Zebralight SC600 & SC600W discussion part 2

[roadkill1109]

Thanks guys! I'll put out my order there.

 

[pblanch]

You guys here are the cutting edge, and while my SC600 is probably on the lame-end of what new LED's can do, it's just perfect for me, and I just wanted to thank you all for keeping the manufacturers on their toes and progressing the state of the art. I could easily see replacing all of my interior bulbs with LED's in the next few years.

Best-

The SC600 is cutting edge. It quite new and has had a lot of support. I absolutely love mine as you will find many around here also. This was my first 18650 light and like the battery type and love the light but tend to use my eneloops for traveling as I can find recharges a bit easier.

 

[radellaf]

An original mini mag-lite with incandescent bulb...O-light T25...the difference is just astounding. *The SC600 can light up a room like a real lightbulb, and light up a house or tree 30 yards away almost like a floodlight.

You guys here are the cutting edge, and while my SC600 is probably on the lame-end of what new LED's can do...

I could easily see replacing all of my interior bulbs with LED's in the next few years.
-

I've put in a couple of LED bulbs. The spots are nice, and the low watt ones, and the RGB with remote control... Can't afford to deploy all that many and am driven as much by not being able to toss CFL in regular trash as anything else.

Considering I grew up thinking an orange Photon micro light was amazingly cool, and before that finding the Minimag to just be the ultimate (the solitare always kinda s_cked), I know what you mean.

The SC600 is cutting edge. Most efficient emitter with the most lumens in one spot (sst90, hush), driven by a circuit as efficient as anything out there (barring some custom light that might have a small edge), heatsinked *as well as anything (that isn't bigger). *That it is 800lm max and the runtimes are set by the format, but I wouldn't call multicell multiLED lights more "cutting edge". Not better tech, just more of the same level of tech. *The 3100 batteries are about the most advanced we have at the moment, too. The UI is tied amongst the best in the business. Some may need tail clickies, but those are not advanced tech.*

The coolest part is that this time it's (backorders aside) easily commercially available and not a limited multi-$100 custom or limited edition.

If you're blown away I'd say it's because it really is that amazing. It does mean you can navigate the house in the dark and not have to bother looking for the light switch. Just tailstand the light and... the room is lit. Or, outside, the yard, the road, the woods are... lit. *The whole thing in front of you not just a bit.

I had a Yezl XM-L when the emitter first came out so I knew it could be bright, but by and large the flat regulation and brightness control in a tiny but still basically sufficient for heat sinking package is just amazing.

I do wish I could EDC it instead of a 1xAAA Fenix, but, hey, it's the 2012 tech "minimag" not the photon or solitaire.*

 

[pocketlight]

So the SC600 as an EDC is ok, not great because it's size it's just a little too big to carry with jeans but I find that if I clip it to the outside of my belt works great (I know it could get scratched) on the other hand I was on a film set today and the director was quite surprised about how much punch the little light had, thinking about getting a SC600w as a back up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Marko]

Yeah me too, can't decide between Neutral or the Cool version. In general I prefer cool, but i do have a 47 quark in neutral and like it very much. How is the SC600W compared to the quark neutral? It's warmer or cooler?

SC600W is a bit warmer than 4Sevens neutral Quark. See image below, SC600w and 4Sevens Quark AA2 Neutral White.

 

[thaugen]

My SC600 just arrived. Personally I like the cool tint better than the neutral tint of my SC600w. And, compared to my HDS rotary 200 the SC600 leans more to the neutral side of the tint spectrum, so it is not a pure cool white tint.

 

[Theorem29]

After using my SC600w for a little while now, I can say that this is the coolest flashlight I have ever owned! I just can't help picking it up, fondling it and playing around with it. Everything about the UI, look and feel of the light is nothing short of amazing. However it is not all perfect.

After using the light in indoor and outdoor settings under various lighting sources (and pure darkness) I have come to the conclusion that the tint is actually much greener than I would prefer (yes, it is a 600w neutral version). For whatever reason it took several days for my eyes to truly pick up the green hues in the tint, now when I look at the light, it looks extremely green (although it really isn't that bad, but my brain exaggerates it for whatever reason).

In an effort to combat the green I decided to use some filters to clean it up a bit (not my ideal solution, but it does work). At first I tried the eighth minus green filter which is a light magenta flavor (lee filters), and this seemed to be perfect. But after using that for a day or so, my eyes adjusted and the green tint reappeared with a vengeance as if I wasn't even using a filter (the brains ability to compensate is a strange thing).

Now I started using the quarter minus green and it seems to be holding back the green enough so where I can only detect it on a minuet and tolerable level (only the lowest of lows tends to have green now). Granted the light is now a bit pink on the higher modes, but it actually looks pretty cool, reminds me of using sunglasses with pinkish/rose colored lenses, which tends to make things really pop out. Also using this much magenta seems to have had a very positive effect on the CRI of the light, colors really pop now (especially yellow and reds) and things look cleaner and have better contrast.

I am going to do some more tests in an outdoor setting tomorrow, as unfiltered the light is far to yellow for my tastes when using on green plants and grass. Hopefully my new magenta infused light will bring a more natural color to an outdoor setting without things appearing too yellow or green.

But greenish tint or not, this light is worth every penny, I only wish I could buy several more in every available tint! (could you imagine a high CRI version!!)

 

[kenL]

SC600W is a bit warmer than 4Sevens neutral Quark. See image below, SC600w and 4Sevens Quark AA2 Neutral White.

Thanks Marko. I was expecting the SC600W be a little cooler than the Quark. I guess I will get the cool version instead.

 

[pocketlight]

Re: Zebra light SC600 (W) discussion part 2

I just typed up a nice long post but once again..CPF fails.

Where did you get that Glow in the dark O ring, also what size?? also where did you get the case and whats the model? I want one.

 

[Brasso]

Re: Zebra light SC600 (W) discussion part 2

Is it normal for the beam to have a slightly warm center (hint of green), with a slightly purple spill beam? It's not really that bad. Certainly not enough to bother me, but is that normal considering the shallow reflector?

 

[thaugen]

Re: Zebra light SC600 (W) discussion part 2

Is it normal for the beam to have a slightly warm center (hint of green), with a slightly purple spill beam? It's not really that bad. Certainly not enough to bother me, but is that normal considering the shallow reflector?

That is exactly what the beam on my SC600 looks like.

 

[Lite_me]

Re: Zebra light SC600 (W) discussion part 2

Mine too.

 

[Diablo_331]

Re: Zebra light SC600 (W) discussion part 2

Where did you get that Glow in the dark O ring, also what size?? also where did you get the case and whats the model? I want one.

The GITD ring in the first photo is a 7/8ths inch from Lighthound and both the GITD and black ring in the second photo came with the Dark Sucks ti clip. The case is a Pelican 1010 Micro Case. They can be had for $10 to $12 USD. I have since removed the orings and tied myself a nice and functional lanyard.

 

[Diablo_331]

Re: Zebra light SC600 (W) discussion part 2

Is it normal for the beam to have a slightly warm center (hint of green), with a slightly purple spill beam? It's not really that bad. Certainly not enough to bother me, but is that normal considering the shallow reflector?

That's just how a XML looks. The reason the beam gets more greenish on the lower levels is because they are all current controlled. That is the price you pay for longer run times with the XML vs a PWM controlled light.

 

[Theorem29]

Re: Zebra light SC600 (W) discussion part 2

Its amazing how this thread has become so inactive since everybody started receiving their lights. I guess that is what happens when hype dies off, as we really don't have much more to talk about. Interesting thing as I was browsing ZL's website light night, they actually had the SC600w in stock for a short period of time! So I guess the backorders have finally caught up to the point where they have some extra in stock after fulfilling the preorders. Didn't last long though, so the demand is still there.

Sadly despite my love for this light, I have gotten to the point of being 100% unsatisfied with my SC600w tint. It started off being a nice tint with only a slight hint of green, now after playing with some filters I now notice how very green the tint really is, and it bothers me very much. I no longer am able to use it unfiltered without noticed the green undertones.

I think I am done with XM-L lights until they can make them better, as the XM-L's have the absolute worst tint variation between hotspot and spill I have ever seen in a flashlight. My SC600w has a magenta tinted spill, leading into a green corona, then slowly blending into a very yellow hotspot. This is not a pretty tint change which looks quite ugly, and because of all the yellow, makes the light seem really green.

I have however been experimenting with filters and other things to try and smooth out the spill to hotspot variation, I have come up with a few interesting findings that I will share if I can perfect them. Basically I am trying to devise a way to change the individual tints in the beam profile without impacting the entire beam (like a single filter does).

One fun thing I have found out is that directly controlling the tint of the corona (and only the corona) is very possible, however the spill and inner most hotspot seem to share the same area of output from the lens, so that is going to be more difficult to tackle. But just being able to change the coronas tint has made a pretty big difference in the beam quality coming from this light, as it is possible to make the spill and hotspot transition more fluid and not so abrupt.

I have much more experimenting to do and will keep updated if I can find anything of good and practical use.

 

[DoctaDink]

Re: Zebra light SC600 (W) discussion part 2

Sadly despite my love for this light, I have gotten to the point of being 100% unsatisfied with my SC600w tint. It started off being a nice tint with only a slight hint of green, now after playing with some filters I now notice how very green the tint really is, and it bothers me very much. I no longer am able to use it unfiltered without noticed the green undertones.

I've tended to notice the greenish tint since everyone has been pointing it out. If I just use the light for illumination as it is intended, then I don't notice it, but if I examine the beam, spill, tint, etc then I can find fault. It is kinda like when you get into high fidelity sound systems...Listening to the system too closely ruins the enjoyment of the music.

 

[Fitz]

Re: Zebra light SC600 (W) discussion part 2

I painted my walls green, now I can just go out and enjoy a nice flashlight without worry.

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

Re: Zebra light SC600 (W) discussion part 2

I've tended to notice the greenish tint since everyone has been pointing it out. If I just use the light for illumination as it is intended, then I don't notice it, but if I examine the beam, spill, tint, etc then I can find fault. It is kinda like when you get into high fidelity sound systems...Listening to the system too closely ruins the enjoyment of the music.

I don't own the SC600[W], but can completely identify with this point. Well stated!

 

[TyJo]

Re: Zebra light SC600 (W) discussion part 2

I'd love to join the discussion but I need to receive my replacement first. It was a Christmas gift that was sent back (stepdown issue) and asked for a return or replacement in the middle of December. Communication was not very good declaring if there would be a refund or replacement. I should have had my light a few days ago so I will probably contact them tomorrow. Maybe it was shipped from China and it is stuck in customs or they are busy with all the orders.

 

[FLGUY]

Re: Zebra light SC600 (W) discussion part 2

I'd love to join the discussion but I need to receive my replacement first. It was a Christmas gift that was sent back (stepdown issue) and asked for a return or replacement in the middle of December. Communication was not very good declaring if there would be a refund or replacement. I should have had my light a few days ago so I will probably contact them tomorrow. Maybe it was shipped from China and it is stuck in customs or they are busy with all the orders.

I had the same scenario with one that i got as a early Christmas present, it takes them a little while to respond to emails I'm guessing because they are under staffed, but I eventually received my replacement and it was worth the wait.