NEW - FENIX HM65R ShadowMaster Headlamp

[Labrador72]

I came across a new version of the HM65R today: it's called ShadowMaster.

Judging by the specs it is like a HM65R SuperRaptor but with a red LED instead of the white floodlight LED.

And like the HM65R SuperRaptor it seems to be a regional special edition - for the UK this time.

https://www.myfenix.co.uk/fenix-hm65r-shadowmaster-white-and-red-led-headlamp

I rarely use the white floodlight and having a red light can be handy.
I might pull the trigger on this one.

I just wish the switch for the spotlight would be placed on the side, opposite the battery compartment cap, like it is on the HL55: so much easier to use with gloves.

Other than that, I have put the HM65R SuperRaptor through a few hundred hours of use and it has slowly become my favorite headlamp for all outdoor activities!

 

[Labrador72]

After taking a closer look I noticed a few more differences.

The ShadowMaster features a Luminus SST40 White instead of an XM-L2 U2 LED.

The output of most brightness levels are different and the red floodlight of the ShadowMaster has an additional brightness level!

Mode	SuperRaptor	ShadowMaster
Spot Turbo	1000 lm	1200 lm
Spot High II	600 lm	600 lm
Spot High I	400 lm	400 lm
Spot Mid	130 lm	150 lm
Spot Low	30 lm	50 lm
Floodlight Turbo	N.A.	150 lm - red
Floodlight High	400 lm - white	85 lm - red
Floodlight Mid	130 lm - white	25 lm - red
Floodlight Low	8 lm - whte	5 lm - red

It also looks like in Finland they have announced a new 2020 version of the SuperRaptor.
The only difference I can notice in the description is the spotlight Low Ouput being bumped up from 30 to 50 lumens!

https://www.fenixvalaisimet.fi/valaisimet_juoksu_hiihto/Fenix_HM65R_SUPERRAPTOR_otsalamppu

 

[Swedpat]

Another Fenix with bad UI. Memory of all modes. Shortcut to none. And WAY too small gap between the modes.
The ineviteable result will be a constant confusion of what mode is currently on. The difference between memorised modes should be at least 3 times. With this headlamp you will regularly wonder: "hmm, is it on 400 or 600lm?" and: "is it on 600 or 1200lm?".
It would make me crazy. Apart from that a shortclick for cycling through the modes is easy to do by mistake, and you will in many cases not notice that you accidently increased the level a step. Especially if going from 400 to 600lm, which is just barely noticeable for the eyes.

 

[Labrador72]

You make some good point, it can be difficult to tell which mode you are in and the short click and small switch can lead you to accidentally bump to the next level.

However this mode spacing does have benefits. For me the additional 400 lumen level in the SuperRaptor and ShadowMaster is really useful: it hits a sweet spot between runtime and brightness.
I still notice a difference between the 400 and 600 lumens modes. For example, if going fast on technical terrain where I need to be careful where I step, I find the 600 lumen output is much better, even if the perceived difference may not be huge but on 600 lumens mode guzzles a lot of juice. For anything else, 400 lumen offers plenty of light and a decent runtime so it's really handy when 135 lumens is not enough.

For my use, having these two closely spaced modes makes perfect sense but can see it wouldn't be a benefit for everybody and even a nuisance for some.

I do have to cycle through all the levels to figure out which brightness level I'm using from time to time but I have to do it with my HL55 too so it's nothing new.
In the advantage with the HL55 and that the Turbo is hidden so you only have four brightness level to go through in the standard cycle. They could have possibly hidden the Turbo on the HM65R too and moved the switch for the spotlight on the side for better ease-of-use.

On a different note, I just got my ShadowMaster today and compared the runtimes in the instructions: it looks like SST40 of the ShadowMaster can run at the 400 lumens for up to 6 hours compared to the 4 hours of the SuperRaptor. These are lab measurements of course and to be honest I don't think I ever got 4 hours on 400 lumens out of a fresh battery for with SuperRaptor either. However, even if it could achieve 80% of the stated runtimes, it would be a 30% increase: a huge improvement for applications where runtimes are critical.

I'll test it tonight - I'm curious to see the differences in beam profiles. I hope the ShadowMaster won't have less flood than the SuperRaptor which for my use was already barely enough.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I have 2 headlamps, A Fenix HL60R and Wowtac A2S and for normal use I prefer the Wowtac because normally it has only 3 modes with 2 hidden modes and you basically go L/M/H and back to Low again while the Fenix has 6 modes 2xred/Eco/L/M/H/Turbo. You spend way too much time finding the right mode sometimes going through them twice. If the red mode and Turbo was hidden it would be a lot better. I don't use the red mode at all to me with an eco mode my night vision isn't too messed up.

 

[Labrador72]

The HL60R really has too many modes. I liked the charging micro-USB capability but very much preferred the 4 modes of the HL55 so stuck to it pretty much the whole time till the HL65R came out.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

The HL60R really has too many modes. I liked the charging micro-USB capability but very much preferred the 4 modes of the HL55 so stuck to it pretty much the whole time till the HL65R came out.

I'm not totally upset as I got it 1/2 price on clearance from Academy sports. $37.50 plus tax but it took me several months and several tries to get one at that price.

 

[Swedpat]

I think that close gaps would not be a problem in a light with a display showing the active mode.
But otherwise it will be hard for the eyes to distinguish between the modes. And with SIX modes all included in the memory of last used mode it will be just a mess:
if you want the lowest mode, but last time used the highest it's not good to put on the highest before you cycle down to the lowest. Or the opposite.
A perfect UI I think is: a short click to the allround most used mode, a long click from off to get the lowest mode and a double click to get the highest mode.
And here Thrunite/Wowtac has hit the point. A short click activates the last used of the regular modes. You can always from any mode or from off get turbomode, but never accidently. And you can always from off get firefly. And next time you do a short click you get the chosen allround mode.
No confusion there. And the gaps between the regular modes are big enough to avoid confusion about which of the regular modes are activated. Strobe is only achieved by a double click from turbo so it can be considered as hidden. Except from strobe it will be 5 modes, but works as a 3 modes light. Very practical, and that's a main reason Thrunite is my favorite brand, including its "budget serie" Wowtac.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

Another thing I like about my Wowtac that would help with my Fenix is the UI is opposite. On the Fenix you click and hold to turn on and click to cycle to EACH next mode so to cycled through 6 modes means click-hold and 6 clicks. The Wowtac you click to turn on and hold to cycle through modes a lot easier especially if you have gloves on making it harder to click a bunch of times.

 

[Swedpat]

I prefer a short click for on / off and long click for cycling through the modes. It has happened several times with Fenix ​​flashlights and headlamp that I accidentally increased the brightness level out in the field and noticed it afterwards. Therefore I am not a fan of this UI.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I prefer a short click for on / off and long click for cycling through the modes. It has happened several times with Fenix ​​flashlights and headlamp that I accidentally increased the brightness level out in the field and noticed it afterwards. Therefore I am not a fan of this UI.

Me neither as about 90% of the time I need L/M/H and don't need red/Eco/Turbo modes as it is either too low or too power consuming for normal usage. Although I do like the option of built in charging I find trying to get the plug off and the cable attached a pain. USB charging on 18650 cells for me is also not totally a hit as you have to have the cell just right to see the built in LED light to know it is done.
I still use the Fenix but it stays at home and the Wowtac goes to work and is used 3/4 the time at home too. It is nice that the modes between the two are very close to the same so when I do get the right mode I can expect similar runtimes from both lights.

 

[seery]

I prefer a short click for on / off and long click for cycling through the modes. It has happened several times with Fenix ​​flashlights and headlamp that I accidentally increased the brightness level out in the field and noticed it afterwards. Therefore I am not a fan of this UI.

I prefer a long hold for OFF [as with the Fenix HL55].

I'd much rather accidentally change modes than accidentally [and unexpectedly] turn the light OFF [as would and does happen with short click for off UI].

 

[Swedpat]

I prefer a long hold for OFF [as with the Fenix HL55].

I'd much rather accidentally change modes than accidentally [and unexpectedly] turn the light OFF [as would and does happen with short click for off UI].

My point is: you immediately notice if you turn off the light and can turn it on again. Accidently changing the mode is not always noticeable, especially not with a small brightness difference.
And I know some want a long click for ON because it prevents(or reduces) the risk for accidently turning it on in a pocket. That problem is solved by loosen the head just a bit. But different users have different opinions about this.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I prefer a long hold for OFF [as with the Fenix HL55].

I'd much rather accidentally change modes than accidentally [and unexpectedly] turn the light OFF [as would and does happen with short click for off UI].

I've never accidentally turned on either light I have. The slight chance of accidentally turning on my Wowtac A2S is a small price to pay to not have the irritating UI of my HL60R. A long press on the Wowtac turns on the firefly mode and it can run for I think about a week or so at that light level.

 

[seery]

I've never accidentally turned on either light I have.

Accidentally turning one ON doesn't concern me much provided we aren't talking about a fire hazard.

But had one accidentally turn OFF a few times and it can be dangerous.

And I'm not a fan of the HL60R or its UI.