A good refresh of an excellent niche player. Some improvements, one or two steps backwards, but in general it's a solid performer. If you liked the old versions, you will probably like the new version even better.
I have in front of me three eras of e+Lites: the oldest, the middle, and the newest.
Oldest: 3 5mm white LEDs putting out max 13 Lumens; one clear-lensed, focusing red LED.
Fabric headstrap with whistle cincher.
Forehead brace has wire bracket for clipping to shirt-pocket.
Middle: 3 5mm white LEDs putting out max 26 Lumens; one milky-lensed, wide-angle red LED
Zipka-style internal retractible cord to wrap around head, in forehead brace.
No wire bracket on forehead brace.
New: 1 white LED putting out max 50 Lumens, one clear-lensed wide-angle red LED
Fabric headstrap with whistle cincher.
No wire bracket on forehead brace.
All three use the same body, same batteries, same switch arrangement, and same UI. Here I have to say that all of these are excellent. The body is amazingly small. It's the size of a walnut, or if you are my height (190cm) it's the size of the last joint on your thumb. The fabric strap adds more volume, on the old and new styles, and the forehead brace adds more volume on the Middle model (it is thicker to accommodate the spring-reel for the retractable cord). But the whole kit is still ridiculously small. It is shipped with a plastic carrying-case, but I don't find much value in it. Use a ziplock baggy if you are worried about water. The 2032 coin-cells are the size of a quarter, or a 20-cent Euro coin. Toss a few more pairs of cells in and you'll get hundreds more hours of light.
The switch and UI are dead simple, and I have always admired the way that the light has an Easy-Off position where the lever is accessible for quick switching, and a Stowed-Off position where the lever is pressed against the body. (I just made up those labels.) Excellent design. When it's in the Easy-Off position, you can turn it off and on with mittens on your hands. When it is in the Stowed-Off position, you can throw it into a pocket or backpack and never worry about it turning itself on.
One feature that I have often used is still available in the new light: you can run it on a single 2032, instead of the double-2032 that is specified. You get less output, and longer run-times because you are only using one battery at a time. (Probably not double, but a lot more). It's easy to do—just flip the top 2032 upside-down in the compartment. Because of where the contacts are in the battery-compartment, the current will not go through the upper cell, just through the sheet-metal of its positive contact. The negative-contact of the upper cell is not involved, so that cell is not in the circuit. This also means that you can keep both cells in the case, for times when you want to have the higher outputs.
So about the new version:
On balance, I like the head-strap. For longer use, it is much more comfortable than the retractable cord. Not as compact, and not as techy-nifty, it's true. But when I'm using it, I strongly prefer the strap. But here's my suspicion anyhow: Now that Petzl has upgraded the LED, my bet is that they will sell the head-strap version first, and then when sales cool off a bit they will introduce the retractable-cord version later. This is just a guess, of course, and I have no inside knowledge.
On balance, I miss the wire bracket from the earliest version. It took up no room, added minimal weight, and gave lots of good options for mounting the light on a pocket, on a ball-cap brim, and so on. I don't see any advantage to leaving it off. I understand why they could not incorporate it with the retractable reel, but with the move back to the headstrap for the new version, there is no good reason not to have it.
On balance, I think the new LEDs are an improvement. The quality of light from the white LED is *far* superior. Good tint, and very even spread over a wide area—maybe a 100-degree beam. It does not have the throw of the old 5mm LEDs, but it also does not have the ugly artefacts or the horrible blue-ish color.
Some of you are going to miss the the throw of the old 5mms. (It was not a lot throwier—probably not even 500 lux—but it was somewhat throwier than the new bare LED). Here's the thing to remember about this light: it's your back-up light, your reserve, your spare. You are using this because your main headlight failed, or ran out of batteries, or you left it somewhere else. You need to cancel your ambitious plans, and take the conservative route home. Don't treat this light like your front-line light, and you will not be disappointed—and you also will not need throw.
Are you caving, and your main light died? You want wide, even illumination while you get the heck out of the cave. This will give it to you—good thing you dropped it in your pocket.
Did you have a flat tire on your car? You want wide, even illumination while you change it. Good thing you dropped one in your glove-compartment.
Are you an office-drone and the power went out? You want wide, even illumination while you walk down the exit stairs. Good thing you carry one of these in your work-bag.
Are you running a down-hill mountain-bike race and your Lupine Betty died on your handlebars? Then you need hundreds of lumens, and thousands of lux of throw, to continue the race. The Petzl won't replace a Lupine Betty! Don't use this light to ride downhill! Walk your bike home and stay alive for the next race.
Are you skiing at night and have to break trail? Don't use this light to ski at night! Take your skis off, walk to safety, and ski again tomorrow. This light will get you home at a walking pace.
If you remember that the Petzl is your back-up light, not a front-line light, then you will not be disappointed by the (relative) lack of throw.
The main thing about this light is that it is so incredibly tiny, even with the fabric strap, and so light, even with a few spare 2032 cells, that there is no reason *not* to drop it in your pack, or your work bag, or your car's glove-box.
If you know that you will need a headlight, use a different one—a Zebralight, an Armytek, a full-size Petzl, or what have you. But when you didn't plan to need a headlight, or your headlight fails, you will be very happy to have this one tucked away.
(Needless to say, I don't work for Petzl or their distributors, and I bought all of these lights with my own money.)
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