SC600 and TN12

Anyone has used both the Zebralight SC600 and the Thrunite TN12 ?
I am trying to decide between these two and will very much appreciate for any comparision comments.
Thanks a million.

Quickly looking at the specs as you got me interested din the TN12 because I am unfamiliar with it.

http://www.light-reviews.com/thrunite_tn12/
SelfBuilts SC600 Review.

I'd probably go for the SC600.

Both flashlights are single 18650 powered.

I have the SC600.
The SC600 has a very short and shallow reflector depth, and a rather compact 30mm bezel, which maximises the lateral spill, and is very practical, however the longitudinal throw is limited to only 145 meters ANSI as tested by Selfbuilt.
The SC also has a very compact side switch, and does without a magnetic ring, or a tail end switch which really adds to the overall length of the flashlight, thus the SC600 is only a compact 107mm long.
The SC600 pure flooder has a matching side switch for the underhand hand shake grip, and six levels of brightness.
There is no momentary.


The TN12 is also single 18650 powered, however it is a one inch compact uniform diameter bezel.
The deep reflector and tail end switch does lengthen the body to 126mm.
Selfbuilt tests show running on 1x18650 gives 152 meters of throw.
While also being able to run on 2x16340 rechargeables or 2xCR123's, both with a higher voltage, delivers 161 meters of throw.
Though a smaller bezel diameter of 25.4mm, the slight extra throw is achieved by a longer and deeper reflector.
However you will find that the lateral spill will narrow down.
The TN flooder has a tail end switch with partial press momentary.
However, it has a fussy two-handed head twists, and four levels of brightness.
Obviously we can twist the head with just one hand, but it's not the most comfortable thing to do.

Thus, it's horses for courses.
For a short body, go SC600.
For a thin body, go TN12.
For U/I and modes, go SC600.
For a touch more longitudinal throw, and tactical momentary & tail end switch, go TN.
For practicality, go SC with the bigger head and wider spill, and the side switch for the relaxing lazy handshake grip...

Selfbuilt has not tested the TN12, however Thrunite does claim a creditable 205 meters of throw, mainly achieved by the longer and deeper reflector.
However you will find that the lateral spill will narrow down.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-U2-1x18650-2xCR123A)-RUNTIMES-VIDEO-BEAMSHOT

Selfbuilt's review shows 152m to .25 lux. I have found that more accurate to my eyes than the 205m distance rating from Thrunite. A little spot to the beam, but it is mostly floody.

The TN12 needs very clean threads on the head so the modes will switch properly.

Sorry, I thought I had come across a Selfbuilt review of the TN12 from somewhere?
Apparently, the TN12 still isn't on his flashlightreviews.ca website list.

Yes, running on a single 18650, it throws 152 meters till the brightness falls to 0.25 lux.
Running on 2x16340 rechargeables, or 2xCR123 disposables will give 161 meters of throw.
This means it throws only a fraction better than the SC600 which does 145 meters.
This limited throw of the TN12 is more consistent with the narrow bezel diameter of just 25.4 mm; it mainly gets it's extra little bit of throw from the deeper reflector.
However the TN's deeper reflector significantly narrows the lateral spill width...

Selfbuilt's review on the TN12 :
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...U2-1x18650-2xCR123A)-RUNTIMES-VIDEO-BEAMSHOTS

I understand that neither the SC600 nor the TN12 is a good thrower, in fact, I am actually looking for a good and bright floody light, that is why I am looking at these two lights in the first place.

peterharvey73 said:

Apparently, the TN12 still isn't on his flashlightreviews.ca website list.

Click to expand...

Oops, my bad. Just updated the main list with the link.

eh123456 said:

I understand that neither the SC600 nor the TN12 is a good thrower, in fact, I am actually looking for a good and bright floody light, that is why I am looking at these two lights in the first place.

Click to expand...

As you can probably tell from the slow shutter speed white-wall shots in my TN12 review, the SC600 has a wider spillbeam than the TN12. At close quarters, this will give you the subjective impression of a "floodier" beam on the SC600. It gets a little complicated as you move out to further distances (e.g. 10+ feet). Here, the slightly brighter spillbeam of the TN12 (because it is narrower) may seem brighter - but it doesn't illuminate as wide an area.

Personally, I would consider the SC600 to be more floody. But for true flood, I prefer to use a diffuser.

look at the Sparks SL6 - 800, simple UI, very floody, huge output on max, about 5" long
I've had mine for about a month, no issues

selfbuilt said:

Oops, my bad. Just updated the main list with the link.


As you can probably tell from the slow shutter speed white-wall shots in my TN12 review, the SC600 has a wider spillbeam than the TN12. At close quarters, this will give you the subjective impression of a "floodier" beam on the SC600. It gets a little complicated as you move out to further distances (e.g. 10+ feet). Here, the slightly brighter spillbeam of the TN12 (because it is narrower) may seem brighter - but it doesn't illuminate as wide an area.

Personally, I would consider the SC600 to be more floody. But for true flood, I prefer to use a diffuser.

Click to expand...

Selfbuilt, thanks very much for the comments.
By naked eyes, are they about the same level of brightness ?
Also, about the color temperature, are they (SC600 and TN12) about the same ? They are both cool white (which is what I like), right ?

Thanks again.

Dougcov said:

look at the Sparks SL6 - 800, simple UI, very floody, huge output on max, about 5" long
I've had mine for about a month, no issues

Click to expand...

How do you like the switch and UI? When I'd researched the SL6, that's the part that some people complained about, and some didn't -- switch timing, etc.

I've got a SC600 and TN12 and the SC600 is better for me, for one the TN12 has a terrible tendency to skip modes when you do the twist to change modes, any off center pressure on the head while it's loose will skip a mode. I look at the TN12 as a single mode light because the skipping can be frustrating so I keep it in one mode and use it as such and I'm ok with that it's still very bright with nice knurling and a overall pleasant feel and look.

The SC600 on the other hand has a perfect UI and is also smaller, the TN12 may throw just a little better but the SC600 makes up for that with wider brighter spill.

How do you intend on carrying them? If it's in a pocket than the SC600 is as about as larger as I would go maybe you feel different but the TN12 is bigger. About the Sparks I've never owned one I don't like the sound of the UI, you have to ramp through the modes to get to the desired output, that's not for me after using Zebra's near instant output level UI.

Selfbuilt's photos below are taken with the flashlights @ 0.75 meters, the camera 1.25 meters away, at a fast 1/100 of a second shutter speed, and a wide 1/2.7 aperture opening.

The TN's hotspot is a fraction more intense, for a fraction greater throw, mainly achieved the the deeper reflector.
The hot spot sizes are obviously very similar.

Note that the SC600 has a much wider spill [not a fraction] than the photo can capture.
Note how the smaller bezel diameter but deeper reflectored TN12 has a much narrower spill.

My SC600 has a more neutral tint.
The TN12 seems to have the fractionally cooler tint?

For interest, here's a Spark SL6 800 below.
Thanks to the same diameter bezel as the SC600, but a deeper reflector, the Spark's spill is wider than the TN12, but still much narrower than the SC600.
Because of the greater reflector depth and narrower spill, the Spark has a good 178 meters of throw versus the SC600's 145 meters.

The Spark does have dual electronic switches, at the neck for the handshake grip, and at the tail end for the overhand grip, which can be used interchangeably.
A single click gives low.
Holding it down will ramp from low, low-med, hi-med, to hi, repeatedly.
Once on, a double click will give turbo.
It will remember the previous mode.

The Spark is good if you want more throw, and a tail end switch for dual switching, but don't mind the additional size [length], and the reduced practical lateral spill...

jhc37013 said:

I've got a SC600 and TN12 and the SC600 is better for me, for one the TN12 has a terrible tendency to skip modes when you do the twist to change modes, any off center pressure on the head while it's loose will skip a mode. I look at the TN12 as a single mode light because the skipping can be frustrating so I keep it in one mode and use it as such and I'm ok with that it's still very bright with nice knurling and a overall pleasant feel and look.

Click to expand...

I would have to agree about the TN 12 mode skipping. I first read about this light in Selfbuilt's review. It was over a month I waited to finally find it for sale. I was expecting the TN 12 to function flawlessly like my Neutron. Besides the mode skipping, it is a nice light. Keep the threads very clean and the mode skipping is not too bad.

peterharvey73 said:

Selfbuilt's photos below are taken with the flashlights @ 0.75 meters, the camera 1.25 meters away, at a fast 1/100 of a second shutter speed, and a wide 1/2.7 aperture opening.

The TN's hotspot is a fraction more intense, for a fraction greater throw, mainly achieved the the deeper reflector.
The hot spot sizes are obviously very similar.

Note that the SC600 has a much wider spill [not a fraction] than the photo can capture.
Note how the smaller bezel diameter but deeper reflectored TN12 has a much narrower spill.

My SC600 has a more neutral tint.
The TN12 seems to have the fractionally cooler tint?

Click to expand...

Doesn't the TN12 drop it's output due to it's driver thermal regulation? That would make it very hard to compare to some. Also the SC600 also drop after 5 minutes.
I just wanted to help the OP ad this to his decision factor. The TN12 brightness on High drops due to the thermal management system as commented by ThruNite.(Credit goes to LightReviews.com for this info) the other modes work in good regulation though.

This was a deal breaker for me.

SC600 spill is so wide it doesn't appear as bright to me as appose to lets say the S65 which has nearly just a much spill and appears brighter. The output is there though. Things to consider. Goodluck.
Just trying to give the OP a real world view and not just by the specs.

Lou Minescence said:

I would have to agree about the TN 12 mode skipping. I first read about this light in Selfbuilt's review. It was over a month I waited to finally find it for sale. I was expecting the TN 12 to function flawlessly like my Neutron. Besides the mode skipping, it is a nice light. Keep the threads very clean and the mode skipping is not too bad.

Click to expand...

I cleaned mine real good when I first got it taking the advice in Selfbuilt's review and I think it helped a little but I still have to be careful or cautious when I change modes and even then I sometimes get a skip, however with the nice beam and feel of the light I keep it in my EDC rotation.

I think my biggest problem with the TN12 is the pocket clip, it sticks out way to far from the body and tends to annoy me because I use a cigar grip and it really gets in the way. The light would be perfect to me if the mode skip could be total eliminated and also if the clip was smaller or at least hugged the body more instead of taking a very broad curve messing with my grip.

eh123456 said:

By naked eyes, are they about the same level of brightness ?
Also, about the color temperature, are they (SC600 and TN12) about the same ? They are both cool white (which is what I like), right ?

Click to expand...

They are pretty close in brightness - it is really the spillbeam width difference you will notice.

As for tint, it's impossible to predict what you will get from one sample to the next. I don't believe either maker guarantees specific tint bins within the cool white range, so there will be some natural variation.

Lou Minescence said:

Besides the mode skipping, it is a nice light. Keep the threads very clean and the mode skipping is not too bad.

Click to expand...

Interesting, hadn't really noticeable that on my sample - but it is the kind of thing that can show up with more extensive handling. I can see how it would be frustrating (especially since strobe is on the main sequence, which I do not enjoy).

Animalmother said:

Doesn't the TN12 drop it's output due to it's driver thermal regulation? That would make it very hard to compare to some. Also the SC600 also drop after 5 minutes.
I just wanted to help the OP ad this to his decision factor. The TN12 brightness on High drops due to the thermal management system as commented by ThruNite.(Credit goes to LightReviews.com for this info) the other modes work in good regulation though. This was a deal breaker for me.

Click to expand...

To clarify, Thrunite confirms there is a thermal protection feature designed to protect the circuit from overheating. However, I saw no evidence of it activating on any of my TN12 runtime tests (i.e. output was never limited on any mode, on any battery). This is different from the SC600 (or TN10/TN11), which all have a timed step-down after various times on max.

Frankly, I would prefer the timed step-down. My reasoning for this comes from HKJ's primary CR123A max output runtime trace for the TN12. Note the pattern of output drop-off and recovery? We both noted something similar on the Thrunite Scorpion, and have come to the conclusion that the most likely explanation is PTC triggering in the cells (i.e. from overheating). This is discussed at length in my review - personally, I would prefer a timed step-down over a thermal protection circuit that doesn't engage before internal CR123A battery PTC circuits do. Due to the lack of timely step-down on the TN12, I do not recommend sustained max output on 2xCR123A.