# SureFire Saint review



## carrot (Mar 30, 2010)

For submission to the reviews forum. 

Now with over 1500 words!

Please view the original at my website, which includes loads of excellent photos.
Gearcarrot.com SureFire Saint Review

Included for Your convenience is an unabridged, but picture-less review.

***

The SureFire Saint is a phenomenal headlamp. It is SureFire's first foray into the headlamp market, and it does not disappoint.







The SureFire Saint is extremely well-designed, every facet elaborately engineered and carefully thought-out, to create one of the finest examples of SureFire's dominance in high-end illumination tools. Over the decades, the SureFire brand has come to be universally recognized as a guarantee of excellence, reliability, and high quality, and the Saint comes from this proud lineage.

In this review, I have tested the full-size SureFire Saint. The Saint Minimus is another configuration that comes without the battery pack, using a single CR123A and is much lighter and more compact. I did not test the SureFire Saint extensively in Minimus mode, but much of this review still applies.



The SureFire Saint is a serious headlamp. It is constructed out of hard anodized aluminum and Surefire's proprietary fiberglass-reinforced nylon polymer with the result of a headlamp that feels as tough and indestructible as SureFire's other lights. SureFire rates the output at 100 lumens for 6.5 hours, 10 lumens for 48 hours, and 1 lumen for a whopping 144 hours when using the battery pack with 3 CR123A's. Runtime is considerably shorter when using a single CR123A but it remains as bright.

One interesting note is that in Minimus mode, the Saint can be used upside-down equally well for a left-handed user, but as the full-sized Saint it cannot be used upside-down due to the battery pack.



After properly adjusting the straps, when you put it on, one of the first things you notice is just how comfortable it is. Despite the added weight of the battery pack, the headlamp sits comfortably balanced on your head, with the third strap helping to redistribute the weight. Soft neoprene strips cover the backsides of the battery pack and the lamp, and a small cutout in the back of the battery pack means it doesn't press against the pointy bone at the back of your skull. The straps use flat metal adjustment loops, which SureFire advertises as being more comfortable than the standard plastic adjustment loop. I am not convinced that it is more comfortable (although I could not feel it against my head), but if nothing else it is a nice touch that should be a stronger, more durable and more reliable alternative to the standard plastic, which is prone to becoming brittle and cracking, especially in cold weather. It would suck pretty hard to have to hold up a headlamp when its main purpose is hands-free illumination.

Also of note is that the SureFire logo is everywhere on this headlamp when in the full-size Saint mode, making you a walking billboard for SureFire. If you are a die-hard SureFire fan like me, then you will love this, otherwise it may be a minor annoyance.



SureFire chose to use a straight cable instead of a coiled one on the Saint to minimize tangles and for better durability. The cable housing appears to be quite thick and tough, which should eliminate issues of kinks or poor connection due to wire degradation. SureFire has a complicated "cable management system" to accommodate different head sizes and helmet setups that works very well, although it seems like overkill. I initially had concerns that the cable would get snagged on something or that the snaps would be irritating on my head but in the dozen or so hours I have been testing the Saint I have encountered neither issues.



Unlike the competition, the Saint uses a knob to control the light, much like the volume knob on a stereo. Turn the knob clockwise, and the output raises. If you keep turning until it stops, you have 100 lumens. Turn the knob counter-clockwise, and the light output dims. Somewhere in the middle of turning the knob you can feel a light detent, which SureFire has wisely placed at a comfortable level for general use, about 10 lumens. All the way counter-clockwise is another detent, signifying that the light is completely off. The knob has a very good, high quality feel to it, extremely smooth with a firm action, as expected from SureFire. It has machined grooves that assist with grip and can be comfortably used with gloves.

This user interface (UI) is extremely intuitive and superior by far to anything competitors use, as most competitors use one button, at most two, to control the output and the user must cycle through several unwanted light output levels to get where they want.

One option that would be nice to have is a turbo mode, activated by a momentary button, as some Petzl headlamps have. However, in practice I have not found it necessary, as it is easy enough to spin the dial to quickly check something out. Another nice option to have would be to have a lower low output level, as 1 lumen is still too bright for reading with night-adapted vision.

The Saint can also be tilted vertically 180º, which allows the user to aim the light however he wants, as well as turning the lens of the headlamp into its holder to protect the lens from scratching in storage, which is some kind of optically clear plastic.

Speaking of the lens, many early adopters of the Saint complained of strange artifacts in the beam such as rings and a distinct image of the LED die. In my personal sample of one, and my brief usage of a friend's Minimus, there are no rings and only extremely minor artifacts that are completely invisible in normal usage. I could only discern the faint artifacts when using the Saint on a white wall, which suggests that any lens issues have been solved in the current production models.

In any case, the Saint creates a beautiful rectangular flood, softly tapering off on the sides, providing excellent lighting within my field of view. Unfortunately some headlamps have tight beams instead of soft floods, which cause tunnel vision that can be disorienting or hard to navigate by.

For those of you who wear glasses, you will be happy to note that I wore glasses during most of my testing and did not get the backscatter that some popular headlamps have where the light reflects off the glasses lenses and into your eyes.



The Saint battery pack is also very elegantly designed. There are two flip locks that ensure the battery pack is secured, but are also easy enough to manipulate with gloves. SureFire realized that their target market for the headlamp may choose to bring the headlamp on adventures where CR123A's can be hard to find, and so made this the first SureFire designed to use AA batteries (prototypes aside). The battery pack is fully sealed against water intrusion and is rated submersible by SureFire.

Additionally, for users who wish to shed some extra weight, the battery pack is completely removable, unscrewing from the lamp and unclipping from the headstraps. Owners of the SureFire Saint get a battery cap that fits a single CR123A and essentially converts the Saint into the Minimus.



Cleverly, the SureFire Saint will happily take one, two or three CR123A's in parallel in its battery pack. It will run at full power with only one CR123A and will run for a suitably long time - 1.5 hours on high and 50 hours on low. On three CR123A's, with its runtime of 6.5 hours on high and 144 hours on low, the Saint truly excels when long runtimes are a prime concern, especially when working in a dirty or wet environment where you don't want to have to change batteries. CR123A's are excellent when power density (high runtime or high output), cold weather performance, or low weight are important factors.

Since the Saint uses CR123A's in parallel, it is should be considered unsafe to use any kind of lithium-ion rechargeable technology in this light. SureFire's official stance on using RCR123's in this product is "don't do it."



However, as mentioned earlier, the SureFire Saint will happily run on two AA batteries, and uses them in series to match the voltage of the CR123A's. I tested the Saint on Eneloop LSD NiMH batteries and could not discern a difference in output as compared to running on CR123A's. The Saint's ability to use AA batteries opens up the possibility to use an inexpensive rechargeable solution, as NiMH technology is relatively inexpensive, readily available, and considered extremely safe. I strongly recommend using genuine Sanyo Eneloop batteries when choosing NiMH rechargeables, for their excellent performance and other reasons I will not get into here. (CandlePowerForums is a great resource for battery information.) [edited: derangboy pointed out that the AA batteries are actually in serial, but are placed in the pack facing the same way]

The Saint will try its very best to not leave you in the dark. When the power runs low, it will dim down gradually until the batteries can no longer sustain any kind of LED output. However, if the batteries are very low, the Saint may not be able to fire up again after being turned off. In that situation, it is best to actually just leave the Saint on rather than turning it on and off to preserve battery life.

Overall, the SureFire Saint, either the full Saint or the Minimus is a real winner. It is expensive, but every bit worth SureFire's asking price (at the time of this review, $185 or $139, respectively) if you need a headlamp, especially if you enjoy owning the best of the best.

Highly recommended without reservation.


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## MarNav1 (Mar 30, 2010)

Looks great, 1 SureFire lumen is probly 3-4 actual.


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## Dioni (Mar 30, 2010)

Thanks for this nice review of this nice headlamp! :twothumbs


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## Gryffin (Mar 30, 2010)

Great review! :twothumbs

Besides the dead-simple UI, my favorite feature is the multi-battery multi-voltage power system. 'Bout damn time someone did something like that; CR123 cells aren't cheap or easy to find at retail, and NiMH AAs allow for cheap, guilt-free lumens.

Just curiously, though, did you happen to do runtimes for the Eneloop configurations?


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## carrot (Mar 30, 2010)

Gryffin said:


> Great review! :twothumbs
> 
> Besides the dead-simple UI, my favorite feature is the multi-battery multi-voltage power system. 'Bout damn time someone did something like that; CR123 cells aren't cheap or easy to find at retail, and NiMH AAs allow for cheap, guilt-free lumens.
> 
> Just curiously, though, did you happen to do runtimes for the Eneloop configurations?


I can do an informal test without a runtime graph. As I do not have a lux meter I can't actually produce visible results but I can run it sitting on my desk and report how long it takes for the output to visibly drop.


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## Kiessling (Mar 30, 2010)

Great review ! :thumbsup:

Moved.

bernie


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## Gryffin (Mar 30, 2010)

carrot said:


> I can do an informal test without a runtime graph. As I do not have a lux meter I can't actually produce visible results but I can run it sitting on my desk and report how long it takes for the output to visibly drop.



Sounds like a plan! Since it has a long trail-off, just knowing how long it'll stay in regulation would be very useful. Thanks!!

lovecpf


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## BentHeadTX (Mar 30, 2010)

Nice light!

I love the three CR123A batteries in parallel or two Eneloop AA battery pack! Run the Eneloops normally with the CR123A batteries if used in the cold winter months or if used for very long outings. 

Now THAT light would be my first head lamp and my first Surefire--better start kissing my wife's butt now (winter is coming in another 6 months or so)


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## Woods Walker (Mar 31, 2010)

*I tested the Saint on Eneloop LSD NiMH batteries and could not discern a difference in output as compared to running on CR123A's. The Saint's ability to use AA batteries opens up the possibility to use an inexpensive rechargeable solution, as NiMH technology is relatively inexpensive, readily available, and considered extremely safe.*

Carrot.

I kinda like this aspect of the Saint. Do you know what the runtimes are for 2XAA LSD NiMH on high? Also wonder if yea tried any Lithium Energizer batteries in your headlamp? I am on the fence given the price but being able to use both AAs/CR123s, the beam (I like floody headlamps) plus use as a Minimus fits many of my wants.


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## carrot (Mar 31, 2010)

Hi Woods Walker,
I am curious as to what insights you hope to gain as to the usage of Energizer Lithium AA's? I don't generally buy any because they tend to be on the outrageously expensive side. In a light that can use CR123A instead of Energizer Lithium I would be more inclined to use CR123A which can be had for less money.

As for the runtime on Eneloops, I would guess that runtime would be rather close to the runtime on a single CR123, so about 2.5 hours. In the thread here I offered to do an informal runtime test (without a lux meter) but I have not done so yet.


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## TriChrome (Mar 31, 2010)

Good review, but to me, reviews are supposed to be subjective. No offense meant (as I love Surefire as well), but the review comes off very SF fan-boy-ish (even if all the praise is true and deserved).


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## Woods Walker (Mar 31, 2010)

carrot said:


> Hi Woods Walker,
> I am curious as to what insights you hope to gain as to the usage of Energizer Lithium AA's? I don't generally buy any because they tend to be on the outrageously expensive side. In a light that can use CR123A instead of Energizer Lithium I would be more inclined to use CR123A which can be had for less money.
> 
> As for the runtime on Eneloops, I would guess that runtime would be rather close to the runtime on a single CR123, so about 2.5 hours. In the thread here I offered to do an informal runtime test (without a lux meter) but I have not done so yet.


 
I get them when on sale at wholesale clubs etc so the cost is isn't so bad. Also in winter they power my GPS and digital camera and these are often taken on outings so I like the idea that in a pinch I could use them in my AA headlamps as well. So just wondering if yea tested them in the Saint that's all. If you get a chance let us know what the informal test using LSD NiMH shows. Thanks.


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## carrot (Mar 31, 2010)

TriChrome said:


> Good review, but to me, reviews are supposed to be subjective. No offense meant (as I love Surefire as well), but the review comes off very SF fan-boy-ish (even if all the praise is true and deserved).


OK, next time I will complain about all the problems a perfect product has.


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## Tempest UK (Mar 31, 2010)

Reviews are opinions 

Nicely done, a very comprehensive write-up.

Regards,
Tempest


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## Gryffin (Mar 31, 2010)

carrot said:


> OK, next time I will complain about all the problems a perfect product has.



 :laughing:  :nana:


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## LeifUK (Apr 1, 2010)

I'm surprised at the rough finish given the price.


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## leukos (Apr 2, 2010)

carrot said:


> OK, next time I will complain about all the problems a perfect product has.


 
Very whitty. I agree, SF's are great products and most of us are too anal to appreciate that.
I've been meaning to pick up a minimus, but my hesitations are with the beam pattern and not having an incredibly warm tint.


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## GreySave (Apr 2, 2010)

<< I've been meaning to pick up a minimus, but my hesitations are with the beam pattern and not having an incredibly warm tint. >>

I have the Minimus version. Yes, the beam pattern is UGLY at first glance. Having used mine a few times I can tell you that in actual use the beam pattern is not an issue, although that can be subjective. 

What I did find is that the Minimus / Saint projects a lot of light even at low power. My personal opinion is that the beam pattern was a trade off for getting that much light out there. For me that works. Please understand when I say that I do not mean that it is a thrower. It is not. What I mean is that there is a lot of light in that very wide hotspot even in the low power range.

The tint is certainly not what I would call warm, especially on the lower levels. It actually varies in different portions of the beam as a result of the optics used (My untechy opinion).


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## was.lost.but.now.found (Apr 2, 2010)

With this review not including pics, and instead directing users to view the "full version" on the OP's personal website, it has the appearance of serving only to increase traffic to the OP's website for increasing the value of his advertising space. I do not believe this is in the spirit of this rule:



CPF Rules said:


> *6. Advertising on CandlePowerForums*
> 
> Policies for advertising on CPF and/or CPFMP can be found HERE or by clicking on the link in the top titled "Advertising". In general, advertising by any member of CPF within the forums (with the exception of the CPF Custom Builders and Modders forums) is strictly prohibited. Threads and/or posts that are considered by staff to be advertising, or solely for the purpose of providing links or pointers to new products, will stand to be closed, links removed, or deleted in their entirety, without warning or explanation. Members who persist in posting or quoting such material are advised that their posting authority may be limited or withdrawn. For those wishing to introduce referenced new offers they've found, the MarketPlace is the board for discussion of commercial matters. There will most likely be a dedicated forum there for posting such threads.


 
I would respectfully request that all pictures in the full version be restored to this page, the same way all other posts in the Reviews section are displayed.


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## carrot (Apr 3, 2010)

leukos said:


> Very whitty. I agree, SF's are great products and most of us are too anal to appreciate that.
> I've been meaning to pick up a minimus, but my hesitations are with the beam pattern and not having an incredibly warm tint.


I think the beam pattern has been overblown. You can see a ghost of the die but otherwise the beam is well-shaped and fairly smooth. If I had never shined the Saint on a wall I would never have noticed the die image, and on trails the Saint was simply unparalleled thanks to its directed flood.

I do agree with you, an LED with better CRI would have been a nice choice, as despite having a nice fairly neutral tint the Saint had a side effect of making everything appear pale blue. This didn't bother me at all, nor did it affect the usefulness of the light, but a higher CRI LED would definitely improve the Saint.


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## derangboy (Apr 3, 2010)

Great review Carrot! Would have liked to have seen some beam shots, but they might have proved to be more of a hassle than a benefit. Nice thing about this UI is it also has an SOS mode that is easily accessed but nearly impossible to accidentally switch on. Three quick cycles from off puts you into SOS with variable brightness. As an avid outdoorsman and a member of the local SAR, I feel it's a welcome feature.


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## carrot (Apr 3, 2010)

To be honest I took a fair crack at taking outdoor real world beamshots on several occasions during hikes and I could never get a good photo that did the beam justice. What looks washed out on camera is altogether too much light to the eyes.

I did forget to mention the SOS beacon, it is just so easy to forget that it's there, but I should note that it is present in my review.


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## csa (Apr 3, 2010)

Thanks for this, I've been interested in this light...


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## JNewell (Apr 9, 2010)

Very helpful review - thanks. BTW, I also think that what we usually see for inside or even outside beam pix are really not all that representative of real world use of a headlamp in the woods/fields/etc.


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## sjmack (Apr 10, 2010)

Awesome review, Carrot. I've been looking at headlamps for work. 

One question, is the headband big enough to fit over a hard hat?


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## paulr (May 21, 2010)

Here is another Saint review, by Doug Ritter: http://dsaweb.com/blog/index.php?s=surefire

The fullsized Saint seems a little weird to me. Why would anyone want it instead of the much lighter Minimus? Just to have 3x as many batteries up there for less frequent changes during military operations, caving, etc.?

That is interesting about the 2xAA parallel setup. I wonder if it might be possible to make a custom 1-cell battery cap like the 1x123 Minimus cap, that would give a Minimus-like configuration but with 1AA. Eneloops or L91 lithiums have good high-current capacity so should work almost as well as two parallel AA's.


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## gerok (Jun 11, 2010)

Great review!


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## red02 (Jul 10, 2010)

paulr said:


> Here is another Saint review, by Doug Ritter: http://dsaweb.com/blog/index.php?s=surefire
> 
> The fullsized Saint seems a little weird to me. Why would anyone want it instead of the much lighter Minimus? Just to have 3x as many batteries up there for less frequent changes during military operations, caving, etc.?
> 
> That is interesting about the 2xAA parallel setup. I wonder if it might be possible to make a custom 1-cell battery cap like the 1x123 Minimus cap, that would give a Minimus-like configuration but with 1AA. Eneloops or L91 lithiums have good high-current capacity so should work almost as well as two parallel AA's.



I've tried to use 1xAA and an Eneloop with no luck in the battery back.



Woods Walker said:


> I kinda like this aspect of the Saint. Do you know what the runtimes are for 2XAA LSD NiMH on high? Also wonder if yea tried any Lithium Energizer batteries in your headlamp? I am on the fence given the price but being able to use both AAs/CR123s, the beam (I like floody headlamps) plus use as a Minimus fits many of my wants.



I did an informal runtime test with Eneloops charged 2 weeks ago (I think). Using a dark room, ceiling bounce and my Quark to compare the levels. The Saint does 2hr15min+ on full power which is brighter than the 70lm level on the Quark. After 2hr40m the light dimmed to about 20lm as the light dimmed and brightened slightly, probably trying to find power to stay on.


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## lyklyk616 (Apr 13, 2011)

You should put some beamshot !


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## gottawearshades (Jun 7, 2011)

Comrades,

I just picked up a Saint on ebay. I got it at a good price and it looks brand new, but, there's no manual!

I hadn't been paying attention before, but I've been trying to skim several threads for things I should know. SOS mode. I would never have known that was there, unless I knew. Same thing with being able to run it on one or two or three 123As in the power pack. Also neat, but I'd never have known. 

Anything else I should know about?

Any other cool features, like does it shoot poison darts? Or any safety tips, like, does it shoot poison darts?


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