Mtbr Lights Shootout Main Page | Mtbr Lights Reviews | Mtbr Lights Forum
Light and Motion Seca Race $549.00
Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.
Description:
The Light and Motion Seca 700 Race features a big and wide light head with 6 LEDs. Three lights are on top and three on the bottom of the front face of the light. the switch is a big metal triangle-shaped button that sits on top of the light. Behind the switch is a huge red heat sink that keeps the light quite cool even at high power.
To turn the light on, one simply has to tap the big switch. To turn it off, the illuminated switch needs to be pressed for two seconds. We are happy to report that this is one of the easiest LED lights to turn on and off. Simple as it sounds, it seems most manufacturers are afraid of accidental 'turn ons' fearing that the light may cause a fire if the light is in a bag for example. Thus, other lights require a double-click or a two-second depress of a small switch to turn it on. Light and Motion had no such fears, perhaps because of the cool operation of their light and they chose to optimize for ease of use.
Light head close ups
Mounting:
The handlebar mount is a rubber strap with a twist. The twist is it's one of the simplest and most elegant straps in the business. The rubber strap is tightened against the handlebar and locked in by locking the pin in one of the strap holes. It requires no tools and is very secure. With the strap in place, the light itself can be adjusted left to right a full 360 degrees.
Note that the strap can be easy to misuse by just pulling up and locking it in place. This makes the strap stick straight up and may not offer enough tension for 26.8 mm handlebars. The strap needs to be fed in the plastic guide first then pulled down to lock in place.
Charging:
This is where the light is one of the best. The charger and the battery are the same as the Lithium Ions used in their previous HID lamps. The charging indicator lights are easy to read and the battery is fully charged in two hours.
Beam Pattern:
It does seem like Light and Motion took a lot of time and effort to tailor the beam pattern of this light. It has a hot spot to see far into the trail. And it cuts off the top of the beam pattern circle so light is not wasted illuminating the sky or the tops of trees. And the three LEDs on the bottom seem to do a great job illuminating what's at close range and directly in front of the bike.
Light Meter Measurements:
On our ambient light meter measurements, the Light and Motion Seca came in at 52 Lux. . Among other brands, the Seca is a little lower than the Dinotte 800L at 55 Lux and the Lupine Wilma 5 at 56 Lux.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Bottom Line:
It's not the lightest at 502 grams. It's not the brightest at 52 Lux. Still there's no denying that a lot of thought went into the design of this system. And the quality and useability of this light is very obvious to the avid rider.
Beam Pattern Photos:
Beam Pattern rollover and side by side comparison page available here.
Value Rating:
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Overall Rating:
4.75 out of 5 Stars
Read or write reviews:
https://www.mtbr.com/cat/accessories/lights/light-and-motion/seca-700-race/PRD_426004_130crx.aspx
Mtbr Lights Shootout Main Page | https://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/category/lights-shootout/Mtbr Lights Reviews | https://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/category/lights-shootout/Mtbr Lights Forum
Light and Motion Seca Race $549.00
Light | Price | Claimed Lumens | Runtime | Battery Type | Light head weight | Battery Weight | Installed Weight | Lumens per gram | Lumens per dollar |
Seca 700 Race | $549.00 | 700 | 3:45 | Lithium Ion | 146g | 382g | 502g | 1.49 | 1.89 |
Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.
Description:
The Light and Motion Seca 700 Race features a big and wide light head with 6 LEDs. Three lights are on top and three on the bottom of the front face of the light. the switch is a big metal triangle-shaped button that sits on top of the light. Behind the switch is a huge red heat sink that keeps the light quite cool even at high power.
To turn the light on, one simply has to tap the big switch. To turn it off, the illuminated switch needs to be pressed for two seconds. We are happy to report that this is one of the easiest LED lights to turn on and off. Simple as it sounds, it seems most manufacturers are afraid of accidental 'turn ons' fearing that the light may cause a fire if the light is in a bag for example. Thus, other lights require a double-click or a two-second depress of a small switch to turn it on. Light and Motion had no such fears, perhaps because of the cool operation of their light and they chose to optimize for ease of use.
Light head close ups
Mounting:
The handlebar mount is a rubber strap with a twist. The twist is it's one of the simplest and most elegant straps in the business. The rubber strap is tightened against the handlebar and locked in by locking the pin in one of the strap holes. It requires no tools and is very secure. With the strap in place, the light itself can be adjusted left to right a full 360 degrees.
Note that the strap can be easy to misuse by just pulling up and locking it in place. This makes the strap stick straight up and may not offer enough tension for 26.8 mm handlebars. The strap needs to be fed in the plastic guide first then pulled down to lock in place.
Charging:
This is where the light is one of the best. The charger and the battery are the same as the Lithium Ions used in their previous HID lamps. The charging indicator lights are easy to read and the battery is fully charged in two hours.
Beam Pattern:
It does seem like Light and Motion took a lot of time and effort to tailor the beam pattern of this light. It has a hot spot to see far into the trail. And it cuts off the top of the beam pattern circle so light is not wasted illuminating the sky or the tops of trees. And the three LEDs on the bottom seem to do a great job illuminating what's at close range and directly in front of the bike.
Light Meter Measurements:
On our ambient light meter measurements, the Light and Motion Seca came in at 52 Lux. . Among other brands, the Seca is a little lower than the Dinotte 800L at 55 Lux and the Lupine Wilma 5 at 56 Lux.
Strengths:
- It's plenty bright and the beam pattern is designed to produce more useable light
- Mounting is simple and effective
- Charging is fast at two hours
- The light switch is one of the easiest to use
- Light stays cool under full power
- It comes with a handsome and convenient carrying case
- Run time is impressive at 3:45 hours
Weaknesses:
- It is pricey at $549
- The battery cable is excessively long and there's no option to have a shorter one
- A little heavy compared to the Lupine Tesla, Dinotte 800L and Exposure MaXx D
Bottom Line:
It's not the lightest at 502 grams. It's not the brightest at 52 Lux. Still there's no denying that a lot of thought went into the design of this system. And the quality and useability of this light is very obvious to the avid rider.
Beam Pattern Photos:
Beam Pattern rollover and side by side comparison page available here.
Value Rating:
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Overall Rating:
4.75 out of 5 Stars
Read or write reviews:
https://www.mtbr.com/cat/accessories/lights/light-and-motion/seca-700-race/PRD_426004_130crx.aspx
Mtbr Lights Shootout Main Page | https://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/category/lights-shootout/Mtbr Lights Reviews | https://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/category/lights-shootout/Mtbr Lights Forum