Hi, I have a quick comparison between those two Wizard headlamps. So if you are wondering which one to choose, this might be helpful :)
White version is rather cool-neutral, more to the cool side, unfortunately. Expect CCT above 5500K
Warm is a bit warmer than previous Warm version of Wizard Pro. Expect CCT below 4000K
There should be an option between those two - a nice 4500K Wizard would be welcome. Yes, there is a Nichia version, but I thing there should be a lower-CRI-but-brighter-4500K option.
All pictures was taken using the sunlight white balance
I've tested both versions in the mountains this year, and I am sure the Warm version is way better for snow hiking.
Now comparison between the old Wizard Pro Warm, and the new C2 Pro one:
Differences I've noticed:
- Old Wizard is slightly less yellowish
- Old Wizard renders colors a bit worse (my opinion)
- New Wizard has a tint shift, which is common for 2nd gen XHP leds.
My C2 Pro White version is a bit cooler than the old one. It is more to the cool side, than the neutral-cool.
Summary
After couple of days of testing, I can choose the Warm version as my favorite. This doesn't mean the White one is bad - it has many pros, but I need a headlamp for mountain hiking and camping, so the Warm version is a better choice.
I hope this short comparison helped! I have more Wizard comparisons, so stay tuned.
I’m seeing different results more in line with what SKV89 has posted. No way to test. I have 2 warm wizard pro xhp50 that are just under 2 years old that are noticeably warmer than the new warm c2 pro. The c2 pro was received near the end of January this year. Comparing them side by side I really prefer the old slightly warmer. It seems to provide more depth perception in various settings. Snow is white with the warm c2 and just slightly yellow with the old warm pro’s. It’s likely a batch or timing issue that’s why I provided dates on mine. SKV89 thinks they used different versions of the XHP50 in the past. That seems likely. The new C2 definitely has a different colored AR lens. I like the new switch and springs.
The white version seem to give more realistic colors. Snow in daylight is not yellow, I think if used at lower lumens, white should be better. Snow and trees don’t have that yellow tint.
You are right, the warm (3000K) version is warmer than neutral light, but “white” (5600K )version is a bit cooler than neutral. Perfect would be something like 4700K
I think it should be a 4000k emitter from communication with Armytek. I almost prefer the older warm, the newer warm has very uneven tint, it gets yellower towards the outside, horrible. I think on turbo is hard to tell, better on high or medium to appreciate the differences.
This is not something that you are ever going to see in normal use. Well maybe if one of your favorite pastimes is studying white walls from 4 ft or less distance.
When the C2 pro warm first came out
it was a medium Cri of 83. A year later they were using a low cri of about 70 something. That was when the world was still dealing with supply chain shortages. I don’t know what they’re doing now. I hope it was a short-term issue. With the nichia you know what you’re going to get.
I think those winter pictures with snow on the ground are slightly deceiving.
I’ve said before that when everything is covered with snow, cold white is fine because there’s not much color to look at other than white. And the cold white bounces off of the snow like it’s a mirror so you can get away with lower settings. But it’s still a problem to look beyond the first trees that you see with cold white. So yes to scan a wide open area with snow covered ground cold white works good.
