ZebraLight H502 XM-L

[Zeruel]

Great! You got the H502d? Can I take a look to compare it to the H501w and H51Fw?

Sure, Andy. I'm free over the weekends. PM me to arrange.

Did you also get a cool H502, i.e. one of the first XMLs?

Not at the moment. Initially, I almost ordered the H502 then ZL dropped a H502d in the series. Can't resist 5000K lights, so I got it. But I might get the XM-L as well, just undecided between the cool white for the "extra" brightness or W. If you're happy with H600W, then probably H502W is worth the way. Some neutral users might find 5000K too "white" for their taste.

 

[revolver]

I just got mine. It's a great little light, but has anybody else noticed that the battery indicator seems to go down really quickly? I had a fully charged eneloop (maybe a month old) go down one flash after playing around with it for ~10 minutes, couldn't have had it on high for longer than 2 or 3 minutes, and then it went down another flash after another 2 minutes on high. Is this normal?

 

[nakahoshi]

Small update on my thoughts for the H502. After using it for a weekish I now think it is quite green compared to my h51f. The xml with the GITD thing seems to make a green tint. I still love this headlamp, but I think zebralight needs to get rid of the GITD thing fast. If the GITD thing is not responsible for the green hue, then xml's suck..... with that said I love the tint of my spark sd-52 NW. So in other words I don't think it's the xmls fault.. get rid of the GITD thing zebralight, Please!

Otherwise, this light is awesome.

The GITD reflector is not the cause of the green tint, Its from the XM-L. Maybe if you are really close to a surface ( less than 10") it might reflect back. My SC-600's (I have 2) and both of my H502's have a very slight green tint that is not noticeable during use, but when you compare it to another light it stands out. I think the batch of XM-L's that ZL have (Cool White anyway) lean towards green. I consider this a trade-off to the above average brightness / run-time that I get from ZL.

I think people are making it out to be way worse than it really is.

I really paid attention while I was using this headlamp working in an electrical panel the other day and I was looking to see if the greenish fringe ever came into play and it did not. Everything that I needed to see was lit up, evenly and brightly with no hint of green.

-Bobby

 

[pjandyho]

The GITD reflector is not the cause of the green tint, Its from the XM-L. Maybe if you are really close to a surface ( less than 10") it might reflect back. My SC-600's (I have 2) and both of my H502's have a very slight green tint that is not noticeable during use, but when you compare it to another light it stands out. I think the batch of XM-L's that ZL have (Cool White anyway) lean towards green. I consider this a trade-off to the above average brightness / run-time that I get from ZL.

I think people are making it out to be way worse than it really is.

I really paid attention while I was using this headlamp working in an electrical panel the other day and I was looking to see if the greenish fringe ever came into play and it did not. Everything that I needed to see was lit up, evenly and brightly with no hint of green.

-Bobby

I am not sure I believe the green to be coming from the XM-L. I still go by the theory that it is reflected off the GITD. If it is as you have said, please explain why Zeruel in his post above also see green on the edge of the beam with the H502d? Surely that is not from an XM-L as the 'd' version is using a Philips LED in there. And as I have said many posts back, my Preon P0 which uses an XP-E against a GITD also has a green ring on the edge.

 

[insanefred]

I am not sure I believe the green to be coming from the XM-L. I still go by the theory that it is reflected off the GITD. If it is as you have said, please explain why Zeruel in his post above also see green on the edge of the beam with the H502d? Surely that is not from an XM-L as the 'd' version is using a Philips LED in there. And as I have said many posts back, my Preon P0 which uses an XP-E against a GITD also has a green ring on the edge.

Has anyone tried applying some tape over the GITD reflector? I would thing this is the first thing someone would do to prove/disprove the GITD/green tint theory.

 

[Diablo_331]

Has anyone tried applying some tape over the GITD reflector? I would thing this is the first thing someone would do to prove/disprove the GITD/green tint theory.

You would have to break the lens to get to it.

 

[TweakMDS]

Maybe just shine another light from very close up on the GITD reflector and see if any green edges reflect?

 

[varuscelli]

You would have to break the lens to get to it.

That's an interesting idea. I suspect you'd get a lot more than just green edges that way...I mean bouncing another light directly off the GITD reflector...but if so, that might also validate that at least some of the green edge tint could be caused by the GITD reflector. Again, interesting idea.

 

[Helmut.G]

If you move one of your eyes right into the green edge you should be able to tell where the light is coming from. That would be the surface that appears the brightest.
I would imagine the further away from the light you are, the easier it is to position your eye correctly.

 

[Burntrice]

I am not sure I believe the green to be coming from the XM-L. I still go by the theory that it is reflected off the GITD. If it is as you have said, please explain why Zeruel in his post above also see green on the edge of the beam with the H502d? Surely that is not from an XM-L as the 'd' version is using a Philips LED in there. And as I have said many posts back, my Preon P0 which uses an XP-E against a GITD also has a green ring on the edge.

I agree, I'm only getting green edges, exactly the same as my Preon P0.
Also I love the GITD, had a power cut when I woke up the the middle of the night. The lights had been off for at least 5 hours but I was able to find my H502 easily via the GITD. On top of that the lowest setting is great for getting around at night, perfect IMO.

 

[Ezeriel]

I have a couple questions:

1. Does the XM-L version's tint turn green on lower levels?

2. Is there and outdoor beamshot of the XM-L anywhere on the web?

 

[mobi]

I just got mine. It's a great little light, but has anybody else noticed that the battery indicator seems to go down really quickly? I had a fully charged eneloop (maybe a month old) go down one flash after playing around with it for ~10 minutes, couldn't have had it on high for longer than 2 or 3 minutes, and then it went down another flash after another 2 minutes on high. Is this normal?

No. I use Eneloops, and the impression I've taken away is that the battery indicator on the H502 seems to give a fair estimate of remaining run time, and the run times have been consistent with the run times posted on the Zebralight website.

 

[insanefred]

You would have to break the lens to get to it.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't see a lens in front of the GITD reflector. :shrug:

 

[lampeDépêche]

You know how ZL likes to multiply models by offering emitters with different tints?

I've got a theory about this green GITD thing:

I think they're going to start offering GITD background in different tints!

So you can get a cool XML with an orange GITD, or a warm Rebel with a blue GITD, or any combo you like!

Seriously--my guess is that they did not want a mirror-surface behind the emitter, because it would add too many artefacts to the beam. They could have gone with a simple white surface (and maybe they should have), but instead they went with what they hoped would be a bonus feature.

Yeah, it's not a bonus in my mind, but it's also not a negative, either. I haven't noticed the green ring yet, possibly because my eyeballs don't swivel that far to the side. (Paging Marty Feldman!)

I strongly suspect that the number of H502 customers in the world who are ever bothered by the "green ring" phenomenon is fewer than the number of people who have posted on this thread. Just not an issue for the vast majority of users, or uses.

 

[davidt1]

I think a good number of people who buy the new H502 are new to ZL lights and don't own the H501. If you own the H501, the imperfections, however minor, of the H502 would become very obvious from the faint hot spot to the green edges to the 120 degree beam.

This is not to say that it is a bad light. It is not, but I expect more from Zebralight. You should expect more for a $70 light.

 

[Diablo_331]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't see a lens in front of the GITD reflector. :shrug:

I don't even have my sample yet but I can tell you that there is a lens protecting the LED. On most of the older ZL's if you were to crack a lens, the only way to change it was to continue to chip it away and hope that no damage was done to the LED or reflector. Then the bezel ring could be pried out and the remaining bits of lens removed. A new lens would be installed and the bezel ring would be glued back in place.

 

[Esko]

I took some pics, and didn't see that on them. White balance set to 5000K, the beam was pretty green in the pics though (consistently).

Enough with small talk. Let's bring in some pics.

White balance set at 5000K (the CCT of the led used in H502d), contrast "standard", saturation "middle high".

H51Fc, SD6-460NW, H502d, S-mini NW (XP-G E3), TK21 (XM-L U2). The lights are very close to the white wall (door).

Just for the record: When I changed the white balance to 4000K (the CCT of the led used in model c), I think the light of the H51Fc looked pretty nicely white on my monitor.

About the lens; I don't think I see any lens either. Can't be absolutely sure, but I believe it is just a glass.

edit: corrected the headlamp model (H502c -> H502d)

 

[insanefred]

Enough with small talk. Let's bring in some pics.

White balance set at 5000K (the CCT of the led used in H502d), contrast "standard", saturation "middle high".

H51Fc, SD6-460NW, H502c, S-mini NW (XP-G E3), TK21 (XM-L U2). The lights are very close to the white wall (door).

Just for the record: When I changed the white balance to 4000K (the CCT of the led used in model c), I think the light of the H51Fc looked pretty nicely white on my monitor.

About the lens; I don't think I see any lens either. Can't be absolutely sure, but I believe it is just a glass.

Doesn't the H502c use the same emitter as the H51c? If so, that doesn't look so good. :sick2::thumbsdow
Also, can you re-do that photos with the camera up higher looking down, the light seem to block most of the beam.

 

[Esko]

Doesn't the H502c use the same emitter as the H51c? If so, that doesn't look so good. :sick2::thumbsdow
Also, can you re-do that photos with the camera up higher looking down, the light seem to block most of the beam.

It does use the same emitter and the beam color should be the same, too. Unless something (ie the GITD reflector) is coloring the beam. Unfortunately, I don't have H502c to compare.

Other than that, you shouldn't judge the lights too strongly by only looking at the tint comparison photographs. The differences are emphasized in them. When you use the lights alone, your eyes adjust to the tint and the light looks whiter. 4000K Nichia is a nice warm (neutral) led and I believe it will be even better in all flood (low beam intensity) H502c than in H51Fc. Personally, I believe I would prefer having H502c and H51Fd, if the latter one existed.

The lights are only centimeters away from the door. Some beams are very wide, I couldn't compare them side by side otherwise (my walls are not white, so I would have to go to somewhere else to take those pics - or take them individually). I only wanted to compare the tints, but if needed, I could try to take other pics later.

 

[insanefred]

Unfortunately, I don't have H502c to compare.

.

Enough with small talk. Let's bring in some pics.



H51Fc, SD6-460NW, H502c, S-mini NW (XP-G E3), TK21 (XM-L U2). The lights are very close to the white wall (door).

????

:thinking: