For submission in the Reviews forum
Hi Cpfer's,
Here is a translated version of my original review of the Fenix BT20 (first part), wich can be found here
Because of my limited skills i won't provide the sharp technical reports you're used to read thanks to the CPF's experts :thumbsup: but rather a general opinion on what a lambda user feels using this product.
this pre-series model suffers from a bug of the battery level indicator : in "turbo" mode it will turn red a few minutes after ON, Fenix is aware of this problem and assured it will be corrected.
Fenix first attempt in bike lighting should offer excellent performance and reliability, at least that's what i expect from a major manufacturer of led torches.
The Chinese manufacturer offers two models based on xp-g and xm-l, but given the expertise of Fenix in high power torches i believe there will be even brighter models if success is confirmed.
To promote their lamps, the manufacturer started a contest earlier this year to search for testers across the world : This is an original method of promotion but it's also double-edged in case of major default or design fault: we must believe they are confident in their products !
Let's see what features that BT20
Unpacking:
Unusual detail for a bike light, there is no charger or rechargeable batterie supplied .
Some may blame this shortcoming, I think on the contrary that it has several advantages:
- Any self-respecting flashaholic already own its quality batteries and chargers
- When new technologies emerge it's easier to switch to better batteries
- The global price of the pack is reduced.
The front part and rear heatsink are made of aluminum, the upper is plastic.
The solid impression generated by the set is conform to what i usually expect from Fenix's flashlights, the mount feels solid on the handlebars and even in intensive use it should not move too much to be a concern !
we can see the work on the reflector and the lens (it reminds me of the hybrid reflector lamps from ITP)
lens is made of some kind of polycarbonate: it is unusual for Fenix but it is certainly made necessary to draw the "striages" on the upper part.
button is illuminated when the lamp is turned on to inform the level of battery / batteries, by a red/green backlight.
Phillips screws locks the lamp
it's easy to open and access to internals.
the connector looks good with a strong and secure locking.
the battery case, made of plastic :
2*18650 or 4*cr123,
16340 are banned
double marking for battery position is visible, but a physical or more easily identifiable reminder would have been a plus in the dark.
there is a small tab that prevents closing the lid the wrong way: perfect
the headband holder, gadget or true value ? i've not tested it yet, but i feel like it will rise the light too much on the helmet to feel confortable...
included manual:
i've found the spacing between levels appropriate althought there should have been a bigger gap between mid and high mode : i would have liked something more like 50/150/450/750.
what bother me is the flashing mode which alternates a slow then fast "strobe" : it's useless in this form, I would have prefered that it remains slow around 2 or 3 Hz max.
mounting:
note the ridiculous size of the BT20 for a 750lm headlight !
I kept a Quark 123² neutral xp-g as backup in case of a sudden shutoff of my 18650's.
with 3 different types of o'rings provided and the opportunity to orient the lamp longitudinally, we can easily find a location for the BT20, even on oversize handlebars.
I placed the battery pack this way while waiting to find a better location (with extension included of approximately 70cm, it should not be a problem to find a place)
what would be great is a 4x18650 pack of the same size as a bicycle water bottle, this way it could fit securely in the bottle holder
while being in front of a wall (yellow, please ignore the color) i'd like to show you the effect of the lens and hybrid reflector compared to a regular textured reflector.]
with the quark the beam is classical with spill / spot and "corona" at the junction.
The BT20's beam is quite particular:
-there is a wide but concentrated spot typical with smooth reflectors lamps which should provide a good range
-a "two-step" spill which I think provide a good width lighting.
-on the lower section of the spill / spot a "tongue" of light wich should theoretically create better illumination right before the wheel.
you can also notice that the upper part of the spill is truncated compared to a conventional reflector, which should reduce glare for other road users that we will cross.
pics are taken 1m from the wall, the result should be more demonstrative outdoors.
Beamshot s:
First attempt beamshots: I also took my sc600w to have a relevant point of comparison. (althought being a general purpose flashlight, the sc600 with it's wide beam, and similar price was the closest competitor in my collection..)
The neutral color of the BT20 is colder than the zebra, I guess it's tint is in the 3b/3c/3d range.
It is not warm enough to my taste, but it is enough to avoid the "green" tint while keeping a high Bin.
The efforts of the manufacturer to provide improved color rendering is still commendable for a product intended to be used in mountain biking, although the contribution is difficult to quantify by eye (even in neutral flavor, xm-l's CRI@75 is not impressive )
* F/2.8, ISO80, 24mm eq., 4 ", manual WB
sc600w
BT20
sc600w
BT20
other place, with exposure time reduced a bit:
* F/2.8, ISO80, 24mm eq., 4 ", manual WB
control
sc600w
BT20
sc600w
BT20
my first impression:
This is quite surprising when you're used to the usual zebra-flood beam, but the "immediate vicinity" of the BT20 is even more powerful by a substantial margin !
as if we've set a lamp voluntarily lower to illuminate closer with the "spot" section of the beam, except that in the case of the BT20 you still have a long distance illumination.
:wave:
Hi Cpfer's,
Here is a translated version of my original review of the Fenix BT20 (first part), wich can be found here
Because of my limited skills i won't provide the sharp technical reports you're used to read thanks to the CPF's experts :thumbsup: but rather a general opinion on what a lambda user feels using this product.
this pre-series model suffers from a bug of the battery level indicator : in "turbo" mode it will turn red a few minutes after ON, Fenix is aware of this problem and assured it will be corrected.
Fenix first attempt in bike lighting should offer excellent performance and reliability, at least that's what i expect from a major manufacturer of led torches.
The Chinese manufacturer offers two models based on xp-g and xm-l, but given the expertise of Fenix in high power torches i believe there will be even brighter models if success is confirmed.
To promote their lamps, the manufacturer started a contest earlier this year to search for testers across the world : This is an original method of promotion but it's also double-edged in case of major default or design fault: we must believe they are confident in their products !
Let's see what features that BT20
Unpacking:
Unusual detail for a bike light, there is no charger or rechargeable batterie supplied .
Some may blame this shortcoming, I think on the contrary that it has several advantages:
- Any self-respecting flashaholic already own its quality batteries and chargers
- When new technologies emerge it's easier to switch to better batteries
- The global price of the pack is reduced.
The front part and rear heatsink are made of aluminum, the upper is plastic.
The solid impression generated by the set is conform to what i usually expect from Fenix's flashlights, the mount feels solid on the handlebars and even in intensive use it should not move too much to be a concern !
we can see the work on the reflector and the lens (it reminds me of the hybrid reflector lamps from ITP)
lens is made of some kind of polycarbonate: it is unusual for Fenix but it is certainly made necessary to draw the "striages" on the upper part.
button is illuminated when the lamp is turned on to inform the level of battery / batteries, by a red/green backlight.
Phillips screws locks the lamp
the connector looks good with a strong and secure locking.
the battery case, made of plastic :
2*18650 or 4*cr123,
16340 are banned
double marking for battery position is visible, but a physical or more easily identifiable reminder would have been a plus in the dark.
there is a small tab that prevents closing the lid the wrong way: perfect
the headband holder, gadget or true value ? i've not tested it yet, but i feel like it will rise the light too much on the helmet to feel confortable...
included manual:
i've found the spacing between levels appropriate althought there should have been a bigger gap between mid and high mode : i would have liked something more like 50/150/450/750.
what bother me is the flashing mode which alternates a slow then fast "strobe" : it's useless in this form, I would have prefered that it remains slow around 2 or 3 Hz max.
mounting:
note the ridiculous size of the BT20 for a 750lm headlight !
I kept a Quark 123² neutral xp-g as backup in case of a sudden shutoff of my 18650's.
with 3 different types of o'rings provided and the opportunity to orient the lamp longitudinally, we can easily find a location for the BT20, even on oversize handlebars.
I placed the battery pack this way while waiting to find a better location (with extension included of approximately 70cm, it should not be a problem to find a place)
what would be great is a 4x18650 pack of the same size as a bicycle water bottle, this way it could fit securely in the bottle holder
while being in front of a wall (yellow, please ignore the color) i'd like to show you the effect of the lens and hybrid reflector compared to a regular textured reflector.]
with the quark the beam is classical with spill / spot and "corona" at the junction.
The BT20's beam is quite particular:
-there is a wide but concentrated spot typical with smooth reflectors lamps which should provide a good range
-a "two-step" spill which I think provide a good width lighting.
-on the lower section of the spill / spot a "tongue" of light wich should theoretically create better illumination right before the wheel.
you can also notice that the upper part of the spill is truncated compared to a conventional reflector, which should reduce glare for other road users that we will cross.
pics are taken 1m from the wall, the result should be more demonstrative outdoors.
Beamshot s:
First attempt beamshots: I also took my sc600w to have a relevant point of comparison. (althought being a general purpose flashlight, the sc600 with it's wide beam, and similar price was the closest competitor in my collection..)
The neutral color of the BT20 is colder than the zebra, I guess it's tint is in the 3b/3c/3d range.
It is not warm enough to my taste, but it is enough to avoid the "green" tint while keeping a high Bin.
The efforts of the manufacturer to provide improved color rendering is still commendable for a product intended to be used in mountain biking, although the contribution is difficult to quantify by eye (even in neutral flavor, xm-l's CRI@75 is not impressive )
* F/2.8, ISO80, 24mm eq., 4 ", manual WB
sc600w
BT20
sc600w
BT20
other place, with exposure time reduced a bit:
* F/2.8, ISO80, 24mm eq., 4 ", manual WB
control
sc600w
BT20
sc600w
BT20
my first impression:
This is quite surprising when you're used to the usual zebra-flood beam, but the "immediate vicinity" of the BT20 is even more powerful by a substantial margin !
as if we've set a lamp voluntarily lower to illuminate closer with the "spot" section of the beam, except that in the case of the BT20 you still have a long distance illumination.
:wave:
Last edited:
