Well you know it's going to be a long one so may pay to make this a weekend afternoon read.
Thanks toTod at Illuminationngear for all the emails telling me how it all is with the SC51 Zebra and Eagletac P20A2MKII before I made my purchase.
So obviously we all know right from the onset of a light write up we may not have even spent much time with the lights and the reviews are pretty premature in that as time goes on we end up forgiving those little idiosyncrasies in the lights and we love them.
Not so when we start out though as we dream up the newer model of the light we have with a vision of the perfect light and then we write to the manufacturer saying what about this and that. Well I have only had these two lights a few days now but thought I am comfortable enough to make a reasonably assessment of them as it is only a light right LOL.
So let us start off with the Zebra SC51.
Nice light indeed.
Short in the hand and rather sturdy in construction although you certainly don't notice it whilst holding and using. Not a whole lot bigger that the Quark Mini 123 I have. Nice to see that they have recessed the lens back a bit from the front and placed a bit more material around the edge to protect it and I have no doubt that it is protected.
The size fits perfectly in the hand and also works more than nicely when holding in the pen grip or even in the mouth if you need too. The button on the side is located well for on off operation and scrolling through the settings.
I do feel that the switch could be made stiffer so as to give it that solid feel which would match the feel of the light itself but that is my opinion. The gentle soft touch switch may be just the ticket for those wanting such.
One CPF posting person stated this was a design fault but this could only be a fault if the manufacturer designed it different to what it should be, a soft touch. But it is designed that way so not a fault but certainly an issue with those who have experienced accidental activation. What's more is the pocket clip is the way it is designed to be carried so if you don't use the clip and carry the light with other gear in a bag you can hardly say a design fault when it turns on accidentally. IMHO. But agreed I would like a stiffer switch.
The other thing I noticed was the button sat proud of the bottom of the concave scoop out on the head. If you look at the light from the side you can see they have scooped the head and the button sits in the middle but as the button sits up from that it could be accidentally activated. Maybe a stiffer switch first then not removing so much material around the switch to keep it more recessed.
The slots cut into the side of the head section add to the look and also give a good grip if you move the thumb and button finger to those slots once you have turned the light on and of course help with heat dissipation.That pocket clip is just the bees knees and I certainly prefer a downward facing light to help protect the lens versus an upward sitting light.
The clip has a very good lead in the end to allow for easy placement onto thicker clothing and it appears to be very sturdy in manufacture and I cannot see any issues with breakage or bending. The clip also appears as though it will work with very thin material as well as the thick. If you undo the clip screws and they get lost well that is a problem but likewise if you lose the whole light.
I admire the threading of the tail cap which is not too fine to cause overthreading. The tail cap also has a nice slight knurl to allow for easy on off of the cap for battery change. All up a solid little light with little to complain about on the outside. Nice to see they lubricated the cap oring before shipping out which some makers don't do.
Now for the operation of the light. Well no real issues here. The manual looks like you need a PhD to operate through the modes but it is pretty simple once you have a play around. There seems to be some pre flicker on initial turn on as though the light is trying to ascertain if you are going with the instant on high mode or holding the button for .6 of a second for the low mode.
Personally does not bother me and I am not sure if all the lights do it but mine does. I mean I am turning on the light anyway so having it preflicker is not an issue for me.You have to love the fact that this light can be turned on to go into either high, medium or low right from the start and to be able to scroll so easily through the modes is simply Mercedes.
Takes a while to get use to all the operational stuff in that you have to learn how to navigate but it is not that it is hard it is just that it takes the brain a while to say 'do this to get to that' mode. Kids play with memory.
I am not sure if all the modes (illumination levels) are needed but they are nice anyway and do well to allow battery runtime longevity. I would have preferred a beacon somewhere along the line as I am a big believer that a beacon is invaluable is a number of situations and from the dream list a firefly mode.
So for me, wish list, a high, medium, low,firefly, strobe and beacon would have done it. Placed side by side with the Quark Mini 123 S2 it is not as bright either on direct beam spot or spill or ceiling bounce but with 200 lumens on high for 55 minutes from 1 x AA NiMh I wouldn't get too excited about that. It is not too far off the Mini 123 S2 so that is ok with me noting that the NiMh is 1.2 volts and the 123 is 3 volts.
The spot is not a clear sharp spot but rather a spot that softly fades out at the edge. The spot however like the spill are uniform and nice and central.Tailstand, love it again. Other than making that switch stiffer and recessed a little (and the beacon thing) this is a great light indeed.
UPDATE: Ok so I have clocked up some time with the Zebra and I am impressed however I did actually make the mistake of placing the light in my jacket pocket and it went on into med mode. I had to use it some time later and found it there heating up. So I have contacted Zebra and said they really need to do something.
Now the Eagletac P20A2 MKII
A nice light for sure.
I really like the feel of it and how the pocket clip sits right into you closed hand without being too much of an issue.
It is a solid little light and that certainly seems to help with heat dissipation and means you can pretty much hold the light for extended run times on high without cooking your hand although it still gets warm especially at the head end.
On the outside it is very nice with clean knurls and edges. Like the Zebra the lens is recessed well away from the front of the light which helps protect it. The removable stainless steel bezel section adds some character to the light and adds strength to the front especially as many lights tend to get dented at the very front edge. Nice idea indeed.
The orings were lubricated, thank you.
The diameter of this light is relatively small and it can easily allow the light to be used as a Kubaton if required, at either end.
The pocket clip has a good lead in for easy placement on thicker clothes and I cannot see any reason why the clip would fail, bend or break.
The light is overall a little longer than I personally wanted but with a deep set reflector the spot and throw are very surprising for a 2 x AA light.
The spot on this little baby is reasonably sharp with little fade out at the edge. In fact the beam on this light appears to have three rings of light, the first being the spot, then a secondary circle of light and finally the outer spill. All crisp, central and pleasing.
This light is pretty punchy for a throw light with great overall illumination.
Pity the light doesn't tailstand but that is how it is made. The kit that comes with the light had a rubber cap you can place on the rear to make it tailstand if you so wish and it works well albeit removes some of the full freedom to operate the rear clicky switch versus no rubber tail stand accessory. To turn the light on with the tail stand accessory means you have to push your thumb in harder and for those with a big thumb they may have a problem.
With drop in LED modules (6 in total incl the XML LED) for any updated modifications and offering standard 230 lumens out the front this is quite a light.
After resetting the special mode light functions I found getting and using the sos, strobe and beacon rather easy as well as the high, med and low beams. Like most lights with a range of settings it takes a bit if playing to get it but this does not take long.
As a semi tactical light, which I think is what it is suppose to be, I cannot quite decide why a manufacturer would put strobe in a place that cannot be accessed immediately and with one hand. The P20A2 MKII requires two handed operated and a few turns back and forth on the front bezel to get it to that strobe mode??
Don't really know what I would change with this light as it is very pleasing other than the strobe access. A wide tapered aluminium tail cap with a recessed switch to allow for battery stand while also making consideration for larger thumbs would be nice.
For the price with all the accessories (not that they are really of too much value) and drop in modules, lumens rating, solid build, appearance pleasing and light mode options I think this is very good value.
Certainly would work as a duty light with no problems that I can see other than the strobe but if you don't like strobe or would never use it that this lights a winner.
My favourite. Still really like the Quark Mini123. Seriously minimalist approach whilst keeping on the power, throw and spill and of course having all those features, low, med, high, strobe, sos, beacon high, beacon low. If it weren't for the fact that Zebra offered a single AA format with a side button (side buttons I love) and 200 lumens I may have well got another 47's for 1 x AA. Don't like the CR2 Mini model simply because batteries are harder to come by and the light is too small to operate with one hand (IMO).
And why a beacon ..... mostly as a night marker, broken down car, lost in bush, signal to friend, house marker, tent or camp site marker, hang on the dogs collar and on it goes.
Thanks toTod at Illuminationngear for all the emails telling me how it all is with the SC51 Zebra and Eagletac P20A2MKII before I made my purchase.
So obviously we all know right from the onset of a light write up we may not have even spent much time with the lights and the reviews are pretty premature in that as time goes on we end up forgiving those little idiosyncrasies in the lights and we love them.
Not so when we start out though as we dream up the newer model of the light we have with a vision of the perfect light and then we write to the manufacturer saying what about this and that. Well I have only had these two lights a few days now but thought I am comfortable enough to make a reasonably assessment of them as it is only a light right LOL.
So let us start off with the Zebra SC51.
Nice light indeed.
Short in the hand and rather sturdy in construction although you certainly don't notice it whilst holding and using. Not a whole lot bigger that the Quark Mini 123 I have. Nice to see that they have recessed the lens back a bit from the front and placed a bit more material around the edge to protect it and I have no doubt that it is protected.
The size fits perfectly in the hand and also works more than nicely when holding in the pen grip or even in the mouth if you need too. The button on the side is located well for on off operation and scrolling through the settings.
I do feel that the switch could be made stiffer so as to give it that solid feel which would match the feel of the light itself but that is my opinion. The gentle soft touch switch may be just the ticket for those wanting such.
One CPF posting person stated this was a design fault but this could only be a fault if the manufacturer designed it different to what it should be, a soft touch. But it is designed that way so not a fault but certainly an issue with those who have experienced accidental activation. What's more is the pocket clip is the way it is designed to be carried so if you don't use the clip and carry the light with other gear in a bag you can hardly say a design fault when it turns on accidentally. IMHO. But agreed I would like a stiffer switch.
The other thing I noticed was the button sat proud of the bottom of the concave scoop out on the head. If you look at the light from the side you can see they have scooped the head and the button sits in the middle but as the button sits up from that it could be accidentally activated. Maybe a stiffer switch first then not removing so much material around the switch to keep it more recessed.
The slots cut into the side of the head section add to the look and also give a good grip if you move the thumb and button finger to those slots once you have turned the light on and of course help with heat dissipation.That pocket clip is just the bees knees and I certainly prefer a downward facing light to help protect the lens versus an upward sitting light.
The clip has a very good lead in the end to allow for easy placement onto thicker clothing and it appears to be very sturdy in manufacture and I cannot see any issues with breakage or bending. The clip also appears as though it will work with very thin material as well as the thick. If you undo the clip screws and they get lost well that is a problem but likewise if you lose the whole light.
I admire the threading of the tail cap which is not too fine to cause overthreading. The tail cap also has a nice slight knurl to allow for easy on off of the cap for battery change. All up a solid little light with little to complain about on the outside. Nice to see they lubricated the cap oring before shipping out which some makers don't do.
Now for the operation of the light. Well no real issues here. The manual looks like you need a PhD to operate through the modes but it is pretty simple once you have a play around. There seems to be some pre flicker on initial turn on as though the light is trying to ascertain if you are going with the instant on high mode or holding the button for .6 of a second for the low mode.
Personally does not bother me and I am not sure if all the lights do it but mine does. I mean I am turning on the light anyway so having it preflicker is not an issue for me.You have to love the fact that this light can be turned on to go into either high, medium or low right from the start and to be able to scroll so easily through the modes is simply Mercedes.
Takes a while to get use to all the operational stuff in that you have to learn how to navigate but it is not that it is hard it is just that it takes the brain a while to say 'do this to get to that' mode. Kids play with memory.
I am not sure if all the modes (illumination levels) are needed but they are nice anyway and do well to allow battery runtime longevity. I would have preferred a beacon somewhere along the line as I am a big believer that a beacon is invaluable is a number of situations and from the dream list a firefly mode.
So for me, wish list, a high, medium, low,firefly, strobe and beacon would have done it. Placed side by side with the Quark Mini 123 S2 it is not as bright either on direct beam spot or spill or ceiling bounce but with 200 lumens on high for 55 minutes from 1 x AA NiMh I wouldn't get too excited about that. It is not too far off the Mini 123 S2 so that is ok with me noting that the NiMh is 1.2 volts and the 123 is 3 volts.
The spot is not a clear sharp spot but rather a spot that softly fades out at the edge. The spot however like the spill are uniform and nice and central.Tailstand, love it again. Other than making that switch stiffer and recessed a little (and the beacon thing) this is a great light indeed.
UPDATE: Ok so I have clocked up some time with the Zebra and I am impressed however I did actually make the mistake of placing the light in my jacket pocket and it went on into med mode. I had to use it some time later and found it there heating up. So I have contacted Zebra and said they really need to do something.
Now the Eagletac P20A2 MKII
A nice light for sure.
I really like the feel of it and how the pocket clip sits right into you closed hand without being too much of an issue.
It is a solid little light and that certainly seems to help with heat dissipation and means you can pretty much hold the light for extended run times on high without cooking your hand although it still gets warm especially at the head end.
On the outside it is very nice with clean knurls and edges. Like the Zebra the lens is recessed well away from the front of the light which helps protect it. The removable stainless steel bezel section adds some character to the light and adds strength to the front especially as many lights tend to get dented at the very front edge. Nice idea indeed.
The orings were lubricated, thank you.
The diameter of this light is relatively small and it can easily allow the light to be used as a Kubaton if required, at either end.
The pocket clip has a good lead in for easy placement on thicker clothes and I cannot see any reason why the clip would fail, bend or break.
The light is overall a little longer than I personally wanted but with a deep set reflector the spot and throw are very surprising for a 2 x AA light.
The spot on this little baby is reasonably sharp with little fade out at the edge. In fact the beam on this light appears to have three rings of light, the first being the spot, then a secondary circle of light and finally the outer spill. All crisp, central and pleasing.
This light is pretty punchy for a throw light with great overall illumination.
Pity the light doesn't tailstand but that is how it is made. The kit that comes with the light had a rubber cap you can place on the rear to make it tailstand if you so wish and it works well albeit removes some of the full freedom to operate the rear clicky switch versus no rubber tail stand accessory. To turn the light on with the tail stand accessory means you have to push your thumb in harder and for those with a big thumb they may have a problem.
With drop in LED modules (6 in total incl the XML LED) for any updated modifications and offering standard 230 lumens out the front this is quite a light.
After resetting the special mode light functions I found getting and using the sos, strobe and beacon rather easy as well as the high, med and low beams. Like most lights with a range of settings it takes a bit if playing to get it but this does not take long.
As a semi tactical light, which I think is what it is suppose to be, I cannot quite decide why a manufacturer would put strobe in a place that cannot be accessed immediately and with one hand. The P20A2 MKII requires two handed operated and a few turns back and forth on the front bezel to get it to that strobe mode??
Don't really know what I would change with this light as it is very pleasing other than the strobe access. A wide tapered aluminium tail cap with a recessed switch to allow for battery stand while also making consideration for larger thumbs would be nice.
For the price with all the accessories (not that they are really of too much value) and drop in modules, lumens rating, solid build, appearance pleasing and light mode options I think this is very good value.
Certainly would work as a duty light with no problems that I can see other than the strobe but if you don't like strobe or would never use it that this lights a winner.
My favourite. Still really like the Quark Mini123. Seriously minimalist approach whilst keeping on the power, throw and spill and of course having all those features, low, med, high, strobe, sos, beacon high, beacon low. If it weren't for the fact that Zebra offered a single AA format with a side button (side buttons I love) and 200 lumens I may have well got another 47's for 1 x AA. Don't like the CR2 Mini model simply because batteries are harder to come by and the light is too small to operate with one hand (IMO).
And why a beacon ..... mostly as a night marker, broken down car, lost in bush, signal to friend, house marker, tent or camp site marker, hang on the dogs collar and on it goes.
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