Zebralight H51 vs Zebralight SC51 vs Nitecore D11 Which Should I buy and why?

jama12uk

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Zebralight H51 vs Zebralight SC51 vs Nitecore D11 Which Should I buy and why?

Thoughts Please
 

Belstaff1464

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The H51 is a headlight and the other two are solely handheld lights, correct ? If that's the case, I would say get the H51. Headlamps are indispensible and allow complete handsfree use. I think everyone should at least have one headlamp in their collection for this reason. The H51 can also be handheld making it even more versatile.

my $0.02
 

jaws revenge

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i have a h51, i preordered a sc51, and i also have a d11.

the h51 is a good combination of spill and throw. works on aa. can be used in the hand, on the headband, and comes with a rubber type clip. the click button is nice.

the d11 is pretty much all spill, and has no shortcuts to low/high (or medium for that matter like the h/sc 51. using a 14500, the d11 appears brighter, but the head gets hot relatively quickly, so its really just bursts and then ramping down. i also used it with a powerex aa 2700 mah and it didn't seem much brighter than 2000 mah eneloop.

personally i like using the d11 around the house, kind of like a hand held saint minimus (which i also have) to a certain extent. i don't use it in the yard or outside though, prefering more throw for that.

i'm waiting for the sc51 in late oct, but i suspect i will be use it more than the d11. i think i'd prefer the shape of the sc51 to the shape of the h51 for handheld use, and the sc51 can also be put on a headband.
 

Dan FO

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I just bought a SC50+ while they were still in stock before being replaced by the SC51. My reasoning. I want to be able to use all battery chemistries and the SC51 will not take a 14500. I also believe that the XP-E will out throw the XP-G with such a short reflector. The SC50+ puts out 197 lumens on a 14500 and the SC51 puts out 200 lumens on an AA. 7 lumens is not noticeable in any real life situation. I also like that the SC50+ does have the option of a slow strobe when used with an AA for use as an emergency beacon. Run time appears to be the same. They can both be used as a headlamp with the supplied headband.
 
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davidt1

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Zebralight H51 vs Zebralight SC51 vs Nitecore D11 Which Should I buy and why?

Thoughts Please

The H51 is available now, and it has been reviewed by several CPF members on the H51 thread here.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/283934&page=9

Angle lights are very versatile. Check out the "Zebralight Mods" in my signature for the many ways you can use them.

Get the H51 now, and get one of the other ones later. But chances are you won't need to.
 

Linger

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The new, refined Zebralight user interface is very versatile. From Off you can turn it on direct to Low, Med, or High. From any mode you can switch direct to Low. From On it always cycles to Low before moving through the modes which I approve as an excellent feature. From any mode you can switch direct to Off. This great UI gives the user full access to the broad range of output options (and being a headlamp, a little goes a long way so the low and middle modes do definitely have distinct uses.)

+1 Belstaff, the H51 headlamp can fake flashlight way better than a flashlight can fake headlamp.
a 200lumen headlamp (a new generation Zebralight) puts a lot of usable light on what-ever task is at hand. It's a very usable tool.
 

tandem

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I'm almost sold on picking up an H51 over the SC51 but for one use case. We mount lights to bikes using the TwoFish bike block. A single AA flashlight-style light is unobtrusive and out of the way. An angle-light format like the H51 -- I wonder if it may extend below the handle bar too much.

Do any current Zebralight H series users also make use of their lights with a TwoFish block on handlebars? Thoughts?

Since I'm asking questions, I've been meaning to ask if anyone uses a H or SC series light with a cycling helmet, either via a TwoFish mount or simply with the Zebralight headlamp strap. Any real use experiences welcome.
 

andy4855

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Zebralights are great great. Their headlamps are very versatile and the UI is easy to operate. I use my H501w as both headlamp and flashlight. The new H51 has a good combination of spill and throw. The H51 will be my next purchase.
 

Gaffle

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They can both be used as a headlamp with the supplied headband.

I really like the idea of using the SC51 on a headband. It is not centered like a typical headlamp would be, but I think it would still have major headlight potential. How awesome is it to have a hand held flashlight that performs 2 tasks?

My sights are now completely set on the SC51. I was originally aimed at the Jetbeam RRT-0, but this SC51 is making a break for the finish...:twothumbs
 

qtaco

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I really like the idea of using the SC51 on a headband. It is not centered like a typical headlamp would be, but I think it would still have major headlight potential.

I've tried a 1xAA light in a Zebralight headband, and while it works some of the time it is definitely not as nice as a proper headlamp. The main problem is it's very difficult to see things up close to you (say your hands as you are cooking on a stove) as you can't easily tilt the torch down enough. With the H51 you can direct the light anywhere from straight up to pointing straight down quickly and easily.

The H51 works better as a handheld light then a handheld light works as a headlamp in my opinion.
 

jacktheclipper

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Since I'm asking questions, I've been meaning to ask if anyone uses a H or SC series light with a cycling helmet, either via a TwoFish mount or simply with the Zebralight headlamp strap. Any real use experiences welcome.

I go night biking a lot and I use a warm RC-G2 on my helmet because I want some throw ( to see around curves ) . My handlebar light ( iTP SA2 ) has the spill for road awareness .
 
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