Zebralight SC64w HI

[WalkIntoTheLight]

Over the years I've purchased probably 14 Zebralights and over half of them were defective.

WTH??? If karma is a thing, then you must have won multiple lottery jackpots.

 

[Fireclaw18]

WTH??? If karma is a thing, then you must have won multiple lottery jackpots.

Yeah.

SC51 - works fine
SC52 - works fine
SC52w - works fine
SC62d - works fine
SC600 - defective. Switch triggered from static electricity just from being lightly brushed with fingertip without being depressed at all. This was a known defect on first-run SC600s. Sent back for warranty repair. Works fine since.
SC80 - defective. H2 doesn't work. Double-clicking to swap to H2 causes the light to blink once then turn off. All other modes except H2 work fine so I consider this a minor defect.
SC62w - defective. Won't maintain H1. After on for less than 10 seconds swaps down to a low medium
SC5w - defective. Worked fine initially. After less than 5 days of use, LED barely lights up. Either the driver or emitter is blown and needs replacement.
SC32w - defective. Won't stay in H1 for longer than 1 second, then drops down to low-medium
SC600w III HI - works fine
SC63w - defective. Initially worked fine. After less than 2 days of use it started not being able to maintain H1 for longer than 10 seconds. by 4 days of use it wouldn't maintain H1 for even 5 seconds. Returned for warranty replacement.
Second SC63w. Same problem as first SC63w, but stays in H1 approximately 15 seconds. Still far less than the 1 minute the light is supposed to hold H1.
SC64w - works fine
SC600w IV Plus - works fine
H604C - works fine
SC64w HI - intermittently turning off after 1 second when turned on in H1.

So out of 16 lights, 7 with defects. Almost all my Zebras tend to be first-run preorders though. They seem to have a lot more kinks in them than later production runs.

Note on the above: These defects are not battery issues. I use only quality batteries from known suppliers (Illumn, Mountain Electronics, Eneloop Pros, and in some cases Zebralight's own brand of battery) with my lights. I tested every light with multiple different cells, and these are cells which work fine in other lights that draw more amps than the Zebras.

 

[Tixx]

Couple of beam shots. Please excuse that weird font writing stuff.

 

[PoliceScannerMan]

Awesome beam shot thanks!

Ordered mine 10/29 shipped 10/5. Nice.

 

[markr6]

(3) My SC64w HI may have a hardware quality control issue: On several occasions I have turned it on in turbo only to have the light turn off again 1 second later. If I press the button again it will turn on and stay on. This problem seems to be intermittent, but has happened enough times to be worth mentioning.

That's exactly what happened to my SC600w HI IV. Same with at least two other CPF members. I sent it back and got a new one and it never happened again.

 

[PoliceScannerMan]

My SC63w buzzes on turbo, but it works. That normal?

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

My SC63w buzzes on turbo, but it works. That normal?

I've heard that on a couple of lights. Could be the whine from an induction coil. I don't think it's anything to be concerned about, except for the annoyance of it.

 

[PoliceScannerMan]

I've heard that on a couple of lights. Could be the whine from an induction coil. I don't think it's anything to be concerned about, except for the annoyance of it.

It is that! Lol thanks, looking forward to my SC64w HI and hope it has no issues...

 

[Tixx]

Decent tint on this. Could be the lottery, but I find it definitely acceptable.

 

[Outdoorsman5]

Hey Fireclaw and others. I was hoping Zebralight had fixed the problems you are having. I ordered and posted videos of 4 defective Zebralights I received in a row earlier this year. All four would abruptly turn off when switched on to H1 (Max) and 3 of them experienced problems with the UI after programming the G6 and G7 groups. I was accused several times of not knowing what I was doing (which is not at all accurate) or defective batteries (nope,) or defective chargers (nope,) etc., but all four lights were absolutely defective. I have since bought the SC600 Plus and the SC600w Mk IV HI without any signs of the defects. I was able to return 3 out of the 4, but the one I'm stuck with they never could fix (after 3 attempts) - garbage. I ordered the new SC64w HI and am hoping I don't have to go through all that again. If it is defective, I will let you all know.

 

[Fireclaw18]

Hey Fireclaw and others. I was hoping Zebralight had fixed the problems you are having. I ordered and posted videos of 4 defective Zebralights I received in a row earlier this year. All four would abruptly turn off when switched on to H1 (Max) and 3 of them experienced problems with the UI after programming the G6 and G7 groups. I was accused several times of not knowing what I was doing (which is not at all accurate) or defective batteries (nope,) or defective chargers (nope,) etc., but all four lights were absolutely defective. I have since bought the SC600 Plus and the SC600w Mk IV HI without any signs of the defects. I was able to return 3 out of the 4, but the one I'm stuck with they never could fix (after 3 attempts) - garbage. I ordered the new SC64w HI and am hoping I don't have to go through all that again. If it is defective, I will let you all know.

My SC64w HI experiences the "turn off from H1" only occasionally. My guess is maybe one out of every 10 or 20 turn-ons.

When the bug happens, I can override it and get it to stay on in high, by clicking to turn the light off, then click-and-hold to get to low, then turning it off and then on again. It will come on in H1 and stay on.

I'm undecided whether to return this one and buy a replacement SC64w HI. The problem is irritating when it happens, but it is intermittent and the workaround is quick. That said, for an $80 flashlight it would be nice if it worked properly all the time.

Apart from this defect, I like the light. I find the beam pattern much more useful than the pattern in my SC64w.

 

[Outdoorsman5]

My SC64w HI experiences the "turn off from H1" only occasionally. My guess is maybe one out of every 10 or 20 turn-ons.

When the bug happens, I can override it and get it to stay on in high, by clicking to turn the light off, then click-and-hold to get to low, then turning it off and then on again. It will come on in H1 and stay on.

I'm undecided whether to return this one and buy a replacement SC64w HI. The problem is irritating when it happens, but it is intermittent and the workaround is quick. That said, for an $80 flashlight it would be nice if it worked properly all the time.

Apart from this defect, I like the light. I find the beam pattern much more useful than the pattern in my SC64w.

Fireclaw, I'd return it if I were you. The light I'm stuck with out of the 4 defective lights I got is the SC600w MkIII HI. It will behave that way at least 1 out of 10 tries and I have grown to hate the light. I'm reminded every time it does it. It now sits in a drawer - what a waste. I complained to ZL about it again 3 months ago with absolutely no response. I have felt with their 3 failed attempts at fixing it and lack of response recently to fix it, that they just don't care. So whatever. Why do I not just stop buying their lights? They still have my favorite design - UI, size, weight, output, options, improvements, etc., and I don't want to have different lights with different UI's. I'm quite happy though with my ZL's that work perfectly, but I won't hang on to a defective ZL again which are becoming much more common. Since this has been a clear problem for 2 years (from my experience,) I wonder when it will hurt enough for them to fix the problem.

 

[aginthelaw]

it's weird customer service is hit or miss. i had one light fixed and returned to me within 2 weeks of sending it to them. i guess all companies are like that. i would never buy an imalent again because of it. All of my armyteks have been fixed or replaced and they kind of dropped the ball on the last one. i sent them a tiara for repair and received the new wizard pro

 

[holygeez03]

I have been using the SC64w HI for several nights now and my eyes and opinions reflect most of what has already been stated... it has a very similar intensity as my SC600IV Plus... smaller hotspot, but more pocketable size... not a bad tradeoff, depending on the situation.

The tint is very neutral and there is essentially no tint-shift, even at the outermost edges... definitely the most neutral/white light I have used and I have been "neutral/warm only" for many, many years now.

I was most surprised by how much the new HI didn't overwhelming impress me in comparison to my old SC62w... don't get me wrong, the tint is technically better since the 62w has slight purple shift on the edges, and the reach is longer, but it wasn't the massive trouncing that I expected. I might prefer the slightly rosy tint of my SC62w, but that is purely personal preference and will vary between copies This is in no way a bashing of the HI, but more of a testament to the impressiveness of the SC62w that is how many years old now?

I will almost definitely be keeping the 62wHI and carrying it in place of my 600IV Plus, which is just a little big for me to pocket... the 600IV is wonderful for yard use... also, the 62wHI clip is great and I have never even attached the 600IV clip. I hope the black finish on the new clip holds up. My SC62w will probably go to "car duty", but I will still smile every chance I get to use it...

My only real complaint about the 62wHI is the design choice of the body tube... either stick with the classic "ZL ribs" or change it to a new, smoother design.... but the current mix of both is hideous in my opinion. Luckily, looks mean next to nothing with this type of light/tool... some knurling would be nice, but not too aggressive since it is a pocket light.

 

[twistedraven]

You won't be getting a real trouncing in throw for pocket sized lights unless you put something like an Osram Black Flat in a smooth reflector, and even then it's not a huge difference.

 

[holygeez03]

I wasn't expecting anything mind-blowing in terms of throw... I am aware of the physics... I just thought/hoped the beam, in general, would be more potent.

The SC64wHI is a fantastic light... and I would definitely recommend it, without question, over any of the other 6X series lights and it might be the most versatile ZL of all... my most used lights will likely be the H52Fw, SC600 Plus, and SC64HI for quite a while.

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

I noticed that Zebralight has updated the SC64w HI specs with the beam profile. 11 degree hot spot. This surprises me, as I expected more narrow. I guess that explains why people are reporting that it doesn't throw much more than the regular SC64 with a 12 degree spot.

Even my SC5w has a 10 degree spot. Why is it more narrow, using a regular domed XML2 emitter? I expected something closer to the 600w HI 8 degree spot.

Oh well, I should have mine whenever our postal strikes decide to deliver it. I'm glad it's less floody than the regular SC64, but I was hoping it could serve to replace my more bulky SC600w HI. I guess I'll have to see what niche it will fit into. It might be more EDC than a dedicated outdoor light.

 

[Outdoorsman5]

I've had my SC64w HI for almost 2 weeks, and love it. I was hoping for a bit more throw out of it, but do like that it is more throwy than my SC62w. What I wasn't expecting was how much smaller it is compared to its predecessors. It is even surprisingly smaller than all of my non-zebralight AA lights (mostly quarks, but have a couple of fenix lights.) Because of it's better throw, my SC600w Mk IV HI will still be my go to backpacking light for night hikes where I use a floody headlight (Zebra H600w MKII or H52w) and a throwy handheld, but if I'm not planning a night hike on my trips, I will carry the new SC64w HI. Because of it's smaller size, great output, & better beam quality, I'd consider it my favorite all-arounder for a handheld. REALLY REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THIS THING!

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

A miracle happened, and my SC64w HI arrived today, despite our postal strikes. My first impressions are very positive. The tint is very nice, even a bit on the rosy side which is a surprise from Zebralight. I like that the XHP35 HI emitter has almost no tint shift.

As I thought, it's a bit more floody than I expected from a HI emitter. But, I now see that it's due to the small reflector that Zebralight uses in all their smallest lights. So, I'm not sure it will replace my SC600w MkIV HI that I use on long walks, but it might for shorter walks when seeing in the distance isn't needed. But, I often bring a dedicated thrower on walks, so it might replace the SC600w HI more often than I think.

Certainly the weight and narrow size is a big plus, so maybe I'll change my EDC to the SC64w HI. It fits in the pocket almost as well as a SC52, and at 85g vs 64g with battery, it's not much more weight considering you get 4x as much run time from an 18650 compared to a AA Eneloop.

One downside is that PID throttles the output on max very quickly due to heat; about a minute when tail-standing. This is a bit faster than I thought, but probably not an issue for an EDC, and certainly not in the winter. Gripping it tightly in the hand increases the output, as the heat is absorbed out of the light. I really like the Zebralight's thermal controls go up, and not just down. But, I was hoping for a couple of minutes at max.

Strange they still use a spring in the tailcap. I thought they moved to using the pogo pins at both ends.

Another bonus in the moonlight modes are lower than the SC600 variants! About a third to half the brightness of the SC600w HI or Plus. Not nearly as low as the older Zebras, but definitely a step in the right direction again.

Again, big plus for the tint and nice even beam.

Overall, I'll give it a 9/10. I don't think you'll find a smaller 18650 light. Maybe DQG has one?

 

[Fireclaw18]

Overall, I'll give it a 9/10. I don't think you'll find a smaller 18650 light. Maybe DQG has one?

Yes, the DQG 18650 Tiny IV is considerably smaller than the SC64. That said, I think the SC64w HI is a much better light.