Surefire 300 minimus
- Thread starter nkrantz
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- Jan 26, 2015
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The original Minimus had a very small parasitic drain, toss the headlamp in the glove box and a year later, no juice. I have 4 of the older Minimus that are in my cars, truck and boat "just in case". I've put a piece of electrical tape over the positive terminal of the cell. Inconvenient yes, but the cell has juice after many months.
The Surefire website listing say click for on/off. I hope there is no drain in the off position. All the other features look great. I believe the LED/reflector is similiar to to the Titan-A and 2211 Wrist Lights. Impatiently waiting, this one has taken a while.
The Surefire website listing say click for on/off. I hope there is no drain in the off position. All the other features look great. I believe the LED/reflector is similiar to to the Titan-A and 2211 Wrist Lights. Impatiently waiting, this one has taken a while.
It will be interesting to see the reviews, Surefire has a 25% off coupon through cyber monday but that's probably about what these will sell for on the street. The only thing that really attracts me to it is the fact it is easy to dial the exact light output you want. It sounds like the light remembers the last used setting, so there may be some drain.
Is the minimus regulated? Surefire's webpage technical info leaves a lot to be desired, it's too bad they don't post their manuals online because those usually have some info and runtime/brightness curves in them, at least they used to. It looks to use a similar type of beam/reflector as the XC1 weaponlight/titan do, and that's probably good for most headlamp use. I really wish Surefire would pick one runtime definition though, they have at least 3. There's "tactical runtime" which is the time until the light output drops to 90% of full brightness, the "ANSI standard" which if I remember right is when the light output drops to 10% of full brightness, and the "time until the output is 50 lumens" which it's big brother the Maximus uses that in a 1000 lumen light represents the time it takes for the light to drop to 5% of full brightness. They don't specify which they are rating the Minimus with on the webpage but it appears from shot show videos of it back in January it's the ANSI spec. (it's my understanding only those companies using the ANSI standard can use the specific design info boxes on their products/marketing).
It's not Surefire's "thing" but these days the 18650 batteries provide so much more capacity in such a small platform that lights using them are my go to for just about everything that isn't a weapon light these days. For example the Zebra H600, has a max output of 1300 lumens, but will run at 350 lumens for 4.5 hours, while the minimus can only do 300 lumens for 1.5 hours*. They are both within a 0.5oz of each other in weight, though I'd guess the Zebra is slightly bigger but half the price.
It's also amusing that the Surefire rep in the video said they'd be on the market in a month (only 9 months late!) and would retail for $160 instead of the $200 they list it at now, perhaps he meant street price, or they are trying to recoup whatever caused 9 months of release delays.
Is the minimus regulated? Surefire's webpage technical info leaves a lot to be desired, it's too bad they don't post their manuals online because those usually have some info and runtime/brightness curves in them, at least they used to. It looks to use a similar type of beam/reflector as the XC1 weaponlight/titan do, and that's probably good for most headlamp use. I really wish Surefire would pick one runtime definition though, they have at least 3. There's "tactical runtime" which is the time until the light output drops to 90% of full brightness, the "ANSI standard" which if I remember right is when the light output drops to 10% of full brightness, and the "time until the output is 50 lumens" which it's big brother the Maximus uses that in a 1000 lumen light represents the time it takes for the light to drop to 5% of full brightness. They don't specify which they are rating the Minimus with on the webpage but it appears from shot show videos of it back in January it's the ANSI spec. (it's my understanding only those companies using the ANSI standard can use the specific design info boxes on their products/marketing).
It's not Surefire's "thing" but these days the 18650 batteries provide so much more capacity in such a small platform that lights using them are my go to for just about everything that isn't a weapon light these days. For example the Zebra H600, has a max output of 1300 lumens, but will run at 350 lumens for 4.5 hours, while the minimus can only do 300 lumens for 1.5 hours*. They are both within a 0.5oz of each other in weight, though I'd guess the Zebra is slightly bigger but half the price.
It's also amusing that the Surefire rep in the video said they'd be on the market in a month (only 9 months late!) and would retail for $160 instead of the $200 they list it at now, perhaps he meant street price, or they are trying to recoup whatever caused 9 months of release delays.
I attempted to buy a new Minimus 300 with the Surefire CYBER discount, but it doesn't apply to the Minimus 300. I guess I'll wait some more until these show up in retail channels. Did Elon Musk ever work for Surefire? The time between Tesla's product announcements and their actual availability looks just like Surefire's timing.
nja4k
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2010
- Messages
- 28
Now bring in the vision model!
200 lumen vision would be great.
200 lumen vision would be great.
marinemaster
Flashlight Enthusiast
+1
marinemaster
Flashlight Enthusiast
We just need a 1xAA Vision headlamp from SF with tint and reflector of the new Titan AAA. Simple as that.
Surefire has them in stock. Anyone take the leap?
I have one incoming... will post a review once I receive it.
I've long been conflicted about the Minimus, I really like the UI and the very good profile of the floody beam for outdoor activities... Also, for whatever it's worth, I appreciate supporting USA-made and the Surefire lifetime guarantee and reputation for durability... HOWEVER, I could never get over the distracting artifacts and "prism rings" (especially) that plagued the previous version and that wreaked havoc with my peripheral vision... (Call me picky, but I expect better from a light in this price range.) Looks like the optics have been re-designed with this version so I'm hopeful those issues are resolved. Will also have to see how the new UI is and whether there is any parasitic drain...
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Exactly how I felt. Loved my Minimus but could not take the artifacts on the side. I have the Sidekick which I love. The beam is fine and I'm thinking the new Minimus will be a winner with the new reflector and the on-off switch. Almost ordered last night.......might cave tonight.
I also belive in supporting USA made products and Surefire....great product and service.
marinemaster
Flashlight Enthusiast
My guess based on the description of the Titan and Minimus they have about the same reflector design. Titan beam is amazing for a wide beam, hopefully Minimus will be the same.
The Minimus 300 arrived today.......... Pics below (including package shot with specs.)
Package included the headlamp (with battery), instructions, a red filter and spare velcro with adhesive for the "Breathe-O-Prene" pad.
Here are my initial thoughts after 30 minutes of use:
Fit and build
Fit and build are classic Surefire. Very high quality. Tight tolerances, no blemishes or flaws. Just feels solid. (But is not heavy - 3.3 oz is what the package claims.)
The headlamp rotates smoothly (but is not loose at all) in the enclosure. It definitely takes some pressure - there's no way it would rotate freely on its own. I'm assuming that Surefire also included the screws behind the "Breathe-O-Prene" pad that the previous Minimus had for adjusting how much force is needed to rotate the lamp - but I don't want to peel the velcro off just yet!
The dial for adjusting brightness spins easily and smoothly. It does spin completely freely in either direction - there are no stops. Not sure how I feel about this - it feels a little bit odd to be able to keep rotating the dial once you hit maximum or minimum and have nothing happen. I'm sure I'll adapt, though, once it becomes familiar. (More on this later.)
The button is on the end of the dial that adjusts brightness on the right side. (Actually, lefties could probably just flip the headlamp over to reverse that - the lamp looks symmetrical...) The button is quite firm to depress. It is recessed and takes some pressure to activate it. There's no way to "lock the headlamp" other than loosening the battery compartment, but it would take quite a bit to accidentally activate the headlamp. I'm 50/50 on whether I'd loosen the battery compartment when I cram it in a pack (my intended use for this light) - I wouldn't suspect the light to accidentally activate, but just to be safe I might loosen the battery compartment... You can activate the button with one hand, but you definitely have to reach across the headlamp and apply opposing force against the other side - otherwise the pressure required to activate the button would move the headlamp on your head. My initial feeling on the button is that it seems pretty solid. Only quibble would be that with gloves it might be difficult depress the button. But I'm quibbling.
Strap and headlamp enclosure seem very similar to previous model. It's very comfortable to wear and the "Breathe-O-Prene" pad eliminates "headlamp-forehead." It's fairly light on the head. As with the previous model, you can wear this comfortably for a long time. Not having a battery on the back is nice for some applications. The lamp doesn't feel top- or forward- heavy.
Knurling on the knob and battery enclosure are very good - not too deep and feel tacky - fingers don't really slip at all. Haven't tried it wet.
Battery compartment threads are nice and deep - spins smoothly.
Overall, 10/10 for fit and build. As I said, classic Surefire - I can't find a flaw in the build.
Operation
As described above, there is a button on the end of the brightness adjustment knob that turns the lamp on or off. Pressing and releasing turns the light off and on. Holding for 4 seconds activates the SOS (blinking) feature.
Once the light is on, rotating the dial adjust brightness up or down. Once you reach the maximum (or minimum) the dial keeps spinning but brightness doesn't increase (decrease.) So clearly digitally controlled. It feels smooth, though, and you have to look hard to see any "jumps" between brightness levels. Turning slowly, however lets you dial in whatever level you want. The levels are spaced fairly close together, so the dial feels pretty sensitive. If I were quibbling I might spread them out just a bit more. But it is really helpful that if you want to rapidly increase/decrease brightness you don't have to rotate the dial too far...
The headlamp has memory so it switches on in the last brightness level you used. I'm curious - and will try to determine - if this causes any parasitic drain... Rotating the brightness adjustment knob while the lamp is off does not adjust brightness. (So this is NOT similar to how the HDS Rotary lights work...)
If you open the battery compartment the memory is cleared and it appears the lamp always switches on at the lowest level. (So in a pinch you can always "reset" to the lowest level by loosening and then tightening the battery compartment.
I mention this because there may be times when you may want the light to come on at a particular brightness level (i.e. to preserve night vision.) You just have to be aware of how this light functions. My preference is that in general I want my light to come on in the lowest setting (again - to preserve night vision and prevent unwanted, full-brightness surprises.) Accordingly, my habit will probably be to always turn the light to the lowest setting before turning off. This will have the added benefit of helping the battery last longer in case of an accidental activation...
On operation I'll give the light an initial 8/10. I really like the rotary knob UI. So much cleaner (IMO) than the multiple clicks or press-and-holds of other systems. Call me a simple guy but this is just easy. The button adds nice functionality. The HDS Rotary UI beats this out by a hair with the ability to adjust brightness while the lamp is off...
Beam
So this was probably my biggest concern over previous versions of the Minimus. As mentioned in a previous post, the earlier versions of the Minimus were plagued with beam artifacts and annoying "prismatic rings."
I am very happy to report that my version of the Minimus 300 exhibits NONE of these artifacts. The optics have been totally redesigned (a previous poster says they look similar to the Maximus.) I spent some time white wall watching and cannot see any LED die artifacts or rings whatsoever. (Whew!!!)
The beam is comfortably floody with no discernible hotspot. It is not "ultra-wide" - it doesn't flood everywhere. As with the previous versions of the lamp, I think this is a very practical all around outdoor use amount of flood. It's clearly not a "thrower" but also therefore does not create as much tunnel vision when using it. You get a good look at your surroundings. I'd feel very comfortable using it around camp and probably even for running. (Although the high-end Petzl headstraps are much better for this application.)
The packaging claims that the light is "warm colored light." I would actually say it's neutral. It is not bluish or green or white at all. However it is not yellowy like my Malkoff M61w. It sits right in between those two, giving a very accurate and pleasing color rendition. I'm very happy with the color...
(It's raining cats and dogs tonight but at some point I'll try to add some beam shots.)
So overall, 10/10. A very clean, practical, all-around beam profile that works for many applications.
Overall impressions
Overall, my initial impressions are very positive - the Minimus is a light I've wanted to like for a long time but I've struggled with the abysmal beam problems of previous versions. This light has none of those problems. The UI has changed a bit from previous versions, but I think in the end the addition of the button and memory feature will prove to be beneficial to many. We'll have to see if there are any parasitic drain issues caused by the memory...
My main use for this light will be hiking/camping/backpacking - since I've consolidated on the CR123 form factor because of other items that are part of my kit (Steripen, ...) I don't need 1,000 lumens on my head for most camping duties and I really like the ability to dial in the exact brightness I want/need. For what I'll be using it for, I'm hoping that I can depend on Surefire's typical durability and dependability (and excellent guarantee...) And I like the fact that I'm supporting a US company and US manufacturing...
YMMV, but I'm pumped: we may have a real winner here!
Package included the headlamp (with battery), instructions, a red filter and spare velcro with adhesive for the "Breathe-O-Prene" pad.
Here are my initial thoughts after 30 minutes of use:
Fit and build
Fit and build are classic Surefire. Very high quality. Tight tolerances, no blemishes or flaws. Just feels solid. (But is not heavy - 3.3 oz is what the package claims.)
The headlamp rotates smoothly (but is not loose at all) in the enclosure. It definitely takes some pressure - there's no way it would rotate freely on its own. I'm assuming that Surefire also included the screws behind the "Breathe-O-Prene" pad that the previous Minimus had for adjusting how much force is needed to rotate the lamp - but I don't want to peel the velcro off just yet!
The dial for adjusting brightness spins easily and smoothly. It does spin completely freely in either direction - there are no stops. Not sure how I feel about this - it feels a little bit odd to be able to keep rotating the dial once you hit maximum or minimum and have nothing happen. I'm sure I'll adapt, though, once it becomes familiar. (More on this later.)
The button is on the end of the dial that adjusts brightness on the right side. (Actually, lefties could probably just flip the headlamp over to reverse that - the lamp looks symmetrical...) The button is quite firm to depress. It is recessed and takes some pressure to activate it. There's no way to "lock the headlamp" other than loosening the battery compartment, but it would take quite a bit to accidentally activate the headlamp. I'm 50/50 on whether I'd loosen the battery compartment when I cram it in a pack (my intended use for this light) - I wouldn't suspect the light to accidentally activate, but just to be safe I might loosen the battery compartment... You can activate the button with one hand, but you definitely have to reach across the headlamp and apply opposing force against the other side - otherwise the pressure required to activate the button would move the headlamp on your head. My initial feeling on the button is that it seems pretty solid. Only quibble would be that with gloves it might be difficult depress the button. But I'm quibbling.
Strap and headlamp enclosure seem very similar to previous model. It's very comfortable to wear and the "Breathe-O-Prene" pad eliminates "headlamp-forehead."
It's fairly light on the head. As with the previous model, you can wear this comfortably for a long time. Not having a battery on the back is nice for some applications. The lamp doesn't feel top- or forward- heavy.Knurling on the knob and battery enclosure are very good - not too deep and feel tacky - fingers don't really slip at all. Haven't tried it wet.
Battery compartment threads are nice and deep - spins smoothly.
Overall, 10/10 for fit and build. As I said, classic Surefire - I can't find a flaw in the build.
Operation
As described above, there is a button on the end of the brightness adjustment knob that turns the lamp on or off. Pressing and releasing turns the light off and on. Holding for 4 seconds activates the SOS (blinking) feature.
Once the light is on, rotating the dial adjust brightness up or down. Once you reach the maximum (or minimum) the dial keeps spinning but brightness doesn't increase (decrease.) So clearly digitally controlled. It feels smooth, though, and you have to look hard to see any "jumps" between brightness levels. Turning slowly, however lets you dial in whatever level you want. The levels are spaced fairly close together, so the dial feels pretty sensitive. If I were quibbling I might spread them out just a bit more. But it is really helpful that if you want to rapidly increase/decrease brightness you don't have to rotate the dial too far...
The headlamp has memory so it switches on in the last brightness level you used. I'm curious - and will try to determine - if this causes any parasitic drain... Rotating the brightness adjustment knob while the lamp is off does not adjust brightness. (So this is NOT similar to how the HDS Rotary lights work...)
If you open the battery compartment the memory is cleared and it appears the lamp always switches on at the lowest level. (So in a pinch you can always "reset" to the lowest level by loosening and then tightening the battery compartment.
I mention this because there may be times when you may want the light to come on at a particular brightness level (i.e. to preserve night vision.) You just have to be aware of how this light functions. My preference is that in general I want my light to come on in the lowest setting (again - to preserve night vision and prevent unwanted, full-brightness surprises.) Accordingly, my habit will probably be to always turn the light to the lowest setting before turning off. This will have the added benefit of helping the battery last longer in case of an accidental activation...
On operation I'll give the light an initial 8/10. I really like the rotary knob UI. So much cleaner (IMO) than the multiple clicks or press-and-holds of other systems. Call me a simple guy but this is just easy. The button adds nice functionality. The HDS Rotary UI beats this out by a hair with the ability to adjust brightness while the lamp is off...
Beam
So this was probably my biggest concern over previous versions of the Minimus. As mentioned in a previous post, the earlier versions of the Minimus were plagued with beam artifacts and annoying "prismatic rings."
I am very happy to report that my version of the Minimus 300 exhibits NONE of these artifacts. The optics have been totally redesigned (a previous poster says they look similar to the Maximus.) I spent some time white wall watching and cannot see any LED die artifacts or rings whatsoever. (Whew!!!)
The beam is comfortably floody with no discernible hotspot. It is not "ultra-wide" - it doesn't flood everywhere. As with the previous versions of the lamp, I think this is a very practical all around outdoor use amount of flood. It's clearly not a "thrower" but also therefore does not create as much tunnel vision when using it. You get a good look at your surroundings. I'd feel very comfortable using it around camp and probably even for running. (Although the high-end Petzl headstraps are much better for this application.)
The packaging claims that the light is "warm colored light." I would actually say it's neutral. It is not bluish or green or white at all. However it is not yellowy like my Malkoff M61w. It sits right in between those two, giving a very accurate and pleasing color rendition. I'm very happy with the color...
(It's raining cats and dogs tonight but at some point I'll try to add some beam shots.)
So overall, 10/10. A very clean, practical, all-around beam profile that works for many applications.
Overall impressions
Overall, my initial impressions are very positive - the Minimus is a light I've wanted to like for a long time but I've struggled with the abysmal beam problems of previous versions. This light has none of those problems. The UI has changed a bit from previous versions, but I think in the end the addition of the button and memory feature will prove to be beneficial to many. We'll have to see if there are any parasitic drain issues caused by the memory...
My main use for this light will be hiking/camping/backpacking - since I've consolidated on the CR123 form factor because of other items that are part of my kit (Steripen, ...) I don't need 1,000 lumens on my head for most camping duties and I really like the ability to dial in the exact brightness I want/need. For what I'll be using it for, I'm hoping that I can depend on Surefire's typical durability and dependability (and excellent guarantee...) And I like the fact that I'm supporting a US company and US manufacturing...
YMMV, but I'm pumped: we may have a real winner here!
marinemaster
Flashlight Enthusiast
Wow thanks for the full report. [emoji3] Really appreciate it. For sure this is a must buy. Sounds like all is very well engineered. I tried the see a close up of the reflector and yea looks like the Titan. Pure genius design. This reminds me of the LX1 and LX2 where depending on pressure you get high or low. Surefire at its best, I almost want to say that Paul Kim designed that while he was still at SF. Man this definitely on the list !!! I don't have one yet but sure will [emoji1]
The way it changes/switches levels sounds like a Surefire engineering, these guys are amazing. Ok I'm sold [emoji1][emoji1][emoji1]
Thanks again very much for the detail review and pictures. [emoji106][emoji106]
The way it changes/switches levels sounds like a Surefire engineering, these guys are amazing. Ok I'm sold [emoji1][emoji1][emoji1]
Thanks again very much for the detail review and pictures. [emoji106][emoji106]
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gunga
Flashaholic
Cool. How low is the lowest low?
Good question... It's definitely NOT an ultra-low low (moonlight.) The SureFire website is unclear - the specs say 1 lumen but the description says 5 lumens. My guess would be that it's 5 lumens. It's not as bright as my Malkoff M61 on low (~10 lumens.) But it appears brighter than a "1 lumen" (not scientifically measured) light I have. (The lack of hotspot makes it hard for me to do an apples-to-apples comparison.)
The low is just about the right brightness to hold something at reading distance (for me) without being overly bright. I had no problem reading a book or even walking around the dark house with it on low - I think in a dark environment it would be possible to carry out most close to short range tasks on low. I could understand how some might desire a slightly lower low setting for some applications, however. Picking nits, having one level lower might have been nicer...
You didn't ask, but I'd guess the high is pretty close to the 300 claimed lumens. It lights up my living room very nicely on high. Again the diffuse beam is perfect for area lighting - it would not be that great for spot-lighting...
I'll use it to walk the dog here shortly and will get a better feel for outdoors...
My guess is that for general use I would be comfortable using it in the lower 1/3 of the brightness range for most activities. Up to 1/2 power for hiking at night and over that if further range or detail was needed... Real world testing will be necessary to verify that, though.
Okay, a quick dog walking report:
Outside, I felt comfortable walking (in familiar territory) and watching a dog on a 6 foot leash with the light on the lowest 3rd or 4th setting (out of 12.) The lowest low was too low to be able to see clearly with the ambient light on my neighborhood street. In a completely dark environment it might be different...
At about level 10 and above, everything within 25 feet or so of the direction I was looking was lit up very clearly - at that point it was actually too bright to be used for looking directly down at your feet. Using it at level 10 and above I would angle the beam so that it was aimed 10 feet or further in front of me. Closer than that would have been too bright...
Outside, I felt comfortable walking (in familiar territory) and watching a dog on a 6 foot leash with the light on the lowest 3rd or 4th setting (out of 12.) The lowest low was too low to be able to see clearly with the ambient light on my neighborhood street. In a completely dark environment it might be different...
At about level 10 and above, everything within 25 feet or so of the direction I was looking was lit up very clearly - at that point it was actually too bright to be used for looking directly down at your feet. Using it at level 10 and above I would angle the beam so that it was aimed 10 feet or further in front of me. Closer than that would have been too bright...
Thanks for taking one for the team! Looks like they took care of my worries and nice to see they still throw in the red cover. My order will be in shortly. Excellent write up by the way! :thumbsup:
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