Hey BLF, for my first of two Spark headlamp reviews I’m posting my thoughts on the now classic ST6 NW. In about 2 weeks I’ll have the little reviewed SG6 18650 light ready too. Anyway, this is an awesome light. In the video you’ll find the usual… nice lighting, bad jokes, video runtime tests, real world usage, beam shot comparisons between other 18650 headlamps (Armytek Wizard Pro, Spark SG6, Skilhunt H02) and more. I also compared how the light ran on Super mode with a split screen comparison between two different batteries- Panasonic 3400 mah and Sanyo 2600 mah. Spoiler: the Panasonic wins by nearly 30 mins. Anyway, at the suggestion of some, I added music. I don’t know how I feel about it, and wonder if I should use music on my next video too?
Highlights of the lamp…
You can put the battery in either way.
No visible PWM on any mode.
Long, constant runtimes.
Frosted or Clear glass lenses come with it.
Be sure to look for the SG6 review soon. If you missed my last review, the Thorlite USB lantern, check it out. Thanks for watching BLF! This lamp was provided by review from Spark.
Hey Mark. Really enjoy these. I liked the music, I’m sure not all will however. Volume was just about right in my opinion. I just can’t imagine how much work goes into these video reviews! Seems like it would take days. Almost bought one of these headlamps way back when. Love how they did the replaceable lens, others need to copy that, like Zebralight. Really enjoyed the ‘car mechanic’ theme!
I keep expecting at the end of the videos “We’ll leave the light on for you.” (Motel 6)
I’m not sold on the music yet. Youtube offers a lot of it, and I’ve probably listened to 50-70 tracks by now, and most just don’t fit the tone of my videos. Most public domain music is irritating. These are just ok and I know good music when I hear it- unfortunately I can’t use any of it for free. The songs keep move along the pace a little bit, but not much. I might forego it on the next video, and just do without it. If someone hates the music, then it ruins the video. The same could be said for my voice, but the only way to fix that is not make videos. I watched the video many times, and kept lowering the music, trying to make it non-intrusive.
I don’t think music has any correlation on how popular the videos are. A few of my older ones, where I used a crappy camera had music and some have quite a few hits. But most of the videos I’ve done in the past year and a half don’t have it. My noctigon meteor review is my fastest hits per shortest amount of time video ever, and it has none. It seems the light itself and brand name has a direct correlation on how popular my videos are, also how new the lights are. So by that token, this video considering how long the headlamp has been out, might not be that popular because there are a ton of ST6 videos. Oh well.
It’s a nice headlamp. I’d almost like to say the moonlight could be lower… but that’s being nitpicky. It’s pretty low as it is, but only the Armytek Tiara has a lower one. And that low mode is too low for some. The user interface is perfect, as is the mode spacing.
Ha ha. If I could get Grover to review the lights, then they’d be popular. He loves going on walks, and maybe he needs a headlamp too.
Nice review, as always, I’m getting bored to repeat it Lol, anyway I’m at my office now and I’ve seen the videos without audio because …well you know, i should work instead of watching it … (yep, i know how the narration is useful to understand things) but this is just on purpose of saying that later I will watch it again with audio/music and tell you how it compares with my first impression…
Anyway….doesn’t youtube allow user to define multiple audio tracks?, maybe you could mux audio+narration on track1 and narration alone on secondary track, or viceversa, than a comment will tell the viewer about this opportunity….don’t know I’m not a youtube expert, i just worked some time ago with a/v coding and muxing
I like the comments, if no one commented I’d stop making them. Which some people might like! After just checking… They allow you to replace the audio it seems, but not upload an alternate track. Maybe in the future they will allow it? Also, as far as watching without volume- I add subtitles to nearly all of my videos now. I make sure they’re correct and have used them on every one of my reviews this year. Sometimes it takes a week or two for me to add them, but I hope it helps some people out. Anyway thanks again.
Also… I made this video shorter. My prior lantern video was only 4 minutes, but so far this is my shortest headlamp/falshlight review yet (other than the lantern). It doesn’t save me a whole lot of time doing this, but I feel, and I’ve seen research and comments suggesting that shorter videos hold peoples attention better. Anyway, I’m always listening to suggestions and complaints of things that I can fix. I know there’s been a comment or two about my runtime videos, but I’ve had more positive comments in support of them than negative ones, so they’re staying for now.
Great review! Very well composed and good camera angles. The “real world usage” approach is very useful and fun to watch.
And I love your choice of settings/surroundings. They seems, as usual, like directly cut from a horror movie
And your jokes are bad as always, in a good way but the music really stinks imho.
No creepy animals in this one, maybe next time?
Well I’m a huge fan of horror films, so hopefully that comes through in the settings and camera work. Thanks! And I’ll take note in regards to the music. I’m not a big fan of it myself. There’s only a little bit of stuff I like on YouTube and most of it is inappropriate. I’ll forego it next time- one or two complaints is all I need. I wish I could write music- but to be honest It would add significant time to a video that doesn’t get a whole lot of views anyway.
Great review as always. And I personally would have preferred it without music.
As you said, its difficult to get good music for free (and allowed to use for free). It makes editing video much harder.
But some people say that sound is the dealbreaker/maker of any movie.
It’s settled then. No music from here on out, just for the sake of it. I try to keep the editing and camera work flowing well, to make up for the lack of music anyway. Oh well. I thought I’d try it once. It just worked so well on the last one with just the ambient creepy music.
OK- As promised I’ve watched it with audio and narration, as expected little nice pills of useful informations are supplied while you speak (like when you say that every change always restarts the light from low), nice, very nice.
ANyway, i don’t have a solid opinion on music, I mean I liked your previous videos, but i also think music in this one it’s appropriate, and it’s very good even not considering it’s a first attempt…. so sorry, i don’t have an opinion in this regard.
I was there when someone said they not shared your opinion about runtimes, Buuuut….it was not so unpolite as it seemd out to be in the end, and since this videos represent you:
-you could (if you wish) take into account what people are sayin (if you think it will make your work better), or just ignore, this videos are a very personal representation of you…so… if you agree to “change yourself”, good then, else, good the same, no? Friends as before ( if you know what i mean* this is a raw translation of an italian expression)
What i personally like is the “real world” shots, with light that moves between the threes and you turning around, etc…wouldn’t it be very subtle if in a way on in the other , at some point, you shoot walking the same places with every light, even if different places of the timeline in every video review? For comparison, coudl be nice…or plain stupid, don’t know, brainstorming here…. nevermind just a weird idea.
I see what you mean sort of like a beamshot comparison, but a moving shot walking. I might do this in a comparison video later down the road. Anyway, thanks so much for the input!
yours are some of the best reviews (selfbuilt it right up there also) because of your quips, bad jokes and honest insights. the runtimes are usful as realtime results but the actual watching of them I have to admit are the slowest parts of the reviews.
About the music I never noticed a lack of it before (I think if it can be worked in) in a smart way for example emphisize a point you just made, great! otherwise let us focus on the pictures and words and that is where the meat is at.
And I also get the feeling (read your style) very much as mentioned earlier “I keep expecting at the end of the videos “We’ll leave the light on for you.” (Motel 6)
.”
This could be a good thing if you have found/are finding your “voice”
Keep em coming.
I even watched 2 or three of your horror weekend movies stuff just because I find your “style” so, … well,
Just watched this video, and liked it. Like all you “film-noir” video’s. The music adds an extra touch of professionalism, but IMHO could be a tiny tiny bit softer. After all, it’s about the candy, not about the wrapper, so to speak. Talking about the candy: I enjoyed it, like always. Top of the line!.
You mentioned once that there were movies on line with more hits than yours. Well, I forced myself to a 20 min torture of watching a grown-up with 2 hands (actually it looked more like 9 thumbs and 1 indexfinger) unpacking a light and trying to load a battery in more different way than I thought was possible, before he finally was able to switch it on. Accompanied by mumbling coming out of a throat that really really needed a glass of fresh water.
You cannot compare your video’s to such a video. I won’t. I’m sure the members of BLF won’t either.
There is an old saying from India: never mind the quality, just feel the size. Your video’s are from the opposite side of the Gauss-curve.
Your video’s are watched by people with a more-than-average knowledge about the subject, and they come to you for extra info!
BTW: I’m more or less waiting for the re-introduction of a furry sidekick
I’ve tried speeding them up. I dunno, they’re staying for now. I feel like it’s some real testing I do- I don’t want it to feel like a promo for the light. I guess I could always just say what my testing found. Although my runtime tests do get several hundred views each so some people like them… even though they’re integrated into the video. I guess my videos are missing a catch phrase.
Softer music… I probably won’t use it in the next video, but it’s useful information when I do use music in other videos, thanks. And let me guess that video had a few thousand views! Thanks again, I will not do table top reviews ever. I like making interesting looking videos, and actually the real reason I do them is to experiment with low lighting and vintage lenses I pick up for cheap. That and improving my technique, and editing pacing. I managed to cut several minutes out of this one… and I hope keep future videos way under 10 minutes in length, while still maintaining an informing video. I’d like to bring grover, it all depends on when I get to watch him again.
Now I didn’t review the cool white version. Do you mean the SG6? That’s also a neutral white… But it has a much higher overall output at 860 lumens on super. I set all the lights to their maximum output.
Sorry for the misunderstanding. Was a comment related to the subject but not to the video itself
I meant the st6-500cw….
I’ll explain myself better… . I saw your video directly on YouTube… So I could watch it on 1080p and full screen…. Than the video ended and I left my pc playing the next contextual video… It was a comparison between st6-460nw and the st6-500cw…
and the st6-500cw….its brighter… I would say, a lot, brighter considering everything except the tint it’s the same.
Lol, anyway I’m at my office now and I’ve seen the videos without audio because …well you know, i should work instead of watching it 
but the music really stinks imho.