Thoughts on new Petzl Tikka Series

[woodentsick]

Hey guys, what do you think of the Peztl Tikka 2 and the Petzl Tikka Plus 2?

Do you think the Tikka 2 is good enough for night hiking, climbing and camping or do I have to pay the extra $$ for the Tikka Plus 2?

Also, are the abovementioned headlamps durable (i.e. for cramming it in a pack, dropping it etc)?

Thanks and comments are appreciated,

woodentsick

 

[d1337]

I bought a Tikka 2 and didn't really like it. It was not as good as my Princeton Tec EOS Rebel. I ended up returning it. The translucent body seemed throw off my night vision and the beam pattern wasn't that great. The only con for the EOS is that it is slightly bigger.

 

[beautifully-stupid]

+1 on d1337's comment

The beam pattern is too narrow for hiking with little spill... with the diffuser, its just doesn't seem bright enough.

There are much better options out there.

The rebel eos was visibly brighter than my XP Tikka Plus 2 and the tint was much more outdoor friendly.

Add to this the Regulated output of the EOS, over the flickering / PWM of the Petzl... and it's almost a no-brainer.

(The PWM was so bad on my Tikka it made me nauseous while walking.)

 

[I Know Nothing]

Durability: Had a first generation Petzl Tikka since mid nineties(?)... shoved in my backpack and been all over the world and up many mountains with me. So durable that way... but dropped it about 3 ft onto my laminate flooring the other day and a bit of plastic snapped off so as it won't stay closed any more... still works held together with a rubber band.

 

[yowzer]

'Underwhelmed' seems to be the general consensus. Aside from having a newer LED, they seem like a step back from the old models, with fewer brightness modes, and no steps forward in, say, waterproofness.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

I've got the Tikka XP 2 and I wasn't that impressed. I like the high setting and the diffuser, but my most used setting is usually medium and they got rid of it. Low has PWM and the strobing is very noticeable, making it basically unusable (gives me a headache while hiking within a minute). This light is basically useless unless I need it on high the whole time for a short hike. No medium and a lousy low make it useless for backpacking. It isn't waterproof, but I like the ease of changing batteries as it's like my PT EOS but without the screw. It has a lot more glare than my other headlights, making it somewhat annoying to use on high as it messes up your vision (and I don't wear glasses). For the money, you're better off getting a PT EOS or a Fenix HL20 headlight.

 

[Woods Walker]

I have the older 4-5MM LED Tikka plus, 35 lumens I think and it's ok but my newer EOS is just great for a 3XAAA headlamp and cheaper so never found a reason to go with the newer Petzl stuff. I like the HD20 and it's also cheaper. I wanted the XP for some time so held off for an update but they took one step forward and two steps back in my view.

 

[Magnumpy]

I got a Tikka XP 2 a while back, but have since moved to the Myo RXP which I give much higher marks (it's more expensive though). I still use the Tikka occasionally as a booklight, for other tasks it's inadequate IMO.

 

[h3n4]

The new Tikka series lamps seem to be quite nice IMO. The lack of third (middle) brightness level is a bit annoying, but not a real deal killer for me. The PWM flickering isn't a problem for me, so I don't care. They're cheap and durable, so go for one.

The Tikka 2 is pretty much similar to the old Tikka plus, but since the new Tikka plus 2 doesn't have the diffusor lens, I'd say the XP 2 is a better option.

Personally I still prefer the Led Lenser H7.

-Henri

 

[woodentsick]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all your replies, and I'm happy to say that I've ordered a new Princeton Tec EOS!!!!!!!

Thanks again,

woodentsick