Elzetta ZFL-M60 Powered by Malkoff Review - A Layman's Perspective

AardvarkSagus

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Submitted for consideration for the Review forum:

Elzetta ZFL-M60 Powered by Malkoff


Elzetta has been manufacturing High quality weaponlight mounts for several years now attempting to compete with other name brand companies. Now with the introduction of the ZFL-M60, they have breached the gap into producing illumination tools of their own to fill those mounts. Their goal was to carry the top notch quality along for the ride.


Elzetta ZFL-M60

Meat and Potatoes

For Elzetta's first foray into lighting, they have wisely chosen not to compete with the myriad of companies engineering electronics for well made torches. Instead they have enlisted in a partnership with Malkoff devices, an established and proven manufacturer of drop in LED upgrades for a variety of lights. This company already has a loyal fan following that is sure to enjoy a light built specifically around the M60 platform.

One of the methods that Malkoff has set themselves apart from this saturated market is by their decision to use optical lenses for light collimation rather than the reflector which is the overwhelming standard. As I have stated before, it is this reviewers belief that lensing such as this is the future of lighting. The differences are marked. Instead of the dual intensity nested cone structure so typical of high power LED flashlights, the ZFL-M60 produces a spill beam that does not posses the second steep drop at its edge, but rather tapers gradually to virtually nothing. Even with its relatively narrow focused 8 degree optic, the Malkoff M60 drop-in goes a long ways to eliminating the feeling of "tunnel-vision" fostered by many lights.


Malkoff M60 Module

Elzetta's contribution to this winning combination is an exquisitely machined host designed to apparently very exacting standards both functionally and aesthetically. The fit and finish of the ZFL-M60 is virtually unparalleled by any of the lights I have reviewed thus far. The knurling on the banded body is so fine that it almost seems to disappear when viewed from certain angles, yet it continues to provide a nearly gecko like grip without feeling abrasive. The entire body is extremely solid and well made all the way down to the custom rubber switch boot emblazoned with Elzetta's signature "Z".

The M60 drop-in is intrinsically adept at heat management and Elzetta has further enhanced this by shaping their host to provide the most heat-transferring contact possible. By limiting use to a single series of drop-in modules, Elzetta has taken thermal management to a science. Literally every square millimeter of the metal portion of the LED module is in direct contact with the bare aluminum interior of its host body. I am confident that as much potentially electronics damaging heat is being removed as is possible. This is only beneficial to this lights potential longevity and reliability.

Constructive Criticism

Due to the nature of the Malkoff M60 series of LED modules being completely sealed, the Elzetta has decided to forgo the use of a bezel window by merely providing an o-ring seal against the surface of the drop-in lens. In concept this works quite well by eliminating the slight reduction in output that occurs with yet another set of surfaces for light to potentially reflect off from. In practice however, I fear that the relatively softer lens material will be more prone to scratching. If this happens, instead of replacing an inexpensive window, the user must replace the entire functional component of the light. Granted, this would allow you to upgrade to whichever module is best fitting your needs, including the possibility of newer technology as time progresses, but I would rather perform such an upgrade on my terms, than out of necessity.

As excellent as the overarching beam profile is, the specifics can still stand a touch of polish. When out on a white wall hunting expedition, it becomes apparent that the hotspot has a bit of a depression in brilliance prevalent throughout (not necessarily a true "donut" as seen in some other lights) and the spill is plagued with minor concentric rings at varying intervals. The fact that the Malkoff M60 utilizes a focusing lens rather than a simple reflector means this is very likely far more difficult to correct than it would be otherwise. I am in no way suggesting that this is just a simple fix, but I do believe that it is one that should be looked into. A flashlight is nothing without a beam of light. To strive to perfect that beam is what every company should do. Thankfully this is not terribly distracting during everyday use, though it still remains noticeable.

In a light as otherwise tactically minded as the ZFL-M60 is, I was very surprised to discover that there is no lockout position of the tailcap to eliminate the chances of accidental activation. The further you rotate the tailcap, the more travel is required to switch the light on, but at no point, up to and including completely unthreading the switch, does it become impossible to complete the electrical circuit. This appears to be an oversight that hopefully will be corrected in evolutionary updates to this light.

Conclusions

The Elzetta ZFL-M60 is a masterful example of "Do one thing, and do it well." It takes the essences of simplicity and power and crams them into a small, well made package, easy to carry and durable enough to last. I for one, do not think this will be the last time we hear from Elzetta and I certainly hope these two excellent companies continue to collaborate.


Elzetta ZFL-M60 Illumination by Malkoff Devices

Provided for review by the kind folks at:​
 
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Kestrel

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Regarding the 'donut' that you mention in the M60 portion of your review, it has been described elsewhere as less of a donut than a faint 'hollow' area in the center of the spot, possibly produced by destructive interference of the light waves from only some of the installed optics (i.e. sometimes present / sometimes absent, depending on specific part geometries). Gene Malkoff supplied some information on this in the thread below, in post # 13.
The "hollow" spot seems to be caused by the lottery. Some LED's appear more hollow than others. In my quest to figure out what causes the effect, I was told (by an optical engineer) that the optic appears to segregate the light somewhat by wavelength. I was told that the center does not have less light, it is just where different color waves gather and give the impression of less light. The Khatod optic bought this property out more often than the Cree optic. That was the main reason for the switch. You will find examples of M60's with both optics which are near perfect and some which are bad. I try very hard to weed out the bad ones. A few occasionally slip through (no one, especially me, is perfect). I try to cover all contingencies with the best customer service I can offer.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2946033

I have seen folks post with very much displeasure about having a donut in their flashlight beam (from other lights), but my very limited experience is that this particular behavior with M60's is exhibited on only some of them and is seldom severe enough to be described as a true donut.

Others' experience with the issue in question:
Ive have two M60's and had one M30, and all have a slight donut in the hotspot. It is not a complete dark spot, just a portion in the center of the hotspot that is a little less bright. [...]
I personally think there is an LED lottery AND an optic lottery in effect. [...]
Btw my M60 has a very intense hotspot and very bright sidespill that overlaps with no donut at all.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/227781

Again, this is only my opinion after handling a few different M60's and reading the threads I cited above. In any case, Gene has always volunteered to exchange any M60's that folks have been displeased with in any way.

Sorry if I am side-tracking your review but I thought that more specific info on the beam characteristics of the M60 in this review might be helpful.

Thanks for a well-written review,
 
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AardvarkSagus

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@Kestrel: I see now what is likely causing it and I have to agree that this is not a true dark spot, but rather a slightly noticable dimming. I'll edit my review to state such.

@sonrider657: I see their response there, but I think I am going to leave that section in place as some constructive comments for them. I'll be emailing both Elzetta and Malkoff Devices later tonight with my links.
 
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Mike@PTS

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Did you try the Elzetta light on a weapon?
Hi Guys,
We picked 2 flashlights at random from our stock and tested them on an AR15(223), AR10(308) and a shoty with slugs. The testing consisted of turning the lights on and leaving them on while punching paper. We were half way into the second set of batteries on both flashlights when we finished up. The flashlights passed with flying colors like we expected.
 

AardvarkSagus

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Nice! Have to say though that this doesn't surprise me much with the construction of these beauties. Just wish I lived closer so you could have called me over for the testing. Sounds like a fun experiment, all in the name of science, of course.
 

Gene43

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I just have to add that the folks at Elzetta were great to work with on this project. Regular hometown type people, running a small company very similar in philosphy to my own. I too have been impressed with the build of this light. Of course I can't quite be considered to be objective in my assessment.

Gene
 

FlashlightsNgear.com

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Ive got a few on these coming and will give them a REAL test with my Remington 870 Super Mag using 3.5 inch Mags :) Soon, with video... I talked to Elzetta yesterday and they are working on the 2 modes but they wont be available for several weeks (6 or more). Ill have to stock up on those and get back to you guys when they become available. Great review on a nice looking light, thanks for posting.
 

AardvarkSagus

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I just have to add that the folks at Elzetta were great to work with on this project. Regular hometown type people, running a small company very similar in philosphy to my own. I too have been impressed with the build of this light. Of course I can't quite be considered to be objective in my assessment.

Gene
No, I would say you can't really be considered objective... ;) I can though (I believe) and I am thoroughly impressed. Both with their part and yours. I am carrying it daily.

Glad you were able to stop in and say hi, by the way.
 

dudemar

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Holy thread resurrection!:grin2:

After looking at a number of reviews, I am very impressed with the Elzetta. Looks very much like a Pila or a Leupold, built like it could survive a century of hard use.

The Pila has a similar lock-out issue in that its switch travel is very long as well. No matter how far out you unscrew the TC it will turn on at some point with the switch turned on. This isn't the case, however, with the LED tailcap.
 
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ledplumber

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This is a great light. I have the flat and the crenellated bezel, and the crenelleted bezel combined with the tapered head protects the lens very well. I also recommend the hi/low tail cap.
This light is small and solid. The head looks bulky in pictures but it is actually slimmer than a surefire G2.
I am glad there is no pocket clip. They broke off or bent on my other lights. The Galco holster at elzetta.com fits well and is low profile.
Two months of hard use at work and very satisfied so far.
 

jblackwood

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but IF the lens scratches so much that it's noticeable, wouldn't Gene Malkoff replace/repair it? I know he backs his products unconditionally (he's stated as much before on this board). If mounting a light with his module on a gun is covered, I can't see why scratches on the lens wouldn't be covered as well.
 
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