Zebralight is going to come out with flashlights! part 2

[ky70]

There are fins/grooves on the head of the SC30 directly below where the open end of the clip contacts the head which I think can cause excessive wear when repeatedly clipped, and unclipped from the same location. The SC50 there is flat (non-finned/grooved) aluminum under the profile of the clip reducing the potential for wear. This can be seen if you look closely at the pictures located on the ZL website, and compare:
http://www.zebralight.com/SC50-Flashlight-AA-193Lm_p_24.html

Thanks Dh, that is a perfect illustration...nice work by zebralight to improve the clip design on the sc50. That confirms that I'd prefer the sc50 over the sc30.

SC30 clip pretty tight, but its shape allows you keep the flashlight is turned on/off/switch.

Thanks Misan.

 

[davidt1]

I have decided to wait for the H51w. I hope Zebralight will:

1. Use a stronger spring than on the H501.

2. Give the light some flood; after all it's a headlamp.

 

[jblackwood]

The emitter choice by ZL is what's holding me back.

In this case, and I imagine in many other cases as well, such as McGizmo, Ra Lights, and even Surefire, the emitter choice is going to hold you back from experiencing some seriously, nicely designed lights. There are no other lights that have this form factor or this UI and for the price, you simply can't go wrong. If emitter choice really has you held up, so be it, but you're really missing out. There, I've said my piece. I hope you find a light that satisfies you in every way. :thumbsup:

 

[uplite]

In this case, and I imagine in many other cases as well, such as McGizmo, Ra Lights, and even Surefire, the emitter choice is going to hold you back from experiencing some seriously, nicely designed lights.

+100

Many flashlight buyers seem unaware that LED lumens do not equate to perceived brightness.

For most lights, short to medium range use, you need 5 times the lumens for a light to appear 2 times as bright. That's just the way our eyes work. The difference between, for example, 100 lumens and 200 lumens is not very noticeable. The beam angle (reflector or lens design) makes a much larger difference.

Also, although there was a big jump a few years ago, LED technology has been plateaued for a while. The LED manufacturers are mostly playing games with larger dies, different tints, etc. The "latest" LED is not necessarily the "greatest". Just like computer CPUs when they started to plateau 5 or 6 years ago. New LEDs right now are mostly a marketing game. Waiting for the next R&D breakthrough.

In the meantime, IMO, we should buy lights with the best design, not the latest LED. :thumbsup:

-Jeff

 

[kaichu dento]

IMO, we should buy lights with the best design, not the latest LED. :thumbsup:

Absolutely! Buy the best light for you now!

 

[jblackwood]

Also, I'd like to amend my listing of manufacturers who don't use the XP-G yet for whatever reasons, the great Don himself has seen fit to start using them in his Haiku lights (forgot that!), so McGizmo is no longer on that list. He made the intelligent redesign, though, including designing a whole new reflector for a totally different emitter. I will point out, though, that he jumped from the XR-E to the XP-G, bypassing the XP-E. I'm sure his decisions had to do with cost versus gains made in performance of the light. Either way, he still has both XR-E and XP-G versions for sale, he sees them as that different.

 

[swxb12]

Received my SC50w yesterday.

Wow, what a compact light. The neutral tint is awesome. Pocket clip is nice and strong.

From the 'off mode' if you don't hold the switch down long enough while trying to access instant low there's a chance of seeing low mode flash on really quick, followed by max. If you had held the switch down too long then it will hit low of course, but begin ramping to medium and so forth. I was going nuts for about a minute because I kept finding this "sweet spot" where I'd be blasted by high mode after trying to just get to low mode and stay there.

Managed to keep my cool and be more patient and got my timing down. Everything good to go since then.

I'll try to get some tint comparison pics, really like this light. Congrats Zebra Light. Looking forward to losing more money to them in the near future

 

[defloyd77]

So what's the word on the flood models? I'd love an SC50WF.

 

[FroggyTaco]

I have decided to wait for the H51w. I hope Zebralight will:

1. Use a stronger spring than on the H501.

2. Give the light some flood; after all it's a headlamp.

I asked ZL about the upcoming H51 beam & was informed that it will be identical to the H31 beam & therefore the same as the SC series as well.

On the plus side, the new UI has already been incorporated into the H501 & I am assuming the H501w will get is soon as well.

So it seems they are satisfied with the design & emitter performance from the existing design & it keeps R&D costs down.

 

[ky70]

I asked ZL about the upcoming H51 beam & was informed that it will be identical to the H31 beam & therefore the same as the SC series as well.

The H31w will use an XP-E emitter where as the H31 will use the XP-G...so H31 will have a brighter and floodier beam than the H31w?

 

[uplite]

The H31w will use an XP-E emitter where as the H31 will use the XP-G...so H31 will have a brighter and floodier beam than the H31w?

XPG floodier, yes. Brighter, depends on your definition.

The higher XPG flux bins will put out more lumens, but the surface illumination of the beam is probably dimmer than the same light with XPE. Assuming the driver and reflector are the same.

-Jeff

 

[FroggyTaco]

I just got the H501 with the updated UI & low has a new lower mode, but it is not a "moon mode" IMO. If default is 3.3L I would the lower is about 2L. I was hoping for about .5L low low.

Medium now has a "slow strobe" & high has the same "fast strobe"

Also it doesn't remember the lower settings after about 30 seconds. So you will have to double-click to get it into the sub-level essentially every time you use the light. Must have something to do with an updated design rather than a total redesign. Either way it is a welcome improvement over nothing.

 

[Misan]

updated UI

sorry for off, but what is mean? I just few days on the CPF and do not understand it well with the contractions.

 

[Mostly]

Huh! When was it purchased... from ZebraLight site, I assume, not another dealer?

I don't even know for certain if ZebraLight is pulse or current regulated, but assume it is current regulated because of the high efficiency. But I'm wondering if this "tweaked" interface is just playing tricks with with pulsing the light (to get the two strobes of course, but also to lower the low to 2 lumens via pulse regulation) at each level but using the same drive current the level is already at? That might explain why they aren't able to give it a true moon mode... there would be strobe effect to pulse regulate it at that low a level?

Misan-- ui = user interface

 

[FroggyTaco]

sorry for off, but what is mean? I just few days on the CPF and do not understand it well with the contractions.

UI=User Interface.

In other words, how you interact with the flashlight in order to make it operate.

As an example Microsoft & Apple both sell software to control computers, but they mostly differ in how the "User Interface" is administered.

Travis

 

[FroggyTaco]

Huh! When was it purchased... from ZebraLight site, I assume, not another dealer?

Yes direct from ZL, on Monday after my UI questions were answered.

To Quote them:

Customer
4/3/2010 4:01:55 PM When this light releases, is it going to retain the existing all flood beam like the H501 or is it going to be like the new H31?

Staff (Administrator)
4/4/2010 7:07:39 AM Hi Travis,

The H51 will have exactly the same beam pattern as the H31.

BR,
Lillian Xu

Customer
4/4/2010 3:58:41 PM Is the H501 going to recieve the updated UI allowing lower modes on low & medium settings?

Staff (Administrator)
4/5/2010 5:13:20 AM The H501s (not H501w) shipped recently have revised UI already (double click in Med to 2Hz, double click in Low to Moon mode).

BR,
Lillian Xu

 

[Mostly]

Cool! I'm not all that excited about the extra strobe (an extra medium level would be better), but a "moon mode" is a welcome upgrade.

Is there any sign of strobe effect on the moon mode if you wave it back and forth rapidly, per my half-baked theory about pulse modulation?

 

[davidt1]

I asked ZL about the upcoming H51 beam & was informed that it will be identical to the H31 beam & therefore the same as the SC series as well.

On the plus side, the new UI has already been incorporated into the H501 & I am assuming the H501w will get is soon as well.

So it seems they are satisfied with the design & emitter performance from the existing design & it keeps R&D costs down.

Thanks for the information. If the H and SC series have the same beam and throw, then the H51 makes more sense than the SC50 for me because it is more versatile. It's a headlamp than can be used as a flashlight exactly like the SC50.

I am really hoping they will use the XP-G emitter in the H51 because this emitter has appeared in flashlights six months ago. It's not new anymore. With the XP-G emitter, there will be a bigger hot spot which is useful for close-up work.

 

[FroggyTaco]

Cool! I'm not all that excited about the extra strobe (an extra medium level would be better), but a "moon mode" is a welcome upgrade.

Is there any sign of strobe effect on the moon mode if you wave it back and forth rapidly, per my half-baked theory about pulse modulation?

Well I have never owned a low PWM refresh rate light so I have not personally seen it, but I do understand the concept from what I have seen with low refresh rates on LCD & CRT monitors. For example a 60Hz CRT refresh rate is visually noticeable & headache inducing for me. I tried to make a picture for you but I no longer own a DSLR :mecry: so I will have to make do with this P&S.

The photo is took with flash off is @ F2.8, ISO800, & 1sec exposure. Light is about 6" from the wall & I am moving it across the wall rapidly. There may be 1-2 passes in the exposure, but I do not see any flicker in RL or the photo.

 

[swxb12]

Re: SC50w