F7 standard vs. F7 Pro solar MIPS reflections

Please, does anybody has a picture of standard F7 vs F7 Pro solar (non sapphire) indoor with backlight OFF? Or switched from F7 to F7 Pro solar and has some experience?

I´m wondering of changing F7 for Pro solar, but I´m scared of reflections. :-) Thanks.

  • Dito, also looking for a comparison for the same reason, thx....

  •  I have no F7 vs F7 Pro Solar, but I have a picture of the FR945 vs. F7 Pro Solar.

    The FR945 has, as well as FR955, a very decent antireflective coating. Almost no annoying reflections indoors and outdoors. Its like the coating of your glasses, if you wear any.

    I wonder why Garmin is not able to apply a/r coating to at least their F7 Pro. The comparison is impressive! FR945 has crystal clear readability vs reflections of the F7 Pro (which are, of course, a slight bit less than the sapphire version, but not so much).

  • Left to right, all aligned in a way that the same lightsource is reflected towards the camera:

    F7X Solar Sapphire, Forerunner 945, Forerunner 955, Instinct Solar.

    Most reflective: F7XSS (worst readability by far) and Instinct Solar. Less reflective: FR945 with very good a/r coating, FR955 with ok a/r coating but not as good as FR945.

    So Garmin, why is it not possible to apply a/r coating on the new F7X Pro?? Touch and Solar are the same as FR955, which is cheaper and got the much better coating? Perhaps the F7X Pro is not expensive enough for such a feature ;-)

  • Thx. Do you have a comparison between the 955 solar and Fenix 7 Pro solar? That would be the most comprable ones, as both have touchscreen and solar too. The 955 solar indeed does look much better then even the Instinct solar. Wow.

    Does the sapphire really make it that much worse?

    Maybe I will be the guinea pig and order a 7s pro solar. Maybe. I can't decide but the new sensor plus led light looks promising. But I wanted a titanium one because it is lighter. With sport watches even 10% less is a lot. But it seems a Fenix sapphire is a no go.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 1 year ago

    I got the enduro 2 less than a month before the fenix/epix pro's came out, so I was able to return the Enduro 2, and get one of the pro models.

    I opted for the epix pro sapphire 51mm, because the screen on the fenix/enduro is just too reflective. I can read the screen on this epix perfectly at any angle, and in any lighting conditions.

  • I can read the screen on this epix perfectly at any angle, and in any lighting conditions.

    Yes, but so can everyone else around you... That would be my issue with a "cell phone" type screen on a watch. I prefer the more muted screen in the Fenix for privacy. Saying that, I do wish Garmin would ditch the power glass and (possibly enlarge the solar ring out word instead). There is room to make the panel larger as who uses that numbered ring at the edge of the screen anyway? If you need a numbered ring, one can be software generated... Without the power glass the screen would be that much more legible...

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 1 year ago in reply to 4339148

    LOL... I don't care if anyone around me sees my heart rate or how fast I'm going.

    You really think that should be a privacy concern?

  • I think we should get back to the topic. There is already a thread about Epix vs Fenix.

  • Thanks for the pictures. If I was in Garmin store in January and played with 955, the display seemed very good to me compared to my F7 standard. But the buttons was like from cheap toy, strange feeling and I don't like that the behaving of touch interactions is not unique for F7 and FR955. And battery life is worse. But the 955 was soo lightweight and fits me perfectly on my wrist. But I couldn't live with these mentioned imperfections. :-)

    I also compared my F7 with F7s solar only in the pub and it wasn't so horrible but still it was big difference. And comparing F7 vs F7XSS made me sick. I know since that day, that I won't stand the sapphire glass, but I like the weight of sapphire models.

    So nothing changes, I still can't decide if I will try F7 Pro solar :-). 

  • I owned the 7s solar for a short time and compared it to my 7s standard and the difference was minor. The display seemed a bit more "dim" and "darker" but the reflections and glare were quite the same. A difference yes, but not a BIG difference. But when I see photos between the sapphire and solar/standard, night and day difference.

    I wanted the 7s Pro Sapphire, esp because of weight difference which is more important to me, but it is a no-go. Someone who wants sapphire should really go with the Epix Pro. Unfortunately. And as it seems from comments here and on reddit, there is no difference from 7 to 7 pro, no matter the versions. I just wanted to see it in a picture. But people said already no difference in glare and reflections.

    I would buy the Epix Pro, even though I never wanted too and just because of glare and reflections of the Fenix line, but it is unsuable as a bike computer and I bike at leats once a week. So big NO here.

    But again, I read somewhere no difference between 7 and 7 pro and I owned botht he 7s standard (still) and the 7s solar and it was less reable but it wasn't that bad that I wouldn't buy a F7 Pro because of worse readibility compared to the 7 standard. It's the sapphire edition which makes it MUCH worse.

    They should have concentrated more on the glass and reducing reflections and glare instead of making the display brighter. Not cool, Garmin!