Black Diamond vs Petzl Headlamps- In particular BD Spot vs Petzl Actik

As several of us mentioned on a recent headlamp thread, the headlamps made by well known outdoor brands tend to be far behind more niche brands like Zebralight, Fenix, etc, and I usually recommend Zebralight. However, the vast majority of climbers and outdoors people in general go with Petzl and BD headlamps simply because they are the most well known and most available in the major retail and online stores, and some of them are very decent lights.

Anyway I recently started working at a well known outdoor equipment store where we sell primarily Petzl and Black Diamond headlamps, so I've been trying to learn more about the various models so I can give good advice to my customers. As much as a an obsessive flashaholic and light aficionado as I am, and currently owning at least 4 headlamps and more flashlights than I can count off the top of my head, I've actually never used a either a Petzl or BD light. I'm pretty familiar with the specs and features of the major models from each, but I would very much appreciate hearing about the experience of people who have actually used them. 

The models I'm most Interested are Black Diamond Spot and Petzl Actik / Actik Core, since these are most similar in their feature sets, and the ones I've been recommending the most as they seem to be the more versatile and solid headlamps with good features without going overboard with unnecessary frills, but I'm also interested in feedback on other current models. I'm also interested in thoughts on the Petzl Reactik from anyone who's used it- while this is an expensive light, the technology seems interesting and seems like it could either be a very useful feature that justifies it's price tag and simplifies operation, or an expensive and potentially annoying gimmick..

The kind of feedback I'm mainly interested in is usability / interface (how easy is it to operate, change modes etc, especially for someone who maybe never used a headlamp before and is not necessarily very tech savvy), optics quality, and realistic battery life- the numbers in the specs are meaningless as far as I'm concerned, since as far as I know the lights are not regulated except maybe the ReActik, and if a headlamp lists 260 hours of burn time an 3 AAA cells, I don't believe for a second that' it's going to provide more than a few lumens at that point.. I'd especially appreciate hearing from anyone who owns or is very familiar with both the Petzl and BD lights and can compare them.

Note that most of these lights have been significantly redesigned in the last year or so (2016 for BD I know), it's really the newer version I need to know about, but thoughts on the older versions might be relevant also as I don't think the interface has changed all that much.

Thanks very much in advance!

To kick things off, here are a couple of the key differences as far as I can tell between the BD Spot and Petzl Actik:

Black Diamond Spot:

• Fully waterproof (IPx8) - can be fully submersed (1 meter of water for up to 30 min) although the battery compartment still gets wet if fully submersed and needs to be dried out
• Continuous / smooth dimming - it dims gradually down or up, rather than fixed low/med/high brightness levels
• 'Power Tap' feature - tap the side of the light to quickly go to max brightness, tap again to easily return to previous setting
• Battery lockout feature- not a true mechanical lockout, but a lot better than nothing- you can hold down a button for 4 seconds to enable or disable the lock, to reduce the chance of it turning on by accident in your pack or pocket

Petzl Actik / Actik Core:

• Water resistant (IPx4)- basically splash and rain proof, but can't be submersed under water
• Dims in fixed increments- i.e. low/med/high -  though it's not clear to me exactly how many brightness levels there are
• No lockout feature of any kind (I think only the ReActik series has a lockout)
• Petzl has an optional 'core' rechargeable lithium battery pack which has a USB port built into the battery back, and you can swap between the core battery pack and standard AAA batteries without the need for any adaptor. (the main difference between the Actik and Actik Core is that the latter includes the battery pack so you don't have to buy it separately. It's also 50 lumens brighter.)

FWIW I find the BD lamps (particularly the Storm) very unintuitive, whereas the Petzls were pretty simple to use.  I know of several people who returned theirs for this very reason, though I stuck with mine because I got it on clearance for super cheap and it works well enough once I remember how to turn the f’ing thing on.  I would recommend messing around with each in the store before pulling the trigger and making sure that you like the interface/functionality.  It’s enough that I would probably not buy a BD lamp again and would pay a bit more or sacrifice a few features for something that actually makes sense.

A friend has the Reactik that was given to him as a gift and he constantly complains about the auto-dimming while caving.  I also don't understand why you'd put bluetooth in something to connect it to an app when you're actively dimming the light to save battery.  Seems like a poorly thought out design to me.

I'd also make sure you explain how the lockout feature works for BD headlights.  Many people think these things eat batteries when they first get them because they don't understand the lockout.

Jason Eberhard wrote:

A friend has the Reactik that was given to him as a gift and he constantly complains about the auto-dimming while caving.  I also don't understand why you'd put bluetooth in something to connect it to an app when you're actively dimming the light to save battery.  Seems like a poorly thought out design to me.

I'd also make sure you explain how the lockout feature works for BD headlights.  Many people think these things eat batteries when they first get them because they don't understand the lockout.

I agree that putting bluetooth in a headlamp is absolutely absurd, this is only in the ReActik plus version. I suppose being able to customize you brightness settings is nice for some people, but I think that's making a headlamp way more complicated than it should be. But at least you can disable the bluetooth function. 

The other nice think about the ReActik models are they at least have a lockout function (hold two buttons down together for two seconds), it's still not a true lockout imo, but way better than what the other Petzls have, which is nothing

I can't speak to the new features and use, but that is because I've had no problems with my BD Storm in the 7 or 8 years I've owned it. The light is still going strong and does everything I need, which is mostly hiking/skinning on pre-dawn starts or late finishes for climbing and backcountry skiing.

Jason Eberhard wrote:

I'd also make sure you explain how the lockout feature works for BD headlights.  Many people think these things eat batteries when they first get them because they don't understand the lockout.

Good point. Unfortunately I often don't have time to explain every feature of a product and also teach them how to use it, but I try to touch on the major ones, so they are at least aware that the feature exists and can read the instructions later to figure out how to use it.  Although the graphic instructions that BD and Petzl uses aren't easy for everyone to understand.. 

But that is good feedback, I consider a lockout to be one of the most critical features on a headlamp, and in general it's true that people often will own gear for years without even realizing some of the features that exist.

I have used the new model spot religious since it came out. I spent some time deciding between the two the Petzl one mentioned above and the spot.  Im not sure on burn time I put rechargeable batteries in it and always seem to charge them so I have maximum brightness when I need it. I really like it for approaches in the dark and even find it plenty bright for night trail running. The only complaint is one time in the black canyon  I took a whip and my rope was around my leg while my headlamp was on my helmet, and the headlamp opened and one of the batteries flew out thankfully we made it to the top just as the sun as a setting but really an overall great headlamp.  

I had always bought BD until last year when my BD headlamp (fairly new) randomly died in the middle of a 10-day hunting trip (ie leaving camp in the dark and getting back to camp in the dark). There are photos somewhere of me with my iphone strapped to my head in the middle of the night sawing off elk antlers (lol). Before that, the same headlamp "glitched out" right before the Grand Traverse (a 40mi ski race that starts at midnight - thus light is pretty important!!) Fool me once...

Anyway since those multiple frustrations I've owned a Petzl Tikka and it ROCKS. It never randomly turns on and uses up battery in my bag, the brightness is great, the battery life is great, and the price point I believe was pretty nice. So Petzl all the way! I vowed after the BD nightmare to never buy their headlamps again. 

I'm very turned off the Storm because of the red/green/blue feature. I know a lot of people like a red light, but seriously who needs green or blue light?! I'm sure you can have some fun with it at camp, or maybe come up with some kind of short-range signalling system at night if you have clear line of site, but this is really superfluous for a serious outdoors headlamp, especially one with only one button. When will designers learn that fewer buttons make devices more complicated to use, not less?!

If it weren't for the RGB light options, I would just consider this the big brother to the spot, with a bit more power and battery capacity, and better waterproofing (the Spot is IPX8 waterproof, but the battery compartment still gets wet and needs to be dried afterwards. The storm has the battery compartment sealed as well.)

Dan Africk wrote:

I'm very turned off the Storm because of the red/green/blue feature. I know a lot of people like a red light, but seriously who needs green or blue light?! I'm sure you can have some fun with it at camp, or maybe come up with some kind of short-range signalling system at night if you have clear line of site, but this is really superfluous for a serious outdoors headlamp, especially one with only one button. When will designers learn that fewer buttons make devices more complicated to use, not less?!

If it weren't for the RGB light options, I would just consider this the big brother to the spot, with a bit more power and battery capacity, and better waterproofing (the Spot is IPX8 waterproof, but the battery compartment still gets wet and needs to be dried afterwards. The storm has the battery compartment sealed as well.)

When I purchased mine, that's what it was. A one-button, brighter, waterproof brother to the Spot. Sounds like things have changed a bit. Either way, the durability has been excellent in the older model. Not sure I'd want extra buttons and multiple colored lights either.

When I worked at an outdoor retailer, I would tell customers that a Petzl headlamp is like a fork: you pick it up and it works. A BD lamp is like a pair of chopsticks: arguably more versatile, but requires some getting used to.

Lee Durbetaki wrote:

When I worked at an outdoor retailer, I would tell customers that a Petzl headlamp is like a fork: you pick it up and it works. A BD lamp is like a pair of chopsticks: arguably more versatile, but requires some getting used to.

I like that analogy! I think that's how I'm going to start describing cannister vs liquid fuel stoves.

(edit: Though come to think of it, chopsticks aren't really more versatile than a fork, I can't think of anything I can do with chopsticks that I can't with a fork, I just like using them better)

TCarrier carrier wrote:

I'll add that since you like the rechargeable feature feature of the Petzl Actic Core, you might consider one of the 18650 versions, and buying an 18650 cell with a built-in USB port. This would give you a similar experience to the Petzl, with a much more powerful light and battery, and also you're using a standard rather than a proprietary battery type. The downside is you can't use common disposables as a backup. For that you can use the AA version, and use rechargeable AAs, but you'll have a lot less power / runtime. If you have any questions that aren't answered in that thread, feel free to ask.

If I had to pick another brand, Fenix would probably be my second choice. I haven't used any Fenix headlamps, but I have a couple of their flashlights and they are very high quality, with excellent optics. And you can actually find Fenix headlamps in some retail stores, though it's still pretty uncommon. The HL60R has a built in USB port, uses an 18650 cell (one is included with the light, but it's pretty low capacity as far as 18650 cells go) with the ability to use a pair of CR123s as a backup. I prefer the Zebralights, but I think you'd be happy with the HL60R.

The one critical feature missing from most Fenix headlamps is that there is no lockout function. I have read some reviews stating that the Fenix HL60R can be locked out by unscrewing the tailcap (same as with zebralight), but Fenix does not mention this anywhere in their product description or manual, so take that with a grain of salt. I know that other Fenix models, even ones very similar to Zebralight, can't be locked out this way because the threads are not anodized.

TCarrier carrier wrote:

So, yeah, both of those models have drawbacks. Though, both are still pretty dang good in the end. I'm just demanding I guess. I wish my old BD Storm didn't die.

Thanks for your thoughts. Since you have used both the Actik Core and the Storm (which I believe has a similar interface to the Spot), can you clarify a few things?:

- When you say the waterproofing on the Petzl sucks, do you mean because of the IP rating, the construction, or is it based on personal experience?

- It sounds like you prefer the Petzl interface, but do you have any other thoughts comparing the controls of the two? Aside from the 'power tap' feature which you mentioned, and ignoring the blue and green modes (which the Spot doesn't have), which interface do you think would be simpler / more intuitive to use?

TCarrier carrier wrote:

Thanks. Interestingly the BD Spot, while also IPx8 rated, does not have a waterproof battery compartment at all. The waterproofing is between the battery compartment and the rest of the headlamp. So if it gets submerged the battery compartment will be flooded, and you need to open it up, take out the batteries, and dry it out as soon as you have a chance. BD says it will still work with the battery compartment wet, but obviously this is a less ideal arrangement.. I like the ideal of a secondary seal between the battery compartment and the electronics, since any gasket could be compromised, but I still think there should be an O-ring around the battery compartment. 

One more reason I like the Zebralight and Fenix approach- just one round threaded opening that's easy to seal with an O-ring.