Spark SD52 Mini Review

[Bolster]

Sparks is more than twice as heavy as ZL...that seems a bit concerning.

Just making sure everyone understands that ZL is 1AA and the SD52 is 2AA? That's why I compared one SD52 to two ZL H501's, showing the SD52 to be 15% heavier than two ZLs. But yes, the Sparks are heavier (particularly when you compare the 18650 models--based on your specs above, the SD6 is 92% heavier than the H600!).

 

[Bolster]

I am wondering why this bezel area isn't white or reflective? (Or GITD? :devil

 

[skidad]

Good question, I think that would be a good idea to be highly polished at least. Looking at my SD6 it appears there is enough material that a reflector could have been built into that little assy. Really looking forward to the accessory screw on piece.

 

[Scriion]

I would just like to add to this review quickly. But first thanks to Spark for the SD52 and Bolster for the review

Mine arrived yesterday and is the same NW version as Bolsters'. My intended use is as a Camping headtorch, and as that it really does excel on all levels. I have tried it out around the acreage here last night and it fits it's intended use to a tee. With the over the head strap its not too heavy. The wide beam is perfect for area illumination just as Bolster outlined. The lowest mode is even actually useful as it allows me to keep my night vision for those late night trips when nature calls, or even just looking around the tent. And once my eyes have dark adjusted walking and seeing directly at my feet is fine. All in all, a great light that I think will serve me well. I would be interested however is an reflector that would I could quickly attach to make it more useful as a walking light if I went for a night hike from camp.

 

[Bolster]

Update because of a strange finding:

The bezel is robbing this light of some lumens. My opinion, the bezel needs a redesign. I have been working on a lumen estimator project (lumentoob)--it may or may not be giving me good absolute lumen counts (and if it is, then my SD52 appears to be putting out about 25% less light than advertised, on not-so-fresh Eneloops), but I think it's working well enough to give me relative lumen counts. I've noticed by removing the screw-off bezel, measurements are brighter; replacing the bezel loses me about 18% of the lumens!

I'm sure a few lumens are eaten up going through the protective glass (the lens claims 98% transparency, I can live with that tradeoff), but I suspect many more are lost by the dark anodized cone shaped bezel that fits around the emitter. I had purchased some high-temp white paint and planned to paint the cone portion of the bezel white, but unfortunately the glass in the bezel is retained by a silver press-fit ring that I'm unable to remove.

At any rate, I hope that Spark can do a modification: either polish the interior of the bezel, or if that causes unpleasant artifacts, then at least paint the interior of the bezel white. I don't think the screw-on bezel should be losing 18% of the lumens. That's getting close to (or is at) visible perception range in a side-by-side comparison.

 

[AbdnBob]

I'm late to the party, but thanks for the review!! I'm really after a ZL H502 when they appear, but I almost pulled the trigger on one of these today in amongst the Black Friday madness. Glad I read your review as it helped me realise that although this looks like a great light, it's not the right one for me right now.

 

[skyfire]

Update because of a strange finding:

The bezel is robbing this light of some lumens. My opinion, the bezel needs a redesign. I have been working on a lumen estimator project (lumentoob)--it may or may not be giving me good absolute lumen counts, but I think it's working well enough to give me relative lumen counts. I've noticed by removing the screw-off bezel, measurements are brighter; replacing the bezel loses me about 18% of the lumens!

I'm sure a few lumens are eaten up going through the protective glass (I can live with that tradeoff), but I suspect many more are lost by the dark anodized cone shaped bezel that fits around the emitter. I had purchased some high-temp white paint and planned to paint the cone portion of the bezel white, but unfortunately the glass in the bezel is retained by a silver press-fit ring that I'm unable to remove.

At any rate, I hope that Spark can do a modification: either polish the interior of the bezel, or if that causes unpleasant artifacts, then at least paint the interior of the bezel white. I don't think the screw-on bezel should be losing 18% of the lumens. That's getting close to (or is at) visible perception range in a side-by-side comparison.

Ive been wanting to ask you about an update of your experience with the Spark SD headlamp.
as we know, SB is having a 20% off sale on their Spark products. the SD6 isnt exactly what id hope for. but so far, im leaning towards it, over their ST6 models. (ive given up on ZL on making their lights 2xCR123 compatible).

ever since i saw pics of the SD models, i also wondered why they didnt put in a tiny reflector, or removed that piece of coated ano. and just have a lens over the LED.
anyways, the SD6 has a 0.5 lumens mode, which i dont think ill ever use for a higher powered headlamp. the SD6 does seem to be more efficient than the ST6.
the ST6 has 2 different beam profiles, thanks to the frosted, and clean lens included.
i like the SD6 for its flood, and form, but should i wait until spark releases the optional bezels? also, why is it so thick? 31mm in width, while the battery size is 19mm at most.

so i guess my main concerns are....
how is the headlamp holding up? any issues so far?
do you find the 33mm width of the SD52 too wide?
is 200 lumens of 115 degrees flood adequate for most tasks? i love my H501w, but sometimes, i need more than 80 lumens of flood, without it buring my forehead.

 

[snakyjake]

Since the bezels are replaceable/upgradeable, I'm presuming it is just a matter of time before Sparks will have an actual "reflector" instead of a dark anodized.
I'm still concerned about the huge size.

 

[snakyjake]

Given Zebralight's past history, any guess how H302/H602 will compare?
Interchangeable bezels is why I'm giving the edge to Sparks.

 

[Bolster]

so i guess my main concerns are....
how is the headlamp holding up? any issues so far?
do you find the 33mm width of the SD52 too wide?
is 200 lumens of 115 degrees flood adequate for most tasks? i love my H501w, but sometimes, i need more than 80 lumens of flood, without it buring my forehead.

Sounds like your interest is trending toward the SD6 rather than the SD52. But regards your questions for the SD52: The light's still relatively new and no gremlins have appeared so far. In the SD52 thread at SPF Marketplace I've read a couple complaints about the switch, but no problems with mine--although you do need to be quick with your choice as the level cycle rate is fast. Regarding diameter: When on the head you're aware there's more than a Zebralight there, but given it's 4 oz with cells, it's still reasonable. My use is on a helmet where the weight just disappears. Much of the diameter is given over to cooling fins. I've not accidentally bumped it while wearing it, so the profile has not given me trouble. Regards lumens, there have been several comments that the SD52 doesn't look as bright as the lumens it advertises, and I agree, so I'd rely on the beamshots above to give you some idea of relative brightness of the 200 setting, compared to your H501w on its 80 setting, with eneloops. There is no perceptible heat to the forehead using Eneloops with the SD52 design, due to its massive fins. Regards "adequate for tasks," I have to ask, what tasks? Plenty adequate for working with your hands. But how far away do you want to see? And, what will Spark's new bezel design do? It's almost as if the SD series is still evolving.

Unlike the SD6, the SD52 does not have "air space" in it, unless you count the cooling fins as such. To me it seems a compact and efficient design for a 2AA light (there's always the temptation to compare it to 1AA lights), with the exception of the cooling fins, which I suspect are more than actually needed for Eneloop use. The question any designer of a 2AA light has to wrestle with is: keep the body round for ease of adjustment in a bracket, or flatten it out for efficiency of space, and design some sort of ratcheting system for tilt? Spark appears to have favored simplicity of adjustment and decided to turn the diameter into a feature with the massive fins.

All comments above relegated to Eneloop usage, 3V at best. This light is rated up to 7.6 volts, so use some IFR14500s and those fins may not be overbuilt after all!

 

[ryguy24000]

I just received mine the other day just before the holiday, so I have not really tested it. Just played here and there.
First off is that it's big. Not long. Just large around. I think because of the way the battery holder fits to the main body of the light. Look at bolsters pic of the battery compartment open and you see two battery springs and two posts on the lid. The posts fit into the bored out holes on the light. the Lid is actually two seperate pieces with the inside piece being the springs and posts(stationary) held to the outside via that little piece of metal in between the springs and posts. This is so the springs are in constant contact withe the batteries or they(the springs) would spin when threading the lid on the light. Now draw a circle around all of that and you can see why Spark made it so round.
The bezel area is a one piece deal as you can see in Bolsters pics. It is easy to see how Spark will incorperate different bezels into this light. White paint as Bolster suggested would seem like a logical solution to achieve maximun output for the current setup.
I do have one issue with the light. Everything works fine, but let it sit off for a while and I go to turn it on it won't come on on the first click. Last night I had to get up for a bathroom run and it took three clicks to turn it on! this has happened several times so far and I doubt that is normal behavior.
On the other hand SKYFIRE the .4 luman mode came in quite handy for that Bathroom run. I am at my brothers house this holiday and I have to go up some stairs to the bathroom. After the third click the light came on and the level of light was great for navigating my way up and down without straining my eyes. Very pleasant if you ask me.
Like I said I haven't got any real time with the light, but so far I do like it. I have issues with it's size when I am looking at it, but when it is on my head it is comfortable.
Bolster should be able to give you a better usage report since he had had more time in the trenches with the light.

 

[skyfire]

thanks for the responses guys!

i really like the SD52 design. and the width is understandable.
im looking for a 2xCR123 headlamp, and the SD6 just seems unneccessarily wide. maybe ill be ok with it once i get it in my hands, or on my head hehe.
but i think ill just wait since i dont absolutely need a headlamp right now.
hopefully spark comes out with a new bezel option, or a revised model.

still thinking of getting the SD52 as a gift... that way i can experience it first hand heheh:devil:

 

[Bolster]

...im looking for a 2xCR123 headlamp...

Bold! I'd not put two cells of anything li-ion on my forehead, but that's just me. You sure I can't talk you into using a single li-ion cell, such as an 18650? When it comes to li-ion, one cell is safer than two cells. And two Eneloops are undoubtedly safer than any one li-ion cell...my opinion.

I'm not always such a chicken but when it comes to my forehead I take an excess of caution. That's one reason I ended up with an SD52. It'll never be as bright as an 18650 but neither do I have to worry about any sort of fireworks. Two Eneloops aren't going to get me into trouble.

 

[snakyjake]

Bold! I'd not put two cells of anything li-ion on my forehead

I wouldn't put multiple rechargeable cells in any flashlight, but CR123's are fine. I like single cell rechargeables so I can top them off with full capacity at the start of my adventure or work day.

 

[DVN]

How would you say this compares to Zebralights and Spark headlamps? These non-reflector headlamps scare me into thinking the light isn't thrown very far.

 

[skyfire]

Bold! I'd not put two cells of anything li-ion on my forehead, but that's just me. You sure I can't talk you into using a single li-ion cell, such as an 18650? When it comes to li-ion, one cell is safer than two cells. And two Eneloops are undoubtedly safer than any one li-ion cell...my opinion.

I'm not always such a chicken but when it comes to my forehead I take an excess of caution. That's one reason I ended up with an SD52. It'll never be as bright as an 18650 but neither do I have to worry about any sort of fireworks. Two Eneloops aren't going to get me into trouble.

LOL you make a very good point!
i plan on using 18650, but if i was on an extended trip, such as camping, i usually only bring primaries.
note to self: only use the best quality protected 18650 when using a device so close to my brain.:thumbsup:

 

[Bolster]

I wouldn't put multiple rechargeable cells in any flashlight, but CR123's are fine.

Not even if one CR123 is depleted and the other is full? That still gives me a little concern. And I don't want to take my ZTS tester backpacking.

How would you say this compares to Zebralights and Spark headlamps? These non-reflector headlamps scare me into thinking the light isn't thrown very far.

Not sure I understand. The SD52 is a Spark. Regards flood vs. throw, did you read the original post in this thread? Dealt with that in considerable detail, including estimates of what you could see at what distance, and beamshots.

only use the best quality protected 18650 when using a device so close to my brain.:thumbsup:

Certain to help, but when I was agonizing over making the jump to 18650 I read a fair amount of commentary that 'protected' makes us feel safer than it really is, and that protected can add its own layer of issues. I'm not here to frighten people away from 18650s, and I'm not an authority on that topic, so I'll stop. To each, his own research. Obviously li-ions work great and have many fans. Given my work use of a headlamp, I just don't need to take on the additional risk, no matter how small it is. When I'm wedged under a crawlspace soldering a copper pipe (all at once: fear of being burned, of not being able to escape, of getting stuck (it's happened), of the dark, of spiders, of rats, of scorpions, of earthquake while under), I appreciate not having to give my headlamp a second thought. If I were on a search-and-rescue team, then yeah, but I'd take the extra precaution to keep my li-ion headlamps on my helmet rather than on my skin. Again, just me. Don't mean to be fear-mongering an awesome technology that works great for lots of people. I'd still rather see ya using a single li-ion rechargeable than two of 'em, tho. And primary AAs, and Eneloops, are pretty boringly safe. Which I like.

 

[snakyjake]

Not even if one CR123 is depleted and the other is full?

For safety, and I'm no expert, I don't think primaries have the dangerous chemistry.
For efficiency, I wouldn't combine a low capacity battery with a full capacity...unless I had to.

 

[snakyjake]

The safety hazards I've heard of lithium ion rechargeables are either combining batteries of different voltages (dead and a full battery), or during charging (over charge). I figure if these batteries are safe enough for my laptop, ipod, camera, and phone (which I carry next to my heart), they are probably safe.

 

[psychbeat]

Don't cross the streams homie....