Review Optrel Crystal 2.0

[Hood]

Got the Crystal 2.0 today and all I can say is it is unbelievable.

I have had an Optrel E684 and thought it was amazing. I currently have a Panoramaxx and love it although it is not quite as clear as the E684 was. Well maybe clear is not the correct terminology as the Panoramaxx has a green tint and the E684 has a blueish tint and the latter suits me better.

Ok so what about the Crystal, well it doesn't really have a tint, maybe a very very very slight blue/silver/grey but really it is just like looking through a clear shield. When you strike an arc it goes slightly darker, well actually it must be a lot darker but as there is no change to the colour of the shade you still see everything in the exact colour you would see just looking with your own eyes and no lens.
You can still see the material for quite a distance and you do not get the focused small area that you do with other helmets, you can see all around the weld and you don't actually think it has darkened much but obviously it has.

I have tried it with stainless Tig at 15 Amps, 30 Amps and 70Amps. I tried Alu Tig at 120/140/160Amps and Alu with pulse and double pulse Mig and all were clear, full non-tint colour and huge area viewable, in fact all were Crystal clear

All I can say is it is stunning.

 

[scottmk1]

Good review I've been tempted by one of those advertised on here but I'm trying to do the man maths at the moment!

 

[Ruffian]

I popped into my local supplier couple weeks back and had one of these on the shelf.

Told me to try it on and yep completely agree the filter is so clear it's like it's not even there. So pure it's brilliant.

I am thinking of getting rid of my speedglas 9100xx for or later in the year.

 

[Hood]

Couple of snaps I took as a request.
First is a pic of a board from a servo drive without the lid.
Second is through the lid, in reality is actually even clearer than it looks in the pic as the phone was auto adjusting and also I was shaking a bit trying to hold the phone inside and press the button

.

 

[Hood]

A pic looking directly at a light bulb in a desk lamp, manual mode shade 11.

 

[chris pruteanu]

Looks very, very good ! I have a new speedglass 9100xx and i am very happy with it, for some reason is darker by default when off and springs back clearer when i turn it on ! A few times cought me me by surprise and it was still ok to look trough the ADF- a bit brighter but not blinding ! As soon as you hit the on button it turns clearer, a lot clearer ! Its also almost true color but still turns greenish compared with the blue tint on the 9100xxi ! i really need to try the optrel, seems everyone raves about it !!!

 

[Hood]

I will try and get some arc shots through the lens tomorrow, not sure how or whether I will manage but I will give it a go.
In the mean time here are a couple looking at a fluorescent tube.
First is in Auto mode.

This one is shade 10 manual.

 

[Richard.]

I will try and get some arc shots through the lens tomorrow, not sure how or whether I will manage but I will give it a go.
In the mean time here are a couple looking at a fluorescent tube.
First is in Auto mode.

View attachment 175836

This one is shade 10 manual.




View attachment 175838

That’s very blue.
Looks the same as my balder

 

[Hood]

It is very blue because it is a blue light

 

[Richard.]

It is very blue because it is a blue light

That would explain it then.

 

[Hood]

Or as the description says Blue

 

[Richard.]

I took a nice close up shade 10 of that really bright halogen with my new one. (Not crystal I’m not that flush)
Really really clear. You can’t see with the phone camera but I could clearly see the tiny coiled up filaments in that bulb.

 

[Hood]

I took a nice close up shade 10 of that really bright halogen with my new one. (Not crystal I’m not that flush)
Really really clear. You can’t see with the phone camera but I could clearly see the tiny coiled up filaments in that bulb.

I think the problems with the camera phones is they auto adjust and thus you never really get a picture of what you can see.

 

[matt1978]

@richard that video I shared of SuperTwin on our Threema was shot with my camera phone through one of the Crystal 2.0.

When the phone is in the helmet but without any welding taking place it’s as if there is nothing in front of the camera, it’s quite something.

I’ve not personally used one for welding and I was very impressed from what I did see with it but one of the comments from one of our guys at Lorch who has used his a lot was that he has to add in +1 or +2 filter to “dumb” it down a bit because he found it quite fatiguing on his eyes especially on the higher amperage ranges of Mig welding. He said it was a dream for Tig welding but that was his comment about Mig. I wonder if it’s just because us longer term welders have conditioned our eyes just to see certain colours/intensities

 

[matt1978]

This is a screen shot of the start of a video prior to welding with the camera phone placed inside the Crystal 2.0 Helmet. Good isn’t it

 

[Richard.]

Unreal
Looks just like you’ve taken the photo.

 

[Richard.]

This is a screen shot of the start of a video prior to welding with the camera phone placed inside the Crystal 2.0 Helmet. Good isn’t it

Do you think the guy that flogged us the pano’s will be up for a trade in deal

 

[Hood]

Tried with 3 different cameras, phone, older kodak digital and the spycam and not really worked as soon as the arc was struck so looks like the only way to actually see how good they are is try one out

 

[Hood]

This is my camera held in the Crystal when in the light state.

 

[Bill Edwards]

That looks like a very good helmet, it’s a good thing I really like the panoramax and can’t be spending on any more helmets or I’d probably end up with a Crystal as well.