Zebralight SC700d 21700 XHP70.2 90+CRI

[burntoshine]

Well FWIW, I have owned 11 Zebralights over the last ten years or so and have never had any issues with any of them. Like many consumer product forums, the bad gets reported much more often by the very nature of forums. I'm keeping up with what definitely sounds like QC issues that should be addressed by ZL because some people have definitely had some bad luck runs with their orders. But I'm a fanboy and their return, warranty, and out of warranty policies are solid. I think their customer service has come a long way and that counts to me in the grander scheme of things. Their resale value remains pretty unbelievable.

So, to remain on topic: I'm really enjoying my SC700d that I just got. And I don't know if it's been mentioned here but the lowest mode on this light is even a bit lower than by SC5c MKII, making it a fantastic nightstand light. But not quite as low as my old SC52w. Man, I never should have sold that light...

Yeah, you shouldn't have sold the SC52w. What were you thinking? LOL. That has been my daily work light since I got it. And man, it has had its share of hard hits! I'm curious as to how long it will last as my work light.

All of my Zebralights have proven to be rock solid so far. Their designs have always amazed me.

 

[Mr. LED]

I got my SC700d yesterday and couldn't be more disappointed.
1 - tint is horrible, a mix of blue hotspot and green corona. My SC64w and SC600w MK IV HI render colors much better.
2 - it's extremely floody, I don't need that much especially in a big flashlight
3 - battery rattles so bad I can hear it in my pocket
4 - anodizing is flaking off in the tailcap threads
5 - the emitter has dark spots visible when using the lowest modes, see picture


I'll play more during the weekend, but probably will send it back Monday.

 

[markr6]

Sorry to hear that! From the pic I like the tint, but I know it can be misleading. The rattle is bad; I had to wrap my battery with about 1.5 turns of clear packing tape.

 

[burntoshine]

I think you're LED is probably fine. I know it looks weird. It has a sort of plasma look to it. Like the surface of the sun, or something. Your LED reminds me of a view of microorganisms through a microscope, or something similar. My SC5c II LED looks a lot like that on low. Personally, I really like the look of it. I think it's neat. I suspect that it's just the nature of that kind of LED and not a flaw.

The anodizing on the threads wouldn't bother me so much. Threads get a lot of wear and probably will lose their looks after a handful of battery changes anyway.

The tint does seem rather cool compared to your '600. I remember liking the warmness of my SC700D in the short time I had it, but I didn't bother to use the light much as it went right back into the box when I noticed the defects.

Thank you for your report!

I'll have to check the battery rattle on mine when I get them. In which case I'll probably just wrap something around the battery; some paper or film or whatever works.

 

[Connor]

I got my SC700d yesterday and couldn't be more disappointed.
1 - tint is horrible, a mix of blue hotspot and green corona. My SC64w and SC600w MK IV render colors much better.
2 - it's extremely floody, I don't need that much especially in a big flashlight
3 - battery rattles so bad I can hear it in my pocket
4 - anodizing is flaking off in the tailcap threads
5 - the emitter has dark spots visible when using the lowest modes, see picture

Regarding 1&2: very floody and greenish corona is (unfortunately) to be expected from a XHP70.2 with a small reflector
5: this is normal too, all my Cree LEDs look like this on the super-low modes

 

[twistedraven]

I put one wrap of clear scotch tape on my cells for my SC600 MK3 HI to alleviate battery rattle. Yeah, blue to green shift is to be expected of domed cree emitters-- yuck!

I would very much like an XHP35 HI with smooth reflector in this host.

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

I got my SC700d yesterday and couldn't be more disappointed.
1 - tint is horrible, a mix of blue hotspot and green corona. My SC64w and SC600w MK IV render colors much better.

Too bad to hear, but that's pretty much what I have in other XHP70.2 lights. The Cree domed emitters are not good for tint shift.

2 - it's extremely floody, I don't need that much especially in a big flashlight

With all due respect, just what did you expect in a small light using a big emitter???

3 - battery rattles so bad I can hear it in my pocket
4 - anodizing is flaking off in the tailcap threads

Definitely issues that should be addressed in future updates to the light.

5 - the emitter has dark spots visible when using the lowest modes, see picture

I just looked at a couple of other XHP70.2 emitters (not Zebralight), and they're exactly the same way. That is normal.

 

[burntoshine]

I just received the 2nd light that I purchased. The tail cap contact looks good and the LED is evenly lit across all quadrants. I haven't put the clip on as I'm still deciding whether or not I want it on, but the groove looks right. I'll either dig out my calipers later or just put the clip on.

What I did notice:

1. The button is slightly off-center; it's a bit annoying, but I can live with it. I bet a lot of people would never notice. It's not an aerospace part, but it should be better.
2. There are some tiny burrs hanging off the end of the reflector by the LED. They look like little silver hairs, sort of. You really have to look down in there to see them.
3. The dome of the LED looks a little dirty when on the lowest mode. It's easier to see if you move the flashlight around a little. The dome looks perfectly clean when off.

These are all pretty minor things. I accept flaws of this magnitude, because nothing in this world is perfect, and I would be banging my head against a wall to get an absolute pristine light. I feel like a have a pretty high attention to detail and notice EVERYTHING. I find this light to be acceptable. I hope nothing else crops up. Time will tell, but at the moment I consider this one to be a keeper.

The battery rattle is pretty horrid, but that's easily fixed and not uncommon in flashlights. I'm guessing the extra space in the battery tube is to accommodate larger diameter batteries. I know diameters of batteries can vary from one manufacturer to another.

I will post pictures sometime soon...

 

[markr6]

The battery rattle is pretty horrid, but that's easily fixed and not uncommon in flashlights.

Without a spring to really "eat up the slack", I find this common with the pogo pin design. And of course diameter comes into play even more so.

 

[wimmer21]

I got my SC700d yesterday and couldn't be more disappointed.
1 - tint is horrible, a mix of blue hotspot and green corona. My SC64w and SC600w MK IV render colors much better.
2 - it's extremely floody, I don't need that much especially in a big flashlight
3 - battery rattles so bad I can hear it in my pocket
4 - anodizing is flaking off in the tailcap threads
5 - the emitter has dark spots visible when using the lowest modes, see picture

Exactly the reason I passed on this offering. 3,000 lumens sounds good but just doesn't have much reach, especially in this configuration. I'll take the Sc600 Mk IV with XHP35 HI as the superior light for all-around use.

 

[likethevegetable]

I never understood why throw is so important to people... 95% of the time I'm looking at something less than 20 m away. I find a bright hotspot makes me nauseous when walking.

The only time I want throw is for fun to look at something across the river, or very rarely a deer or owl.

Unless you're on a boat, hunting, or searching for something far away, I think a floody light is superior (if you had to choose only 1 light).

Change my mind

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

I never understood why throw is so important to people... 95% of the time I'm looking at something less than 20 m away. I find a bright hotspot makes me nauseous when walking.

The only time I want throw is for fun to look at something across the river.

Unless you're on a boat, hunting, or searching for something far away, I think a floody light is superior.

Change my mind

There you go. Mind changed!

Actually, I do find it useful for seeing stuff up-ahead when I'm cycling, or even walking in a dark area. Scanning for wildlife in a field, too. Floody lights are great general-purpose lights, but you do end up walking around in a fairly limited light-bubble.

 

[likethevegetable]

Dammit you got me there sir! Can't argue with that logic. More fun = more flashlights.

 

[likethevegetable]

So clearly the answer is carry both types on you at ALL times... No judgement!

 

[dts71]

I like the split-ring attachment. It's perfect for lanyard use if you don't want to use the clip. Sure, you could put a lanyard on the clip, but that would only make sense with a screw-on clip so it could not pull off.

IMO, they went with the worst solution for the SC700d: no split ring, and a snap-on pocket clip.

I agree, with you here. I prefer a solid split-ring attachment and couldn't care less about clips that come of easily under pressure. At best the clip can be used as an anti-roll device.

Novatac style clip that attaches over the threads are more secure and a similar lanyard attachment point would be a nice option.

 

[radellaf]

The 50E battery seems to rattle less than the 40T that came with it, but a wrap or two of some kind of tape, or another layer of battery heatshrink, fixes that. I'd rather have some rattle and an extra .5mm or two than find that some new 21700 is actually 21.5700 and won't fit.

The SC600m3hi has the best tint uniformity but I find it too throwy for walking with. Instead of a bubble of light, there's too small a hotspot on the path 10' away and I have to sweep it around to see enough width of the path. In any case, every ZL but the hi is floody, so that's not really a complaint about the SC700.

 

[burntoshine]

Without a spring to really "eat up the slack", I find this common with the pogo pin design. And of course diameter comes into play even more so.

One of the many things I really like about my SC62w is the dual spring setup; there's a spring in the tail cap AND a spring by the head for the positive contact.

I used clear packing tape - wrapped it exactly three times around; well, just short of three revolutions. It's just about right. The battery slowly slides out under its own weight, so not too tight. I would say it eliminates 90% of the rattle. If you tap the light pretty hard on the side, you just get a slight click of the battery tapping the inside of the light.

 

[burntoshine]

Some pictures:

The off-center button assembly - EDIT: (I wanted to reword this.) I originally said "just barely acceptable", but it's fine really. While technically true, if it were much more off-center, I would probably send it back, it's also true that it doesn't really bother me. You have to hold it up close to your eyes to notice it. If it were any more to the right, it would be getting into that counter-sunk surface and would be much more noticeable. So, yeah, it's on the edge of okay, or decent.



The burrs on the reflector (they sort of blend in with the screw at 6 o'clock) - should have been cleaned up, but a pretty minor issue. This isn't the greatest picture and it's difficult to tell where the burrs end and the screw begins. Part of what you're seeing is the edges of the phillips "cross" shape. The poor quality and lighting of this picture make it seem like a jumbled mess, but it's just a couple tiny hair-like burrs, sitting right on top of the right side of the bottom screw.



family photo (the herd)


submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society


I clipped this in my pocket where I carry my '62w and was considering EDC, lol. It's actually not far off from being EDC-capable. The head is just a tad big for EVERY day comfort. I think SDC (some day carry) is more appropriate. Or ODC (occasional day carry). For those nights when I'll be outside in the dark a lot.

This seems like it will be a great hiking & camping light. I kept thinking about lighting up trails when imagining uses for this light. I reckon I was right about that. I think it's the perfect trail light.

EDIT: Overall I am still a happy camper. I was just notified that the replacement for my 1st (defective) light has shipped. That's pretty quick. Others have mentioned that they've been happy with the return process, and I'm happy so far; I'll know for sure when I check out the replacement. They received my light on Wednesday and shipped the replacement two days later, yesterday. Not too shabby. This concludes me whining about defects until there are more. I made my point(s). Their track record with me is still really good and I foresee being a huge ZL fan until I die, or they do.

I wanted to mention again that they've been stellar with their communication speed. Fast responses every time. Although, I never got an apology or explanation. They were very matter-of-fact with their communication, which is fine; I don't need to have my hand held or be wined and dined. I'm just saying that some form of an apology seems in order for the extra wait and added expense & hassle of returning a defective light.

I don't blame them at all for the unevenly lit quadrants of the LED in my first light as I suspect that it was probably the LED manufacturer's fault and an easy thing to miss. However, the blob of solder on the tail cap contact should have been caught in QC. I totally forgive them because mistakes happen (even glaring ones) and they've given me so many good products in the past that have stood the test of time.

I wasn't planning on owning two of these bad boys, but my impatience got the better of me, and I realized I have let my arsenal of lights get a little too low. As a flashaholic, I am quite ashamed. A couple of years ago I traded my biggest light, a 2X 18650 Eagletac thrower, along with my camo/black Spyderco Paramilitary II, for the Benchmade Adamas that is pictured above. I fell in love with that knife the instant I held it and it has been my EDC ever since. This light fills the void left by the absence of the Eagletac. While not a huge thrower, I've never really needed a thrower. The larger head on the '700d makes this light a bit throwy. It's like a great floody beam, but with a nice amount of throw; so it throws the flood, if that makes sense. Effing perfect for walking around outside. I love it!!!

Has anyone found a nice water-tight battery carrier for 21700s?

cheers

 

[xevious]

I never understood why throw is so important to people... 95% of the time I'm looking at something less than 20 m away. I find a bright hotspot makes me nauseous when walking.

The only time I want throw is for fun to look at something across the river, or very rarely a deer or owl.

Unless you're on a boat, hunting, or searching for something far away, I think a floody light is superior (if you had to choose only 1 light).

Change my mind

Just as some guys into cars are consumed with getting more horsepower, some guys into flashlights just want more lumens and are willing to pay for it. For what? A few bragging rights among friends? The occasional "Watch me light up this whole mountain side"? But then, there are task needs for long range illumination, searching and exploring. Those are more specialized kinds of lights equipped with maximum throw you just won't find in a Zebralight. Dedicated throwers with no moonlight mode, no sophisticated UI. Huge form factor. I do agree that Zebralights are more suited to shorter range illumination. A little extra throw for those few cases when you need it is nice, but if a frequent need then just get another light for that purpose.

 

[Mr. LED]

I never understood why throw is so important to people... 95% of the time I'm looking at something less than 20 m away. I find a bright hotspot makes me nauseous when walking.

The only time I want throw is for fun to look at something across the river, or very rarely a deer or owl.

Unless you're on a boat, hunting, or searching for something far away, I think a floody light is superior (if you had to choose only 1 light).

Change my mind

I prefer a beam that mixes some flood but also packs some punch when needed. I have dedicated throwers, but when we we say we want some throw, it's just to reach a little more, like 100 meters. SC600w MK IV HI is a big example, but too throwy for everyday use. Something between the two would be perfect. I'd love to see this SC700d with a dedomed emitter.