H50b vs. H501

Hey guys, between ebay and a couple other places online it looks like I can get these for within about $5 of each other. I'm not too partial either way on the UI, but I do have two questions:

Which one is more waterproof? THe 501 is listed as IPX68, 1m >30min while the 50b is simply listed as waterproof. I would think the twisty would resist water better but hoping somebody can verify.

And two: It looks like they are both using Q5 leds with similar med and low outpout and runtimes. Why is the 50 listed as 66lm instead of 80?

Oh, and is there a warm verion of the h50b anywhere?

Buck91 said:

Which one is more waterproof? THe 501 is listed as IPX68, 1m >30min while the 50b is simply listed as waterproof. I would think the twisty would resist water better but hoping somebody can verify.

And two: It looks like they are both using Q5 leds with similar med and low outpout and runtimes. Why is the 50 listed as 66lm instead of 80?

Oh, and is there a warm verion of the h50b anywhere?

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The 50 series is more water-proof, yes. There have been reports of water leaking in through the clicky switches. I personally haven't had any issues with my h50 or h501w, but I also don't use them in more than just rain.

The difference in brightness has come up before... I think the 501 is brighter, but not by as much as marketing says. It certainly appears brighter because the light is concentrated into a smaller area. See https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2947315&postcount=124 and the rest of that thread for the discussion.

And no warm 50/50b. It'd be nice if there were... The 501 makes a better headlamp, but I like the 50 better for area lighting.

Buck91 said:

Oh, and is there a warm verion of the h50b anywhere?

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There used to be, but they sold out the stock without any plans of making another batch. I got one of the latest ones :nana:....

Do the community a favor and ask zebralight.com if they would make the warm/neutral H50b again. It won't help you, but it may help the light being produced in the future.


The h50b beam is a better beam than the h50. Still all flood, but 80 versus 120 degrees or so, so the area covered is smaller, which translates to more light in the covered area. The 120 degree beam is overkill anyway, a 80 degree flood (h50b) is a much better choice. I can read comfortably with my warm white h50b on the lowest setting, but the cool white h50 is straining my eyes. The difference is partly the warm versus cool tint, partly the 80-versus-120 degree beam.


Of what's available today I'd probably go with the warm white H501w because it is really worth it to have a warm white ("neutral" white) beam. There's a ton of happy H501/H501w owners here. Myself, I prefer the simpler H50b and I have a gut feeling it is a bit more robust than H501. Your choices seems to be limited between a cool white H50b and a warm white H501w.... Notice I don't own any H501's...


But please notice that you want more throw than the zebralight can provide when walking - you want a good mix of throw and flood so you see both where you put your feet and where the trail is heading. The PT EOS is rumored to work really well. Of course you can use a handheld thrower, but that kind of defeats the purpose of a headlamp, doesn't it?

cant comment on the h50, but i did buy the h501 and h501w at the same time. after comparing the both, i kept the warm tint, and wrapped up the cool tint for christmas. the warm isnt as bright, but much more pleasing to the eyes. i have heard about the water issues, and leave my h501w at home when its raining. i also try and remove the alkaline cell when not in use, or not during carry.
simply, i love my h501w, i use it with its clip, and epoxy some magnets underneath. (thanks cpf for that great idea). and if i lost the light, i would immediately order another one.

I was trying to make the same decision...so I ended up getting both.



You know, I can't really tell the difference in brightness(501 looks brighter in the pic not in real life). Both on high with an Eneloop.





I leave the h501 at home (the wife uses it to read on the treadmill)and I take the h50b to work. Both are awesome lights. Both are waterproof(tested underwater for 20 min.) There are still a few h50bs left at GoingGear.com. Hope this helps(even though I'm late)

That looks like a standard H50 to me.

Woods Walker said:

That looks like a standard H50 to me.

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It's identical to the H50 except for the lens(80 vs. 120 degrees). Look at the beam profile, it's the same as the H501.

I actually ended up going with the H50b about 3 weeks ago. So far its been on 2 or the 3 jogs I've taken (yeah, I average 1 per week ) and so far its great. Definately VERY bright on high, even with a pure flood beam lights up the road/path very nice.... Just have to remember to turn it off before running near traffic as it will stop on coming drivers in their tracks on dark roads!

yowzer said:

The 50 series is more water-proof, yes. There have been reports of water leaking in through the clicky switches. I personally haven't had any issues with my h50 or h501w, but I also don't use them in more than just rain.

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Very early (first 1-2 months) batches of H501 have had inconsistent water proof performance. The designs and manufacturing processes have been revised. We haven't seen such reports since then.