For Camping: Zebralight H31 or H31F?

Hello guys, I am going camping in 2 weeks and I am trying to get a Zebralight to play with but I am here pulling my hair deciding which one to get.
I never experience floody light in the wild....Would you go with a H31 or H31F? Neutral or Cool white? I think color is more of a personal preference.
I am uncertain if it is THAT GOOD to buy both.

Thanks.

i would go for the "w" or "c" models, especially for camping.

as far as flood or not. with the clear lens you can diffuse the beam with diffusor film, or even scotch tape. but with the frosted lens you only have the frosted beam.

i say just get 1 for now, try it out then decide if you want another.

ive had a H51w, and its beam is quite floody for being reflector based. hotspot is pretty wide because of the small reflector and XP-G.

I don't have an answer to your question but can say that because of the five options (regular, frosted, neutral, neutral frosted and hi CRI) I got paralyzed and bought none....

It's too bad that there isn't an easy way to get from regular to frosted with an external diffuser; at least then the decision wouldn't be so overwhelming.

Personally I like floody lights and dislike artifacts, so always thought frosted was the way to go (for me).

Illumination said:

I don't have an answer to your question but can say that because of the five options (regular, frosted, neutral, neutral frosted and hi CRI) I got paralyzed and bought none....

It's too bad that there isn't an easy way to get from regular to frosted with an external diffuser; at least then the decision wouldn't be so overwhelming.

Personally I like floody lights and dislike artifacts, so always thought frosted was the way to go (for me).

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Yes, that is what happen to me last year...and I am re-visit the headache question. Many times I asked, why don't they sell external diffuser or sell the clear or frost lens @@?

H31w (DC Fix) is my outdoor and indoor headlamp of choice.

If I were buying both...now I think hard. Which combo setup would you pick for yourself?

H31w(neutral throw) + H31F(cool flood) or H31(cool throw) + H31Fw(neutral flood)

both in cool H31/H31F or both in neutral H31w/H31Fw

Adobo said:

H31(cool throw) + H31Fw(neutral flood)

cool for throw and neutrals for flood
my vote

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My vote as well. Cool will throw further, and the neutral flood will be easier on the eyes at close range.

I was actually using my H31 around a camp site with a fire about 45 minutes ago, no joke.

The H31 is a very floody flashlight even without the frosted lens. Big hotspot even at your feet, with bright spill.

Now that I've used it camping several times, I would definitely opt for a neutral. I'd probably get the "c" version because I read it doesn't make everything look flat and washed out.

I think these things just come down to personal preference. I have both the H51 and H51f. I prefer the H51f and have added tape over the lens of the H51.

I find I've had little, if any, use for anything but floody headlamps.

ZL has their new pure flood H502 available now, and it's also available with a Rebel high color rendering emitter, and I'm a CRI snob, so the H502c is my recommendation.

I'd get the H51Fw. The H31 doesn't have a very gradual transition from full regulation to nothing. With my xp-g H31Fw [in the medium mode] you have less than two minutes until nothingness.
There is plenty of throw, enough to see the reflection of a dog's eyes at 100 yards on high-upper.
I don't remember if the Rebels being used are xp-e sized or xp-g sized, smaller would equate to more throw.

While camping, I prefer to use a headlamp that's floody and neutral/warm white. However, I only use a headlamp around the camp, not for hiking at night.

Hello guys. A little update. The end, I can only afford one and after long and dreadful thoughts. I went for H31F to start my Zebralight journey.
I actually think outside of camping. Since I own both Sunwayman V10R Ti and Surefire LX2 and LX2 appear to be a good thrower, I decided to give ZL flood type beam a try. I knew myself will be too lazy to tape over H31 all the time.
For general city daily use. Flood beam might be more ideal than a thrower.

The colors. H31Fw many have recommended and the warm light does have an edge but I then my photography hobby comes in play on my decision. I photograph product item often. Mainly in door. Sometimes I need some light supporting. Personal experience, I prefer to work with cool white instead of warm white because most of indoor lights are warm, so the white light appear to be a suitable fill to balance. I seriously don't know how much H31F will help on photography but I'll find out. If I like the light a lot, I will add H31w & H31w in future. I found these images online and would like to share with you all. Hope they will help you also to decide:

H31


H31w


H31F


H31Fw

While the H31F is ok, I'd hate the idea of wasting light in a frosted lens. I'd rather get the bare bulb effect of the H502, where you can always stick a ping pong ball on the front if it's still not wide enough (don't run it on full power with a ping pong ball on the front for an hour).

Are you set on the H31 series? I'd go for the H502 w/d/c (personal preference would be the d as it's just about the only 5000k HCRI that's affordable), and combine it with a regular spot+spill type light like the SC51, or just any simple AA will do. Spare AA's are also a bit easier to find when you're out camping I guess...

Edit: provided that the H502 is available of course... just found that I can't order it right now.

TweakMDS said:

While the H31F is ok, I'd hate the idea of wasting light in a frosted lens. I'd rather get the bare bulb effect of the H502, where you can always stick a ping pong ball on the front if it's still not wide enough (don't run it on full power with a ping pong ball on the front for an hour).

Are you set on the H31 series? I'd go for the H502 w/d/c (personal preference would be the d as it's just about the only 5000k HCRI that's affordable), and combine it with a regular spot+spill type light like the SC51, or just any simple AA will do. Spare AA's are also a bit easier to find when you're out camping I guess...

Edit: provided that the H502 is available of course... just found that I can't order it right now.

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Thanks TweakMDS. I am not totally set on H31 series. The fact, I dont know what to expect from Zebralight at this moment. Have to give my first experience to know what I prefer at this moment.
I ordered it from Going Gear (which is listed pricier than Zebralight official site without CPF discount for whatever reason)...if the light is not my liking, I am able to exchange or return for a suitable choice.

TweakMDS said:

While the H31F is ok, I'd hate the idea of wasting light in a frosted lens. I'd rather get the bare bulb effect of the H502...

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Bare bulb is okay for walking around camp sites and doing camp chores. It is no good for hiking or seeing more than 10 meters. H31F or H51F throw better than H502 and are effectively brighter at distance because they give more lux. For hiking, you need lux and lumens, not just lumens.

Bare bulb is also bad because it is good at attracting bugs. It is like a homing beacon for moths and mosquitoes.

Bare bulb will also blind your friends more easily than other types of beams. Wide angle and intense, point light source is good for you, but bad for everyone else looking in your direction.

I agonized over the same question, and searched CPF for answers.
I ended up going with the H51Fc and have never regretted it. The high CRI (only 85 CRI, but very nice, 4000K color temperature) light has a very natural look, especially pleasing at lower power levels. It's great on high but what I'm saying is that I wouldn't mind a higher color temperature with more lumens, but at lower lumens the warmer temperature is more effective imo.
Also, to me "floody" is a big compromise but it's also the best compromise between spot+spill and pure flood IF you are mostly using the light between arm's length and 30+ feet. The floody on high has a decent reach and a very smooth taper from the brighter center to the dimmer periphery.

If you like the M2 level of the H51Fc or H51c, then you'll find it's actually about the most efficient of the AA powered Zebra Lights at that level, all comments about high CRI lights being less efficient not withstanding, at their own optimum they are quite efficient at lumens per hour.

YoSeKi said:

Bare bulb is okay for walking around camp sites and doing camp chores. It is no good for hiking or seeing more than 10 meters. H31F or H51F throw better than H502 and are effectively brighter at distance because they give more lux. For hiking, you need lux and lumens, not just lumens.

Bare bulb is also bad because it is good at attracting bugs. It is like a homing beacon for moths and mosquitoes.

Bare bulb will also blind your friends more easily than other types of beams. Wide angle and intense, point light source is good for you, but bad for everyone else looking in your direction.

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Agree. My reason for buying a h51fc, was there were too little lux for walking in the forest with my all flood h30. Didnt want a headlamp with a bright hotspot, so the fc is the perfect compromice for me. I dont need it to run on full power to see whats 5-10 meters in front of me. The h30 was always running on max when walking. I dont care about loosing some lumens from the frosted lense. It got more lumens than i usual need anyway, and the beam is great for most outdoor tasks. Better to loose some lumens and get the lux spread out just right. You cant see the lumens, the light you see is lux.

Just to update. The H31F arrived. The light is bright and floody but the cool white really is too cool for photography fill light purpose. When work indoor light, H31F will appear slight purple-ish blue.
I have sent H31F for an exchange to H31Fw. To me, if the light is not suitable for photography purpose, I would much prefer warm light for other usage. H502d daylight 5000K currently does draw me with interest.
i have not seen beam shots and it is about the same brightness as H31Fw. I wish H502d can provide 260 lumen. I def will not go for another cool white light again.