Zebralight - flood or not?

What are everyones experiences with Zebralight's flood models (eg, SC51F)? I find floods very useful, but not sure if a permanent built in diffuser is the way to go.

Why doesn't ZL offer an add on diffuser so you can get flood and throw from the same light?

And now they are offering a high CRI version (but not yet in a "CF" version) will it be possible to get diffuse light from that light without a homemade mod?

For a temporary solution you can get glad press and seal and cut it to the size of the lens. That will diffuse the light enough, but isn't permanent. You could buy the normal one and construct a slip on solution (simular to Surefire's F04) giving you more options. Zebralight is coming out with the H502 XM-L which might be good to consider if you can wait. It gives a wide area of flood with no hotspots and sports a glass lens instead of the plastic one on the H501.

i have a non flood version headlamp in a warm tint (h51w) and find the flood of it to be quite adequate considering its not a flood version. I like flood a lot and quite like the normal version.

I've had the H51Fw for a few months now and wish I would have gone with the non-flood version instead. The reason being is that even though the H51F is listed as a flood light, there is still a noticeable hotspot. A regular version with diffusion film would have worked much better for the complete flood light that I was looking for...and would have still given me the option of a standard reflectored light if I wanted.

The H51fw is definately all flood. I don't know what everyone is talking about with regards to a hot spot. Mine does not have a hotspot of any kind. I bought it to be used as a headlamp and it is perfect for that. It's not what I would want for a flashlight though because it doesn't have a hotspot. Zero throw.

Helpful answers. I may just go with the "C" version (not "CF" assuming it becomes available) - and try to rig up some form of diffuser. Too bad ZL doesn't have a diffuser attachment, like Surefire, Nightcore, etc.

Before I sold it I used my SC30 with the Quark Prism. It fit perfectly and worked great.

My impressions of the 'f' versions based on the H51fw, is it's pretty good flood if you compare it to a typical LED flashlight, but just not even close to the original Zebralights that used a lens. While I would not say there is much of a hot spot the angle is actually not as wide as I expected. If you are using it close up the intensity at the center of the beam is noticable, as the so called hot spot is very diffuse and large compared to a flashlight, but the total angle of light dispursed does not all have an even intensity. So while I'm not a big fan of the 'f', I can see it having some uses and some people liking it. I'm just happy I have a few early ones and while many months away we may get another really nice 'all flood' light before the end of the year.

Illumination said:

Helpful answers. I may just go with the "C" version (not "CF" assuming it becomes available) - and try to rig up some form of diffuser. Too bad ZL doesn't have a diffuser attachment, like Surefire, Nightcore, etc.

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Look on flashlightlens website. They have adhesive diffuser film sheets if you do ever change your mind.

Some plastic places that sell or work with polycarbonate and acrylic sheet usually have offcuts that get thrown so you could find a place like that and obtain at no cost a pieces of plastic you could file into a disk that would sit on top of the flashlight lens. Using some sandpaper you scuff the disk to make it into a sort of diffuser. Does not spread the beam but breaks its light intensity.

You are correct that the SC51F (mine is an H51F) is neither fish nor foul. It is actually a "floodie," whereas the 501 is a true "flood." There is going to be a 502, an improved true flood, but not til the end of the year. That said, I think the H51F is very nice. I am torn whether to replace it with a 51 and a 502, or just keep it as a good compromise.

While we're on the subject of whether an H51F is a true flood or not, look at this pic and see if your F model lights have a "non-frosted" doughnut hole in the center of the lens like mine. It's much more visible if you look at it in moonlight mode, however my iPhone won't allow me to change exposure to get a good pic. I'm curious as to whether this is an optical illusion, intended design, or a flaw in my lens that could be causing the hotspot that I see.

JS_280 said:

While we're on the subject of whether an H51F is a true flood or not, look at this pic and see if your F model lights have a "non-frosted" doughnut hole in the center of the lens like mine. It's much more visible if you look at it in moonlight mode, however my iPhone won't allow me to change exposure to get a good pic. I'm curious as to whether this is an optical illusion, intended design, or a flaw in my lens that could be causing the hotspot that I see.

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I see it in mine too, but I think it's an artifact due to what I presume is the reflector behind there. I certainly don't see anything in the beam except a perfectly smooth graded floodie. I definitely don't believe you can call it a "true" straight flood, which to me requires much less gradation in the beam.

It's an optical illusion I believe due to the reflector. I just put a piece of diffusion film in a P60 reflectored XP-G light. The film was absolutely uniform in appearance but as soon as I installed it and turned the light on it looked like yours particularly in low mode. It's just the nature of having diffusion film over a reflector.

The reflector will create a throwy hotspot that will definitely come through the diffusing material. I know from trying to make my own diffusers and you cannot completely get rid of the fact that you will have more light in the center, therefore the sense of a hotspot. The more frosty the material you use as a diffuser, the less it will be apparent -to the point where some people might never notice - but it will always be there. I prefer this type of flood to the older model without a reflector because this way your light gets a lot further ahead rather than stopping almost at your feet. It is always possible that the frosting could vary fom one sample to the other or one generation to the next. Manufacturing methods change over time for multiple reasons and equipment gets replaced, maintained or readjusted when time comes.

I couldn't stand the thought of permanently crippling a ZL by getting the frosted lens. Instead, I put some DC-Fix on my h51 and it works fantastically well. plus I can take it off whenever I want my throw back. Shao practically gives the stuff away in the BST thread. Check it out.

i agree that a surefire type flip away diffuser accessory on the 31, and 51 series, for example the fm-34 would be welcomed from zl.

or perhaps for the headlamp series a friction fit cap that fits over the head, and had several difference windows around the circumference. so that there could be a diffuse window, a red window, etc ... however many would fit,and rotate to whichever was needed. let's go zl, you can do it!

damn_hammer said:

[...]or perhaps for the headlamp series a friction fit cap that fits over the head, and had several difference windows around the circumference. so that there could be a diffuse window, a red window, etc ... however many would fit,and rotate to whichever was needed. let's go zl, you can do it!

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I love this idea!