My control is in the tip of my finger

Callahan said:

My control is in the tip of my finger

+1

A classic example of over engineering.  The last thing I want is making a fairly simple device dependant on unnecessarily complex electronics.  Too much temptation for Murphy.

Ed

I have the old Petzl Tikka XP and like it so much I bought two.  My first is going strong.  OF COURSE Petzl discontinued this model for no good reason and as you say, obviously became overwhelmed with Model Dumping Due to Over Engineering-Induced Retardation.  And so we are left with Petzl headlamps which ARE NOT the Tikka XP.   

Huh. Anyone seen the auto-dimming feature in Icon flashlights? They dim gradually over a few minutes of use as your eyes adjust. You can't really tell. Icon makes headlamps too (with headbands inferior to Petzl's) but I think they lack this dimming "feature".

I wish my car would dim its high beams for oncoming traffic.

I have to agree with most of the group.  The more you got, the more can go wrong.  I still like K.I.S.S.

The last thing I want in a light is more potential points for failure. Complicated electronics and microprocessors?  Unless it is to provide regulated constant output, which is relatively simple thing, I don't wan't anything but a multi level output switch (if that) in my flashlight or headlamp. 

Some of my previous headlamps dimmed as the batteries died...

Does that count?

Tipi Walter said:

I have the old Petzl Tikka XP and like it so much I bought two.  My first is going strong.  OF COURSE Petzl discontinued this model for no good reason and as you say, obviously became overwhelmed with Model Dumping Due to Over Engineering-Induced Retardation.  And so we are left with Petzl headlamps which ARE NOT the Tikka XP.   

 Tipi, I have the XP+2. 50 lumens, pretty good burn time, and no diffuser. Its a decent little light for my use. 

Speaking of headlamps...

If anyone is looking for a high-power light at a decent price the BD Icon is now 200 lumens(max) from the previous 100...

Rick-Pittsburgh said:

Some of my previous headlamps dimmed as the batteries died...

Does that count?

 Ha ha!

The father of an old girlfriend had a '76 Cadillac El Eldorado that had auto-dimming headlamps. (We took it to my senior prom) the lights would dim by themselves when a car approached in the opposite direction.

Perhaps Petzl is thinking of the visual comfort of night hikers who may be approaching?

I'm curious to see how the light would react in a dark, yet icy environment.  There might be a significant demand for ambient light, but ice might reflect enough of the lamps output to dim it too much.  Who knows?  There is an override mode.  My feeling is that this light is targeted to the headlamp "connoisseur."

Don't get me wrong, this is an interesting light, however, there are a few things that turn me off to it:

Weight: IMO, at 6+ oz, this thing is way heavy for a backpacking light. Especially considering there are much lighter options that work very well.

Lumens: Do I really need that much light to see at night? I did try a Petzl e+LITE and I admit, it didn't cut it for actual hiking. But, OTOH, wouldn't 355 lumens blind people left and right? Really, I don't understand why that much light is needed on the trail. My Princeton Tec Fuel rated at 43 lumens is plenty bright enough for me to hike all night in.

Maximum Burn Time: Just under 5 hours?! Granted this thing has rechargeable batteries, but at less than 5 hours about 2 nights of normal use would run it about dead. As well, at this time limit, I would hope that I was close to camp if night hiking.

Price: Simply put, that is a lot of money for a headlamp (again, IMO).

For me, this is just hard to swallow. It seems like it is an interesting product, but maybe not applicable for the trail. Maybe to have around home, or maybe even a car camping trip, but I couldn't justify bringing this on a multiday hike. 

However, surely I am missing something. 

As most, I agree this is over engineered and prone to failure, BUT it would likely be great for S&R, rope rescue, rope access, tower workers, etc. where you are near a home base.

I have to say that if there is dim ambient light, I don't use the headlamp and let my eyes auto adjust..

Petzl

x1 - MYO XP (Lumens 85, wide/focused, 72m, 180h, 175g, AA x3, IPX4, )

x2 - TacTikka XP (Lumens 40, wide/focused, 35m, 120h, 95g, AAA x3, IPX4)

x1 - e-Lite (Lumens 16, wide, 19m, 45h, 28g, CR2032 x2, IP68)

Love my TacTikka XP.  It is always my go to light.