One thing I noticed about the UI. ZL's UI turns off the light ~0.6 second after a single press of a button to make sure the user is indeed turning off the light instead of trying to double click and this used to be the case on every modes. On the H53Fc the light shuts off immediately on all four beacon modes when a single press is registered, but actually the system is still waiting for the second click to transition to the next beacon mode. Good to know that ZL is still polishing their UI when it's already one of the best out there.
New H53c AA Headlamp Neutral White High CRI!
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Genzod
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ZL H53c UI = Best UI out there. ZL H53c+UI+ HI CRI+ 4000k tint + inductors with 510 lm H1 and 86 m range (or at minimum, 14500 support 432 lm H1 and 79m range) = Best neutral tint, high color headlamp out there.
Checkmate, best king-chess-piece-looking headlamp of the outdoor trails. I think most of your best fans would agree--they would have waited a few more months for you to get it right, rather than have it now, in a half baked form.
Game clock ticking. Your move ZL.
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eraursls1984
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'll have to say I don't use the 500 lumen modes on AA lights, but it doesn't hurt to have them with this new UI. However, I don't want the 500 lm mode or 14500 support IF it effects the efficiency of the lower modes of use with Ni-MH or Primaries. If it doesn't have any effect on the efficiency then I'm all for it.
Genzod
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Right, the 14500 only has 1 minute of boost then it steps down to H2. Great for a blaze searches on distant trees, but not as a setting for continuous running.
ZL had until autumn to beat one of their major contenders who will start to introduce XP-L2 then and over the next 6 months. If ZL had only used that time to fit the inductors onto the board. If I were their competition, I'd be busily adding inductors to my board knowing ZL has already compromised their peak throw.
If I were ZL, I'd be fitting inductors now and let the few items they produced without inductors become collector items for virtue of scarcity.
I received my H53c last Saturday. Love the tint. Its longer than my H502w though, bummer.
Genzod
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My H502w: 69.4mm
My H53c: 76.4 mm
My H52w: 77.7mm
So the new H53 is a bit shorter than the older H52, but not as short as the old H502.
That's really not too surprising, given that the H502 has no reflector inside of it. That means that the circuitry, and even part of the battery, can be pushed up into the head where the reflector would have been.
I think the old H52 was a bit longer exactly in order to accommodate the protection circuit on the top of ZL's proprietary 14500 cell. Once you don't need to support protected 14500s, you can make the battery tube a bit shorter.
Genzod
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Or rig a clicky enhanced infinite rotary dimmer! Removing obsolete UI and memory from board creates room for inductors. Rotary dial is easier to control than top clicky button, and less complicated. Rotary dimmer opens up a whole new market of people who are intimidated by complicated things. And it will probably still be lighter than an ArmyTek A1/C1
I'm interested in the H53Fc but it only has a 90 degree beam spread. I have the Zebralight H502W and love the 120 degree pure flood beam, so the only thing stopping me from buying the H53Fc is that it only has a 90 degree beam spread. Hopefully Zebralight will come out with an H53Fc version that has a 120 degree flood beam.
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Genzod
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eraursls1984
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Can you think of any rotary lights that aren't huge? Every one that I know of is huge because of the rotary mechanism. Also, I love rotaries but I wouldn't want it to replace Zebralights UI.
markr6
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You're in luck. The following animated file (of the ZL600w with and without tape and ZL602w) demonstrates that 3M Magic Tape not only diffuses the light with a nice throwy punch, but it also spans the flood like the 120 deg Zebralight floods.
And d-c-fix film works even better! Plus it's more durable and you won't have to pick at it to remove it. You can buy a small sheet by searching the forum "Phaserburn's diffusion film"
eraursls1984
Flashlight Enthusiast
I love the magic tape fix, I use it on all of my EDC lights, and headlamps without a diffused window. The new frosted window from Zebralight is closer to the beam of the H600 beam, just smoothed out. This is pretty much how the Magic Tape works. The old frosted window was almost directly in between the H600 and H602, is this what the d-c-fix film is closer to?
You also said it was easier to get off, are you able to re-apply easily as well? I'm thinking this would be a better option for headlamps, especially if you could remove it to look in the distance and then reattach it.
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Genzod
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Speaking of quick easy fixes for flood (which is what I intend to do--use 3M tape or DC-fix), how about a quick, easy fix for throw?
If I could extend the reflector on this H53c with a homemade "monocle" that temporarily fits snug in the bezel for whenever I need a little extra throw, it could turn some of the spill light into the spot without affecting the 12 degree spot.
Does anyone know of a DIY project for this, or something you could buy to do this? I'm not talking about replacing the ZL lens/reflector. The lens/reflector is fine. I'm talking about a momentarily placed reflector "monocle" that you can press against the bezel to collimate more of the 80 degree spill light into the 12 degree spot.
If I could extend the reflector on this H53c with a homemade "monocle" that temporarily fits snug in the bezel for whenever I need a little extra throw, it could turn some of the spill light into the spot without affecting the 12 degree spot.
Does anyone know of a DIY project for this, or something you could buy to do this? I'm not talking about replacing the ZL lens/reflector. The lens/reflector is fine. I'm talking about a momentarily placed reflector "monocle" that you can press against the bezel to collimate more of the 80 degree spill light into the 12 degree spot.
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tech25
Flashlight Enthusiast
The DC-Fix is a sticky film, flexible but not as much as tape. If you are asking to regularly take it off and reapply the same piece, the adhesive will eventually fail. To do so once in a while should be ok. Make sure to leave a "tab" so that you can pull it off easily. I have taken mine off, stuck it to the battery (for safe storage) and reapplied it after and it was fine. To do so often, I don't think it will work. For my ZL SC600w (original-with the removable bezel ring) I rubbed off the adhesive and when I want diffused, Put it on the glass and tighten the bezel over it. When I want it off, I curl it around the battery.
Genzod
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Thanks. Has someone actually measured the optic quality of the D-C-fix and/or compared it to 3M Magic tape? (how much light is lost, how well the light is distributed, etc.). If you could provide a link, that would be great!
I was thinking with something more durable, I could cement the film onto a flat metal ring and include a rubber o-ring as a mounting seat, then use a thin elastic shock cord at four points on the ring that wrap around the flashlight head, stretching the looped shock cords behind the head of the flashlight and nestling them down into a thermal groove for stability. I would include a tiny loop as a pull tab for dismounting for when I need to have spot for throw.
Genzod
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They could try it out on a new model, not necessarily the H53c, say a common AA unit which most people who are intimidated by UI's might like. The advantage is, a person on a trail, runner or hiker, could set it for the perfect amount of light and conserve battery. The clicky aspect would let the user know where in the output wheel they are, and runtimes at those clicky points could be provided.
I know trail runners would rave over something like this. Runners in an ultra race may encounter difficult technical trail conditions along the way and need a bump up from the 50 lumens they were running with. Say the 85-90 they have next is not enough to provide the confidence they seek for their stride. They might be afraid to go up to the next level beyond that, say 170, run their battery down and have to stop to make a battery change, losing time. This way they always have exactly what they need and can manage their battery life better.
Call it the special edition ZL-H54d/R and market it primarily to ultra runners and trail hikers. It would be a slam dunk in my opinion.
You'd still have your UI, and runners (and most long distance section/thru hikers) would have something they'd find less complicated and useful.
Genzod
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For those who presently possess this headlamp and therefore can examine it, can you tell me if it has a light bending convex lens (magnifying the image of the LED), or just an even thickness, non-light-bending glass cover designed merely to keep water out?
