Milestone MS-G3 & MS-G4 Headlamp Review: Is this good enough? Or rather, "This is good." An exceptionally light and easy-to-use headlamp that's a must-buy
Written by Yasushi Hisatomi
I started using Discord
Headlamps are one of the outdoor gears that are evolving at a rapid pace. We now live in a world where anyone can easily get their hands on high-powered products that can illuminate the darkness with brightness like that of midday
However, I've recently been thinking, "Maybe it doesn't really need to be any brighter or more powerful than this?"
Long-lasting, high-output performance is certainly still important for racers who push their limits in harsh conditions, but that doesn't mean it's essential for all outdoor enthusiasts. For "ordinary" hikers who start walking as the sun begins to rise and relax in their tent before sunset, who mainly do day hikes, and who usually keep their headlamp in their backpack, brightness and long life are of course important, but there are more important things than that
MS-G3 & MS-G4 released this fall by Milestone, an up-and-coming headlamp manufacturer based in Osaka, are modest in terms of power in terms of brightness and duration, but they are unparalleled in terms of practicality such as lightweight and compactness, ease of use, and price, making them revolutionary new headlamps that will blow away any frustration you've been feeling lately.
I'll give you a review based on my actual experience using it, including camping in a tent in the mountains, running, and testing it indoors
table of contents
Milestone MS-G3 & MS-G4 main features
The milestone MS-G3 and MS-G4 are compact, rechargeable headlamps positioned as the successors to the company's MS-G2. Despite their incredibly lightweight and compact design, weighing less than 50 grams and palm-sized, they boast excellent weight-to-brightness performance with a maximum of 420 lumens (for the MS-G3). The balanced beam, which combines spot and wide beams, is sufficient for not only your hands and feet but also for walking. Other unique and user-friendly features include simple and easy-to-use operation, three beam colors, fast charging via USB-Type-C, and an "emergency charge function" that allows you to turn the lamp on while charging.
Favorite points
- With this level of brightness, it is one of the lightest and most compact in the world
- Simple and easy-to-use operability achieved by narrowing down to the bare minimum of functions
- Speedy charging with Type-C charging port and "emergency charge function" that can be used while charging with a mobile battery
- Warm, incandescent-colored light that is resistant to fog and mist
- High cost performance
Points of concern
- The mechanism for adjusting the light intensity by pressing and holding takes time to adjust
- The brightness and duration are insufficient under severe conditions where high speed and long-term use are required
Main specifications and evaluation
| item | milestone MS-G3 | milestone MS-G4 |
|---|---|---|
| Light intensity (lm) | 420 lumens | 380 lumens |
| Official irradiation distance (m) | 120 | |
| Official irradiation time (h) (min/max) |
| |
| Actual weight (g) |
| |
| Dedicated battery | Lithium-ion polymer rechargeable battery (built-in) | |
| Use while charging | Equipped with emergency charge function *Can be lit at 10% brightness while charging | |
| Waterproof and dustproof performance | IPX 4 (splash resistant) | |
| Light Type |
|
|
| accessories | USB-Type C cable, dedicated clip for MS-G series | |
| long distance irradiation | ★★★☆☆ | |
| short distance irradiation | ★★★★☆ | |
| Battery life | ★★★★☆ *Excluding the emergency charge function ★★☆☆☆ | |
| Ease of use | ★★★★★ | |
| Weight (perceived weight) | ★★★★★ | |
| waterproof | ★★★★☆ | |
| durability | ★★★☆☆ | |
Detailed Review
Weight and storage: Smaller than the palm of your hand, lighter than a convenience store rice ball
The most distinctive feature of this headlamp is that it is one of the most compact in practical terms, as can be seen in the photo below. When you hold it in the palm of your hand, its small size becomes immediately apparent
When you hold it in the palm of your hand, you'll be surprised at how light and small it is
Of course, because it's so small, it's also incredibly light. The combined weight of the main body and strap is less than 50 grams, which is surprisingly light—the equivalent of a medium-sized egg or a convenience store rice ball. Furthermore, this model can be secured with the included clip, which reduces the weight by another dozen grams. Considering the light output, this is truly a global phenomenon
The body alone weighs just 30 grams, and even with the belt added it's surprisingly light at less than 50 grams
can be better understood by comparing it with NITECORE NU25 UL , which is currently extremely popular among hikers in North America, the home of ultralights
The NU25 boasts a maximum brightness of 400 lumens and weighs 46g, while the MS-G3 boasts a maximum brightness of 420 lumens and weighs 49g, so looking at the numbers alone, they're almost equal. However, as you can see in the photo below, when you consider the comfort of the strap and the compactness of the body, the MS-G3 is superior. The fact that such high output has been packed into a lightweight, compact body that is unparalleled anywhere in the world is truly worthy of praise.
Even when placed next to the NU25UL (right), which is popular in the North American UL community, you'll be surprised at how small it is
In any case, this excellent portability should not be a nuisance to any hiker or mountain climber. It is an extremely appreciated item that can be easily carried in a backpack at all times, not only for UL hikers who want to save even a single gram, but also for beginners on day trips
Brightness: Easy-to-see light with no issues in terms of quality or quantity, except for severe night runs
Next, let's look at the headlamp's beam performance (brightness). It's true that the brightness of 420 lumens (MS-G3) and 380 lumens (MS-G4) isn't particularly high compared to today's standard models. However, as mentioned at the beginning, if you don't get carried away by the current trend toward high-output lights, which have no ceiling, and consider the brightness required for actual nighttime walking, this level of brightness is perfectly acceptable. I tried walking on a trail before dawn with the light slightly illuminating my feet (see photo below), and I was able to walk comfortably without any complaints. The well-balanced light distribution pattern combines a bright, strong spotlight in the center for illuminating distant areas with a gentle gradation of light around it for a wide, close-range view, providing stress-free illumination for the nighttime road
Even if you walk the trail at night, you won't have to worry with this much light
Incidentally, both of the lights featured in this article, the MS-G3 and MS-G4, are designed to allow users to switch between three types of light: main light, sub light, and red light. The difference between the two models is the color of the main light (body color)—the G3 is white, while the G4 is warm white—allowing users to choose the color that best suits their lighting preferences (see photo below). In normal weather, white light is brighter and easier for humans to see, so many manufacturers use it, but Milestone's warm white color, which makes it easier to see deep into fog or mist, ensures good visibility in a wide range of situations. The warm light of warm white can also be appreciated inside a tent, so it's best to choose based on your preferences and purpose
The difference between the MS-G3 and MS-G4 is whether the largest main light is "white" or "warm white."
Of course, this evaluation is based on activities and situations that primarily involve walking, such as mountain climbing and fastpacking, so it's important to keep in mind that if you're in a trail running race, where you want to see as much light as possible both in your step and from a distance, and you need that light to last as long as possible, you might find it a little lacking. This is an unavoidable trade-off with lightweight and compact design, so if you're looking for that kind of power, we recommend another option
Riding on roads at night requires a lot of power because you need to cover a wide area and illuminate it, but if you're just walking, the light is bright enough
The duration is not particularly long, but it has an excellent sustain pattern that maintains practical brightness until the very end
The results of our customary exposure time test using a light meter (how the actual brightness changes over time when continuously exposed to maximum brightness) are summarized in the graph below (see figure below). This time, we compared the results of continuously illuminating the MS-G4 at maximum brightness with the results of continuously illuminating it at about 20% brightness (since it is impossible to actually determine the exact brightness, we used the light meter reading to determine the brightness)
If you use it continuously at maximum brightness, the brightness will drop to almost zero after a little over 120 minutes, as per the specs, but you can see that it maintains a practical level of brightness for about 10 minutes before that. In that sense, it seems safe to say that the 2-hour battery life in the nominal specs is a reasonable amount of time to use it
On the other hand, when the brightness was dimmed to about 20% and the light was left on, it gradually decreased from a brightness close to the set value, but it still maintained its brightness for more than 5 hours. While it's not realistic to use it at the minimum of 5%, I found that if you dim it a little, it will last for more than 5 hours (actually 9-10 hours). Incidentally, this tendency is the same with the G3
If you would like to compare the graph above with other models, please refer to the headlamp feature article below
Related articles
Ease of use: Minimal functionality, simple and easy operation, and convenient new features
The design approach of stripping away all unnecessary elements to the bare minimum, such as lightweight and compactness, and the minimum necessary beam quality, is reflected in the simplicity of each individual function
Take button operation, for example. There is just one large, easy-to-press button, which changes from main to sub to red to off with each press. The brightness can be adjusted by holding down the button while it is on (see photo below), and holding down the button while it is off will turn the button lock on and off. This alone is enough to perform the bare minimum of functions
The "Lighting Pattern Memory" feature discreetly memorizes the brightness you set once and reproduces it the next time you turn it on if the light is left on for more than three seconds. The remaining battery level indicator is indicated by an LED on the back of the button: 100-60%: Green, 60-20%: Yellow, 20-0%: Red. This smart design brings almost all of the lamp's status and controls to a single large button
The waterproof protection is IPX 4 (splash-proof), which is the same waterproof performance as general mountain models, so you won't experience any inconvenience during normal use
The battery is USB Type-C rechargeable, which has rapidly become the standard in recent years, allowing for quick charging (see photo below)
What's more, this model (something I've been waiting for) is equipped with an "emergency charge function" that allows you to turn on the light while charging (powering) it using a mobile battery, etc. (see photo below). While charging, the light output is limited to 10%, but it's still at a level that allows you to just about move around, so you don't have to worry about the handicap of duration!
The manufacturer recommends using the original battery and cable due to compatibility issues, but in my personal experience I have never had any issues with using commercially available mobile batteries and cables (though use at your own risk). This means that you can effectively use the large-capacity mobile battery you carry for your smartphone or camera as a power source for your light while you're out and about
However, there is one thing to note: if you use a cable with a normal terminal, the cord will extend downwards and get in the way, so we recommend using Milestone's original cable, which has L-shaped ends on both ends
As mentioned in the weight section, this model comes standard with a detachable clip, which makes it even lighter, and by using a clip instead of a belt, it can be attached to various parts of the body other than the head
Summary: The perfect headlamp for hikers looking to save on grams, or those looking to prepare for emergencies on day hikes
When choosing a headlamp, we are often drawn to top-class brightness and advanced features. However, the Milestone MS-G3 and MS-G4 are a unique and highly refined product that achieves an exquisite ease of use that cannot be expressed by specs alone, by skillfully combining what is "good enough" based on practical experience. It goes without saying that this well-balanced tuning that satisfies the user is the result of the creators, who are also players, meticulously incorporating the extensive feedback they received in the field.
As recommended by the manufacturer, this is a perfect fit for light use or overnight activities that involve walking, such as camping, hiking, mountain climbing, fastpacking, and stream climbing. It's lightweight, portable, easy to use, and bright, making it a comfortable choice. However, when it comes to trail running, it's undeniably a little underpowered for a running model, so speed-hungry racers and tough runners who need the light to stay on all night should consider it. Other than that, it should be perfectly usable for trail running
The retail price of a few thousand yen is now quite reasonable. If an outdoor enthusiast has one, there will surely be situations where it will come in handy, so in that sense, it is a product that everyone should have
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