SF Z2-S: Pics and Thoughts

[Xacto]

What I do not like about the head being glued to the body is the fact that you can not easily replace the head in case you had to use the light as an impact device. Living in germany I would rather get a new head via mail and install it myself than sending a 160 Euro lights halfway across the globe.

I am currently waiting for a reply from my local Surefire dealer if his Z5-S are glued together or not. Otherwise I think about LEGO'ing a 6P Body with some form of Dropin containing a strobe mode.

Cheers
Thorsten

 

[tsl]

I'm loving the tint of the TFFC too. I'm not sure if it's what they call neutral or warm but I do know that I like it.

I really like the tint too. Can anyone give an educated guess as to what tint/bin it is?

 

[l2icel3all]

I just got my brand new Z2-S and am still in the "toying" phase. When I twisted the LED head off it came off easier than the other lights I owned such as a 6p, E2DL, E1B Backup etc. as a matter of fact the O-ring wasn't even covered by the end of the LED cap. When I took off the LED assembly I noticed there was a smudge of an orangish/ red paint or substance. There was no lube what so ever. I just wiped the orangish/ red substance off with a microfiber cloth and applied my own lube. Any one have any idea what that stuff is? I doubt its loctite. I didn't see an loctite on the Surefire. BTW I got the light brand new from my Job so it wasn't used or anything. It came straight from the factory.

 

[loszabo]

I recently got my Z2-S and aside a few very minor details (one scratch on the bezel; white glue "stuff" visible in the thread) it's a great light. I do not miss the ability to switch my new LED head to say my 6Z. (My 6Z is powered with a P60L.) I collect old-school KL heads and have two G2 as hosts.

 

[Xacto]

I recently got my Z2-S and aside a few very minor details (one scratch on the bezel; white glue "stuff" visible in the thread)

How do you rate the strobe of the light?

I am currently thinking about buying either a Z2 incan (109€), a Z2 Led (148€) (I assume that my dealer still has a few with the P60L left) or the Z2-S, which retails for only 10 Euro more but lacks the refit option yet sports a strobe with what seems to be a practical UI.

Although I am pretty sure that one day I will end up with either one of the above mentioned options, I am unsure which one to get first. So any comment on the Z2-S (like the one you already made) is welcome.

Cheers
Thorsten

 

[loszabo]

How do you rate the strobe of the light?

I am currently thinking about buying either a Z2 incan (109€), a Z2 Led (148€) (I assume that my dealer still has a few with the P60L left) or the Z2-S, which retails for only 10 Euro more but lacks the refit option yet sports a strobe with what seems to be a practical UI.

Although I am pretty sure that one day I will end up with either one of the above mentioned options, I am unsure which one to get first. So any comment on the Z2-S (like the one you already made) is welcome.

Cheers
Thorsten

I like the strobe on this one though the best flashlight with strobe+GUI was the Gladius. So, as a SureFire fan shifting my collection to 95% SureFire, I am very happy to have a Z2 with strobe now.

Activating and using the strobe is quite easy on the Z2-S.

I am kind of disappointed it's only 160 (150?) lumens and not 200 or more. On the other side, I understand the Z2-S is the cheaper alternative to the AZ2. As I have both a LX2 and a Kroma, I did not want an AZ2 (yet!). So, why did I want the Z2-S? Because I can and wanted... I usually select lights not to be competing with each other.:candle:

Honestly the "politically-correct strike-bezel" on the Z2-S is a joke. Better none than this plastic joker! And who needs the FCC/CE logo THAT BIG? So far, the LX2 is one of the best "new-gen" SureFire from the design and quality standpoint.

 

[Xacto]

I like the strobe on this one though the best flashlight with strobe+GUI was the Gladius.[...]I am kind of disappointed it's only 150 lumens and not 200 or more. [...]

Thank you for answer. Funny thing is that it all started with an interested in the Gladius which was (and still is) to expensive for my wallet, yet my current SF collection surely exceeds the price of two Galdius lights. On the other hand - one is none, two is one. So the SF way seems to be right one for me.

There is a rumor that the strobe on the Gladius has a irregular interval and the its somewhere in the 12Hz range. Although the strobe and its effectiveness is still in question (see another thread here on CPF), I do think that the frequence is important. I currently have an iTP SA-1, which is quoted to be somewhere shortly below of 12Hz and a Wolf Eyes Dropin in a 6P which is much faster. From my personal observation when using either strobe at home, I do think that the slower strobe has more influence than a quicker one, especially the one in my Wolf-Eyes Dropin.

So far, I still haven't found any official information, how fast the Surefire Z2-S strobe really is. Youtube videos are of no help, since there frame rate is way to low. Another reason why I am still undecided between my Z2-options.


Cheers
Thorsten

 

[recDNA]

I beg to differ. As LED tech advances, less and less heat will be generated from the LEDs, even as output increases dramatically. (see: XPG ) The P60 dropin format, to me, is a huge winner in my book.

I agree. There are also few of us with the competence or the patience to replace an LED but most of us can handle dropping in a standard D26.

It will be a terrible loss if the drop in format disappears. It's a shame Surefire is moving in that direction.

 

[Monocrom]

Nothing irregular about the strobe on my 80 lumen Gladius.

That was never an issue. Perhaps the light was a bit ahead of its time. But I found the lack of Q.C. at the tailcap to be the real issue with that model.

 

[recDNA]

Do the new incandescent Z2's still take D26 drop ins or are they also glued?

 

[red02]

The P60L is discontinued not the P60 or the lights that carry it standard. The only difference in the G/Z/P* LED lights is the head the incan lights are the same.

 

[recDNA]

The P60L is discontinued not the P60 or the lights that carry it standard. The only difference in the G/Z/P* LED lights is the head the incan lights are the same.

Well that's a relief. I always buy the incandescent and drop in my own D26. Cheaper that way. I don't like Surefire LED's anyway. I'd rather use my own.

 

[Xacto]

Nothing irregular about the strobe on my 80 lumen Gladius.

That was never an issue. Perhaps the light was a bit ahead of its time. But I found the lack of Q.C. at the tailcap to be the real issue with that model.

Thanks for clearing that rumor up. Quality respectively the availability of spare parts have kept me from buying one and instead going the Surefire way.

The P60L is discontinued not the P60 or the lights that carry it standard. The only difference in the G/Z/P* LED lights is the head the incan lights are the same.

Which makes my dilemma even greater, since it seems that my dealer still has the Z2 with the P60L. The others LED Surefires he carries currently get Drop in modules from Wolf Eyes..... makes me think.... I should contact him and ask for the reason he does this.

Cheers
Thorsten

 

[Size15's]

The Z2 only features the P60.
The old version of the Z2L featured the P60L.
The current version of the Z2L features the KX4.

 

[Monocrom]

Which makes my dilemma even greater, since it seems that my dealer still has the Z2 with the P60L. The others LED Surefires he carries currently get Drop in modules from Wolf Eyes..... makes me think.... I should contact him and ask for the reason he does this.

Cheers
Thorsten

Might be because the P60L was actually a pretty sad LED drop-in. Personally, I love the P4 emitter. But the ones SureFire used for their P60L drop-in were less than great. (To put it mildly.) Not even the output, the tint usually was pretty poor. Wolf-Eyes makes a better drop-in. Was all set to get one of those, but then discovered Gene Malkoff's creations.

 

[loszabo]

Might be because the P60L was actually a pretty sad LED drop-in. Personally, I love the P4 emitter. But the ones SureFire used for their P60L drop-in were less than great. (To put it mildly.) Not even the output, the tint usually was pretty poor. Wolf-Eyes makes a better drop-in. Was all set to get one of those, but then discovered Gene Malkoff's creations.

The P60L wasn't that bad. It was available at a kind-of-okay price outside the USA with SF distributors, the tint is okay, and last-but-not-least I never managed to order a Malkoff creation due to demand or shipping options... (Also, I personally stopped with 3rd party drop-ins after my Lumens Factory LED experiences... though they were promptly fixed.)

 

[DimeRazorback]

I never had an issue with the P60L myself. I found them quite good actually.
They were just like the P60 but with an LED instead of Incand bulb.

I personally don't notice tint's when there are more pressing issues at hand... I find nice tints more of a luxury, than a necessity.
Hence why my Ti lights generally have warmer tints.

 

[Xacto]

Since the P60L started my SF6P craze (among other factors) and was my first LED flashlight, I can not really think bad about it. But after the post above I compared my P60L with the Wolf Eyes D26 and finally skipped the Z2Led from my decision matrix. Now its Z2 incan with D26 Led dropin or the Z2-S.

Cheers
Thorsten