New SF Maximus Vision 450 lumens

I got the email, new SF Maximus Vision rechargeable. Likely 18650 batt. Looks like neutral tint and wide beam. 450 lumens. Will check it out at some point. Should be very interesting.

marinemaster said:

I got the email, new SF Maximus Vision rechargeable. Likely 18650 batt. Looks like neutral tint and wide beam. 450 lumens. Will check it out at some point. Should be very interesting.

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SF is giving in to 18650... I'll be interested with this.

18650 is a good format, if is indeed it may make it on my list.

Is this really an 18650 light? I did not think the battery was removable.

450 isn't a lot of lumens. Is it high cri?

twistedraven said:

450 isn't a lot of lumens. Is it high cri?

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Probably surefire lumens, more like 550.

The thing here for me is the somewhat neutral tint likely similar with the new Titan AAA and the hopefully same reflector design which is groundbreaking in my view on the Titan.

550 lumens would be pretty good if we could get about 2 hours of max sustained output out of an 18650, with no dropoffs or gradual decline.

twistedraven said:

550 lumens would be pretty good if we could get about 2 hours of max sustained output out of an 18650, with no dropoffs or gradual decline.

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The technology is not there yet to give you 2 hours. 1 hour at 500 lumens from a single cell is the efficiency standard for now. My concern is the integral battery that's not replaceable. SF wants me to spend $280 on a light with a battery that usually lasts 3-5 years from regular use. Are we expected to dump the light after the battery dies? The infinite control on these lights makes them very expensive. They can be made cheaper if the control dial is designed with preset modes like a HDS light to cut cost.

I'm holding out for a minimus vision with the new reflector.

mega_lumens said:

The technology is not there yet to give you 2 hours. 1 hour at 500 lumens from a single cell is the efficiency standard for now.

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That doesn't seem too terribly long. Is there much of a difference between getting 3.5-4 hours out of 350ish lumens vs 1 hour out of 500 lumens? Is 500 lumens that much more of a strain on the battery?

mk2rocco said:

I'm holding out for a minimus vision with the new reflector.

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+1. I have a Minimus and the 'prism' effect from the Fresnel lens is both annoying and, IMO, decreases the effective distance you can see due to the light's splash-back into the users eyes. I'm hoping a reflector would correct this and if so I'd be willing to upgrade.

mega_lumens said:

The technology is not there yet to give you 2 hours. 1 hour at 500 lumens from a single cell is the efficiency standard for now. My concern is the integral battery that's not replaceable. SF wants me to spend $280 on a light with a battery that usually lasts 3-5 years from regular use. Are we expected to dump the light after the battery dies? The infinite control on these lights makes them very expensive. They can be made cheaper if the control dial is designed with preset modes like a HDS light to cut cost.

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If the current system used by HDS is less costly then the system used by SF I wonder how much more an HDS would cost with a SF like control, they're already very expensive. And on the flip, how much less could the SF be with the less expensive HDS style rotary control. As is a Minimus is half the price of a Rotary.

mega_lumens said:

My concern is the integral battery that's not replaceable. SF wants me to spend $280 on a light with a battery that usually lasts 3-5 years from regular use. Are we expected to dump the light after the battery dies?

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Surefire, ~500 lumens, neutral white, ...

That all sounds pretty good.

Proprietary battery?

That's a deal-breaker for me.

KeepingItLight said:

Surefire, ~500 lumens, neutral white, ...

That all sounds pretty good.

Proprietary battery?

That's a deal-breaker for me.

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Considering the junk 18650's on the market, and that this is a headlamp, I totally understand why SF is doing that--liability. They don't want to get sued when their headlamp blows someone's head off. Quality control is paramount for an 18650 powered headlamp.

KeepingItLight said:

Surefire, ~500 lumens, neutral white, ...

That all sounds pretty good.

Proprietary battery?

That's a deal-breaker for me.

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Yup. Same here.

I just bought a new vision this week. Went for a 5 mile walk the first night I had it. I love the interface on these. That's what draws me to surefire headlamps. I wasnt a fan of the ugly beam and output on the saint minimus but loved the interface. This vision has a wonderful tint and beam. My version is on the warmer sight then neutral like some have reported. I never used high very much but when I did it was very pleasant. Really lights up a wide area ofcourse, throw isn't bad either. I look forward to using it more, especially during deer season!