zebralights h52w vs h52Fw

I'm all about Zebralight's floody headlamps.
Definitely better for walking, and close use in camp or tent.
It doesn't give so much of a "bouncing ball" effect where your eyes tend to follow the bobbing spot, either, and makes seeing where you'll be stepping easier. On the flip side, it doesn't have the same reach, so you'll probably need to go up a level on brightness for the same conditions vs the regular one.
I have the SC52w, the handheld version of the H52w, and the H52Fw headlamp. I'm sure either would work, but I always prefer the flood when comparing them.

98% of the time, I want a flood for easier hiking. I wear/hold lights at my waist at night so I can see the ground contours better. Discerning the ground contours is easier with more uniform light.

2% of the time, I'm route-finding or looking around for a trail sign. That I might have to step up a level for a short time isn't a big battery drain.

Conclusion: while I remember the times I wanted more of a spot beam, most of the time – a flood beam serves me better.

P.S. 97.3% of statistics are made up on the spot.

Thanks–I was leaning towards the floody but after watching a couple of the comparison videos on youtube I thought it would be good to throw the question out here. The regular beam seems quite a bit brighter on these videos fwiw.

Additional question…which setting do you find yourself using for hiking or running? I'm wondering what kind of battery life I can expect for these activities.

On the H51, I use the middle setting for almost all hiking and it works well. You could walk slowly (or crawl) on the lowest setting, but that lowest setting is really for reading in camp, IMO. The high setting is far more than I want for hiking. I use it only to get my bearings by sweeping the surrounding area with the light or to peer further down a trail (say, at a trail junction).

For mountain biking at night or dog sledding, I could imagine using the highest setting continuously.

I have the spot version of the single AA that I use as my all-purpose headlamp for hiking and camping. I use the middle setting almost exclusively, except in a tent at night when then the lowest setting is fine.

I can't remember which MEDIUM I have programmed (there are three options). I think it's the brightest medium (50 lumens) which is supposed to run for 7.5 hours on one battery.

In general, I want the lowest level possible. With a full moon, that usually means no light at all, but one ready to use instantly. i also prefer a floody light at chest or waist level, the better to see the ground. Probably this is because I have done a lot of nocturnal walking with a carbide lamp, still a very good tool for the job.

One thing to consider with hiking/running with flood vs spot is that you'll be able to use a lower setting with the spot beam and thus have longer lasting battery life. If both beams are at 50 lumen setting, the spot will appear much brighter because of the higher concentration of lumen per area. Trail running with mine works out great and the spot of the H52w is not a "hotspot" of a super tight focused beam. It is nicely distributed with the spot and spill combo that works perfectly for illuminating the trail.

I responded to a similar thread about the H52w, here is a link in case the info helps.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=95200

Thanks Jordan. Really great info here and on the thread you linked to. I'm assuming you meant you're using the eneloop pros since you said 2500mah. That's the route I'm thinking I will go. I'm curious what you use for a strap when trail running. I've heard some folks use the niteize strap but zebralights also sells a strap that includes a top strap that they recommend for trail running.

Seems like folks are split between the floody and regular. Must mean the real answer is to get both, right??

Or, just stick with a Petzl. I have an h52FW, it's a great light, but I consider my Tikka xp to be a better backpacking light for two main reasons: the ability to change between spot and flood mode, and the red light feature. Yes, the Zebralight is really nifty, well designed and constructed. Yes, it can light up a campsite like a football field, but how often do you need to do that? Main positives I see in the Zebralight are durability and weight. If you do wind up buying a Zebralight, I think the flood is a better choice for backpacking, unless you do a great deal of night hiking, in which case the spot might be better. For use around the campsite and inside a tent, I think a flood is an all around better mode, particularly for reading, which is what I tend to use my headlamps for the most.

Yes, floody for sure.

For a night trail, I will use a medium setting and occasionally kick it up to high, then back to medium. In camp, I generally use low or medium.

I did not use my Zebralight strap because it is substantial and slightly heavy. Instead, I got an old Croakies eyeglasses strap and sewed it on.

–B.G.–

The eneloop pros are the successor to the XX 2500 mAh eneloops I'm using. I'm very happy with them and I'm sure the pros are an improvement.

I do use the Nite Ize strap. The first time I took it trail running I hated it. It was either too tight or too lose. I was going to order the top strap from zebralight but I thought I should try the Nite Ize strap again. I'm glad I did because it worked great. You just have to find the sweet spot in the adjustment where it doesn't put a lot of pressure on your head but yet doesn't bounce.

As stated before, for backpacking/trail running I'm a proponent for the spot. It isn't a tight spot beam, it is distributed very well. There are numerous times where I have been very thankful for having the spot with navigating at night. If you are doing any off trail hiking then the spot separates itself even more so. Also, if you backpack and always bring your phone with you, then I'm sure you have a flash light app. The beam from the light on cell phones are all floody beams. This setup gives you a spot and floody combo for different tasks. Something to consider.