A Lightweight Lemon, the Petzl Micro Headlamp
Written: Sep 12 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Light weight, a bit cheaper
Cons: Poor construction, corrosion problems, not dependable
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| jwlester's Full Review: Petzl E03 Micro clip |
This is the second of Petzl's headlamps that I bought. I purchased this headlamp in Scotland when I was on a climbing trip with the Aberdeen University Lairig Club in 1992, and realized I'd forgotten my good headlamp back at my hall of residence. Since finishing in the dark is almost inevitable that far north of the equator during term time, I really needed a "head torch" for our climbs that weekend. Rather than buy another Petzl Zoom, I decided to give their lightweight headlamp a try (mostly because it was cheaper, but also because I figured I could use a lightweight lamp).
Boy - what a mistake that was. From the moment I bought it, practically every time I've really needed it, this piece of junk failed me. Now don't get me wrong, I love Petzl's products, but the Petzl Micro just doesn't live up to their generally excellent quality standards. To start with, getting the lamp adjusted in the dark and in the rain is nearly impossible. The on/off switch and beam adjustment screw mechanism that works so well on the Zoom is too fidgety on this model, perhaps because of its small size. Several times in the dark, I've overunscrewed it and had it practically fall apart. Needless to say, this didn't really make me happy as I was trying to reassemble it - which by the way is not easy in the dark. Frequently it will go on all wonky and then the light cuts in and out. The lower power of the lamp and shorter battery life also really cut into its usefulness (unless you use expensive lithium batteries). For some reason, I also have had much more of an internal corrosion problem on the Micro than on the Zoom, and this probably is a product of the inferior lamp assembly design, which leaves the bulb area more exposed to the elements.
Keep in mind, folks, that I'm probably much harder on my lamps than the average bear. Most people do not use these for rock climbing on Scottish seacliffs in the rain ('course I don't either now that I'm back in the USA). What I do find the Micro useful for is when I'm doing a longish rock climbing route and I think there is a vague chance I may be caught in the dark. Rock climbers need to be very weight-geeky about what they bring along, and the weight advantage here is sometimes enough to consider taking it when I'd normally leave my Zoom behind. For hikers, I think the Zoom is probably far preferable as it has been much more dependable for me. While the Zoom has only turned on accidently once, I've had run down batteries in my Micro many times. The increased light output of the Zoom is also good when hiking in the dark. In this respect the Micro is sufficient, but just barely.
But as with most outdoor gear, try them before you buy - don't just take my word for it. Make your outdoor shop employees take them out of the box, hook them up and see for yourself how they work in a dark room. Turn them on and off. Though they don't have them listed on epinions, REI makes some headlamps, but I like them even less than this one. You might find on testing them that you prefer the Micro, but my guess is you'll feel much better about buying the Petzl Zoom unless you really need the light weight.
My review of the Petzl Zoom can be found here:
see http://kayaks.epinions.com/otdr-review-6463-9B2559A-39BE831B-prod1
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
jwlester
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Member: JW Lester
Location: Northern California
Reviews written: 69
Trusted by: 38 members
About Me:
I am an avid kayaker and climber.
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