# Lupine Piko X (550 lm) review. They just announced the release of the 750 lm version!



## anotherocduser (Jul 25, 2011)

I wanted to make this review because I haven’t seen many (or any really) high output headlights in the market. The closer one I have seen is the Petzl that weights twice as much (180g vs 350g), has less output (350 vs 550 lm or-750 lm for new one), less running time (90 min vs 150 min) and is more expensive (500$ vs 300$).
First let me start telling you that this light is tiny! You can see pictures and read the dimension but it’s when you hold it in your hand that you realize its size. Its only 2oz!
The amount of light that comes from this little guy reminds me of a term from the MIB movie “noisy cricket”. Looks almost like a little toy but when you turn it on, your jaw drops and people’s eyes open wide…
The quality is what you would expect from Lupine; attention to every detail and you can tell that there’s nothing “cheap” about this light. CNC machining, Voltage count, deep discharge protection, 2 and 3 step dimming and capacity control are some of the features. The light is waterproof (Lupine claims that even when its not a diving lamp, it can withstand a temporary submersion of 6 feet and batteries at sealed to handle 2.5 atmospheres of pressure underwater –almost 50 feet-)
150 min of burning time at max (550 lm) which is plenty of time with the small battery and off course, all Lupine accessories and batteries are compatible so you can use any of their higher capacity (5, 7.5; 14Ah).
The beam has a huge spot with lots of spill... so much light!

I bought it with the headband Pro and the small 2,5Ah battery (4oz) to be able to hike and run with it. The headband is the most comfortable one that I have tried so far; no movement at all and extremely light.
I have a Petzl headband that puts out around 85 lm and I don’t find it enough light for some things like running or hiking. 
If you haven’t checked this little thing do so; it’s worth it if you want a powerful and very small package light with the best customer service available.
On the other hand, Lupine just announced the release of a 22-degree lens and 750 lm version for this year ;-)

PS: of course, if you need more power you can always get the Wilma (1100 lm) or the Betty (1850lm). XM-L upgrades this year! (1500lm and 2600lm OTF respectively)

*EDIT TO ADD RUN TIMES:* I forgot this and I think its one of the biggest advantages of the dimming..
-50 hours @ 50 lumens (old 550 version)/ 40h @ 60lm (newer version 750 lm)
-19h @ 90 lm (old)/ 19h @ 110 lm (new)
-7h @ 230 lm (old)/ 5.5h @ 300 lm (new)
-2:30h @ 550 (old)/ 2h @ 750 lm (new)











http://www.lupine.de/web/en/piko750head/

The light is not what I would call cheap but if you want to own just 1 light; something reliable that can take a beating then this is the light for you; its well worth it!

NOTE: I don't work for Lupine nor have any commercial interest. I'm only a very satisfied customer that believes in their products


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## monkeyboy (Jul 28, 2011)

Nice review

I noticed that the 750lm XM-L version is now up on their website.


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## 276 (Jul 28, 2011)

Lupine makes awesome lights i have there Wilma Tl Flashlight and it is bright!! How is the beam on this. floody with a bit of throw??


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## anotherocduser (Jul 28, 2011)

The beam is a huge spot with spill... I'll take some pics and upload them. The new 750 lm version is supposed to come with a 22-degree lens. The one I have has a 15-degree lens. Very good as headlight/helmet light


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## MNDan (Jul 29, 2011)

I'd love to see a beamshot & also a pic of the headlight w/ battery on your head. Would be easier to get a good idea of how it fits. I have a Tesla w/ headstrap that is great, though just a bit too heavy for day to day use.


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## psychbeat (Jul 29, 2011)

Ive borrowed and ridden with people who own Lupines and
Im always impressed with the build quality and design.

No so much the icy tints or the price 

to my eyes the lumen counts seem to be emitter not OTF

Ive also noticed a few beam artifacts using the Wilma

really nice lights nitpics aside!


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## anotherocduser (Jul 29, 2011)

MNDan said:


> I'd love to see a beamshot & also a pic of the headlight w/ battery on your head. Would be easier to get a good idea of how it fits. I have a Tesla w/ headstrap that is great, though just a bit too heavy for day to day use.







Dan no joking, this headband is so stable and the battery/piko so light that they don't move around nor weight much. Feels very balanced. I have run with it and is awesome. They (Lupine) are coming with a new headband with an integrated battery holster and a 1.7Ah battery FYI. Don't know your application though.
PS: I just got my Petzl MYO XP on my and to compare and the 2.5Ah battery is not much bigger than the 3AA holster from the Petzl


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## anotherocduser (Jul 29, 2011)

psychbeat said:


> Ive borrowed and ridden with people who own Lupines and
> Im always impressed with the build quality and design.
> 
> No so much the icy tints or the price
> ...


 
Psych, Lupine measure lumens with an integrating sphere so its OTF 
The artifacts on the outside of the beam are noticeable if you "look for them" but not noticeable when paying attention to what you are looking for (i.e they are not in the middle of the beam)
I guess tins are personal preference? Lupine tint (at least the XPG version) is claimed to be 6200K or pure white. Craftmanship is spectacular!http://www.lupine.de/web/en/technology/sphere
Cheers; I'll upload pics this weekend most likely ;-)


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## psychbeat (Jul 30, 2011)

not trying to dis tha Lupines at all!

the artifacts on the wilma I used were somewhat noticeable 
to me on the trail- not a bit deal.

I think my ~500 lumen neutral lights just seem brighter due to
tint then probably. regular R5 XP-G tends not to be my fav tint wise.

Id like to see one with 7 of the 5B tint XP-G- that would be sick!


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## AMD64Blondie (Aug 4, 2011)

Very spendy light... but I'm tring to not ruin my keyboard with drool.Absoutely insane brightness.That sound you hear is my debit card and my Fenix TK40 crying in unison after being beaten in brightness by a headlight..


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## aquaholik (Aug 6, 2011)

Can you post the beam shot at 6-8ft away? I need a 3ft wide beam(circle with 3 ft diameter) at that distance. If your beamshot is pretty close then the 22 degree beam in the new one should easily be 3 ft wide.


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## gilbequick (Aug 6, 2011)

They're nice, but WOW, $600 is a bit much.


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## Morelite (Aug 6, 2011)

gilbequick said:


> They're nice, but WOW, $600 is a bit much.


 
$360 here in a local shop in PA for the new 750lm model.


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## abacojeff (Aug 7, 2011)

psychbeat said:


> Ive borrowed and ridden with people who own Lupines and
> Im always impressed with the build quality and design.
> 
> 
> ...


 
I would say - somebody who has used/seen Lupine lights (Betty, Wilma) and concluded that the rated lumens were 'emitter' rather than OTF... were probably looking at an early generation model and not the current generation.

It is true that Lupine (like most other light makers) originally advertised output based on 'theoretical' lumens... but have decided to step up their game and now advertise lumen output based on integrating sphere measurements.

For comparison, my 4 x XPG Wilma (rated 1100 "OTF" lumens) seems a little brighter than my 7 x P4 Betty (rated 1400 'emitter" lumens). Soon, my Betty will be upgraded to 7 x XML for 2100 "OTF" lumens! (note: upgrades will have lower lumens than the new Lupine products because the new models get the higher powered emitters AND and new drivers to bump up current. The factory 7 x XML Betty will therefore have 2600 lumens!).

However, back to Piko... so the original 2 x XPG Piko was rated at 550 lumens at 8 watts power. The new model 2 x XML Piko is rated at 750 lumens at 10 watts power (and you get a wider spread of light at 22 degrees for XML as opposed to 15 degress for XPG).

Personally, I don't doubt the lumens are there.


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## abacojeff (Aug 8, 2011)

I'm hoping somebody will be posting beam shots shortly... but I imagine the XML based Piko will provide an excellent balance between throw and spread. 

The best example I've seen so far on CPF that shows what can be expected is found on one of the Malkoff flashlight postings (credit to "PoliceScannerMan")... 

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...d-Cat-XPG-vs.-Hound-Dog-XPG-vs.-Hound-Dog-XML!!!

...which shows that a single XPG (Malkoff Hound Dog XPG) has a tight beam, with long throw, and minimal sidespill versus a single XML (Malkoff Hound Dog XML) that has virtually the same throw as XPG, but a much broader spread of light (but using more power to achieve this). 

I know some people are into throw and others into flood... but seems to me the new XML lights will have the best of both worlds!

P.S. don't get confused by the Malkoff post including the triple XPG "Wildcat" beam shots - the wide spread of light from this 3 x XPG light is due to the reflector design that is used... even though XPG beam shots are usually pretty tight.

For reference, Malkoff Hound Dog XPG is rated 325 lumens, Hound Dog XML is rated 750 lumens, and Wildcat 3 x XPG is rated 800 lumens - all OTF.

This is compared to Lupine Piko 2 x XML rated at 750 lumens OTF (underdriven compared to 1 x Malkoff Hound Dog XML) - so until Piko beam shots are posted, the Malkoff shots might be a good frame of reference.


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## cue003 (Aug 9, 2011)

If someone does post Beamshots between the 550 and the 750 versions keeps in mind that the beam angle on the 750 lumen version is 22 degrees using XML and the 550 lumen version is 15 degrees and using XPG.

There will be a new headband and battery integration coming in the next couple of weeks called the Piko X Duo. 

Also keep in mind that Lupine was designed as a bicycle light first before any other uses were taken into consideration. Therefore, they do not go as low as any conventional multi mode headlamp. So use indoors for hands free work maybe too bright for many at a low of 50/60 lumens.


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## johnny0000 (Aug 15, 2011)

I'd be curious to see beamshots as well. 22 degrees of 750 lumens of XML goodness just sounds awesome. The 550 was nice and I couldn't complain. I'm just waiting a bit to see pics before dropping the $$$ for the 750 version.


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## karlthev (Aug 15, 2011)

Curtis, what's the new headband going to be like? I'm on the edge of getting the Piko with the optional runner's headband but, should I wait until the newer design appears?

Karl

PS Did you ever get the Abyss?


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## cue003 (Aug 16, 2011)

Johnny, 

You can see the shots between the 550/15 degree and the 750/22 degree in this thread. 
http://www.lupine.de/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3076

It is in Germany but the pics are labelled in English. 


Karl, PM coming your way.


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## karlthev (Aug 18, 2011)

Back atcha Curtis!

Karl


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## 3Cylinders (Aug 26, 2011)

What is the UI like for this light? Is it press the button for on, then half-press again to change levels, or hold for stepped level changes? Does it go from high to low or low to high? Can the order of levels be changed along with the number of levels? Are there any flashy modes and can they be hidden? Sorry for the questions, but if it goes low to high, it may be perfect for me. If it goes high to low, it makes it unusable for me. I'm also looking forward to beamshots when they are available. Thank you.


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## grnamin (Aug 29, 2011)

I got the new 750/22 Piko today from Gretna Bikes. It came with a black bezel. 
@3Cylinders: The UI goes from high to low. It doesn't look like the order of the levels can be changed. There are 3 modes: 
1) 2-level: hold button down for 5 seconds until 1 lamp flash, then release.
2) 3-level: hold button down for 10 seconds until 2 lamp flashes, then release.
3) 3-level (RVLR): hold button down for 15 seconds until 3 lamp flashes, then release.


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## grnamin (Aug 30, 2011)

This Piko has wider flood beam than the Tesla. I found the headband's cable clips too flimsy so I replaced them with the ones from an old Petzl headband I have.


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## johnny0000 (Aug 30, 2011)

If I may ask....What headband did you get? The "normal" headband, I think it's blue. Or the Headband Pro? Does the battery attach to the back of the head on the "normal" headband?

On a side note, this headlamp looks awesome! 22 Degrees of 750 lumen goodness.


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## grnamin (Aug 30, 2011)

I got the "normal" headband. There are no built-in provisions to attach the battery to the back so I strapped it to the bracket that the cable routes through using the supplied velcro strap which is elastic. Works really well. Bill at Gretna Bikes said that they will have the Piko X Duo sometime in October. 



johnny0000 said:


> If I may ask....What headband did you get? The "normal" headband, I think it's blue. Or the Headband Pro? Does the battery attach to the back of the head on the "normal" headband?
> 
> On a side note, this headlamp looks awesome! 22 Degrees of 750 lumen goodness.


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## 3Cylinders (Aug 31, 2011)

Thank you, grnamin for the info!


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## johnny0000 (Aug 31, 2011)

Thanks for all the info! I've been holding out for the Duo and almost pulled the trigger on the X.....I think I'll hold out just a bit longer.


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## cue003 (Aug 31, 2011)

The "normal" piko X will ship with the 2.5ah battery. The new lupine piko duo when it is available will ship with * TWO * of the new smart battery that is 1.7ah. The piko duo is designed to be everything easily mounted on the headstrap but at the cost of a slightly smaller and lighter battery pack. I haven't been able to find the runtimes on the smaller pack as of yet. Still looking. 

The piko duo will be the only headlamp option with directly provisions to place the battery. If you still need a heavy duty headstrap etc for fast running you will have to use one of the other headbands which does not have provisions for direct battery attachment. You will have to attach via velcro for the headband pro.

Thanks.


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## grnamin (Aug 31, 2011)

You're welcome.  I got the Piko-Class Lupine Classic band mount from Gretna Bikes and I mounted the Piko to a Tesla headband.
Here's a quick video:


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## cue003 (Sep 1, 2011)

Is that configuration on the Tesla band "better" than using the setup that came with the Piko?


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## grnamin (Sep 1, 2011)

cue003 said:


> Is that configuration on the Tesla band "better" than using the setup that came with the Piko?


 
I like the wider band. No need for an upgrade to the Pro version.  The Piko-Class Lupine Classic band mount makes for quick and easy transfers between headband, helmet and handlebars.


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## johnny0000 (Sep 18, 2011)

Anyone got word on the release date for the Piko X Duo version? Last time I heard was Sept/Oct from Gretna.


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