Comparison of Series Review 2: Become apart at night. Optimal lighting considerations for night runs [Hand light edition]
Written by Kohei Tsushima
Last time I compared headlamps, so the second light comparison review is hand light. This year, autumn trail races will be held in various locations again. If you're wondering what to choose for your handlight, please refer to this.
table of contents
What to look for in a hand light
Headlamps are the main item for night runs, as they emit light from a high position so they can be brightly illuminated all the way to a long distance. However, when fog appears, the diffused light from the headlamp can cause your vision to become completely white and unusable. In such cases, using spot light from the hand light can make up for the missing parts of the headlamp. Not only in the fog, but also from a lower position than the headlamp, it also has the advantage that shadows will appear on the unevenness of the ground, such as rocks and tree roots, making it easier to understand the road conditions. On the other hand, holding the light in your hand can also be stressful when swinging your arms when running. So, we compared the three hand lights, taking into account not only the brightness but also the weight and size.
Impressions of the featured hand light
Ledlenser MT10
Size/Weight★★★☆ Irradiation power★★★★ Functionality★★★★
This is a slightly heavy body, and the gimmick that lights up as soon as you press the switch gives you a sense of high texture. There are four modes of brightness: 3 levels + strobe, and what's surprising is that the dedicated lithium battery allows you to use it in power mode (1000lm) for 6 hours. By extending the tip of the light, you can switch between wide and spot light. The switch on the head is so easy to use that your fingers overlap when you grip it, and it also serves as a battery level indicator.
Light distribution image (spot light)
Light distribution image (wide light)
When you use spot light in power mode (1000lm), light reaches endlessly far. At this rate, it is now bright enough to rival the lights of a motorcycle. Just like
the MH10 introduced in the headlamp, *It is not compatible with the MH10, so the hand light can be irradiated from a position lower than the head, so if you attach a filter to make it into spot light, it's very reassuring even if you get enveloped in fog. If you set it to mid-mode (200lm), it will last for 15 hours, and if you put one special rechargeable battery (18650 lithium-ion battery) in your backpack, you can use it in power mode (1000lm) all night.
This is ◎
- Intense brightness
- Long life battery
- Adjustable light volume
- You can easily change the color of the light using a color filter.
This is a shame
- It's a bit heavy.
GENTOS SEN Series SG-405
Size/Weight★★★★ Irradiation power★★★☆☆ Functionality★★★☆☆
When it comes to hand lights for trail runners, the Sen series is the one. It is by far the most used rate at tournaments due to its size, lightness and cost-effectiveness that fits in the palm of your hand. The SG-325 is famous, but the SG-405, which can be considered an evolution, has been released. Compared to the previous model, the brightness has been increased from 150lm to 250lm. The weight remains almost the same, and the same thing is that you can switch between wide and spot light by turning the tip, and there is an ON/OFF switch on the back of the main unit.
Light distribution image (spot light)
Light distribution image (wide light)
Not just the Sense Series, the light distribution of reasonable lights was thought to be square due to lens cuts, but I was surprised to see that the wide light in the evolved version was round and natural. It has increased by 100lm, so I feel that this is a normal evolution. However, how do you judge that the lighting time has decreased from 10 hours to 7 hours as a price? The SG-405 is only ON/OFF and cannot be adjusted in brightness.
This is ◎
- Compact size and lightness
- Cost Performance
This is a shame
- Lighting time is a little short
NATHAN Zephyr Fire 300 HAND TORCH
Size/Weight★★★★☆ Irradiation power★★☆☆☆ Function★★★★☆
I was curious about NATHAN hand lights because of their unique shape and rechargeable shape. Thanks to the 24-degree tilting tip, it is great that you can illuminate your feet without putting any strain on your wrists. You put your hands into the belt to secure them, so there is no need to grip the light itself. It won't drop even if you let go of your hand, so it reduces stress while running.
The rear of the light is equipped with a red LED (blinking) that also shows its presence behind it.
Light distribution image
It's amazingly light that you can see the moment you hold it. Also, since it is secured with a strap, you can run without realizing that you have the light. There are four modes of brightness: 3 levels + flash, and when you grip it, your index finger touches the switch, making it easy to use. There is an emergency siren button next to the main switch, and when you press it, a high-pitched siren sound will be heard. As with the red LED on the rear, this light may be more useful than in urban areas than in mountains.
This is ◎
- It's so light that you'll forget you have it and easy to grip
- Comfortable with an angle that makes it easy to illuminate your feet
- Adjustable light volume
This is a shame
- The brightness is somewhat unpleasant to use in the mountains.
Conclusion
When comparing the three items this time, I got the impression that the NATHAN Zephyr Fire 300 has a slightly different colour. The Ledlenser MT10 and SG-405 have different areas of expertise, so I felt that it was a pretty good match for some allies, but the conclusion I came to in the end was the MT10. As you can see, if you look at the brightness alone, the MT10 wins with an overwhelming difference.
Left: Ledlenser MT10 Right: The SEN Series SG-405
have different prices, so it can be said to be a natural result, but there is another reason why I chose it. It's operability. The MT10 can be comfortably switched from brightness to light distribution pattern while holding it in one hand. You can turn it into spot light when fog appears, or turn it off when it's up and reduce battery consumption, so you can operate the light frequently in the mountains, depending on the rapidly changing environment. It's a great advantage to be able to operate it with one hand without any stress in such cases. Of course, the SG-405 is not one-handed, but when you compare them, you can clearly see the difference.
In the final, third session, we will compare the waist lights.
(Reference) Summary of evaluation results and spec comparison table
| Item name | Ledlenser MT10 | GENTOS SG-405 | NATHAN Zephyr Fire 300 |
|---|---|---|---|
| image | | | |
| Reference price (tax included) | 16,200 yen | 4,320 yen | 7,884 yen |
| Size/Weight | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| Irradiation power | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Functionality | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Specs | |||
| item | Ledlenser MT10 | GENTOS SG-405 | NATHAN Zephyr Fire 300 |
| Weight (with battery) | 156 | Approximately 110 | Approximately 118 |
| Catalog Maximum Light | 1000lm | 250lm | 359lm (back 8lm) |
| Catalog maximum irradiation distance | 180m | 140m | 104m |
| Maximum irradiation time (HIGH) | 6h | Approximately 7 hours | |
| Catalog Maximum Irradiation Time (LOW) | 144h | Approximately 7 hours | Approximately 12 hours |
| Waterproof level | IPX4 | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Dimming | 3-stage + strobe with switch | None (Spot and wide adjustments are possible) | 3-stage + strobe with switch |
| charging | Dedicated USB battery | 3 x AAA alkaline batteries | Dedicated USB battery |
| Battery level indicator | ○ | ||
| Other options |
|
|
|
Tsushima Kohei
A runner who loves travel and nature. As I climbed the mountains everywhere, I walked all the way to Tibet to see Everest. I became a working adult and became addicted to running, which I started to relieve my lack of exercise, and was unable to satisfy myself in the full marathon and ended up running the Ultra Marathon (100km) and Ultra Trail (100mile). He is currently taking on the Grand Slam of a citizen runner (3rd marathon, 10th ultra marathon, complete the summit of Fuji Mountain Climbing Race), and is currently challenging domestic and international races to reach even greater heights! We post reviews of races and gears that we have run.
Blog: Because it is there
Looking for reviewers
Outdoor Gearzine is always looking for members who love the outdoors and would like to write reviews about outdoor equipment. For more information, please this REVIEWERS page !
