Zebralight SC5c II vs SC53w - a comparison

[jon_slider]

Just got in a SC53c and have to say I've got a similar experience. It's not quite the old Luxeon I "puke green," but it does bring back those memories. ...

Lee minus green filters can help a lot... if you are ok with some brightness reduction
http://shop.leefiltersusa.com/Swatch-Book-Designers-Edition-SWB.htm

 

[radellaf]

If you can, i would just use the sc53c on its own as much as possible for a few days. Trying to limit other types of light pollution (be it house lighting or other different CT's). See how you get on, i go through stages of love/hate being honest.

Yeah, that's the plan. I don't really mind it being a bit yellow, given that I've been in a low CCT incandescent-look mood recently. It's the bare hit of green that I need to come to terms with, or not.
I did sorta want it for writing with colored inks in the dark, which involves pointing it at a white notepad.

I guess a question for you guys, since I don't see a solid SC53 review out there, is how much of a yellow corona are ALL these XP-L2 LEDs going to have?
And, to keep with the topic, is the SC5c any different, given that the reflector is (I think) a bit larger?

Even if I got a tint with no green, it's not going to be even tint across like the Lux T or Nichia, right? Is the corona worse than the XM-L2? I have an SC62w with a beautiful pure tint and just the slightest yellow in the corona. Was kinda hoping for that with this, 500K warmer and high CRI. edit: took a matching photo with it and, well, doesn't look snow white here.

Notepad photo (SC53c left two, SC62w right):

 

[gurdygurds]

The tint on mine is basically just like yours radellaf. Doesn't bug me too much in normal use but the 4000k Malkoff MDC has a much better tint in my opinion. Can anyone comment on the durability of these small AA ZEBRAS like the SC5/SC5,SC53? They feel solid and I'm praying that can stand up to some drops and rough use but there's so much techy stuff going on in there I'm not sure. I'm coming from the land of E01s and Malkoffs so I'm used to not being worried at all if my lights take a spill onto the concrete or tile floor.

 

[Tachead]

The tint on mine is basically just like yours radellaf. Doesn't bug me too much in normal use but the 4000k Malkoff MDC has a much better tint in my opinion. Can anyone comment on the durability of these small AA ZEBRAS like the SC5/SC5,SC53? They feel solid and I'm praying that can stand up to some drops and rough use but there's so much techy stuff going on in there I'm not sure. I'm coming from the land of E01s and Malkoffs so I'm used to not being worried at all if my lights take a spill onto the concrete or tile floor.

I wouldn't worry gurdy. ZL's are fully potted and they use a single MCPCB for all components including the emitter and switch. They also use no wiring at all to further increase durability and eliminate points of failure. At worst you could shatter or crack a lens but, ZL will ship you a new one or change it for a small fee($15) if you don't want to attempt it yourself. I have read a few reports of people dropping them on ceramic tile and concrete and at most they just got a small ding in the anodizing.

 

[ven]

I know its hard to tell on monitors radellaf, but great pics and from what i see i would be happy!! Whites on the left 2(xp-l2) dont look tainted and look clean. The w on the far right has a look of creamy, I also like this in a beam. A lot depends on the use for me, if i worked in paper mill then it would have to be as clean as possible(example).

I have only dropped my sc62d a few times onto hard floors gurdy, hardly a mark was found. Would not mind, but one of the times i dropped it, i was admiring the body/ano...........:ironic:
As Tac described, add to that a pretty light weight construction....................i have as much confidence in these ZL's as i do any of my lights(more so than some). HDS are tough, they fall like a brick, maybe ZL are not as thick walled and tank like(wonder how many zebralights= a HDS in weight), the zebralights waft to the floor like a feather

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

I wouldn't worry gurdy. ZL's are fully potted and they use a single MCPCB for all components including the emitter and switch. They also use no wiring at all to further increase durability and eliminate points of failure. At worst you could shatter or crack a lens but, ZL will ship you a new one or change it for a small fee($15) if you don't want to attempt it yourself. I have read a few reports of people dropping them on ceramic tile and concrete and at most they just got a small ding in the anodizing.

Yes, I've dropped my SC5w a couple of times on concrete from 1m or 2m. There's a small nik in the anodizing, but no other damage. I've dropped it dozens of times on other surfaces (less hard than concrete), and no problems there.

 

[gurdygurds]

Thanks gentlemen. Good to know that long time users have confidence in their durability. Really enjoying this little light and has me wishing every maker would use these super low lows. 0.01 for the win.

 

[Tachead]

Thanks gentlemen. Good to know that long time users have confidence in their durability. Really enjoying this little light and has me wishing every maker would use these super low lows. 0.01 for the win.

Yep, got to love the extreme lows. Unfortunately some of their newer models are starting to use a bit higher lows. Hopefully they go back to the 0.01 lowest low for all models. I find them great for the middle of the night with fully dark adapted eyes.

 

[gurdygurds]

Crazy thing about the 0.01 is that I can leave it on all night, doesn't bother me or keep me awake at all, but then when I wake up and need to hit the head or check on the dog it's enough light. It's wonderful I tells ya!! Plus its fun to turn on and just stare straight into the led.

Yep, got to love the extreme lows. Unfortunately some of their newer models are starting to use a bit higher lows. Hopefully they go back to the 0.01 lowest low for all models. I find them great for the middle of the night with fully dark adapted eyes.

 

[radellaf]

The tint on mine is basically just like yours radellaf. Doesn't bug me too much in normal use but the 4000k Malkoff MDC has a much better tint in my opinion.

Yeah, but that's 4.5 inches long vs 3.1 and over $100 with only about 100lm. The tint off my L10 Nichia from L3 Illumination is perfect and it's 1/4 the price and just about as short as the ZL. I also have the Jaxman E2 for a perfect beam. Looks like Cree is still miles behind Nichia (or even the Luxeon T) on beam quality. Not that flashlights probably figure in much with their research.

The SC53c bugs me the moment I shine it on a white flat surface. In _every_ other situation, I love it.

A lot depends on the use for me, if i worked in paper mill then it would have to be as clean as possible(example).

I was hoping for it to be clean (no tint shift in corona) for both photography and use of colored fountain pen inks. It's not, unless I can put the subject in the hotspot. So, in that way I'm disappointed. Still not entirely sure if I should limit the disappointment to this particular light, or XP-L2 LEDs in general. The paper photos are odd in that the SC53 looks really un-tinted. Really, I don't have any Cree LED lights (well maybe an XP-G one) that are good for photography.

Given that I have several really good lights, and I'm a hobbyist/collector, it's cool just to have a new light with a new LED type. That's the fascination, and if it is flawed and yellow in a way none of my other lights are, but not so badly that I don't enjoy using it, then in a way, all the better.

got to love the extreme lows. Unfortunately some of their newer models are starting to use a bit higher lows. Hopefully they go back to the 0.01 lowest low for all models.

SC 5c: L1 2.8 Lm (4.2 days) or L2 1.0 Lm (14 days) / 0.28 Lm (50 days) / 0.08 Lm (4.3 months)
SC53c: L1 1.0 Lm (13 days) or L2 0.26 Lm (1.1 month) / 0.06 Lm (2.2 months) / 0.01 Lm (3.3 months)
SC64c: L1 2.1 Lm () or L2 0.67 Lm ()/0.19 Lm ()/0.05 Lm ()
600Fc: L1 4.0 Lm () or L2 1.4 Lm ()/0.5 Lm ()/0.15 Lm ()

I usually use the 0.06 on my SC52 and 53 as a nightlight, so don't mind if that's the low, but do hope .15 doesn't become more common. The older SC600 (Mk I) had a .09 low, which was getting a bit bright on the darkest nights. The new 1 or 2 Lm lows I totally disapprove of. Around 3 is much more sensible. It's a useful walking-around dark-adapted light level. However, since all the lights that have that preset also have the new UI, doesn't really matter.

I'll conclude with a photo of the SC53c's high CRI looking at a spectrum of ink swatches vs a (I think the SC62) "w" Zebralight. Well, a printed digital image. The real inks might show metamerism that the print won't. I guess the reds are better with the high CRI.

 

[pantagana23]

What is the curent draw on H1 for both SC5 and SC53? I'm thinking of getting of those two, but as my flashlights mostly sit in my bag, I would like to use Energizer lithtium primaries. Energizer states 2.5A continuous draw, and 4A impulse draw.

I've contacted Zebralight on this matter, and their oppinion was that there would be no difference on the output when using lithium primary, which draws me more to SC53w.

Any of you with current draw tests on this?

 

[pantagana23]

What is the curent draw on H1 for both SC5 and SC53? I'm thinking of getting of those two, but as my flashlights mostly sit in my bag, I would like to use Energizer lithtium primaries. Energizer states 2.5A continuous draw, and 4A impulse draw.

I've contacted Zebralight on this matter, and their oppinion was that there would be no difference on the output when using lithium primary, which draws me more to SC53w.

Any of you with current draw tests on this?

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

What is the curent draw on H1 for both SC5 and SC53? I'm thinking of getting of those two, but as my flashlights mostly sit in my bag, I would like to use Energizer lithtium primaries. Energizer states 2.5A continuous draw, and 4A impulse draw.

I've contacted Zebralight on this matter, and their oppinion was that there would be no difference on the output when using lithium primary, which draws me more to SC53w.

Any of you with current draw tests on this?

IIRC, I think I tested about 5 amps on my SC5w. So, I'm not sure if an Energizer Lithium would be able to produce max output for long. You've got a better shot at it with the SC53w, since it has lower maximum output.

But why not use Eneloops? That's what they're designed for. Eneloops will keep their charge for years.

 

[pantagana23]

IIRC, I think I tested about 5 amps on my SC5w. So, I'm not sure if an Energizer Lithium would be able to produce max output for long. You've got a better shot at it with the SC53w, since it has lower maximum output.

But why not use Eneloops? That's what they're designed for. Eneloops will keep their charge for years.

That was my initial thought, E Pro and SC5w II. But not sure how Eneloops hold up in low temperatures. As the light usually stays in my bag, and is needed after let's say half a year, wouldn't appreciate to find it close to dead.

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

That was my initial thought, E Pro and SC5w II. But not sure how Eneloops hold up in low temperatures. As the light usually stays in my bag, and is needed after let's say half a year, wouldn't appreciate to find it close to dead.

I've used my SC5w in temperatures below -20C (on Eneloops), and it works fine. Probably with a much shorter run-time, but it works.

 

[pantagana23]

I've used my SC5w in temperatures below -20C (on Eneloops), and it works fine. Probably with a much shorter run-time, but it works.

And now for the magical question - how much do the pins tear the +/- terminals on the Eneloop? From what I've seen in this thread, and in some others, looks like both pins and springs make a plastic deformation of the battery itself. IMO, E Pro is a better option, as with both these flashlights will eat batteries before 500th recharge.

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

And now for the magical question - how much do the pins tear the +/- terminals on the Eneloop? From what I've seen in this thread, and in some others, looks like both pins and springs make a plastic deformation of the battery itself. IMO, E Pro is a better option, as with both these flashlights will eat batteries before 500th recharge.

I use regular 1900mAh Eneloops in mine, and haven't noticed any problems with dents or tears. However, I doubt I've used the same battery in mine more than 50 times (I rotate cells in use).

I have dropped it onto concrete, and saw no problems with the battery. (It did nick the bezel.)

 

[pantagana23]

While I was thinking between the 53w and 5w, looks like my wife beat me to it

 

[Mattz68]

Nice wife! And a sweet looking flashlight. The SC 5's may be a little bigger than other 1aa flashlights, but I always liked the beam pattern and way it feels in the hand. She made a good choice!

 

[gurdygurds]

I had tried the Sc53c more than once and loved everything about it other than the overly yellow tint which started to bug me. This time went with the SC53w and I love it. The tint isn't perfect but much less distracting than the c version. For around the house everyday use, I'm becoming convinced that these little AA Zebras are king.