Zebralight H600/H604/H600F MKIV headlamp

[mobi]

That's an interesting point.

I have a Zebralight with .05 Lm and .01 settings.

I use parafilm to shape Zebralight beams. The parafilm also absorbs some of the emitted light. I took some parafilm and folded it over twice making a four-layer thick piece and placed it on the glass. With the light on the .05 setting, it more or less reduced the light to a .01 setting. I made the comparison by switching the light back and forth from .01 to .05 with the film on the glass at .05.

Some of the newer lights have .08 as the lowest setting. The most likely use for me of the lowest setting would be putting it on that setting when I remove the light to lie down, and wanting to locate the light in pitch dark, and use it to navigate in the pitch dark with dark adapted eyes. That would mean keeping the light on the low setting for several hours straight. In that scenario, attaching parafilm to the light to get the .01 Lm effect would be a minimal task.

On the other hand, if the super-low moonbeam mode is going to be needed quickly, this approach would not be much of a fix.

 

[eh4]

I sat out of getting a MK III version last year, and got another MK II on discount instead, but I'm about sold on the Fc MK IV.
I generally keep the low sub-mode in the second lowest setting, but the lowest .01 lumen is useful sometimes.
I think they're leap frogging along, the new emitters are maybe too powerful and efficient to go as low with the current driver, hopefully super low will come back as the drivers improve even more.
In the mean time, there's perfectly good discounted old stock.

 

[ingokl]

The driver is not the 'problem'. ZL consciously decided to raise the available minimum settings for a more balanced stepping between all levels. For the SC64c they already lowered the lowest low from 0.12 to 0.05 lumen as a response to moaning CPF members .

 

[limesalt]

Welcome to CPF!

Bottom line: You might not need it and find the stock UI perfect for you applications, but at least it's nice to have it on board. Lots of fellow CPFers love the new programmable UI, me included. It basically tailors the UI to exactly how you want it to be.

Oh my God, does this mean that I can set the "H" group (i.e. 1 click from off) to instead be an M or L level group??? That is to say: no more blinding 1,000+ lumen pre-flash when I'm just trying to double click from off into a 65 lumen medium mode? :laughing: Yeah, I think that could be useful That UI quirk has been my ONE gripe about Zebralights, and if they really fixed that and made it truly, fully programmable for all the L/M/H groups then WOW, that is awesome! I sold my SC600 because I was tired of it always turning on in FULL BLAST mode, but otherwise I was completely in love with everything else about it - the ergonomics, form factor, runtime, beam quality, etc. was all perfect, absolutely perfect. Time to reup!

Thats the light that started me down the headlamp route. I personally love the pure flood. I've abandoned the headstrap and now wear it around my neck. Sometimes i forget i have it on and reach to turn off the light switch when i leave a room...

Yeah, I love the pure flood! I've owned normal beam and floody beam ZL headlamps, and settled on the pure flood H603d as my go-to for pretty much everything. My balance and orientation gets thrown off by the tunnel vision effect when I use a normal or even just a floody headlamp for extended periods of time, because of the constant head turning. I'm typically camping or off-roading when I use it, so high movement stuff like chopping wood, hiking through dense and uneven forest, rock scrambling, etc. all gets old real quick when you have no peripheral vision and have to swing your head around constantly to ascertain your surroundings. Up-close stuff like mechanical work is perfect for pure flood too. If I need a spotlight, that's what my handheld is for :twothumbs

 

[TCY]

Oh my God, does this mean that I can set the "H" group (i.e. 1 click from off) to instead be an M or L level group??? That is to say: no more blinding 1,000+ lumen pre-flash when I'm just trying to double click from off into a 65 lumen medium mode? :laughing: Yeah, I think that could be useful That UI quirk has been my ONE gripe about Zebralights, and if they really fixed that and made it truly, fully programmable for all the L/M/H groups then WOW, that is awesome! I sold my SC600 because I was tired of it always turning on in FULL BLAST mode, but otherwise I was completely in love with everything else about it - the ergonomics, form factor, runtime, beam quality, etc. was all perfect, absolutely perfect. Time to reup!

Absolutely, AFAIK some CPFers have set the UI up exactly the way you intend to. You can even make it a single mode light (by making all 6 modes identical) if that's what you want it to be:thumbsup:

 

[mobi]

The following comment makes the case for allowing the strobe modes to be added to the programmable G modes on the new Zebralight series.

The Zebralight strobe is currently triggered by three clicks. Within the strobe mode, one of four strobes can be selected.

I'm guessing the inclusion of a 19 Hz mode was in order to make Zebralights "tactical". Confer the "Police Study of tactical use of Strobe". A link to that thread can be found on the "General Flashlight Forum - Threads of interest" sticky in the General Flashlight Discussion forum.

The police study concluded that an 18 - 20 Hz range was the ideal rate for a tactical strobe.

Another point the study brought out was that a tactical light has to be activated with one-click. This is because under stress it is a challenge to make the fine, precisely timed movements that are required to activate a strobe mode that is not accessible from one click. Furthermore, the loss of even a spilt second in a tactical situation can mean the loss of any advantage the strobe may have offered.

Thus, the Zebralight as currently configured is not tactical according to the study, since the user has to click three -- and only three -- times in quick succession to operate the 19 Hz strobe. And that is assuming the user has previously set the strobe to the 19 Hz mode; otherwise, the user has to double click up to three times to reach the 19 Hz mode.

Now, the new Zebralights allow us to program any of 12 light levels into the single click mode. However, the strobe modes are not able to be mapped into the single click mode.

Hopefully, in future models, it will be possible to program a 19 Hz strobe on Hi into the single click mode, bringing the Zebralight a step closer to being a truly tactical light.

One late night this past summer I used an H600Fd III to avert what I believe was an imminent attack on the house here.

Some nights before, my door had been egged because of a public stance I took on a local issue.

This particular night, the window to the room I was in was open and I happened to wake up to some suspicious activity. A car had driven by, and apparently someone in the car had been speaking and mentioned my name to another occupant. This is a quiet street and the voice had wafted in through the window alerting me.

The house was dark and I was wearing dark clothes. I went downstairs and cracked the front door open and stood in the gap. A car pulled up in front of the house and was idling there with the drivers window rolled down.

I think they failed to observe me in the doorway. I waited. Nothing was happening. A stand off. I pointed the light at the car, about forty feet away. Then I turned the Zebra on high for a moment, and turned it off. A moment later, I did the same. In the interim between flashes, the driver exclaimed in shock and amazement, "What the h--- was that?!" and zoomed away.

End of harassment.

This illustrates the versatility of a Zebralight. I think at this point I'm supposed to say something like, "Don't try this at home," in order to avoid liability.

Throwing caution to the wind, I would encourage others to try this if necessary.

To tie this comment all together, I think it would have been an even better outcome if that first click had been a 19 Hz strobe.

 

[jeff.rybak]

Great website - I have been lurking as a guest for years.
I have pre-ordered the new ZL H600Fc Mk4 XHP50's as well. We have been using ZL headlamps for several yrs and recommend them to our clients. The majority of our use is hunting type environment, especially traveling to and setting up waterfowl decoys spreads in the AM.

I don't mean to hi-jack the thread, and I can start a new topic if need be, please let me know.
What battery would be best for these new 600Fc Mk4 XHP 50's?

Thank you - and again thank all you guys for such a great informative site!

 

[Tachead]

Great website - I have been lurking as a guest for years.
I have pre-ordered the new ZL H600Fc Mk4 XHP50's as well. We have been using ZL headlamps for several yrs and recommend them to our clients. The majority of our use is hunting type environment, especially traveling to and setting up waterfowl decoys spreads in the AM.

I don't mean to hi-jack the thread, and I can start a new topic if need be, please let me know.
What battery would be best for these new 600Fc Mk4 XHP 50's?

Thank you - and again thank all you guys for such a great informative site!

Many batteries will work well with these headlamps but, for the longest runtimes when you need it I would go with the Panasonic/Sanyo NCR18650GA, the LG INR18650MJ1, or the Samsung INR18650-35E. All of these are 3500mAh and good quality cells.

 

[MX421]

The Zebralight strobe is currently triggered by three clicks. Within the strobe mode, one of four strobes can be selected.

I'm guessing the inclusion of a 19 Hz mode was in order to make Zebralights "tactical". Confer the "Police Study of tactical use of Strobe". A link to that thread can be found on the "General Flashlight Forum - Threads of interest" sticky in the General Flashlight Discussion forum.

The police study concluded that an 18 - 20 Hz range was the ideal rate for a tactical strobe.

Another point the study brought out was that a tactical light has to be activated with one-click. This is because under stress it is a challenge to make the fine, precisely timed movements that are required to activate a strobe mode that is not accessible from one click. Furthermore, the loss of even a spilt second in a tactical situation can mean the loss of any advantage the strobe may have offered.

Now, the new Zebralights allow us to program any of 12 light levels into the single click mode. However, the strobe modes are not able to be mapped into the single click mode.

Hopefully, in future models, it will be possible to program a 19 Hz strobe on Hi into the single click mode, bringing the Zebralight a step closer to being a truly tactical light.

Don't get me wrong, i love my Zebralights, probably more than my tactical lights. However, the Zebralight, particularly a headlamp is not meant to be a tactical light. Perhaps if you handhold it you could make do in certain situations, but the advantage provided by the disorientation would be best served to exit the situation, especially if you are unarmed.

This illustrates the versatility of a Zebralight. I think at this point I'm supposed to say something like, "Don't try this at home," in order to avoid liability.

Throwing caution to the wind, I would encourage others to try this if necessary.

To tie this comment all together, I think it would have been an even better outcome if that first click had been a 19 Hz strobe.

I would disagree on the better outcome. I believe similar if not the same studies also found that the strobe could antagonize someone to further action. The only reason a strobe works is it tends to disorient a person, usually it is followed up with either a clear retreat or something to follow up on the temporary advantage gained. Here in Texas, you better have a gun to back such use of a light up. That also may have been why they ran, they didn't know what you had and you clearly had the tactical advantage at least at that point.

All that being said, i do believe the strobe is effective in certain situations. Walking out in a dark parking lot for instance would be a good place to use such a strobe. People wanting to take advantage would not prefer to attack someone who has a flashing strobe attracting attention from quite a distance.


Anyway, to get back on topic, i do like that there are two strobe settings now, the older strobe was way too fast to be effective.

 

[mobi]

All good points.

Agreed that retreat is the ultimate goal when armed only with photons.

Especially good point that a strobe might exacerbate a situation that could otherwise be defused.

I think it was my first Zebralight headlamp, many iterations ago of that classic light. I had it on strobe as I approached an intersection. The driver there signaled his annoyance, I think by flashing his high beam on and off. That sensitized me to observe better headiquette in the future.

 

[eh4]

I see Zebralights much more as Swiss army knife type lights than being any sort of "tactical" light...
It is tempting to try to get them to serve all purposes, because they do so much so well, but if there's one thing that the interface isn't optimal for, it's high stress jitters with no second chances... yeah full programmability can solve that, but once you mess up and keep clicking to correct your mistake, you're off into modes and sub levels...
Besides, the lights are made to be light and strong, but within the realm of being cared for as tools rather than intentionally put into harm's way.

 

[mobi]

Well said.

So, let me do a 180° here. If Zebralights are not geared up for tactical applications, then what useful purpose is the 19 Hz mode? As MX421 posted, a Zebra strobe might best be used to draw attention. Is there a better rate than 19 Hz to do that? How about a varying rate strobe mode?

As long as Zebralight is revamping the whole UI by introducing more customizable options, why not rethink the strobe, too?

 

[twistedraven]

Dance parties on your house, obviously.

 

[Keitho]

As long as Zebralight is revamping the whole UI by introducing more customizable options, why not rethink the strobe, too?

I'll second that...bike strobe, variable output would be awesome

 

[mobi]

Good idea. The Ultraviolet Band can play music. And we can all do the 3-Step Binning.

 

[Keitho]

And the 2300-lumen skadoo!

 

[mobi]

I'll second that...bike strobe, variable output would be awesome

I think you're on to something.

Here's a thought. Right now the G7 mode is fully programmable. Instead, make the G7 mode totally strobe.

It might work like this. A fixed rate is chosen, say 10 Hz. Other than that, the G7 mode would be like the G5 mode. That is, there would be a high, medium, and low level, with each level having an alternative sub-level. The upshot would be that the strobe could be set in any of 12 light strengths.

That would give you a variable strength fixed-rate strobe.

 

[Rikt]

Hi guys,
i am about to pre-order a zebralight headlight. Mainly for walking in the woods, both dense forrest but also open terrains.
It will be accompagneed with a medium size thrower to use once in a while. (Spotting animals, my own dog, safety, ..)

At first i was leaning towards the 604 mule, but then again i fear that the flood doesnt reach far enough so i have to use my thrower all the time.. and thats not what i am looking for.
maybe the H600f (c or w) will be better for my purpose.
Its hard to decide because my lack of experience.

Does anyone has some advice to help me out?
Thank you,
R.

Edit: user Terjee just gave me heads up that a mule easely blinds poeple. Probably thats the 'dealbreaker' for me. I guess ill go for the H600F

 

[Tachead]

Hi guys,
i am about to pre-order a zebralight headlight. Mainly for walking in the woods, both dense forrest but also open terrains.
It will be accompagneed with a medium size thrower to use once in a while. (Spotting animals, my own dog, safety, ..)

At first i was leaning towards the 604 mule, but then again i fear that the flood doesnt reach far enough so i have to use my thrower all the time.. and thats not what i am looking for.
maybe the H600f (c or w) will be better for my purpose.
Its hard to decide because my lack of experience.

Does anyone has some advice to help me out?
Thank you,
R.

Edit: user Terjee just gave me heads up that a mule easely blinds poeple. Probably thats the 'dealbreaker' for me. I guess ill go for the H600F

I would definitely go for the H600F. It is the best all around headlamp style from ZL imo. It has the perfect mix of flood and throw and is kind of the jack of all trades. I recommend the H600Fc as it has a nice warm CCT(4000K) which is perfect for late night use, use around the campfire, and it makes the greens and browns in the forest pop. It also has a much higher CRI then the "w" and a tighter binned emitter which should mean a more consistent tint from sample to sample and better colour rendition.

 

[Rikt]

I will be ordering the H600fc . Thank you for your good advice. :thumbsup: