The Official Zebralight Thread

[brightasday]

Now on pre-order, shipping starts mid January:

https://www.zebralight.com/SC700d-HI-21700-XHP703-Neutral-White-High-CRI-Flashlight_p_255.html

 

[AstroTurf]

Now on pre-order, shipping starts mid January:

https://www.zebralight.com/SC700d-HI-21700-XHP703-Neutral-White-High-CRI-Flashlight_p_255.html

so they did meet their release date of 12/2023

 

[this_is_nascar]

Wonder if this 1st released batch will have issues like the SC65, which BTW, was never communicated by ZL. I could see it make some a bit gun shy to pull the trigger right away.

 

[GadgetGeek]

Of all my lights I own the most Zebras. You either love the UI or hate it. I love it.

 

[raggie33]

Still prefers andurils ui but love zebras drivers

 

[Monocrom]

Wonder if this 1st released batch will have issues like the SC65, which BTW, was never communicated by ZL. I could see it make some a bit gun shy to pull the trigger right away.

Best to let others Beta test that first batch.

 

[Outdoorsman5]

YAY! I’ve been checking everyday for the SC700d HI. I just pre-ordered 2, so hopefully these are good to go with no issues. I’ll report back when they come in.

 

[PoliceScannerMan]

What is the improvement on this to the original 700?

 

[Pi_is_blue]

What is the improvement on this to the original 700?

HI = domeless emitter, which translates to a more intense hotspot and less tint shift across the beam. Here is an example of a modded version vs original:

Domed (HD variant) Cree emitters tend to have a great deal of tint shift between hotspot, corona, and spill when used in a reflector. The XHP 70, being a very large LED, can be awful in this regard.

 

[raggie33]

I mainly care about lumens per watt driver and led efficiency

 

[this_is_nascar]

Can't believe how much dimmer the light gets on the SC65 as compared to the SC64. Is that a result of the emitter, the circuit or a combination of both?

 

[jon_slider]

Can't believe how much dimmer

if we only focus on lumens, it can be very misleading

660 lumens instead of 880 lumens is "only" a 20% drop in Lumens.. this is not visually significant.

IF we had LUX data to compare, I believe the hotspot of the SC65 is actually brighter than the hotspot of the SC64 LE

there are also Tint differences, and CRI R9 differences..

focusing just on Lumens for comparison purposes, will tend to favor Greener Tinted LEDs, and with lower CRI R9..

And focusing on just Lumens for comparison purposes, can give the impression that the SC64 LED is Brighter than the SC65, when in actual use, the more focused hotspot of the SC65 can Throw farther because of the higher LUX

maybe someone will offer a LUX comparison of the SC64 LE to the SC65, along with a Tint DUV and CRI R9 data comparison..

I suspect the SC65 will win when comparing LUX, CRI R9, and Tint DUV, over the SC64 LE..

comparing just Lumens can be very misleading..

 

[AstroTurf]

i actually prefer a lower lumen level.

the lower the firefly mode lumens the better.

 

[jon_slider]

the lower the firefly mode lumens the better.

I also prioritize firefly..

and for those that are not opposed to modded lights.. Bob_McBob can build a better Zebra:

anonymous said:
"an SC65c modded with an XHP35 HI 5700K. Would be a bit brighter than the SC64w HI."

 

[this_is_nascar]

if we only focus on lumens, it can be very misleading

660 lumens instead of 880 lumens is "only" a 20% drop in Lumens.. this is not visually significant.

IF we had LUX data to compare, I believe the hotspot of the SC65 is actually brighter than the hotspot of the SC64 LE

there are also Tint differences, and CRI R9 differences..

focusing just on Lumens for comparison purposes, will tend to favor Greener Tinted LEDs, and with lower CRI R9..

And focusing on just Lumens for comparison purposes, can give the impression that the SC64 LED is Brighter than the SC65, when in actual use, the more focused hotspot of the SC65 can Throw farther because of the higher LUX

maybe someone will offer a LUX comparison of the SC64 LE to the SC65, along with a Tint DUV and CRI R9 data comparison..

I suspect the SC65 will win when comparing LUX, CRI R9, and Tint DUV, over the SC64 LE..

comparing just Lumens can be very misleading..

Sorry, my post didn't come out the way that I meant it to be. What I was specifically referring to is the dimmest level of both lights. When you put them both on their very lowest setting, it is very noticeably dimmer on the 65, almost useless in fact.

Some may actually love that, for me, I really don't have a use for it. I only brought it up, because it was so noticeably different on what I have over here anyway.

I'm not referring to the overall output of the lights at their higher settings. That can is already been kicked back and forth up and down the road too many times.

 

[jon_slider]

What I was specifically referring to is the dimmest level of both lights. When you put them both on their very lowest setting, it is very noticeably dimmer on the 65, almost useless in fact.

thanks for clarifying
it seems different people place a different value on Firefly output..
I guess for your needs, the lower low of the SC65 is not an upgrade..

hope you find a feature set that suits your preferences
Happy New Year! ;-)

 

[Monocrom]

if we only focus on lumens, it can be very misleading

660 lumens instead of 880 lumens is "only" a 20% drop in Lumens.. this is not visually significant.

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. Lately I've been testing out several so-called "Tactical" lights from various different Made in China brands. Almost all of the them have come up short. However, two from Eagtac seem very promising as possibly the real thing. One is rated at around 1700 lumens, the other at 1400. Yes, both are rated lumens, not more accurate Out-The-Front numbers. And, different companies realistically might have different standards for rated lumens. One company's 1800 might be a different company's 2100.

However, these two lights are from the very same company. The 1400 one has a slightly better form factor than the 1700 one. Testing outside against the same dark wall at night, at my 3rd shift job; I was shocked to see a significant difference in output from these two lights; from the same distance away. No fancy recording equipment used. Just my naked eyes. I had to run the tests two more times to be certain what I was looking at was actually true. It was!

That's a difference of only 300 lumens. When you get into the 1500 or so range of output, it should not be noticeable to the naked eye. But, it was!

 

[Connor]

I was shocked to see a significant difference in output from these two lights; from the same distance away.

Since you mentioned these are two different models the shocking difference you are perceiving is most likely caused by Lux (throw) and general beam pattern differences and not the Lumens.

 

[this_is_nascar]

thanks for clarifying
it seems different people place a different value on Firefly output..
I guess for your needs, the lower low of the SC65 is not an upgrade..

hope you find a feature set that suits your preferences
Happy New Year! ;-)

I won't lose any sleep over it. There's other levels to compensate. I love my sub-lumen brightness just as much as the next guy, but at some point, it's not usable. The only exception I can think of is if someone wanted to leave it on that level 24/7, as a way to find the light, but that will only work if you're looking right at the emitter.

HNY to you as well.

 

[Monocrom]

Since you mentioned these are two different models the shocking difference you are perceiving is most likely caused by Lux (throw) and general beam pattern differences and not the Lumens.

No, one has a stainless steel bezel with a very poorly designed outside charging port. The other one is half an inch longer, aluminum bezel, and no outside charging port. Clips, tailcaps, and bodies are identical too. The latter is a slightly older model.