Spy 005 vs Spy 007

Thetasigma

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Hello everyone, I thought I'd share some photos and comparison of the differences between the 005 and 007 for those who are interested. This is one of the new all titanium 005s and a 007 Sapphire. The 007 has a 005 knob but is otherwise a typical optional configuration for a 007 with the Springfield knurl and stonewash package.
Both are fantastic lights and I strongly suggest either for those who have yet to indulge :devil: the Spy line has no equal.

Configuration option comparisons,

005: Standard polished knob and head with stonewash finish.
-Polished battery cap option

007: Standard machine finish and plain sides
-Finish package option with Springfield Knurls or Bars and stonewash option
-Vault Cap, a twist-release version of the battery cap instead of standard pin-release
-Vegas Knob, a watch-crown like knob with the ability to physically lock-out the light or limit the number of modes
-General Purposes adapter, rail accessory that allows the 007 to be mounted to a 1/4"-20 mount such as a tripod.

Driver: Both uses the latest version of the STFu converter with 3.3A max output, however the 007 has the addition of a vibratory motor which allows haptic feedback for the switch clicks, for every minute of runtime, or as a low-voltage indicator.

Physical: The obvious difference of course is the styling, the 005 has a strong art deco influence and shows beautiful curves and an elegant and tactile knob with deep scallops as well as a flared head. The 007 by contrast has a strong modernist industrial styling that in the way the 005 styling evokes the feel of a fine piece of art, the 007 evokes the feeling of a meticulously crafted machine tool, and with the latest version of the 007, the 007 Sapphire, the Springfield knurls enhancing this styling further. Styling aside, in stock form the 005 and 007 have quite different approaches to their control knobs with the 005 having the aforementioned elegant scalloped knob, the 007 has a square knurled knob with o-rings that results in a very sticky and aggressive grip which lends itself well to rapid flicks of the knob. The introduction of the 007 Sapphire changed the layout of the head from the previous versions of the 007 and the 005 in concept, instead of a reflector and lens set down below a bezel ring, the Sapphire instead has a beautiful flush mounted crystal with the edges of the head flowing off the line of the crystal, and without running a fingernail over it, you could be forgiven for thinking crystal covered the whole front of the head. With the flush crystal the 007 Sapphire doesn't collect lint, however it acquires fingerprints easily, the bezel of the 005 and earlier 007s didn't collect fingerprints easily, but did collect quite a bit of lint. As you would expect, the 007 is a bit more stable in tail-standing than the 005 due to the wider flat flared tail which gives it significantly more contact with whatever surface it is on.
A significant physical difference that isn't particularly noticed until handling the 005 and 007 side by side, is the perceived compactness of the 005 compared to the 007. Due to the soft curvy nature of the 005's styling with all rounded edges and no flare on the tail, plus being a bit more than a 1/16" thinner, the perception when held is that the 005 is distinctly more compact and soft to the touch. The 007 feels a bit chunkier and has more defined edges resulting in a more aggressive feel to the touch, especially with the grippy springfield knurls. The 007 is also a bit heavier which contributes to the perceived difference in compactness.

*A note specific to the 007 setup like mine with a 005 knob, while both my lights with 005 knobs can still be flicked with some deliberate effort compared to say a stock 007 knob, the chunkier shape of the 007 and more aggressive grip means it is a bit more stable when flicking the switch so that it is much easier to quickly flick the 005 knob on a 007 body than on a 005 body. In practice I tend to roll the knob between the thumb and index finger as they fall naturally in place when holding either light.

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badtziscool

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Awesome write up Devin! I really need to add a Ti 005 to my collection. I can just imagine exactly what you described. The soft curves and lack of edges make the 005 feel even more compact than the 007. Also must slide into the pocket that much more easily.
 

Thetasigma

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Awesome side by side photos.

Thanks!

Awesome write up Devin! I really need to add a Ti 005 to my collection. I can just imagine exactly what you described. The soft curves and lack of edges make the 005 feel even more compact than the 007. Also must slide into the pocket that much more easily.

Yes you should, the 2017 update to the 005 is excellent and well worthy of a place in anyone's collection I think. I carry my Spys in my watch pocket on my jeans, and the 005 definitely slides in and prints less than the 007.

Sweet read. Thanks for the pictures and details.

makes it hard to decide between the two so might as well get both !

Thanks, and the best answer is both...:devil:
 

InvisibleFrodo

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Oh my that shot of the tailcaps makes the 005 look downright puny next to the 007. I never thought of the 007 as big or bulky until now. HAHA. Great looking combo.
 

Thetasigma

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Oh my that shot of the tailcaps makes the 005 look downright puny next to the 007. I never thought of the 007 as big or bulky until now. HAHA. Great looking combo.

Thanks, this is the first time I've had both on hand at the same time so it was shocking just how much difference there actually is when you look at them side by side instead of by memory
 

archimedes

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I'm curious as to the switch swap for your 007 ....

Just aesthetic preference ? Or do you find it functionally better in some way ?
 

Thetasigma

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I'm curious as to the switch swap for your 007 ....
Just aesthetic preference ? Or do you find it functionally better in some way ?

Both, I prefer the 005 knob aesthetically, but functionally the shape and finish makes it less aggressive which means it almost never turns in my pocket, I think 2 times in the past year on the 005 and both could've been me thumbing the light when I pocket it. The scallops still offer plenty of grip for a single finger, just a bit more deliberate to flick on quick than with the standard 007 knob. The classic 007 I had with a standard knob turned on in my pocket by itself often enough that I drained several sets of batteries till I got ticked and finally sold it and bought my 005.
 

kimloris

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Thank you Devin for the comparison.
I particularly appreciated reading your "handling" impressions.
There is so much that you can guess from pictures or specs, sometimes you actually need to have the item in your hands to truly gauge the "perception" of that object.
 

archimedes

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Both, I prefer the 005 knob aesthetically, but functionally the shape and finish makes it less aggressive....

Interesting, thanks.

I don't especially care for the "retro" 005 design cues, myself, and never had problems with inadvertent switch activations with either 007 or Tri-V (early gen versions)

The style differences are quite distinct, of course, and I certainly see where someone might have a preference for one versus the other. And less accidental switching would be even more reason to choose that option.

For completeness, I think the "Vegas Knob" function(s) offer some nice features, but feel that it makes that switch look way too busy.

If you get a 005 switch on a 007, is it chrome-over-aluminum, or is there a choice for that in titanium ?
 
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Thetasigma

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Thank you Devin for the comparison.
I particularly appreciated reading your "handling" impressions.
There is so much that you can guess from pictures or specs, sometimes you actually need to have the item in your hands to truly gauge the "perception" of that object.

Certainly sir, I think the biggest thing that pictures and specs don't properly convey is how compact these lights really are, everyone thinks they are larger if they have only seen photos.

Interesting, thanks.
I don't especially care for the 005 design cues, myself, and never had problems with inadvertent switch activations with either 007 or Tri-V (early gen versions)
The style differences are quite distinct, of course, and I certainly see where someone might have a preference for one versus the other. And less accidental switching would be even more reason to choose that option.
For completeness, I think the "Vegas Knob" function(s) offer some nice features, but feel that it makes that switch look way too busy.
If you get a 005 switch on a 007, is it chrome-over-aluminum, or is there a choice for that in titanium ?

Come to find out I could probably have had the classic 007 I had tightened up a bit but by the time I learned that it was much too late.
I can see that about about the design cues, myself when I first started getting involved in custom lights I saw the two and preferred the 007 but I am a fan of art deco design cues in general so it stuck in my mind and I came around to realizing how much I personally appreciate the design, and using a 005 permanently cemented that opinion in my head.

The Vegas knob is really cool both functionally and from a machining view quite an impressive bit of work as well. I can see it being too busy due to the crown and dice markings but I could overlook those since they are part of the functionality and complement the base design of the knob itself. The trouble for me is that the Vegas knob is a very expensive additional expense on an already very expensive torch, combined with the fact I strongly prefer the aesthetic of the 005 knob anyway, made it a no-go for me.

The new 005 is all titanium, so the knobs on both of mine are titanium
 

LuxTacGear

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All those nice pictures are not helping me in any way at all (just kidding, yeah they do) so I'm just craving over here for a nice 005. I can't believe how compact it is, I quite like the design and the stonewash and polished accents. Powerful torch in a tiny package with good 2x123 battery life.
 

Thetasigma

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All those nice pictures are not helping me in any way at all (just kidding, yeah they do) so I'm just craving over here for a nice 005. I can't believe how compact it is, I quite like the design and the stonewash and polished accents. Powerful torch in a tiny package with good 2x123 battery life.

Compact indeed, below on a typical size credit card. The runtime is quite good at 1A with primaries.
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LuxTacGear

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I don't think I can resist any longer before I have to pull the trigger soon. I know the XPL-HI 4000k pairs really well with the reflector, what are your thoughts on the Luminus SST-20 4000k 95cri? I think that could be a serious contender. Could it handle the 3.3A of the driver?
 
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