ZL: Inexplicable breakage of frosted lens

[insanefred]

You know, you kind of made me a little worried but not totally worried. Back several years when I started lurking CPF, my friend wanted a floody headlamp. I suggested him one of the zebralights (I think either the h501 or h50-Q5). He fed it alkaleaks and he was just plain negligent to it and even sometimes borderline abusive to the headlamp. When I pointed out that just because the light costs a little more than other lights he has owned doesn't mean it was always more durable or the o-ring never needed to be replaced and that every light is subject to failure. He shrug his shoulders, and continued with his behavior, it was completely normal to him. What I called negligent or abuse was normal to him.

Fast forward 2 years since he bought his light his zebralight stopped working (the switch no longer worked), he would always jab the switch, I knew he'd break it doing what he did. He still complains how fragile zebralights are and will never buy another one. Few years later, he wanted another headlamp that wasn't zebralight. I pointed at the Jetbeam HC20, he had for a week and it broke on him. He is just too abusive. negligent to his gear, he still wonders to this day, why so many things break on him. Mice, keyboards, bike parts, clothing, furniture they all break on him so quickly but he shrug his shoulders, and continued with his behavior, it is completely normal to him.

So the morel of the story is, one persons normal wear and tear, there will be someone out there that thinks you're really hard on your gear and vice versa.

However!

The jury is still out and we shell make our own judgment on this. Could a few people just got a bad batch? Is what they call normal wear and tear actually negligent and abusive and they don't realize it? Or are the frosted lenses really weak and need extra care for them not to crack?

 

[fnsooner]

Any pictures as wondering what it looks like?

I'll try and get some in the next couple of days. My camera and all three lights are not in the same place at the moment. I will update the original post. Two of the lights are spiderwebbed with the origin roughly in the middle of the lens. The other is straight crack along the edge of the lens.

 

[fnsooner]

So the morel of the story is, one persons normal wear and tear, there will be someone out there that thinks you're really hard on your gear and vice versa.

However!

The jury is still out and we shell make our own judgment on this. Could a few people just got a bad batch? Is what they call normal wear and tear actually negligent and abusive and they don't realize it? Or are the frosted lenses really weak and need extra care for them not to crack?

I agree with every thing you said insanefred. I hope I didn't suggest otherwise.

At the moment, out of all the frosted lensed Zebralights sold there are only four reports of cracked lenses. It just so happens that three of them are mine.:thinking:

 

[Woods Walker]

I'll try and get some in the next couple of days. My camera and all three lights are not in the same place at the moment. I will update the original post. Two of the lights are spiderwebbed with the origin roughly in the middle of the lens. The other is straight crack along the edge of the lens.

Thanks. I have been thinking about getting back into ZL's. Maybe a physical inspection aka pics will also offer insight as to the cause of the break? Darn shame.

 

[fnsooner]

Thanks. I have been thinking about getting back into ZL's. Maybe a physical inspection aka pics will also offer insight as to the cause of the break? Darn shame.

No problem. The problem discussed in this thread is about a niche option that I could take or leave. Take the frosted lens option out of the equation and the Zebralight is a bad @ss flashlight. I hope people that read this thread can separate the two.


I swear by the SC62. The SC60 and SC60w were my first Zebralights and they are the standard I hold all other flashlights to. They are tough little lights and still work flawlessly and I didn't baby them at all. I use them for a living.

 

[Woods Walker]

I was looking at the:

http://www.zebralight.com/SC5w-AA-Flashlight-Neutral-White-OP_p_169.html

Which I think isn't a floody one. I haven't gotten a ZL from back in the H502w time.

 

[snowlover91]

I was looking at the:

http://www.zebralight.com/SC5w-AA-Flashlight-Neutral-White-OP_p_169.html

Which I think isn't a floody one. I haven't gotten a ZL from back in the H502w time.

Thats the SC5w with the orange peel reflector. Mark6r received his recently and said its excellent with great beam profile and excellent tint. It's similar to the SC52 as far as beam pattern goes.

 

[fnsooner]

I posted a couple of pics in the OP.

@Woods Walker. I don't have the SC5w but it seems real popular.

 

[ForrestChump]

I posted a couple of pics in the OP.

Tripple :fail:

Send those thingys back man.

 

[Woods Walker]

Tripple :fail:

Send those thingys back man.

+1

 

[UnderPar]

+1

Yes. Did you ever try to email ZL CS on this?

 

[kj2]

Have send ZL the question, how they make the frosted lens. Am currently looking at the SC5Fc and don't want to end up with a easy to crack lens.

Got a response from ZL: "It's part of the glass (not a filter), to achieve some (slight) brightness and efficiency advantages compared to a filter."

 

[WarRaven]

I kind of doubt these are the only one out there broken.

Edit, from looks of pictures, seems common amongst just them.

 

[fnsooner]

Got a response from ZL: "It's part of the glass (not a filter), to achieve some (slight) brightness and efficiency advantages compared to a filter."

Thanks for the update Kj2. So it does appear that they physically change the glass in order get the diffused characteristics. So it is possible that the frosted lenses could be weaker than the clear lenses.

Yes. Did you ever try to email ZL CS on this?

Not yet. I will probably contact them this week and see what they say. I would imagine that they have already seen the pictures.


I have been weighing my options. For a while, I seriously thought about trying to replace the glass frosted lens with acrylic. I have also been thinking about having ZL replace the frosted lens with the clear, to make them tough again but I really like having the frosted lens option. It is very nice and the tint is amazing..

So at the moment, I think I will contact ZL and have them throw new frosted lenses back in them and roll with it. I am wondering if they can do a simple lens change in Irving, or if they will have to send them to China. Their US office is only about a four hour drive from me down hwy 75. Not that I would drive it though to get these fixed.

 

[fnsooner]

While I had my camera out, I figured I would take a picture of my users. If there is any light that I can be accused of abusing, it is that Preon 2 in the picture. Great light. There is only one cool white in the bunch and that is the SC600. The w version wasn't available yet.

 

[fnsooner]

I kind of doubt these are the only one out there broken.

Edit, from looks of pictures, seems common amongst just them.

That is kind of my thinking, but I am trying to keep an open mind.

 

[WarRaven]

Yes, that is good thinking.
Sorry I don't mean to rain on your lights, just that is suspiciously common amongst your small sample size.
I reckon, there's more like this, just users aren't active here on these forums or have accepted that they, the end user did this and not the OEM being maybe at fault.
When people stay silent, others hurt in quiet.
Cheers for bringing this out, had no idea from anyone on these forums, maybe they didn't know either and stayed quiet about it feeling they were responsible.

 

[fnsooner]

Yes, that is good thinking.
Sorry I don't mean to rain on your lights, just that is suspiciously common amongst your small sample size.
I reckon, there's more like this, just users aren't active here on these forums or have accepted that they, the end user did this and not the OEM being maybe at fault.
When people stay silent, others hurt in quiet.
Cheers for bringing this out, had no idea from anyone on these forums, maybe they didn't know either and stayed quiet about it feeling they were responsible.

I didn't take your comments as raining on my lights negatively at all. In fact, I appreciate them. I am trying to lay out the facts as truthfully and unemotionally as I can and let the entirety of this forum help me come to a conclusion.

 

[markr6]

Thats the SC5w with the orange peel reflector. Mark6r received his recently and said its excellent with great beam profile and excellent tint. It's similar to the SC52 as far as beam pattern goes.

Yes, it's only the best tint/beam of all time Really, not much different from the SC5 with smooth reflector that I can tell. Just a great EDC/general use light...a must have!

And those cracked lenses!! What the hell?? I can't believe that happened without throwing it at the ground!

 

[fnsooner]

And those cracked lenses!! What the hell?? I can't believe that happened without throwing it at the ground!

Tis true. I will admit to dropping a light from time to time, but the lights in question, I don't even think they were dropped much less thrown.