H14 LED Lenser - Ideal Headlamp for everyone ?

If you look at the physical design of the new LED Lenser H14, it seems LED Lenser have looked at the needs of many possible users - and it's not just a headlamp.

For most of the things I do (camping, bush rescue, technical work) a headlamp has huge advantages over a handheld torch.

But there's one situation where a torch at waist-height is way better - when walking in rough terrain, a headlamp conceals any unevenness in the track - a waist-high light cast shadows from rocks and holes that make them very visible. The H14 is designed to allow easy belt-mounting, as well as many other configurations.


The UI is designed to be programmable to suit many different types of situations - buy one light and select the program based on what you're doing tonight !

Hold - Dimmer then Brighter
1 push - Morse / Boost / Power / Low Power / Dim / Blink / SOS / Defence Strobe
4 pushes - Professional / Easy / Defence programs
8 pushes - Reducing Power / Constant Current

http://www.zweibrueder.com/ENG/produ...499.php?id=h14

It's available from 28 May 2011.

I reckon it'll be one of the best headlights available. Almost certainly the best commercially available one and best bank-for-buck.

Just a few things that stop it being 'Ideal' in my book (and I have very specific demands):

Minor:
Button on the back of the head instead of the front.

Moderate:
Not submersible
348g is too heavy for running but it might be well-balanced enough to get away with it.
Uses AA cells instead of 18650s
The rubber cover for the battery case will probably wear out too early just like my Petzl and BD versions did.

Major:
2 actions are needed to go from low-power flood to high-power spot. This is what I need 90% of the time so I want it to be easy.
Needs a stronger medium-shaped beam. 300-400 lumens for moving fast (running, cycling or paddling) in unknown terrain.


When they make the headlamp that satisfies these demands, then I reckon there'll be no more room for me to play around with expensive custom jobs.

MikeAusC, I'll wait with the congratulations until I get it in my hands - all LedLenser's are great on paper but in real world they usually suck, with the exaggerated lumen count at the beginning of the list...

i.e. H7 - they are claiming 170 lumens - in real world the led Cree XR-E (wished to be Q5) gets 196mA -> 60 lumens at led... :thumbsdow

The H7s I have are brighter than any 60 lumen light I've seen. Maybe you should buy one, and try it. You may fool yourself, and even like it.

electrothump, done that...

LedLenser H7R claimed 140 lumens vs Fenix HP10 claimed 120





LL = LoL

So what are we looking at in the photos ?

I've just never cared for the adjustable focus lenses as far a the look of the beam is concerned. I had a cheap DX adjustable focus light that looked more or less like the beams in your pictures. I don't think LED Lenser will ever produce the "ideal" headlamp for "everyone". It may be ideal for the group that likes LED Lensers in the first place.