Zebralight SC51 compared to Fenix LD20

compnaut · May 16, 2011

I received H51 in mail today (boy, that was fast). Nice light. However, I've been comparing it to my LD20. I expected that since both are cool white XP-G lights with about 200 lumens output, that the lights would look very similar is actual use (aside from broader beam and somewhat dimmer spill of the H51). I am surprised to see that the tint of the SC51 looks warmer to my eyes than the LD20 (similar to the E20, which was a warm XR-E Q2).
I don't think there is anything wrong with the light. I've tried cleaning contacts and fresh batteries (using eneloop). Perhaps the tint is just a bit warmer than I expected. It certainly looks like it is an XP-G in the SC51, but I begin to wonder if I have received an H51w by accident.
Do any of you fine folks out there have the same combination of LD20 and H51? If so, how do the lights look to you?
Thanks

tre · May 16, 2011

The ld20 (xpg r4) is the coolest light I have ever owned. Nearly everything looks warm next to it. I had two ld20 and they were both the same.

Edit: I want to clarify my comments. My LD20 lights were so cool they were purple/blue. To people who have not seen many lights, this can be interpreted as "pure white" which may make the zebralight (which should be a lot closer to actual white though still cool) look warmer (yellowish or brownish) next to the LD20. The LD20 is the one that is way off. Mine had the worst tints I've ever seen.

marc123 · May 17, 2011

How do you find the LD20?

gea · May 17, 2011

I received my H51 yesterday also. Compared to my Fenix PD31 the beam's brown, PD31 is pure white.
H51 is printed on the box so I guess they sent me the right one.
I like the tint, all my other lights are white.

Outdoorsman5 · May 17, 2011

compnaut said:
I received H51 in mail today (boy, that was fast). Nice light. However, I've been comparing it to my LD20. I expected that since both are cool white XP-G lights with about 200 lumens output, that the lights would look very similar is actual use (aside from broader beam and somewhat dimmer spill of the H51). I am surprised to see that the tint of the SC51 looks warmer to my eyes than the LD20 (similar to the E20, which was a warm XR-E Q2).
I don't think there is anything wrong with the light. I've tried cleaning contacts and fresh batteries (using eneloop). Perhaps the tint is just a bit warmer than I expected. It certainly looks like it is an XP-G in the SC51, but I begin to wonder if I have received an H51w by accident.
Do any of you fine folks out there have the same combination of LD20 and H51? If so, how do the lights look to you?
Thanks

compnaut -:welcome:

I have both the Fenix LD20 R5 and the Zebralight SC51w (neutral tint.) There is a BIG difference in color on these two lights. It is not slightly obvious, but very obvious. The beam of the LD20 is on the blueish purple side of the cool spectrum; were as, the SC51w is a creamy yellowish color (very much like a warm light bulb, and very nice looking.) Also, when I look at the LED on the SC51w (with the light off) the LED looks dark yellow; where as, the LED on the LD20 (with light off) looks light yellow. So, if you can discribe your SC51 the same way then you have the SC51w not the SC51.

Thefo · May 17, 2011

I have both the H51 and the LD20 -R5 and find the tint to be whiter on the Zebralight than the Fenix especially the LD20 on low/med which is kind of greenish on my sample.

Lightman2 · May 17, 2011

compnaut said:
I received H51 in mail today (boy, that was fast). Nice light. However, I've been comparing it to my LD20. I expected that since both are cool white XP-G lights with about 200 lumens output, that the lights would look very similar is actual use (aside from broader beam and somewhat dimmer spill of the H51). I am surprised to see that the tint of the SC51 looks warmer to my eyes than the LD20 (similar to the E20, which was a warm XR-E Q2).
I don't think there is anything wrong with the light. I've tried cleaning contacts and fresh batteries (using eneloop). Perhaps the tint is just a bit warmer than I expected. It certainly looks like it is an XP-G in the SC51, but I begin to wonder if I have received an H51w by accident.
Do any of you fine folks out there have the same combination of LD20 and H51? If so, how do the lights look to you?
Thanks

The SC51 has the XP-G and looks cool white (no sign of anything but pure white here)

compnaut · May 17, 2011

marc123 said:
How do you find the LD20?

I love it. I have the 205 lumen (R5?) version. Absolutely love it. To me the light seems like a cool startk white, but not bluish or purple at all. Simply WHITE! The Fenix E20 looks slightly yellow or warmer compared to the LD20 and the H51 looks a little warmer than the E20, to me. I bought a second LD20 to give to my brother and a third to give to an old buddy of mine. I gave some thought to buying myself a second, but decided it would be more interesting to try something different. Was planning on a quark, but saw threads about SC51 and H51 on CPF and decided to try the H51. I think I am going to like it a lot...although it does not seem to be quite as bright as the LD20 to me, which is a little disappointing. Maybe that is just the tint?

compnaut · May 17, 2011

They both look to be the same shade to yellow to me. The H51 definitely has a yellow looking LED, not orange or dark yellow.
I just got a reply from Zebralight, and the folks there asked me about the same question, so I guess I do have the H51. It is a neat little light. I may be looking in to an H502 when the become available, it sounds pretty cool, too.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

CarpentryHero · May 17, 2011

So the sc51 and h51 are rated 200 lumens on a regular AA battery?

oo:

Outdoorsman5 · May 18, 2011

compnaut said:
I may be looking in to an H502 when the become available, it sounds pretty cool, too.

Yeah, I have a ZL H501w, and man do I love that light. It's the perfect flood light...I have only wished that it was brighter. Caint wait for the H502w.

compnaut · May 18, 2011

Yes. Apparently they tweaked it to work better with alk primaries or with NiMH rechargables. As I understand it, you get WORSE performance with a lithium battery in these two lights. They work better with NiMH than with Lithium.

compnaut · May 18, 2011

A different point on the subject of H51...I understood there was a glow-in-the-dark (GITD) ring near the base of the H51. I did not receive one. It looks like there is a gap where it might go, but no GITD rings came with the light. Does your H51 have a GITD ring near the base?

ZebraLight · May 18, 2011

compnaut said:
Yes. Apparently they tweaked it to work better with alk primaries or with NiMH rechargables. As I understand it, you get WORSE performance with a lithium battery in these two lights. They work better with NiMH than with Lithium.

The SC51's LED drive circuit is basically a boost DC converter. It's performance (max output current AND efficiency) increases with higher battery voltages. Typical voltage range for AA batteries under high load: L91 lithium (1.5-1.6V), Eneloop (1.2-1.4V), alkaline (1-1.3V).

Lightman2 · May 19, 2011

ZebraLight said:
The SC51's LED drive circuit is basically a boost DC converter. It's performance (max output current AND efficiency) increases with higher battery voltages. Typical voltage range for AA batteries under high load: L91 lithium (1.5-1.6V), Eneloop (1.2-1.4V), alkaline (1-1.3V).

So L91's would be best?

ZebraLight · May 19, 2011

Lightman2 said:
So L91's would be best?

Yes, in terms of performance.

Outdoorsman5 · May 19, 2011

ZebraLight said:
Yes, in terms of performance.

Wow, I thought that it ran best on NiMH since that was what was used for testing (per zebralight's website.) Good to know - thank you.

When you say "in terms of performance" you mean output and runtimes right?

ZebraLight · May 19, 2011

Outdoorsman5 said:
Wow, I thought that it ran best on NiMH since that was what was used for testing (per zebralight's website.) Good to know - thank you.

When you say "in terms of performance" you mean output and runtimes right?

Output, runtimes and efficiency. Runtimes are increased about 50% because the L91's are rated at 3000mAH while the enloops are about 1900-2000mAH.

There are two kinds of lithium AA on the market. The one that has 'Ultimate Lithium' and 'X8' on the package is the L91.

Lightman2 · May 19, 2011

Thanks Zebralight. You have a good number of Zebra fans here so would be nice it we saw you around a bit more to answer questions. Thanks again.

Lite_me · May 19, 2011

compnaut said:
A different point on the subject of H51...I understood there was a glow-in-the-dark (GITD) ring near the base of the H51. I did not receive one. It looks like there is a gap where it might go, but no GITD rings came with the light. Does your H51 have a GITD ring near the base?

Did your H51 come with a clip? If it did then there shouldn't be a glow o-ring on it. Only the early released units had the o-ring. I prefer to have the clip.

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