Reading Headlamp

What are your thoughts about using red light for reading books at night (30-60 minutes of book reading)?


I'm giving strong consideration to the Zebralight H502r (red) or the H502c (high CRI/4000K).


I have the Spark SD6-460NW for reference. The flood lens is best for me since it doesn't put a light spot on the book pages, making it easier to use the eyes to follow the text, rather than having to follow the text with your headlamp. But a flood lens puts light out to the sides, which might annoy others around you. I also like ~70-80 lumens, but no one else around you is going to like it. And remember not to look at someone when they start talking to you!


The red light has me curious. It won't blind anyone, ruin night vision, easier for everyone else around, and the white pages won't reflect a lot of light back, and the black text shows up just fine. But I don't have the experience with red light, nor been able to read for an hour to find out how my eyes and mind like reading. Not sure if red light is going to cause eye strain, fatigue, or make me more tired than a conventional white light.


Red light thoughts?
Zebralight thoughts?
Zebralight alternatives?


Thanks,
Jake

Personally I like using my hcri/neutral lights with moonlight mode to read at night or navigate around without disturbing anyone late At night. Red would most likely cause eye strain after long reading sessions in the dark. Zebralights are an excellent choice since you have multiple moonlight modes that won't cause ur night vision to deteriorate.

I use a ArmyTek Tiara. I just love the moonlight beam on that thing.

The Fenix HL05 might be a great fit for you......

StillRunning said:

The Fenix HL05 might be a great fit for you......

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Just a FYI, but I found the red on the HL05 is too dim for comfortable reading, even with dark-adapted vision.

Yep, I would agree the red would not work well for reading. I thought the low white mode might work well.

My all-time favorite light for reading in bed at night is the red light from the old Petzl e+Lite.

Red light works extremely well for reading! It makes the black type really pop out, and it reduces the glare from the white page.

Only problem: the new-model e+Lite changed its red LED, and spoiled it. They moved from a narrow-beam, clear lens, to a milky plastic lens which is very diffuse.

So not only does it not throw enough light on your page to read by. It also throws too much light around the room, and gets in your bed-mate's eyes.

(That's why I would not use the H502r, by the way--I own one of those, and use it for a rear-blinky on my bike, but it is so wide-angle that light will bleed all over the bedroom before you have enough on the page in front of you.)

I have cursed at the Petzl people and tried to tell them how much better the old red LED was, but I guess I'm not their market.

When my old Petzl e+Lite dies, then I will rig up something for a Photon Freedom red LED. That throws the perfect beam of light, and with the infinite ramp you can get your favorite intensity (well below full brightness). The only problem is adapting it for a head-lamp form factor. I have done various tricks over the years--taping it to the temple-pieces on my reading glasses, for instance--but I don't have the killer mod to turn it into a red headlamp. Not yet.

Short story: you should totally go for red light for reading in bed at night. It is the ideal light for that application. If you can get an *old* Petzl e+Lite, then you have a great set-up. (The old has the ribbon head-band and whistle; the new has the retractible cord like the Zipka).

The only time when I use something other than red light for reading at night is when I am marking up my students' papers with a red pen. Then the red ink is invisible against the white page! That's when I use my CPF 15th anniversary Atom 0, with the beautiful hi CRI Nichia in it. Plop it in my Atom 360 headlamp holder, and I have a good reader with full-color sensitivity.

@lampeDépêche: Thank you for stopping me from buying the H502r.

I've been using the Sparks SD6-460NW, using both the flood and non-flood lens. The flood lens is too much spill, and also requires a higher output setting. The non-flood lens focuses the light on the middle of the page and creates a center spot light which requires you to move your head around; not bad, but not ideal. I would prefer the beam to be the size of the book with minimal spill. Also, the non-flood lens can be used with the lowest setting since it focuses more of the light. The less than ideal issue the color tint is greenish on the lowest setting. Fantastic tint at higher output, just not at the moonlight setting. I've seen a lot of the lights discuss color temperature, tint, and CRI, but I'm suspicious the results are different depending on the power output (different results for moonlight versus turbo).

Anyone try the Zebralight H52Fw AA Floody Neutral White?

I used the red LEDs in my Olight H15 to read, but sometimes I felt they weren't bright enought. The H15 broke and I got H15R as a replacement. Unfortunately it doesn't have red light. Now I use Xtar H1, but I prefer using its white light on lowest mode with li-ion. Using it with li-ion seems to lower the output on the lowest mode compared to using AA in it. I've put a piece of scotch tape around the head to diffuse the lights. I find it quite optimal for reading.

I also have AT Tiara A1, but I often feel the ff2 mode is not bright enough and low mode is too bright (for my girlfriend who is often sleeping by the time I start reading).

snakyjake said:

@lampeDépêche: Thank you for stopping me from buying the H502r.

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Hey, now--I never said you shouldn't *buy* it! I mean: it's a Zebralight: of course you should buy it!

I just said that it's not ideal for reading at night, since it will wake up others in your room.

You'll find lots of other uses for it--like I said, I use mine on the back of my bicycle as one of my rear blinkies. Phenomenal as a marker-light because of the color, the intensity, and the spread.

I find that a headlamp with a moonlight mode in neutral white does a good job. I really don't like or see the point in colored leds when these requirements are met. My choice is a Thrunite TH10.

Anyone try the Zebralight H52Fw AA Floody Neutral White?[/QUOTE]


I've got this exact light and it works extremely well for reading at night...and really any other task that's fairly close at hand.