Zebralight SC52 Owner's Thread

[Streak]

Shelm and others, many thanks for your honest opinions.
I have owned the SC51 for more than a year now.
I have really tried to EDC a few others but there is nothing in my opinion that comes close to the SC51's UI.
What I dont understand is that of the many major players out there the UI's are all pretty much a variation of a theme ie. clicky, twisty, clicky/twisty or mag. ring.
No other manufacturer has tried to replicate ZL's instant access to low or high at the press of a button. Anybody know why? Patents amongst these manufacturers usually mean nothing and copying is rife.

The turning on in the pocket has been an issue for me from day one but I like the UI so much that I learned to do the tail cap lockout almost automatically.

Although on a high end light like the SC52 one should not have tint issues and the levels should be as advertised I almost prepared to overlook these in favour of the UI specially now that the SC52 has overcome the accidental on issues of the SC51.

I am often up before sunrise to go fishing, SC51 on low to get to the bathroom, tail stand to do the S's and then off to the sea!

I guess we all have our priorities in a light. Until someone else comes up with a UI as good as ZL my EDC is set for the foreseeable future.

Now when will that SC52 arrive!!

 

[tonkem]

Got mine today. Nice light. It is small. Tint is similar to my sc80, very cool white. Similar beams. I will be giving it to my son

 

[maxrep12]

I noticed that Zebralight, GoingGear and TorchDirect are all sold out of the sc52. Who has any stock left?

 

[shelm]

I noticed that Zebralight, GoingGear and TorchDirect are all sold out of the sc52. Who has any stock left?

you're US shopper? then check out DOTcom's of ExpeditionWarehouse, LightJunction

 

[sspc]

2nd what Shelm said, thanks for your review. I was considering buying it but found some pictures on the mode that I was looking forwards too and it didn't seem to be bright enough at that range.

Left: SC52 AA 0.34 lumens, RIght: EC2 2 lumens

Left: SC52 AA 2.7 lumens, RIght: EC2 2 lumens

Granted that a photograph isn't as good as seeing the light in person, but the fact that there are 2 lights in the same picture helps give you a better comparison. Could anyone tell me if you could read a book or an e-reader comfortably in the .34 lumens setting?

Don't know if the EC2 low is a good benchmark. Every EC2 I've seen talked about (excluding selfbuilt's review sample) has a low much higher than 2 lumens. My EC2s low definitely isn't 2 lumens...it's somewhere in the 15 lumen range.

 

[tonkem]

I noticed that Zebralight, GoingGear and TorchDirect are all sold out of the sc52. Who has any stock left?

also check the marketplace, Cellguy has around 90 ready to ship, including free ship and free 14500 lithium battery: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...-SHIP!-What-you-still-want-a-free-14500-DONE!

 

[Lightman2]

So can anyone tell me, who has both SC51 and SC52, if the throw on the SC52 is better or less than the SC51. I had a quick look at a SC600 and I thought the spill on it was great but the throw poor. If the throw on the SC52 is better then I may consider replacing the 51 with the 52.

 

[LightWalker]

The SC52 will probably be even more floody than the SC600 because the SC52 has a smaller reflector.

 

[Cataract]

[...] It would have been a nice feature though if the clip could be swapped for a lanyard ring attachment point.
[...]

+100 to that! I'm defnitely not a clip fan, but taking off the clip on these reveals a few sharp corners that can do some damage in a pocket.

​

Now a days real owners manuals. are found on Youtube.​

Dude! your table looks exactly like mine minus the 7 layers of ultra-hard crystal varnish

You just have not been some place dark enough, or given your eyes time to adjust to the darkness. Try it somewheres completely dark. My girlfriend acts like 0.01 Lm is a spot light when her Parents come home.

+1 I sometimes find 0.02 lumens too bright when waking up at night.

 

[KeeblerElf]

I bought an SC52 with a pack of Energizer lithiums as a gift for my brother. Obviously I had to make sure it worked. I was pretty impressed with the light - enough to seriously consider picking one up for myself. (I think Zebralight's UI has spoiled me.) Excellent finish, strong clip, superb beam quality, and impressive brightness in a tiny package. Incidentally, it fits perfectly with its foam inserts in a small Otterbox with the extra batteries. A nice little package for a glove box.

 

[Philabuster]

also check the marketplace, Cellguy has around 90 ready to ship, including free ship and free 14500 lithium battery: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...-SHIP!-What-you-still-want-a-free-14500-DONE!

Crap. I was waiting for the W version to come out, but you talked me into it. Just bought two from Cellguy. :santa:

 

[Philabuster]

Crap. I was waiting for the W version to come out, but you talked me into it. Just bought two from Cellguy. :santa:

Cellguy shipped the lights on the 26th and I got them today (28th). I did not expect the free 14500 battery to be the Zebralight ones. :twothumbs This little light is bad *** with either battery types and the four click battery indicator also functions properly with either cell.:rock:

 

[LEDburn]

Glad I didn't wait for the 'w' version

I posted this in the other thread with the poll too, I asked ZL when the sc52w will be out:

Staff (Administrator)
12/29/2012 1:19:30 AM We are expecting (finger crossed) to have some neutral white XM-Ls in early Feb. Hopefully we will have all those 'w' lights (H502w, SC52w, S6330w, and SC600w MkII) out by late Feb.

Also very glad I waited for s6330 and didn't buy the CW version. CW sc52 is still good, don't get me wrong, I just seem to prefer NW.

Hmm, off to find money for four new lights in Feb then

 

[Philabuster]

Took the SC52 to a friend's house today (lives out in the sticks) along with my SC600w. Stayed until it got dark and started using my SC600w to illuminate the machine we were fixing. I was alternating between the two flashlights. Friend's Dad kept commenting how bright the SC52 (cool tint) appeared everytime I switched it on, but said nothing about the SC600w.

Yes the SC52 running on an Eneloop was way brighter than his ~60 lumen cool tint light, but the much brighter SC600w did not appear as bright to him due to it's warmer tint over the SC52. I noticed a big difference between the lights, but 645 warm lumens still looks brighter to me than 280 cool lumens. I love the form factor but I will be ordering a SC52w the moment it comes out as I prefer the warmer tint.

GF said last night the .01 lumen setting was so low she did not think it was usable at all. I explained to her you need to view it with night adjusted eyes. GF uses the potty during the night so I thought of a perfect way to demonstrate the .01 lumen setting. :naughty: Last night, I turned it on and hung it on the shower railing so the light pointed at the toilet. This morning she was like WTF? Where the hell is that light coming from? She said she did not need any illumination to go pee thank you very much. :scowl: I did get my point across that .01 lumen was indeed visible.

 

[itsme1234]

Got mine for a while, people comments range between "no way I'll pay that money for a light, I can't even smack a bear (or a badger) with it" and "I really really want one, please where can I get it" (from people who don't know the price).

I'm slowly using it both over the smaller and the bigger lights and I feel naked while the 14500 is charging, even if it's noon. The "battery indicator" is really cool, in fact it showed me a problem with a contact in my battery charger (had some moment of WTF when the battery came off the charger with only 3/4 "blinks").

Question: is there some comfortable head mount/strap for such small round torches that has adjustable angle AND the light somewhere above the eyes? It'll probably have to be a 3-strap headmount with some plastic mount on the middle strap that takes the light and can be rotated so you can angle the light up/down.

 

[LightWalker]

Took the SC52 to a friend's house today (lives out in the sticks) along with my SC600w. Stayed until it got dark and started using my SC600w to illuminate the machine we were fixing. I was alternating between the two flashlights. Friend's Dad kept commenting how bright the SC52 (cool tint) appeared everytime I switched it on, but said nothing about the SC600w.

Yes the SC52 running on an Eneloop was way brighter than his ~60 lumen cool tint light, but the much brighter SC600w did not appear as bright to him due to it's warmer tint over the SC52. I noticed a big difference between the lights, but 645 warm lumens still looks brighter to me than 280 cool lumens. I love the form factor but I will be ordering a SC52w the moment it comes out as I prefer the warmer tint.

GF said last night the .01 lumen setting was so low she did not think it was usable at all. I explained to her you need to view it with night adjusted eyes. GF uses the potty during the night so I thought of a perfect way to demonstrate the .01 lumen setting. :naughty: Last night, I turned it on and hung it on the shower railing so the light pointed at the toilet. This morning she was like WTF? Where the hell is that light coming from? She said she did not need any illumination to go pee thank you very much. :scowl: I did get my point across that .01 lumen was indeed visible.

That story made me laugh, thanks for sharing.

 

[lmorrison17]

Got mine for a while, people comments range between "no way I'll pay that money for a light, I can't even smack a bear (or a badger) with it" and "I really really want one, please where can I get it" (from people who don't know the price).

I'm slowly using it both over the smaller and the bigger lights and I feel naked while the 14500 is charging, even if it's noon. The "battery indicator" is really cool, in fact it showed me a problem with a contact in my battery charger (had some moment of WTF when the battery came off the charger with only 3/4 "blinks").

Question: is there some comfortable head mount/strap for such small round torches that has adjustable angle AND the light somewhere above the eyes? It'll probably have to be a 3-strap headmount with some plastic mount on the middle strap that takes the light and can be rotated so you can angle the light up/down.

Pretty sure an H501 headband would fit.

But I like the fallowing link idea better even with my H lights.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...raLight-Mods&p=3713092&viewfull=1#post3713092

Can be worn as a headband.

 

[itsme1234]

Unless I miss something completely SC52 isn't angled so it needs a much more complicated mount for what I want.
I'm considering duct taping it to a gopro head mount camera but I would like something similar and standalone.

 

[Tulip bush]

Hi all, considering either a sc52 or 600 just wondering if you can recommend who to buy off for the best deal.....from the uk. Thanks

 

[LEDburn]

Unless I miss something completely SC52 isn't angled so it needs a much more complicated mount for what I want.
I'm considering duct taping it to a gopro head mount camera but I would like something similar and standalone.

I would never use it like that and don't understand how anyone could. Unless you have found some magical headband, the weight will feel uneven and part of the spill will most likely be blocked in some way.

I tried it in the H502 headband and it was horrible. Dedicated headlamps will still be used for tasks requiring two free hands.
Seriously, just get a proper headlamp and be done with it. I did the old hack mounted crap for ages, taping torches to safely glasses etc and can safely say the first headlamp I bought was unexpectedly amazing. Never going back to DIY mounts for lights that simply aren't a very good option as a headlamp.