Zebralight H51C first impressions

insanefred

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Tint, I would say it is characterless, this is a good thing. I can't describe it as yellow, greenish, rosy or vanllia'sh. It is perfectly neutral to my eyes, and produces colors a lot more faithfully.

Beam profile, the spot in the middle is a on the "tight" side of things but it also has good spill. This is what I call a true "spot/spill"

Battery life, I gotta be honest, and say I am just a little disappointed here. My tests show about 15-20% less than advertised (to 50% brightness with duraloops). :shakehead:(:thumbsdow

User interface, I have read a lot of pleased reviews about the UI, after using the light for about a week. I can say I totally agree, it has one of the best UI's for a light I have used.

Build quality, the H51c feels very tough for such a small light, the finish is excellent. Actually the best I have now.

Output, I notice a trend these days, new flashlight hobbyists will go after the brightest (lumens) and the tightest concentrated spot. More experience users tend to for the opposite, like a real moon light mode and good spill (not all but most). As for the H51c, it has both and the UI lets you to get to both from the off position.

Head strap, the H51c is a headlamp anyways, it is comfortable. But I feel like it has to be on tightly for it not to bounce when walking, let alone jogging.


Other notes: I love the easily reversible pocket clip! I am finding that I am just clipping on my shirt or belt more often than a headlamp.

Some quick and dirty beamshots.
Quark 1AA Warm white (left) H51C (right)
i-RkFRtCD-S.jpg

i-fzLGbT6-S.jpg

i-VJTz4T5-S.jpg


TK20 (left) H51c (right)
i-phJ6CGT-S.jpg

i-WZ83sk3-S.jpg

i-Jr3RrV3-S.jpg



More photos will be posted when I feel inspired.

Has anyone ever tested Zebralights actual OTF claims?

FWIW, other lights I own:
Fenix TK20
Quark 1 x AA tactical
Quark 1 x AA tactical Warm white
Streamlight ProPolymer 4AA Lux
Energizer Lithium 1 AA
Energizer 1xAA headlamp
Streamlight 1 luxeon 3 x AAA
and many more.


Note to Admin, there is something wrong when I have to log back in. After I log in and redirects me to a blank page without actually posting my message. If I go back, the message box is blank and I have to rewrite everything.
 
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Bolster

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Excellent, thanks for the review. We've been needing this one!

...I notice a trend these days, new flashlight hobbyists will go after the brightest (lumens) and the tightest concentrated spot. More experience users tend to for the opposite, like a real moon light mode and good spill (not all but most).

So true.
 

snakyjake

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I agree. For my EDC, I carry around the house and the yard. Looking at a burning hot spot 3-10 feet in front of me is annoying, and I have very little usable peripheral vision with a 1 foot hot spot. To me the whole point is to provide illumination in the areas that I need, which is 3 to 15 feet in front, and as wide as my peripheral vision.

Moon light sounds good to light up a room.

Wish for something extremely low so I can keep it on all the time (maybe even strobe at low lumen), to make the light easier to find at night.

The best UI? I'm debating between Zebralight and Sunwayman V10R (I don't have either). Sunwayman's seems the most intuitive that anyone can use. But I like Zebralight's size/weight for EDC.

The flashlight I have for throw was great for impressing friends, but that has worn off a long time ago.
 

Bolster

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Wish for something extremely low so I can keep it on all the time (maybe even strobe at low lumen), to make the light easier to find at night.

Brilliant! Now there's a strobe mode I'd actually appreciate! A low lumen blip every couple of seconds. Fantastic idea!

I have a 3AA lantern that flashes a separate little green light every few seconds, but why not the main emitter itself, at a low level? Or maybe a smooth ramp up and down as is on my Macintosh computer (looks like it's breathing while it's sleeping).

Sorry, I'm O.T., but this is such a great idea...maybe deserves its own thread.

Insane, thanks for the excellent beamshots.
 
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Websniper

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Nice review.

I myself just purchased this light. FYI, this is my first ZL and first warm led. I thought the light had a somewhat reddish tint to it. However, I feel for my specific needs (outdoors, field dressing game) it will be excellent. I like it enough that I think I'll be purchasing a neutral tint ZL to compare it to.

However, does anyone find that when accessing the medium mode, the light flashes at the high setting before settling into medium?
 

davidt1

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Nice review.

I myself just purchased this light. FYI, this is my first ZL and first warm led. I thought the light had a somewhat reddish tint to it. However, I feel for my specific needs (outdoors, field dressing game) it will be excellent. I like it enough that I think I'll be purchasing a neutral tint ZL to compare it to.

However, does anyone find that when accessing the medium mode, the light flashes at the high setting before settling into medium?

Do you mean double clicking from off? I think it has to hit the high mode first because the first quick click goes into the high mode.
 

Gregozedobe

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Try pressing and holding the switch. It will start on Lo, then go to Med, then Hi. If you release the switch when you get to Med and you avoid the flash of Hi.
 

Cataract

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100% agree with the op. I have a SC51c and a H51FW

If you want to get the advertised runtime, you need a good quality NiMh battery that has been properly conditionned (which I think can use some improvement)

Personal observations:
MY older Quark neutral with the Q3 has better color rendition than the SC1c (or other recent neutrals) and the output is almost the same with better runtimes.
My TK20 has even better color rendition (the best of all the LED lights I own so far)

I'm a little disillusioned with so-called HCRI lights, since these used to be plain ol' neutrals... Don't get me wrong, like the SC51 and H51, but I feel there is still plenty of room for improvement when it comes to runtime/output/color rendition.
 

insanefred

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100% agree with the op. I have a SC51c and a H51FW

If you want to get the advertised runtime, you need a good quality NiMh battery that has been properly conditionned (which I think can use some improvement)

Personal observations:
MY older Quark neutral with the Q3 has better color rendition than the SC1c (or other recent neutrals) and the output is almost the same with better runtimes.
My TK20 has even better color rendition (the best of all the LED lights I own so far)

I'm a little disillusioned with so-called HCRI lights, since these used to be plain ol' neutrals... Don't get me wrong, like the SC51 and H51, but I feel there is still plenty of room for improvement when it comes to runtime/output/color rendition.

Hmm, the h51c is much better than my TK20, IMO. My TK20, has too much vanilla (yellow'ish) cast to it, compared to the H51c.
 

Cataract

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Hmm, the h51c is much better than my TK20, IMO. My TK20, has too much vanilla (yellow'ish) cast to it, compared to the H51c.

Are you talking about the tint only or the actual color rendition? I compared both with everything colorful I could find and my TK20 did in fact have better rendition than my SC51C. Of course, some of that can have something to do with the LED lottery, but the only way to find out is to have others test my finding and report what they see.
 

insanefred

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Are you talking about the tint only or the actual color rendition? I compared both with everything colorful I could find and my TK20 did in fact have better rendition than my SC51C. Of course, some of that can have something to do with the LED lottery, but the only way to find out is to have others test my finding and report what they see.

I have no idea what to say to you, but I have this photo to post.

i-Mf9D9FC-M.jpg


The actual improvement color rendering, is hard to notice sometimes, but it is indeed more neutral to my eyes.
 
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Cataract

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I have no idea what to say to you, but I have this photo to post.

i-Mf9D9FC-M.jpg


The actual improvement color rendering, is hard to notice sometimes, but it is indeed more neutral to my eyes.

Nice beamshot! Good idea to make your cat more visible. I almost ran over a black cat 2 nights ago. Of course, if his master would have been smart enough to put an H51c on him, I would have noticed a lot earlier that he was trying to cross the street...

Maybe yours has a better LED than mine... or maybe my TK20 has a better LED than yours... I have more High CRI's coming (different brand) and will make sure I compare all those together.
 

Websniper

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Do you mean double clicking from off? I think it has to hit the high mode first because the first quick click goes into the high mode.

Yeah,double clicking from off. That seems to be the case, it's just nice to be able to quickly get to each mode, it's a shame it has the pre-flash.

Also, I just dumped a cheap alkaline in it, and even after light use, I find I can't access the h1 mode any longer. I assume this is because the crummy alkaline doesn't have enough juice to power it. I have some lithium primaries that I just picked up that I will try.
 

insanefred

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Yeah,double clicking from off. That seems to be the case, it's just nice to be able to quickly get to each mode, it's a shame it has the pre-flash.

Also, I just dumped a cheap alkaline in it, and even after light use, I find I can't access the h1 mode any longer. I assume this is because the crummy alkaline doesn't have enough juice to power it. I have some lithium primaries that I just picked up that I will try.

I noticed very few 1xAA with regulated circuits like alkaline's.
 
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DIΩDΣ

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Yeah,double clicking from off. That seems to be the case, it's just nice to be able to quickly get to each mode, it's a shame it has the pre-flash.
Well I dont mean to argue semantics or anything (its not really a preflash)just want to make sure you know you dont have to do it that way. You can ramp from low to high or high to low. Quick clicking ramps from high to low, which is what your doing, so you are switching it to high first, then med. Press an hold cycles from low to high. If you dont want to wait the .5 seconds or whatever it is to go into medium that way, and dont like the quick flash of high, just close your eyes while you double click it, I've done that a few times.
 

Websniper

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Yes I'm aware you don't have double click as the only way to get to medium, an I realize it's not try pre flash, but rather how the ui works... It is still unfortunate that they can't get around that.
 

Websniper

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Yes I'm aware you don't have double click as the only way to get to medium, an I realize it's not try pre flash, but rather how the ui works... It is still unfortunate that they can't get around that.
 

insanefred

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I finally got some 2400mah Imedions.
113 min on H2 (significant improvement.)

63 MIN ON H1
 
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Justintoxicated

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Thinking about a H51C

Anyone own one of these? how do you like it? I'd be using this light for camping, cooking stuff like that so high CRI is appealing.

I can get the neutral version for about $almost 20 less though, and it's brighter which is also an appealing combo. Anyone know where I can get the H51c for less than the zebralight store?

I have no desire for another cool white headlamp. I have a coast one my Dad bought for me and the beam is actually blue and brownish edges and only has one mode of adjustment, and I have an older princton tech headlamp with the original luxeon in it and 3 modes of brightness. It gets the job done and has served me well but I wan't an upgrade.

The H600W is very tempting too, as I have a portable charger from 4-7's malestorm 26650's that I'll be bringing with me anyways. But there is no high CRI version of the H600, and AA's are easy to find in a pinch. Very tempting to get one due to the long runtimes, do I even need more than a single spare battery with this one?

I was going to wait for 502, but I'mm heading off for 3 weeks in Hawaii camping trip vacation on the Big Island. I want to go exploring lava tubes n such while there. I want to be sure I have something new for the trip. I'll also be packing My Mini 123, EZ CR2, and malestorm, so I will have other lights available for backup, or throw purposes, but headlamps are way more convenient!

I just need to make up my mind I guess. AA or 18650 (I don't have any 18650 lights at this time), NW or high CRI? If NW I'd lean towards the H600 I guess, unless that's a bad idea for camping due to battery type.

Merged - Norm

Thanks Norm, saw this post right after I finished.
 
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psychbeat

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ive got both neutral and hiCRI lights and the higher temp of the
neutral sometimes has more contrast outdoors than the lower temp of the
hiCRI.
that said I do really like the XPG 90CRI as a flood
(although im not sure how it compares to the Rebel in the H51c)

I dont have the H51c but I do have the regular cool H51 and the
runtime is pretty bad compared to my 18650 lights.

one 3100mah 18650 has as much energy as 4 eneloops with potential
for more lumens when needed and no need for a boost driver.

with the h600 you could play around with difusers and filters + have spare
lumens and runtime.
I dont have an h600 but do have a Spark ST6 NW and a few 18650 p60 lights
my custom HL has 2 bare hiCRI XPG for flood and a neutral XML for spot ;)

neutral or warm/hiCRI is WAYY better than cool outdoors IMO
 
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