Anyone in the domestic trail running scene is likely familiar with the Black Diamond brand, as it was one of the first brands to grow alongside trail running in Thailand. They offer a complete set of products, including headlamps, trekking poles, and hydration packs. For beginners who may want to know the brand's background, Black Diamond is an American brand that started with climbing activities and developed equipment designed to minimize environmental impact. It has since expanded into other activities such as high-altitude trekking, skiing, and hiking, and eventually into trail running.
Back to the topic of headlamps, the latest Black Diamond Distance 1500 model provides a boost brightness of up to 1,500 lumens (for only 10 seconds), which is quite substantial. Most brands we see only offer a boost of up to 1,000 lumens, unlike the Distance 1500, which delivers 1,500 lumens. Many people may wonder what the actual main brightness of this Distance 1500 is. Let's take a look at the specs.
Spec
- Low brightness 15 lm | Distance 5 m | Duration 40 h
- Medium brightness 300 lm | Distance 45 m | Duration 6 h
- High brightness 800 lm | Distance 95 m | Duration 1.7 h
- *Maximum brightness (boost) 1500 lm | Distance 117 m | 10 sec
- Battery: 1500mAh @ 7.4v
- Water resistance: IP67 (dust-tight and protected against immersion in water up to 1 meter for no longer than 30 minutes)
- Weight: 213 grams
- Size: 23x17x5cm
Features
- Power Tap mode: This function can boost the headlamp to its maximum brightness of 1,500 lumens for 10 seconds
- Dimming mode: Low-to-high brightness adjustment
- Strobe mode: Flashing light mode
- RGB mode: Switches between red, green, and blue lights
- Rear Strobe mode: Flashing light on the back
- Lock mode: Can lock the headlamp's power button to prevent accidental switching
And these are the specs of the Distance 1500 headlamp. But... that's not all. Let's take a look at how it feels after I've had a chance to try out the Distance 1500.
1. First off, I have to say that when I first saw the Distance 1500 headlamp, I was shocked and wondered what kind of crazy headlamp had such a large box. But then again, with a boost brightness of 1,500 lumens, the size makes sense, as the battery must provide a considerable amount of power. The Distance 1500 comes with a box, which is great because it provides impact protection and keeps the headlamp neatly organized, so you can just take the box with you when you use it.
2. The box includes one headlamp, one battery, one charging cable, one center head strap, one headlamp pouch, and one manual.
3. The design is not particularly striking and looks like a regular headlamp. But when you look at the light unit of the Distance 1500, it stands out from other models because the circuit board is 100% exposed (it almost looks like seeing the inner workings of a watch). It has a really unique feel.
4. Once assembled, it looks like this. Personally, I really like the center head strap because it supports the weight of the headlamp and battery well. It feels quite comfortable to wear, perhaps because the side straps are neither too small nor too large. It fits snugly around the head, and moving your head up and down doesn't cause it to bounce off easily. As for the battery on the back, it doesn't feel so heavy that it pulls the headlamp backward after putting it on. This may be because the battery is designed to be flat, which distributes the weight quite well, even though the headlamp weighs 213 grams.
5. Let's take a look at the Distance 1500 headlamp. It has three light components: 1. A spot light, which projects a beam forward to help you see further ahead. 2. A flood light, which spreads the light over a wide area, allowing you to see more of your surroundings at close range. 3. An RGB light, which provides red, green, and blue lights, each with different uses, such as red for S.O.S. signals, green for reading maps, and blue for spotting bloodstains.
6. In terms of performance, I tried turning on the Power Tap mode of the Distance 1500 at its maximum brightness of 1,500 lumens. After turning it on and timing it, it lasted about 15 seconds before the brightness gradually faded back to the level it was at before activating Power Tap mode. This is more than 5 minutes longer than the brand's stated spec. The medium brightness of 300 lumens was tested by the Black Diamond team in real-world use and lasted 8 hours, which is quite good for 300 lumens. You can easily use it all night with just one battery. (There's a testing clip to watch too.... Click )
7. The 1500mAh @ 7.4v battery capacity is rechargeable. As mentioned, the battery is well-designed, lightweight, and not overly bulky. It has a button to check the battery status and can also act as a flashing light visible from the back.
Conclusion
I think the Black Diamond Distance 1500 is a highly usable headlamp for anyone who wants or likes a bright headlamp that can last all night on a single battery while providing excellent brightness. The Distance 1500 really delivers.
Pros
1. Comfortable to wear and doesn't feel heavy on the head. The weight is well distributed around the head.
2. Adjustable brightness levels. Unlike other brands, the Black Diamond Distance 1500 does not use preset brightness levels. Instead, it features dimming, allowing you to adjust the brightness to your desired level. You can choose exactly how bright you want it.
3. Durable battery that lasts overnight. Anyone who wants to use it continuously without having to change batteries will likely be pleased.
4. The Lock mode is excellent, as this feature is not very common in headlamps (although Black Diamond includes it in all models). The benefit of having a Lock mode is that if you put the headlamp in your hydration pack without locking it, something in the pack might press the button and turn it on. By the time you actually need to use it, the battery may be low or depleted. Having this mode helps prevent the battery from being drained prematurely.
Cons
1. Difficult to find spare batteries. Sometimes you may want an extra battery to use while waiting for the first one to charge, but they are very hard to find because you must use the brand's own batteries; third-party batteries cannot be used.
2. The price is quite high. At 4,990 baht, the Distance 1500 is considerably more expensive than other brands with similar brightness. Price is, of course, one of the factors in the purchasing decision.
Finally... who is it suitable for?
The Black Diamond Distance 1500 is a large, highly bright headlamp that lasts for a long time, making it ideal for ultra runners and anyone who primarily runs at night. It is also perfect for anyone who wants an exceptionally bright headlamp that will illuminate the path ahead and keep you from getting lost. You should definitely get one.
Review by: Admin Nick