2015-10-29

Reviews and more information about the lamps in the beamshots can be found here:

Click on the thumbnail images for a big image (1600x1200 or larger):

RX100_15035__bm_eyc

B&M Eyc: Huge overexposure of the near field. This means you can't see far with it. The fender gets lit up which will cause this to become even worse in the rain.

RX100_15038__bm_avy

B&M Avy: Strong and big artefacts/differences in intensity in the beam, the beam is cutoff too sharply similar to the Cyo.

RX100_15040__herrmans_h-flow

Herrmans H-flow: Lots of artefacts close to the bike which are not shown well on the beamshot. You can't see far with it, I'd say no better than the H-diver which I prefer.

Roxim D6: Good beam. A bit strange close to the bike, but at least not overexposed there which is one of the worst problems for bicycle lamps. Best throw of all dynamo headlamps, I can see about 50m with it (at least, when mounted on the handlebar at 1.05m, not sure about 0.75m, will check how much difference this makes), with other lamps it ends at about 45m.
Note: The beamshot was made with lamp mounted at 0.75m height, I liked it better at 1.05m in action (which it was also designed for or at least meant for), but I forgot to make such a beamshot. Next time...

RX100_15044__axa_blueline_30

Axa Blueline 30: Too bright close to the bike, unless you aim too high (see following beamshots) but then you blind oncoming traffic. Not recommended.

RX100_15046__axa_blueline_30_aimed_too_high

Axa Blueline 30: Aimed too high, this is how people will tend to aim it because of the bad/blurry cutoff. Not good!

RX100_15048__axa_blueline_50

Axa Blueline 50: Fairly good for riding fast, but it has a huge strong hotspot a few metres from the bike (which is the bright spot at the bottom of the beam shot) which is quite bad, distracting and means you don't see as well with it as you could without that hotspot.

RX100_15050__edelux_2008

Schmidt Edelux (first version, 2008): Still holds up well. On these beamshots aimed a bit too far to the right but you can see how it does.

RX100_15052__edelux_2013

Schmidt Edelux (last version, 2013): Slightly better than the original Edelux despite the hotspot. The hotspot is not a problem when aiming it far so that you have light up to ca. 45 m, and this lamp is still one of the best headlamps you can buy.

RX100_15054__bidi_2015

Bidi 2015: Symmetric (not-cutoff) beam, with neutral white light. The best light colour of any of the above lamps, which shows itself in less white glare (from water) on the grass... Light distribution is even, and throw is one of the best of the non-cutoff lamps for dynamo, similar to dynamo lamps with cutoff. Only the Saferide 80 is really better in throw (the Roxim D6 perhaps slightly too, the rest not).

RX100_15056__philips_sr80

Philips Saferide 80: The neutral white version, still the king of bicycle lights as of 2015... Throw and even light distribution is unrivalled by any other lamp. Light colour is still a bit too cool, I think near 4000 K would be better, see the Bidi 2015.