H502 with 80 degree beam

[moozooh]

Oh yeah, that one. It was one of the two alternative options I considered before finally settling on the H502d, but the lower per-cell efficiency, higher price, inability to easily clip it to a pocket, and the need for battery matching in cannibalistic usage scenarios, all tipped the scales towards ZL. Since I don't really need the highest brightness settings on either light and don't plan on getting secondary 14500s, the Spark had no redeeming points left for me. They say its NW LED tint/bin is really well chosen, though. (And it's 115˚, isn't it? )

 

[varuscelli]

Spark SD52. 120 degrees. AA batteries.

Oh yeah, that one. It was one of the two alternative options I considered before finally settling on the H502d, but the lower per-cell efficiency, higher price, inability to easily clip it to a pocket, and the need for battery matching in cannibalistic usage scenarios, all tipped the scales towards ZL. Since I don't really need the highest brightness settings on either light and don't plan on getting secondary 14500s, the Spark had no redeeming points left for me. They say its NW LED tint/bin is really well chosen, though. (And it's 115˚, isn't it? )

I think the SD52 is significantly heavier/bulkier than the H502...correct? Roughly 2x the weight of the H502?

I'm not discounting the comparative beam spread, though! Good point, YoSeKi.

Sorry for the digression.

 

[kwak]

I'm glad u like it as is
Def a step ahead of the 501 in a lot of areas.

I think some of us would've preferred a more concentrated beam but still without a hotspot ie. H501


Some like it as is - which is why there's a poll @the top.

Flashaholics like to nitpic & debate.
I think all of this obsession to detail drives innovation.

I'm curious if anyone has done 1m Lux test between the 501&502 ?

After the SC600 fiasco i did say that i would never buy another Zerbralight again, but poor customer service and beta testing aside i think that they are at the forefront of torch design and they just seem to keep bringing out torches that do exactly what i want.

My posts are more aimed towards curiosity than trying to be argumentative, with other lights i own i have read other owners reports and agree with 90% of them.
Even the 10% i don't agree with i can see exactly where they are coming from.

With the H502 after using the light extensively over the past few weeks the complaints/wishes just seem to be alien to me.


I do accept that the light is far from perfect, i'm REALLY not a fan of the ZL UI and there is a dark spot in the centre of the beam that's JUST noticeable in some situations.


But i would be very grateful if someone could point out a situation where they were using the H502 and felt a 80° beam would have been better than the 120° beam spread please?


As i say, please do not think of my post as argumentative, in all honesty that is not my intention, i just am very very curious.

 

[Photonrunner]

After the SC600 fiasco i did say that i would never buy another Zerbralight again, but poor customer service and beta testing aside i think that they are at the forefront of torch design and they just seem to keep bringing out torches that do exactly what i want.

My posts are more aimed towards curiosity than trying to be argumentative, with other lights i own i have read other owners reports and agree with 90% of them.
Even the 10% i don't agree with i can see exactly where they are coming from.

With the H502 after using the light extensively over the past few weeks the complaints/wishes just seem to be alien to me.


I do accept that the light is far from perfect, i'm REALLY not a fan of the ZL UI and there is a dark spot in the centre of the beam that's JUST noticeable in some situations.


But i would be very grateful if someone could point out a situation where they were using the H502 and felt a 80° beam would have been better than the 120° beam spread please?


As i say, please do not think of my post as argumentative, in all honesty that is not my intention, i just am very very curious.

For Running the throw of an 80 beam is far superior.

 

[psychbeat]

For almost anything having that extra light colminated into the 80deg seems better to me.

It would allow u to use a lower mode to achieve the same amount of illumination.

I have an H501w and a full flood ~180degree headlamp and wish my full flood HL had an optic like the 501.

 

[YoSeKi]

For Running the throw of an 80 beam is far superior.

Do you say this from experience or from theory?

I have an H501w and a full flood ~180degree headlamp and wish my full flood HL had an optic like the 501.

What emitter do you have in your 180 degree headlamp?

 

[Photonrunner]

Do you say this from experience or from theory?

I've got thousands of miles of experience. I'm a high mileage marathon runner who runs many miles night time after work. 501 rocks just wish it was brighter and had a bit better head band.

 

[psychbeat]

Do you say this from experience or from theory?



What emitter do you have in your 180 degree headlamp?

It has 2 hiCRI XPG each run @1.4a on hi.
They are behind a rather thick Lexan lens of which u actually get light directly
out the edges it's a crazy wide angle.

 

[kwak]

For Running the throw of an 80 beam is far superior.

For almost anything having that extra light colminated into the 80deg seems better to me.

It would allow u to use a lower mode to achieve the same amount of illumination.

I have an H501w and a full flood ~180degree headlamp and wish my full flood HL had an optic like the 501.

Sorry, but i have to repeat myself again.

Having had a H501w and a H502d side my side outdoors on a very rocky footpath i can categorically state that this 40° narrower spread that is being discussed is barely noticeable in the real world.

Sat behind a computer screen 40° less spread sounds a lot in theory, in practice though with the torch being a few meters away from the path the difference is barely noticeable.


I can understand that in theory it seems like it could be a deciding factor, but in practice it makes no real difference at all.


My H501w is in my toolbox otherwise i'd snap some pics to prove it, as soon as i'm back to work i'll do a beam comparison.
I'd bet large sums of money that you'd be VERY surprised.

 

[YoSeKi]

501 rocks just wish it was brighter and had a bit better head band.

Do you have a H502 too?

It has 2 hiCRI XPG each run @1.4a on hi.

Are you comparing the H501w's throw and the 2 XPG's throw at the same output?

 

[psychbeat]

Are you comparing the H501w's throw and the 2 XPG's throw at the same output?

no - the H501w is a single XR-E with an 80deg optic
and my bare XP-G both activate simultaneously (as well as the XM-L which is in a SMO reflector)
and only have 2 modes so there's no way to fairly compare them...

but I can say that a large amount of the flood from the XP-Gs in my bike helmet light is wasted
and would perform better behind an optic of some kind.

 

[Photonrunner]

Do you have a H502 too?

No I haven't bought it due to the lower intensity of the 120 deg beam. I need something to see things further out there, not extra peripheral vision.

 

[sinthemau]

I quote 100% davidt1 in first post.

I have a 502.
Also I have a 501w > I like it a lot but too low power and/runtime
And from a few days also a H600w > the best! If only it would be a little littler....and same interface of 502.

I definitely would buy a new 502 with 80 (or 90) degrees, surely WARM.:twothumbs

 

[theshoelacebandit]

My ideal all-purpose light would be an H502 with with a beam similar to the H51.I have been a fan of zebralight for some time now. As a result many of the people I know have purchased several of there lights. All that I have talked to have said they would most definitely buy the before mentioned light. While we believe a full flood has its place, an 80 deg spill spot like the H51 is a lot more functional for all around use. I spent 9 years in the US Marines and I wish I had a Zebralight during that time. They are fare superior in function to most if the lights we used. In my opinion an h502 with a 80 deg spill spot or an h51 with an xml would be the king of all flashlights.I most likely will be left waiting for the "H52" to be released. I've been I contact with zebralight and they told me that they "didn't have any plans in the near future to make such a light."

 

[Bolster]

I chose 120 degrees, because the additional degrees really makes night work pleasant. More peripheral vision, less moving the head to aim.

That said, if there were an 80 I'd buy one of those, too! But maybe a 60 would be an even better choice for a bit more throw. I believe the Saint uses a 60 degree beam.

 

[thaugen]

I chose 80, but now that I have been using my H502d for a few days I am becoming a fan of the 120.

 

[peterharvey73]

Both the 80 degree and the 120 degree spill beams are good.
Both are good, but in different ways; 80 for more flood-throw, and 120 for more pure flood.
Zebralight should make both versions available for sale, just like Spark offers for sale both the SD6 flooder, and the ST6 flood-thrower...

 

[varuscelli]

I still think that if ZebraLight releases something with an 80 degree beam and more output than the H501, it won't be the H502. It would (or will, if they do it) have a different model number. The concept of making a lamp with such different specs and still calling it the H502 seems silly. (Again, it seems more logical that it would be the H503 or whatever new designation ZebraLight assigns.) Maybe this is nitpicking the thread on my part, but given the thread title and direction...well, I'm just commenting.

 

[eh4]

Somebody with an H502 should cut a precise "doughnut" out of black construction paper, or out of gorilla tape for a permanent/reversible mod. The outside dimension matching the inside of the bezel of course, with the centered inside hole's diameter requiring estimation, trial and error, mock it up w/ paper and finish w/ nice tape.
Looking at my H51 I'm guessing that a piece of thin walled brass tube of about 9mm diameter would be sharpened easily with sand paper to make a punch for the center hole... Looks like around 80-90 degree exposure would result.

 

[Philonous]

Full disclosure; I have never used a ZL HL with an 80 degree beam.


However, based on my initial experiences with the H502,, I like the 120 degree beam. It's just like, well... seeing. Almost all of your field of vision is lit up. The barest edges escape the light, but FOV pretty much equals what is illuminated. Personally, I wouldn't narrow it to 80 degrees.