H502 with 80 degree beam

[davidt1]

Just out of curiosity:

If there is an H502 model with an 80 degree beam, would you buy the one with the 80 degree beam or the 120 degree beam?

I would buy the 80 degree beam for these reasons:

1. 260lm concentrated in an 80 degree beam would be very bright, I imagine bright enough to be as throwy as my H51w if not more.

2. The beam spread is still large enough for up-close tasks and run time would be very long.

3. I think an H502 with and 80 degree beam would be a two-in-one light combining both the H51 and the H501 into one light.


Please give a reason for your choice and if you own the H501. Thanks.

I am wondering if Zebralight's decision to make the 120 degree beam H502 a marketing or technical one. If it was a marketing decision, where did they get their data from since the H501 is a hugely popular light?

[psychbeat]

I like my h501w - seems close to perfect.
Id like a similar 80deg optic but made to work with XML or Nichia 219
Id love one in a small H60 style 18650 body too- not big n chunky like H600.


my bike light has 2 bare xpg for almost 180deg beam & I feel like most of it is wasted.
luckily it has a spot in addition to the bare emitters.

[MichaelW]

How would they reduce the beam angle? They would have to pull the LED back into the body, but I think that space has been used for the AA cell.
So is an 80 degree beam even feasible?

[psychbeat]

they could use a more focused lens/optic most likely without changing the body id bet,
very doubtful it will happen

[gunga]

I have an H50B (90 degree beam), so I prefer that for general purpose use.

[spinkid]

I have the current model and although its nice, I too would prefer an 80 degree beam. Too many of my activities both work and recreational seem to benefit from an 80 degree beam. They both obviously have their place, but for most of my uses I would take an 80 over 120.

[Beacon of Light]

I wish they'd just update the H31/H51 drivers with the lower output for longer runtimes. Also the additional modes the H502 has. I like the H502 but I seem to use my H31 more.

[tygger]

80% for sure. I own a H502d and still prefer the 80% spread of my H501w.

[kwak]

I have both the H502d and H502 and don't really understand the problem.

Sure the H501w has a 120° beam BUT it's only 80 lumens, the H502 is 260 lumens.
So although in theory the beam is more focused on the H501w in practice the H502 puts more light on at any distance in a 80° beam.

So the reality is you get a extra 40° AND it's brighter everywhere than the H501w.


Plus if your priority is a bright 80° light then you have the H600

[davidt1]

I have both the H502d and H502 and don't really understand the problem.

Sure the H501w has a 120° beam BUT it's only 80 lumens, the H502 is 260 lumens.
So although in theory the beam is more focused on the H501w in practice the H502 puts more light on at any distance in a 80° beam.

So the reality is you get a extra 40° AND it's brighter everywhere than the H501w.

Plus if your priority is a bright 80° light then you have the H600

The poll is not about H502 vs H501.

The point of the poll is to see which beam spread, 80 degree or 120 degree people prefer in the H502. If Zebralight chose or were able to put all that 260lm in a smaller 80 degree beam, then the H502 with an 80 degree beam would be a better choice for those of us who want an H502 with an 80 degree beam.

The H600 is a completely different light with different battery, size, and beam profile.

[kwak]

The poll is not about H502 vs H501.

The point of the poll is to see which beam spread, 80 degree or 120 degree people prefer in the H502. If Zebralight chose or were able to put all that 260lm in a smaller 80 degree beam, then the H502 with an 80 degree beam would be a better choice for those of us who want an H502 with an 80 degree beam.

The H600 is a completely different light with different battery, size, and beam profile.

Just out of curiosity:
Please give a reason for your choice and if you own the H501. Thanks.

So i did

Problem is unless you have a H502 and a H501w side by side the theory is a LOT more dramatic than in practice.
20° either side of the beam on a torch that is powerful enough to light up a hiking path 20m away is not even noticeable.

Even with close work, i'm able to light up my Kindle in a fantastic and constant glow on low with the torch only a few cm from the device.


Not sure how many that voted own a H502 but i can tell you that in my opinion at least the beam spread is fantastic and really works well with the power of the light.

If it was only 80lm then i could see the point of having a narrower more focused beam, but in my experience with the H502 from reading in bed at night to out hiking and around the camp the beam spread is fantastic as is.

I am curious though.
Of those that voted for a 80° beam are there any that own and have used a H502 extensively?
If so i would be grateful if you could please point out a situation where a narrower beam would have been more useful?

[davidt1]

So i did

Problem is unless you have a H502 and a H501w side by side the theory is a LOT more dramatic than in practice.
20° either side of the beam on a torch that is powerful enough to light up a hiking path 20m away is not even noticeable.

Even with close work, i'm able to light up my Kindle in a fantastic and constant glow on low with the torch only a few cm from the device.


Not sure how many that voted own a H502 but i can tell you that in my opinion at least the beam spread is fantastic and really works well with the power of the light.

If it was only 80lm then i could see the point of having a narrower more focused beam, but in my experience with the H502 from reading in bed at night to out hiking and around the camp the beam spread is fantastic as is.

I am curious though.
Of those that voted for a 80° beam are there any that own and have used a H502 extensively?
If so i would be grateful if you could please point out a situation where a narrower beam would have been more useful?

You are arguing just for the sake of arguing. This poll is not about the H501 and the 80lm. Now you are questioning the people who voted for the 80 degree beam. If you read all the posts, you would see that those who responded own the H502.

[kwak]

David, you requested in your first post that we give our reasoning, that's exactly what i have done.

I am not interested in arguing.
I gave my reasoning and made what i thought was a polite, reasonable and on topic request, nothing more.

[psychbeat]

I think the point is - would you rather have the 40extra degrees of beam
culminated into a more intense 80 deg of pure flood by the optic.
Similar to the H501 only brighter.

[varuscelli]

Personally, I don't think this question should be looked at as being about H502 with 120 degree vs 80 degree beam. The H502 is a 120 degree lamp. I see the question being whether ZebraLight should release something like an H503 (or whatever the designation) as a more powerful version of the H501 that represents something in between what the H501 was and what the H502 is.

The H502 with its 120 degree beam has a legitimate place in terms of ZebraLight versatility. I do not agree that it would be better to have released a more powerful 80 degree lamp and not a 120 degree lamp. What's desirable is to have both (H502 and H503 (or whatever a more powerful H501 would be designated)) -- not an either/or situation of the H502 with either 120 degrees or 80 degrees.

[kwak]

I think the point is - would you rather have the 40extra degrees of beam
culminated into a more intense 80 deg of pure flood by the optic.
Similar to the H501 only brighter.

On the internet and on forums it's easy to get caught up in the figures, but for me using my H502's for everything from night hiking, fixing the car and even reading my Kindle at night i have not had nor found 1 instance where i wished for a narrower more focused beam.

As i say hiking at night you can easily see everything 20m in front of you. if i'm mountain biking them obvious i'll need more of a thrower as i'm reaching higher speeds, but if it's a thrower you want then there is no no other light of this size that throws better that i've come across.

[psychbeat]

I'm glad u like it as is
Def a step ahead of the 501 in a lot of areas.

I think some of us would've preferred a more concentrated beam but still without a hotspot ie. H501


Some like it as is - which is why there's a poll @the top.

Flashaholics like to nitpic & debate.
I think all of this obsession to detail drives innovation.

I'm curious if anyone has done 1m Lux test between the 501&502 ?

[YoSeKi]

Without a reflector, throw is going to be the same whether the beam is 80 degrees or 120 degrees. All you would have with a 80 degree beam is just a narrower beam.

[moozooh]

The H502 has its niche that it suits perfectly, aside from the green fringe reports. I don't think there are any other 120˚ headlamps out there, let alone using a single most common cell in the world. There's H51—and its future upgrades, I suppose—for the narrower beam. If anything, H51 was already an upgrade of H501 as it combined similar runtimes with more and brighter modes and other features H501 never had. You should rather consider waiting for H52 as the "true" H501 successor and let the H50x line live a life of its own.

As for the next light in the H50x line, I'm dreaming of something like a 105˚ 4700–5300K beam with some matte silver reflector surface (think 3M Scotchlite), rather than white/green GitD, for lesser sidespill absorption. While the 120˚ flood is a great idea, and is more useful than 80˚ imo, I rarely use headlamps in situations where I actually need all of those extra forty degrees.

Without a reflector, throw is going to be the same whether the beam is 80 degrees or 120 degrees. All you would have with a 80 degree beam is just a narrower beam.

Factual, but mislead. 100 lumen OTF spread over 80 degrees will put more lux on the lit surface than 100 lumen OTF spread over 120 degrees. (We're not counting the scenarios where you just block out the extra spill.) Since the amount of lumen a LED can put out at a given current is very limited and can't be enhanced using optics, you generally want your lux "spent" on exactly the surfaces you want to see clearly, rather than spread everywhere evenly.

[YoSeKi]

Factual, but mislead. 100 lumen OTF spread over 80 degrees will put more lux on the lit surface than 100 lumen OTF spread over 120 degrees. (We're not counting the scenarios where you just block out the extra spill.) Since the amount of lumen a LED can put out at a given current is very limited and can't be enhanced using optics, you generally want your lux "spent" on exactly the surfaces you want to see clearly, rather than spread everywhere evenly.

You could probably measure a small difference if you used a light meter, but it would not be enough to make a practical difference to the eye.

When I compare a H501 (96 lumens OTF, 80 degrees) with a bare Rebel 100 driven at 350mA (about 100 emitter lumens, 120 degrees FWHM) I perceive no difference in throw.

I don't think there are any other 120˚ headlamps out there, let alone using a single most common cell in the world.

Spark SD52. 120 degrees. AA batteries.

[moozooh]

Oh yeah, that one. It was one of the two alternative options I considered before finally settling on the H502d, but the lower per-cell efficiency, higher price, inability to easily clip it to a pocket, and the need for battery matching in cannibalistic usage scenarios, all tipped the scales towards ZL. Since I don't really need the highest brightness settings on either light and don't plan on getting secondary 14500s, the Spark had no redeeming points left for me. They say its NW LED tint/bin is really well chosen, though. (And it's 115˚, isn't it? ;) )

[varuscelli]

Spark SD52. 120 degrees. AA batteries.

Oh yeah, that one. It was one of the two alternative options I considered before finally settling on the H502d, but the lower per-cell efficiency, higher price, inability to easily clip it to a pocket, and the need for battery matching in cannibalistic usage scenarios, all tipped the scales towards ZL. Since I don't really need the highest brightness settings on either light and don't plan on getting secondary 14500s, the Spark had no redeeming points left for me. They say its NW LED tint/bin is really well chosen, though. (And it's 115˚, isn't it? )

I think the SD52 is significantly heavier/bulkier than the H502...correct? Roughly 2x the weight of the H502?

I'm not discounting the comparative beam spread, though! Good point, YoSeKi.

Sorry for the digression.

[kwak]

I'm glad u like it as is
Def a step ahead of the 501 in a lot of areas.

I think some of us would've preferred a more concentrated beam but still without a hotspot ie. H501


Some like it as is - which is why there's a poll @the top.

Flashaholics like to nitpic & debate.
I think all of this obsession to detail drives innovation.

I'm curious if anyone has done 1m Lux test between the 501&502 ?

After the SC600 fiasco i did say that i would never buy another Zerbralight again, but poor customer service and beta testing aside i think that they are at the forefront of torch design and they just seem to keep bringing out torches that do exactly what i want.

My posts are more aimed towards curiosity than trying to be argumentative, with other lights i own i have read other owners reports and agree with 90% of them.
Even the 10% i don't agree with i can see exactly where they are coming from.

With the H502 after using the light extensively over the past few weeks the complaints/wishes just seem to be alien to me.


I do accept that the light is far from perfect, i'm REALLY not a fan of the ZL UI and there is a dark spot in the centre of the beam that's JUST noticeable in some situations.


But i would be very grateful if someone could point out a situation where they were using the H502 and felt a 80° beam would have been better than the 120° beam spread please?


As i say, please do not think of my post as argumentative, in all honesty that is not my intention, i just am very very curious.

[Photonrunner]

After the SC600 fiasco i did say that i would never buy another Zerbralight again, but poor customer service and beta testing aside i think that they are at the forefront of torch design and they just seem to keep bringing out torches that do exactly what i want.

My posts are more aimed towards curiosity than trying to be argumentative, with other lights i own i have read other owners reports and agree with 90% of them.
Even the 10% i don't agree with i can see exactly where they are coming from.

With the H502 after using the light extensively over the past few weeks the complaints/wishes just seem to be alien to me.


I do accept that the light is far from perfect, i'm REALLY not a fan of the ZL UI and there is a dark spot in the centre of the beam that's JUST noticeable in some situations.


But i would be very grateful if someone could point out a situation where they were using the H502 and felt a 80° beam would have been better than the 120° beam spread please?


As i say, please do not think of my post as argumentative, in all honesty that is not my intention, i just am very very curious.

For Running the throw of an 80 beam is far superior.

[psychbeat]

For almost anything having that extra light colminated into the 80deg seems better to me.

It would allow u to use a lower mode to achieve the same amount of illumination.

I have an H501w and a full flood ~180degree headlamp and wish my full flood HL had an optic like the 501.

[YoSeKi]

For Running the throw of an 80 beam is far superior.

Do you say this from experience or from theory?

I have an H501w and a full flood ~180degree headlamp and wish my full flood HL had an optic like the 501.

What emitter do you have in your 180 degree headlamp?

[Photonrunner]

Do you say this from experience or from theory?

I've got thousands of miles of experience. I'm a high mileage marathon runner who runs many miles night time after work. 501 rocks just wish it was brighter and had a bit better head band.

[psychbeat]

Do you say this from experience or from theory?



What emitter do you have in your 180 degree headlamp?

It has 2 hiCRI XPG each run @1.4a on hi.
They are behind a rather thick Lexan lens of which u actually get light directly
out the edges it's a crazy wide angle.

[kwak]

For Running the throw of an 80 beam is far superior.

For almost anything having that extra light colminated into the 80deg seems better to me.

It would allow u to use a lower mode to achieve the same amount of illumination.

I have an H501w and a full flood ~180degree headlamp and wish my full flood HL had an optic like the 501.

Sorry, but i have to repeat myself again.

Having had a H501w and a H502d side my side outdoors on a very rocky footpath i can categorically state that this 40° narrower spread that is being discussed is barely noticeable in the real world.

Sat behind a computer screen 40° less spread sounds a lot in theory, in practice though with the torch being a few meters away from the path the difference is barely noticeable.


I can understand that in theory it seems like it could be a deciding factor, but in practice it makes no real difference at all.


My H501w is in my toolbox otherwise i'd snap some pics to prove it, as soon as i'm back to work i'll do a beam comparison.
I'd bet large sums of money that you'd be VERY surprised.

[YoSeKi]

501 rocks just wish it was brighter and had a bit better head band.

Do you have a H502 too?

It has 2 hiCRI XPG each run @1.4a on hi.

Are you comparing the H501w's throw and the 2 XPG's throw at the same output?