# Zebralight SC52 & SC52w



## shelm

Poll: Are you looking into buying the Zebralight SC52?_

Note:_ The poll question and options refer to *all *Zebralight SC52 models: SC52, SC52w, SC52f, SC52fw, SC52c, SC52d, SC52 L2, SC52w L2, SC52f L2, SC52fw L2, SC52c L2, SC52d L2, Frosted Lens, XM-L, XM-L2, XP-G2, and whatnot. This might be relevant to you too:
*Poll: **Did a zebra SC50/50+/51/52 ever die on you?*


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## Gunner12

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Ooo, when's the neutral white/High CRI version coming out?


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## twl

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Definitely more tempting than the SC51.
The switch upgrade was sorely needed. The XML is a good addition.
The 14500 official support is very good. I would use 14500 exclusively. The regular AA battery option doesn't interest me at all.

Not wild about the power stepping down after a minute, but I suppose that's to be expected. All the Chinese lights seem to do that. It seems so anti-climactic to get all revved-up about 500 lumens, and then after a minute it's back down to the normal AA output anyway.


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## moozooh

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Actually that never bothered me with the SC600: I either used its full power for a few seconds at a time to light up something in the distance, or for 15–20 minutes at a time (when biking), which would have made all compact lights either step down or lose brightness naturally (or overheat and degrade, if they're bad).


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## Romanko

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Length is the same, not shorter. SC51 Length:*3.15 *inch (80 mm).


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## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Romanko said:


> Length is the same, not shorter.



ok, you win


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## Swede74

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> *New* Zebralight *SC52* flashlight upcoming with official 14500 support!
> Anyone got an itchyfinger yet?



I just noticed they had updated their comparison sheet. For a brief moment I thought I would be the first to break the news, but you get the:goodjob: - credits this time 

I'm still in the process of familiarizing myself with the H502 that I received today, if it weren't for that I'd certainly have an itchy finger. 

I hope the switch is not only more recessed, but also a bit stiffer than that on the H502. Somewhere between the stiffness (I hope that's not an offensive choice of word) of the SC600 and SC51 switches would be ideal, in my opinion.

Finally, if the clip is attached with two screws, like on the SC51, it will probably come as close to being the perfect EDC as is reasonable to expect of any light.


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## Brasso

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> Not wild about the power stepping down after a minute, but I suppose that's to be expected. All the Chinese lights seem to do that. It seems so anti-climactic to get all revved-up about 500 lumens, and then after a minute it's back down to the normal AA output anyway.



Laws of Physics. Can't circumvent them. They make it to go 500 lumens in order to sell to those chasing lumens over all else, but it has to come back to reality.


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## AnAppleSnail

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Brasso said:


> Laws of Physics. Can't circumvent them. They make it to go 500 lumens in order to sell to those chasing lumens over all else, but it has to come back to reality.



I mean, we can make you a pinky-sized light that will do 1000 lumen, but it'll need needles and pumps to enhance the cooling with fresh blood. I don't know about you, but I can't heatsink more than about 10W of light in my hand continuously before I start to get overwarm. If you need that output for long, then at present you'll have to accept the hardware to support it. In the meantime I can check my brakes for rocks with my Vesuvius on max for a few seconds at a time.


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## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

SC52? I'm in!

I wouldn't mind getting a neutral zebralight. I wonder when the neutrals will come out.


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## tickled

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

That's great but still no Q50? It's like 12 months behind now.


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## tobrien

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

good news

edit: s6330 has october 2012 date now, too!


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## iocheretyanny

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Why XML not G2?


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## f22shift

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

i think lumen numbers sell. 500 lumen in a small package is fun and not really practical. it's nice to see 14500 support. it's possible there will some loss of zebralights famous efficiency when having a bigger voltage range.
i agree. i think the xpg2 would be a better fit in the smaller package. it'll have more lux i'm sure appearing more brighter.


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## tobrien

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



iocheretyanny said:


> Why XML not G2?



i bet they didn't have access to the g2 during the development phase?


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## Mr Floppy

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Gunner12 said:


> Ooo, when's the neutral white coming out?



Still waiting for the H502w ... A SC52w would be a nice pair


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## glockboy

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

:thumbsup:




shelm said:


> Anyone got an itchyfinger yet?


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## Overclocker

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

i wonder if low-voltage stepdown also works with 14500. if so then i'm sold

i just wish they would release a 4750 to 5000K tint


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## davidt1

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

The H51 also needs a update. I am in for an H52, if they offer one.


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## selas

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Overclocker said:


> i wonder if low-voltage stepdown also works with 14500. if so then i'm sold



Specs have been updated: "low battery step down (AA and 14500), all levels current regulated (AA and 14500)"


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## TweakMDS

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Nice, that seems to have come out of nowhere. Looks nice though. I admit I'd rather see a H52 (w) and XP-G2, but not much doubt we'll see those soon as well.


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## Diablo_331

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



TweakMDS said:


> Nice, that seems to have come out of nowhere. Looks nice though. I admit I'd rather see a H52 (w) and XP-G2, but not much doubt we'll see those soon as well.


I would also like to see this offered with a XPG2 but as long as they offer it with the 4000k high CRI Rebel then I'm set. This will knock my SC51c out of my pocket if that happens.


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## NiteShift

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Hmm, good news but I'm not thrilled about XML. Will it throw less than the SC51?


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## TweakMDS

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



NiteShift said:


> Hmm, good news but I'm not thrilled about XML. Will it throw less than the SC51?



Much less. I have the ET D25A in XM-L and XP-G and in spite of the even smaller reflector the difference is night and day. However, there's a very good use for both; in most cases with a small light, I'd prefer the floodiness of the XM-L emitter, but normally an XP-G S2 has a better tint and slightly higher CRI.


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## stp

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

It depends if you will count 500lm for 1 min. from 14500. In that mode the throw should be more or less similar (and with bigger hotspot) to the SC51's 200 lm from XP-G.


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## Badbeams3

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Where is all this info coming from?


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## moshow9

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Badbeams3 said:


> Where is all this info coming from?


From their website. On the left column there is a Red Button that allows you to compare all the models:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...authkey=CNqP6KIC&hl=en&authkey=CNqP6KIC#gid=0


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## Badbeams3

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



moshow9 said:


> From their website. On the left column there is a Red Button that allows you to compare all the models:
> 
> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...authkey=CNqP6KIC&hl=en&authkey=CNqP6KIC#gid=0



Thank you!


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## bluemax_1

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Looking at the dimensions of the SC52, they should have made it an SC82 (SC81?). The ability to stick a 17500 in there would have been fantastic. Curious to see it when it comes out though. 280 lumens on 1xAA is ridiculous! If the independent tests prove the output and runtimes to be fairly accurate, they're getting Quark QP2A 2xAA output (280 lumens-0.9 hours) and runtimes off 1xAA.


Max


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## Overclocker

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



bluemax_1 said:


> Looking at the dimensions of the SC52, they should have made it an SC82 (SC81?). The ability to stick a 17500 in there would have been fantastic. Curious to see it when it comes out though. 280 lumens on 1xAA is ridiculous! If the independent tests prove the output and runtimes to be fairly accurate, they're getting Quark QP2A 2xAA output (280 lumens-0.9 hours) and runtimes off 1xAA.
> 
> 
> Max




That model 4sevens actually 400 lumens before stepdown


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## GeoBruin

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Not on regular AAs.



Overclocker said:


> That model 4sevens actually 400 lumens before stepdown


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## Overclocker

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Overclocker said:


> That model 4sevens actually 400 lumens before stepdown



from selfbuilt


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## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Overclocker said:


> from selfbuilt



400lm on 2x Eneloop AA? Wow.. Foursevens webpage states 280lm max.

Let's not argue about numbers but simply agree that the 2 leading companies in terms of efficiency and brightness are Zebralight (#1) and Foursevens (#2).
Fenix might be on ranking #3 or worse


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## Overclocker

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> 400lm on 2x Eneloop AA? Wow.. Foursevens webpage states 280lm max.
> 
> Let's not argue about numbers but simply agree that the 2 leading companies in terms of efficiency and brightness are Zebralight (#1) and Foursevens (#2).
> Fenix might be on ranking #3 or worse




280 after stepdown. typical foursevens conservative ratings

sc52 still beats it. quarkX will never put out 280 from a single eneloop

actually fenix is more efficient than foursevens but isn't a fair comparison coz fenix doesn't support li-ion


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## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



dealgrabber2002 said:


> I got an email from customer stating that they will upgrade their lights to XP-G2 within a few months.



The question is now, what is more preferrable?
SC52 w/ (greenish) *XM-L U2* _versus _SC52 w/ (throwy) *XP-G2*

XP-G2 will be dimmer than XM-L U2 in terms of total lumens output, i guess. 280 lumens bygones.


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## bluemax_1

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> The question is now, what is more preferrable?
> SC52 w/ (greenish) *XM-L U2* _versus _SC52 w/ (throwy) *XP-G2*
> 
> XP-G2 will be dimmer than XM-L U2 in terms of total lumens output, i guess. 280 lumens bygones.



Based on my SC80 vs QPA-G2 vs QP2A-X, I'm going to prefer the G2, so thanks for the heads up on that.

Curious to see how many lumens and what runtimes ZL can get out of the G2, on an Eneloop and on a 14500. If they can get ~400 lumens before stepdown and their ridiculous runtimes in an SC81/82 that can fit an AA, 14500, CR123 AND a 17500, I'll be all over it.


Max


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## leon2245

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

shelm what is the dia. on this one btw?




AnAppleSnail said:


> I mean, we can make you a pinky-sized light that will do 1000 lumen, but *it'll need needles and pumps to enhance the cooling with fresh blood.* I don't know about you, but I can't heatsink more than about 10W of light in my hand continuously before I start to get overwarm. If you need that output for long, then at present you'll have to accept the hardware to support it. In the meantime I can check my brakes for rocks with my Vesuvius on max for a few seconds at a time.



The sad part is there'd be those here who would be all too proud of such an edc setup.


:shakehead


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## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



selfbuilt said:


> *SC50w*: Weight: 37.8g (no battery), Width (bezel) *22.4mm*, (tailcap) 21.4mm, Length 80.5mm
> *SC51*: Weight: 37.4g (no battery), Width (bezel) *22.4mm*, (tailcap) 21.4mm, Length 80.5mm





leon2245 said:


> shelm what is the dia. on this one btw?



the *SC52* specs state "0.93in" (=*23.6mm* lol)

For comparison purposes, the bezel diameter of D25A Clicky Ti is exactly *17.50mm* (measured by myself!), Fenix LD20 21.5mm, Quark 22.0mm.

If 280lm *on the paper* sounds impressive (to us flashaholics because it is 100lm more than the very efficient Eagletac) but the overall product as a total entity cant impress my folks, then what does it good buying a _to us_ better flashlight if *in practice* _people _feel that the Titanium Clicky is "the better" or more desirable product? 
:thinking:

That said, i am really curious how far the SC52 throws (with its large 23.6mm diameter bezel) and how attractive it looks. None of the old ZL's would ever win a flashlight beauty contest, till now at least. Maybe the SC52 is a game changer. And hopefully it is.


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## moshow9

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> I will buy a SC52 copy and show it to friends and neighbors together with the D25A Clicky Ti at night, maybe to 4 persons in total one at a time. I will ask them to tell me which of the two impresses them more and therefore they would like more. Both Eneloop and 14500 will be fed. If all 4 come to the conclusion that they like the Eagletac better (for whatever stupid reason, maybe the Titanium material, or the slim form factor, or simply the looks, and they dont mind the 100lm brightness difference in practical RL situations), then i am going to return the SC52 to the dealer for a full refund. That simple.


That's a pretty low thing to do, buy it just to test it out and then return it to the dealer used. You should at least sell it on the MP as the dealer and light are not at fault (presumably). You already sound like you won't want to keep it.

Different strokes for different folks and all that, but it's odd that you would keep a light and return the other if all 4 of your friends are impressed (or not) by it.


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## reppans

**NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I'd say any increase in bezel diameter is going toward larger cooling fins and/or deeper switch shrouding, and probably not to the reflector.


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## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> the *SC52* specs state "0.93in" (=*23.6mm* lol)
> 
> For comparison purposes, the bezel diameter of D25A Clicky Ti is exactly *17.50mm* (measured by myself!), Fenix LD20 21.5mm, Quark 22.0mm.
> 
> If 280lm *on the paper* sounds impressive (to us flashaholics because it is 100lm more than the very efficient Eagletac) but the overall product as a total entity cant impress my folks, then what does it good buying a _to us_ better flashlight if *in practice* _people _feel that the Titanium Clicky is "the better" or more desirable product?
> :thinking:
> 
> That said, i am really curious how far the SC52 throws (with its large 23.6mm diameter bezel) and how attractive it looks. None of the old ZL's would ever win a flashlight beauty contest, till now at least. Maybe the SC52 is a game changer. And hopefully it is.




D25a is almost certainly smaller than the SC52. The advantage of the SC52 is it has Zebralight's much superior interface. And if the button is anything like the SC80, then tailcap lockout will be unnecessary. Also it should be more practical to run on 14500 than the D25a. On 14500, the D25a loses access to all medium modes and overheats very quickly.


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## bluemax_1

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Which is why an SC80 form factor with 17500 capability would be great.


Max


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## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



bluemax_1 said:


> Which is why an SC80 form factor with 17500 capability would be great.
> 
> 
> Max



I have an SC80, but am not a fan of it and do not EDC it.

When using either a AA or 123 sized cell there's empty space inside the light. This gives the feeling that the light is much larger than it needs to be. It doesn't help that the battery tube sidewalls are very thick which gives a lot of excess weight. My overall impression of the SC80:

1. Great ergonomics - very grippy, perfect button. Feels great in the hand. Good.
2. Very heavy for what it does. Larger than it needs to be. Not good.
3. Small reflector compared to the width of the light. Not good.

My ideal EDC would be something smaller and thinner than the SC80. Perhaps more in line with the SC51, but using the SC80's switch, and knurled like an SC80. Get rid of the ability to use 123 sized cells. I want my light optimized for AA / 14500. I don't want a compromise light that is optimized for nothing. 17500 support? My SC80 does NOT fit my AW protected 17500. The tube is 1 mm too thin.

Overall, the stats on the SC52 look MUCH better than the SC80 to me. The SC52 is a light I might actually EDC.


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## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



moozooh said:


> According to the data I have, pretty much so. However, you will drain the battery somewhat faster using the 500 lm turbo mode; on 280 lm power consumption should be close to identical.
> 
> In any case I don't mind the XM-L in SC52; I rather want a tailclicky thrower made by ZL, and T5 would be perfect in that role, but so far it just seems to be an SC52 with a different button placement.



okay, lets say this way .. if they release a SC53 with XP-G2 and it has the same lumens data (280lm on Eneloop, and official support for 14500), then i would prefer the SC53 over the SC52 XML. the bezel size of 23.6mm should give us some advantage over the standard 21.5mm traditional bezel size. the advantage should be: more throw!


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## bluemax_1

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Fireclaw18 said:


> I have an SC80, but am not a fan of it and do not EDC it.
> 
> When using either a AA or 123 sized cell there's empty space inside the light. This gives the feeling that the light is much larger than it needs to be. It doesn't help that the battery tube sidewalls are very thick which gives a lot of excess weight. My overall impression of the SC80:
> 
> 1. Great ergonomics - very grippy, perfect button. Feels great in the hand. Good.
> 2. Very heavy for what it does. Larger than it needs to be. Not good.
> 3. Small reflector compared to the width of the light. Not good.
> 
> My ideal EDC would be something smaller and thinner than the SC80. Perhaps more in line with the SC51, but using the SC80's switch, and knurled like an SC80. Get rid of the ability to use 123 sized cells. I want my light optimized for AA / 14500. I don't want a compromise light that is optimized for nothing. 17500 support? My SC80 does NOT fit my AW protected 17500. The tube is 1 mm too thin.
> 
> Overall, the stats on the SC52 look MUCH better than the SC80 to me. The SC52 is a light I might actually EDC.


Yes, I keep forgetting that different folks have had different results with 17500s in the SC80. I'll wondering if it's inconsistency in the size of the cells or the bore of the SC80.

I personally don't find the size of the SC80 too bad, but of course, compared to a D25A, the SC80 is a fatty. I was just saying that the dimensions of the SC52 are almost the dimensions of the SC80 as is.


shelm said:


> okay, lets say this way .. if they release a SC53 with XP-G2 and it has the same lumens data (280lm on Eneloop, and official support for 14500), then i would prefer the SC53 over the SC52 XML. the bezel size of 23.6mm should give us some advantage over the standard 21.5mm traditional bezel size. the advantage should be: more throw!


THIS would be perfect!

My current EDC is a QPA-G2 on 14500. More lumens and or better runtimes would be even better.


Max


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## bluemax_1

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

*****


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## low

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



bluemax_1 said:


> Yes, I keep forgetting that different folks have had different results with S in the SC80. I'll wondering if it's inconsistency in the size of the cells or the bore of the SC80.




I think it is the cells. There are several small cells that are wrapped to create one big one. I wish I had a cell that does not fit, I would love to put it on a firm surface and roll it lightly with a steel plate to "true it up" and see if she fits. 

I have a SC80c that will ship one day and I do intend on using 17500's in it.


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## GeoBruin

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I stand corrected. 



Overclocker said:


> from selfbuilt


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## Badbeams3

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Any release date for this light yet?


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## Gregozedobe

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Badbeams3 said:


> Any release date for this light yet?


According to Lillian from ZL (as of today):
"Subject: SC52
The spec will be out in 7-10 days. Pre-order in 2 weeks."

I'm looking forward to getting one


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## UpstandingCitizen

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Has Selfbuilt done a review (with output measurements) of a Zebralight?


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## moozooh

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I'm sure you could check his site.


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## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

This is the most exciting new release of the year (with the H502 being a close 2nd in my mind.) I have been hoping for this light, and out of left field ZL announces it.....very nice. XML, 14500 capable, 500 lumens.....brilliant. 

I prefer the UI of the Zebra's over my current edc - a Quark AA with a neutral XML head on it & runnin on a 14500. I just hope ZL puts a better clip (a screw on clip) than the what they've been using. Also, the button needs to be similar to the SC600 or the SC80 for it to work as an edc (no more accidental turn on in your pocket.) No short cuts please Zebralight; not on such a brilliant piece of equipment. If this happens then ZL will have a true game changer.


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## Badbeams3

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I`m wondering if it will look like the sc51...or a mini sc600...?


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## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Badbeams3 said:


> I`m wondering if it will look like the sc51...or a mini sc600...?



My vote's for a mini SC600. That'd be good lookin.


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## henry1960

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Gregozedobe said:


> According to Lillian from ZL (as of today):
> "Subject: SC52
> The spec will be out in 7-10 days. Pre-order in 2 weeks."
> 
> I'm looking forward to getting one



I Love The SC51 Butt Really Looking Forward In Having The SC52 Comming Out!!!


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## hook63

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I think I would rather have a sc32 if it will run a 16340


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## tobrien

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I bet it'll be an sc80 style body


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## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



tobrien said:


> I bet it'll be an sc80 style body



A narrower SC80 style body would be really nice. The SC80 feels great in the hand. It's just heavier and wider than it needs to be for a AA sized light. This would be my preference for styling.

Still. I expect that it will look pretty similar to the SC51.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the SC51's looks. It looks pretty, but in function it's not ideal for how I use my EDC. My EDC flashlight sits loose in my pocket so I do not need a clip. When the SC51's clip is removed the clip mount has sharp corners and edges that can dig through pockets. 

Also, the SC51's smooth body is very slippery and fails to provide a sure grip. The lack of knurling was no doubt intentional in order to allow for the light to be used with the included headband. But as a headlight, the SC51 leaves a lot to be desired: the light sits alongside the head and the beam angle cannot be adjusted unlike the more dedicated headlights where the light sits sideways at the front of the wearer's head with the beam emitting perpendicular to the light body. 

The result was a body shape that wasn't ideal for a flashlight, and wasn't ideal for a headlight. Personally, I'd rather see the SC52 in a shape optimized for flashlight use, which to me means something similar to the SC80, but thinner.


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## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



hook63 said:


> I think I would rather have a sc32 if it will run a 16340



The SC32 was just posted on their website, and will be released next month. Hopefully it will be supported by a Li-ion.


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## calipsoii

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I'm really getting excited for the SC52. Hopefully we'll see some pics of it soon. Unlike most of the posters so far, I absolutely adore the look of the SC51 and rather detest the SC600, so I hope they stay with their current design. Screw-on clip + finned head + thin body please.


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## tobrien

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



calipsoii said:


> I'm really getting excited for the SC52. Hopefully we'll see some pics of it soon. Unlike most of the posters so far, I absolutely adore the look of the SC51 and rather detest the SC600, so I hope they stay with their current design. Screw-on clip + finned head + thin body please.



Likewise. I hope they keep the screw on clip above all else. I'm really against the flashlght industry's clip on clips trend ugh


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## Badbeams3

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> My vote's for a mini SC600. That'd be good lookin.



I agree, that would be my preferred look. But I suspect it will be more like the 51...


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## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

tactical momentary activation (morse code) would be great in an EDC light!
never seen such a thing in Zebras. the Eagtac D-series lights dont havem either.

hm.


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## hook63

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> The SC32 was just posted on their website, and will be released next month. Hopefully it will be supported by a Li-ion.


yea


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## leon2245

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Fireclaw18 said:


> A narrower SC80 style body would be really nice. The SC80 feels great in the hand. It's just heavier and wider than it needs to be for a AA sized light. This would be my preference for styling.
> 
> Still. I expect that it will look pretty similar to the SC51.
> 
> Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the SC51's looks. It looks pretty, but in function it's not ideal for how I use my EDC. My EDC flashlight sits loose in my pocket so I do not need a clip. When the SC51's clip is removed the clip mount has sharp corners and edges that can dig through pockets.
> 
> Also, the SC51's smooth body is very slippery and fails to provide a sure grip. The lack of knurling was no doubt intentional in order to allow for the light to be used with the included headband. But as a headlight, the SC51 leaves a lot to be desired: the light sits alongside the head and the beam angle cannot be adjusted unlike the more dedicated headlights where the light sits sideways at the front of the wearer's head with the beam emitting perpendicular to the light body.
> 
> The result was a body shape that wasn't ideal for a flashlight, and wasn't ideal for a headlight. Personally, I'd rather see the SC52 in a shape optimized for flashlight use, which to me means something similar to the SC80, but thinner.



Personally, I'd rather keep it as slim & cylindrical as possible. One of things I like about the aa battery is its shape, longer & thinner than cr123a's. I like it when manufacturers make lights that reflect this advantage, instead of aa & cr123a versions being the same width. Ymmv.


----------



## bluemax_1

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Look at the listed dimensions:
SC52: Width 0.93", Length 3", Weight, 1.36oz
SC80: Width 0.94", Length 3.2", Weight 1.9oz
SC51: Width 0.9", Length 3.2", Weight 1.3oz

That's why I said it looks closer to the dimensions of an SC80 without the brass insert for multiple battery types.


Max


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



bluemax_1 said:


> Look at the listed dimensions:
> SC52: Width 0.93", Length 3", Weight, 1.36oz
> SC80: Width 0.94", Length 3.2", Weight 1.9oz
> SC51: Width 0.9", Length 3.2", Weight 1.3oz
> 
> That's why I said it looks closer to the dimensions of an SC80 without the brass insert for multiple battery types.



Dang it, looks like it may be a fatty. I liked the SC80 ok, but felt it was to thick to replace my slim Quark AA which is .86" in diameter. I hope that .93" in diameter on the new H52 is the head & not the body. If not, then it may not replace my quark....have been hoping it would be good enough though. I love the Zebra UI more than any other. We will see.


----------



## moozooh

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I'm more than sure the added girth is due to the use of XM-L. It's the largest LED ZebraLight has used yet, and it would be impossible to produce a decent beam using SC51's reflector. It'll most likely be closer to SC600 in the sense of head to body proportions; I don't see any reason for the body itself to be fatter than usual.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> Dang it, looks like it may be a fatty. I liked the SC80 ok, but felt it was to thick to replace my slim Quark AA which is .86" in diameter. I hope that .93" in diameter on the new H52 is the head & not the body. If not, then it may not replace my quark....have been hoping it would be good enough though. I love the Zebra UI more than any other. We will see.



+ 1

sharing all your above thoughts.
if the SC52 resembles more the fatty SC80, i am gonna p*** out loud the gungreen zebra ***sh 




​


----------



## TweakMDS

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

The fatty part might give it a better beam profile though, if they are efficient with the reflector placement. But indeed, if you compare it to an eagletac D25C clicky, that's 2.9" long and 0.78" wide. The D25A (clicky) is only 0.7" wide but 3.5" long.

I'm quite excited by this light still.


----------



## reppans

**NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> tactical momentary activation (morse code) would be great in an EDC light!
> never seen such a thing in Zebras. the Eagtac D-series lights dont havem either.
> 
> hm.



You can use reverse clicky Quarks, D25 clickies and Fenix LDs for signaling. Just back off a hair from tight bezel mode and then press the head sideways with your thumb.


----------



## reppans

**NEW* Zebralight SC52*



tobrien said:


> Likewise. I hope they keep the screw on clip above all else. I'm really against the flashlght industry's clip on clips trend ugh



I usually despise clip-on clips too, but on the ZLs I find clip-ons to be kind of a necessity. On the H series, it allows you to aim the beam when clipped to something like a hat or seatbelt and on the SC series it lets you rotate the light when clipped to your pocket so as to best protect the button from accidental activation.

This sounds like a great light.... I just ZL would keep in with the rest of the flashlight manufacturers and warranty it for at least 2 yrs.


----------



## Philonous

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Just give me that beautiful SC51 clip. The SC51 could tail-stand AND clip-stand. As much as I like the SC600, I miss that clip. The H502 is fine without it (because for me it lives on a head-band), but for me the SC52 needs to have that clip.


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



leon2245 said:


> Personally, I'd rather keep it as slim & cylindrical as possible. One of things I like about the aa battery is its shape, longer & thinner than cr123a's. I like it when manufacturers make lights that reflect this advantage, instead of aa & cr123a versions being the same width. Ymmv.


Same here - I think AA sized lights are, for my preferences, the best general shape possible. Just a little longer and a little slimmer = perfect.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

+1 on keeping it as slim as possible.


----------



## henry1960

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> +1 on keeping it as slim as possible.



+2 On That...


----------



## twl

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Slim is in!
That's why AAA is even better!
AA is a fatty.


----------



## Samy

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I love my SC51. It's very compact, and i really like the style and the clip looks great. If the SC52 could handle a 14500 and pump out 500 lumens like my Sunwayman V10A, and look cool like the SC51 then i'll get one 

cheers


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



marcis said:


> Hello
> 
> Just noticed that zebralight has the SC52 with a release date of 10/20, has anyone been talking about this, I did not find much with the search function.


Hello marcis,

we've talking here in this thread 
We are all sitting at our fences!!


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> Hello marcis,
> 
> we've talking here in this thread
> We are all sitting at our fences!!



Yes. Can't wait to see some screenshots of this.

This is one light I'll almost certainly pre-order the instant that becomes possible.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Fireclaw18 said:


> certainly pre-order the instant that becomes possible.



pre-orderers of the SC600 regretted the pre-ordering. early adopters of the SC600 regretted the early adoption. i wont hesitate buying updated/upgraded _Eagletac _flashlights (LED modules or D25-series or Mark II) as early adopter but the disaster with the SC600 initial release (and with their upcoming triple XML you betcha) makes me want to wait for reconfirmed user reports and several professional SC52 flashlight reviews. pre-ordering _Zebralight _.. maybe not the very best idea. And if it is just a floody light, then i am thinking that i better get a D25A XP-G2 head (aluminum or ti, both will be available) and play some lego.

nothing beats the D25A XM-L U2 in floodiness and brightness: with 14500 at 4.20V the D25A outputs ~600 OTF lumens. that's brighter than the regulated 500 OTF lumens of the SC52. me thinks.


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> pre-orderers of the SC600 regretted the pre-ordering. early adopters of the SC600 regretted the early adoption. i wont hesitate buying updated/upgraded _Eagletac _flashlights (LED modules or D25-series or Mark II) as early adopter but the disaster with the SC600 initial release (and with their upcoming triple XML you betcha) makes me want to wait for reconfirmed user reports and several professional SC52 flashlight reviews. pre-ordering _Zebralight _.. maybe not the very best idea. And if it is just a floody light, then i am thinking that i better get a D25A XP-G2 head (aluminum or ti, both will be available) and play some lego.
> 
> nothing beats the D25A XM-L U2 in floodiness and brightness: with 14500 at 4.20V the D25A outputs ~600 OTF lumens. that's brighter than the regulated 500 OTF lumens of the SC52. me thinks.



I have a D25A T6 neutral that I run on 14500. Nice and small. Decently bright. But definitely not perfect. On 14500, it only has 2 modes: low and high. No moonlight. And the low mode isn't dependable... sometimes it goes away completely and there's only high mode. Also it heats up insanely fast and isn't usable for more than a minute on high mode. It's a good light, but I don't consider it suitable for EDC with 14500.

I was one who pre-ordered the SC600 and yes... my light did come with the defective switch. I had to send it away for repair and then wait another 2-3 months for it to come back. Definitely not ideal. Still, the SC51 is a classic that got so many things right. It's biggest issues were relatively low output and the overly sensitive side switch that required tailcap lockout. The SC52 looks to solve both of these issues.


----------



## brightasday

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> pre-orderers of the SC600 regretted the pre-ordering. early adopters of the SC600 regretted the early adoption. i wont hesitate buying updated/upgraded _Eagletac _flashlights (LED modules or D25-series or Mark II) as early adopter but the disaster with the SC600 initial release (and with their upcoming triple XML you betcha) makes me want to wait for reconfirmed user reports and several professional SC52 flashlight reviews. pre-ordering _Zebralight _.. maybe not the very best idea. And if it is just a floody light, then i am thinking that i better get a D25A XP-G2 head (aluminum or ti, both will be available) and play some lego.
> 
> nothing beats the D25A XM-L U2 in floodiness and brightness: with 14500 at 4.20V the D25A outputs ~600 OTF lumens. that's brighter than the regulated 500 OTF lumens of the SC52. me thinks.




I pre-ordered the SC600 and never regretted it. On the contrary, I was quite happy to be one of the first to get it. It was and still is my favorite light ever.


----------



## Sway

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

A B&W glossy of said suspect would be greatly appreciated at this point........to help grease the purse strings you know


----------



## GordoJones88

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Sway said:


> A B&W glossy of said suspect would be greatly appreciated at this point.


----------



## ss Dragonfly

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Does anyone kmow if this will be followed with a similar version with about 4000K? I really want a warm one that doesnt have PWM.
Thanks in advance.....


----------



## leon2245

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> Slim is in!
> That's why AAA is even better!
> AA is a fatty.




& why AAAA is even better still (AAA is a fatty)!


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> pre-orderers of the SC600 regretted the pre-ordering. early adopters of the SC600 regretted the early adoption. i wont hesitate buying updated/upgraded _Eagletac _flashlights (LED modules or D25-series or Mark II) as early adopter but the disaster with the SC600 initial release (and with their upcoming triple XML you betcha) makes me want to wait for reconfirmed user reports and several professional SC52 flashlight reviews. pre-ordering _Zebralight _.. maybe not the very best idea. And if it is just a floody light, then i am thinking that i better get a D25A XP-G2 head (aluminum or ti, both will be available) and play some lego....



I agree with you shelm that a lot of folks regretted pre-ordering the SC600, BUT the recent release of the H502 has not been plagued with the same problems. It seems zebralight may have learned some valuable lessons, and are getting it right with the H502. Hope this is the new trend, and that they get the SC52 right from the start.


----------



## Pvt. Pile

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

My sc51 died! Was so close to ordering another one. Man, I'm happy I didn't. Bumped into this thread and now I want! I have no complaints what so ever about the sc51, and personally can't see how they could top it (other more lumens). Okay, the whole non-recessed button thing was a pain at first but it became second nature twist the tail cap for lockout. I do it with my sc600, which is unnecessary, but force of habit.I've gotta say, I haven't been this excited about a flashlight release in a long time!!!


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Where is George Yao I'm surprised he has not chimed in yet he usually does now and then when everyone is in this much anticipation on a soon to be released light. I hope it's just a SC51 with a slightly wider reflector for the XM-L, current controlled on every level no PWM although Zebra's PWM never really bothered me and apparently I'm pretty sensitive to it. 

Come on George throw us a bone.


----------



## Dubois

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

This may be a silly question, in that the SC52 isn't called H52, but is there any chance this light will come with a headband? If it's quite thin I it might be useful to double as a headlight.


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Dubois said:


> This may be a silly question, in that the SC52 isn't called H52, but is there any chance this light will come with a headband? If it's quite thin I it might be useful to double as a headlight.



I wouldn't be surprised if the SC52 came with a headband. The SC51 came with a headband and the SC52 is probably just an updated version of that light.

Personally, I'd rather they skip the headband. With the S series lights, the light comes out the front of the light much like a typical flashlight. This means that as a headlight the light has to be mounted on the side of your head. Your head might end up blocking some of the light. Even worse, you can't tilt the beam up and down without moving your entire head.

In contrast, the H series headlights have the beam coming out perpendicular to the light. This allows the light to be mounted at the front of the head. Beam angle can be adjusted by rotating the light in the headband up or down.

Rather than having a light that tries to do too much and doesn't serve very well as a headlight and isn't great as a flashlight, I think it would be better to have a body shape optimized for one or the other. The original SC51 is a classic light, but it wasn't perfect. One of its flaws was that the total lack of knurling made it very slippery. It was one light that could easily squirt out of your hand if you didn't keep a careful grip. The lack of knurling was probably chosen so that the light could accommodate the headband.


----------



## Dubois

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Good points, thanks.


----------



## Stanley_BA

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Gregozedobe said:


> According to Lillian from ZL (as of today):
> "Subject: SC52
> The spec will be out in 7-10 days. Pre-order in 2 weeks."
> 
> I'm looking forward to getting one




Hmm, since 8.10.2012, it is now 10 days. I can´t see any more detailed specs available..


----------



## marcis

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Go figure, zebralight changed the date from 10/20/2012 to ... you guessed it 10/2012. I love my zebralights, but they are always leaving us hanging. If the light is not ready, or even close to ready, why say the release date only to pull it days before it is released....


----------



## marcis

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



marcis said:


> Go figure, zebralight changed the date from 10/20/2012 to ... you guessed it 10/2012. I love my zebralights, but they are always leaving us hanging. If the light is not ready, or even close to ready, why say the release date only to pull it days before it is released....


 and yes I realize this is only a couple of weeks, but this has happened before with their lights .. q50 being the easiest example.


----------



## LedTed

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I'm adding to the winter survival kit I keep in my car, and don't know if I should wait for a SC52 or grab a NC D11.2 while I can still find one. What does the group think?


----------



## moshow9

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



LedTed said:


> I'm adding to the winter survival kit I keep in my car, and don't know if I should wait for a SC52 or grab a NC D11.2 while I can still find one. What does the group think?


For a winter survival kit, and if you don't mind the wait, I think the SC52 would fit the bill much better due to it's efficiency and crazy runtimes.


----------



## gopajti

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

That is just freaking sweet!


----------



## CVLPA

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



gopajti said:


>


I didn't know ZebraLight made 14500 batteries!


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



jhc37013 said:


> That is just freaking sweet!



Looks like a XML floody light (like any other ZL flashlight). Probably comes with a headband? Anyway i have an Ultrafire headband already. If not a headband, maybe this light could be clipped well to the *side brim* of a baseball cap/hat?

What i like: the tailcap is flush with the body. 

Overall design looks probably better than SC51. Let's be honest, neither the SC51 nor SC52 are beauties, just ask your non-flashaholic friends and families who didnt get blinded by the industry leading specs on the paper sheet.

I still dont like the esthetic looks of the SC52 (or any other ZL) but one thing's for sure: the SC52 looks like an original Zebralight. Very original. Unique.

Looking or being original is something good. I guess.


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I don't think I have a light in my collection that if I showed a friend he would say it's beautiful, what I see as sweet or beautiful is useability and uniqueness. I guess it's a matter of preference because I've always enjoyed the looks of Zebralight's, the only thing I didn't care for was the slippery bodies of the SC51 and others.


----------



## NiteShift

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Gopajti always has the good stuff! 

Thanks for the photo, the new design looks good and should solve the problem of slipperiness.

What I would like to know is how much less throw this light will have compared to the SC51. Lets say for example the SC51 threw for 100m, what will this one do? 75? 50? less??


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Ah sure, thanks gopajti for the good stuff!!



jhc37013 said:


> and uniqueness. I guess it's a matter of preference because I've always enjoyed the looks of Zebralight's


+ 1
the ZL's, and again this SC52 are 100% unique in esthetic design. asking you, personal question: Which is better looking .. SC51 or SC52, in your opinion?

To me, the SC52 is better looking .. hmm.. but maybe only because it's new lol.


----------



## CVLPA

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



CVLPA said:


> I didn't know ZebraLight made 14500 batteries!


To answer my own question, ZebraLight will sell both 18650 and 14500 soon according to their Facebook page.


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> Ah sure, thanks gopajti for the good stuff!!
> 
> 
> + 1
> the ZL's, and again this SC52 are 100% unique in esthetic design. asking you, personal question: Which is better looking .. SC51 or SC52, in your opinion?
> 
> To me, the SC52 is better looking .. hmm.. but maybe only because it's new lol.



I'm with you I think the SC52 looks better, the ribbed tube instead of the plain tube on the 51 and the recessed switch like the SC600 and SC80, something about that slightly fatter head looks better to maybe it's because it looks like it will balance well in my hand or I can better snug my fingers up against it while in use.


----------



## raphaello

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

What a jewel ! Really eager to see how this little beast performs. It certainly looks amazing. Oh... Zebralight... Why do you do this to me again ...


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Interesting design. Head looks about the same size and shape as the head of the SC80, but perhaps with a slightly larger reflector. Narrow body tube sized for 14500, with ribs like on the H600. My guess is this light will also come with a headband like the SC51.

the clip mount looks very similiar to the SC51 and probably has the same drawbacks: With the clip removed the corners of the mount are probably sharp and like to dig through a pocket. My guess is neither light is intended to be used without the clip (except perhaps when on a headband).


----------



## twl

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Yes, I noticed immediately the ribbed body like the H600. That's not a bad thing. It looks fine with that. 
And the head's a little bigger, which is probably necessary for getting some throw.

So now, I guess it comes down to finding out how good it works.


----------



## Gunner12

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

gopajti always has the pics! Thanks!

Personally, I like the cleaner look of the SC51, and it's slightly narrower head, but the SC52 doesn't look too bad either.


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Gunner12 said:


> gopajti always has the pics! Thanks!



Yes he does I think he must have some crazy program that runs and finds the very instant any photos or info regarding a new light hits the net. It's not just Facebook he finds info in all sorts of cracks and crevices on the net, keep that program running gopajti.


----------



## Swede74

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

SC51 and SC52 side by side






I wish they had skipped the logo and model name. It doesn't look like any other light, which makes the logo superfluous. Putting it on the light nonetheless is almost like saying 'We are not quite confident our uniqueness speaks for itself'.


----------



## Lime

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Definitely gonna buy this. Zebralight says the SC52w will be released in late November on their FB page.
I personally prefer CW for general EDC and NW for outdoors, so won't wait for the SC52W.
... Now let's hope SC52 is actually released this month .. :sigh:


----------



## maxrep12

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



> just ask your non-flashaholic friends and families .



Shelm, from this post and others, you seem to place an inordinate amount of importance anticipating the reaction of friends and family. Perhaps a handsome laser pointer should be your next purchase.

There are distinct reasons Zebralight has moved to the front of the class.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Holy crap.......this is awesome! The light looks like a grand slam to me! I will buy the CW version first. If it is as good as I think it will be then I'll get one or two of the neutrals. Can't wait for an H52fw too....assuming an "H" series is in the works!!


----------



## Lime

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Swede74 said:


> I wish they had skipped the logo and model name. It doesn't look like any other light, which makes the logo superfluous. Putting it on the light nonetheless is almost like saying 'We are not quite confident our uniqueness speaks for itself'.



+1
I think it would look better if the ribs went all the way around the body, as on the H600.


----------



## Vman63

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Ahhh... My new EDC!


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Lime said:


> +1
> I think it would look better if the ribs went all the way around the body, as on the H600.



I think it will be more comfortable to hold without the ribs going all the way around, it gives a place for your thumb to rest especially the joint of your thumb if you hold it that way. When you click the switch with your thumb most of your thumb will raise up off the body while the tip of your thumb clicks the switch, when your done pressing on the switch your thumb will naturally lay rested on the body until you click again, if it was ribbed it may feel award.


----------



## flame2000

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Amazing that Zebralight can squeezed out 280lm from 1AA Eneloop and yet still maintained the runtime of 0.9hr similar to the SC51. :thumbsup:


----------



## calipsoii

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Likes:
- The screw-on clip! Thank you for keeping that!

Dislikes:
- The ribbed body. Part of the SC51's aesthetic charm was the smooth body balanced by the harsh fins at the head. Now it's bumpy all over, like it's been sitting in the hot tub for too long and got wrinkly.
- The branding looks tacky when viewed from the top
- The switch housing looks "tacked on". It's like a metal version of the o-rings people were cementing to their switches.


On one hand, I (badly) want the new firmware that this light is sporting. More modes, more efficient driver, what's not to like?
On the other, it feels like a step backward in design. It looks like the Nitecore EA1 - short, angular, and with wiggly lines instead of the clean lines of the SC51.

I think I'll hold off on pre-ordering this guy until I see a few more pictures and reviews.


----------



## markr6

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



calipsoii said:


> Likes:
> - The screw-on clip! Thank you for keeping that!
> 
> Dislikes:
> - The ribbed body. Part of the SC51's aesthetic charm was the smooth body balanced by the harsh fins at the head. Now it's bumpy all over, like it's been sitting in the hot tub for too long and got wrinkly.
> - The branding looks tacky when viewed from the top
> - The switch housing looks "tacked on". It's like a metal version of the o-rings people were cementing to their switches.
> 
> 
> On one hand, I (badly) want the new firmware that this light is sporting. More modes, more efficient driver, what's not to like?
> On the other, it feels like a step backward in design. It looks like the Nitecore EA1 - short, angular, and with wiggly lines instead of the clean lines of the SC51.
> 
> I think I'll hold off on pre-ordering this guy until I see a few more pictures and reviews.



My exact feelings


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



jhc37013 said:


> I think it will be more comfortable to hold without the ribs going all the way around, it gives a place for your thumb to rest especially the joint of your thumb if you hold it that way. When you click the switch with your thumb most of your thumb will raise up off the body while the tip of your thumb clicks the switch, when your done pressing on the switch your thumb will naturally lay rested on the body until you click again, if it was ribbed it may feel award.


\

Not necessarily. The switch looks just like that on the SC80.

For general use I'd just keep my thumb on the switch. It provides a natural grip point and if it's like the SC80 it will be stiff enough that the switch won't cycle accidentally. Unlike the SC51, there's no need to take your thumb off the switch.


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*








calipsoii said:


> Likes:
> - The screw-on clip! Thank you for keeping that!
> 
> Dislikes:
> - The ribbed body. Part of the SC51's aesthetic charm was the smooth body balanced by the harsh fins at the head. Now it's bumpy all over, like it's been sitting in the hot tub for too long and got wrinkly.
> - The branding looks tacky when viewed from the top
> - The switch housing looks "tacked on". It's like a metal version of the o-rings people were cementing to their switches.
> 
> 
> On one hand, I (badly) want the new firmware that this light is sporting. More modes, more efficient driver, what's not to like?
> On the other, it feels like a step backward in design. It looks like the Nitecore EA1 - short, angular, and with wiggly lines instead of the clean lines of the SC51.
> 
> I think I'll hold off on pre-ordering this guy until I see a few more pictures and reviews.


I was starting to wonder if I was the only one who prefers the clean lines of the SC51. The only thing I wanted to see change externally was better protection for the switch, and the ribbing just looks like this years bling as opposed to meaningful design change.
I'm going to get one anyway, for the other advances and suppose that once I'm used to it I won't notice the changes too much.


----------



## moozooh

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Bah, there's no pleasing everybody. But if anything, I think the logo is a good thing to help build up brand awareness. ZebraLight is an unusual name that sets itself apart (a zebra is not something associated with power, aggression, reliability, or luminosity, unlike roots used to build most other flashlight brand names), but then the ribs and fins also represent zebra stripes! All together it works towards building an image of a unique, above-mainstream brand, definitely not some no-name handicraft built on one of the countless Asian factories.

Btw, those branded 840 mAh 14500s are a great and unexpected surprise. The increased capacity should give about 10% extra runtime over AW 750 mAh, which may well translate to hours and days of operation on some of the modes. In terms of raw watt-hours 840*3.7 is close to top capacity NiMHs (say, 2600*1.2); I wonder which will prove a better choice for general use, 500 lm boost mode aside. I'm wildly speculating here, but bucking Li-ion voltage to the LED's forward voltage should have less conversion overhead than boosting an AA...


----------



## maxrep12

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



moozooh said:


> Bah, there's no pleasing everybody. But if anything, I think the logo is a good thing to help build up brand awareness. ZebraLight is an unusual name that sets itself apart (a zebra is not something associated with power, aggression, reliability, or luminosity, unlike roots used to build most other flashlight brand names), but then the ribs and fins also represent zebra stripes! All together it works towards building an image of a unique, above-mainstream brand, definitely not some no-name handicraft built on one of the countless Asian factories.
> 
> ...



I think its safe to say that this particular piece will be the most sought after edc in its price bracket for the 2013 calendar year. The sc52 will dominate the market just as the sc600 did. Other manufacturers would do well to make some changes. Savvy consumers here are coming to grips with utility and efficiency, and are bidding farewell to Rambo tactical lights. Heck, were not even including the new Zebra heavyweights about to enter the ring.


----------



## henry1960

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



maxrep12 said:


> I think its safe to say that this particular piece will be the most sought after edc in its price bracket for the 2013 calendar year. The sc52 will dominate the market just as the sc600 did. Other manufacturers would do well to make some changes. Savvy consumers here are coming to grips with utility and efficiency, and are bidding farewell to Rambo tactical lights. Heck, were not even including the new Zebra heavyweights about to enter the ring.



You Could Of Not Said It Any Better!!!


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I noticed on the Zebralight facebook page there's a post from Zebralight saying that the SC52w will be released in late November.


----------



## Bwolcott

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I am liking the new look!


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Fireclaw18 said:


> \
> 
> Not necessarily. The switch looks just like that on the SC80.
> 
> For general use I'd just keep my thumb on the switch. It provides a natural grip point and if it's like the SC80 it will be stiff enough that the switch won't cycle accidentally. Unlike the SC51, there's no need to take your thumb off the switch.



When I use a side clicky like the SC600 I don't walk around with my thumb on the switch that would keep my thumb at a awkward angle arching, so I find my output mode retreat my thumb a little and rest it on the SC600's flat area. The only time I keep my thumb on or hovering over the switch is when I'm just using the light for a few seconds so a flat area works good for me when I'm using the light for a slight to moderate time.


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



jhc37013 said:


> When I use a side clicky like the SC600 I don't walk around with my thumb on the switch that would keep my thumb at a awkward angle arching, so I find my output mode retreat my thumb a little and rest it on the SC600's flat area. The only time I keep my thumb on or hovering over the switch is when I'm just using the light for a few seconds so a flat area works good for me when I'm using the light for a slight to moderate time.



Hm. you do have a point. Now that I think about it a bit more closely. Unless I'm using my light for only a very brief period of time I will take my thumb off the button and put it next to my fingers on the side of the light.


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Fireclaw18 said:


> I noticed on the Zebralight facebook page there's a post from Zebralight saying that the SC52w will be released in late November.


That's the one for me!


----------



## jorn

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I like the new looks. Seems to be more beefy in the head , and the wrinkles adds surface area. So the design might be more than just looks. Might help keeping it cooler when used as a headlamp.


----------



## Lime

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Hmm.. 11 days left of this month :thinking: .. so should be released within less than two weeks :huh:

I don't think I've ever waited so eagerly for a flashlight release before :sweat:

Looking forward to put a freshly charged Eneloop XX 2500mAh in it :devil:


----------



## tygger

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Fantastic. My beat up SC51w will have a worthy replacement. Great job ZL!


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



tygger said:


> My beat up SC51w will


How does a beat up SC51w look like, got any pix plz?
Gives me an image of what a beat up SC52 will/would look like!


----------



## GunnarGG

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I have an SC30 and have been waiting for this updated version of the SC51.
Would have prefered that it looked more like the SC51 but think it's OK.

There is the headlamp H502d that I have not seen but it to me it seems like the right tint and also high cri.
Do you think we will see the an SC52d?


----------



## Vman63

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Lime said:


> Looking forward to put a freshly charged Eneloop XX 2500mAh in it :devil:



I'm looking forward to putting a fully charged 14500 3.7v 840mAh Zebralight battery in mine!


----------



## Bill S.

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Looks sweet to me. I have the SC51 and will really appreciate the 52's new switch. More than once the 51 turned on in my pocket by itself. I'll be getting at least one; probably a few.


----------



## Mr Floppy

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



GunnarGG said:


> Do you think we will see the an SC52d?



Or a SC52c? Just want a H502w first ...


----------



## GordoJones88

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

This will be my first Zebralight and it's not really even for me.
I have all kinds of small bright 16340 lights I can use for myself.
I would like my brother/sister/dad to have a small 280-lumen bright quality EDC-type light.
It's just not feasible to introduce them to the care and handling of 4.2v Li-Ion 16340 batteries.
I can however get them an SC52 and a pack of XXX Eneloops.
Not cheap to be sure, but an excellent gift they would never buy for themselves.
I already gave them a Thrunite Ti 50 lumen AAA light.


----------



## Swede74

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Pre-Order October 25

Link to ZL's newsletter in a thread at fonarevka.ru (post #44) http://forum.fonarevka.ru/showthread.php?t=12521&page=5

In English: http://translate.google.com/transla...um.fonarevka.ru/showthread.php?t=12521&page=5


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Swede74 said:


> Pre-Order October 25
> 
> Link to ZL's newsletter in a thread at fonarevka.ru (post #44) http://forum.fonarevka.ru/showthread.php?t=12521&page=5
> 
> In English: http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fforum.fonarevka.ru%2Fshowthread.php%3Ft%3D12521%26page%3D5



Awesome! Pre-order date: October 25. Expected ship date: November 15.

I'll definitely be pre-ordering one of these as soon as possible.


----------



## stp

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



GordoJones88 said:


> This will be my first Zebralight and it's not really even for me.
> I have all kinds of small bright 16340 lights I can use for myself.
> I would like my brother/sister/dad to have a small 280-lumen bright quality EDC-type light.
> ...



Word of warning about giving ZebraLight as a gift...I have H51w and love that light and its interface but I tested its usability with few other people and it's hit or miss. Some people just can't grasp the interface so it really depends if your brother/sister/dad is tech-savvy enough. This is where variable ring shows its strength because everybody can grasp it in few seconds.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Just found this photo comparing the SC52 with the SC51 on their facebook page. Looks awesome to me. Looks like the larger head is for the larger LED and the new & improved switch design. Lovin that the body is about the same size as the SC51, and is a little shorter. Also, I think the ribs make it look cool. I never did like the looks of the sc51 & others that looked like it. But this one, I really like.


----------



## twl

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



stp said:


> Word of warning about giving ZebraLight as a gift...I have H51w and love that light and its interface but I tested its usability with few other people and it's hit or miss. Some people just can't grasp the interface so it really depends if your brother/sister/dad is tech-savvy enough. This is where variable ring shows its strength because everybody can grasp it in few seconds.



Agreed.
On top of that, you can read Zebralight threads and find that even experienced users cannot reliably get the correct mode at turn-on all the time, and report blasting themselves with full-power in the middle of the night, by mistake.
I would never give one to a newbie.


----------



## Dubois

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> Just found this photo on their facebook page. Looks awesome to me. Looks like the larger head is for the larger LED and the new & improved switch design. Lovin that the body is about the same size as the SC51, and is a little shorter. Also, I think the ribs make it look cool. I never did like the looks of the sc51 & others that looked like it. But this one, I really like.



You are a little late - the photo's are in post 100, above.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Dubois said:


> You are a little late - the photo's are in post 100, above.



I don't see the photo I posted anywhere?? I see the other photos, but not this one. It's a good comparison between the SC51 & 52.


----------



## stp

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> I don't see the photo I posted anywhere?? I see the other photos, but not this one. It's a good comparison between the SC51 & 52.


It's not big deal for me but it was here and here . Btw. it looks to me like it's not real photo but computer rendering


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



stp said:


> It's not big deal for me but it was here and here . Btw. it looks to me like it's not real photo but computer rendering



My dang computer sometimes doesn't show pictures that people post, and neither of those post show the picture. Thought I found something new....oh well, I'll go sit in the corner now .


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> and neither of those post show the picture. Thought



i think the OP updated his post with pictorial material of the product, see the OP


----------



## raphaello

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

http://s13.postimage.org/9d0wv6y1j/SC52_700px.jpg

Sweet ... :twothumbs


Your image is too large and has been replaced with a link. Please resize and repost.
See Rule #3 If you post an image in your post, please downsize the image to no larger than 800 x 800 pixels. - Thanks Norm


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> Agreed.
> On top of that, you can read Zebralight threads and find that even experienced users cannot reliably get the correct mode at turn-on all the time, and report blasting themselves with full-power in the middle of the night, by mistake.
> I would never give one to a newbie.


It takes a while to get really intuitive with it and I never have - more of an action of thinking what I want it to do, then turning it on, as opposed to just grabbing it and jumping to high, medium or low. Gave one to a friend last year who didn't have too much trouble, but he likes gadgets, and just kept playing with it until it seemed natural to him.


----------



## ZRXBILL

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



kaichu dento said:


> It takes a while to get really intuitive with it and I never have - more of an action of thinking what I want it to do, then turning it on, as opposed to just grabbing it and jumping to high, medium or low. Gave one to a friend last year who didn't have too much trouble, but he likes gadgets, and just kept playing with it until it seemed natural to him.



All that and yet the add states "Easy to use"? I've not used one but I've never heard any first time user say they are easy to use. After all that I still want a SC52.


----------



## stp

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



kaichu dento said:


> It takes a while to get really intuitive with it and I never have - more of an action of thinking what I want it to do, then turning it on, as opposed to just grabbing it and jumping to high, medium or low. Gave one to a friend last year who didn't have too much trouble, but he likes gadgets, and just kept playing with it until it seemed natural to him.



I found when I had to explain how to use it that at the beginning you should only tell the basic things:
-Want strong light? Just click the switch.
-Want to turn it off? Just click the switch again but you have to wait 2 seconds after your last click.
-Want low light? Push the switch and hold it until the light will be strong enough for you.
-There is few more tricks but for now it's all you need to know. Ask me when/if you will want to know more.

It's enough to operate ZL effectively and it's easy enough to catch for most people but not all of them sadly. Some will play with it and will understand how it works really fast some will fight with it - usually they are the kind of people who try to memorize how to use computer for example.

If they ask for more:
-Each of the three modes has two sublevels - doube click to switch between them. But wait 2 seconds after you turned it on high. Want to know some more?
-The light remembers which sublevel you have chosen and it will use it next time when you select particular mode. Want to know some more?
-If the light is on and you want low light just use it as it would be turned off - push the switch and hold. Want to know some more?
-When you turn it on high keep clicking to switch to lower mode. Want to know some more?
-Nobody got here but at that stage you explain how to configure which sublevels are used.

...super simple stuff :laughing:


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



ZRXBILL said:


> All that and yet the add states "Easy to use"? I've not used one but I've never heard any first time user say they are easy to use. After all that I still want a SC52.



When I was a first time user, I'd definitely say it was easy to use. Took all of a minute to understand the UI. Same for my kids. Once I showed them, they got it. My wife, however, still doesn't know how to work em, but she doesn't want to learn :nana:. I've even handed it to folks, and taught em within a couple of minutes. Some take to the UI right away, but other do get a bit perplexed at first. 

I'm not tryin to knock anyone that has struggled with this UI, but it really is simple, clever, and IMO the best yet.....yes I have tried to turn it on at the low setting, and instead got high, but it hasn't happened enough to change my mind at how great this UI is.

You have two choices. You could just hold the button down to cycle from low to med to high (which is what I tell first timers).....or you could do the following from off: slow click = low, double click = med, and quick click = high. There is a second output on each level (that you get to program if you want) that you can reach by simply double clicking while in that setting. 

On paper this sounds complicated, but with the light in your hand it quickly becomes very simple.


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Zebralight UI is simple and allows easy access to high medium or low from the off position. 

Is it perfect? No. The biggest issue with Zebralights is the timing on how long you hold the button down has to be fairly precise. Hold it down too short and instead of moonlight mode you get full power. Hold it too long and it cycles to medium. Not a problem if you're fully awake, but if it's your bedside light and you're half asleep it's not that hard to blast yourself with full power.

If the Olight S10's double-click shortcut went to max power instead of strobe I'd probably consider it a better UI than the Zebraligth.


----------



## Pvt. Pile

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

280 ANSI lumens off an eneloop....count me in! I don't know how they do it. Okay, we wait a long time for zebra light to come out with something revolutionary, but when they do....they do, and do it well. They are the only torch company I keep a close eye on. In my opinion they are THE innovators in the field. Of coarse this my opinion, and I know a lot of people will and will not agree. I can't wait to get an sc52!


----------



## GunnarGG

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> When I was a first time user, I'd definitely say it was easy to use. Took all of a minute to understand the UI. Same for my kids. Once I showed them, they got it.



+1

About the Battery Indicator "LED flashes 1-4 times. 4 short clicks start".
Anybody who can explain that a little better?


----------



## asval

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Can you really do anything with .1 lumens?

anyone have a beamshot of any other light with that moonmode?


----------



## tonkem

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Click 4 times in a row, and it will give you 4 flashes depending on the battery level, IE, if the level is 100% it will flash 4 times, if 75% flashes 3 times, if 25% flashes 2 times, etc. 



GunnarGG said:


> +1
> 
> About the Battery Indicator "LED flashes 1-4 times. 4 short clicks start".
> Anybody who can explain that a little better?


----------



## Swede74

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



GunnarGG said:


> +1
> 
> About the Battery Indicator "LED flashes 1-4 times. 4 short clicks start".
> Anybody who can explain that a little better?



On the Zebralight H502 you click 4 times (from off). The light then flashes 1-4 times; the number of flashes indicate remaining battery life. I've played around with this feature - or perhaps 'gimmick' would be a better name for it - a freshly charged GP Recyko or Duracell Staycharged will give you 4 flashes, but if you run the light on high for only a couple of minutes, you may only get 1 or 2 flashes if you run the battery indicator again. If you then let the cell rest for a few minutes, you may get 3 or even 4 flashes, so I'm not sure it's a very reliable indicator. I think it's safe to say though, that if you get four flashes your battery is full or almost fully charged.

*Tonkem beat me to it, by 5 lousy minutes :bow:


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



asval said:


> Can you really do anything with .1 lumens?


Yeah, you can annoy people with too much light when they're setting up their cameras to take pictures of the aurora. Last winter I was able to see the trees up to about 30' away using my Clicky on the .08 lumen setting.


----------



## stp

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Swede74 said:


> ...or perhaps 'gimmick' would be a better name for it - a freshly charged GP Recyko or Duracell Staycharged will give you 4 flashes, but if you run the light on high for only a couple of minutes, you may only get 1 or 2 flashes if you run the battery indicator again. If you then let the cell rest for a few minutes, you may get 3 or even 4 flashes, so I'm not sure it's a very reliable indicator. I think it's safe to say though, that if you get four flashes your battery is full or almost fully charged.



It's because state of charge in a NiMh battery can't be precisely calculated without discharging it so it's kind of Schrödinger's cat situation. ZL measures voltage and using that data tries to "guess" the charge level - it works the same way like cheap battery tester. It's just not physically possible to get precise information that way but it's still better then nothing IMHO. 
There is a high chance that SC52 will be much more precise when using Li-ion because that chemistry has much more straightforward dependency between voltage and state of charge.


----------



## jamesmyname

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Just when I thought I had settled on the SC51w for my next light, I find this thread...

I guess I'll have to wait for a review of this before my next purchase. I'm concerned about throw with the XM-L, but depending on how well it runs 14500s, I may use those instead of Eneloops. So then, the question for me would be, how does throw with SC52 on 14500s and high (after step down) compare to the SC51 on Eneloop on high? I'm guessing the SC52 would throw pretty comparably, if not better. Any thoughts on that (relatively newbie here)?


----------



## Darvis

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I'm waiting until the real world reviews come in... my SC600 was green green green and greener on all levels except max, whereas my SC60's and 51's maintained their nice cool tint on any level....

That, and I have to agree that a G2 would have peaked my interest more in this size light. I have the latest Moddoolar triple with the G2's and they are impressive!!

The other thing is the styling, I LOVE Zebralights, don't get me wrong, but the ribbed body? Is that for greater holding pleasure?


----------



## dobermann100

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

ZL says SC52w out by late november


----------



## Martytuazon

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Whatever happened to the SC6330?


----------



## g.p.

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> When I was a first time user, I'd definitely say it was easy to use. Took all of a minute to understand the UI. Same for my kids. Once I showed them, they got it.


My little guy figured the SC51 out all on his own when he was only 2 1/2...not sure if that says more about how easy the ZL lights are to use, or more about some CPF users!!! :nana:


----------



## tonkem

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Their facebook page states they should have specs and pics by the end of this week.



Martytuazon said:


> Whatever happened to the SC6330?


----------



## GordoJones88

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



asval said:


> Can you really do anything with .1 lumens?
> Anyone have a beamshot of any other light with that moonmode?


----------



## moozooh

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



asval said:


> Can you really do anything with .1 lumens?



It's for when you need as little light as possible—but still need some to be there. Always-on nightlamp, dark theatre/cinema navigation, midnight baby checkup (seems to be a popular thing around here), stargazing, moving around sleeping people, and the like. Obviously it doesn't make sense to use moonlight modes if you need more light and aren't about to disturb anyone with it.


----------



## gunga

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



GordoJones88 said:


>



Woah, smooth beam, must be a nicely textured reflector...


----------



## pblanch

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Just gotta let your eyes adjust. Then you will see it.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Darvis said:


> .. my SC600 was green green green and greener on all levels except max,



ouch!
it's called tint lottery. 
i will buy several SC52's and then return the ones which are green. can i do that?


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



asval said:


> Can you really do anything with .1 lumens?



I use my SC600 on the .1 lumen setting regularly because I wake up between 3:00 am & 4:30 am & don't want to wake my wife up. If your eyes are not fully adjusted then .1 lumen doesn't look like very much light, but when your eyes are fully adjusted .1 lumen will light up an entire room (so long as there's hardly any ambient light.) When we go camping I use it some too so I don't wake anyone up if I get up first. Also, we use .1 lumen as a night light in the tent regularly (I have young kids.) It is a lot more useful than you might think, and is a must for me.


----------



## jhc37013

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> I use my SC600 on the .1 lumen setting regularly because I wake up between 3:00 am & 4:30 am & don't want to wake my wife up. If your eyes are not fully adjusted then .1 lumen doesn't look like very much light, but when your eyes are fully adjusted .1 lumen will light up an entire room (so long as there's hardly any ambient light.) When we go camping I use it some too so I don't wake anyone up if I get up first. Also, we use .1 lumen as a night light in the tent regularly (I have young kids.) It is a lot more useful than you might think, and is a must for me.



I use moonlight mode for the same reason I'm on different hours than my wife and kid and sometimes I need to go in and out the bedroom so I use my SC600 and it's lowest mode for that.

I have to admit I use to believe a moonlight/firefly mode was a absolute waste of a mode until I got my SC600, now I want it on nearly every light I buy and I'm glad ZL continues to have it on every single light they make.


----------



## Ishango

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> I use my SC600 on the .1 lumen setting regularly because I wake up between 3:00 am & 4:30 am & don't want to wake my wife up. If your eyes are not fully adjusted then .1 lumen doesn't look like very much light, but when your eyes are fully adjusted .1 lumen will light up an entire room (so long as there's hardly any ambient light.) When we go camping I use it some too so I don't wake anyone up if I get up first. Also, we use .1 lumen as a night light in the tent regularly (I have young kids.) It is a lot more useful than you might think, and is a must for me.



About the same here. I'm more of an evening/night person and my gf goes to sleep a lot earlier quite often. I use the moonlight mode quite frequently to move around the house without waking her up. 180+ lumens possible on lots of my lights strangely have the effect of waking her up in a very angry state 

During camping I use moonlight mode for reading and as a tent lamp late at night, so it doesn't immediately wake up any fellow campers.

I am quite interested in this light. I already like my other ZebraLights, including the SC51w but still want one that isn't prone to accidental activation and is a bit brighter. The improved grip is also a welcome addition.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

H52 not too far behind, me hope.


----------



## tonkem

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



asval said:


> Can you really do anything with .1 lumens?
> 
> anyone have a beamshot of any other light with that moonmode?



.1 lumens listed on the sc600 as the low is very useable, but the .01 lumens on the H502 is almost useless, except if your eyes are night adapted and it is TOTAL darkness. You can light it and shine it directly in your eye, and almost no perceivable light, but the runtime is great. I have the H502 and have never used the .01 lumens, but the .1 lumen is another story, very useable.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



raphaello said:


> http://s13.postimage.org/9d0wv6y1j/SC52_700px.jpg



okay let's get back to topic, SC52.

the above quote says "Pre-order: 10/25/12, 64$ (MSRP)", that's Thursday.
In some other thread a manufacturer explained what pre-order is good for. Very interesting reading. It makes me wonder if ZL has already started mass-producing the product or not.

_Maybe _ZL has. But they certainly *need* your pre-order money for their smooth business operation. me tinks.
i might be wrong tho. :thinking:


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



davidt1 said:


> H52 not too far behind, me hope.



+1
I use my H51Fw a lot, and am looking forward to an updated version.


----------



## g.p.

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> okay let's get back to topic, SC52.
> 
> the above quote says "Pre-order: 10/25/12, 64$ (MSRP)", that's Thursday.
> In some other thread a manufacturer explained what pre-order is good for. Very interesting reading. It makes me wonder if ZL has already started mass-producing the product or not.
> 
> _Maybe _ZL has. But they certainly *need* your pre-order money for their smooth business operation. me tinks.
> i might be wrong tho. :thinking:


This topic is more on topic than talking about the usefulness of the lower levels?

:thinking:


----------



## SuLyMaN

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Will it be ANSI lumens or OTF lumens @ 280 lumens?


----------



## Lime

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

About how long will it take before they are in stock in UK/european dealers if the estimated shipping date is 11/15?


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



g.p. said:


> This topic is more on topic than talking about the usefulness of the lower levels?


The posts about the usefulness of low levels was on topic for his ability to decide how interested he might be in buying one of these lights, and if you didn't want us talking about it, why make a post that did little more than go back to the low levels issue? :thinking:

I'm definitely getting one of the newer models, but will probably wait until I've heard how others are liking it so I'll know whether to order one or several - still one of the best gift lights around.


----------



## my#1hobby

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



SuLyMaN said:


> Will it be ANSI lumens or OTF lumens @ 280 lumens?


It says ANSI in the description, so I would say ANSI lumens.


----------



## g.p.

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



kaichu dento said:


> The posts about the usefulness of low levels was on topic for his ability to decide how interested he might be in buying one of these lights, and if you didn't want us talking about it, why make a post that did little more than go back to the low levels issue? :thinking:


That was my point...already seemed to be pretty on topic to me. Much more on topic than speculating how ZL finances work.


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



g.p. said:


> That was my point...already seemed to be pretty on topic to me. Much more on topic than speculating how ZL finances work.


LOL - I read your post too fast and thought you were suggesting otherwise.

I'm thinking this 280 lumen high is about as far as I care to have a light go, for the time being at least. The 500 lumen high on my ring controlled TC-R1 goes through charges so much faster than anything else I've had, while offering no real advantage in day to day use.
Would be nice to see one of the mathematicians here compile a chart showing at what point additional output from a light starts diminishing the usefulness of that light because the runtimes start getting too short.


----------



## moozooh

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

It depends on the way you're using your higher modes and what runtime you consider to be short. For instance, the only usage scenario I have for my SC600's max mode that requires constant high output is when I'm using it as a bike light (I may even opt to switch off the light and turn it back on to reset the boost timer). It does chew through batteries, but most of my night commutes are about 25 minutes long on average, so I usually get four full trips per battery charge. All the other times I'm using it I'm only firing it up for a few seconds at a time, _always_ under a minute, and if I'm not riding a bike, the same charge lasts me forever. SC52's turbo mode would still be totally useful for me in all those non-constant-on cases, especially since it's pretty close to SC600's max output. I think it's a very clever feature, and a nice one to have in a small EDC light.


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



moozooh said:


> It depends on the way you're using your higher modes and what runtime you consider to be short.


That was my point exactly.

Now talking about an SC600 when the conversation at point has to do with a lot smaller power source, in a light that I think is going to have about as high an output as I'd like to see on _my_ kind of lights, is really off the point.

My favorite bike riding light is my Nichia 119 Haiku, usually on medium or high, but sometimes low when in a really dark area and I can do a lot of riding on one single charge with it. Bike riding aside, I tend to use my highest levels only for seconds at a time. 
I'm still thinking that the highest level of the SC52 coming in at around 280 lumens is probably an ideal high for a light of this sort.


----------



## iocheretyanny

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Any one know how bright on L91 ?


----------



## Philonous

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Pros:

- The specs are undeniably awesome. Max of 200 lumen on the SC51 to 280+ on the SC52. All on a single AA. Pretty impressive stuff. My SC51 is already pretty bright as my bike-light, but this would offer just that little extra at night.

- They've kept the screw-on clip. Appreciate this, folks. The light can tail-stand AND clip-stand. Brilliant design that didn't get enough recognition when the SC51 came out (in my opinion).

Cons:

- Ugly light. There, I said it. I think the SC51 was a gorgeous, retro-esque light, with a vaguely art deco design. The SC52 looks like someone chucked the SC51, SC600 and H600 in a blender and tried to make a light out of what was left. It looks pretty functional, design-wise, but I really felt the SC51 was ZebraLight's best-looking light, and a bit of an under-appreciated design classic.


Overall? Probably not going to buy right now. The SC600 is my EDC light, and the SC51 is already a massively well-performing light given that I use it on my bike. The H502 is good for repairs and other tricky jobs.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Philonous said:


> AND clip-stand. Brilliant design that


Hello  what do you mean with "clip-stand"?


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> Hello  what do you mean with "clip-stand"?



The clip on the original SC51 is on the side of the light opposite the button. It was flat enough that it could act as a base. You could sit the SC51 down on its side on top of the clip and it would stay in that position with the button facing straight up.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Fireclaw18 said:


> It was flat enough that it could act as a base.


Thanks for the explanation. I checked with my other lights. They can all be balanced on their clip as base! 
What's so practical or useful about SC52's clip-stand? i guess the *1-fingered* operability of the light once it is in the clip-stand? 

But in clip-stand, the light shines against the side wall. How useful is that?


----------



## NiteShift

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Quite a few people have complaints about the new look (the ribbing) I think the functional value of this will outweigh the aesthetic value. I had previously owned two Zebralight and in the very short time I had them I managed to drop them more than once, chipping the anodising. In comparison I've had the Nitecore D10 for 3 years and used it daily and don't think I've dropped it once.

I would be interested to hear what people think would be a good alternative to the ribbing since I think standard knurling on this light would make it look even worse than the ribbing!


----------



## smw1138

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I'm guessing that the ribbing also helps with heat dissipation and that may be why that was chosen over a smooth or knurled finish.


----------



## NiteShift

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Yeah, good point.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> Thanks for the explanation. I checked with my other lights. They can all be balanced on their clip as base!
> What's so practical or useful about SC52's clip-stand? i guess the *1-fingered* operability of the light once it is in the clip-stand?
> 
> But in clip-stand, the light shines against the side wall. How useful is that?



The most useful thing about the clip on a flashlight is that you can use the light as a headlamp.

And along with some magnet, the clip allows the light to be used as a utility light as well.


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



davidt1 said:


> The most useful thing about the clip on a flashlight is that you can use the light as a headlamp.
> 
> And along with some magnet, the clip allows the light to be used as a utility light as well.



The SC51's clip isn't reversible. So clipping it to the brim of a cap to be used as a headlight isn't an option. However, the SC51 did come with a headband which allowed the light to sit along the side of the head. In some ways this is better than a cap, but it's definitely not as good as a purpose-designed headlight that allows the light to sit at the front of the head. Presumably the SC52 will be similar to the SC51.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Fireclaw18 said:


> The SC51's clip isn't reversible. So clipping it to the brim of a cap to be used as a headlight isn't an option. However, the SC51 did come with a headband which allowed the light to sit along the side of the head. In some ways this is better than a cap, but it's definitely not as good as a purpose-designed headlight that allows the light to sit at the front of the head. Presumably the SC52 will be similar to the SC51.



A flashlight attached to a hat is a poor substitute for a headlamp. What I am talking about is real headlamp use, which any small light with a clip will let you do.


----------



## Philonous

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> Hello  what do you mean with "clip-stand"?




The SC51's clip forms an elongated tripod, so that it not only balances on its clip, but balances very well in addition to standing level. It won't roll, the head of the light stays clear of the surface it's on, light is completely straight and level, and I just think it's a really super design. It's not something I'd buy the light for of course, but they clearly put some thought into it, and I'm glad they've kept it for the new model.


----------



## Lite_me

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



NiteShift said:


> Quite a few people have complaints about the new look (the ribbing) I think the functional value of this will outweigh the aesthetic value. I had previously owned two Zebralight and in the very short time I had them I managed to drop them more than once, chipping the anodising. In comparison I've had the Nitecore D10 for 3 years and used it daily and don't think I've dropped it once.
> 
> *I would be interested to hear what people think would be a good alternative to the ribbing since I think standard knurling on this light would make it look even worse than the ribbing!*


I don't want to go too far off topic here, so I won't add any pics, but, I wrap the smooth tube section of the lights I use the most with gaffers tape, joining under the clip. It's not as good as typical knurling, but it helps. I also add an o-ring or two near the end by the tailcap. These two things combined add much needed grip. Here's a link to an older pic showing some tape on an SC60 and some o-rings. The SC31 pictured didn't have the tape or single o-ring on it yet. It does now. 
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/2885/dsc01330800.jpg


----------



## A96Honda

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

What are the specs of using just a standard AA battery?


----------



## Pretbek

**NEW* Zebralight SC52*



davidt1 said:


> A flashlight attached to a hat is a poor substitute for a headlamp. What I am talking about is real headlamp use, which any small light with a clip will let you do.



I liked your idea of a simple string adjustable with a prussik knot as a head band. Very slim and light weight design and I now use it on my EDC H502d. 

In that light I like the color so I will probably wait for the SC52w to be released, all the while reading people's glowing first-hand reports of the SC52.


----------



## Sir Lightalot

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



raphaello said:


> http://s13.postimage.org/9d0wv6y1j/SC52_700px.jpg



:green: Man, given the specs, I was tempted to upgrade from my Sc51w. But after seeing it.... There is absolutely no way I would buy that. the 51 was already lacking in the aesthetics department as it was and now they made the head even bigger and added ribbing? :eeew:


----------



## PayBack

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



tonkem said:


> .1 lumens listed on the sc600 as the low is very useable, but the .01 lumens on the H502 is almost useless, except if your eyes are night adapted and it is TOTAL darkness. You can light it and shine it directly in your eye, and almost no perceivable light, but the runtime is great. I have the H502 and have never used the .01 lumens, but the .1 lumen is another story, very useable.



I use the .01 lumens on my H502 more than anyone else uses any output on any of their lights... as a locator seeing as they no longer have GITD switches. Handy for finding your light, or turning it on (up) without knocking it over. Damn hand IMNSHO. Alternatively I have it facing my SC600 and now I can find that easily in the dark.

What I can't understand is why the SC52 is ribbed for her pleasure? Looks stupid to me. Does it vibrate too?


----------



## varuscelli

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Sir Lightalot said:


> :green: Man, given the specs, I was tempted to upgrade from my Sc51w. But after seeing it.... There is absolutely no way I would buy that. the 51 was already lacking in the aesthetics department as it was and now they made the head even bigger and added ribbing? :eeew:



I haven't had a chance to read through this thread, but I'm pretty sure the apparent visual aesthetics are for heat management purposes. 

I'm afraid I'm going to have to get one of these.


----------



## lampeDépêche

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I own an H600w which has similar ribbing. I think it looks fine, and I plan to buy an SC52w as soon as they release one.

The ribs probably help a little bit with heat management in extreme cases. But I suspect the main reason for them is structural. 

The walls of the battery tube are extremely thin--that's what makes the H600 one of the lightest and smallest 18650 lights around. Lightweight and small are good! 

But a thin-walled battery tube is also easy to crush. How do you keep a cylinder from getting flattened? You add stiffening hoops at intervals along the length of the cylinder. That's what the ribs are. They are a compromise between a thicker tube that has more rigidity and is far heavier, and a uniformly thin tube that would be super-light, but risk getting bent out of round. 

This structural compromise also increases surface area, and also makes the tube grippier, but I suspect those are secondary objectives.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*







Is that today? At what time Pacific Standard Time?


----------



## j0sh

**NEW* Zebralight SC52*

New email says the 26th now


----------



## Lime

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



j0sh said:


> New email says the 26th now




Zebralight ..


----------



## moshow9

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Pre-order is now up on their website for both the SC52 and their 14500.


----------



## Swede74

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Available for pre-order!

http://www.zebralight.com/SC52-AA-Flashlight-Cool-White_p_100.html


----------



## Swede74

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



moshow9 said:


> Pre-order is now up on their website for both the SC52 and their 14500.



ONE minute! You beat me by ONE minute...:mecry:

Edit: I realize I should have edited my previous post rather than adding this one, but I was a bit overexcited by the news. I hope that's a valid excuse.


----------



## moshow9

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Swede74 said:


> ONE minute! You beat me by ONE minute...:mecry:


It's okay, yours included a link so you beat me. Or we tied.


----------



## Lime

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

From where do they ship? China or US?


----------



## moshow9

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Lime said:


> From where do they ship? China or US?


I believe if you are US based they ship from Texas.


----------



## lampeDépêche

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I notice that the beam profile they cite for the SC52--80 degree flood, 12 degree spot--is the same as the profile for the H600.

I wonder if they are using the same reflector? 

Good news if it is--I really like the beam on my H600, and having the same beam fed from AA's would be a very nice kit.


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Just peordered at 1148 EST. OH YAH. Can't wait. Been waiting along time for a zebra that won't come on in my pocket. :twothumbs


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Just preordered mine.


----------



## GeoBruin

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



TMCGLASSON36 said:


> Just peordered at 1148 EST. OH YAH. Can't wait. Been waiting along time for a zebra that won't come on in my pocket. :twothumbs



Wait, your post showed up here on the site at 7:45 AM Pacific time. You say you ordered 11:48 Eastern time and you say it as if it had happened in the past when 11:48 Eastern Time is 8:48 Pacific time. Are you manipulating the space time continuum to get your Zebralight quicker?

I already pre-ordered mine this morning as well otherwise I would ask you to send some of your wizardry my way


----------



## Lime

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

"*Pre-order. Shipping starts on Oct 20, 2012" *<- gotta be a typo, how could they start shipping 5 days before the release?


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Lime said:


> "*Pre-order. Shipping starts on Oct 20, 2012" *<- gotta be a typo, how could they start shipping them 5 days before the release



Yeah I think that's a typo. The poster someone linked in one of the more recent posts several days ago showed preorders starting October 25 with an expected ship date of November 15.

I'm inclined to believe it's accurate too as preorders DID actually start today on the 25th.


----------



## Lime

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

If the ship date is 15 Nov it's 21 days from now = 3 weeks + ~2 weeks delivery time for European/international buyers like me 
=> 5 weeks of waiting.. :sigh:


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Lime said:


> If the ship date is 15 Nov it's 21 days from now = 3 weeks + ~2 weeks delivery time for European/international buyers like me
> => 5 weeks of waiting.. :sigh:



Yes there is that. You'll get your SC52 just about the same time that pre-orders open for the SC52w I think.


----------



## orsoorso

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

lunmens, more lumens, why not to think to such a simlpe improovement like A PLACE TO PUT A LANYARD?


----------



## lampeDépêche

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Fireclaw18 said:


> Yes there is that. You'll get your SC52 just about the same time that pre-orders open for the SC52w I think.



yeah, I *hope* the SC52w will be out by then. I'm holding out for it. But I have my doubts.

After all, if ZL could source good neutral XML's, I can't see why they would put them in the SC52 any sooner than the H502w.

Which I'm also still waiting for....

sigh....please, ZL, get some neutral emitters! I'm sitting on almost $150.00 here, that has your name on it: one H502w, and one SC52w.

And as much as I like the dollar bills, I'd rather have your lights! So hurry up and arrange a trade!


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



orsoorso said:


> think to such a simlpe improovement like A PLACE TO PUT A LANYARD?



how do you like the lanyard attachment of the SC600 (latest version)?
there you have your answer


----------



## Lighteous

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Pre-order confirmed! I'm in! And another is added to a very long list.


----------



## chouster

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

With 500 ANSI lumen out of their own new 14500, I think Zebralight is really pushing the Sanyo cell inside their 14500 to its limits. You get about 590 LED-lumen at 1,5 A LED-current with an U2 flux bin, so am I right - assuming the cell inside the Zebralight 14500 is a UR14500P - that the current draw from this cell is a bit high? Don't want so say too high because I'm not sure and I'm just speculating, but could someone with a better understanding of this topic please comment on that? 
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[/FONT]http://industrial.panasonic.com/www-data/pdf2/ACA4000/ACA4000CE278.pdf
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[/FONT]Here you find a discharge curve for 1,6A but no max discharge current rating. I mean some of the 18650 cells are rated 5A and more but there must be a reason why none of the bigger flashlight manufacturers design a light that draws much more than 3A (except the Spark SL6)...


----------



## Diablo_331

orsoorso said:


> lunmens, more lumens, why not to think to such a simlpe improovement like A PLACE TO PUT A LANYARD?



I've had a Tec suspension clip connected to the clip of my Sc51c from day one with no issues. It just hangs a little crooked but the inside of my pockets aren't straight up and down so it fits perfectly. Better, IMHO, than if it hung straight up and down. If you want a place for a lanyard without the clip then bend a paper clip and secure it with the clip screws and call it done.


----------



## Cataract

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

*WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THIS!* I just found out! I predicted this! It's almost like I invented it right after I took my H502d out of the box!
How could this thread evade my prying eyes???? Perhaps the universe wanted to spare my nerves with 3 orders pending delivery...

Paypal locked and loaded for the warm version and an itchy, twichy finger on the button. Bring it OOoon!!!


----------



## maxrep12

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Pre ordered earlier today. Likely the hottest light for 2013. The 6330 will be a success, no doubt, but the sc52 may well out sell any quality in the coming year.

I've never had a light with such a low low option. .1 lumen is too bright for a night locator light, so .01 lumen should be perfect.


----------



## maxrep12

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I have rechargeable 16340's, rcr123's, and 18650's. The sc52 will have me looking at enelopes and 14500's. For a 14500, is the ZL584 a good option compared to ultrafire and tenergy? My main question with the aa rechargeables is the truth in Mah claims from various manufacturers.


----------



## chouster

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



maxrep12 said:


> I have rechargeable 16340's, rcr123's, and 18650's. The sc52 will have me looking at enelopes and 14500's. For a 14500, is the ZL584 a good option compared to ultrafire and tenergy? My main question with the aa rechargeables is the truth in Mah claims from various manufacturers.



The Zebralight 14500's are brandnew so I doubt that someone tested them yet. But compared to Ultrafire everything is a good option... The Fact that the ZL584 has a Sanyo cell inside makes me think that it is a good cell. I guess that for the 500 lumen on 14500 the current is quite high for an 14500 I maybe would consider the AW 14500 IMR, but that's an unprotected one, of course.


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Delete


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



GeoBruin said:


> Wait, your post showed up here on the site at 7:45 AM Pacific time. You say you ordered 11:48 Eastern time and you say it as if it had happened in the past when 11:48 Eastern Time is 8:48 Pacific time. Are you manipulating the space time continuum to get your Zebralight quicker?
> 
> I already pre-ordered mine this morning as well otherwise I would ask you to send some of your wizardry my way



Quantum Physics! I already have the light just don't know it yet. Time has to catch up to my excitement. LOL


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Lime said:


> "*Pre-order. Shipping starts on Oct 20, 2012" *<- gotta be a typo, how could they start shipping 5 days before the release?


I figure it meant they started shipping from China. With customs and shipping delays they wont be in the states for a couple weeks.


----------



## moozooh

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



chouster said:


> With 500 ANSI lumen out of their own new 14500, I think Zebralight is really pushing the Sanyo cell inside their 14500 to its limits. You get about 590 LED-lumen at 1,5 A LED-current with an U2 flux bin, so am I right - assuming the cell inside the Zebralight 14500 is a UR14500P - that the current draw from this cell is a bit high? Don't want so say too high because I'm not sure and I'm just speculating, but could someone with a better understanding of this topic please comment on that?
> 
> http://industrial.panasonic.com/www-data/pdf2/ACA4000/ACA4000CE278.pdf
> 
> Here you find a discharge curve for 1,6A but no max discharge current rating. I mean some of the 18650 cells are rated 5A and more but there must be a reason why none of the bigger flashlight manufacturers design a light that draws much more than 3A (except the Spark SL6)...



All non-defective rechargeable cells are expected to discharge safely _at least_ at 2C current, which for the 840 mAh cell is 1.68 amps (2×840=1680). For 750 mAh, it's 1.5 amps, still within bounds. So don't worry, it's fine.

As for the reason manufacturers generally avoid drawing more than 3 amps, it has little to do with batteries. 3 amps is what Cree has set as the safe limit for a single XM-L. The thing gets hot with so much power pumped into it; the energy has to be dissipated somehow, which is why you only see 800+ OTF lumens in lights with massive heads and well defined heatsinking features.


----------



## henry1960

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Me Too...:tinfoil:
Now The Waiting Begins...:twothumbs


----------



## CreeCrazy

*Zebralight SC52*

I E-mailed them and asked about the website stating that shipping starts on Oct 20th. They responded and said that it should say Nov 20th.


----------



## south_aussie_hiker

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I notice the SC51 is still on their website for the same price as the SC52.

I bet it changes very quickly!!!

I'm glad they've gone back to 14500 support. While I love my SC51, I have only ever used L91 lithium primaries for a couple of reasons...
1. Would never put an alkaline in there with risk of leakage. High mode which I use most often kills alkaline.
2. NiMH are okay, but just don't pack the punch of an L91, and using high mode kills them about 3x faster than an L91. The frequent recharging is just inconvenient.

The 14500 will mean I get good performance on high modes (including the 500 lumen turbo which will be very handy) plus acceptable runtimes where recharge frequency is manageable.

So who wants to buy my SC51?


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



south_aussie_hiker said:


> I notice the SC51 is still on their website for the same price as the SC52.
> 
> I bet it changes very quickly!!!
> 
> I'm glad they've gone back to 14500 support. While I love my SC51, I have only ever used L91 lithium primaries for a couple of reasons...
> 1. Would never put an alkaline in there with risk of leakage. High mode which I use most often kills alkaline.
> 2. NiMH are okay, but just don't pack the punch of an L91, and using high mode kills them about 3x faster than an L91. The frequent recharging is just inconvenient.
> 
> The 14500 will mean I get good performance on high modes (including the 500 lumen turbo which will be very handy) plus acceptable runtimes where recharge frequency is manageable.
> 
> So who wants to buy my SC51?



FYI the SC51 works just fine with 14500 cells. As long as the positive contact on your 14500 can clear the chips on the circuit board at the end of the battery compartment.

It was even explained a long time ago that the circuitry on the SC51 is designed to work with 14500, but official support was not given for that battery type because of concerns about the reliability and quality of some brands of 14500 cells.

The SC51 is slightly brighter on 14500 compared to L91. Something like 260 lumens v. 200.


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



CreeCrazy said:


> I E-mailed them and asked about the website stating that shipping starts on Oct 20th. They responded and said that it should say Nov 20th.


At least I will get it before christmas.:twothumbs


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I bet the SC52 will be the best selling edc light in 2013, and I bet it will easily make it on the top 10 list of "The 2013 Flashaholic's Must Have list." - Here 

I just sent in my pre-order....can't wait.


----------



## selas

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

No headband accessory, btw, just the two o-rings. Seems sensible to me. Didn't need another spare headband, and also I imagine there's too big a disparity in size between the head & body for the standard silicone holder to work, anyway.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



selas said:


> No headband accessory, btw, just the two o-rings. Seems sensible to me. Didn't need another spare headband, and also I imagine there's too big a disparity in size between the head & body for the standard silicone holder to work, anyway.



Just guessing, but I bet the SC52 would still fit in a H51 sized headband. Just put it in tail first....maybe with the clip off.


----------



## mparker

*Zebralight SC52*

I have a Sc50w and love it. Like others have said, I use the moonlight mode more than any other mode. 

You think they will clearance out the 51s? Or would I be better of waiting for a 52w?


----------



## varuscelli

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> Just guessing, but I bet the SC52 would still fit in a H51 sized headband. Just put it in tail first....maybe with the clip off.



Or it might fit in the headband holder for the H600, which has larger diameter loops. And who kwows...it might fit the H600 holder with the clip still attached (just speculation). Edit: Those extra silicon holders can be ordered from ZebraLight for about $3 each, if it turns out that one of the available versions is a good fit for the SC52.


----------



## Cunha

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I gave an H51 away as a gift, and I will say that I lack confidence in folks ability to grasp the beloved (to us) zebralight UI.

Still, this looks like an amazing light. I am curious to see the beam pattern compared to the SC51. 

When I initially saw the SC51 and all of the praise it received, I immediately wrote it off as nonsense because I thought it looked like a horrible light. Now I love the look. I'm sure it has something to do with its good specs. I prefer the smooth body of the SC51 but don't mind the blocky SC52 head. This is going to be a sweet light.

Oh and thank heavens they kept the same pocket clip design. To date I haven't found a single pocket clip I like at all compared to the SC51..the whole thing works so well with it, others feel like afterthoughts.


----------



## SloNicK

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I do not understand. Max mode when using the lithium 14500 is a 500lm (after one min 280lm) / 160lm /100lm / Strob ?
And if I want to immediately turn 280 lumens?


----------



## SloNicK

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Delete


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



SloNicK said:


> I do not understand. Max mode when using the lithium 14500 is a 500lm (after one min 280lm) / 160lm /100lm / Strob ?
> And if I want to immediately turn 280 lumens?



Because the 14500 Li-ion is a 4.2v battery, the SC52 can produce 500 lumens, but only for a short burst. Otherwise the light would overheat & damage the LED or circuitry. Yes the light drops to 280 lumens after one min. It does not look like you could go straight to 280 lumens when using a 14500 battery. You could program H2 to the 172 lumen output level, and use it as your high. Then toggle to the 500 output mode when needed. The light will remember which high you left it in last time you used it.


----------



## SloNicK

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I understand that. But I would like to H1 level of 280 lumens at once. 500 - this is too much, and 160 - a little.


----------



## pinetree89

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Cunha said:


> Oh and thank heavens they kept the same pocket clip design. To date I haven't found a single pocket clip I like at all compared to the SC51..the whole thing works so well with it, others feel like afterthoughts.



+1 on the SC51 clip. It's amazing how well designed and executed it is. The only thing better IMO would be if Zebra put some Allen or Torx screws on there.


----------



## Flying Turtle

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



mparker said:


> I have a Sc50w and love it. Like others have said, I use the moonlight mode more than any other mode.
> 
> You think they will clearance out the 51s? Or would I be better of waiting for a 52w?



Like you, I've been enjoying the SC50w, but I'm tempted by the 52. I hope I can resist it until the "w" model appears.

Geoff


----------



## sspc

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



SloNicK said:


> I understand that. But I would like to H1 level of 280 lumens at once. 500 - this is too much, and 160 - a little.


Then you would just use a NIMH battery (or alkaline) and the H1 max would then be 280 lumens. The 500 lumen max is only achievable using the 14500 li-on BUT if you only need/want a max of 280, you would not need/use a 14500.


----------



## sspc

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

From the zebralight site:
"Light output with 14500 batteries are the same except that the H1 is 500Lm for 
the first minute and then steps down to 280Lm."

Considering that the 14500 only runs for 1 min on turbo and then maintains the same output levels as a NIMH batt, what would be the expectations of runtime on a 14500 vs a NIMH?


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



sspc said:


> From the zebralight site:
> "Light output with 14500 batteries are the same except that the H1 is 500Lm for
> the first minute and then steps down to 280Lm."
> 
> Considering that the 14500 only runs for 1 min on turbo and then maintains the same output levels as a NIMH batt, what would be the expectations of runtime on a 14500 vs a NIHM?



I once did some runtime comparisons with a Quark AA on a 14500 and then an eneloop. The 14500 was superior on the max mode & the high mode, but the medium and low modes were about the same...did not test the moonlight mode.


----------



## stp

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



sspc said:


> From the zebralight site:
> "Light output with 14500 batteries are the same except that the H1 is 500Lm for
> the first minute and then steps down to 280Lm."
> 
> Considering that the 14500 only runs for 1 min on turbo and then maintains the same output levels as a NIMH batt, what would be the expectations of runtime on a 14500 vs a NIHM?



Hard to say. 
On one hand AA has better energy density:
Eneloop XX AA= 1.2V *2400 mAh= 2.880 Wh
ZL584 14500 = 3.7V * 840 mAh =3.1 Wh

So in theory 14500 has little more capacity but in practice you lose some of it because voltage drops when you discharge it.

On another hand 14500 has higher voltage so the loses in the driver could be lower than in the AA case.

I guess that more or less it will be the same with lower modes better runtime with AA and higher modes better runtime with 14500.


----------



## Cataract

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

^^^^^^

What he said. By experience, you don't see any difference in runtime unless you sit there with a timer.


----------



## g.p.

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Just put in a pre-order...first light since my SC600. Zebralight seems to be the only lights that I can't resist lately. 

Ordered up a couple of Zebralight 14500 cells too. Has anyone heard if they are going to be coming out with their own 18650 cells? I'll need some when the 6330 comes out.


----------



## Darvis

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Well, despite my bashing of the newly ribbed styling a few posts back and my concern that I might lose the tint lottery as I did with the 600, I pre-ordered a 52 yesterday... The SC51 is so darned good, that if this even bests it by one iota, I'd be thrilled. Worth the $64 risk in my book... As long as that tint is icy icy cool, I will be a happy flashaholic.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



g.p. said:


> Just put in a pre-order...first light since my SC600. Zebralight seems to be the only lights that I can't resist lately.
> 
> Ordered up a couple of Zebralight 14500 cells too. Has anyone heard if they are going to be coming out with their own 18650 cells? I'll need some when the 6330 comes out.



They are coming out with their own 18650. It's a Panasonic 3100mah.


----------



## RedForest UK

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Do you mean a Panasonic? The NCR18650A is the only cell I know of that's genuinely 3100mah from 4.2v charge voltage.

I really like the zebra UI, but the one issue I have is the 'programmable' secondary modes. I just don't get why they made access to the programmable modes through the same double-clicking method as changing between first and secondary modes. Not only that but there is no time limit to the 6 double clicks so if you want to use the light for any more than a few minutes and want to switch between H1 and H2 then you invariably find yourself in the 'hidden' programmable modes by accident. This happened all the time on my SC51 and now does on my SC600 as I like to switch between the 300 lumen H2 and 750 lumen H1 levels when running. In the end I just programmed H2 as the flashing one so that I don't use it and never end up accidentally in the programming at the wrong time.. But that is a frustrating limitation to an otherwise very well thought out UI.

I imagine this will be worse on the SC52 as there are 'programmable' secondary modes on all three levels now. It would've been so easy for zebralight to make access to the hidden modes through 4/5 presses in a second or simply put a timer to 'forget' double clicks after 10 seconds or something, then it would never have been a problem.


----------



## Ishango

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I decided to preorder as well. It looks lIke a great followup of the SC51 and I wanted a cool white ZL for a while now.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

***So would you rather have the SC52 or the SC80?

The SC80 can run on either an AA or a CR123 with just the flip of an internal adapter tube...The SC80 should have better throw due to its XP-G instead of an XM-L inside a small-ish reflector like the SC51/52. It does cost more though


----------



## HighlanderNorth

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Post Copy


----------



## g.p.

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



RedForest UK said:


> Not only that but there is no time limit to the 6 double clicks so if you want to use the light for any more than a few minutes and want to switch between H1 and H2 then you invariably find yourself in the 'hidden' programmable modes by accident.


Sounds like there is something wrong with your light. I have a very short time period to get into, and set, the hidden modes before I get kicked out into normal useage again. It's the same with both my SC51 and SC600. I pretty much have to keep clicking it really fast until it starts clicking through all of the modes, then just hope that I stop on the one that I want. As soon as I double click again it's back to just cycling through the two modes in the level. I can hoenstly say that I have to really try to get into the hidden modes, and have never done it by accident.

Maybe I'm just doing it wrong? :thinking:


----------



## Cataract

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



g.p. said:


> Sounds like there is something wrong with your light. I have a very short time period to get into, and set, the hidden modes before I get kicked out into normal useage again. It's the same with both my SC51 and SC600. I pretty much have to keep clicking it really fast until it starts clicking through all of the modes, then just hope that I stop on the one that I want. As soon as I double click again it's back to just cycling through the two modes in the level. I can hoenstly say that I have to really try to get into the hidden modes, and have never done it by accident.
> 
> Maybe I'm just doing it wrong? :thinking:



or there is something wrong with YOUR lights?? I don't need to click like mad to get into programming mode and I have to turn it off/on to get out (or does that mean there's something wrong with all MINE???)


----------



## RedForest UK

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Are you sure? This was a problem (imo of course) with my SC51, and is the same on my SC600. Others have mentioned it's the same on theirs too. Also George, who actually designs the lights, confirmed there is no time-limit on the 6 double clicks when I brought it up in a previous thread. He didn't seem to agree that it was an issue but I do find it frustrating. 

If I go on a half hour run and use the 300 lumen mode switching up to 750 lumens every now and then to see something a little further/clearer then I can only switch up and back 3 times before it goes to the 200 lumen mode and then the other 'hidden' programmable H2s. Even if these 3 times are spread over 10-15 minutes it still ends up in the programming modes.


----------



## GunnarGG

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



RedForest UK said:


> I really like the zebra UI, but the one issue I have is the 'programmable' secondary modes. I just don't get why they made access to the programmable modes through the same double-clicking method as changing between first and secondary modes. Not only that but there is no time limit to the 6 double clicks so if you want to use the light for any more than a few minutes and want to switch between H1 and H2 then you invariably find yourself in the 'hidden' programmable modes by accident. This happened all the time on my SC51 and now does on my SC600 as I like to switch between the 300 lumen H2 and 750 lumen H1 levels when running. In the end I just programmed H2 as the flashing one so that I don't use it and never end up accidentally in the programming at the wrong time.. But that is a frustrating limitation to an otherwise very well thought out UI.
> 
> I imagine this will be worse on the SC52 as there are 'programmable' secondary modes on all three levels now. It would've been so easy for zebralight to make access to the hidden modes through 4/5 presses in a second or simply put a timer to 'forget' double clicks after 10 seconds or something, then it would never have been a problem.



Never noticed this but I tried my H31 now and it does go into the hidden modes even if I do one double click every 10 sec.
Tried both CR123 and RCR123, same thing.
I don't know what happens if you have 30 sec or a min between double clicks but it looks like there is no time limit.

Never bothered me with the H31 but a flashlight acting like that would be very annoying, I use the doubleclick the same way as RedForest describes.
Well maybe not running, but anyway.

It should be an easy fix for Zebralight and I hope they are aware of this problem and have fixed it.


----------



## GunnarGG

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



RedForest UK said:


> If I go on a half hour run and use the 300 lumen mode switching up to 750 lumens every now and then to see something a little further/clearer then I can only switch up and back 3 times before it goes to the 200 lumen mode and then the other 'hidden' programmable H2s. Even if these 3 times are spread over 10-15 minutes it still ends up in the programming modes.



That is exactly the way I use my SC30 but mostly in low and medium. The SC30 doesn't have any hidden modes so it's not a problem with that light.
I'm on L2 and switch to L1 for a little more light and then back to L2.
There are a lot of brands that you have to cycle through all levels to get back once you stepped up one level. I don't like that and am very greatful for my Zebralight because of that.
I know there are lights with control ring but I'm not very found of those.
So I hope Zebralight will see it as a problem and give the clicking a time limit.
I can not see any benefit from not having a time limit. is there?


----------



## Stanley_BA

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

This behaviour was exactly what I was affraid when I was buying the Zebra H600w couple of months ago, because it was the case with my previous SC51w. But as I happily found out, my H600 has some time limit to get to the H2 programming sequence. And actually I measured it to be 12 seconds. If I click the button 6x in less than 12 seconds, I will enter the H2 programming, if I click it 6x in more than 12 seconds, no programming appears, only the regular change of the mode. Happy me


----------



## bluemax_1

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

On my SC80, the time limit for entering the hidden modes is more like 5-6 seconds. After reading the posts here I just tested it again to double check and confirm. If it takes more than 5 seconds to do all 3 pairs of double clicks, it won't go into the hidden programming mode. It appears they've fixed the problem.


Max


----------



## Swede74

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

On my SC51 there is a time limit - if I double-click six times the seventh double-click has to come within 10-15 seconds, otherwise the software resets the count and I can toggle between the programmed H1 and H2 again.

The same goes for my H502 on high, but surprisingly, when I double-click my way into programming mode for the low levels, it seems as though the count is NOT reset after 10-15 seconds - even if I leave the light alone for five minutes after six double-clicks, the seventh takes me into programming mode.

I was trying to watch 'The Island' while doing this so my concentration was not at its best, but I'm thinking that Zebralight may have done some minor tweaking to the SC51 software that hasn't been announced on their website / spreadsheet, so there could be two or more versions out there. (Mine is not the updated version with all levels current controlled)

Now to the more important question: is it a good or a bad sign that Scarlett Johansson managed to distract me from playing with my flashlights?


----------



## DavidMB

*Zebralight SC52*

Will there be a way with this light to turn it on in moonlight mode?


----------



## Pretbek

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

If you left your Low level at L2 (0.34, 0.06 or 0.01, depending on what you programmed L2 at) and not L1, then yes. When you press the button for about 0.6 seconds, it will cycle to Low first, which in that case will be L2. 
If your last used Low level was L1, then L1 (2.7 Lm) is what will turn on when you press the button 0.6 seconds.


----------



## twl

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

So, this is what "the ultimate user interface" is like, huh?


----------



## bluemax_1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> So, this is what "the ultimate user interface" is like, huh?



Don't know about the 'Ultimate User Interface', but it's definitely a very powerful and versatile enthusiast's interface.

I would consider the ZL UI almost ideal with one exception: trying to switch from Medium to High/Max isn't the best.

On my Quark or Fenix, to go from anything else to Max, I just tighten the head. With my QPA-G2 on 14500, I can do this 1-handed with an overhand grip by gripping the head with my pinky and twisting the body/tailcap with my thumb and index/forefinger. This is convenient when I'm checking on things using Medium mode and hear something or see movement out the corner of my eye, I swing the light over and twist and Voila, full power to light things up to get a good look.

With the ZL UI, there's no quick and direct way to switch from Medium to Maximum. You can hold the button down in Med and it will cycle through the modes, but it ALWAYS goes to Low first, then Med, and finally High. Not ideal when you're trying to check out the quick movement you saw from the corner of your eye.

The other options is to turn the light Off for a split second, then On with the quick press, which of course, means darkness for that split second. Also not ideal. In addition, hit the switch too quickly the 2nd time and the light might take it as a double click and simply switch to M2.

I think the Ultimate UI is the one used by HDS. Like the ZL (and unlike Foursevens and Fenix), it allows the user to turn the light on directly in any one of 3 preset modes, but it also allows the user to easily get to Max brightness quickly.


Max


----------



## Cunha

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Yeah. So basically you can set the low mode to the lowest mode (moonlight..whatever you call moonlight). Then when you turn the light back on, hold the button for like .6-1 second and it will start in the "low mode" where you set it. 

UI once you get the hang of it is really about as good and functional as you can get for a 1 button light with so many modes.


----------



## LEDburn

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> So, this is what "the ultimate user interface" is like, huh?



Yep. Best UI and most efficient circuit = winning combo.


----------



## Sir Lightalot

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

IMO the Liteflux LF3XT/LF2XT had the best UI I've seen. The Zebra UI is pretty good, but no comparison with the later Liteflux series.


----------



## Eric_LED

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Sir Lightalot said:


> IMO the Liteflux LF3XT/LF2XT had the best UI I've seen. The Zebra UI is pretty good, but no comparison with the later Liteflux series.



Do you own zebralight?


----------



## juplin

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Sir Lightalot said:


> IMO the Liteflux LF3XT/LF2XT had the best UI I've seen. The Zebra UI is pretty good, but no comparison with the later Liteflux series.


I have Liteflux LF3XT/LF2XT and Zebralight H30FW/SC600/SC600W/H502c.
I must admit the UI of Liteflux LF3XT/LF2XT is the best UI I've used.


----------



## bluemax_1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Sir Lightalot said:


> IMO the Liteflux LF3XT/LF2XT had the best UI I've seen. The Zebra UI is pretty good, but no comparison with the later Liteflux series.





juplin said:


> I have Liteflux LF3XT/LF2XT and Zebralight H30FW/SC600/SC600W/H502c.
> I must admit the UI of Liteflux LF3XT/LF2XT is the best UI I've used.


Huh, so many lights, so many choices. I'll admit, until these posts, I wasn't even aware of the Liteflux brand,but had to look it up after reading these posts.

It does appear to be one of the most powerful UI's I've read of. Memorizes modes, shortcuts to Max or Min. Great adjustability and customizability. I'd say that this and the HDS UI are 2 of the best.


Max

P.S. Is Liteflux a dead company? They don't appear to be available anywhere and all the listings say 'sold out' and appear to use older emitters.


----------



## Zeruel

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

AA + XM-L is a potent mix, count me in as another who waits for SC52*W*.




bluemax_1 said:


> P.S. Is Liteflux a dead company? They don't appear to be available anywhere and all the listings say 'sold out' and appear to use older emitters.



PS. They're not dead, just chose to manufacture other stuff at the moment. I assume this other stuff is extremely profitable for them to ignore the fact their LF2XTs have increased resale value by 4-fold (at least here in CPF/CPFMP). The emitters for LF2XT were R4 and R5, not that old.


----------



## Flying Turtle

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Sir Lightalot said:


> IMO the Liteflux LF3XT/LF2XT had the best UI I've seen. The Zebra UI is pretty good, but no comparison with the later Liteflux series.



100% agreement here! 

Geoff


----------



## HighlanderNorth

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Lime said:


> If the ship date is 15 Nov it's 21 days from now = 3 weeks + ~2 weeks delivery time for European/international buyers like me
> => 5 weeks of waiting.. :sigh:




I just pre-ordered mine, even though I had decided NOT to buy any more lights for a while, and I had gone a few months without buying any! But 280 lumens from a single AA light, for $64? I cant let that go by!

BTW: The shipping date is now Nov 20...


----------



## hatman

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

The SC52 is shorter than the SC51 -- according to specs, 77.2 mm vs 80 mm.

Wonder what that's about.


----------



## flame2000

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Zeruel said:


> AA + XM-L is a potent mix, count me in as another who waits for SC52*W*.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> PS. They're not dead, just chose to manufacture other stuff at the moment. I assume this other stuff is extremely profitable for them to ignore the fact their LF2XTs have increased resale value by 4-fold (at least here in CPF/CPFMP). The emitters for LF2XT were R4 and R5, not that old.



I was wondering why Zebralight didn't go with AA + XP-G2? Would it be better?


----------



## Cunha

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Is the XML still more efficient than the XPG-g2? Zebralight doesn't seem to care all that much about how floody a light is, and even prefers them floody. If the XML is more efficient than the new XPG-G2 that would be why. I would love to see a zebralight thrower with the XPG-g2..very very much.


----------



## funkychateau

.....


----------



## bluemax_1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Cunha said:


> Is the XML still more efficient than the XPG-g2? Zebralight doesn't seem to care all that much about how floody a light is, and even prefers them floody. If the XML is more efficient than the new XPG-G2 that would be why. I would love to see a zebralight thrower with the XPG-g2..very very much.


The XML can ultimately put out more lumens than the XPG-2 if I understand correctly, but it needs a bigger reflector for throw.

In these smaller reflectors, the XPG-2 would have more lux (brighter hotspot for better throw).

Count me as another waiting for a ZL XPG-2. With the efficiency of their circuits and 14500 capability, it just might replace my Quark QPA-G2 (especially if they figured out a simple way to get from Medium to Maximum in the UI).


Max


----------



## Stanley_BA

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I like the SC52, but I don´t like the xm-l inside, too floody beam for me, so I´m waiting for some new Zebra with XP-G2 too. I read somewhere here that there should be at least one model in next 2-3 months, so hopefully is this truth.


----------



## Cataract

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I don't find them so floody with the XM-L, but I definitely want an XP-G2 pocket thrower.


----------



## Shooter21

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I'd like to see someone test that 3 month run time statement.


----------



## g.p.

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Shooter21 said:


> I'd like to see someone test that 3 month run time statement.


Why? Would it really matter if it was significantly lower, or even higher? It would be a rare situation where that would have any real world value (trapped in a mine?).


----------



## Sir Lightalot

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Eric_LED said:


> Do you own zebralight?



Yes, I bought an SC51w a year ago to replace my defective LF5XT.


----------



## reppans

*Zebralight SC52*



g.p. said:


> Why? Would it really matter if it was significantly lower, or even higher? It would be a rare situation where that would have any real world value (trapped in a mine?).



I'd like to know if moonlight mode runtimes are reasonably correct for a few reasons.

- The 0.01 lms / 3 mo. sounds like it would really only be useful as a tritium vial locator... if it really does last that long, I might feel comfortable leaving it on 24/7 and using it as such.

- I consider ~ 0.2 - 0.3 lms moonlight modes to be good emergency modes that can even take the place of carrying spare batts. Who knows how much capacity you will have remaining when you need it the most, but it would be nice to know that might be ~100 hrs of remain runtime with an 80% depleted Eneloop. 

I'm quite skeptical ZL can pull 500 hrs from a 0.34 lm XML when FourSevens and Eagletac claims are so far from that with similar XML moonlight levels. Same thing with ZL getting 280 lms from an Eneloop (my 172 lm H51w, 107 lm QAAX NW, and 123 lm D25A XML NW all look the same to me and my DSLR light meter). 

I undestand ZLs are efficient... but come on this _double_ the efficiency. Well, if they can truly do it, everyone else should just pack-up and go home.


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



reppans said:


> with ZL getting 280 lms from an Eneloop (my 172 lm H51w, 107 lm QAAX NW, and 123 lm D25A XML NW all look the same to me and my DSLR light meter).


Not on selfbuilt's light meter!

In a ceiling bounce test i'd say, without light meter, that my D25A XML CW beats the QAAX XML CW by a minimal bit on Eneloop. Both XML's on my units are somewhat greenish so it is easy to compare the brightness levels in a ceiling bounce. But they are very close .. and very bright on a single Eneloop. Definitely brighter than anything else i own, 1xAA such as Klarus P1A, Xeno E03 XML T6 CW, Balder SE-1 XML CW, Sipik SK68, etc.

*If* the SC52 CW is about the same as my QAAX — *to my eyes in a ceiling bounce* — then i'll be glad to sell it and move on. I would then get more units, Aluminum or Titanium, of the D25-series by Eagletac.


----------



## twl

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Well I guess everybody here must have ultra-sensitive eyes, because I have had lights which had settings of 325 lumens Turbo and 200 lumens High, and I could barely tell the difference. If I wasn't doing the switching myself, and somebody else was holding the light, I couldn't reliably say whether the light was on Turbo or High.
So, my hat is off to you guys who think you are getting something with this barely-discernible lumen increase.

To me, the whole ball of wax with this new SC52 is if they fixed the design flaws in the switch and the flaky unpredictable UI(proof of which has been borne-out by posts of long-time users above, who still don't know for sure what's going on with their light). If they did that, then THAT will be the landmark of what this light is about. AND also the 14500 compatibility.
It's about fixing what was wrong with the SC51, IMO.


----------



## stp

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> To me, the whole ball of wax with this new SC52 is if they fixed the design flaws in the switch and the flaky unpredictable UI(proof of which has been borne-out by posts of long-time users above, who still don't know for sure what's going on with their light). If they did that, then THAT will be the landmark of what this light is about. AND also the 14500 compatibility.
> It's about fixing what was wrong with the SC51, IMO.



If UI of ZL is unpredictable for somebody after few days of regular use he should change the light for something else. It's not meant for everybody but some of us are very happy with it and we would prefer to stay it that way.
And how do you imagine fixing it? There are some limits to what you can do with single switch. They would need to add second button or variable ring to make fast and more intuitive mode switching possible. They already use single click, double click, click and hold, multi click from off. What would you like to add/change?


----------



## twl

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



stp said:


> If UI of ZL is unpredictable for somebody after few days of regular use he should change the light for something else. It's not meant for everybody but some of us are very happy with it and we would prefer to stay it that way.
> And how do you imagine fixing it? There are some limits to what you can do with single switch. They would need to add second button or variable ring to make fast and more intuitive mode switching possible. They already use single click, double click, click and hold, multi click from off. What would you like to add/change?



For my taste, a tail switch for on/off/momentary is mandatory, and any mode switching can be done at the head or on a ring.
Like a Quark or a Malkoff, or even a Sunwayman ring model, among others.
If somebody HAS to have a side switch, at least make it so that the mode can be accurately and predictably selected BEFORE the light is turned on.
Clicking/cycling between modes to select what you really wanted AFTER it turns on is just obsolete technology. 
Especially when it's not even predictable by seasoned owners, as we've seen right here on this thread, who don't even realize that they are switching into programming mode by just simple usage in walking the dog, and people who get Turbo mode in the middle of the night when they are trying to get Moonlight mode.
Not to even mention the accidental pocket turn-ons from the bad switch design.

I am hopeful that they fix these things, but there is no denying that they are all present in the SC51.
And I didn't bring these subjects up. They were brought up by actual users in this thread and others.


----------



## mitro

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> For my taste, a tail switch for on/off/momentary is mandatory, and any mode switching can be done at the head or on a ring.
> Like a Quark or a Malkoff, or even a Sunwayman ring model, among others.
> If somebody HAS to have a side switch, at least make it so that the mode can be accurately and predictably selected BEFORE the light is turned on.
> Clicking/cycling between modes to select what you really wanted AFTER it turns on is just obsolete technology.
> Especially when it's not even predictable by seasoned owners, as we've seen right here on this thread, who don't even realize that they are switching into programming mode by just simple usage in walking the dog, and people who get Turbo mode in the middle of the night when they are trying to get Moonlight mode.
> Not to even mention the accidental pocket turn-ons from the bad switch design.
> 
> I am hopeful that they fix these things, but there is no denying that they are all present in the SC51.



Your taste is YOUR taste. I like the ZL UI just the way it is and wouldn't buy their lights if they significantly changed the UI. It sounds like you have no need to concern yourself with Zebralights since there are plenty of other brands you listed that fit YOUR needs. There is nothing for them to fix, IMO.


----------



## eloreno

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I personally love the Zebralight UI.


----------



## sspc

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> Clicking/cycling between modes to select what you really wanted AFTER it turns on is just obsolete technology.


Pretty simple to get into any of the 3 modes from off: 1) Quick click for set Max or 2) Longer click for set low or 3) double click for set medium


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> For my taste, a tail switch for on/off/momentary is mandatory, and any mode switching can be done at the head or on a ring.
> Like a Quark or a Malkoff, or even a Sunwayman ring model, among others.
> If somebody HAS to have a side switch, at least make it so that the mode can be accurately and predictably selected BEFORE the light is turned on.
> Clicking/cycling between modes to select what you really wanted AFTER it turns on is just obsolete technology.
> Especially when it's not even predictable by seasoned owners, as we've seen right here on this thread, who don't even realize that they are switching into programming mode by just simple usage in walking the dog, and people who get Turbo mode in the middle of the night when they are trying to get Moonlight mode.
> Not to even mention the accidental pocket turn-ons from the bad switch design.
> 
> I am hopeful that they fix these things, but there is no denying that they are all present in the SC51.
> And I didn't bring these subjects up. They were brought up by actual users in this thread and others.


You're reading a little too much into some of the posts - seasoned users are not having problems, although some others are. The SC51 is very predictable, and while not a good choice for some, excellent choice for others. 

I was liking your post right up to the point that you brought up the term 'obsolete', since it is absolutely wrong in this case. User preference is the only thing that matters and it will take some doing for the SC-series to become obsolete. You last point stands though and I am glad to see the switch sensitivity addressed, but again, it was not bad design so much as oversight of how the switch would do when crammed in a pocket.


----------



## stp

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> For my taste, a tail switch for on/off/momentary is mandatory, and any mode switching can be done at the head or on a ring.
> Like a Quark or a Malkoff, or even a Sunwayman ring model, among others.
> If somebody HAS to have a side switch, at least make it so that the mode can be accurately and predictably selected BEFORE the light is turned on.
> Clicking/cycling between modes to select what you really wanted AFTER it turns on is just obsolete technology.
> Especially when it's not even predictable by seasoned owners, as we've seen right here on this thread, who don't even realize that they are switching into programming mode by just simple usage in walking the dog, and people who get Turbo mode in the middle of the night when they are trying to get Moonlight mode.
> Not to even mention the accidental pocket turn-ons from the bad switch design.
> 
> I am hopeful that they fix these things, but there is no denying that they are all present in the SC51.



- switch position is a matter of preference cigar/tactical grip vs. hand grip (I'm not sure if it's correct name). You may prefer the other but it's not something you can call broken.

-separating on/off switch and mode selection into two places makes it harder to select mode before turning on. It may also lead to accidental blast in the eyes if you forget to check the ring for example. These two things are what's in your opinion wrong with ZL. Still you suggest solution that isn't better. Yes it is easier to understand how to operate but not fool proof and in some cases harder to operate. 

-From your description the perfect light for you would be V11R with AA extender. Now take a look at the size and energy efficiency compared to ZL. You can't just put a v. ring in ZL and get the same size light with the same good runtime (and trust me I would love it too) There is no way to make one light perfect for everybody - it's always about making some sacrifices in one place to gain in other.

-Mode in ZL can be selected in the process of turning it on. You can get it on low or on high from off. (you can also get to medium but it's not that great - slow or going trough high so I ignore it)

-Turbo instead of low mode is a user error. If it happens to seasoned owners and bothers them they should change the light because there is nothing wrong with ZL. I and others don't have that problem and we are not some special snowflakes. Keep in mind that I'm the one who suggested that ZL may not be the best gift flashlight for other people because it may be little to complicated. It doesn't mean that there is something wrong with ZL - it just isn't light for everybody.

-The getting into setup after series of double clicks IMHO should be fixed because it's a bug. Still It didn't happen to me in the 1,5 year of heavy using H51 as my EDC. It's because in my light you can get into setup only from high mode and the difference between high modes is so minuscule that I don't switch constantly between them.

-The accidental activation wasn't problem in Sc600 and SC80 which were made after SC51 so it shouldn't be problem with SC52

Could you tell me if you own the SC51? Because some things you are saying make me think that all what you are saying is based on others opinions and you never used that light.


----------



## reppans

*Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> Well I guess everybody here must have ultra-sensitive eyes, because I have had lights which had settings of 325 lumens Turbo and 200 lumens High, and I could barely tell the difference. If I wasn't doing the switching myself, and somebody else was holding the light, I couldn't reliably say whether the light was on Turbo or High.
> So, my hat is off to you guys who think you are getting something with this barely-discernible lumen increase.



And that's why I said, "to me and my DSLR light meter." Just for kicks I tested the three again, all NW lights on an Eneloop, ceiling bounced in a small bathroom, DSLR meter reading taken off the toilet seat cover. Quark AAX and D25A were dead even, the H51w actually flickers on 1/3 of a stop dimmer... swapped batteries around with the same result. 

4/7s and ET output and runtime specs are within the same ballpark and I've seen the runtime testimonial thread on 4/7s lights. In comparison, ZLs specs are way out in left field (more than double output or low lumen runtimes?) Based my own admittedly tiny sample, I just don't think they can do it. Selfbuilt's review may shed some light, but unfortunately, you probably won't see either of these two other lights on the same output/runtime graphs, despite them probably being the SC52's closest competition.

But specs are specs and you're right that many flashaholics may be more concerned with things like tint, UI and build quality, but it does irk me to see a lot of noobs "rewarding" some of these companies with.... well.... let's just say with over zealous specs.

I hope I'm wrong and this 52 can deliver.... I will still buy one (probably an Hw though) - I'm just happy to see more high performance AA/14500 lights with moonlight coming to market.


----------



## twl

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



stp said:


> - switch position is a matter of preference cigar/tactical grip vs. hand grip (I'm not sure if it's correct name). You may prefer the other but it's not something you can call broken.
> 
> -separating on/off switch and mode selection into two places makes it harder to select mode before turning on. It may also lead to accidental blast in the eyes if you forget to check the ring for example. These two things are what's in your opinion wrong with ZL. Still you suggest solution that isn't better. Yes it is easier to understand how to operate but not fool proof and in some cases harder to operate.
> 
> -From your description the perfect light for you would be V11R with AA extender. Now take a look at the size and energy efficiency compared to ZL. You can't just put a v. ring in ZL and get the same size light with the same good runtime (and trust me I would love it too) There is no way to make one light perfect for everybody - it's always about making some sacrifices in one place to gain in other.
> 
> -Mode in ZL can be selected in the process of turning it on. You can get it on low or on high from off. (you can also get to medium but it's not that great - slow or going trough high so I ignore it)
> 
> -Turbo instead of low mode is a user error. If it happens to seasoned owners and bothers them they should change the light because there is nothing wrong with ZL. I and others don't have that problem and we are not some special snowflakes. Keep in mind that I'm the one who suggested that ZL may not be the best gift flashlight for other people because it may be little to complicated. It doesn't mean that there is something wrong with ZL - it just isn't light for everybody.
> 
> -The getting into setup after series of double clicks IMHO should be fixed because it's a bug. Still It didn't happen to me in the 1,5 year of heavy using H51 as my EDC. It's because in my light you can get into setup only from high mode and the difference between high modes is so minuscule that I don't switch constantly between them.
> 
> -The accidental activation wasn't problem in Sc600 and SC80 which were made after SC51 so it shouldn't be problem with SC52
> 
> Could you tell me if you own the SC51? Because some things you are saying make me think that all what you are saying is based on others opinions and you never used that light.



No I don't own one. I have used them many of times, because one of my friends is a dealer. I could buy one any time at actual dealer cost, if I thought it was a worthwhile purchase. I find the same issues as many of the other users have, after using that light. These issues are all well-known and documented by many people. They exist.

I concede that some of my points can be put down to individual preference, like a tail switch. I just responded with my preferences, which you asked me to do. I certainly recognize that not everyone will see things the same way.
I'm not the one with the light turning on in my pocket if I don't lock out the tailcap, either. 

Thankfully, Zebralight seems to recognize some of its problems, even if some fans/users refuse to. And they fixed their switch, at least in the other recent models.
Perhaps the trend of improvements will continue.
Let's hope it does.


----------



## maxrep12

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

STP, thanks for the insightful posts.

I find it odd that some here would attempt to shift the "blame" for the success of ZL, upon flashlight noobs. Generally it is a Rambo style tactical thrower that catches the fancy of the new led consumer. 

The cause for success with ZL revolves around more soft spoken attributes. Utility, UI, form factor and efficiency, are the reasons Zebra Light has moved to the front of the line, and with notable force.

If ZL were not on top of the industry, folk wouldn't be interested in taking a swipe at them.


----------



## flame2000

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



sspc said:


> Pretty simple to get into any of the 3 modes from off: 1) Quick click for set Max or 2) Longer click for set low or 3) double click for set medium



+1 on this amazingly simple UI! :thumbsup:


----------



## bodhran

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Another thumbs up on the UI. I think people having difficulty are trying to read to much into it. There is also a nice flow chart someone posted on CPF a while back that is helpful.


----------



## markr6

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



flame2000 said:


> +1 on this amazingly simple UI! :thumbsup:



Another +1....but only for the headlamps. I have a 51 and 502. But for a flashlight, i NEED momentary on so I went with a few Fenix torches.


----------



## g.p.

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> Well I guess everybody here must have ultra-sensitive eyes, because I have had lights which had settings of 325 lumens Turbo and 200 lumens High, and I could barely tell the difference. If I wasn't doing the switching myself, and somebody else was holding the light, I couldn't reliably say whether the light was on Turbo or High.
> So, my hat is off to you guys who think you are getting something with this barely-discernible lumen increase.


I suppose if you are only going to use AA's in it. I see the official 14500 support as the big seller. That jumps the output up 300 lumens over my SC51 in the same size package!!! :thumbsup:


----------



## twl

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



g.p. said:


> I suppose if you are only going to use AA's in it. I see the official 14500 support as the big seller. That jumps the output up 300 lumens over my SC51 in the same size package!!! :thumbsup:



I agree that the 14500 support is a good addition. I realize that it's only for short term bursts of that extra-high lumen Turbo, but it can be acceptable since the light is very small. I would theorize that since the 14500 is at, or above, the forward voltage of the LED, that using the 14500 will yield better effiiciency than the very low voltage eneloops.


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



bodhran said:


> There is also a nice flow chart someone posted on CPF a while back that is helpful.



Does it explain the programming too? I am still confused about the exact options we got here. Is it correct that we have exactly 6 "slots" to fill in with a lumens level?
H1, H2
M1, M2
L1, L2

So what are all the possible combinations/permutations of how these 6 slots could be programmed to?, in other words, how many different SC52 setups can i create with them? Maybe someone knows programming (IF ... THEN .. ELSE- loop) and can .., anyway.. where is that flow chart?


----------



## stp

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> Does it explain the programming too? I am still confused about the exact options we got here. Is it correct that we have exactly 6 "slots" to fill in with a lumens level?
> H1, H2
> M1, M2
> L1, L2
> 
> So what are all the possible combinations/permutations of how these 6 slots could be programmed to?, in other words, how many different SC52 setups can i create with them? Maybe someone knows programming (IF ... THEN .. ELSE- loop) and can .., anyway.. where is that flow chart?



This is except from ZL52 description: 


High: H1 *280* Lm (0.9 hrs) or H2 *172* Lm (1.7 hrs) / *108* Lm (3 hrs) / 4Hz Strobe
Medium: M1 *50* Lm (7.5 hrs) or M2 *25 *Lm (12 hrs) / *12* Lm (27 hrs)
Low: L1 *2.7 *Lm (4 days) or L2 *0.34* Lm (3 weeks) / *0.06 *Lm (2 months) / *0.01 *Lm (3 months)

You program each main mode (High, Medium, Low) separately. In each main mode you can select what will be used as X2 from the list above. So for example for high mode H1 280 Lm can't be changed but you can choose 172 Lm, 108 Lm or 4Hz Strobe as a H2.

You program it by entering setup using 6 double clicks from the main mode you want to change. Each next double click will change a sublevel to the next from the list. After choosing the one you want just switch the light off.

Simple calculation: 3*2*3= 18 possible permutations.


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



stp said:


> So for example for high mode H1 280 Lm can't be changed but you


Thanks! Hmm.. are you sure? Then the English is poor, let's read again:


ZL product page said:


> User Selectable Levels: 3 main levels (High, Medium and Low). Each main level can be programmed to one of its two sub-levels. The *second sub*-level of the each main levels can be *further *programmed to different brightness levels or strobes.



If the English is correct, then i am understanding that, let's take "H" as example, both H1 and H2 can be programmed.


----------



## moozooh

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

No, you're understanding wrong; the description is rather confusing but is factually correct.

High level can be programmed to one of its two sub-levels: H1 and H2. H2, which is the second sub-level of High, can be further programmed to 172 lm, 108 lm, or a strobe.

This is also the case with every other ZL light—H1/M1/L1 can't be programmed. Until recently M2 and L2 couldn't be programmed either.


----------



## stp

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> Thanks! Hmm.. are you sure? Then the English is poor, let's read again:
> 
> User Selectable Levels: 3 main levels (High, Medium and Low). Each main level can be switched to one of its two sub-levels. The *second sub*-level of the each main levels can be *further *programmed to different brightness levels or strobes.
> 
> If the English is correct, then i am understanding that, let's take "H" as example, both H1 and H2 can be programmed.



100% sure if it works the same way as older ZLs. English is not my native language so I'm never 100% sure  but I think that in place of first "programmed" "switched" would be better word. It's about switching between two sub-levels with double click during normal use ( H1 <-> H2 ). I wouldn't call it programming. It really depends how you look at it. I'm using the double click constantly so for me it's a part of normal operation. But it remembers your last selected mode (H1 or H2) so... well maybe somebody could call it programming.

Main Levels: High, Medium, Low
Sub levels for high: H1 H2
"The *second sub*-level of the each main levels can be *further *programmed" so in case of High it means that only H2 can be programmed.


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



moozooh said:


> This is also the case with every other ZL light—H1/M1/L1 can't be programmed. Until recently M2 and L2 couldn't be programmed either.



This is clear. _That _i can understand, thanks!! 
stp, your explanation is crystal too, very much appreciated, thanks!! 

(...)

Hopefully the torch is clearly brighter than my Eagletac D25A XML flashlight! Both models are very floody so it should be easy to compare them.


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> This is clear. _That _i can understand, thanks!!
> stp, your explanation is crystal too, very much appreciated, thanks!!
> 
> (...)
> 
> Hopefully the torch is clearly brighter than my Eagletac D25A XML flashlight! Both models are very floody so it should be easy to compare them.



The zebralight should be brighter on AA.

On li-ion the D25A should be brighter.


----------



## lampeDépêche

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



stp said:


> English is not my native language so I'm never 100% sure  but I think that in place of first "programmed" "switched" would be better word. It's about switching between two sub-levels with double click during normal use ( H1 <-> H2 ). I wouldn't call it programming. It really depends how you look at it. I'm using the double click constantly so for me it's a part of normal operation. But it remembers your last selected mode (H1 or H2) so... well maybe somebody could call it programming.



As a native speaker of English, let me say that this is *exactly* right. 

It would be more accurate for ZL to say that each of H/M/L has a higher and lower setting, and the lower setting can be switched between three (or 2 for M) levels, which it will then remember until you switch again.

I suppose it is not factually incorrect to call it "programming", and it probably sounds more exciting and high-tech. But "switching" is far less misleading.


----------



## fnj

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I just noticed for the first time that ZL is now selling 18650 and 14500 lithium ion cells! This makes sense given that they now have both the SC/H600 and SC52 that are officially lithium ion capable.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Stanley_BA said:


> I like the SC52, but I don´t like the xm-l inside, too floody beam for me, so I´m waiting for some new Zebra with XP-G2 too. I read somewhere here that there should be at least one model in next 2-3 months, so hopefully is this truth.



Dont hold your breath! They have been supposed to come out with several new lights over the last year, but they keep either cancelling them or putting them off.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

When will ZL send out the first lights for pre introduction testing?


----------



## NickBose

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



mitro said:


> Your taste is YOUR taste. I like the ZL UI just the way it is and wouldn't buy their lights if they significantly changed the UI. It sounds like you have no need to concern yourself with Zebralights since there are plenty of other brands you listed that fit YOUR needs. There is nothing for them to fix, IMO.



+1
I'm not a very smart person but I find the UI is extremely easy to use and straight forward. You click and you have HIGH. If you want LOW you hold. Is that rocket science that "seasoned users" can't comprehend/predict?


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



NickBose said:


> +1
> I'm not a very smart person but I find the UI is extremely easy to use and straight forward. You click and you have HIGH. If you want LOW you hold. Is that rocket science that "seasoned users" can't comprehend/predict?


Seasoned users don't have any problem with them, but what can be frustrating is having a Clicky, Haiku and SC51w on you all at the same time. Many simple things we do in life become automatic as we accustom ourselves to various pieces of equipment and when one switches lights on a regular basis with such disparate UI's, it becomes fairly common to use the wrong combination of clicks.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

"LED driver circuits sealed completely from the battery chamber"

This feature alone should make the light more reliable than previous models. 

Not that my H51w isn't reliable. It's about 2 year old and being used 4hr a day everyday, so much that it even replaces my house lights.


----------



## RedForest UK

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I like that, the first 'wireless table lamp' I've seen. I hope you didn't butcher it specifically for that purpose though!


----------



## Pretbek

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I'm guessing a neodymium magnet glued to the bottom, like I did on my H502d. Very handy attachment point.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I've been looking for an EDC light to compliment my other current two that I alternate between (47s Preon II Ti and Quark AA-T R5 /w deep clip) and I've decided to go ahead and preorder this. I was very interested in the SC51 but reading of the easily triggered switch kind of swayed me from getting it. Assuming this will be similar to the SC51, how significant is the parasitic draw (edit looked at SC51 review, very litte draw)?

The efficiency of this light looks amazing. How is it beating a company like 47s so significantly? They must have some great circuit designers over there. I mean 172 lumens for 1.7 hours on an Eneloop? That'd be a respectable performance for a 2 x AA light, for a single it's unbelieveable.

And 100 lumens for 3 hours? Compare that to about 100 lumens on a typical 1AA light of about an hour. I'm almost skeptical but after reading the SC51 review and scaling those numbers up for the increase in efficacy for an XM-L and assuming some slight driver improvements it seems possible.

Not to mention 14500 capability and low battery step-down on both AA and 14500? I guess I can't speak to the build quality but from a circuit design point of view these guys seem to really know what they're doing.


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Wiggle said:


> for a single it's unbelieveable.



reppans commented that there is no visible difference in brightness between his Quarks and Zebras and i do believe him more than manufacturer stated spec's of made in china lamps.

on the other hand, selfbuilt had measured high lumens output for the SC51 wtf.

we will have to see and do our own comparisons. The brightest 1xEneloop lights on the market are, after SC51, the Quark X (AA-body) and the Eagletac D25A XML U2. They easily beat Xeno E03 XML, Klarus P1A, Jetbeam BA10, Nitecore MT-series, Rofis, Fenix and others.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Pretbek said:


> I'm guessing a neodymium magnet glued to the bottom, like I did on my H502d. Very handy attachment point.



I glued a piece of metal to the bottom. This way the magnet is removable and not in the way when it is not needed.


----------



## twl

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Wiggle said:


> for a single it's unbelieveable.



I think you've hit the key phrase.
I tend to agree.

But things are yet to be seen
The other well-known factor that seems to be overlooked in all this "lumen talk" is that there is no eye-discernible difference between these amounts of lumens being discussed. Nobody here can see the difference between 179 lumens and 200 lumens, I don't care how "sensitive and perceptive" they think they are.
It's all a numbers game for marketing. Most people couldn't see any difference between 200 lumens and 300 lumens.
Here's how we can tell, besides the fact that scientists say so.
A typical post from a 900-lumen light that steps down 3db after a couple of minutes, losing 450 lumens in the process, " I couldn't even tell that it had stepped down. It looked the same to me." There's plenty of that kind of evidence available around this site if you look for it.
Selfbuilt's own review of the Maelstrom G5 discussed using it on 1 x 18650, and that as it dropped unregulated from 350 lumens to 200 lumens, the change was virtually undetectable by eye. This is just the way things are in the real world. Light is perceived logarithmically. These small lumen changes simply aren't detectable by eye.
In fact, since Zebralights are so floody, it is quite conceivable that a lower power light with a tighter beam and more throw might even look brighter.
It's marketing. 
The scientific facts are that the 200 lumen Zebralight would have to go to 400 lumens(3db increase) for the average person to be able to detect a change that could be considered definitely noticeable by the general public. And that's just the raw fact of it.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Well we can look at the numbers for a second. For 172 lumens at 1.7 hours:

An Eneloop has about 2000 mAh at 1.2V nominal or about 2.4 Wh.

2.4 Wh/1.7h = 1.41 W delivered from the cell in this mode.

172 lumen/1.41 W = 122 lumen/W net (meaning including driver and optics losses).

According to my quick calculation (and somene correct me if I'm wrong) the XM-L U2 is about 125 lumens/W but that is at 700mA. At the lower drive level for this mode perhaps it is closer to 150 so I will use that number (again someone tell me if this is wishful thinking).

So 122/150= 81.33%. Which would imply 80% of the power from the battery is making it to the LED at least. I suppose if you assume 10% loss from optics this could be possible, but would imply about 90% efficiency from a 1.2->3.3V boost driver, very efficient.


----------



## Shaysrebellion

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Eneloop XX has 2500MaH




Wiggle said:


> Well we can look at the numbers for a second. For 172 lumens at 1.7 hours:
> 
> An* Eneloop has about 2000 mAh *at 1.2V nominal or about 2.4 Wh.
> 
> 2.4 Wh/1.7h = 1.41 W delivered from the cell in this mode.
> 
> 172 lumen/1.41 W = 122 lumen/W net (meaning including driver and optics losses).
> 
> According to my quick calculation (and somene correct me if I'm wrong) the XM-L U2 is about 125 lumens/W but that is at 700mA. At the lower drive level for this mode perhaps it is closer to 150 so I will use that number (again someone tell me if this is wishful thinking).
> 
> So 122/150= 81.33%. Which would imply 80% of the power from the battery is making it to the LED at least. I suppose if you assume 10% loss from optics this could be possible, but would imply about 90% efficiency from a 1.2->3.3V boost driver, very efficient.


----------



## reppans

*Zebralight SC52*



Wiggle said:


> The efficiency of this light looks amazing. How is it beating a company like 47s so significantly? They must have some great circuit designers over there. I mean 172 lumens for 1.7 hours on an Eneloop? That'd be a respectable performance for a 2 x AA light, for a single it's unbelieveable.



I agree and am highly skeptical of ZLs claims as I mention in earlier posts. I can understand improved performance, but this light is claiming *more than double * max output and moonlight runtimes of other efficient manufacturers. My tests between QAAX & D25A XML & H51w were all neutral white versions and done using the ceiling bounce test and metered with a DSLR camera - if anything, the highest rated light (H51w) was slightly dimmer on 1xEneloop. 

Having said that I do agree that even doubling lumens is barely perceptible by the human eye due to the logarithmic nature of our brightness perception, and this is one of the main reasons I'm a low lumen freak (halving perceived bright ~ quadruples runtime). Twice the lumens ~ 40% perceived increase, or Sq Rt of 2.... so 280 vs 140 is really only perceptible when compared alternately side by side. 

I personally don't care about max modes at all, they use way too much power from what is already a small capacity battery. What I really do care about are the medium to low lumen runtimes and doubling them is definitely more noticeable than doubling max output. It also just really irks me when a manufactuer claims something extraordinary..... but is really not.

In terms of Selfbuilt's reviews, perhaps one of the big factors is that some companies, like 47s, is conservative to a fault (ZL says the SC51 does 200lms, SB confirms that. 47s says the QAAX will do 280lms, SB say 400). Perhaps my H51w is faulty (although there was thread in the headlamp sub-forum where a half dozen of us complained our 172 lms H51w were significantly dimmer than our 180 lms QAA2s). Also, SB tends not to test the low lumen runtimes (most important for me).

The unfortunate thing is that we will probably never see a QAAX, D25A and H52 on the same Selfbuilt output/runtime graph since the QAAX is not a production model, and the D25A was never tested along with the D25 C/A2/LC2. Too bad since I would consider these two to be the H52s closest competition as sub-lumen, single AA models. 

All that said, I hope ZL can meet these spec claims.... it just means better lights for all of us, and I do intend to buy one (hopefully H52w). If nothing else, I'm very happy to reward any manufacturer willing to develop another sub-lumen AA light (esp. with full 14500 compatibility) - what has become my favorite form factor.


----------



## low

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> The scientific facts are that the 200 lumen Zebralight would have to go to 400 lumens(3db increase) for the average person to be able to detect a change that could be considered definitely noticeable by the general public. And that's just the raw fact of it.



Here is a real life fact. When I go through all six settings of my SC51 I can see a difference in output on ALL levels! Pure real life fact.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

reppans,
I'm curious as to how their circuit is setup. Historically 1xAA has not been the most efficienct setup due to the amount of boosting required. I suppose with some creative design combined with the fact that XM-L has lower Vf than popular emitters from the last few years (XR-E, XP-E, XP-G) perhaps they have reduced those losses significantly. Also, my math I quoted above, I believe I underestimated the lumens/watt of the XM-L slightly, I calculated using a 3.3V Vf when it's actually closer to 2.9V, also I took minimum flux, not typical. To me the numbers look feasible, albeit about as efficient as anyone could ever hope for with a 1xAA powering an XM-L.

I'm very pleased with the 14500 support on this light. I was having a hard time finding an alternative to my Quark R5 that would allow me to use both AA and 14500 without losing modes or risking overheating. Personally I find 14500 to be a great EDC cell cause I feel as if it responds to frequent (even daily) charge topping better than an NiMH cell would. I hope the low battery stepdown works as well, that was the only annoyance with 14500 on the Quark, it'd be perfectly regulated but then I'd get a sudden lights out.


----------



## twl

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Wiggle said:


> reppans,
> I'm curious as to how their circuit is setup. Historically 1xAA has not been the most efficienct setup due to the amount of boosting required. I suppose with some creative design combined with the fact that XM-L has lower Vf than popular emitters from the last few years (XR-E, XP-E, XP-G) perhaps they have reduced those losses significantly. Also, my math I quoted above, I believe I underestimated the lumens/watt of the XM-L slightly, I calculated using a 3.3V Vf when it's actually closer to 2.9V, also I took minimum flux, not typical. To me the numbers look feasible, albeit about as efficient as anyone could ever hope for with a 1xAA powering an XM-L.



Well there is a difference in NiMh than standard AA alkaline. Alkaline does not bear up well at all when taxed at heavier currents. 
But NiMh does much better. However, NiMh requires an even larger current boost, due to its extremely low voltage output. Approximately 2.5 times the battery voltage, which is not exactly conducive to good efficiency. 

I don't have an Eneloop output curve here, but it would be interesting to see the Eneloop discharge curve at this kind of current output, and see what it looks like.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Well if the runtimes are rated for 0.9 hours on max, it's only a little above 1C. Not really a strain for that cell I don't think you take much of a hit there (the alkaline might not like it though). But I guess the real question is, how is their boost circuit so efficient?


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



low said:


> Here is a real life fact. When I go through all six settings of my SC51 I can see a difference in output on ALL levels! Pure real life fact.



According to a recent poll, about *50* CPF members bought 1 (or more) D25A's. The OTF lumens output on 1xEneloop is about equally high on XP-G CW and XM-L CW according to official Eagletac specs, namely 110, 121, 122 ANSI FL-1 lumen.

Anyone else with more real life facts? => How does the *D25A *compare, visually, against the *SC51*? And did anyone try to measure both ceiling bounces?





reppans has the D25A but not the SC51 i think


----------



## twl

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Wiggle said:


> Well if the runtimes are rated for 0.9 hours on max, it's only a little above 1C. Not really a strain for that cell I don't think you take much of a hit there (the alkaline might not like it though). But I guess the real question is, how is their boost circuit so efficient?



We don't REALLY know that it is so efficient.
We're just taking their word for it. Maybe it's not.


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> We don't REALLY know that it is so efficient.
> We're just taking their word for it. Maybe it's not.



Zebralight's previous lights all boasted record-setting efficiency, which was confirmed by reviewers. Based on their history, I see no reason to doubt Zebralight's claims.


----------



## keenism

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Why are so many finding an efficient circuit so hard to believe? A bit of reading and you would find that even the efficiency they claim is nothing compared to what we could do if certain agendas weren't holding it/us back... Did you in Japan they have to make sure their IC's do not reach overunity....but remember kids, you CANNOT get more out of a CLOSED system than what you put in, let the professors jam that into your head 1,000 times and regurgitate it back on your exams and make a nice little drone.


*United States Patent **5,436,518*

edit: anywho I ordered 3 so they better pull the damn thing off :thumbsup:


----------



## twl

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Fireclaw18 said:


> Zebralight's previous lights all boasted record-setting efficiency, which was confirmed by reviewers. Based on their history, I see no reason to doubt Zebralight's claims.



At this time, I have no data with which to argue against your statement. So, I won't argue against it at this time.


----------



## funkychateau

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



g.p. said:


> Originally Posted by *Shooter21*
> 
> I'd like to see someone test that 3 month run time statement.
> Why? Would it really matter if it was significantly lower, or even higher? It would be a rare situation where that would have any real world value (trapped in a mine?).



It definitely has value for me. With that runtime, I may never turn it off, making it easy to find in the dark. Once a month, I'd top off the battery charge.


----------



## CVLPA

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



low said:


> Here is a real life fact. When I go through all six settings of my SC51 I can see a difference in output on ALL levels! Pure real life fact.


+1 
Of course there is a big difference in real life situations between for example 200 and 400 lumens! Even smaller differences are easily detectable. Just because it doesn't appear DOUBLE as bright doesn't mean it's impossible to see.


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



twl said:


> ...well-known factor that seems to be overlooked in all this "lumen talk" is that there is no eye-discernible difference between these amounts of lumens being discussed. Nobody here can see the difference between 179 lumens and 200 lumens, I don't care how "sensitive and perceptive" they think they are.
> It's all a numbers game for marketing. Most people couldn't see any difference between 200 lumens and 300 lumens.
> Here's how we can tell, besides the fact that scientists say so.


Too bad you didn't stop at just pointing out that there is very little difference between these output levels and had to go on to the very unscientific and overly skeptical accusation of it being nothing more than a numbers game for marketing. You don't know why various individuals are going to publish a particular number and the fact remains that some people will publish a given spec simply because that's the number they came up with. Not their fault if a buying public sees a boost to 200 as worthy of acclaim when 179 would serve just as well while using less energy.
This is why I feel that 200-300 is about all I really care to have in a single cell light - diminishing returns negatively offset because of shortened runtimes and heat.


twl said:


> At this time, I have no data with which to argue against your statement. So, I won't argue against it at this time.


Devil's advocate, okay, but sometimes it's a bad habit.


----------



## twl

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



kaichu dento said:


> Too bad you didn't stop at just pointing out that there is very little difference between these output levels and had to go on to the very unscientific and overly skeptical accusation of it being nothing more than a numbers game for marketing. You don't know why various individuals are going to publish a particular number and the fact remains that some people will publish a given spec simply because that's the number they came up with. Not their fault if a buying public sees a boost to 200 as worthy of acclaim when 179 would serve just as well while using less energy.
> This is why I feel that 200-300 is about all I really care to have in a single cell light - diminishing returns negatively offset because of shortened runtimes and heat.
> Devil's advocate, okay, but sometimes it's a bad habit.



You're right.
I'll just retire from this thread now.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Pretbek said:


> I'm guessing a neodymium magnet glued to the bottom, like I did on my H502d. Very handy attachment point.




I dont think its a good idea to get powerful neodymium magnets anywhere near circuitry. They can damage electronics. I dont know if they will damage ALL electronic devices, but they can damage some of them.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



davidt1 said:


> "LED driver circuits sealed completely from the battery chamber"
> 
> This feature alone should make the light more reliable than previous models.
> 
> Not that my H51w isn't reliable. It's about 2 year old and being used 4hr a day everyday, so much that it even replaces my house lights.




Do you really use it like that, and how? Do you just point it at the computer or the table, or do you ceiling bounce it?


----------



## HighlanderNorth

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> reppans commented that there is no visible difference in brightness between his Quarks and Zebras and i do believe him more than manufacturer stated spec's of made in china lamps.
> 
> on the other hand, selfbuilt had measured high lumens output for the SC51 wtf.
> 
> we will have to see and do our own comparisons. The brightest 1xEneloop lights on the market are, after SC51, the Quark X (AA-body) and the Eagletac D25A XML U2. They easily beat Xeno E03 XML, Klarus P1A, Jetbeam BA10, Nitecore MT-series, Rofis, Fenix and others.



Yeah, my PA-10 is only like 140L on high, which is about the same as my Spark SL5-210CW with XP-G. But I like them both(except the Spark's side switch is way too easy to click on and it isnt recessed enough, so its in for warranty repair now). So if the SC52 is 280L on high, that will be extremely impressive! I cant wait to get mine and test it.

But the Spark was rated at 210L on turbo, BUT what they never mentioned in the specs anywhere is that its only 210L when you use a 14500...With an Eneloop its about 140L or so. Bummer.......

I guess its safe to say I like the PA-10 more than the Spark!


----------



## bluemax_1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

As mentioned in another thread, I compared my ZL SC80 against my Quark QP2A-X and QPA-G2 in unmeasured ceiling bounce tests with freshly charged Eneloop XX's and (and then again with a 14500 in the QPA-G2). The SC80 on Max (rated at 200 lumens) is definitely brighter than the QPA on Max with an Eneloop (rated at 109 + 20% = ~131 lumens) or the QP2A-X on High (rated at 115 lumens). The QPA-G2 on Max and QP2A-X on High looked about the same to me as far as lighting up the room with a ceiling bounce test.

The QP2A-X on Max though (rated for 280 lumens), lit the room up noticeably better than the SC80 on Max (200 lumens). The QPA-G2 on Max with a 14500 lit the room up slightly better than the QP2A-X on Max (but the hotspot on the ceiling was way brighter, albeit also a lot tighter).

I also tested the SC80's runtime on Max with an older Eneloop XX charged on a Maha C-9000. For the mAh read off the C-9000 (2356), the runtime (60 minutes till it began to dim noticeably) was within 6% of ZL's claims, which is within the LED variation, so to me, at least on the Max setting, the ZL lives up to its runtime claims.

Selfbuilt's runtime testing also showed that ZL's runtimes (and lumen specs) are all within about that approximate standard deviation range (and their regulation is incredibly flat AND better for a given lumen output than most other manufacturer's lights).


Max


----------



## Climb14er

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I got the SC 600 when they first came out. Fantastic light!

Just ordered the SC52 for the 16 Eneloops I ordered and received along with a C9000 charger.

Will order some 14500's to charge in my Pila... but no rush on these at the moment.

Zebralight rocks!


----------



## maxrep12

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Some here are so desperate to avoid any celebration of Zebra Lights efficiency, that they are willing to engage in logical fallacies. Arguing against more lumens produced efficiently, because one cannot "tell the difference", is a type of backward thinking the forum can do without. Let's try firing with all cylinders when we post.


----------



## lampeDépêche

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Yeah, I have no doubts about the lumen claims--their claims have been tested in the past, and found to be true.

The *only* thing keeping me from pulling the trigger on a new SC52 is that little letter "w"--I'm waiting in hopes that the neutral will come out.

(also that little matter of already having too many lights and not enough money. But hey, when has that stopped any of us before?)


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



maxrep12 said:


> Some here are so desperate to avoid any celebration of Zebra Lights efficiency, that they are willing to engage in logical fallacies. Arguing against more lumens produced efficiently, because one cannot "tell the difference", is a type of backward thinking the forum can do without. Let's try firing with all cylinders when we post.


As noted earlier, there's nothing wrong with discussing all aspects of a given light, and while some may or may not attempt to throw water on Zebralight's successes, most are here in this forum to weigh in on a light of interest, more often than not, in hopes of determining whether they want to add said light to their arsenal.

To say that it's backwards thinking to discuss efficiency and tradeoffs is most definitely legitimate and the way in which we learn much more about subjects we thought we already knew.


----------



## low

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



lampeDépêche said:


> But hey, when has that stopped any of us before?




When the Mrses says, "where did those flashlights come from?"


----------



## HighlanderNorth

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



CVLPA said:


> +1
> Of course there is a big difference in real life situations between for example 200 and 400 lumens! Even smaller differences are easily detectable. Just because it doesn't appear DOUBLE as bright doesn't mean it's impossible to see.




Absolutely! I dont buy into the theory that the human eye cant detect a change in brightness unless its double or more the previous level... I can tell the different between 200 and 300 lumens as soon as I click the switch. I dont own an infinitely adjustable light with a control ring, but I'd love to gradually ramp up the brightness as little as possible to find out the lowest incremental brightness increase that I could detect, then measure each setting to see what the brightness measurement was for the starting and ending levels, just to see exactly how small an increase I could detect. I bet I could easily detect 100 - 140 lumens.


----------



## Darvis

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



HighlanderNorth said:


> Absolutely! I dont buy into the theory that the human eye cant detect a change in brightness unless its double or more the previous level... I can tell the different between 200 and 300 lumens as soon as I click the switch. I dont own an infinitely adjustable light with a control ring, but I'd love to gradually ramp up the brightness as little as possible to find out the lowest incremental brightness increase that I could detect, then measure each setting to see what the brightness measurement was for the starting and ending levels, just to see exactly how small an increase I could detect. I bet I could easily detect 100 - 140 lumens.



I agree with you there- If you happen to have access to an HDS clicky, you can put it in programming mode and set the brightness level for each set of clicks... my point being that the brightness levels available are circular from about a half lumen up to the model's max (mine are the 140 lumen models). It's a nice way to do what you describe above to see the differences in output between each step. I can say that, in stepping through the levels, the difference is noticeable. But that's when stepping up and seeing the comparison real time. 

My caveat is this- I'm not sure I'd notice the difference, though, if one day I used a 100 lumen light, and the next day I used one that was 120 lumens. And then, of course, there's always lux. Watch how many people freak when they think the SC51 is brighter because of the lux/beam profile differences between the XP-G and XM-L.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



HighlanderNorth said:


> Do you really use it like that, and how? Do you just point it at the computer or the table, or do you ceiling bounce it?



Yes, I use it just like a regular table lamp.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



HighlanderNorth said:


> I dont think its a good idea to get powerful neodymium magnets anywhere near circuitry. They can damage electronics. I dont know if they will damage ALL electronic devices, but they can damage some of them.



Feat not. I have used magnets on my lights for years without problems. Some light makers even include magnet on the bottom. And they know more than me. The magnets are not super powerful and are 2''-3'' away from the electronics.


----------



## keenism

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



kaichu dento said:


> As noted earlier, there's nothing wrong with discussing all aspects of a given light, and while some may or may not attempt to throw water on Zebralight's successes, most are here in this forum to weigh in on a light of interest, more often than not, in hopes of determining whether they want to add said light to their arsenal.
> 
> To say that it's backwards thinking to discuss efficiency and tradeoffs is most definitely legitimate and the way in which we learn much more about subjects we thought we already knew.




Legitimate..possibly, if the light didn't have 6+(?) more efficient modes to switch to at will. WHERE is this "tradeoff."


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



keenism said:


> Legitimate..possibly, if the light didn't have 6+(?) more efficient modes to switch to at will. WHERE is this "tradeoff."


You'll have to determine that for yourself - as there is no perfect light for all of us, the individual sets their own preference. Just keep reading and experimenting, and eventually you'll know the best light for your needs.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Ordered this light and a couple 14500 cells to replace my aging 14500s I had been using with my Quark. Still one thing I'm trying to figure out:

If you turn the light on in high and then double click to change to the programmed H2 level and then turn the light off. Does it come on again at H2 or does it reset to H1?


----------



## stp

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Wiggle said:


> Ordered this light and a couple 14500 cells to replace my aging 14500s I had been using with my Quark. Still one thing I'm trying to figure out:
> 
> If you turn the light on in high and then double click to change to the programmed H2 level and then turn the light off. Does it come on again at H2 or does it reset to H1?



If it works the same as older ZL's it will come on at H2. The same with Medium and Low - it remembers the last used sub-level.


----------



## Wiggle

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Ok great, so assuming you find which sublevel you are happy with for all 3 slots you shouldn't need to be double clicking withing those modes right?

As well, so it's one click to get high, long click for low and 2 fast clicks for med? When you do the two for med does it go high and quickly drop to medium or direct to medium?


----------



## stp

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Wiggle said:


> Ok great, so assuming you find which sublevel you are happy with for all 3 slots you shouldn't need to be double clicking withing those modes right?
> 
> As well, so it's one click to get high, long click for low...



Yes.



Wiggle said:


> ...and 2 fast clicks for med? When you do the two for med does it go high and quickly drop to medium or direct to medium?



Again, if it works the same as the older ZL's: If you use 2 fast clicks for med than sadly you get flash on high for a part of second. This is why I prefer to go the other way and use press and hold to go trough low to medium.


----------



## oKtosiTe

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



stp said:


> Again, if it works the same as the older ZL's: If you use 2 fast clicks for med than sadly you get flash on high for a part of second. This is why I prefer to go the other way and use press and hold to go trough low to medium.



On the other hand, when you really need the high, you might not want to wait for it to delay to check for a second click, so I think it is a good compromise.


----------



## stp

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



oKtosiTe said:


> On the other hand, when you really need the high, you might not want to wait for it to delay to check for a second click, so I think it is a good compromise.



Yes but it could start straight with medium level and after waiting 400ms or so for second click boost it to high if there was no more presses or leave it at medium if there was a second click (It could even use some quick fade-in fade out) I think that it could be better compromise than what we have now.

After some thinking it could be not so good if somebody is using high all the time, I still would like to compare both methods in real life.


----------



## keenism

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



kaichu dento said:


> You'll have to determine that for yourself - as there is no perfect light for all of us, the individual sets their own preference. Just keep reading and experimenting, and eventually you'll know the best light for your needs.



Of course, but this is not quite what my post was pertaining to. I'll just assume something was "lost in transit" somehow, all good.


----------



## tickled

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



kaichu dento said:


> As noted earlier, there's nothing wrong with discussing all aspects of a given light, and while some may or may not attempt to throw water on Zebralight's successes, most are here in this forum to weigh in on a light of interest, more often than not, in hopes of determining whether they want to add said light to their arsenal. To say that it's backwards thinking to discuss efficiency and tradeoffs is most definitely legitimate and the way in which we learn much more about subjects we thought we already knew.


 What's the tradeoff for having more efficiency? Your torch is not as good for hand-warming in the winter?


----------



## bodhran

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Broke down and placed an order. I love my SC600w and the wife took my SC51 awhile back. I have quite a few lights but hardly any that use AA.


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



tickled said:


> What's the tradeoff for having more efficiency? Your torch is not as good for hand-warming in the winter?









That has always been the tradeoff between torches and lights! They both make light, but one can keep you warm too!


----------



## oKtosiTe

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



kaichu dento said:


> That has always been the tradeoff between torches and lights! They both make light, but one can keep you warm too!


My TM11 does a pretty good job of keeping my hands warm.


----------



## DavidMB

*Zebralight SC52*

I have a SMW V10A on a 14500 it has 480 lumens. I've used it for longer then a minute on high. I'm usually aware of how hot the light is getting, and will use my hand as a heatsinc or, if its outside on a colder day it's usually fine. Why is this light only limited to a minute at 500?


----------



## stp

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



DavidMB said:


> I have a SMW V10A on a 14500 it has 480 lumens. I've used it for longer then a minute on high. I'm usually aware of how hot the light is getting, and will use my hand as a heatsinc or, if its outside on a colder day it's usually fine. Why is this light only limited to a minute at 500?



Because:
a) It's smaller than V10A.
b) Is targeted at larger market then just you ;-) Not everybody knows about hand heatsinking and not everybody lives in colder climate.
c) Before you will decide that the light is to hot on the surface it may be already to late for the led inside and you don't have any way to know about it if the damage done to the led is small each time.


----------



## g.p.

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



davidt1 said:


> Feat not. I have used magnets on my lights for years without problems. Some light makers even include magnet on the bottom. And they know more than me. The magnets are not super powerful and are 2''-3'' away from the electronics.


+1


----------



## Romanko

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

*Customer*
11/3/2012 9:36:21 AM Hi
When are you going to release lights with XP-G2neutral?
Thank you
*Staff (Administrator)*
11/5/2012 12:21:20 AM We will release an SC82 early next year. We may add XP-G2 (cool white and neutral white) variants to the current XM-L version in the SC52, SC32, SC82, etc. early next year.


----------



## ToyTank

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



ss Dragonfly said:


> Does anyone kmow if this will be followed with a similar version with about 4000K? I really want a warm one that doesnt have PWM.
> Thanks in advance.....



Zebralight always comes out with a 4000K "w" version of lights but you may have to wait a while.

I have preordered several zebralights and have had no regrets. I would prefer a MKII SC600w but my MKI SC600 is still my favorite EDC light.


----------



## ToyTank

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



HighlanderNorth said:


> I dont think its a good idea to get powerful neodymium magnets anywhere near circuitry. They can damage electronics. I dont know if they will damage ALL electronic devices, but they can damage some of them.



Basically this is only true for hard drives and mag tapes/disc. Hard drives have EMF shielding. It is true cutting flux lines with conductive metal induces current but faraday's law tells us you need many coils with a very strong magnet moving very fast and close to make any real current.


----------



## flame2000

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Romanko said:


> *Customer*
> 11/3/2012 9:36:21 AM Hi
> When are you going to release lights with XP-G2neutral?
> Thank you
> *Staff (Administrator)*
> 11/5/2012 12:21:20 AM We will release an SC82 early next year. We may add XP-G2 (cool white and neutral white) variants to the current XM-L version in the SC52, SC32, SC82, etc. early next year.



Thanks....that will be my first flashlight purchase for 2013.........SC52 with XP-G2!


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

SC52 with XP-G2?
If this has the same specs as the XM-L, then i'd love to have +1, thanks!
280 ANSI lumens, throwier than XP-G, the best tint ever, no greenishness.. sweet  Would it still be called "52"? And how about the driver.. cant be exactly the same driver. XML driver for XP-G emitter would inefficient, am i right?


----------



## tobrien

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

ZebraLight is back on top of their game it looks like!!


----------



## moozooh

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Romanko said:


> *Staff (Administrator)*
> 11/5/2012 12:21:20 AM We will release an SC82 early next year. We may add XP-G2 (cool white and neutral white) variants to the current XM-L version in the SC52, SC32, SC82, etc. early next year.


SC82 with an XP-G2? This is almost too good to be true. Now I'm going to have to choose between that and T5...


----------



## passive101

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

How much better would an XP-G2 be in the SC52 over the XM-L version that I just pre-ordered a few nights ago? Battery life and brightness I'm curious about with Ni-Mh and lithium 1.5v primaries.


----------



## passive101

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

deleted


----------



## Harry999

*Zebralight SC52*

I am quite interested in the SC52. Not sure whether to preorder or whether to wait for some reviews. I am certain local dealers will have it about the same time it would be shipped and arrive from China if I ordered directly from Zebralight.


----------



## tonkem

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Harry999 said:


> I am quite interested in the SC52. Not sure whether to preorder or whether to wait for some reviews. I am certain local dealers will have it about the same time it would be shipped and arrive from China if I ordered directly from Zebralight.



If you are in the US, it will ship from Irving Texas.


----------



## Harry999

*Zebralight SC52*

I am in the UK so it will ship from China for me. I ordered the H502d directly and it took about two weeks to arrive. I am thinking that by the time it would get here from China as a preorder it will be available for next day delivery from my local dealers.

Also a preorder is fulfilled in priority of first in first out so might actually be quicker to wait and order it locally now.


----------



## tonkem

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Harry999 said:


> I am in the UK so it will ship from China for me. I ordered the H502d directly and it took about two weeks to arrive. I am thinking that by the time it would get here from China as a preorder it will be available for next day delivery from my local dealers.
> 
> Also a preorder is fulfilled in priority of first in first out so might actually be quicker to wait and order it locally now.



Gotcha, I live about 20 miles from Irving, TX, but have never ordered direct from Zebralight, but have either ordered used or from a dealer on the internet. Good luck...


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Harry999 said:


> I am quite interested in the SC52. Not sure whether to preorder or whether to wait for some reviews. I am certain local dealers will have it about the same time it would be shipped and arrive from China if I ordered directly from Zebralight.


Yes, local dealers should have it about the same time in stock or even earlier, that would be logical. Unless one wants to save a few bucks i see very little point in pre-ordering this article. Reminds me of pre-ordering or buying iPhones or new music titles (albums) by a popstar michael jackson: you dont know what it's like, any real good or just meh, but you pre-order it anyway because .. well, for any reasons other than factual knowing. Or Harry Potter book or movie franchise.

So what was the main reason of pre-ordering again? Be honest to yourself 

Maybe you wanted to be the very first proud owner and write a review?


----------



## Ishango

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> Yes, local dealers should have it about the same time in stock or even earlier, that would be logical. Unless one wants to save a few bucks i see very little point in pre-ordering this article. Reminds me of pre-ordering or buying iPhones or new music titles (albums) by a popstar michael jackson: you dont know what it's like, any real good or just meh, but you pre-order it anyway because .. well, for any reasons other than factual knowing. Or Harry Potter book or movie franchise.
> 
> So what was the main reason of pre-ordering again? Be honest to yourself
> 
> Maybe you wanted to be the very first proud owner and write a review?



To me it is that I love my SC51w, SC30w and H51Fw. So I expect this light to be at least as good and hopefully even better than these lights. Pre-ordering also shows my respect to the manufacturer for trusting them to make something good. I do of course also like to be one of the first who owns the light


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Ishango said:


> Pre-ordering also shows my respect to the manufacturer for trusting them to make something good. I do of course also like to be one of the first who owns the light


I am gonna believe you, no problem. 
But with many others i believe their foremost reason is that they simply _cannot_/dont _want _to wait. They cant help it. Lack of patience if you will.

Clearly, i still see no sensible reason to pre-order it (or MJ album or HP book or iPhone) .. i mean WHY FOR C*RIST's sake the hurry?

There is no hurry!
The product will be there from Nov on with local dealers, then in Dec too, then during the whole year of 2013 with *all* international dealers. And they will carry the neutralwhite and also the XP-G2 versions too.

well well.. to each his own.


----------



## bluemax_1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> I am gonna believe you, no problem.
> But with many others i believe their foremost reason is that they simply _cannot_/dont _want _to wait. They cant help it. Lack of patience if you will.
> 
> Clearly, i still see no sensible reason to pre-order it (or MJ album or HP book or iPhone) .. i mean WHY FOR C*RIST's sake the hurry?
> 
> There is no hurry!
> The product will be there from Nov on with local dealers, then in Dec too, then during the whole year of 2013 with *all* international dealers. And they will carry the neutralwhite and also the XP-G2 versions too.
> 
> well well.. to each his own.


Some folks just like to get things ASAP. To each, his own.

My comment though is directed towards your statement about the light's availability. That is NOT a known, foregone conclusion.

Take 4/7's Quark QPA-G2 for instance. When that first came out, they underestimated the demand and ran out of them. They were out of stock EVERYWHERE. Aside from waiting an unspecified period till they were back in stock, the only other option was to buy a QP2A-G2 and then get a 1xAA body separately, which of course, increased the cost if all you wanted was the 1xAA light in the first place.

In this case, we're also talking about a 1xAA light, but one that has the potential to beat almost every 1xAA light currently available. True, time will tell if it really is as great as it might be, but if the demand exceeds the supply, once the initial supply is sold out, who knows how long it might be before it becomes available again.

For folks who already have a table full of lights they could use, this makes little difference as they can simply bear with using one of their numerous other lights while waiting, but what about folks looking for their first great light? The ones who don't currently have other lights they can continue using while they wait for supply to catch up to the demand? Waste the money on something else while waiting? 

If you want a BMW, and you've saved up for the BMW, why spend some of that money on a Kia because the BMW is out of stock? But who knows when the BMW will be back in stock if it is out of stock? If you like BMWs, and have faith in their track record of getting incredible performance out of their product line, AND you are OK with the press release pics of how the new model looks, why not pre-order it?

Do you have any idea how long it took some folks who didn't pre-order Sony's HMZ-T1 HUD to actually get one? Up to 6-8 months after its release.

For what it's worth, I'm going to wait for the reviews and tests on this light, but then again, I'd also prefer the XPG-G2 version if they can manage to pull out 280 lumens from an Eneloop (and I'd also wait for tests and reviews of that light first). That said though, I can certainly understand folks pre-ordering this, or any other light. They have their reasons and it's their money.


Max


----------



## ToyTank

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I would not get so exited about unreleased lights or LED variants. One piece of criticism I have is they will promote a product and then release it late or never. I understand RD phase but it annoys me to get excited over a light with official MSRP, release date, and photos all in a newsletter, then have it canceled or delayed by months. I think they should not promote an item until it is past any beta testing.


----------



## Mojer

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Hello,

I am new here and wanting to get more into flashlights as they can be an important tool in my career. I am interested in this light. I am a plain clothes police detective. I am in need of a small EDC light. Any thoughts on this light and how will work with my profession? Thanks in advance!


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Mojer said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am new here and wanting to get more into flashlights as they can be an important tool in my career. I am interested in this light. I am a plain clothes police detective. I am in need of a small EDC light. Any thoughts on this light and how will work with my profession? Thanks in advance!



From my experience with my previous Zebralights, I think it could be one of the best all around edc's. I can't say this for sure since none of us have the light yet, but I do have confidence that it could be. My edc for the past two years has been a Quark QPA (used to be called a Quark AA.) I run it on a rechargeable Li-ion 14500 for the extra output that this battery offers. There are many many other great options for an edc light, and you may want to go over to the "Recommend me a Light" section of CPF to start a thread of your own. I bet lots of people will chime in to help you make an educated decision. Here is a link to that section - 
Click Here 

Good Luck & Welcome to CPF.


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



bluemax_1 said:


> if the demand exceeds the supply, once the initial supply is sold out, who knows how long it might be before it becomes available again.


Thoughtful post Max!
The above quote describes one possible pre-order reason: angst and fear:sweat:
Have never thought about it but this _could _be true for some pre-orderers: people who fear that places run out of stock quickly because of the demand exceeding the supply. Hmm, i wont argue that point. I think that many ZL dealers all over world complain about not getting in their ordered quantities timely. They wait and wait and dont receive their ZL stuff, omg poor dealers!


----------



## passive101

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I preordered mine, because I'm switching my EDCs from 123A which are hard to find and none of my friends or family have any of them. I'm switching to AA which everyone has available including the stores in my small town and the village next to my township. This light offers the best options for me (assuming it works well). I also lost my last Quark 123x2 so I only have 2 other lights right now. ASAP is good and I'm willing to take the chance. If something isn't right, I can return it or exchange it.


----------



## Pretbek

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Yeah, if you could all please pre-order and buy in bulk, that would be great.
Come on, gift two or three SC52's to your great-aunt's sister in law, she always wanted some, right?

This way ZL will recognize the huge market potential of this line of lights and hasten the release of the SC52w. 

I appreciate your cooperation.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Even though I tend to own only single celled lights, I would love to see a 2AA version of this light. Zebralight circuit efficiency + 2AA = SC600 in smaller form that takes common AA battery? Such a light would be the most compact and most powerful 2AA light on the market.

The longer length would even out the fatness of the SC52 real well and ideal for the side switch button.


----------



## GeoBruin

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Romanko, please review rule number 12 of the CPF forums. You might want to paraphrase your post before one of the mods thumps you. 




Romanko said:


> *Customer*
> 11/3/2012 9:36:21 AM Hi
> ________________________________________
> Thank you
> *Staff (Administrator)*
> ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


----------



## maxrep12

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I pre ordered. Why? Just like the sc600, this light will sell out upon release. You cannot over emphasize the success this unit will experience. At $64, the sc52 is positioned in a fast moving price area, while tthe sc600 was placed in a less accessible price point. The sc52 requires an AA, the sc600 an 18650, which also makes the sc52 an extremely convenient purchase.

Yes, the sc52 will be hard for many to acquire at release simply due to unforseen popularity. When the sc600 hit the market, I stated that it would be the most sought after light in the coming year, and it was. The sc52 will also be the most sought after light in the coming year, but in a more pronounced manner than the sc600. Thems just the facts ;-) .


----------



## eloreno

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



maxrep12 said:


> I pre ordered. Why? Just like the sc600, this light will sell out upon release. You cannot over emphasize the success this unit will experience. At $64, the sc52 is positioned in a fast moving price area, while tthe sc600 was placed in a less accessible price point. The sc52 requires an AA, the sc600 an 18650, which also makes the sc52 an extremely convenient purchase.
> 
> Yes, the sc52 will be hard for many to aquire at release simply due to unforseen popularity. When the sc600 hit the market, I stated that it would be the most sought after light in the coming year, and it was. The sc52 will also be the most sought after light in the coming year, but in a more pronounced manner than the sc600. Thems just the facts ;-) .




Agreed, this is why I pre-ordered.


----------



## Ishango

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Mojer said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am new here and wanting to get more into flashlights as they can be an important tool in my career. I am interested in this light. I am a plain clothes police detective. I am in need of a small EDC light. Any thoughts on this light and how will work with my profession? Thanks in advance!



Hi Mojer,

This question could be directed at the Recommend me a flashlight board as well. There you can make a post with the exact specifics you're looking for. The SC52 (and other ZebraLights) are all multi-mode lights. The UI is great for me and I haven't experienced issues with it myself on my SC51w. However I would think that if you need a duty light it depends on the usage of said light. If you get into a crisis situation you don't want a light with a lot of functions and possibilities, you might just want/need a simple on/off, maybe at most a two mode (low or medium and high) light, which is more compact and portable than your previous used uniformed duty lights. Also I personally would prefer a tactical tail switch (clicky).

The Zebralights are great EDC lights, but I personally don't think they make great duty lights. But you should of course look at what you think works best for your situation. Good luck in your search!


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

A *poll* has been added to the thread!

Might be interesting to learn how many people pre-ordered the product! Btw, there was a poll participation of *106 voters* in the Eagletac thread ( EagleTac D25-series: *Which model(s) did you buy?* ) and this rather high number (106!!) should be easily surpassed  by the number of Zebralight buyers.

Also check out the poll referenced in the OP:
*Poll: **Did a zebra SC50/50+/51/52 ever die on you?*


----------



## g.p.

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I voted, but why are all of the options "yes". Shouldn't there be a "no" option? We all know that everyone wants one, but someone will claim that they don't!


----------



## Gregozedobe

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I'm another that would be very interested in an SC52 with an XP-G2 (cool white for me). Will keep looking for specs when they appear on ZL's comparison chart (something that I've already spent a lot of time perusing in the past).


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Yep the poll questions need to be fixed. The last 2 questions make no sense.


----------



## moozooh

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Of course they do! It's when you like the model but your needs are better suited by another model.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



moozooh said:


> Of course they do! It's when you like the model but your needs are better suited by another model.



Ohhhhh, alright.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



g.p. said:


> Shouldn't there be a "no" option? We all know that everyone wants one, but someone will claim that they don't!


The 5th option expresses that the reader is kinda interested in the product (and therefore follows the thread/news/updates/info) but already knows that he/she is not going to buy it: SC52 looks ***y, no funds, not attractive enough, ZL warranty period **cks, etc. So it _is_ the "No"-vote for all those who have given the purchase a thought for a moment and then more or less decided against it.

Lol.. it is in the end a poll only for those who _are _interested in the model and also follow this thread for the same reason: their interest. There might be enough cpf members who are absolutely *not* interested in the SC52, .. well then they dont :hahaha:get to express their "No"-vote: they chose the wrong thread/poll to spend their time on in the first place!


----------



## low

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Where is the option that you will buy one, but it has to be the SC52w? This poll leaves me out. Unless of course it is changed to buying the SC52 or the SC52w.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



low said:


> Where is the option that


Of course all SC52 variants (SC52w, SC52 frosty lens, SC52 high cri, xp-g2, etc.) are included in this thread and the poll. (I cant edit the poll text or options, sorry. It's outta my hands.)


----------



## HighlanderNorth

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



lampeDépêche said:


> Yeah, I have no doubts about the lumen claims--their claims have been tested in the past, and found to be true.
> 
> The *only* thing keeping me from pulling the trigger on a new SC52 is that little letter "w"--I'm waiting in hopes that the neutral will come out.
> 
> (also that little matter of already having too many lights and not enough money. But hey, when has that stopped any of us before?)




When I bought my SC600 back in May, I was having quite a quandry trying to decide whether to get the SC600 or the SC600W, and I watched that one video that shows both of them outside with a pool in the guy's backyard over and over, but when I ordered the W, I called the store the next day right before they put it into the box for shipment, and told them to just give me the regular non-W SC600, and I'm glad I did, because even after shining it on the white wall just now, its a warm-neutral tint. Its not blue at all, and its actually slightly yellow-ish. 

I ordered the W version of both the Eagletac D25A Ti and D25C Ti, and when they came in, they were Sooo yellow, that I boxed them both back up and sold them on the marketplace to another member, then re-ordered the non-W version of the D25C ti. Its truly neutral too, even though it was supposed to be the cool version...

So you might very well get a neutral to slightly warm SC52 if you order the regular non-W version, you never know. I just dont like those really yellow or really blue tints.

I pre-ordered the SC52 in regular tint.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



tonkem said:


> Gotcha, I live about 20 miles from Irving, TX, but have never ordered direct from Zebralight, but have either ordered used or from a dealer on the internet. Good luck...



I wanted to express my deepest sympathies when I saw your post there where you mentioned you live in Irving Texas, so close to the Dallas Cowgirls. If it makes you feel any better, you can go online and buy an Eagles Jersey at any time! The Eagles are America's team after all....(just messing around!)

Sounds like you wont be waiting too long if these lights do end up being mailed on Nov 20... Lets hope so!


----------



## lmorrison17

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I just got my first ZL an hour ago An H31.
But I had done a fair amount of research and last night I sold an LF2XT to pre-order the SC52 and had enough money left to buy an SC600.
WOO HOO


----------



## my#1hobby

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Yup, pre-ordered it along with 2 ZL 14500's & 2 ZL 18650's.


----------



## kwak

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I pre-ordered the SC600 and got stuck with a the narrow battery tube and no lanyard attachment.

It also really grated that when the H600 came out several shops were supplied before those that pre-ordered.
To the point where a guy at work received his H600 from a shop 1 week after he ordered it and before another guy at work received his H600 that he pre-ordered a month beforehand.

So i will not under any circumstances pre-order from ZL again.


----------



## g.p.

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

My sc600 didn't come with a lanyard attachement and I got mine several months after it was out. So if waiting a week made you that upset, I doubt you would have liked waiting for the lanyard attachment.

I'm glad that ZL makes changes and is constantly improving their lights. The down side is that you are going to be taking on a little risk of not having the latest and greatest by being an early adapter. Usually I wait a few months just for that reason, but I think that the SC52 is worth the risk. Worst case scenerio is that I have to by another in the future. Darn! :devil:


----------



## HighlanderNorth

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



g.p. said:


> My sc600 didn't come with a lanyard attachement and I got mine several months after it was out. So if waiting a week made you that upset, I doubt you would have liked waiting for the lanyard attachment.
> 
> I'm glad that ZL makes changes and is constantly improving their lights. The down side is that you are going to be taking on a little risk of not having the latest and greatest by being an early adapter. Usually I wait a few months just for that reason, but I think that the SC52 is worth the risk. Worst case scenerio is that I have to by another in the future. Darn! :devil:




If you dont like it, just make sure you dont scratch it and dont use it as an EDC light, so that you can sell it on Marketplace and buy the 'improved' model later. There were 2 lights I bought(mentioned in earlier post), D25C and D25A, that I didnt like because of the too yellow tints, so I put them on marketplace, and within minutes I found a buyer who likes those yellow tinted lights! I sold both for MOST of what I paid for them to the same guy too, so it wasnt a big loss(although I saved the boxes and didnt use the lights enough to scratch them). Then I bought the non-yellow model of the same light. 

This forum is good for much more than just learning about lights!


----------



## moshow9

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I wasn't going to buy one initially as I would rather have the neutral (w) version..but as the CPF saying goes, buy both. So I will!

SC52 and 2 Zebralight 14500's on order. I am curious to see if these hold a true capacity over the AW's.


----------



## davidt1

I think Zebralight sells their own battery, in part, to ensure perfect fit and optimal performance for their lights. I think it's smart to buy both lights and battery from them.

I can't wait to read reviews of this light.


----------



## kwak

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



g.p. said:


> My sc600 didn't come with a lanyard attachement and I got mine several months after it was out. So if waiting a week made you that upset, I doubt you would have liked waiting for the lanyard attachment.
> 
> I'm glad that ZL makes changes and is constantly improving their lights. The down side is that you are going to be taking on a little risk of not having the latest and greatest by being an early adapter. Usually I wait a few months just for that reason, but I think that the SC52 is worth the risk. Worst case scenerio is that I have to by another in the future. Darn! :devil:



Personally i'd prefer if they did some more beta testing BEFORE releasing a light.

As it stands now it's a push for me to buy another ZL because of the way they treated pre-order customers never mind pre-order from them again.

I don't care if i'm one of the first to get a torch, it means absolutely nothing to me.
What matters to me is having a torch that meets my requirements, i lived 43 years without it so if that means i now need to wait 3 months till it's been beta tested by all the gullible folks then right now i'd prefer to do that.


----------



## kreisl

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



kwak said:


> if that means i now need to *wait 3 months* till it's been beta *tested *by all the *gullible *folks then right now i'd prefer to do that.


The word is out. A fellow boardie informed me that Zebralight Co. promised to supply selfbuilt with new flashlight products *incl the SC52* in late November so that he can get the reviews out asap for the cpf community. Only selfbuilt himself knows how fast he can manage to get them out. Maybe ante Xmas?

So kwak, it's not gonna be 3 months nor "beta tested" but professionally reviewed, and selfbuilt aint no gullible folk. What were you talking about? :mecry:


----------



## g.p.

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



kwak said:


> It also really grated that when the H600 came out several shops were supplied before those that pre-ordered.
> To the point where a guy at work received his H600 from a shop 1 week after he ordered it and before another guy at work received his H600 that he pre-ordered a month beforehand.





kwak said:


> I don't care if i'm one of the first to get a torch, it means absolutely nothing to me.


I see. You don't care if you're the first to get a light, but you're mad that you didn't get your light first. Clear as mud now.

Just razzing you!   It is a bummer when you pre-order something and don't get it ASAP. It PO's me when I have a magazine subscription and see it on the shelf at the store a week before i get it in my mailbox. Makes you wonder what you're paying for. Not sure that I agree that ZL doesn't test their lights well enough though. Maybe on the subject of the battery tube on the SC600, but the lanyard attachement is more of a personal preference thing. Seems that the majority of users don't like it, so I'm kind of glad that I got mine when I did. They never really fixed anything that was wrong by adding it...I knew it didn't have one when I bought it.


----------



## kwak

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



g.p. said:


> I see. You don't care if you're the first to get a light, but you're mad that you didn't get your light first. Clear as mud now.
> 
> Just razzing you!   It is a bummer when you pre-order something and don't get it ASAP. It PO's me when I have a magazine subscription and see it on the shelf at the store a week before i get it in my mailbox. Makes you wonder what you're paying for. Not sure that I agree that ZL doesn't test their lights well enough though. Maybe on the subject of the battery tube on the SC600, but the lanyard attachement is more of a personal preference thing. Seems that the majority of users don't like it, so I'm kind of glad that I got mine when I did. They never really fixed anything that was wrong by adding it...I knew it didn't have one when I bought it.



You must have misread my post.
I do have a H600 but i bought it a few months after they were released, the pre-ordered and shop H600's were experiences a couple of mates at work had.

I must admit i did get caught up in the SC600 pre-order insanity, which is odd for me.
But lesson learnt, i'll not get taken in by the pre-buy enthusiasm again as there is absolutely no gain to be made.
The pre-order torches aren't any better, they are not any cheaper, they are not limited editions, you can buy the exact same or in the case of the SC600 a even better torch 2 months later for the exact same price and let the fan boys do any beta testing.

So for me there are no advantages and only risks that you'll:
a/ Not get your torch any quicker 
b/ Even if you do get it, it will be updated with a better version and you'll be stuck with the rubbish.


----------



## NiteShift

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I pre-ordered the H51 when they first came out and got burnt. The PWM was so bad on the low levels that it would give my eye strain when using it. Apparently this isn't good enough reason to send a light back so I had to keep it. I ended up selling it on the marketplace at a considerable discount. The moral of the story? Be careful with pre-orders! 

I know that ZL make good lights etc but this didn't make me want to buy from them again in a hurry. Will be interested to see what response the SC52 gets though. Btw, did this get merged with the other SC52 thread? Can't seem to find it...


----------



## kwak

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



kreisl said:


> The word is out. A fellow boardie informed me that Zebralight Co. promised to supply selfbuilt with new flashlight products *incl the SC52* in late November so that he can get the reviews out asap for the cpf community. Only selfbuilt himself knows how fast he can manage to get them out. Maybe ante Xmas?
> 
> So kwak, it's not gonna be 3 months nor "beta tested" but professionally reviewed, and selfbuilt aint no gullible folk. What were you talking about? :mecry:



Again, looks like you either misread or misunderstood my posts.

My problems are:

a/ The pre-order SC600's had a narrower diameter battery tube than the later ones and of less importance a lanyard attachment.
b/ Previous pre-order fiascos meant that many who pre-ordered received their torches AFTER people who placed orders from dealers that had them in stock.
ZL did not have sufficient stock to fulfil their pre-order books, yet i could have bought the torch direct from a dealer that DID have them in stock.

Neither problem will be addressed by one of selfbuilds excellent reviews.

THAT'S what i'm talking about


----------



## bodhran

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

If that is the case and there is a delay of the pre-orders, we will be able to see the initial impressions of those who did recieve them. If there is a problem we can always cancel our orders and wait until the problems are solved.


----------



## itsme1234

bodhran said:


> If there is a problem we can always cancel our orders and wait until the problems are solved.


Can we?


----------



## g.p.

Kwak, I don't think anybody is misreading you...just failing to see the big deal. ZL is constantly making refinements, but that doean't make their initial offerings junk. Whether you want to wait for unforseen improvements is up to you. I use my lights for work, so not having the light is more of a big deal than not having a lanyard attachment.

As for the preordering...ZL has commitments to others as well. Would you really expect them to blow off big shipments of multiple lights to dealers and put the priority on a guy ordering a single flashlight? For all you know, those dealers put in their pre-orders first.


----------



## TweakMDS

Regarding earlier and later samples, I think it's a bit unfortunate for ZebraLight to lack disclosure about which adjustments are made, since I recall reading that there's currently 6 versions of the SC51 on the market. That makes it somewhat "random" in which exact version you get. I'd prefer a more open system where they disclose changes by batch numbers or serial numbers.

However, after a few versions of earlier lights, I think they have most of the fundamentals down. Common sense for a consumer should always be: If you're hesitant on the quality of a new product, order from a place with a good return policy or just wait a few months and inform yourself on stocks so you know you'll have a late manufactured light when you do pull the trigger on one.


----------



## moozooh

I presume that if you're ordering directly from ZL you'll receive the current production version.


----------



## kwak

g.p. said:


> Kwak, I don't think anybody is misreading you...just failing to see the big deal. ZL is constantly making refinements, but that doean't make their initial offerings junk. Whether you want to wait for unforseen improvements is up to you. I use my lights for work, so not having the light is more of a big deal than not having a lanyard attachment.
> 
> As for the preordering...ZL has commitments to others as well. Would you really expect them to blow off big shipments of multiple lights to dealers and put the priority on a guy ordering a single flashlight? For all you know, those dealers put in their pre-orders first.



You say your not misreading me, yet you insinuate i called ZL offerings "junk"
As i have 2 x H502's a H600 and a SC600, if i felt ZL were junk i'd have be a bit daft to keep buying their products.

I don't think nor have i said ZL torches are junk, they're not.

I'm saying that it's rare that a ZL product is launched without having problems of some sort.
From recent memory though we have had:

SC600 - pre-order version does not accept anything (protected) over 2400mAh, later versions larger internal diameter, + the lanyard hole, + no clip for the first month (granted ZL did send me one FOC)

H600 - Not all pre-orders covered in first batch, was possible to buy from shops quicker

H502 - Many of the first version leaking when submerged.


Call me a sceptic, but i don't hold much faith that the first generation is going to be without it's faults.

I have lights i can use now, (as i'm sure you do) so personally after the problems i have experienced, i will NOT be pre-ordering nor could i in good conscience advise anyone else to. 

It's not as though there is much of a carrot to dangle to outweigh the above risks either.
You can buy the exact same product in the shops a week or so after the launch for the exact same price or cheaper.

So the only real gain, is that some folks can feel good about themselves for an hour by posting on a forum they have one of the new SC52's, whooooopy dooooo :laughing:

Personally impressing strangers on the internet rates very low in my wants or needs list.
But that's just me.

In all honesty though i will say that i will happily read up every report and look at every pic that these enthusiastic folks post up, so i shouldn't complain to loudly really :thumbsup:


----------



## Fireclaw18

I was one who preordered an SC600 and got one from the first batch. I don't use a lanyard so actually prefer the lack of a lanyard hole. And the battery tube fit my 18650s fine.

However, it wasn't perfect. Many of the first batch of SC600s had defective switches and mine was no exception. The switch would sometimes turn on if it was barely touched or brushed against, without actually clicking. I had to send my light away for warranty repair. Zebralight fixed it, but I didn't get my light back for 2 months.

Still, I have no regrets. Zebralights are some of the best out there and it's fun being one of the first to get them, defects and all. I preordered my SC52 on the first day and cant' wait for it to arrive. I'll probably also preorder an SC52w when those become available.


----------



## LEDburn

kwak said:


> You say your not misreading me, yet you insinuate i called ZL offerings "junk"
> As i have 2 x H502's a H600 and a SC600, if i felt ZL were junk i'd have be a bit daft to keep buying their products.
> 
> I don't think nor have i said ZL torches are junk, they're not.





kwak said:


> So for me there are no advantages and only risks that you'll:
> a/ Not get your torch any quicker
> b/ Even if you do get it, it will be updated with a better version and you'll be stuck with the *rubbish*.



Seems like you're having trouble remembering what you're saying. 

We get it, you aren't pre-ordering. Cooooonnngrats!!! Does anyone care? Not really. So perhaps stop going on about it?!

There have been well documented issues with past lights that came out in the first batch - which manufacturer has NEVER had this issue? None. If this is such an issue, go clog up some other threads with this pointless dribble which most are well aware of.


----------



## burntoshine

nice burn


----------



## crizyal

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



moshow9 said:


> That's a pretty low thing to do, buy it just to test it out and then return it to the dealer used. You should at least sell it on the MP as the dealer and light are not at fault (presumably). You already sound like you won't want to keep it.Different strokes for different folks and all that, but it's odd that you would keep a light and return the other if all 4 of your friends are impressed (or not) by it.


+1


----------



## shelm

(double post)


----------



## shelm

TweakMDS said:


> there's currently 6 versions of the SC51 on the market.


you mean SC51, SC51f, SC51w, SC51fw, SC51c, SC51fc?

f = frosted lens
w = neutral white
c = high cri

Or do you mean SC51 v1.0beta, v1.0final, v1.1, etc. ? :candle:


----------



## low

I'm in for the SC52w.


----------



## g.p.

LEDburn said:


> Seems like you're having trouble remembering what you're saying.
> 
> We get it, you aren't pre-ordering. Cooooonnngrats!!! Does anyone care? Not really. So perhaps stop going on about it?!
> 
> There have been well documented issues with past lights that came out in the first batch - which manufacturer has NEVER had this issue? None. If this is such an issue, go clog up some other threads with this pointless dribble which most are well aware of.


Sorry guys, should have realized I was just feeding a troll much sooner.


----------



## Norm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



kwak said:


> I pre-ordered the SC600 and got stuck with a the narrow battery tube and no lanyard attachment.
> 
> It also really grated that when the H600 came out several shops were supplied before those that pre-ordered.
> To the point where a guy at work received his H600 from a shop 1 week after he ordered it and before another guy at work received his H600 that he pre-ordered a month beforehand.
> 
> So i will not under any circumstances pre-order from ZL again.


How can the actions of a dealer be blamed on the manufacturer? You know nothing of the dealings of a particular store, nor when their orders were placed.


Norm


----------



## burntoshine

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I'm looking forward to a high cri version. I might end up getting a neutral white XML, though. I wish Zebralight was using the XPG high cri leds instead of Luxeon rebel high cri leds, but that's just because I really like the high cri XPGs that I have and have no experience with the high cri rebels.

I just ordered a H502d, so I'll find out soon enough how I like the tint. I still use my H501w a lot and love the all-flood beam, but I would rather have the high cri tint. 

The 14500 support and recessed switch are the main attractions for me. I'm fond of the additional brightness options that they added, too. I had a SC51w and was pretty happy with it, except for the switch; it was too easy to activate.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

If everything else is equal, I will take the brighter light any day.

I have a Quark Mini AA with HCRI -- great tint but not very bright. My H51w is a good compromise with some neutral/warm quality and brightness. XML neutral should be the next step up for me. In the meantime, I would like to know more about the H502d. Please post your impressions when you get it.


----------



## Nickmen

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I am waiting for the SC52w. I don´t read the whole thread, is there an info of the release date?

Here is a review of the h502d.

Greetings from Germany


----------



## TweakMDS

The latter, there's 6 different iterations of the SC51 without any indication which is which (and probably also for the f, w, c, fc).



shelm said:


> you mean SC51, SC51f, SC51w, SC51fw, SC51c, SC51fc?
> 
> f = frosted lens
> w = neutral white
> c = high cri
> 
> Or do you mean SC51 v1.0beta, v1.0final, v1.1, etc. ? :candle:


----------



## Mr Floppy

TweakMDS said:


> there's 6 different iterations of the SC51 without any indication which is which



That's interesting. I know one of them was switching to constant current in the low modes. That was just this year wasn't it? Switch was another?


----------



## moshow9

TweakMDS said:


> Regarding earlier and later samples, I think it's a bit unfortunate for ZebraLight to lack disclosure about which adjustments are made, since I recall reading that there's currently 6 versions of the SC51 on the market. That makes it somewhat "random" in which exact version you get. I'd prefer a more open system where they disclose changes by batch numbers or serial numbers.





TweakMDS said:


> The latter, there's 6 different iterations of the SC51 without any indication which is which (and probably also for the f, w, c, fc).



Can you back this up?


----------



## Martian

A little birdie tells me ZL has plans for lights with tail switches once its new Texas manufacturing facility is up and running. Something for everyone.


----------



## LEDburn

Martian said:


> A little birdie tells me ZL has plans for lights with tail switches once its new Texas manufacturing facility is up and running. Something for everyone.



I don't think we need another little birdie to tell us this wont be for AGES!!


----------



## kreisl

NEWS. German dealers have already listed the SC52 in their catalog!! pixxassDOTde for example has a asking price of 89€ + shipping, that is *112.99$* + shipping. i dont understand Geman too well and if the product is readily available from them, sorry. maybe someone can translate?

So PiXXASS asks ~*113$* although MSRP is *64$* and with *CPFMP discount* you could get it *8-12%* cheaper from illuminationgear or lightjunction or ..

PiXXASS?? OMFG!


----------



## Ishango

kreisl said:


> NEWS. German dealers have already listed the SC52 in their catalog!! pixxassDOTde for example has a asking price of 89€ + shipping, that is *112.99$* + shipping. i dont understand Geman too well and if the product is readily available from them, sorry. maybe someone can translate?
> 
> So PiXXASS asks ~*113$* although MSRP is *64$* and with *CPFMP discount* you could get it *8-12%* cheaper from illuminationgear or lightjunction or ..
> 
> PiXXASS?? OMFG!



It states: "nicht lieferbar", which translates to "can not be delivered" or can be roughly translated to "not in stock". Products made in the USA are often more expensive when bought here due to import taxes and general high prices over here. The prices in Germany are sometimes even higher than what I would expect myself.

I remember just last year it was cheaper to order my HDS Clicky including shipping and import taxes from Henry directly than ordering it from a German site including shipping which is much closer to where I live. And don't even get me started on UK shops, which are seriously overpriced.


----------



## burntoshine

davidt1 said:


> ............In the meantime, I would like to know more about the H502d. Please post your impressions when you get it.



Will do; I'll post my thoughts in the H502 thread in the headlight section.



Nickmen said:


> ......Here is a review of the h502d....


Thanks!

I was carrying the SC51w+ at work for quite a while (at least a year; maybe 2 or more) and I really disliked unlocking and then locking out the tailcap every time I had to use it. Someone here offered to buy it and so it left my possession. I've been carrying a 7777 MiNi CR2 high cri ever since, but I would love to go back to a better designed SC51, which is what this guy appears to be. The more-recessed button does the trick. I'm setting aside money now for when the high cri version is released. And it looks like I have an excuse to get into a new battery type: 14500

question: Are the screw-on spacers that come with the PILA IBC charger what I need to fit 14500s? Going to get AWs. I suppose I could ask this in a battery/charger specific thread, which is what I'll do sans answer here.

Thanks!


----------



## Tixx

Only choices are yes!


----------



## Vman63

burntoshine said:


> question: Are the screw-on spacers that come with the PILA IBC charger what I need to fit 14500s?



Yep, the screw on's with the Pila work with 14500's.


----------



## TweakMDS

moshow9 said:


> Can you back this up?



Apparently not. There's a whole bunch of posts missing from where I thought I could find the discussion and posts regarding this.
To clarify, that info was posted by another member when we were discussing the changes to the light on 03/2012 (SC51 models no longer using PWM). I asked if anyone knew a way to distinguish the later models without PWM to the earlier version. 

Since this was a change to the light (the latest afaik), I can tell you with 100% certainty that there is at least two versions of the light, but another member's posts stating a higher number of changes got lost in the server crash.

Eitherway, I asked ZL about this and they stated there is no version, batch or serial number to see which light you have.


----------



## Planz

SC 52 delivery date is now Nov 23. Was Nov 20th.


----------



## Pretbek

I happily said that I would wait for the SC52*w*, but there is no mention of any neutral colored SC52 in the "future products" section of ZLs spreadsheet.
Even products that _are_ mentioned, take their sweet time coming to market.

Is it a reasonable assumption that a neutral colored SC52w/d/c will take many months to market? Or has ZL surprised before with quick release of different versions?


----------



## Outdoorsman5

Pretbek said:


> I happily said that I would wait for the SC52*w*, but there is no mention of any neutral colored SC52 in the "future products" section of ZLs spreadsheet.
> Even products that _are_ mentioned, take their sweet time coming to market.
> 
> Is it a reasonable assumption that a neutral colored SC52w/d/c will take many months to market? Or has ZL surprised before with quick release of different versions?



The problem that they are experiencing is the the availability of the neutral XML LED's. I think they'd release the neutral version within a few weeks of releasing the cool white version if they could, but I don't think they can right now. Someone there told me last month that they were only able to recently get a handful of the neutral LED's that were acceptable to them, and they are not sure when they will be able to get more.


----------



## chaoss

Preordered, voted and a FYI.
Ship date has been bumped up to 11/23/12.


----------



## low

Outdoorsman5 said:


> The problem that they are experiencing is the the availability of the neutral XML LED's. I think they'd release the neutral version within a few weeks of releasing the cool white version if they could, but I don't think they can right now. Someone there told me last month that they were only able to recently get a handful of the neutral LED's that were acceptable to them, and they are not sure when they will be able to get more.




Perhaps it is time to take a poll and see who would like a Nichia 219 for the neutral tint. It rocks.


----------



## passive101

chaoss said:


> Preordered, voted and a FYI.
> Ship date has been bumped up to 11/23/12.



Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! 







I guess I'll just have to get by with a Quark Mini 123, and a Photon Freedom until it arrives.... how am I going to survive?


----------



## Vman63

Just broke down and pre-ordered. Threw some ZL 14500's in with the order for good measure!


----------



## henry1960

chaoss said:


> Preordered, voted and a FYI.
> Ship date has been bumped up to 11/23/12.



O` Well...We waited this long...hopefully a few more days will not matter


----------



## burntoshine

Tixx said:


> Only choices are yes!





Vman63 said:


> Yep, the screw on's with the Pila work with 14500's.



thanks!


----------



## Planz

henry1960 said:


> O` Well...We waited this long...hopefully a few more days will not matter



Right, I rather they spend more time to iron out the bugs, if any. 
What would be of better news is that they have received too many pre-orders and have to push out the date.


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



maxrep12 said:


> Why? Just like the sc600, this light will sell out upon release. You cannot over emphasize the success this unit will experience.



+1 
thanks for the assessment, hadnt thought about this possibility. but now seeing how fast the new Fenix releases are selling out i am agreeing with you.


----------



## lmorrison17

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I had hoped to have this in hand on a coming up hunting trip but with the delayed release that is out now.
To say the least I'm disappointed.
But the worst part is phone call I'm going to get when the wife finds a box in the mail with the word light on it.
I'm scared to death she'll claim it as a christmas present!


----------



## passive101

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



lmorrison17 said:


> I had hoped to have this in hand on a coming up hunting trip but with the delayed release that is out now.
> To say the least I'm disappointed.
> But the worst part is phone call I'm going to get when the wife finds a box in the mail with the word light on it.
> I'm scared to death she'll claim it as a christmas present!




You need to inform her that a package is coming for your friend "Sam" or "Tim" because his wife freaks out when he orders new lights


----------



## bluemax_1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Well, I didn't order an SC52, but my ZL 14500 is on the way. I'll let you guys know how it compares to the 750mAh Nitecore and AW I already have.


Max


----------



## bluemax_1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Well, I didn't order an SC52, but my ZL 14500 is on the way. I'll let you guys know how it compares to the 750mAh Nitecore and AW I already have.


Max


----------



## Badbeams3

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



bluemax_1 said:


> Well, I didn't order an SC52, but my ZL 14500 is on the way. I'll let you guys know how it compares to the 750mAh Nitecore and AW I already have.
> 
> 
> Max



Is there any place in the US to order the ZL 14500 from yet?


----------



## moshow9

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Badbeams3 said:


> Is there any place in the US to order the ZL 14500 from yet?



You can order one direct from Zebralight's website. The 14500 batteries are listed as in stock.


----------



## xnmw

Pre-ordered!


----------



## lmorrison17

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



passive101 said:


> You need to inform her that a package is coming for your friend "Sam" or "Tim" because his wife freaks out when he orders new lights



She didn't swallow that hook the first time I tried it.


----------



## itsme1234

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I can't find any specs on the 14500 batteries and by that I mean charging specs. I have regular LiIon charger and lab power supply but the cell has "protection", can you charge it "MacGyver" style from the USB for example? If not what voltage regulation should you use?


----------



## bluemax_1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Badbeams3 said:


> Is there any place in the US to order the ZL 14500 from yet?



Ordered it from the ZL website and was surprised that it arrived much faster than expected. The invoice said up to 6 weeks and I was expecting it to ship from China, but it arrived in a few days from Irving Texas.

Preliminary test results with a 4/7's Quark QPA-G2:
Nitecore 750mAh 14500: 49 minutes on Max
ZL 840mAh 14500: 56 minutes on Max

So comparatively, it seems about right for the mAh rating. Cells were charged on a Nitecore Intellicharger v2. Came off the charger at about 4.19 volts.


Max


----------



## LEDburn

Just got that email we've all been waiting for!!

My SC52 is en route to Australia


----------



## shelm

LEDburn said:


> My SC52 is en route to Australia



From China to Australia?
With *tracking number*?

Please share *it*, thanks! :twothumbs


----------



## itsme1234

Can you tell us when you ordered?
US probably needs to wait longer to get them first to TX.


----------



## xnmw

LEDburn said:


> Just got that email we've all been waiting for!!
> 
> My SC52 is en route to Australia


Awesome


----------



## Ishango

I received a mail this morning as well. I pre-ordered the day the pre-order came available. Now hoping it will arrive soon and does't get delayed in customs for too long


----------



## henry1960

No Email Yet Here And I PreOrdered The Day It was Avalilable...:thinking:


----------



## CreeCrazy

Has anyone from the US got an email yet saying it has been shipped?


----------



## grubeda

No word yet here in California. SC52 pre-ordered on October 30th.


----------



## Pretbek

Ermagerd! I need a review of this friggin' light! Naaooow!! This is killing meh!
Or better yet the light itself, but I just ordered a few days ago, so I have no illusion of getting it sooner than all these people that ordered it just before the Romans conquered Carthage.


----------



## Fireclaw18

I ordered this light the day preorders opened up.

No ship notice yet :scowl:. I live in California.


----------



## lmorrison17

CreeCrazy said:


> Has anyone from the US got an email yet saying it has been shipped?



nope


----------



## GeoBruin

Ditto



Fireclaw18 said:


> I ordered this light the day preorders opened up.
> 
> No ship notice yet :scowl:. I live in California.


----------



## Calcustom

I placed my order Oct 25, no shipping notice yet


----------



## maxrep12

Looks like a couple buyers outside the states have received shipping notices. I do not believe there have been any retailers announcing stock on this light, so maybe the pre order folk are going to be first in line?


----------



## maxrep12

I have to say that Zebralight has rained on my black friday parade. Lots of great deals out there, but I find myself comparing all the lights on sale to the sc52,sc600, and the 6330 lights. At one point I actually had the TM11 in my shopping cart, but could not close the deal....maybe Im the only one tortured in this fashion.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

***Shipment update for SC52:

I emailed Zebralight on Wednesday to see if they had shipped my SC52 on Tuesday, and I received an automatic reply to that email saying the following:

*International orders being shipped on Nov 23
*USA orders being shipped from Texas Nov 26

So, now we'll have to wait a little longer it seems. What are the odds it will be delayed again?


----------



## bodhran

Hurry up and place you're order. We'll get it to you one of these days...*s*


----------



## GeoBruin

To be honest though, shipping the 26th from Texas will reach me in California quicker than shipping the 23rd from China.

I can't wait.


----------



## bluemax_1

BTW, just thought I'd mention, I've encountered a problem with my ZL 14500. When I ran the tests on it with my Quark QPA-G2, I had to fiddle with it a bit to get it running. Well, after attempting further testing, I've come to the conclusion that the ZL cell is unreliable in the Quark. It works fine in the ZL SC80 though.

Upon examining the cells, I realized that the ZL cell's button top is not raised like it is on the Nitecore and AW cells. Because of the way it's constructed (the plastic ring surrounding the button top) it's practically a flat top cell. This means any folks thinking of using this cell in a flashlight with physical/mechanical reverse polarity protection might want to hold off on buying these until more people get them to see if they're ALL like this.

As it is, it's unpredictable and unreliable enough in my EDC QPA-G2 that I won't be using it, which is a pity, as it DOES appear to offer a slight increase in capacity compared to the Nitecore 750mAh cell.


Max


----------



## LEDburn

shelm said:


> From China to Australia?
> With *tracking number*?
> 
> Please share *it*, thanks! :twothumbs



As of yet it isn't showing up on any sites for tracking but that often happens with my ZL orders. When it lands here it usually updates for some reason, sometimes not at all!



itsme1234 said:


> Can you tell us when you ordered?
> US probably needs to wait longer to get them first to TX.



When I went to bed at 11pm it wasn't available for pre-order but at 5:45am the next morning it was.
I don't know how long it was available for before I ordered it but it was definitely within the first few hours of being available.


----------



## CreeCrazy

So now Nov 26th! First it was available in October, Then pre-order in October with shipping on Nov 15th, then 20th, then 23rd now 26th! Uuggghhh!!! I would be happier if they would just give us a realistic date up front.


----------



## jbrett14

maxrep12 said:


> I have to say that Zebralight has rained on my black friday parade. Lots of great deals out there, but I find myself comparing all the lights on sale to the sc52,sc600, and the 6330 lights. At one point I actually had the TM11 in my shopping cart, but could not close the deal....maybe Im the only one tortured in this fashion.



Nope. You are not alone. I do the same thing.


----------



## naiter

I came here before ZL website to see if they shipped... 
lucky for me my Olight s10 showed up today and an Eagletac D25A should be in on monday. WHooop whopp!


----------



## juplin

naiter said:


> I came here before ZL website to see if they shipped...
> lucky for me my Olight s10 showed up today and an Eagletac D25A should be in on monday. WHooop whopp!


I have preordered ZL SC52. But I must admit Olight S10 and succeeding S20 have better UI than that of Zebralight's SC52.
Olight S10 Titanium is really a beauty with trit installed. :twothumbs


----------



## g.p.

CreeCrazy said:


> So now Nov 26th! First it was available in October, Then pre-order in October with shipping on Nov 15th, then 20th, then 23rd now 26th! Uuggghhh!!! I would be happier if they would just give us a realistic date up front.




The ones to U.S. customers essentially shipped first since they have already been shipped from China in order to be shipped out from Texas on the 26th. Would you rather it shipped today all the way from China like the rest of us?


----------



## Swede74

If there was an extender available (or if someone decided to make an aftermarket part) that would let you run the SC52 off 2*AA NiMH or alkaline, would that be possible? I suppose at this point in time only Zebralight knows for sure, but if the working voltage ≈1.0-4.3 V it should work. On the other hand, if the circuit interprets the interval ≈1.6-3.0 V as below the cut-off voltage for Li-Ion cells, it would (probably) not be possible to run it off 2*AA batteries. 

I think it's safe to assume that quite a few flashoholics - myself included - would love to have that additional option, and wouldn't hesitate to pay $15-20 USD for an extender if Zebralight offered one, but how likely do you think it is that

a) the circuit allows it
b) Zebralight will ever manufacture an extender tube as an accessory? :thinking:


----------



## passive101

Swede74 said:


> If there was an extender available (or if someone decided to make an aftermarket part) that would let you run the SC52 off 2*AA NiMH or alkaline, would that be possible? I suppose at this point in time only Zebralight knows for sure, but if the working voltage ≈1.0-4.3 V it should work. On the other hand, if the circuit interprets the interval ≈1.6-3.0 V as below the cut-off voltage for Li-Ion cells, it would (probably) not be possible to run it off 2*AA batteries.
> 
> I think it's safe to assume that quite a few flashoholics - myself included - would love to have that additional option, and wouldn't hesitate to pay $15-20 USD for an extender if Zebralight offered one, but how likely do you think it is that
> 
> a) the circuit allows it
> b) Zebralight will ever manufacture an extender tube as an accessory? :thinking:



I would be willing to pay 15-20 dollars for a 2xAA extender if everything worked good and battery regulation was just as good with 2xAA as with 1xAA!


----------



## xnmw

g.p. said:


> The ones to U.S. customers essentially shipped first since they have already been shipped from China in order to be shipped out from Texas on the 26th. Would you rather it shipped today all the way from China like the rest of us?



I would be surprised if the ones coming to the US from CN left for TX any earlier than the other international orders. I doubt they held back the international orders to get them to all arrive more or less simultaneously... At best, maybe the US-bound lot shipped from CN yesterday and the international orders we saw were shipped simultaneously or immediately afterward. In short, I would not expect US tracking numbers until the 4-5 days (maybe) it would take CN-US freight to get to TX that left yesterday. Just guessing, though.


----------



## g.p.

xnmw said:


> I would be surprised if the ones coming to the US from CN left for TX any earlier than the other international orders.


They aren't being shipped any later than the rest of the orders like all of the complaining implies.

Everyone needs to chillax. It'll only make a day or two difference (may even be faster for some), and it's only a flashlight after all. I seriously doubt that any flashaholics that are in emergency need of a light are without a single light in their posession.


----------



## xnmw

g.p. said:


> They aren't being shipped any later than the rest of the orders like all of the complaining implies.
> 
> Everyone needs to chillax. It'll only make a day or two difference (may even be faster for some), and it's only a flashlight after all. I seriously doubt that any flashaholics that are in emergency need of a light are without a single light in their posession.


Not complaining, just proposing that the US lights are possibly leaving China around he same time as the international orders. I could do with less attitude from you if you're going to imply that I'm a complainer...this is my first decent flashlight and I only found out about it/ joined the forum a week ago, so I am eager to get it, not complaining.
Yes, it's a flashlight, not a kidney... But look around, we are on a flashlight forum, yes?


----------



## g.p.

xnmw said:


> I could do with less attitude from you if you're going to imply that I'm a complainer...this is my first decent flashlight and I only found out about it/ joined the forum a week ago, so I am eager to get it, not complaining.


You weren't even one of the one's posting yesterday about it not being shipped. 

Way to make a first impression on the forum though. Welcome to CPF.


----------



## CreeCrazy

Yeah I was the one complaining. I was just making the point that we have been told several different shipping dates from Zebralight. Then they keep moving it back by a few days at a time. I was just hoping to get an email yesterday saying it had shipped from TX like the website stated. I understand that it says "estimated shipping date". I just hope this thing is all its hyped up to be.


----------



## xnmw

g.p. said:


> Welcome to CPF.


My bad then.. When you quoted me it seemed like you were directing the comments at me as though I was complaining when really I was just musing on the logistics and potential timetable of shipping from China.
Forget about it...My mistake. Will check back when we have some pictures and reviews of the light.


----------



## juplin

Someone received SC52 yesterday. 
The following photos are selected from the linked thread.
http://www.shoudian.org/thread-304253-1-1.html

















Beamshot -- Left: SC52 AA 280 lumens, RIght: EC2 80 lumens


----------



## jbrett14

I guess I hadn't been paying enough attention. I didn't realize that they were changing the body as well. I like the clean, simple, smooth body of the SC51 better. Oh well.


----------



## henry1960

jbrett14 said:


> I guess I hadn't been paying enough attention. I didn't realize that they were changing the body as well. I like the clean, simple, smooth body of the SC51 better. Oh well.



I like your self do like the smooth body...But i really think i can get use to the new style!!


----------



## jbrett14

henry1960 said:


> I like your self do like the smooth body...But i really think i can get use to the new style!!



I am thinking that we will, at least, convince ourselves of such.  

I just hope, being a flashaholic in search for the "perfect" light, that this won't always be on my mind. Who knows though, maybe we will actually like it. I just think it cheapens the look of it.


----------



## j0sh

Hope it's not a green tint


----------



## henry1960

j0sh said:


> Hope it's not a green tint



Thats been a big concern for me to!!


----------



## markr6

jbrett14 said:


> I guess I hadn't been paying enough attention. I didn't realize that they were changing the body as well. I like the clean, simple, smooth body of the SC51 better. Oh well.



Yeah it sure is ugly. Depending on the tint, I think the performance would make up for that though. I still can't decide if I'll be ordering one.


----------



## passive101

If it is green, mine will be going back


----------



## jbrett14

markr6 said:


> Yeah it sure is ugly.



I could never understand why any manufacturer would change the look of something that is clearly well-liked. Did anyone ask for this worm look?


----------



## naiter

juplin said:


> I have preordered ZL SC52. But I must admit Olight S10 and succeeding S20 have better UI than that of Zebralight's SC52.
> Olight S10 Titanium is really a beauty with trit installed. :twothumbs



Sexy light you got there!


----------



## tygger

jbrett14 said:


> I could never understand why any manufacturer would change the look of something that is clearly well-liked. Did anyone ask for this worm look?



I really like the new body. Very functional. I had to put bicycle inner tube on my SC51 because it was too slippery.


----------



## shelm

henry1960 said:


> But i really think i can get use to the new style!!


+ 1
Because we are flashaholics and can weigh the importance of Zebralight. 

I've tweeted the above posted *.tw RL picture of the SC52 to friends accompanied with 
"_Check dis out, that's the #1 industry-leading best 1xAA flashlight in the world!! Looks  doesnt it?_"
with the purpose of entertaining them and guess how they reacted ..
.. they actually did make fun of its look big time!  

Imo if it werent for ZL's unique position in our scene and the extraordinary specs, UI and features, how many of us would _seriously _look into buying a say TltraFire with the identical looks of the SC52, assuming that ZL never developed the SC50/51/52? As usual on boring Sundays we'd browse thru dxDOTcom looking for new flashlights to like'n buy, eventually bump into this, first laugh the c*** out of the hilarious name (_Tltrafire, i mean wtf?!!_) and then of course about the exotic looks of the flashlight itself: we'd never get the Oh's, Ah's and Wow's as with SWM's or D25A Ti's, maybe we can agree on that.



juplin said:


> Beamshot -- Left: SC52 AA 280 lumens, RIght: EC2 80 lumens




Tint looks good to me. (_ironical. joke!_) 
Greenish as expected. :green:

Aww man.


----------



## LEDburn

shelm said:


> Tint looks good to me. (_ironical. joke!_)
> Greenish as expected. :green:
> 
> Aww man.



Don't be too worried, the pic looks like it might not be an accurate representation of the tint.

Check Selfbuilts review of the EC2 www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showth...EA2)-Round-up-Review-RUNTIMES-BEAMSHOTS-VIDEO

I'm not overly worried though - the SC52 I have on the way is just going to get used till the SC52w comes along.


----------



## shelm

LEDburn said:


> is just going to get used till the SC52w comes along.



In my XML SC52 I would love a *pure white CW* tint, that is a CoolWhite without greenishness or other coloration across the beam profile. Such a XML tint does exist. My Eagletac LED drop-in module is XML T6 with a pure white CW tint. Any other CW LED i have, xml t6, xml u2, xp-g r5, xp-g r4 looks visibly greenish or yellowish in comparison, except for Rofis and Klarux MiS6, which are equally _neutral _(in the literal sense). Without such reference PURE WHITE tints it is impossible to detect minimal greenishness in beams with minimal greenishness because within minutes the eye adapts quickly to the light source and its tint. The eye adaption is an underestimated problem when we try to determine tints and greenishness. For example, I examined multiple specimen of ITP A3 xp-g r5 and Fenix LD01 xp-g r4: discarding the copies with obvious greenish tint i was left with 1 2 copies which looked pure white. Yet they still did have minimal greenishness .. which cant be seen on a white wall per se. Too slight the degree. However, directly compared to _real _pure white reference beams, those cherry-picked LD01 and ITP A3 EOS were rather easily identified to have some slight greenish tendency. Very interesting result, and very poor CREE production quality in these exemplary lights.

I found out, maybe the best and easiest way to determine slight degrees of greenishness is by way of white wall/ceiling _double_-bounce and tactical momentary on: in a small room with 4 white walls, flash the light against one wall and look at the opposite white wall. The light bounces against wall1, then against wall2, and finally reaches your eyes. By quickly changing the flashlights (momentary activation or similar) and looking at wall2, you'll realize how greenish the light is compared to _real _pure white, or warmish, LEDs. With real pure white LEDs as in Klarux MiS6 Premium tint, wall2 would look gray/grey, and not greenish.

If several buyers report that their XML SC52 is greenish, then i will edit the OP's poll question to 
"*Did you ever own a* *greenish CW Zebralight SC52?*" lol 

(...)

Hey, maybe *we all *should wait for the XP-G2 version of this light?



(it will become reality in early 2013, as was announced by Zebralight Co. in this thread!!). Then we get better throw and 100% no more worries about tints or greenishness!


----------



## twl

It is fair to note that it's VERY common to see greenish-tint XML lights, so it's difficult to fault Zebralight for that issue in a production light.

But you're right about the XPG2 having a very good record for white tint. At least, it does so far.


----------



## henry1960

twl said:


> It is fair to note that it's VERY common to see greenish-tint XML lights,


----------



## passive101

I haven't received a shipping email yet. Maybe I should cancel until tints are sorted out?


----------



## Gemlab

I haven't received a shipping email yet, I have four on order. and four 14500. for gifts.


----------



## RedForest UK

Why would you get 14500 for gifts? Surely a key advantage of the SC52 is that it can use common AA batteries which don't need a lot of care to use safely..


----------



## Gemlab

RedForest UK said:


> Why would you get 14500 for gifts? Surely a key advantage of the SC52 is that it can use common AA batteries which don't need a lot of care to use safely..



Sorry the 14500 are for me.
AA for the gifts.


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

Gemlab said:


> Sorry the 14500 are for me.
> AA for the gifts.


I hear ya I got some AW14500 on the charger waiting for THE delivery.


----------



## maxrep12

As far as aesthetics, one important point to remember is that we don't exactly perceive pictures to scale. Zebralights are deceptively small. With my sc31, what stands out most is the fine resolution of the machining combined with natural anodizing. The natural anodizing has a translucent quality that reveals the very high grade level of tooling. This is quite striking. Note the picture on the previous page of the Nitecore and the sc52. If you had both of the lights in your possession, the refined finish work of the sc52 would likely occupy your attention.

Before my sc31 came in, I was not too hyped about the shape. In person though, it is elegant.


----------



## Fireclaw18

Still waiting for my SC52 to ship, but to me the SC52's shape addresses some of the criticisms I had with the SC51.

As a flashlight, the SC51's smooth body looked good, but it was slippery and hard to grip. The ridges on the SC52 are an improvement off that even if they still won't provide as good a grip as full knurling.

The SC51's button was too easily depressed in the pocket, making tailcap lockout mandatory. The SC52's much more recessed switch looks to be a vast improvement. If it's anything like the SC80, then tailcap lockout should no longer be necessary.


----------



## maxrep12

I broke down the other day and preordered a second one. I'm betting there are a bunch of us getting multiples!

Looking forward to having a true .01 lumen moonlight mode to serve as a locator on the nightstand. As a cyclist, my body wakes me every night to go foraging for food in th kitchen. I absolutely have to have a good moonlight option for this nightly habit. Comes in handy for camping too.


----------



## RedForest UK

Gemlab said:


> Sorry the 14500 are for me.
> AA for the gifts.



Ok, that makes sense now


----------



## jbrett14

maxrep12 said:


> As far as aesthetics, one important point to remember is that we don't exactly perceive pictures to scale. Zebralights are deceptively small. With my sc31, what stands out most is the fine resolution of the machining combined with natural anodizing. The natural anodizing has a translucent quality that reveals the very high grade level of tooling. This is quite striking. Note the picture on the previous page of the Nitecore and the sc52. If you had both of the lights in your possession, the refined finish work of the sc52 would likely occupy your attention.
> 
> Before my sc31 came in, I was not too hyped about the shape. In person though, it is elegant.



Yes, but the SC31 doesn't have the funky worm gear look of this new SC52 does it? Is it not smooth, like the SC51?


----------



## jbrett14

Fireclaw18 said:


> As a flashlight, the SC51's smooth body looked good, but it was slippery and hard to grip.



"slippery and hard to grip"? Are you serious or is this a joke?


----------



## maxrep12

jbrett14 said:


> Yes, but the SC31 doesn't have the funky worm gear look of this new SC52 does it? Is it not smooth, like the SC51?


Correct. 

Certainly the battery tube is different. My experience though, is that until you have a unit to see in person, your impressions from photographs can be quite a contrast when compared to the real thing. But, the finish and anodizing should knock your socks off!


----------



## Fireclaw18

jbrett14 said:


> "slippery and hard to grip"? Are you serious or is this a joke?



Very serious. The SC51's smooth body has no knurling at all. It's quite slippery. And the light has to be flipped 180 degrees in the hand every time it is used due to the need to tailcap lockout the light to prevent accidentally turning on in the pocket. When I EDC'd my SC51 I occasionally had the SC51 squirt out of my hand due to lack of knurling.

I've tried many other EDC lights such as the Thrunite 1C, Eagletac D25, Zebralight SC80, Sunwayman V10r and V11r, Balder HD1, Jetbeam PA01, RRT-01, and TCR1, Nitecore EZAA, Quark mini-AA, etc. Of them all the SC51 felt least secure in the hand and this was solely due to the lack of knurling or patterning on the body. For comparison the light that felt most secure in the hand was the SC80.

When I used my SC51 for EDC I ended up wrapping the body with grey indoor stairway grip-tape from Office Depot. This immensely increased the grip, but was rather ugly. The fully-knurled SC80 feels vastly more secure in the hand than the SC51. But the SC80 is much larger and heavier, and not that bright compared to XML lights. The SC52 looks like a good compromise.


----------



## jbrett14

Fireclaw18 said:


> Very serious. The SC51's smooth body has no knurling at all. It's quite slippery. And the light has to be flipped 180 degrees in the hand every time it is used due to the need to tailcap lockout the light to prevent accidentally turning on in the pocket. When I EDC'd my SC51 I occasionally had the SC51 squirt out of my hand due to lack of knurling.



Yeah, I have an SC51 and although it has no knurling, it does have 5 different diameter changes (ridges), a straight-knurled tailcap, and a clip if left on, which have been more than adequate to keep this little light from slipping within even the lightest of my grips. But I do realize we all have our own little preferences. Of course, the switch is an entire different problem, which I agree, is a problem. 

I do wonder, if they wanted to change it, why they wouldn't have made it more like the SC80 body, which looks very nice. That kind of knurling would have provided good grip in every direction. The worm ridges are no better, radially, than what it was. Who knows what they were thinking. 

I do know this: I can hold my SC51 with a normal grip and there is no way it is coming out of my hand. Therefore, putting more radial ridges is just not necessary. Full knurling would have made more sense, to prevent not only end to end slipping, but radially as well.


----------



## Fireclaw18

jbrett14 said:


> Yeah, I have an SC51 and although it has no knurling, it does have 5 different diameter changes (ridges), a straight-knurled tailcap, and a clip if left on, which have been more than adequate to keep this little light from slipping within even the lightest of my grips. But I do realize we all have our own little preferences. Of course, the switch is an entire different problem, which I agree, is a problem.
> 
> I do wonder, if they wanted to change it, why they wouldn't have made it more like the SC80 body, which looks very nice. That kind of knurling would have provided good grip in every direction. The worm ridges are no better, radially, than what it was. Who knows what they were thinking.
> 
> I do know this: I can hold my SC51 with a normal grip and there is no way it is coming out of my hand. Therefore, putting more radial ridges is just not necessary. Full knurling would have made more sense, to prevent not only end to end slipping, but radially as well.



I agree. Full knurling would have been better.

I suspect they chose to use the worm ridges so that the SC52 would still have the option of being used with a headband like the SC51.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

I don't have one in my hand yet, but I still think the new design looks pretty cool. I really like the look of my H600, and the SC52 is similar in design. Someone on this thread (don't remember who) said something that made a lot of sense to me. They explained that the ridges on the H600 and the SC52 makes the body of the light stronger, and allows the walls to be thinner. The ridges makes each of these lights more lightweight, and offers more grip than a smooth body....which many have complained about. Each of these things makes for some compelling compromises for an edc light, and I like it.


----------



## DavidMB

You changed the first post to a poll. Maybe you are trying to steer conversation, but I think this degrades the integrity of the thread.


----------



## Fireclaw18

It's now Monday the 26th still no ship notice yet, but there's still time in the day to ship. Keeping fingers crossed...


----------



## shelm

DavidMB said:


> steer conversation, but I think this degrades the integrity of the thread.



I hear ya i hear ya. I dont necessarily agree but i do get your point. Well imo the op w/ the reposted official pix and spex looked like an ad, so it's degraded now to nothing but an arbitrary starting post to gather discussion related to the product and surely not meant to steer conversation. The whole thread is about the SC52 itself, not about the op. I could edit it to something shorter, even more insignificant like a 1-sentence post "Anyone with this new flashlight?" because at this point of progress i think that the op really doesnt matter anymore so please bear with it and dont mind.


----------



## Calcustom

No shipping notice yet.


----------



## passive101

I don't have a ship notice yet, but I like the look of the new design. If it's more grippy in my hand with or without gloves it's a huge plus to me


----------



## juplin

Someone in China received SC52 two days ago, but had off-center LED and returned to factory for rework.
The stocks of SC52 in China appear to have similar off-center issues and will take a few days for rework.
It might be the reason for delayed shipping.


----------



## shelm

juplin said:


> had off-center LED and returned to factory




all righty then, here it goes, may the zebra circus start! ​


----------



## jbrett14

Does Zebralight ever offer any deep discounts on lights that were returned, yet still functioning. 

If a light's only problem was that the LED was a bit off-centered, I would buy it if it were marked way down. Seems like this would be a good way for ZL to get something for these lights, but then again, I don't know what they are doing with the lights that are returned.


----------



## Fireclaw18

jbrett14 said:


> Does Zebralight ever offer any deep discounts on lights that were returned, yet still functioning.
> 
> If a light's only problem was that the LED was a bit off-centered, I would buy it if it were marked way down. Seems like this would be a good way for ZL to get something for these lights, but then again, I don't know what they are doing with the lights that are returned.



They'll probably fix the problem and then ship the light back out to the original purchaser.


----------



## juplin

jbrett14 said:


> Does Zebralight ever offer any deep discounts on lights that were returned, yet still functioning.
> 
> If a light's only problem was that the LED was a bit off-centered, I would buy it if it were marked way down. Seems like this would be a good way for ZL to get something for these lights, but then again, I don't know what they are doing with the lights that are returned.


Off-centered LED is easy to repair by just adjusting the location of the LED board. Usually, the off-centered LED flashlights shall be rejected by quality assurance and return to production dept. for rework within the factory.


----------



## jbrett14

Interesting. I would think this practice depends on the size of the operation. I have no idea how many lights ZL manufactures in a year. 

I would think with high-volume mass-produced goods, it's faster just to keep the assembly line moving and replace a light than it is to re-work a bad light. I don't know.


----------



## Gregozedobe

I'm holding off on buying an SC52 until I read a few reports on how much better the new switch arrangement resists accidental turning on in my pocket (about the only thing I really dislike like on some of my many ZLs).


----------



## Fireclaw18

Gregozedobe said:


> I'm holding off on buying an SC52 until I read a few reports on how much better the new switch arrangement resists accidental turning on in my pocket (about the only thing I really dislike like on some of my many ZLs).



The shape of the head around the switch looks almost exactly the same as the SC80. I can tell from experience that the SC80 is MUCH better at resisting accidental activation. So much so that I never had an accidental activation in months of pocket carry and never used the tailcap lockout with it.


----------



## shelm

juplin said:


> from the linked thread.
> http://www.shoudian.org/thread-304253-1-1.html



thanks juplin!! too bad i am having a hard time with opening the webpage and translating it. google translate fails. for our convenience i uploaded a screenshot of the beamshots. i kinda dig the poor greenish performance lol







Seriously this aint Zebralight Co's fault. If the LED's tint sucks, we have to accept it and blame only CREE for it! :green:


----------



## Fireclaw18

shelm said:


> thanks juplin!! too bad i am having a hard time with opening the webpage and translating it. google translate fails. for our convenience i uploaded a screenshot of the beamshots. i kinda dig the poor greenish performance lol
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Seriously this aint Zebralight Co's fault. If the LED's tint sucks, we have to accept it and blame only CREE for it! :green:



Hm. That's kinda disappointing. I was hoping for a pure white tint like on my SC80. That tint looks pretty greenish. yuck!

Guess I'll see what mine looks like when it arrives.


----------



## Myrakas

My SC51 had already greenish hint in tint, SC52 seems to be even worse :thumbsdow I hate green tints...


----------



## shelm

Myrakas said:


> SC52 seems to be even worse :thumbsdow I hate green



hate or not hate. nobody should worry. green XML's is really normal: only very few among us win the tint lottery


----------



## dts71

shelm said:


> hate or not hate. nobody should worry. green XML's is really normal: only very few among us win the tint lottery



Well normal is not the same as preferred. Sure - some people might not mind the tint, but I bet nobody would prefer green tint.
I hope my pre-order turns out to be acceptable otherwise it's just to suck it up and hope for a XPG2 version.


----------



## grubeda

I emailed Zebralight to ask about the status of my order, and here's the response I received this morning:


We will start to ship SC52 today, however, your order
will be shipped in the next ten business days.

Best regards,

Lillian Xu
ZebraLight


----------



## Overclocker

that has got to be the brightest 2-lumen mode on any flashlight, what a piece of @#$% LOL


----------



## reppans

shelm said:


> thanks juplin!! too bad i am having a hard time with opening the webpage and translating it. google translate fails. for our convenience i uploaded a screenshot of the beamshots. i kinda dig the poor greenish performance lol
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Seriously this aint Zebralight Co's fault. If the LED's tint sucks, we have to accept it and blame only CREE for it! :green:



All you guys can see is the green? 

Assuming they're correct labeled, these photos are a lot more telling.... but unfortunately, they do not appear to be correctly labeled (at a minimum, SC52 2.7 and 0.34 lm pics look reversed to me.


----------



## reppans

Overclocker said:


> that has got to be the brightest 2-lumen mode on any flashlight, what a piece of @#$% LOL



The guy has the camera set on auto exposure, so it's "not to scale". The camera will attempt to make each pic have about the same average brightness across the picture. The only thing you can take from the photo is the relative comparison, assuming the modes labeled are correct.


----------



## eloreno

Got a order shipped email for my SC52 and zebralight 14500 batteries! It's on its way!


----------



## Outdoorsman5

eloreno said:


> Got a order shipped email for my SC52 and zebralight 14500 batteries! It's on its way!



What part of the world do you live in?


----------



## Overclocker

reppans said:


> The guy has the camera set on auto exposure, so it's "not to scale". The camera will attempt to make each pic have about the same average brightness across the picture. The only thing you can take from the photo is the relative comparison, assuming the modes labeled are correct.



was referring to the EC2. look at the last pic


----------



## eloreno

Outdoorsman5 said:


> What part of the world do you live in?



USA--New York


----------



## Font size

No, need a real headlamp.


----------



## Fireclaw18

I also got my SC52 order shipped today. I live in CA. Hoping it arrives by Friday.


----------



## tacgearguy

I pre ordered on 10/26 & I just got my shipping confirmation email! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the SC52 will be as awesome as it should be!


----------



## reppans

Overclocker said:


> was referring to the EC2. look at the last pic



Yeah, I saw that.... and that's made me think the ZL labeling was reversed on the last photos (ie, that looks like 0.34 lms vs 2 lms)... also would make sense the sequence is going down with each pix. 

But the photo itself is how a camera on auto exposure will work - because the left is so dim, it will bump up the exposure on the right so that the whole picture will average to 18% gray (photo gray card).


----------



## Outdoorsman5

Well dang....where's my email??
It's like being a kid at Christmas all over again......hope it's not a green Christmas; I prefer white (tint.)


----------



## shelm

tacgearguy said:


> I pre ordered on 10/26 & I just got my shipping confirmation email! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the SC52 will be as awesome as it should be!



Dear tacgearguy, please do a long helpful video review with beamshots, comparison to other beams, and close-ups!

I know i am asking too much haha


----------



## tacgearguy

Will do, Shelm!!! I still owe you a review on the ET D25A clicky!!!! I've been slacking off! Lol


----------



## shelm

tacgearguy said:


> Will do, Shelm!!! I still owe you a review on the ET D25A clicky!!!!



Hehe, now we have your word!! 
Oh, it would be helpful to see the beams of D25A and SC52 in the same video! For comparison of total output and tint. And beam beauty of course 

Instead of paying for Breaking Dawn - Part 2, i prefer to watch your FREE flick 

Thanks for all you can do in favor of our cause, very much appreciated.


----------



## NiteShift

The 2lm on that nitecore is about right, which is why I sent mine back! 

To all those who got their shipping notice; don't forget to post back here with thoughts/impressions/photos!


----------



## GeoBruin

Also in Cali and got my shipping notice. They included a tracking number and said it was shipped USPS first class but when I entered the tracking code, it said delivery status information was not available for my item via this web site. Hmmm... looks like it will be a surprise delivery.


----------



## Fireclaw18

GeoBruin said:


> Also in Cali and got my shipping notice. They included a tracking number and said it was shipped USPS first class but when I entered the tracking code, it said delivery status information was not available for my item via this web site. Hmmm... looks like it will be a surprise delivery.



This is pretty common. Just because you have the tracking number doesn't mean your package has actually been processed through the computer system at the post office yet. If you check the tracking number tomorrow or the day after it should work.


----------



## maxrep12

Fireclaw18 said:


> This is pretty common. Just because you have the tracking number doesn't mean your package has actually been processed through the computer system at the post office yet. If you check the tracking number tomorrow or the day after it should work.



True. Additionally, my experience with usps tracking numbers is that they are not updated with the same level of real time location information that one would receive with Fedex or UPS. 

Received a shipping email from ZL earlier today.


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

Finally got my shipping notice. Hopefully it will be here by the weekend.


----------



## henry1960

Received my shipping notic to but this is what they told me....


[email protected]​*Shipping Confirmation*henry s
This email confirms that your order was Shipped. Please allow average 2-6 weeks for airmail shipping orders to arrive. Please contact us if you have any questions about your order. Tracking code: xxxxxxxxxxxxx
You can query your package by the tracking code above according to your shipping method




Two- Six Weeks????


----------



## Fireclaw18

henry1960 said:


> Received my shipping notic to but this is what they told me....
> 
> 
> [email protected]​*Shipping Confirmation*henry s
> This email confirms that your order was Shipped. Please allow average 2-6 weeks for airmail shipping orders to arrive. Please contact us if you have any questions about your order. Tracking code: xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> You can query your package by the tracking code above according to your shipping method
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Two- Six Weeks????



I got that too, but I don't think it's remotely accurate. I've received shipments from Zebralight before and none of them took over a week (I live in CA). Mine shipped today too. I'm hoping I'll get the light by the weekend.


----------



## bluemax_1

henry1960 said:


> Received my shipping notic to but this is what they told me....
> 
> 
> [email protected]​*Shipping Confirmation*henry s
> This email confirms that your order was Shipped. Please allow average 2-6 weeks for airmail shipping orders to arrive. Please contact us if you have any questions about your order. Tracking code: xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> You can query your package by the tracking code above according to your shipping method
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Two- Six Weeks????



This is normal. Don't sweat it. When I ordered the ZL 14500, I received the same email. I'd assumed that it was shipping from China. The tracking number appeared on the USPS site the following day, and the battery was in my mailbox the day after, postmarked from Irving Texas.


Max


----------



## henry1960

Thanks guys..I have preordered from zeabralight many times and really never noticed this...


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

Just checked my DC# and they are shipping out of Texas.


----------



## CreeCrazy

Mine said the same thing but the tracking number shows accepted in TX


----------



## Lighteous

I also received a shipping notice this morning. Mine is on its way to west Michigan!


----------



## HighlanderNorth

Well I haven't received mine yet. I ordered mine back on 28 October and I have not received any shipment notification yet so I'm hoping is going to be shipped next couple of days. I'm trying out this free Dragon dictation app on my new IPhone 4S for the first time and with the exception of 2 mistakes its working good


----------



## tonkem

HighlanderNorth said:


> Well I haven't received mine yet. I ordered mine back on 28 October and I have not received any shipment notification yet so I'm hoping is going to be shipped next couple of days. I'm trying out this free Dragon dictation app on my new IPhone 4S for the first time and with the exception of 2 mistakes its working good



Ios6 has the dictation included in the keyboard. Enable it in the settings.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

tonkem said:


> Ios6 has the dictation included in the keyboard. Enable it in the settings.



I just looked through the settings, through keyboard in the settings, and I dont see anything about dictation in there.


----------



## tonkem

HighlanderNorth said:


> I just looked through the settings, through keyboard in the settings, and I dont see anything about dictation in there.



When the keyboard comes up you will see the little mic next to the spacebar. Click it and speech to text. You have to confirm you have IOS6 though. 
.


----------



## TweakMDS

I can't help but feel the IOS dictation functionality is mildly off topic...

so, did anyone get their SC52 yet?


----------



## maxrep12

Tonkem that was a helpful screen capture.

By the way, the Michigan delivery for my sc52 will arrive on the 30th.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

TweakMDS said:


> I can't help but feel the IOS dictation functionality is mildly off topic...
> 
> so, did anyone get their SC52 yet?



Sometimes it's better to use a "PM" (Private Message) if you need to go off topic. Threads like this can get confusing when someone takes a wrong turn, especailly for a noob.


----------



## Pretbek

I hope you guys understand that we expect a flurry of great and in-depth reviews of the SC52, right?


----------



## tonkem

TweakMDS said:


> I can't help but feel the IOS dictation functionality is mildly off topic...
> 
> so, did anyone get their SC52 yet?



Apologies. Trying to help.


----------



## Darvis

Got my "it shipped" notice yesterday, package origin TX with an expected delivery date of the 30th here in GA


----------



## Lighteous

Lighteous said:


> I also received a shipping notice this morning. Mine is on its way to west Michigan!



Mine is also shipping out of Texas, as expected, and the estimated delivery date is November 30th.


----------



## Fireclaw18

Lighteous said:


> Mine is also shipping out of Texas, as expected, and the estimated delivery date is November 30th.



Same.


----------



## Swede74

Several new pictures here: http://shoudian.org/thread-304253-1-1.html


----------



## HighlanderNorth

Thanks Tonkem, I found the iphone's dictation function. Sorry to get off topic with that, I actually posted about the SC52 and mentioned the dictation in that post, then we got off topic for 2 posts, so back on topic.....


I read that several people here received their shipment notices yesterday, but not only didnt I get my shipment notice yesterday, I didnt get it today either. Isnt it nice when you originally expect something to be shipped on the 20th, then it gets moved back to the 23rd, then back to the 26th, then back to who knows when!! But thats nothing compared with what the HDS customers have been going through...


----------



## DavidMB

Did the price change or was this light always listed at $62?


----------



## CreeCrazy

I thought it was $64. I don't believe it has changed.


----------



## lmorrison17

I didn't get my shipping notice yet either.


----------



## passive101

No shipping yet here


----------



## markr6

Sorry ZL, I cannot buy this thing based on looks alone. I know that's shallow, but man that thing is ugly!


----------



## thaugen

markr6 said:


> Sorry ZL, I cannot buy this thing based on looks alone. I know that's shallow, but man that thing is ugly!



My thought exactly! The SC51 is a nice looking flashlight but the SC52 is horrendous looking.


----------



## maxrep12

lmorrison17 said:


> I didn't get my shipping notice yet either.


For those of you who have not received shipping emails, what is your location and when did you order yours? Which vendor did you order from?


----------



## Climb14er

maxrep12 said:


> For those of you who have not received shipping emails, what is your location and when did you order yours? Which vendor did you order from?



I ordered directly from ZL on Nov 1st. Have not received it yet. Got an e-mail on Sunday night saying that they'll ship mine within ten business days. I ordered via Paypal and that's cutting it close to the 45 day dispute window... in case there's a problem.

Been very patient from day one. However, would like to see it arrive in the next five days or so.


----------



## Climb14er

deleted duplicate post.


----------



## eloreno

My SC52 arrived today, with the 14500 batteries I ordered. 

It's very bright, and goes very low. The finish is perfect, however, it does appear that the XML is off center. Pics below.

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/...8-BF8F-29F53DB00DE4-4650-0000040FDDFBF09D.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/...C-9A00-A061FE4A5982-4650-0000040FE7454D87.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/...5-B70E-9B64EF33AC79-4650-0000040FF0A32B3E.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/...5-8704-C791E73850DB-4650-0000040FF78081BA.jpg

COLOR="blue"]
Your images are too large and have been replaced with links Please resize and repost.
See Rule #3 If you post an image in your post, please downsize the image to no larger than 800 x 800 pixels. - Thanks Norm[/COLOR]


----------



## bruc

Nice!
Does the beam have any green tint?


----------



## eloreno

Tint looks good so far. I'll be able to say for sure later when I have more time.


----------



## Gemlab

Ordered 11/15/12
No email yet.


----------



## grubeda

Ordered on October 30th. ZL emailed me on November 27th (responding to my email inquiry) that my order will ship within the next 10 business days.


----------



## NiteShift

Nice! 

You got yours fast! eloreno. The light looks not too bad. You could always wrap cord around the handle if one wanted, although it may get in the way of the clip, and or look poop.

Very interested to know what the throw is like, eloreno..especially compared to the SC51, if you get a chance :bow:


----------



## eloreno

Hi niteshift, I've got an SC51w. I'll do some comparisons later this evening!


----------



## NiteShift

Great, thanks!


----------



## shelm

thanks for the photo.
no, i wouldnt say that this LED is _off center._
it's just _a little_ off center! 

I've seen _really _off centered LED's on other flashlights, incl Fenix!!, so your sample is good.


----------



## Fireclaw18

shelm said:


> thanks for the photo.
> no, i wouldnt say that this LED is _off center._
> it's just _a little_ off center!
> 
> I've seen _really _off centered LED's on other flashlights, incl Fenix!!, so your sample is good.



It's off center in that pic, but the emitter is so big and the reflector is so small it probably won't make too much difference in the beam profile I'd think.


----------



## g.p.

markr6 said:


> Sorry ZL, I cannot buy this thing based on looks alone. I know that's shallow, but man that thing is ugly!


I agree, but I thought that about the SC51 at first. They always seem to look better in person and eventually they really grow on me...so I went and ordered it anyways. Besides, where else can you find these specs in this size!?!? :thumbsup:


----------



## eloreno

MORE PICS with SC600 and SUNWAYMAN V11R:


----------



## markr6

g.p. said:


> Besides, where else can you find these specs in this size!?!? :thumbsup:



You simply can't...oh the temptation! I have recently become frustrated with tint variations in my Fenix lights and I'm thinking about going all neutral with ZL. So I'll have to wait for a warm version of this, and then the firesale begins!


----------



## Swede74

eloreno said:


>



I don't know if they are mother and daughter, father and sun, lovers, or just friends; but they sure look cute together!


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

Just got home and on my doorstep my new EDC. The tint is better than my SC600 and man this thing is bright on a 14500. Beam is smooth no artifacts,centered and long awaited.

Here are a few friends D25lC2,SC600,SC52,AND D25C





My new friend and my favorite EDC blade PARA 2.


----------



## bruc

How much brightness is lost on a AA rechargeable?


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

I put in a Eneloop and you can see a big difference but not bad. I only use Eneloops and lithiums E91 as primaries. I have 4 E91 as backup. I like to leave the house fully charged so 14500's are choice at my house. You will still love this light on rechargeables. I love it so much as soon as I tried it out I did another order from CellGuy w/14500 for free. Yah Baby. My son will probable take the second one if I let him.:twothumbs


----------



## reppans

Anyone care to run side-by-side beam shots with similar lumened lights?... on a 14500 and Eneloop?


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

reppans said:


> Anyone care to run side-by-side beam shots with similar lumened lights?... on a 14500 and Eneloop?



I'll try to gets some outside shots when it gets dark. Tried doing it inside and just couldn't get it. There are some guys on here with far better camera skills than me but if no one else post first then I'll see what i can do.


----------



## Climb14er

Wow... I've had the SC600 for over a year and thought it was the ultimate EDC. The SC52 looks like an incredible EDC! Looking forward to receiving mine! 

I carry either a Spyderco Stretch II CF ZDP189 or a Spyderco Manix 2 CF S90V... along with a Glock 19. 

Either of the ZL's would work perfectly with any of the above combo.


----------



## henry1960

Just received mine in the mail and the tint is better then my SC600 and very bright on the 14500...


----------



## eloreno

Here are some real quick shots next to sc51w






















Envelop 2500 in both sc52 on left. The wall is blue unfortunately I have no white walls!






14500 in sc52 on left envelop in sc51w on right


----------



## Diablo_331

Thanks for those beams shots! Does the hot spot appear to be be of a similar size in real life as well?


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

Nice shots. I knew some one would chime in with better shots.


----------



## reppans

Nice beam shots... the hotspot is significantly bigger and would probably account for the additional lumens, even assuming the same lux. Anyone with pure white walls?

If anyone has a good fast DSLR, and a bit of photography background, I could tell you how to use your camera as an ambient lumen meter (given a 1/3 stop granularity). Would love to hear some objective measurements. PM me if interested.


----------



## lmorrison17

Mid-Atlantic, ordered 11/7 no notice yet.


----------



## passive101

Southern Wisconsin, Oct 30th. I haven't received an email for shipping yet


----------



## bruc

How is the throw?


----------



## Fireclaw18

Received my SC52 today.

Pretty nice. It's small and feels slightly grippier in the hand than the SC51, but still significantly less grippy than the SC80. It's also significantly smaller than my SC80.

It's decently bright when run on 14500, and as expected much brighter than my SC80, but noticeably dimmer than my SC600 and Eye10 (on IMR 18350). The beam is quite floody. This is definitely no thrower. The tint is a nice cool white. To me the tint looks very like that on my SC80. It doesn't look greenish like the default emitter on my SC51 or aluminium Olight S10.

I unscrewed and removed the clip, but like the SC51, the clip mount's corners and edges are quite sharp and not rounded. This is definitely a light that is meant to always be used with the clip attached.


----------



## jbrett14

Fireclaw18 said:


> Received my SC52 today. It's also significantly smaller than my SC80.



So are the specs wrong on the ZL website? They list the SC80 as being pretty much the same diameter as the SC52, and only about 3 mm. longer in length. Unless this info is wrong, I wouldn't think there would be a significant difference.


----------



## Darvis

Mine landed today... The head size and diameter are definitely larger than the SC51 and the cooling fins are not as deeply cut. I can confirm that there is no way in Hell this light is coming on accidentally, the switch is deeply recessed and very firm, much like the SC600.

But... I lost the tint lottery big time; on an eneloop, mine has a warm yellow cast hotspot and a seriously green corona. As it steps down, it all gets green. Ugh! Same as the SC600. My SC60 and SC51 are both pure white and side by side, it becomes more evident. This is not a 6000k light... I am seriously bummed. Maybe it needs the 14500 voltage, I'm going to charge one up and see if it helps.

Have to say the build is great, though. Never a complaint in that department... great ano and the design is much better looking in person.

I'm going to get it outside as soon as I can to see if the tint bothers me there, it's way closer to neutral-ish than I prefer in a light. I was really hoping to see pure, clean white. Gotta say, this has not topped the SC60 or SC51 for me based on the tint alone, but definitely better than the 600 which was just pure green. If the tint were better, this light would have become a classic to me, the rest of it is really that great and the beam is a really nice blend of throw and spill for such a small reflector.

In the meantime, can anyone with a 14500 and an eneloop check the tint on either and see if there's any change? I have hunch that this thing needs the voltage and that AA's are a nice option as a backup, but 14500's are going to be the shiz.

EDIT: Ok, I'm not a patient man, so I managed to dig out my collection of AW14500's... Muuuuccccchhhh better on the 14500 than with the eneloop. Still some greenish cast to mine for sure, but not nearly as obvious green as when on the eneloop. The tint is not even close to as bright white as my SC60, but it's much improved on the 14500 to where I can say this light has serious potential now. Definitely gets greener as it steps down in output, but that's to be expected... 

If anyone is a cool white lover like me, I can say mine leans neutral vs. true white/blue-cool.

Honestly, I think this light needs an XP-G2


----------



## CreeCrazy

I have compared the Zebralight SC52 to the Eagletac D25A XP-G2 both running the 14500. The Eagletac has a noticeably brighter hotspot. The Zebralight has a slightly larger hotspot but only slightly. I'm calling it a tie between the 2 lights. I also compared it to the Thrunite T10 and the Baldor HD-1 which I'm saying the Zebralight beat both. I'm only going off of what I see though.


----------



## Big Sam

Mine landed a day earlier than expected. It seems so small since I've been EDC'ing an SC600 for the last year. It was run with an Eneloop while the 14500 was charging. Works perfectly. The dimmest settings could be a test for perfect darkness as they are really dim. H1 on the Eneloop is bright. H1 on the 14500 is nutty bright. Definitely more flood than spot but only slightly more so than the SC600. While out on a walk I ran it at 500 lumens until in cut itself down. It's only 35 degrees F here and the head hardly even got warm. Not an issue in the house either. Mine is the same tint as my SC600's. Not great, not bad. I'm more than fine with that. The switch works fine and will not get accidentally activated. This is an outstanding little light... and it is a little light.


----------



## maxrep12

Darvis said:


> Have to say the build is great, though. Never a complaint in that department... great ano and the design is much better looking in person.


As I mentioned earlier in the thread, ZebraLights are deceptively small. Photographs do not provide an accurate representation of what the torch will look like in person. Even when comparing the photo of the sc52 with the sunwayman on this page, you'll notice the incredibly fine resolution of machining used with ZL's. They are quite the little jewels in person - they are just not Rambo lights.


----------



## CreeCrazy

I'm definitely not a pro but here's a comparison of the SC52 on the right with 14500 vs the Eagletac D25A XP-G2 on left with 14500. Taken with my IPhone.


----------



## kaichu dento

Darvis said:


> I'm going to get it outside as soon as I can to see if the tint bothers me there, it's way closer to neutral-ish than I prefer in a light. I was really hoping to see pure, clean white.


If it's green it's not neutral and it sounds like neutral is what you would have liked. Unfortunately there came to be quite a bit of confusion a couple years ago with manufacturers calling 'green' neutral, and it stuck somewhat, although most of us would now call 'green' green and 'neutral' a complete lack of evident tint of any kind, as is fairly well realized with the Nichia 119.

This tint shift you see from hotspot to flood is also a reason that I'm much less a fan of wide area emitters like the P4 and XM-L. For some reason they both seem to be fairly consistent tint-wise when it comes to cooler tints, but as they warm up, the disparity in tint across the beam pattern becomes too obvious. 

Sorry to hear about your tint problems and wonder if you'll be able to get a swap in the works. Sure do wish the ZL's were more user friendly when it comes to swapping emitters.


----------



## Darvis

Creecrazy, your picture is actually what I was trying to describe in my thread, I can clearly see the same geenish corona that my light has on a 14500. I'd be interested if your tint goes all green on a AA like mine does...


----------



## Darvis

kaichu dento said:


> If it's green it's not neutral and it sounds like neutral is what you would have liked. Unfortunately there came to be quite a bit of confusion a couple years ago with manufacturers calling 'green' neutral, and it stuck somewhat, although most of us would now call 'green' green and 'neutral' a complete lack of evident tint of any kind, as is fairly well realized with the Nichia 119.
> 
> This tint shift you see from hotspot to flood is also a reason that I'm much less a fan of wide area emitters like the P4 and XM-L. For some reason they both seem to be fairly consistent tint-wise when it comes to cooler tints, but as they warm up, the disparity in tint across the beam pattern becomes too obvious.
> 
> Sorry to hear about your tint problems and wonder if you'll be able to get a swap in the works. Sure do wish the ZL's were more user friendly when it comes to swapping emitters.



I was actually hoping for more blue cool, I like them way up in the kelvin range. I have three Malkoff M91's that are great cool tints so I know the XM-L has the capability, but these emitters seem to be more neutral cast with the tint shift you describe. The 14500 definitely helps.

I'm with you on the green vs. neutral.. I can live with neutral, but not green. Ugh!!


----------



## bruc

More green with AA's than 14500?


----------



## Darvis

bruc said:


> More green with AA's than 14500?



Yeah, depending on the way the circuit is built, it' not unusual. It's the same thing that can cause an LED to shift tint as the current regulated circuit steps down the levels (HML)... Somewhat green LEDs on high will get greener as they go to medium, then low. Same thing here as you go from 3.7v to 1.4v.. the AA is just not driving the circuit and hence, the LED as hard. With that, comes the tint shift. I suspect Zebralight really designed this light around the 14500 and its potential with the ability to use AA's in pinch.

Even with the 14500 in mine, it's still solid green on medium and low.


----------



## reppans

CreeCrazy said:


> I'm definitely not a pro but here's a comparison of the SC52 on the right with 14500 vs the Eagletac D25A XP-G2 on left with 14500. Taken with my IPhone.



CreeCrazy, can you post a shot of both with an Eneloop? I know the ETs scream on a Li-ion, but on an Eneloop, I believe the SC52 should be at least double the lumens the ET (280 vs 120ish?).

Anyone have the two closest direct competitors to the SC52 - The Quark AAX and ET D25A XML? and willing to post side by sides with 14500s and Eneloops?


----------



## bruc

Darvis said:


> I suspect Zebralight really designed this light around the 14500 and its potential with the ability to use AA's in pinch.



If thats the case; if your intent is to use AA's as primaries better off staying with SC51.


----------



## Fireclaw18

bruc said:


> If thats the case; if your intent is to use AA's as primaries better off staying with SC51.



SC52 has a better grip and doesn't need tailcap lockout to be carried in the pocket. I consider it superior to the SC51 even on primaries. If you prefer neutral tints an SC51c might be superior though.


----------



## bluemax_1

Thanks to all for posting impressions, pics and opinions. Come on SC52 XP-G2!


Max


----------



## twl

Guys, this is the very common XML green. It happens a lot with production lights with XML emitters because they just run them off a reel during manufacture, and there's a range in the tint bin, and probably a fair number of flyers outside the tint range, even.

As previously stated by others, the 14500 is less green because it's running the LED hard, and the hot brightness overcomes the tendency toward the tint to some degree. But as the current is reduced to lower settings, the green tint becomes more obvious, and it gets the worst on the lowest settings.

This is not a Zebralight-only problem. This is seen in many production XML lights, and you can read similar comments on other threads about other brands of lights using XML.
There ARE better tint ranges of XML which can be very good, but most production lights are built to a price, and they buy the standard reels at the lowest price. So, that's what they get.

There WILL be a "tint lottery" with these lights too, and some of you will get decent tints, and others won't.

Regarding the comparison beamshots on the white wall between the Eagletac and the SC52, the ET leans toward purple, and has a smaller and hotter hot spot, so the ET will throw further than the SC52. The SC52 'may' actually have more total lumens, but may appear to not be as bright because of the wider flood beam it has. It has to spread its lumens out over a wider area.

As for my impressions as a non-member of the Zebralight herd, I'd say that it's a mixed bag of changes, with most good, and some not as good in terms of some people's personal impressions. I think that the improved switch looks like it will now be a reliable light that won't turn on in your pocket, and it has 14500 support, and it's a little smaller than before. Those are all good.
The accordion-shaped body is subjective. The green tint won't be on every light. Some will have decent tints.
I'd say it's a general move forward from the SC51.


----------



## shelm

twl said:


> , and they buy the standard reels at the lowest price. So, that's what they get.
> 
> There WILL be a "tint lottery" with these lights too, and some of you will get decent tints, and others won't.


great post twl!
The question now is whether importers (ZL Co., Texas) or resellers (Goinggear, CellGuy, ..) accept SC52 returns because of greenish tint. Amazon does. Friendship dealers do. That i know. But that question is kinda offtopic imho


----------



## Wiggle

twl,
Good post. It's funny too cause PWM gets such a bad reputation but I'm actually often a fan of it due to the more constant tint you get with it. Mind you there is an efficiency loss but still I find myself preferring to use PWM lights on low more than my current-regulation low lights.


----------



## CreeCrazy

Ill try to post more pics this evening on eneloop.


----------



## Overclocker

everyone's hung up on tints, no one's talking about the SC52's awesome features:

1) stepdown on 14500, supposed to to away with the rude sudden OFF on most if not all 14500 lights. does it work?

2) fuel gauge. does it work properly on BOTH 14500 and nimh?


----------



## Darvis

Agree twl, great post...

And don't anyone get me wrong, I'm a big time ZL fan and in every other way, this light exceeds the SC51... I just feel it's important to note the good and not so good for others looking to buy the light so they can make an educated choice. Bottom line; the tint lottery is in affect.

Ouside of that, I played with the light last night for quite sometime: Here's my breakdown-

The great:

The SC600 style switch: Much firmer and recessed, the chance of accidental activation is nil- no more need to lock-out the tailcap
The design: You know what? It looks really good in person, the pictures do it no justice
Ano: Flawless
Machining: Also flawless
Clip: Why fix what ain't broke? This remains my favorite clip design
Ouput: This thing screams in a 14500 and works with my AW14500's To be clear, the tint is MUCH improved with my light and a 14500 on high.
Weight: Definitely feels lighter than the SC51 and I suspect it's because of the scalloped design
The addition of the L2 levels for both medium and low: Score!
Firefly option on L2 low: dimmer than tritium, really...

The not so great:

Mine is green with either battery type on every level below high and green even on high with a AA
The firmer switch: does what it needs to for acccidental activation, but it is a little less precise and I find myself having to pay more attention to the UI right now. Going from off to low with the slightly longer press is particularly trickier
The clip: Stronger that the SC60 and 51 clip on mine, and therefore, a bit harder to slide over the outside of my pocket top. I suspect this will improve over time
The giant "Hey this a Zebralight" white engraving. I miss the older, more sterile lights in this respect

That's it...


----------



## eloreno

Overclocker said:


> 2) fuel gauge. does it work properly on BOTH 14500 and nimh?



Yes it does, one of my favorite features of the new UI.


----------



## jbrett14

Darvis said:


> I just feel it's important to note the good and not so good for others looking to buy the light so they can make an educated choice.



And for that, I think I can speak for many by saying, we are thankful.

Thus far, from what I have read, and as much as I dislike the switch issue with my SC51, I am not convinced that I need to replace it with this new model. Perhaps with more positive feedback I will be.

Thanks to all for taking the time to share your thoughts. And pictures are GREAT!


----------



## Wiggle

Yes I too am looking forward to mine alot. My AA-based EDC is a Quark R5 AA-T with deep clip but I see this as having several key advantages:

Smaller

More output/better efficiency - The AA performance in particular is great compared to the Quark. Realistically I'll prob use the 170 lumen mode for my high. 500 lumen burst on 14500 is very tempting though.

Better low battery behavior on 14500 - This is a big one, 14500 is my choice for an EDC year round (even in winter cause I keep it in my front jeans pocket so it stays warm) and being able to step down rather than going lights out is a big plus.

Couple things I'm seeing as potential disadvantages but will see:
Side switch looks interesting but I think I prefer a rear forward clicky on a small light like this.

Still not sure about turning the light on and off quickly. It seems like if you turn it on high and click again you get a mode change.

Not instant access to medium. My most common used mode is about 20 lumens and there doesn't seem to be a way to get that setting instantly on this light.


----------



## Lighteous

henry1960 said:


> Just received mine in the mail and the tint is better then my SC600 and very bright on the 14500...



Mine arrived yesterday too. I agree that it is very bright with a 14500. The tint is cool white with no green, just like my SC600. The switch is the same as the SC600 and I cannot imagine it activating accidentally in my pocket. I admit that I don't like the feel of it as well as I do the SC51. Maybe it will grow on me. I do like how bright it is and how it's floody beam completely illuminates a dark room.


----------



## Wiggle

Does any greenness show up at the lower drive levels? I know my XM-L PA40 looks pure white at high output but shows a little green down in the lower modes (though not enough to bother me).


----------



## stp

Darvis said:


> Agree twl, great post...
> The firmer switch: does what it needs to for acccidental activation, but it is a little less precise and I find myself having to pay more attention to the UI right now. Going from off to low with the slightly longer press is particularly trickier



Maybe try thinking about it like it's not longer click but instead it's press and hold until you see the light than release.



Wiggle said:


> Still not sure about turning the light on and off quickly. It seems like if you turn it on high and click again you get a mode change.
> 
> Not instant access to medium. My most common used mode is about 20 lumens and there doesn't seem to be a way to get that setting instantly on this light.



Yes, second click in fast succession will switch the light to medium mode. You can't use ZL as signalling light (well you can by covering the led ;-) or turn the light off in less then one second or so.


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

I just realized after adjusting the level that you can PROGRAM L2 moonlight to three different settings (.34 .06 .01lumens). It just keeps getting better.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

Wiggle said:


> Not instant access to medium. My most common used mode is about 20 lumens and there doesn't seem to be a way to get that setting instantly on this light.



You may already know this, but there are two ways to get to medium:

If you double click the light from off = medium......this results in a momentary pre-flash since the light quickly goes from high to medium. 
Or, hold the button down & it will cycle from low to medium (let go of the button when it gets to med.) This method results in no pre-flash.


----------



## eloreno

Tint is good on mine using both 14500 and eneloops. 

The second setting of high medium and low, all have secondary settings. I believe there are a total of 11 levels all told just like the H502 series. 

I am looking forward to the day the SC600 gets these additional settings, including the fuel gauge. 

I've purchased quite a few lights lately including the SWM V11r in neutral and an RRT01, and I do believe I prefer the SC52 over these. While the Magnetic ring control is nice, I like having an idea of battery life at any given setting and the magnetic control ring does not allow this. The SC52 goes lower than the V11r, and almost as low as the RRT01. The SC52 is about the same size as the RRT01 but packs a lot more power in the 14500 cell than even an 18350 and the beam on the SC52 is perfect, vs the ringy beam on the RRT01. 

couple more pics with ZL SC52 and JB RRT01, can't have too many!


----------



## NiteShift

bruc said:


> How is the throw?



This is my chief interest, if it's mostly all flood then I have not much use for this. Can anyone comment about throw? ideally in comparison to SC51/W, ideally


----------



## Darvis

Niteshift,

It out throws my SC51 simply because of the sheer output, especially in a 14500 for the 500lm burst, but it is "not" a thrower in the least. 

If you're looking to out-do the SC51, definitely, but it will not go up against, say, a surefire L1...


----------



## jbrett14

For all you owners of this new light, would you mind sharing whether this is a light that you would buy again, knowing what you now know. I think that testament would be very helpful to those of us on the fence.


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

jbrett14 said:


> For all you owners of this new light, would you mind sharing whether this is a light that you would buy again, knowing what you now know. I think that testament would be very helpful to those of us on the fence.



I ordered another one 4 hrs after I received my first one. Lovin this light.


----------



## jbrett14

TMCGLASSON36 said:


> I ordered another one 4 hrs after I received my first one. Lovin this light.



WOW! Now that is a testament. I guess your assuming that it will also stand the test of time eh? Thanks for sharing. I am now one step closer to buying.


----------



## eloreno

I would buy the light again if I were to do it over again. I will be buying an SC52w as soon as it's available. I also look forward to other emitter options, like XPG2, high cri etc.


----------



## maxrep12

jbrett14 said:


> For all you owners of this new light, would you mind sharing whether this is a light that you would buy again, knowing what you now know. I think that testament would be very helpful to those of us on the fence.


I will be receiving my first one later today and will post my impressions. A second unit is already on order from "Cell Guy", whom I believe is close to selling out his first batch. He has already placed another order from ZebraLight, and mentioned demand was quite high. I think most stores will be getting there sc52 orders in today or Saturday. My guess is that in the next ten days, online vendors will start selling out. Perhaps some will have learned from the sc600's popularity by placing more substantial orders from the get go. Who knows.


----------



## NiteShift

Darvis said:


> Niteshift,
> 
> It out throws my SC51 simply because of the sheer output, especially in a 14500 for the 500lm burst, but it is "not" a thrower in the least.
> 
> _If you're looking to out-do the SC51, definitely,_ but it will not go up against, say, a surefire L1...



Thanks that's exactly what I wanted to know.


----------



## crazyk4952

maxrep12 said:


> I will be receiving my first one later today and will post my impressions. A second unit is already on order from "Cell Guy", whom I believe is close to selling out his first batch. He has already placed another order from ZebraLight, and mentioned demand was quite high. I think most stores will be getting there sc52 orders in today or Saturday. My guess is that in the next ten days, online vendors will start selling out. Perhaps some will have learned from the sc600's popularity by placing more substantial orders from the get go. Who knows.



Looks like the orders to dealers (including cellguy) won't be shipped from Zebralight until 12/10 
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...UNTIL-11-30!&p=4694835&viewfull=1#post4694835


----------



## Darvis

jbrett14 said:


> For all you owners of this new light, would you mind sharing whether this is a light that you would buy again, knowing what you now know. I think that testament would be very helpful to those of us on the fence.



EDIT: Definitely. Tint aside for me, the light is simply outstanding in all other aspects. I just ordered another to see if I can get a better tint and would relegate my first to car duty, or gift one or both to my non-flashaholic relatives who don't scrutinize tint. 

If they ever offer an XP-G 2 version, I'd probably buy about 10 of them...


----------



## Lighteous

jbrett14 said:


> For all you owners of this new light, would you mind sharing whether this is a light that you would buy again, knowing what you now know. I think that testament would be very helpful to those of us on the fence.



That is a very good question. My buying it in the first place lacks rationalilty. I have plenty of lights and no real need for the SC52 or any other new one. I like the SC52 a lot but I'm pretty sure it is going to be underutilized because I like other lights more. My current favorite light is my JetBeam RRT-01 and I would never swap the SC52 for it.


----------



## CreeCrazy

I'd definitely but another if I already didn't have one. I will buy another if they release it with XP-G2. Tint is not a big deal to me.


----------



## jbrett14

Lighteous said:


> My current favorite light is my JetBeam RRT-01 and I would never swap the SC52 for it.



Why not?


----------



## CreeCrazy

Heres a pic with the SC52 on the right and the Jetbeam PA10 on the left. Both running off of eneloop.


----------



## CreeCrazy

One more with the Jetbeam RRT01 on the left with a 16340 and SC52 on the right with a 14500. The pics aren't the best but at least you get an idea. They were taken with my phone while trying to hold both lights and the phone at the same time.


----------



## raphaello

CreeCrazy said:


> One more with the Jetbeam RRT01 on the left with a 16340 and SC52 on the right with a 14500. The pics aren't the best but at least you get an idea. They were taken with my phone while trying to hold both lights and the phone at the same time.



Why in the world does the RRT01 (500 lumens) appear so much brighter than the SC52 (500 lumens)


----------



## RedForest UK

The RRT-01's smooth reflector will allow a more intense hotspot, at the cost of a ringy beam.


----------



## maxrep12

My sc52 just arrived. As I have said, these are most definitely smaller in person!

With a standard AA alkaline at 280 lm, beam profile is very smooth. The tint at 280lm is near perfect with only the slightest hint of green at the corona, and less so than the sc600. Soon I will give it a go with a 3.7 AA at 500lm.

The machining resolution and the anodizing finish are absolutely top quality.

Having several low modes is very helpful. The .01 lumen moonlight mode is a priority for me as a night time locator.


----------



## CreeCrazy

In person I'd say the RRT-01 has a very slight advantage as far as brightness, but the SC52 has a better transition from hotspot to spill.


----------



## Fireclaw18

CreeCrazy said:


> In person I'd say the RRT-01 has a very slight advantage as far as brightness, but the SC52 has a better transition from hotspot to spill.



RRT-01 does around 550 lumens on IMR 18350 and throws further with its smooth reflector. SC52's orange peal reflector and lower wattage mean better beam pattern, but not as bright.

Eye10 on IMR 18350 puts out around 660 lumens and looks noticeably brighter than the SC52. However, the SC52 is smaller. Its battery will last longer. And with automatic step-down its less likely to overheat.


----------



## RedForest UK

Can anyone comment on whether the SC52 'forgets' previous double clicks after a certain time with regards to entering the programming modes?


----------



## reppans

CreeCrazy said:


> Heres a pic with the SC52 on the right and the Jetbeam PA10 on the left. Both running off of eneloop.



Thanks CreeCrazy - so that's supposed to be 140 vs 280, and both are XMLs, right? They look pretty even from the pix, what do your eyes say? (I don't think photos do justice with the spill part of the beams.)


----------



## kaichu dento

eloreno said:


> I would buy the light again if I were to do it over again. I will be buying an SC52w as soon as it's available. I also look forward to other emitter options, like XPG2, high cri etc.


My only dissatisfaction with the SC51w was the switch being too easily activated and difficulties with emitter swapping. If the SC52w comes out, especially with an XP-G, I'm definitely interested.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

CreeCrazy said:


> Heres a pic with the SC52 on the right and the Jetbeam PA10 on the left. Both running off of eneloop.




Thats not bad^^. I have a Jetbeam PA-10, and it does have a very slightly yellow-green tint to it, so if the SC52 that I ordered has a similar tint to my PA10, I wont consider that a problem. I only notice it slightly, and only on pure white walls. If I'm actually using it for a practical purpose aside from specifically comparing tints, I dont even notice it. 

Whats odd though, is that I also ordered and received the Jetbeam PC10 at the same time I got the PA10, and its in the same family, but runs on a CR123 instead of AA, but its tint is very different from the PA10. It a cooler tint. Its just slightly on the blue side of neutral, but not too much so as to be annoying. 

So if my SC52 comes with the PA10's tint, it'll be acceptable for sure.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

For those of you who already received your SC52 or at least already got a shipment confirmation, when did you order yours?

I ordered mine on October 28th, and I just looked up the receipt of purchase to confirm that. But I have neither received the light, nor have I received a shipment notice as of yet....:ironic:


----------



## Self-Ballasted Scamp

HighlanderNorth said:


> For those of you who already received your SC52 or at least already got a shipment confirmation, when did you order yours?
> 
> I ordered mine on October 28th, and I just looked up the receipt of purchase to confirm that. But I have neither received the light, nor have I received a shipment notice as of yet....:ironic:


Ordered Nov. 19, no email yet, would be nice to hear something but I'd imagine I'm towards the end of the line.


----------



## Gemlab

Ordered Nov. 11 Still no email


----------



## eloreno

RedForest UK said:


> Can anyone comment on whether the SC52 'forgets' previous double clicks after a certain time with regards to entering the programming modes?



I can confirm that it does, just like the H502.


----------



## richnpc

HighlanderNorth said:


> For those of you who already received your SC52 or at least already got a shipment confirmation, when did you order yours?
> 
> I ordered mine on October 28th, and I just looked up the receipt of purchase to confirm that. But I have neither received the light, nor have I received a shipment notice as of yet....:ironic:



Ordered Nov 12, no email yet.


----------



## Vman63

Ordered direct from ZL Nov. 16. No notice yet NE US.


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

I ordered direct Oct 25 received mine yesterday.


----------



## Lighteous

jbrett14 said:


> Why not?



I really favor having the ability to adjust the output level using the magnetic "infinitely variable" ring. I use my light multiple purposes, including getting up in the middle of the night when my bedroom is pitch dark. The foolproof ability to initiate illumination at a very low "firefly" level is key. It can be done with my SC51, SC52 and my SC600, but you can also make the mistake of turning it on high. That makes no one happy. In fact, quite the opposite. For me the dimmer switch like function of the RRT-01 keeps it on the top of my list of favorites. The SC52 is a very nice light, but it just doesn't measure up to the RRT-01 in my view. However, because I'm an irrational flashaholic, I'm keeping my SC52, just like many others in my collection.


----------



## bodhran

Nov. 2 and no shipping notice. Contacted Zebralight and they said 1-2 weeks.


----------



## jbrett14

Lighteous said:


> I really favor having the ability to adjust the output level using the magnetic "infinitely variable" ring. I use my light multiple purposes, including getting up in the middle of the night when my bedroom is pitch dark. The foolproof ability to initiate illumination at a very low "firefly" level is key. It can be done with my SC51, SC52 and my SC600, but you can also make the mistake of turning it on high. That makes no one happy. In fact, quite the opposite. For me the dimmer switch like function of the RRT-01 keeps it on the top of my list of favorites. The SC52 is a very nice light, but it just doesn't measure up to the RRT-01 in my view. However, because I'm an irrational flashaholic, I'm keeping my SC52, just like many others in my collection.



Sounds nice. Can the RRT-01 be controlled with one hand or do you need two?


----------



## Lighteous

jbrett14 said:


> Sounds nice. Can the RRT-01 be controlled with one hand or do you need two?




The RRT-01 can easily be controlled with one hand.


----------



## AVService

Lighteous said:


> The RRT-01 can easily be controlled with one hand.



I feel the same way....almost.
My RRT-01 keeps coming on in my pocket.
So I need to find a way to carry it that eliminates this or I find it has to stay on my nightstand,not what I want.

I can't wait to get my 52 although it looks like I will have to.

Ed


----------



## Darvis

Lighteous said:


> I really favor having the ability to adjust the output level using the magnetic "infinitely variable" ring. I use my light multiple purposes, including getting up in the middle of the night when my bedroom is pitch dark. The foolproof ability to initiate illumination at a very low "firefly" level is key. It can be done with my SC51, SC52 and my SC600, but you can also make the mistake of turning it on high. That makes no one happy. In fact, quite the opposite. For me the dimmer switch like function of the RRT-01 keeps it on the top of my list of favorites. The SC52 is a very nice light, but it just doesn't measure up to the RRT-01 in my view. However, because I'm an irrational flashaholic, I'm keeping my SC52, just like many others in my collection.



One thing I've been doing with the Low and medium L2 firefly mode is just leaving it on all night, with an ~3 month runtime it has no impact on the battery if you're recharging once a week at least.... that way it's on, it's a locator and there's no risk of blinding yourself.

I think this is one of my favorite features of this light; it's like built in tritium.


----------



## jbrett14

AVService said:


> My RRT-01 keeps coming on in my pocket. Ed



I was JUST going to ask about this. Thanks for sharing. From the video reviews I just watched, it looks like it would be a problem in the pocket. Other than that, it was tempting. I need a light that will NOT come on in the pocket.


----------



## CreeCrazy

Lighteous said:


> I really favor having the ability to adjust the output level using the magnetic "infinitely variable" ring. I use my light multiple purposes, including getting up in the middle of the night when my bedroom is pitch dark. The foolproof ability to initiate illumination at a very low "firefly" level is key. It can be done with my SC51, SC52 and my SC600, but you can also make the mistake of turning it on high. That makes no one happy. In fact, quite the opposite. For me the dimmer switch like function of the RRT-01 keeps it on the top of my list of favorites. The SC52 is a very nice light, but it just doesn't measure up to the RRT-01 in my view. However, because I'm an irrational flashaholic, I'm keeping my SC52, just like many others in my collection.



+1


----------



## Badbeams3

Looking at the specs on this light I see this:* Low battery alert when the light is switched Off with AA batteries (LED flashes every 80 seconds if the battery voltage is below 1.06V)*

Anyone comment as to a warning on an 14500?


----------



## shelm

Badbeams3 said:


> Anyone comment as to a warning on an 14500?





> *Builtin over-discharging protection for 14500 batteries (2.8V cutoff)*



:shrug:


----------



## Badbeams3

shelm said:


> :shrug:



So no warning...just...that`s it. Expecting to use the light and...maybe a couple minutes at...say on the 50 lumen setting...and poof. Darkness. Camping deep in the middle of the Amazon Rain forest...peeking out of your tent to find your...surrounded by sex craved Amazonian women...maybe a few tigers and such...and you must scramble for another light...oh my.


----------



## RedForest UK

If that is the case you should at least be able to quickly unscrew and retighten the tailcap before switching on at a lower level. The voltage of the 14500 should have bounced back a little by then.


----------



## low

Badbeams3 said:


> So no warning...just...that`s it. Expecting to use the light and...maybe a couple minutes at...say on the 50 lumen setting...and poof. Darkness.




I does not quite go "poof". It has a stepdown mode, as steps to next level by itself.


----------



## Badbeams3

low said:


> I does not quite go "poof". It has a stepdown mode, as steps to next level by itself.



Lol...I was wondering how long it would take someone to catch that. Still, I wish they had designed it to warn on both types of batts. Can`t wait to get my hands on one...Santa`s going to get me it...on my wallet of course...


----------



## lmorrison17

bodhran said:


> Nov. 2 and no shipping notice. Contacted Zebralight and they said 1-2 weeks.



:mecry: :mecry: :mecry: :mecry:


----------



## passive101

lmorrison17 said:


> :mecry: :mecry: :mecry: :mecry:



I ordered Oct 30th from ZL and I don't have a notification yet. Maybe next week


----------



## Pretbek

passive101 said:


> I ordered Oct 30th from ZL and I don't have a notification yet. Maybe next week



I ordered November 18th, so I'm good to go until February.


----------



## shelm

i canceled my order and am

buying now the Eagletac D25A *2013 *Titanium Edition instead. 

Now regulated on 14500's (no more direct drive!) and has XP-G2 emitter. Everything in a beautiful Titanium 1xAA package!


ZL, see you in anotha life brotha! :wave:


----------



## cyclesport

shelm said:


> i canceled my order and am
> 
> buying now the Eagletac D25A *2013 *Titanium Edition instead.
> 
> Now regulated on 14500's (no more direct drive!) and has XP-G2 emitter. Everything in a beautiful Titanium 1xAA package!
> 
> 
> ZL, see you in anotha life brotha! :wave:



The 2013 D25A Ti still goes into direct drive w/3.7v Li-ions, but the driver has been upgraded to access all output modes now. *Look under the Battery Safety Precaution section on ET's site.


----------



## CreeCrazy

I love my Eagletac D25A. I don't have the Ti version but it does look nice. You won't be disappointed.


----------



## Planz

Darvis said:


> I can confirm that there is no way in Hell this light is coming on accidentally, the switch is deeply recessed and very firm, much like the SC600.
> 
> But... I lost the tint lottery big time; on an eneloop, mine has a warm yellow cast hotspot



Yes, the switch is very firm, in fact too firm for me. I was hoping it would be the same as H502 switch since they already made a deeper recess for the SC52. Sigh.... the H502 switch tactile feels just perfect for me.
Is the warm yellow cast due to the orange peel reflector? The H502CW uses the same XML LED as SC52 correct? The H502CW is too cold for my liking but I find the SC52 to be ok due to the warm yellow cast.


----------



## LEDburn

Planz said:


> Yes, the switch is very firm, in fact too firm for me. I was hoping it would be the same as H502 switch since they already made a deeper recess for the SC52. Sigh.... the H502 switch tactile feels just perfect for me.
> Is the warm yellow cast due to the orange peel reflector? The H502CW uses the same XML LED as SC52 correct? The H502CW is too cold for my liking but I find the SC52 to be ok due to the warm yellow cast.



I have an sc80w and sc600w and the sc80 has been accidentally turned on a few times in my pocket. 
I personally find the switches on both to be about the same in terms of resistance to turning on. I guess the sc600 has a better design to combat accidental turn-ons??

Either way, I wouldn't want the h502 switch on a flashlight! Way too easy to turn on if you ask me!!
I also have a h600 and wish the switch on that was more like the h502 as it can be annoying at times, especially when trying to enter programming mode


----------



## Planz

LEDburn said:


> I have an sc80w and sc600w and the sc80 has been accidentally turned on a few times in my pocket.
> I personally find the switches on both to be about the same in terms of resistance to turning on. I guess the sc600 has a better design to combat accidental turn-ons??
> 
> Either way, I wouldn't want the h502 switch on a flashlight! Way too easy to turn on if you ask me!!
> I also have a h600 and wish the switch on that was more like the h502 as it can be annoying at times, especially when trying to enter programming mode



Right, that's why it's difficult for designers to make everybody happy. I really like the h502 switch and since there is a deeper recess for the button, I'm more than willing to have the h502 switch on the sc52. With the current sc52 swtich, I find going into programming mode and trying to turn on at lowest setting now becomes less tactile. Not that it cannot be done but it does not feel 'right' as compared with the h502. Perhaps zebra can have another go with a inbetween h502 and sc52 switch for the sc52 but whatever it is, I hope they don't meddle with the h502 switch and use it on the h52 (if there is such a thing coming soon)


----------



## Swede74

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=z6n71IDqZC4

Zebralight SC52 video, uploaded by Youtube user 'nuts4knives'.

Credits for finding the video to 'gumao' on Fonarevka


----------



## shelm

Swede74 said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=z6n71IDqZC4
> 
> Zebralight SC52 video, uploaded by Youtube user 'nuts4knives'.
> 
> Credits for finding the video to 'gumao' on Fonarevka



Thanks mate! I am grabbing the youtube video in HD-quality 1080p HD now with software *TubeDigger*. 
509.81MB video size, woahhh!!

I am thinking:thinking: that the LED isnt very well centered, what do you think? (_taken from the above video!!_)






CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE, THANKS!


----------



## eloreno

shelm said:


> Thanks mate! I am grabbing the youtube video in HD-quality 1080p HD now with software *TubeDigger*.
> 509.81MB video size, woahhh!!
> 
> I am thinking:thinking: that the LED isnt very well centered, what do you think? (_taken from the above video!!_)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE, THANKS!




You are correct shelm, this is my video, and as I stated earlier in this thread, the LED is off center. I can see no problems whatsoever with the beam however and I've decided to keep it rather than sending it back.


----------



## shelm

eloreno said:


> this is my video


you got huge hands dude!!

oo:


----------



## eloreno

shelm said:


> you got huge hands dude!!
> 
> oo:



Nah, it's just a tiny flashlight!


----------



## kaichu dento

shelm said:


> I am thinking:thinking: that the LED isnt very well centered, what do you think?





eloreno said:


> You are correct shelm, this is my video, and as I stated earlier in this thread, the LED is off center. I can see no problems whatsoever with the beam however and I've decided to keep it rather than sending it back.


Definitely appears to be off center, but if the beam pattern is without compromise, then it's perfect and nothing to be concerned with.


----------



## shelm

kaichu dento said:


> Definitely appears to be off center, but if the beam pattern is without compromise, then it's perfect and nothing to be concerned with.



I agree. 

On the other hand why doesnt ZL buy commercial so-called "*CREE XM-L insulation gaskets (10 PCS)*":












Or even better, the commercial so-called "*CREE XM-L LED reflector positioning gasket (10 pcs)*":














If the outer diameter of these XM-L gaskets is bigger than the outer diameter of the LED board *AND* if the outer diameter of these gaskets is an *exact fit* in the surrounding aluminum "pill", then the gasket will automatically fix the LED board in such a way that the LED is 100% centered, no matter whether the emitter was centered on the LED board *itself* or not.

Nowadays most premium brand and budget brand companies use such plastic gaskets to solve the LED centering problem once and for all, and it's no biggie to do so. The gaskets are cheap and easy to get, ZL could commission them from the gasket manufacturer as does Int'l Outdoor Store.

The point is:

I am sure that the SC52 electronics circuit is just fine, the driver efficient, the flashlight bright with very good stabilization, and with no surprises here. The number of pre-ordering buyers shows that there is enough trust in ZL's work. A detailed technical review, e.g. by selfbuilt, which gives us some lumens numbers from a lightbox and a couple of brightness-vs-runtime graphs will be helpful to confirm the trust: that ZL's work on the driver is as expected, namely good. Very good on the paper.

So i am not concerned about the driver and its electronics.

But if the light in actual usage doesnt look bright on Eneloop because of the waste of lumens by the floodiness *AND *the tint is noticeably greenish in hotspot or corona or spill *AND *the emitter looks apparently off-center, then a positive review on the paper is of little use.

To me, what really counts when buying a new flashlight is: the business end. First of all, is the LED centered? Secondly, of equal importance, is the tint worse than the tints which i already have in my cherished collection of flashlights? If the tint is worse, then the beam is worse imo. And then i am asking myself, why would i accept the purchase of a brand-new expensive flashlight if its beam is worse than my other flashlights' beams?

No no no. A new bought flashlight *must *be better and superior (in business end!!) than what i already own! That's how i decide to keep a new unit or return it to the dealer for a full refund.

Having said that, i think we all should wait for the XP-G2 release of the SC52, agreed?


----------



## stp

shelm said:


> Having said that, i think we all should wait for the XP-G2 release of the SC52, agreed?



It depends what one really wants. For somebody the XML in SC52 could be the sweet spot between dedicated flood like H502 and "throw" from XP-G2. 
I'm thinking that you are over-analyzing this light. It's not very expensive, most users who already got it in this thread are happy. It also depends if somebody is looking for another light to add to their collection or just looking for good edc to use.

Is it perfect? Nope. But if it doesn't impact real life usage I wouldn't personally worry about it. Btw. the led in the picture is off by part of mm. The first thing in your post is used to insulate leds, the second to position the reflector around the led, not the led on board or inside flash light and yes it makes difference.

Did I bought it? Nope because I'm waiting for this light in headlamp form with neutral XPG2 to replace my H51w. It's because I prefer to diffuse light on my own and still to have option for little bit more throw if needed. But I understand very well people who bought it because I'm tempted too :laughing: (just too frugal to buy something that in my situation wouldn't be used as edc) 

So if you decided to not buy it, it's ok. I don't really care. But why are you looking for validation from others who bought it?


----------



## shelm

stp said:


> So if you decided to not buy it, it's ok. I don't really care. But why are you looking for validation from others who bought it?



i voted for "i am going to buy". so i am looking forward to reviews, the release of XP-G2 edition, and actual availability from dealers!!


----------



## stp

shelm said:


> i voted for "i am going to buy". so i am looking forward to reviews, the release of XP-G2 edition, and actual availability from dealers!!








Also generally (not in just that post) what and how you say about ZL stuck to me enough that I remembered your nick. It could look like you have love/hate relations with ZL products but to me it looks like you are positioning negative phrases about ZL in google (and I can only guess why...)


----------



## shelm

stp said:


> stuck to me enough that I remembered your nick. It could look like you have



you're wrong, you're getting personal, and you're getting offtopic. this thread is about the SC52 product quality and not about me.



stp said:


> Did I bought it? Nope because I'm waiting for this light in headlamp form with neutral XPG2 to replace my H51w.



you're here in the SC52 thread with no intentions to buy and then you dont stop criticizing me for pointing out the poor tint and LED centricity of samples? i guess you're in the wrong thread! i will stop feeding you from now on. What i mean by "feeding you"? Have a look at my signature. thanks for your comprehension.


----------



## shelm

TweakMDS said:


> The later post concerns a still unannounced (but obvious and rumored) future model of the SC52 - namely, one with an XP-G2 emitter.



Thanks TweakMDS!!
Oh i found this quote..
Sorry my bad, they were talking about the SC62, not the SC52:



ZebraLight said:


> regulator said:
> 
> 
> 
> I hope it is the same style as the sc80 but uses an 18650. Oh, and yes - use the XPG2.
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, the xpg2 and rebels.
Click to expand...


----------



## TweakMDS

stp said:


> Also generally (not in just that post) what and how you say about ZL stuck to me enough that I remembered your nick. It could look like you have love/hate relations with ZL products but to me it looks like you are positioning negative phrases about ZL in google (and I can only guess why...)



What exactly are you trying to prove with this post? It seems a little too verbose and nearing a personal attack to quote with a screenshot - as if the content of a quoted post is not to be trusted or will be changed on your calling out. 
As I read it, shelm stated a few of the disadvantages that this light (the SC52) has, such as tint lottery and decentered emitters. These are very real disadvantages that plague many flashlight manufacturers that don't hand-pick their emitters from a larger supply pool and are not careful enough in quality control.

The later post concerns a still unannounced (but obvious and rumored) future model of the SC52 - namely, one with an XP-G2 emitter. Apart from that, ZebraLight IS known continuously making minor changing to their models, so in my opinion it's a very reasonable idea to cancel a pre-order that was made in initial excitement, and to wait out a second or third iteration of a light.


----------



## Badbeams3

The emitter in my SC600 is centered perfectly. I would have expected ZL to have them correct in the SC52 as well...surprised they are not. Also a bit surprised at the tint lottery. I would have expected that from a budget light manufacture...but not ZL. Anyway...the shipments to dealers appear to be stalled...perhaps for these very reasons. Also, not sure why they would use a U2 emitter with the U3 out on the market now...maybe trying to use up existing supplies? It looks to me like they are using the U3 in the 2013 release next month of the SC600 rated at 900 lumen so...would expect the SC52 to quickly change to the U3 as well...


----------



## stp

TweakMDS said:


> What exactly are you trying to prove with this post? It seems a little too verbose and nearing a personal attack to quote with a screenshot - as if the content of a quoted post is not to be trusted or will be changed on your calling out.



I don't try to prove anything. It was just a response to his post that I quoted too over the image. I used screenshot because google bots don't read images yet and I didn't see a reason to link a competition in ZL thread yet again. 



TweakMDS said:


> As I read it, shelm stated a few of the disadvantages that this light (the SC52) has, such as tint lottery and decentered emitters. These are very real disadvantages that plague many flashlight manufacturers that don't hand-pick their emitters from a larger supply pool and are not careful enough in quality control.
> 
> The later post concerns a still unannounced (but obvious and rumored) future model of the SC52 - namely, one with an XP-G2 emitter. Apart from that, ZebraLight IS known continuously making minor changing to their models, so in my opinion it's a very reasonable idea to cancel a pre-order that was made in initial excitement, and to wait out a second or third iteration of a light.



Right. But he didn't have SC52 in hands. The guy that did told us already that the led is little off but it's not a problem for him. The tint was in the past important to ZL. I remember some post about limited availability of SC600w because they couldn't source XM-Ls good enough. They are also offering the same light with multiple leds and tints so in the past they cared about tints. Are they currently still that strict? I don't know because again I didn't review their light with my hands and eyes and it's to soon to do it based on the few opinions/pictures posted here but I'm not telling you that this light is great and you should buy it so it's not a problem I think?

Sure, personally I never preorder anything. But I'm not posting about it explaining people that they should wait for reviews or for next rumored revision or linking to competition because I don't have any reason to do that.

Also my comment wasn't just about this thread. I hope that all is clear enough because I'm not going into it deeper. If somebody wants to discuss it any further I suggest PMs.


----------



## maxrep12

It is probably an appropriate time for me to mention that my sc52 has exceeded my expectations in build quality, output, very smooth and ring free beam pattern, and really quite free of green tint.


----------



## shelm

Our Russian friends posted a wall beamshot comparison between
[email protected] vs [email protected], and [email protected] vs [email protected], i guess all on Turbo modes:









If one overanalyzes the full sized pictures, then one could tell that the SC52 has a very *greenish *hotspot area, a *bright white *corona, and a *greenish *spill. A colorful doughnut if you will. 

I own XP-G R5 and XM-L U2 lights with similar coloration across the beam pattern and i dont like it very much because i also have lights, for example the Klarus P1A, with a uni-color beam doughnut hole: white center area, bright white circular ring around the hotspot center area and white corona, plus the purplish, or greenish depending on the lottery, tinted XP-G R5 spill. Doughnuts with a greenish (instead of white) hole.. 

Am definitely gonna add this post of mine to the index! :rock:


----------



## Badbeams3

Yea, not a nice white for sure. Again, makes me think they are trying to use up existing stocks. Maybe some that were put aside on account of tint...I expect a new run of Sc52's...U3...and perhaps a bit higher price.


----------



## DavidMB

Does anyone know if Selfbuilt is going to do a review of this light?


----------



## funkychateau

Either the Russians forgot to lock the camera exposure settings, or the SC51/AA faded considerably between the first and second pictures. I'm guessing the former, particularly since the AA and 14500 SC52 brightnesses appear too close to one another. 

So if they left the camera on Auto Exposure, they probably left it on Auto White Balance as well.



shelm said:


> Our Russian friends posted a wall beamshot comparison between
> [email protected] vs [email protected], and [email protected] vs [email protected], i guess all on Turbo modes:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If one overanalyzes the full sized pictures, then one could tell that the SC52 has a very *greenish *hotspot area, a *bright white *corona, and a *greenish *spill. A colorful doughnut if you will.
> 
> I own XP-G R5 and XM-L U2 lights with similar coloration across the beam pattern and i dont like it very much because i also have lights, for example the Klarus P1A, with a uni-color beam doughnut hole: white center area, bright white circular ring around the hotspot center area and white corona, plus the purplish, or greenish depending on the lottery, tinted XP-G R5 spill. Doughnuts with a greenish (instead of white) hole..
> 
> Am definitely gonna add this post of mine to the index! :rock:


----------



## Fireclaw18

funkychateau said:


> Either the Russians forgot to lock the camera exposure settings, or the SC51/AA faded considerably between the first and second pictures. I'm guessing the former, particularly since the AA and 14500 SC52 brightnesses appear too close to one another.
> 
> So if they left the camera on Auto Exposure, they probably left it on Auto White Balance as well.



Agreed.

My SC52's tint looks almost pure white without any significant noticeable greenish tint. Tint looks similar to that on my SC80 and much whiter than that on my SC51.


----------



## nanucq

Fireclaw18 said:


> ...Tint looks similar to that on my SC80....



That's a very good news, I especially love my SC80 CW tint. If SC52 looks similar, i probably found what will be my gift for Xmas


----------



## henry1960

Fireclaw18 said:


> Agreed.
> 
> My SC52's tint looks almost pure white without any significant noticeable greenish tint. Tint looks similar to that on my SC80 and much whiter than that on my SC51.



Same with mine fireclaw18...I have no green with mine even with a eneloop AA...I guess i got lucky on the lottery tint because mine is pure white on all modes and different batteries...


----------



## HighlanderNorth

Well, its now December 4th, and although I pre-ordered mine on October 28th, I still have not heard even a whisper of a shipment date. I did see a previous poster saying that he was informed by Zebralight that his would either be shipped on or be received within 1-2 weeks, but they havent even responded to my email. 

Isnt it fun to keep posting day after day, week after week while speculating on what the beam tint may or may not look like?

Hey Shelm, how quickly did you get your refund after cancelling the order?(not that I am planning on doing that just yet)


----------



## bruc

Could the strike at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach be delaying these shipments.


----------



## Badbeams3

bruc said:


> Could the strike at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach be delaying these shipments.



Don`t know...the Olight S20 has not arrived at dealers either...


----------



## AVService

I noticed on their website its status has changed from Pre-Order to Back-Ordered.
This just gets me more frustrated!


----------



## Planz

I accidentally left the SC52 on in medium mode for about 2 hours and noticed that the light was flickering rapidly when I returned.
I turned the light off and noticed the low battery alert came on.
Is this flickering expected when the battery is low?
Zebra's website stated all current levels are regulated.
What does it mean, no flickering regardless of battery condition?
The battery was an old eneloop.
Thanks.


----------



## shelm

HighlanderNorth said:


> Hey Shelm, how quickly did you get your refund after cancelling the order?



As cambridge.org and amazon my local dealer does not charge until the product is shipped out to the end consumer. So.


----------



## Self-Ballasted Scamp

bruc said:


> Could the strike at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach be delaying these shipments.


I was just thinking that myself...8+ day backlog... At least they're back to work today


----------



## Gemlab

Got an email from Zebralight, will be shipping next week.


----------



## burntoshine

Zebralight should try using the same XML T4 high CRI LED that Sunwayman used in their V11R high CRI lights.

I really, really love that tint. I would buy at least one and most likely two SC52s if they were to do so.


----------



## Flying Turtle

Planz said:


> Is this flickering expected when the battery is low?



I don't know about the SC52, but my old SC50w will do this, too. It's common with many lights.

Geoff


----------



## jbrett14

Planz said:


> I accidentally left the SC52 on in medium mode for about 2 hours and noticed that the light was flickering rapidly when I returned.
> I turned the light off and noticed the low battery alert came on.
> Is this flickering expected when the battery is low?



My ZL H501 did that the other day, on high. When I changed to the Medium mode, it stopped flickering. I assumed it was just because my battery was low. I don't know if it's normal, but when I put a new battery in, all was fine again.


----------



## moshow9

Should it be flickering though if the battery is low? I thought it was supposed to step down to the next level when the battery can no longer support it's current level.


----------



## Badbeams3

What type of batt were you running when the flickering started? 14500?


----------



## Fireclaw18

Make sure you tighten the tailcap on the SC52 tightly.

I noticed last night that my SC52 was ramping down almost immediately.... not behavior I'd seen from it before. I did the battery check and it said my almost full battery was only half full. Turns out I hadn't tightened the tailcap enough and the connection wasn't good enough. Tightening the tailcap solved the problem.


----------



## shelm

Fireclaw18 said:


> my SC52 was



Not everyone who pre-ordered the product from ZL website or authorized dealers got theirs already. You're among the few who actually got their pre-ordered copy. If you want to share some beamshots, white wall, outdoors, indoors, comparison to other tints.. erh beams  then we would be all ears ..erh eyes!!


----------



## Planz

jbrett14 said:


> My ZL H501 did that the other day, on high. When I changed to the Medium mode, it stopped flickering. I assumed it was just because my battery was low. I don't know if it's normal, but when I put a new battery in, all was fine again.





Flying Turtle said:


> I don't know about the SC52, but my old SC50w will do this, too. It's common with many lights.
> 
> Geoff



Good. I thought there was something wrong with mine.



Badbeams3 said:


> What type of batt were you running when the flickering started? 14500?



eneloop



Fireclaw18 said:


> Make sure you tighten the tailcap on the SC52 tightly.
> 
> I noticed last night that my SC52 was ramping down almost immediately.... not behavior I'd seen from it before. I did the battery check and it said my almost full battery was only half full. Turns out I hadn't tightened the tailcap enough and the connection wasn't good enough. Tightening the tailcap solved the problem.



Noted.


----------



## Lighteous

henry1960 said:


> Same with mine fireclaw18...I have no green with mine even with a eneloop AA...I guess i got lucky on the lottery tint because mine is pure white on all modes and different batteries...



Mine is pure white as well. No complaints here!


----------



## passive101

does the SC52 have any parasitic drain?


----------



## nanucq

passive101 said:


> does the SC52 have any parasitic drain?



Yes, same as others ZL SC.
http://www.zebralight.com/SC52-AA-Flashlight-Cool-White_p_100.html

*"Parasitic Drain: Negligible (equivalent to 16 years, much less than the self discharging of a battery)"*


----------



## passive101

nanucq said:


> Yes, same as others ZL SC.
> http://www.zebralight.com/SC52-AA-Flashlight-Cool-White_p_100.html
> 
> *"Parasitic Drain: Negligible (equivalent to 16 years, much less than the self discharging of a battery)"*




I completely missed that. that's not bad then


----------



## shelm

passive101 said:


> that's not bad then



the parasitic drain can be very easily measured with a digital multimeter. reviewers and testers should measure it, post the measured current (mA, uA), so that we can calculate the sample variance


----------



## passive101

shelm said:


> the parasitic drain can be very easily measured with a digital multimeter. reviewers and testers should measure it, post the measured current (mA, uA), so that we can calculate the sample variance



That would be good info for us to have. If anyone can check it, that would be much appreciated


----------



## jbrett14

moshow9 said:


> Should it be flickering though if the battery is low? I thought it was supposed to step down to the next level when the battery can no longer support it's current level.



I thought the same thing - that it was supposed to just step down to the next lower mode. I don't know. It is a little annoying but if it's "normal" I can live with it.

The thing that leads me to believe that it is NOT "normal" is that in the course of 2 years, this was the first time it happened on my H501.

To be honest, as much as I WANT to LOVE electronic switches, I am beginning to develop a slight dislike for them, in that they SEEM to be less reliable, based on the number of problems that get mentioned in these forums. I will continue to await MANY reviews of this SC52 before I give up my hard-earned money for it.


----------



## energythoughts

Finally shipping notice came today! Ordered Oct 28th.. shipping to eastern PA


----------



## bodhran

Shipping notice recieved today. Ordered Nov 2.


----------



## Ibex

Can you program the SC52 so the first time you turn it on is on low setting versus going from high to low?


----------



## LEDburn

Ibex said:


> Can you program the SC52 so the first time you turn it on is on low setting versus going from high to low?



Not so much. You can hold the button down for like a second and it will come on in the low mode whichever you have set. A quick short click is what gets you to hight mode. This interface works fine almost all the time.


----------



## Fireclaw18

Just tried a freshly charged AW IMR 14500 in my SC52. When I turned it on in high mode, light output immediately began flickering. Definitely not usable like that.

However, the Zebralight brand proteced 14500s work fine. As do protected AW 14500.


----------



## lmorrison17

bodhran said:


> Shipping notice recieved today. Ordered Nov 2.



You guys must be getting 2 that someone sent back because of the green tint.:nana:

I ordered on the 7th and I can't see the factory shipping them piecemeal like that, 1 or 2 here and there.


----------



## bodhran

Thanks Imorrison...*lol*


----------



## lmorrison17

I'm just  with envy is all and I wish I had gotten my notice. green or no, I haven't been in this long enough to be a tint snob yet.
Admittedly I don't have any neutral lights yet to compare to.
But I saw the updates coming for the sc600 and I have only had mine for a month and I want the new one already.
Like to have a D25A too will have to wait and see.


----------



## Badbeams3

Fireclaw18 said:


> Just tried a freshly charged AW IMR 14500 in my SC52. When I turned it on in high mode, light output immediately began flickering. Definitely not usable like that.
> 
> However, the Zebralight brand proteced 14500s work fine. As do protected AW 14500.



Leaves me wondering...if you charger might be defective...overcharging. If you can you might want to check the voltage on the IMR coming off the charger...might be to high. The protected ones have over voltage shut off protection built in (as well as under voltage shut off)


----------



## Fireclaw18

Badbeams3 said:


> Leaves me wondering...if you charger might be defective...overcharging. If you can you might want to check the voltage on the IMR coming off the charger...might be to high. The protected ones have over voltage shut off protection built in (as well as under voltage shut off)



Quite possible. I'm using a cheap charger. I should probably go invest in a quality charger that will treat the batteries better.

I just checked a freshly charged AW IMR 14500 from it: 4.23v


----------



## moshow9

Fireclaw18 said:


> Quite possible. I'm using a cheap charger. I should probably go invest in a quality charger that will treat the batteries better.
> 
> I just checked a freshly charged AW IMR 14500 from it: 4.23v



Maybe due to the length? The protected AW/Zebralight batteries would be a little longer in length than the IMR. It's possible the IMR is not making a solid connection.


----------



## Badbeams3

Fireclaw18 said:


> Quite possible. I'm using a cheap charger. I should probably go invest in a quality charger that will treat the batteries better.
> 
> I just checked a freshly charged AW IMR 14500 from it: 4.23v



Hmm... Looking at the Nitecore charger specs...Output voltage: *4.2V ±1%* / 1.48V ±1%
Output current: 375mA × 4 / 750mA × 2

So...4.242 max...it does not sound to me like your charger is to high. Probably some other reason you are seeing flickering on high with that battery.


----------



## LEDburn

Badbeams3 said:


> Hmm... Looking at the Nitecore charger specs...Output voltage: *4.2V ±1%* / 1.48V ±1%
> Output current: 375mA × 4 / 750mA × 2
> 
> So...4.242 max...it does not sound to me like your charger is to high. Probably some other reason you are seeing flickering on high with that battery.



Likewise, I feel the same. I also highly doubt the length is a factor as eneloops are a fair bit shorter than AW 14500 cells.

I would guess it has more to do with the battery top (ie is it flat top or have a protruding 'button') as I have had similar issues cause by poor connection. Also, if I remember correctly, the whole reason they never listed sc51 as compatible with 14500 was due to varying designs from different brands and not being able to guarantee perfect functionality.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

shelm said:


> As cambridge.org and amazon my local dealer does not charge until the product is shipped out to the end consumer. So.[/QUOTE
> 
> I wish I got that deal when I bought something early. Turns out my SC52 finally was shipped today, I finally got the shipment notice from zebra light this afternoon.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

energythoughts said:


> Finally shipping notice came today! Ordered Oct 28th.. shipping to eastern PA



I ordered mine on October 28 as well, I also live just over the De state line outside southeastern Pennsylvania, and I just got my shipment notification today too. Bet we get them the same day, which probably will be around next Tuesday or so, from Tx.


----------



## lmorrison17

HighlanderNorth said:


> I ordered mine on October 28 as well, I also live just over the De state line outside southeastern Pennsylvania, and I just got my shipment notification today too. Bet we get them the same day, which probably will be around next Tuesday or so, from Tx.



We must be close I live just outside Elkton, MD


----------



## Richsvt

I just got my shipping notice. I ordered on Oct 29. Damn that was a long wait...


----------



## henry1960

Richsvt said:


> Damn that was a long wait...



This light is well worth the wait!!


----------



## HighlanderNorth

lmorrison17 said:


> We must be close I live just outside Elkton, MD



Really? I live just outside Elkton Md just off Elkton rd. on the De side of the Md and Pa lines. I used to live in SE Pa too, in Landenberg, New London, Kemblesville area, near Louisville/Strickersville. 

So Henry1860, first of all I assume you are happy with your light. More to the OP subject, how do you like your SC52, and is it noticeably brighter on high than most single AA lights(using an AA battery)?


----------



## HighlanderNorth

^Copy copy


----------



## henry1960

HighlanderNorth said:


> how do you like your SC52, and is it noticeably brighter on high than most single AA lights(using an AA battery)?



Defintly the best and brightest AA light that i own....I have other AA lights that push out 500 lum. like for instince sunwaymann but i do have to say i have been buying zebralight flashlights from the begining and love there quality and ui but this light is exspecially the brightest on a 14500 sanyo. Energizer lithium is also a great option if you do not have recharchables 14500's...Cant wait till they come out with the XP-G2 in this same light...


----------



## Badbeams3

Any outdoor beam shot pictures for us poor suffering folks who have no hope of getting one soon? Might ease the pain.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

henry1960 said:


> Defintly the best and brightest AA light that i own....I have other AA lights that push out 500 lum. like for instince sunwaymann but i do have to say i have been buying zebralight flashlights from the begining and love there quality and ui but this light is exspecially the brightest on a 14500 sanyo. Energizer lithium is also a great option if you do not have recharchables 14500's...Cant wait till they come out with the XP-G2 in this same light...




I actually have 2 14500's made by Eagletac I believe, and I rarely use them, except for in my Spark SL5-210CW which is a single AA light, but its been in for warranty repair for about 9 weeks now, and I dont have any idea when I'll get it back. I also have a Jetbeam Pa-10 that supposedly runs at 650L on a 14500, but for a very short time, and it gets hot, and the other modes dont work with a 14500 in that light, like they do in the Spark SL5. So I only use Eneloops in the Pa-10, for about 150L or so on high. 

I will probably use Eneloops in the SC52 most if not all of the time. Its supposed to run at 280L on high with AA, and thats all I'll need(actually its more than what I need most of the time), so I am mainly interested in how it runs on AA's and Eneloops. I wont be running alkaline batteries in it. 

With a 14500, do all the modes work in the SC52, and how high does it go on turbo with a 14500?


----------



## 264

*Any one planning on reviewing the new Zebralight SC52 later this month ?*

What I want is to hear from someone that gets a new SC52 later this month. Is it well made? Does it work well? Anything wrong with it? I am very tempted to buy one. I just want to make sure it is not a dud. Thanks all.


----------



## GordoJones88

*Re: Any one planning on reviewing the new Zebralight SC52 later this month ?*

Nope.


----------



## Badbeams3

*Re: Any one planning on reviewing the new Zebralight SC52 later this month ?*



264 said:


> What I want is to hear from someone that gets a new SC52 later this month. Is it well made? Does it work well? Anything wrong with it? I am very tempted to buy one. I just want to make sure it is not a dud. Thanks all.



So far we know of the green tint lottery and flickering issues.


----------



## Ishango

I just received my SC52. The UI is great, it is a bit heavier in clicking than the SC51w, but it somehow makes it feel more tactical. The LED looks wel centered (though I'm not an expert on the matter, it looks good). The beam is very nice and I feel the cool white it is a great addition next to my warm SC51w.

I'm perfectly happy with it now. Can't wait til it gets dark in a few hours.


----------



## biglights

*Re: Any one planning on reviewing the new Zebralight SC52 later this month ?*

Man this is one sweet light.


----------



## shelm

*Re: Any one planning on reviewing the new Zebralight SC52 later this month ?*



Badbeams3 said:


> So far we know of the green tint lottery and flickering issues.



+ 1

+ malcentered emitter which bugs some aficionados


----------



## Pretbek

*Re: Any one planning on reviewing the new Zebralight SC52 later this month ?*



biglights said:


> Man this is one sweet light.



Awesome. Thanks for your review!


----------



## henry1960

HighlanderNorth said:


> I will probably use Eneloops in the SC52 most if not all of the time. Its supposed to run at 280L on high with AA, and thats all I'll need(actually its more than what I need most of the time), so I am mainly interested in how it runs on AA's and Eneloops. I wont be running alkaline batteries in it.
> 
> With a 14500, do all the modes work in the SC52, and how high does it go on turbo with a 14500?



I use eneloops some times in my SC52 and they run good but not as bright and runtimes are less then the energizer rechargeable 2300mah. eneloops 1900mah..And my sanyo rechargable 14500 is 840 mah...But i mainly use the energizer lithium 3,000 mah 1.5v battery for longer runtimes...I hardly ever use turbo anyway on this light and mainly use med. for the runtimes is more important to me...If i need a brighter light i just use my SC600...But to get back to your question on how does the 14500 do with all modes on this light the answer is very well and bright on turbo(500 lum) and slightly brighter on all the rest of the modes...


----------



## reppans

henry1960 said:


> ..But to get back to your question on how does the 14500 do with all modes on this light the answer is very well and bright on turbo(500 lum) and slightly brighter on all the rest of the modes...



Does this mean that you will lose the sub-lumen levels on a 14500?


----------



## maxrep12

lmorrison17 said:


> You guys must be getting 2 that someone sent back because of the green tint.:nana:
> 
> I ordered on the 7th and I can't see the factory shipping them piecemeal like that, 1 or 2 here and there.


I doubt they are being sent out "piecemeal". The first batch to hit Texas sold out before October 28th. Cell guy, who was offering pre orders from his shop also had to quickly place additional orders from ZL. He had under estimated the demand for this light. In addition to individuals placing pre orders, you have to factor in all the ZL retailers who have orders to fill.

When the light was first announced, I mentioned it would likely be in higher demand than any other light for the ramainder of this year and 2013. I think if you could ask Cell Guy or ZL, they could confirm that those participating in this threads purchase poll, represent a small fraction of current orders.


----------



## henry1960

reppans said:


> Does this mean that you will lose the sub-lumen levels on a 14500?



NO...


----------



## shelm

maxrep12 said:


> in higher demand than any other light for the ramainder of this year and 2013.



i know 2 dealers who cancelled their large orders from ZL because there are only so many flashaholics but so many dealers who want to get into the same identical game. those few dealers who do get their ordered units, say 64pcs, in a timely fashion while most other dealers still wait for theirs to arrive, will be able to satisfy the current total demand, namely us cpf flashaholics!, and they are responsible for the quick saturation of the market.

dealers who get their stock late in 2013 will have a much harder time with selling their units because by that time most of us end consumers will have our copies in possession already.

the high demand is created by the many many dealers all over the world who want to sell to the potential buyer or regular customers first, i.e. before the customer buys it from some other dealer. me too, why would i want to buy from a national local seller in March, if i can satisfy my SC52-needs faster by ordering 3 months earlier from a US-based dealer? By March i will be saturated already and the national local seller will have no chance to sell any of his, say 24pcs, to me.

getting into the game is about a good product which everyone knows and wants to have and about timing. in theory, selling 64pcs shouldnt be that hard because we all believe in the success and relevance of SC52 product and its variations (neutralwhite, XP-G2, ..). but whoever gets this kind of stock late in time, especially little known dealers with no CPFMP subscription and publicity, will have a problem selling the stock off. why? because there are only so many flashaholics.

and the questionable esthetics and the high price for a 1xAA Eneloop flashlight (and with 12 months warranty only) dont really appeal to my neighbors, mainstream people 

once each and every dealer around the world got his ordered number of SC52 units, i am sure that the supply then will be much higher than the demand then. Good for Zebralight Co., good for buyers, bad for lesser known dealers.

So that's why 2 dealers did cancel their large orders. Very reasonable.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

shelm said:


> i know 2 dealers who cancelled their large orders from ZL because there are only so many flashaholics but so many dealers who want to get into the same identical game. those few dealers who do get their ordered units, say 64pcs, in a timely fashion while most other dealers still wait for theirs to arrive, will be able to satisfy the current total demand, namely us cpf flashaholics!, and they are responsible for the quick saturation of the market.
> 
> 
> dealers who get their stock late in 2013 will have a much harder time with selling their units because by that time most of us end consumers will have our copies in possession already.
> 
> the high demand is created by the many many dealers all over the world who want to sell to the potential buyer or regular customers first, i.e. before the customer buys it from some other dealer. me too, why would i want to buy from a national local seller in March, if i can satisfy my SC52-needs faster by ordering 3 months earlier from a US-based dealer? By March i will be saturated already and the national local seller will have no chance to sell any of his, say 24pcs, to me.
> 
> getting into the game is about a good product which everyone knows and wants to have and about timing. in theory, selling 64pcs shouldnt be that hard because we all believe in the success and relevance of SC52 product and its variations (neutralwhite, XP-G2, ..). but whoever gets this kind of stock late in time, especially little known dealers with no CPFMP subscription and publicity, will have a problem selling the stock off. why? because there are only so many flashaholics.
> 
> and the questionable esthetics and the high price for a 1xAA Eneloop flashlight (and with 12 months warranty only) dont really appeal to my neighbors, mainstream people
> 
> once each and every dealer around the world got his ordered number of SC52 units, i am sure that the supply then will be much higher than the demand then. Good for Zebralight Co., good for buyers, bad for lesser known dealers.
> 
> So that's why 2 dealers did cancel their large orders. Very reasonable.





Not only that^, but at the rate at which new LED's and new UI ideas come out, it will make these now new lights seem outdated in a year or so, or maybe 2 years tops. By then something new will be out there, probably from the same company(ZL) and others, so if these stores get stuck with these lights for more than a year or so, they will likely be forced to lower the prices to attract buyers. Seems like a tough market to operate in. Its kind of a gamble. You'd feel bad if you ran out of SC52's while your competitors managed to gamble correctly by buying more of them from the get-go, so now you are losing orders because you cant get more of the product in soon enough to satisfy them. On the other hand, as you pointed out, if you order too many then you are stuck with them.


----------



## maxrep12

shelm said:


> i know 2 dealers who cancelled their large orders from ZL because there are only so many flashaholics but so many dealers who want to get into the same identical game. those few dealers who do get their ordered units, say 64pcs, in a timely fashion while most other dealers still wait for theirs to arrive, will be able to satisfy the current total demand, namely us cpf flashaholics!, and they are responsible for the quick saturation of the market.


 Call for references. What ZebraLight dealers would opt _*not *_carry the most current and popular ZL model. Are these two dealers well established? I don't think this amounts to priviledged information.



> dealers who get their stock late in 2013 will have a much harder time with selling their units because by that time most of us end consumers will have our copies in possession already.


What intelligent dealer would wait until late 2013 to place an order? I'm not following the logic here. On the other hand, I did not see any Black Friday blowouts on the sc600, which is a year and a half old.



> the high demand is created by the many many dealers all over the world who want to sell to the potential buyer or regular customers first, i.e. before the customer buys it from some other dealer. me too, why would i want to buy from a national local seller in March, if i can satisfy my SC52-needs faster by ordering 3 months earlier from a US-based dealer? By March i will be saturated already and the national local seller will have no chance to sell any of his, say 24pcs, to me.


Not following you here. Why would dealers have a 3 month disparity in their aquiring product?



> getting into the game is about a good product which everyone knows and wants to have and about timing. in theory, selling 64pcs shouldnt be that hard because we all believe in the success and relevance of SC52 product and its variations (neutralwhite, XP-G2, ..). but whoever gets this kind of stock late in time, especially little known dealers with no CPFMP subscription and publicity, will have a problem selling the stock off. why? because there are only so many flashaholics.


 Any retailer in any venue that fails to advertise effectively, suffers from a lack of marketing. Additionally, CPF is not the only related forum. Most forums in general have more active "lurkers" than posters. 



> and the questionable esthetics and the high price for a 1xAA Eneloop flashlight (and with 12 months warranty only) dont really appeal to my neighbors, mainstream people


 Both dealers and manufacturers should be familiar with their market. ZL's target audience consider the sc52 a bargain. Aesthetics are a personal choice.



> once each and every dealer around the world got his ordered number of SC52 units, i am sure that the supply then will be much higher than the demand then. Good for Zebralight Co., good for buyers, bad for lesser known dealers.


 Again, note that ZL lights were not on the menu, so to speak, aside from a pre order incentive from one dealer, as many other brands during the Black Friday blow outs. ZL's were not being blown out. 



> So that's why 2 dealers did cancel their large orders. Very reasonable.


 Who? What is large?


----------



## twl

Probably we should get back to the original subject of the SC52.

For the sales demand issue, I think that the demand is all here at CPF, and the CPF dealers all want to get their deliveries for getting the sales from us here before some other competing CPF dealers do. We're the market.
I'd venture to say that the average person on the street has never even heard of a Zebralight, and has no intention to buy one ever. They will buy an Eveready or a Dorcy or MagLite or whatever Wally World has on sale for a few dollars.
The only frenzy for this light is happening right here on this thread.
We're the flashaholics. The rest of the world buys budget lights.
IMHO.


----------



## shelm

maxrep12 said:


> Call for (...) is large?



twl is right, this is getting too long offtopic. my post was to share some info, insight and opinion and not to discuss it. i do have privileged info but i dont feel tempted to share any further details on it sorry . leaving your post uncommented by me as it is, i let you win.

you win :wave:


----------



## moshow9

shelm said:


> twl is right, this is getting too long offtopic. my post was to share some info, insight and opinion and not to discuss it. i do have privileged info but i dont feel tempted to share any further details on it sorry . leaving your post uncommented by me as it is, i let you win.
> 
> you win :wave:


Then why even say anything at all?


----------



## shelm

moshow9 said:


> shelm said:
> 
> 
> 
> and not to discuss it.
> 
> 
> 
> Then why even say anything at all?
Click to expand...




shelm said:


> my post was to share some info, insight and opinion


----------



## moshow9

Doesn't make much sense to post something that will lead to discussion with no intention to discuss it.


----------



## maxrep12

Quite some time ago, I coined the phrase, "lumen/hour/inches". This metric, along with the ZL UI, has put Zl on top of the market.

In the very worst retail scenario, lets say that an over all surplus of sc 52's accumulates in the next few months among dealers. Since the sc52 experienced such awesome demand from the start, it would only require a modest price reduction from dealers to reduce inventory. 

Note that lights being sold below dealer cost on Black Friday were never able to equal that lumen/hour/inches in the same manner that ZL can. ZL is a pretty darn safe stocking choice. I have never seen any sc600 lights on sale after 18 months on the market. They were $95 at release, and they still command $95.


----------



## kaichu dento

It should be noted that if there was only CPF to support Zebralight and our other favorites, they would simply not be able to stay in the market and it's evident that there are enough buyers out there in the world buying these lights - otherwise they would have never made it past the first H30. or whatever it was.

The demand is there and growing all the time, and while there may be a limited number of users who get as focused as we do on lights, they're obviously not closing shop anytime soon.


----------



## Darvis

Well dudes, hate to say it, but my SC52 bit the dust today. Was using it to re-wire my Brother's garage and was using high (IMR 14500) when the light started flickering wildly. Tried multiple different batteries with the same result, now the light will not come on in the high setting. The rest of the settings seem to still work, though. It's as if turbo smoked...

It's not my lucky SC52 week...


----------



## Fireclaw18

Darvis said:


> Well dudes, hate to say it, but my SC52 bit the dust today. Was using it to re-wire my Brother's garage and was using high (IMR 14500) when the light started flickering wildly. Tried multiple different batteries with the same result, now the light will not come on in the high setting. The rest of the settings seem to still work, though. It's as if turbo smoked...
> 
> It's not my lucky SC52 week...



Ouch.

When I tried AW IMR 14500 in my SC52, I got a fast constant flickering in turbot mode right from the start. I immediately took out the IMR and put back in the protected Zebralight brand 14500 which works perfectly. Perhaps IMR cells are delivering too much current to the driver causing it to overheat.

My SC52 still works fine, but I don't think I'll be running it on IMR cells.


----------



## Darvis

Ah, that's exactly what I saw before it stopped working for good... And true, I did not see it when I had been using the black AW14500's.

Well, warning to others... IMR's; probably not a good idea.


----------



## LEDburn

kaichu dento said:


> It should be noted that if there was only CPF to support Zebralight and our other favorites, they would simply not be able to stay in the market and it's evident that there are enough buyers out there in the world buying these lights - otherwise they would have never made it past the first H30. or whatever it was.
> 
> The demand is there and growing all the time, and while there may be a limited number of users who get as focused as we do on lights, they're obviously not closing shop anytime soon.



Pretty sure you are right with this claim. I do a bit of urban exploration and recently went with a bunch of new people I hadn't met before - as it turned out there was a guy there with an sc51 and a girl with an sc600!


----------



## jhc37013

Darvis said:


> Ah, that's exactly what I saw before it stopped working for good... And true, I did not see it when I had been using the black AW14500's.
> 
> *Well, warning to others... IMR's; probably not a good idea.*



Exactly what I was thinking don't use IMR's until this is cleared up, I don't think I've ever heard of problems with IMR's in a light capable of supporting 4.2v but maybe it's something with the current draw idk.

Could it be coincidence IMR's was used during Fireclaw18's flickering as well as Darvis's very unfortunate flicker then total malfunction, it could be coincidence but I would bet not.

Did you guys got straight to IMR when you got the SC52 or did you ever try it with RCR, NiMH, Alky?


----------



## Fireclaw18

jhc37013 said:


> Exactly what I was thinking don't use IMR's until this is cleared up, I don't think I've ever heard of problems with IMR's in a light capable of supporting 4.2v but maybe it's something with the current draw idk.
> 
> Could it be coincidence IMR's was used during Fireclaw18's flickering as well as Darvis's very unfortunate flicker then total malfunction, it could be coincidence but I would bet not.
> 
> Did you guys got straight to IMR when you got the SC52 or did you ever try it with RCR, NiMH, Alky?



I tried RCR (Zebralight 14500 and black AW 14500) and Energizer Advanced Lithium (EA 91) primaries. Those worked fine.

Afterwards I tried an AW IMR 14500 and immediately got a rapid constant flickering at turn-on in turbo mode. I immediately turned off the light and reloaded it with the Zebralight 14500s. The very brief usage on IMRs did not appear to damage my light as turbo mode still works fine on RCR.


----------



## pauljohan

*Re: Any one planning on reviewing the new Zebralight SC52 later this month ?*



Pretbek said:


> Awesome. Thanks for your review!


+1


----------



## HighlanderNorth

moshow9 said:


> Doesn't make much sense to post something that will lead to discussion with no intention to discuss it.



Your argument is kinda off topic and it probably doesn't need to continue here, if you had a problem with another member or his comments, for whatever reason, it could be handled through a PM. No offense....

Anyway, it seems that the tint varies from one SC52 example to another, as a few have said that their light doesn't seem greenish. (I am just being hopeful BTW)


----------



## kaichu dento

LEDburn said:


> Pretty sure you are right with this claim. I do a bit of urban exploration and recently went with a bunch of new people I hadn't met before - as it turned out there was a guy there with an sc51 and a girl with an sc600!


Can't say no to a girl with an SC600!


----------



## nanucq

SC52+ AW 14500 ordered from my local dealer, can't wait to see if i won the "Tint Lotery"


----------



## shelm

nanucq said:


> SC52+ AW 14500 ordered from my local dealer, can't wait to see if i won the "Tint Lotery"



Does your France dealer have the product in stock?


----------



## HighlanderNorth

LEDburn said:


> Pretty sure you are right with this claim. I do a bit of urban exploration and recently went with a bunch of new people I hadn't met before - as it turned out there was a guy there with an sc51 and a girl with an sc600!



What is urban exploration? Is that the technical term for exploring dark alleyways or just walking down streets with little to no overhead lighting? 

I wonder how those 2 people discovered the ZL SC600 & SC51, unless they are members of this or another forum....


----------



## nanucq

shelm said:


> Does your France dealer have the product in stock?


Yes, SC52 entered his stock this week. I ordered it from here (don't know if i can give the link, don't bother to delete if not allowed): http://www.neolumen.eu/produits/zebralight.php


----------



## shelm

nanucq said:


> Yes, SC52 entered his stock this week. I ordered it from here (don't know if i can give the link, don't bother to delete if not allowed): http://www.neolumen.eu/produits/zebralight.php



Nice link thanks!
Neolumen does FREE insured EU shipping on this product, with tracking number, very good service. Costs only *54€* + VAT. Given the fact that all German dealers such as *Lampentroll*, *Taschenlampen-Papst*, *Selected-Lights* and *Flashlightshop.de* charge *89.95€* (+ shipping) for the SC51 (=116US$ lmao) that's then a great EU place for buying ZL flashlights, thanks for the tip!

64US$ MSRP vs 116US$ :nana:looooooooooooool


----------



## Patriot

kaichu dento said:


> The demand is there and growing all the time, and while there may be a limited number of users who get as focused as we do on lights, they're obviously not closing shop anytime soon.




+1

The crossover point for the otherwise "average" light user is fueled or boosted by electronic media. One who is slightly interested in a light for jogging can google "best headlamp" and be linked to countless CPF posts and youtube video's. It's the collection of enthusiasts who initiate the spread of knowledge through these various social media sources, rather than the guy who just bought a Dorcy. Now, the "average" user can be easily enlightened to the same gear that the hard core enthusiast is using although they might not posses the same knowledge or passion as the rest of us. It's a version of endorsement advertising but rather than looking to Bear Grylls for product suggestions consumers are ever more willing to rely of the testimony and suggestion of real world advocates.



I'm part of the pre-order group so I anxiously await getting the SC52 in hand!


----------



## burntoshine

HighlanderNorth said:


> What is urban exploration?



I thought it was exploring abandoned buildings, but I'm not 100% sure.


----------



## maroast

HighlanderNorth said:


> What is urban exploration? Is that the technical term for exploring dark alleyways or just walking down streets with little to no overhead lighting?
> 
> I wonder how those 2 people discovered the ZL SC600 & SC51, unless they are members of this or another forum....



It's exploring abandon buildings, storm drains, sewers and stuff like that. There are forums dedicated to it and they have sub forums dedicated to tools (flashlights, climbing gear). And UE members tend to frequent forums such as this one... There are a lot different interests out there...


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

*Re: Any one planning on reviewing the new Zebralight SC52 later this month ?*

I had this light for a couple weeks Now and I can say its the best EDC a have ever owned. It has alot of reserve power 280L or 500L on a 14500, i use the 108 Lumen setting for H2 and it is perfect for work. The build quality is really great and I really like the natural anodizing which is top notch. I also have two SC51 that I have had for several years and though they have been in my EDC rotation the accidental activation in my pocket has turned them into X-mas gift for this year. I believe time will tell if they will hold up to EDC at work but my SC51 never had a problem. I have a second on order threw CellGuy if that tells you anything. Overall it the light is what I've been waiting for, as far as EDC goes. I also have the SC600,and the H600 and the build quality and UI are second to none and let me tell you I have tried lights from just about every manufacturer. Get one if you can you won't be diappointed.













My current EDC Para2 SC52


----------



## Darvis

*Re: Any one planning on reviewing the new Zebralight SC52 later this month ?*

I've not had luck with mine; green tint, flickering and then I killed turbo mode with an IMR14500. 

Those things aside for me and my light, I have to agree that the fit and finish is great and the features are nothing short of just about perfect... 

I think if they work out the kinks and get QC under control, they'll have a major contender


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

*Re: Any one planning on reviewing the new Zebralight SC52 later this month ?*



Darvis said:


> I've not had luck with mine; green tint, flickering and then I killed turbo mode with an IMR14500.
> 
> Those things aside for me and my light, I have to agree that the fit and finish is great and the features are nothing short of just about perfect...
> 
> I think if they work out the kinks and get QC under control, they'll have a major contender



I read about that in the other thread. Do you think the lower resistance of the IMR had anything to do with it? My tint on my is spot on for CW.


----------



## Darvis

*Re: Any one planning on reviewing the new Zebralight SC52 later this month ?*

I'm not sure to be honest, it's clear the light flickers with IMR's but I'm not sure why turbo gave up the ghost in mine, all other modes and levels still work .. it's really really weird. No other levels flickered with the IMR either, just turbo.

Anyway, back it goes and I have another on the way as well anyway. If I win the tint lottery, I'll not run IMR's and will be very happy with the light otherwise.


----------



## LEDburn

HighlanderNorth said:


> What is urban exploration? Is that the technical term for exploring dark alleyways or just walking down streets with little to no overhead lighting?
> 
> I wonder how those 2 people discovered the ZL SC600 & SC51, unless they are members of this or another forum....



Urban exploration could have a variety of meanings, I guess. For me it involves exploring old abandoned buildings/places and going into stormwater drains (you may call them sewers) which may sound a bit weird.
I actually have a feeling the people I mentioned may have an account here, or at least know someone who does, as their acquaintance likes quarks and neutral/warm tints.. go check longexposure(dot)net to see some urban exploration shots and in particular some Australian drains, they really can be a sight be behold!!


----------



## CarpentryHero

LEDburn said:


> Urban exploration could have a variety of meanings, I guess. For me it involves exploring old abandoned buildings/places and going into stormwater drains (you may call them sewers) which may sound a bit weird.
> I actually have a feeling the people I mentioned may have an account here, or at least know someone who does, as their acquaintance likes quarks and neutral/warm tints.. go check longexposure(dot)net to see some urban exploration shots and in particular some Australian drains, they really can be a sight be behold!!



Sounds fun to me


----------



## chaoss

Got mine over the weekend and am happy to report a cool-non greenish tint, centered emitter, blinding high output and the low setting options are outstanding.
This one may bump my SC 80c to second choice for EDC.


----------



## sspc

chaoss said:


> This one may bump my SC 80c to second choice for EDC.


What advantages do you feel the SC80c has over the SC52?


----------



## passive101

sspc said:


> What advantages do you feel the SC80c has over the SC52?



the SC80 can run off of AA or 123A batteries. It's better if you want to be able to use more batteries that my be available. for SHTF, survival, etc.


----------



## energythoughts

Wow.. SC52 just showed up... initial thoughts... this is tiny!! Pictures don't do justice.. based on that alone its my new EDC. great tint (only tried 14500 so far).. very similar to my SC600 tint.

The lowest mode is insanely low. Way lower than my SC600 or SC600w. With any ambiant room light its impossible to tell if the SC52 is on or off (without holding it right up to your eye).

I'll try to get a video done tonight comparing it to some other lights for those who are interested.

Very impressed so far.


----------



## reppans

energythoughts said:


> I'll try to get a video done tonight comparing it to some other lights for those who are interested.



That would be awesome.. side by side videos of comparable AA/14500 XML lights? Can this light truly double any other XML light on a single Eneloop?


----------



## sspc

passive101 said:


> the SC80 can run off of AA or 123A batteries. It's better if you want to be able to use more batteries that my be available. for SHTF, survival, etc.


Roger that. Thanks


----------



## energythoughts

reppans said:


> That would be awesome.. side by side videos of comparable AA/14500 XML lights? Can this light truly double any other XML light on a single Eneloop?



I have the ThruNite 1A, & Xeno E03 v3 that officially support a 14500 and are XML.. I could do a video of all 3 with an Eneloop, and a video of all 3 with a 14500. I don't have any of the newer AA/14500 lights since I stopped buying lights after I got a SC600 & SC600w last year.. The SC600 cured my flashlight sickness for a long time... untill the SC52 came out  Other lights I have that I could compare it against are the 4 Sevens Quark MiniX 123, Fenix LD10, PD31, TK21, TK41, E11, E21, and a Jetbeam BA20.. .. Ugh.. after listing that out I kind of feel like I do have a problem.... thankfully I have some co-workers that are worse than me.. so I can't be that bad. I know a bunch of those lights can't even compare to the SC52, but if anyone is interested in a video or picture comparison it wouldn't take me long to put one together.


----------



## cyclesport

energythoughts said:


> I have the ThruNite 1A, & Xeno E03 v3 that officially support a 14500 and are XML.. I could do a video of all 3 with an Eneloop, and a video of all 3 with a 14500. I don't have any of the newer AA/14500 lights since I stopped buying lights after I got a SC600 & SC600w last year.. The SC600 cured my flashlight sickness for a long time... untill the SC52 came out  Other lights I have that I could compare it against are the 4 Sevens Quark MiniX 123, Fenix LD10, PD31, TK21, TK41, E11, E21, and a Jetbeam BA20.. .. Ugh.. after listing that out I kind of feel like I do have a problem.... thankfully I have some co-workers that are worse than me.. so I can't be that bad. I know a bunch of those lights can't even compare to the SC52, but if anyone is interested in a video or picture comparison it wouldn't take me long to put one together.



I, for one, would be particularly interested in how it compares in output and beam quality on Eneloops and 14500's with the Thrunite Neutron 1A, since that light will produce over 240 lumens on AA's and exceeds 450 with Li-ions.


----------



## passive101

What is the brightness and run times for the SC52 on 14500 batteries? I'm looking for brightness and how long it runs for. The runtime is more important to me then brightness unless it's very significant 



High: H1 *280* Lm (0.9 hrs) or H2 *172* Lm (1.7 hrs) / *108* Lm (3 hrs) / 4Hz Strobe
Medium: M1 *50* Lm (7.5 hrs) or M2 *25 *Lm (12 hrs) / *12* Lm (27 hrs)
Low: L1 *2.7 *Lm (4 days) or L2 *0.34* Lm (3 weeks) / *0.06 *Lm (2 months) / *0.01 *Lm (3 months)
Light output are ANSI out the front values. Runtime tests are done using Sanyo 2000mAh Eneloop AA batteries. Light output with 14500 batteries are the same except that the H1 is 500Lm for the first minute and then steps down to 280Lm.


----------



## lmorrison17

Got my notice! woohoo

it said Shipped on: 12/11/2012

Then it hit me that is tomorrow dang it.


----------



## reppans

cyclesport said:


> I, for one, would be particularly interested in how it compares in output and beam quality on Eneloops and 14500's with the Thrunite Neutron 1A, since that light will produce over 240 lumens on AA's and exceeds 450 with Li-ions.



I really have to thank you for this... it finally clears up the Zebralight Lumen mystery that's been bugging for me for a while now.

I've been objectively measuring my 1xEneloop sub-lumen lights (Foursevens, Eagletac, ThruNite and Zebralight) using a DSLR as a lumen meter, and I was always disappointed that my ZL was not any brighter than the others given the 50+ lumen advantage in its listed specs. Then reading your post, I initially thought, "where the hell do you get 240 lumens when ThruNite says 145 max?" .... Selfbuilt of course!

So checking back some of Selfbuilt's reviews, I see both the Eagletac D25 Clickies and Foursevens AA2X are also estimated to be ~ 100 lms above the manufacturer specs while the SC51 is estimated to be even/flat to its 200 lms spec. 

So, perhaps it's not so much that ZL has figured out how to magically produce twice the lumen output on an Eneloop compared to the competition... rather, it seems that the competitors (well, at least 4/7s, ET & TN) are simply far too conservative with their listed specs (any other suggestion will be deemed sacrilege here, of course).

Mystery solved!


----------



## Ishango

After having used my SC52 as my EDC for the past few days I have to say this light is great. As I said before the LED seems well centered in my copy. There is only the slightest hint of green in the tint when inspecting the beam closely while white walling it. Otherwise it is a great light to use and the improvements took the minor annoyances of my SC51w away. I've used mine in a forest area, in the backyard (taking out the trash at night) and in house on moon mode. The beam is rather floody (as expected), but still throws enough distance on high to actually make it a very decent allround light.


----------



## energythoughts

cyclesport said:


> I, for one, would be particularly interested in how it compares in output and beam quality on Eneloops and 14500's with the Thrunite Neutron 1A, since that light will produce over 240 lumens on AA's and exceeds 450 with Li-ions.



Well.. The rains won't let up so no outdoor video tonight.. hopefully tomorrow night. I did take some white wall pictures comparing it to the 1A and E03, but I don't want to post them! There is a slight green tint in the photos for the SC52, BUT I don't see that tint when I'm actually using the light in real world scenarios. And to be fair I took pictures comparing it to my SC600 which I absolutely love that tint.. and that even shows the same greenish tint in the pictures..

I don't want my pictures negatively affecting anyone's decision on purchasing the SC52. This is a fantastic light.. hands down my new favorite EDC. The High output is fantastic on both Eneloop's and 14500's. The low output is finally low enough for me. L2 was not programmed for the .01 Lm from factory.. so when I set it up for .01 I literally had to hold the light right up to my eye to verify it was even on. It might even be too low! I still haven't tested that when my eyes are fully adjusted in zero light environment.

Here is my setup for the pics... let me know if you guys do it differently to get accurate results:



White projector screen for wall surface (blackout material stretched over a wood frame for TV projection)
SLR white balance set to daylight
since i'm not interested in beam intensity I set it to program mode (auto selects shutter speed and aperture.. when I shoot videos I always lock this down in manual mode)

it's a simple setup.. but I know the camera sensors are more sensitive to different colors etc... Mine usually saturates reds a little bit more than other colors. Yeah well it's not an exact science.. Buy the SC52.. you'll love it!


----------



## moozooh

reppans said:


> So, perhaps it's not so much that ZL has figured out how to magically produce twice the lumen output on an Eneloop compared to the competition...



For one, I never knew what was so mysterious or bogus about ZebraLight's claims. I mean, here's some overly simplified math.

XM-L U2 produces 378 lm at 2.67 W (900 mA, 2.97 Vf; source), rated at 25C junction temperature. We know that SC52 uses the latest iteration of an already efficient circuit, an ultra-clear optical glass lens with double AR coating and "unibody" design that puts threading away from the head (because, as we know, threads are an awful heat transmitter). We don't know exactly how efficient this setup is, but let's assume it's 75% efficient, keeping in mind that junction temp will be considerably higher than 25C on the highest mode. Subtracting 25% from 378 lm gives just about 280 lm, a loss of nearly 100 LED lumen. I don't know what current the high mode is driven at, but 900 mA seems spot-on so far.

Let's see if advertised runtime matches the number we came up with. An eneloop is able to discharge 2.4 Watt-hours of energy (2000*1.2). Thus we need to divide 2.4 Wh by 2.67 W to see how many hours would a freshly charged eneloop would be able to sustain the advertised 280 lm for: exactly 0.9 hours, fully consistent with the claims.

I would imagine that other manufacturers lose efficiency mainly on driver circuitry and thermal dissipation, thus needing to feed the LED with more energy. The losses accumulate on higher modes as the lm/W and lm/Tjunc curves are both far from linear.


----------



## Lighteous

Richsvt said:


> I just got my shipping notice. I ordered on Oct 29. Damn that was a long wait...



It must be that you've never ordered a light from HDS Systems and waited and waited and waited...


----------



## reppans

moozooh said:


> For one, I never knew what was so mysterious or bogus about ZebraLight's claims. I mean, here's some overly simplified math.
> 
> I would imagine that other manufacturers lose efficiency mainly on driver circuitry and thermal dissipation, thus needing to feed the LED with more energy. The losses accumulate on higher modes as the lm/W and lm/Tjunc curves are both far from linear.



The theory is all fine and dandy but the proof is in the pudding.... just test your lights against each other with an objective ambient light meter - eg, a DSLR works for "close-enough" measurements and is certainly better than what the naked eye can detect. I'm certainly no expert in the circuitry behind these devices, but it seems to me that it is not rocket science or particularly proprietary (patent-protected), so I find it odd that one company can claim outputs so significantly higher than all other competitors.

After objectively measuring my lights, I was convinced that my ZL example was defective, unable to meet its lumen specs - particularly since I've heard Selfbuilt had verified the manufacturer specs. Well the revelation for me now, sparked from Cyclesport's post above, is that all the manufacturer's of the lights that I happen to own (I like sub-lumen AA/14500 lights) are simply overly conservative with their listed specifications. That explains the results of my tests and sets more realistic expectations for when my SC52 comes in. I still expect the 52 to come in brighter than my other lights, but now not by a factor of 2.... which makes a whole lot more sense to me.

I also conduct runtime tests at low lumens (what I tend to use the most) and I did find that that my ZL was true enough to it's specification (moonlight). Its closest competitor also ran just as long, but it doubled its listed specs - just another data point, perhaps, of the same conservatism. Now the interesting part is that this manufacturer (4/7s) also sells both XML and XPG versions and at low lumens, the XML version takes huge efficiency cuts in the listed specs - my tests found that to be spot on. Interestingly ZL shows no loss of efficiency between the XML and XPG versions... I hope that turns out to be true and have no reason to doubt it, but I will be testing it.

I personally don't care about high lumens (it's been more of a truth-in-advertising thing), as a camper, low lumen runtimes are what matters for me. The SC52 is claiming 3x the QAAX's low lumen runtimes. If ZL has figured out how to do it, it will be ultimate light for me.


----------



## SonnyJim

Tempted, but still holding out for a NW or HCRI. What's the average time interval between an original CW release and a NW/HCRI release from Zebralight?


----------



## Fireclaw18

SonnyJim said:


> Tempted, but still holding out for a NW or HCRI. What's the average time interval between an original CW release and a NW/HCRI release from Zebralight?



Not sure offhand, but at a guess I think maybe 3-6 months.


----------



## Pretbek

SonnyJim said:


> Tempted, but still holding out for a NW or HCRI. What's the average time interval between an original CW release and a NW/HCRI release from Zebralight?



You are stronger than I am. I said that too, but then I caved and ordered the SC52 anyway. I will most likely order a Neutral or HCRI when it comes out.


----------



## varuscelli

I've got a favor to ask! 

I'd like to pick up an SC52 as a Christmas gift for my brother, but I see they are on backorder on the ZebraLight website. 

Anyone know another vendor who might be selling them? 

A private message to me with a source would be appreciated, if anyone knows. 

Thanks!


----------



## cyclesport

reppans said:


> I really have to thank you for this... it finally clears up the Zebralight Lumen mystery that's been bugging for me for a while now.
> 
> Then reading your post, I initially thought, "where the hell do you get 240 lumens when ThruNite says 145 max?" .... Selfbuilt of course!
> 
> QUOTE]





reppans said:


> Happy I could help remind you of Selfbuilt's review. The Neutron 1A, prior to the release of ZL's SC52 was one of, or perhaps the most efficient & brightest 1 X AA production lights around. I picked one up recently when Thrunite was selling them for $36 and have been totally impressed w/how long it runs on a single charge w/Eneloops or 14500's and was shocked at the output on both batteries. Since it's real OTF output is close to the SC52 I thought it would make a good comparison.
> 
> I am one of those following this thread to primarily monitor reported flaws/defects from owners since I want to ultimately buy a neutral version when the kinks are worked out and they become available through online dealers.


----------



## moozooh

reppans said:


> I'm certainly no expert in the circuitry behind these devices, but it seems to me that it is not rocket science or particularly proprietary (patent-protected), so I find it odd that one company can claim outputs so significantly higher than all other competitors.



High output per se is not much of a problem... Making it run for a sensible amount of time and not overheat is. Self-respecting developers look into that before they choose the upper limit for their lights. On the other part of the spectrum you have the kinds of 5$ no-name DX lights that overheat and fail unpredictably, and Wicked Lasers with their 4100 lumen "The Torch" that cooks anything in its vicinity for a grand total of five minutes.

Efficient power circuitry is indeed a non-trivial engineering challenge, as could well be illustrated by specs and prices of PC power supplies. You can have a cheap noname 300 W PSU for like 10$ and it'll only convert about 50–75% of socket power into something computer-usable depending on the load; the rest will be dissipated as heat. Or you can get an FSP or a SeaSonic for upwards of 70$; it'll also output 300 W but it'll convert 80–90% of the socket power regardless of the load, and will be more stable at that. It's not too easy or cheap to build an efficient power supply when you aren't strictly limited in size, so it should be no surprise that it's not much easier in such a small form factor as 1xAA.

I am interested in your tests, though, as they should prove useful either way.


----------



## energythoughts

cyclesport said:


> I, for one, would be particularly interested in how it compares in output and beam quality on Eneloops and 14500's with the Thrunite Neutron 1A, since that light will produce over 240 lumens on AA's and exceeds 450 with Li-ions.




Here you go... a quick video showing the SC52 vs. the 1A with both 14500 and Sanyo Eneloop. http://youtu.be/laTsGecm6Ho

it's up against my white garage doors to give some idea of tint.. but in real life I think the SC52 is less green, and the 1A is more bluish vs. what it shows in the video. I think the SC52 is slightly brighter overall.. where the 1A has a better throw since it has a pretty deep reflector vs. the SC52.


----------



## varuscelli

varuscelli said:


> I've got a favor to ask!
> 
> I'd like to pick up an SC52 as a Christmas gift for my brother, but I see they are on backorder on the ZebraLight website.
> 
> Anyone know another vendor who might be selling them?
> 
> A private message to me with a source would be appreciated, if anyone knows.
> 
> Thanks!



Thanks, found one. 

Next Day Edit: I should have mentioned that I did NOT find an SC52 in stock with any vendors (although one or two erroneously listed them as "In Stock"). But a fellow CPF member offered to sell me his and I took him up on the offer.


----------



## GordoJones88

Nevermind.


----------



## shelm

energythoughts said:


> Here you go... a quick video showing the SC52 vs. the 1A with both 14500 and Sanyo Eneloop. http://youtu.be/laTsGecm6Ho



great video, thanks!
your subjective eye perception ..hhmm.. i do trust the comparative color rendition of your cam no offense! :thumbsup:


----------



## twl

shelm said:


> great video, thanks!
> your subjective eye perception ..hhmm.. i do trust the comparative color rendition of your cam no offense! :thumbsup:



What I really noticed in that video is that the Thrunite has a brighter spill zone that actually gives more context to the lighting.
The SC52 has a slightly bigger hot spot, but the spill is noticeably dimmer.
Despite all the talk about Zebralight "floodiness", it appears to me that the Thrunite gives a wider useful viewing area because the Thrunite has a better spill to hot spot ratio(IMO), which gives the broader viewing area to the eye more easily. The SC52 on the other hand causes your eye to direct more at the hot spot because the spill is so much dimmer that it appears to have a narrower useful area. Even though it has the broad spill, the transition is so strong and the spill so weak, that you mostly look only in the hot spot with the Zebralight.

I also thank energythoughts for his video.
It was very informative.


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## cyclesport

energythoughts said:


> Here you go... a quick video showing the SC52 vs. the 1A with both 14500 and Sanyo Eneloop. http://youtu.be/laTsGecm6Ho
> 
> it's up against my white garage doors to give some idea of tint.. but in real life I think the SC52 is less green, and the 1A is more bluish vs. what it shows in the video. I think the SC52 is slightly brighter overall.. where the 1A has a better throw since it has a pretty deep reflector vs. the SC52.



Thanks Energythoughts! I liked the beam pattern of the SC52 and the tint looked a lot like many other XM-L U2 lights with the slight greenish tint. This to me would be acceptable. Although I'm waiting for neutral, with ZL's small size, efficiency, broad driver voltage, very good UI & output this light is a real winner. This video confirmed what I suspected in that the SC52's U2 is warmer than the very cool tinted T6 binned Neutron 1A with a bigger spill typical of small shallow reflector lights. The output seemed very close on 14500's but the ZL seemed brighter w/the Eneloop, and your right that the Thrunite's deeper reflector does throw well for such a small head. Thanks again!


----------



## cyclesport

twl said:


> What I really noticed in that video is that the Thrunite has a brighter spill zone that actually gives more context to the lighting.
> The SC52 has a slightly bigger hot spot, but the spill is noticeably dimmer.
> Despite all the talk about Zebralight "floodiness", it appears to me that the Thrunite gives a wider useful viewing area because the Thrunite has a better spill to hot spot ratio(IMO), which gives the broader viewing area to the eye more easily. The SC52 on the other hand causes your eye to direct more at the hot spot because the spill is so much dimmer that it appears to have a narrower useful area. Even though it has the broad spill, the transition is so strong and the spill so weak, that you mostly look only in the hot spot with the Zebralight.
> 
> I also thank energythoughts for his video.
> It was very informative.



You make an astute observation twl, and having owned the Neutron 1A for just a few weeks I've been amazed at how much more practical this beam pattern is for a small EDC light. Actually the Neutron 1A's deeper than average reflector creates a smaller dia. spill area than most small 20/24mm (head) lights. The deeper reflector concentrates the spill and makes it _so bright _that it's almost as bright as the hotspot making it almost appear to be one big floody beam...it's really quite unique for this genre of lights. _*(If you look at the video closely, you'll see the ZL's spill extends out much further than the Thrunite, and as you observed isn't nearly as bright). 

_Too bad the TN is such a cool tint, (and long for a 1 X AA light @ 107mm) because it's a very usefull beam pattern in that you can see everything well looking for small objects up close, yet throws remarkably well for its size. I think this light is underappreciated and wish more small EDC lights utilized a deeper reflector design like this.


----------



## shelm

varuscelli said:


> Cool info, shelm.


----------



## varuscelli

shelm said:


> i received the Goinggear newsletter today, they're advertising the SC52 so i gave them a call. the CSR told me that they got a big amount of SC52's yesterday, so the product is listed on the GG website and ready to go. a 10% OFF coupon code exists too, see cpfmp. free conus shipping because it's a 49$+ order.
> 
> shoppers may prefer to cancel their pre-order and re-place the SC52 xml order with GG in favor of GG's fantastic customer service. the point is, in case you have issues with the light (greenish tint, ..) you're better off with GG than with Zebralight Co. my guesstimate.
> 
> it's cheaper too (69.95 - 10% = ??). good luck everyone!
> 
> EDIT: ive checked, the Christmas coupon with 12% OFF works on this product too, so its more like 69.95 - 12% = ??, you do the maths



Cool info, shelm. :thumbsup:


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## jak

*Going Gear* lists that they have 10+ in stock -as of 10:57am CDT. I just got ordered mine.

http://goinggear.com/zebralight-sc52-280-lumen-aa-cree-xm-l-led-flashlight.html

EDIT: Ha, I just saw the post above this before I posted. Anyway, $62.95 shipped with coupon (out of state/no tax).
EDIT x2 : Dang, I only used a 10% off code. Lack of patience cost me 2%. Blast!


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## markr6

error, Mods please remove


----------



## nanucq

nanucq said:


> SC52+ AW 14500 ordered from my local dealer, can't wait to see if i won the "Tint Lotery"



Juste received and lotery won 
Little debrief in the owner post: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ner-s-Thread&p=4087522&viewfull=1#post4087522


----------



## AVService

I just ordered a second one from G.G. too.
They do jack the price higher than ZL and then the discount makes it only slightly lower but if they really have them?

Now lets hope that ZL sees my cancel order request before all of a sudden sending me the one I paid for long ago but have not heard anything about?


----------



## jak

AVService said:


> I just ordered a second one from G.G. too.
> They do jack the price higher than ZL and then the discount makes it only slightly lower but if they really have them?
> 
> Now lets hope that ZL sees my cancel order request before all of a sudden sending me the one I paid for long ago but have not heard anything about?



Looks like they really do have them... The one I ordered this morning has already been shipped and will arrive Saturday! Joy!


----------



## Fireclaw18

cyclesport said:


> You make an astute observation twl, and having owned the Neutron 1A for just a few weeks I've been amazed at how much more practical this beam pattern is for a small EDC light. Actually the Neutron 1A's deeper than average reflector creates a smaller dia. spill area than most small 20/24mm (head) lights. The deeper reflector concentrates the spill and makes it _so bright _that it's almost as bright as the hotspot making it almost appear to be one big floody beam...it's really quite unique for this genre of lights. _*(If you look at the video closely, you'll see the ZL's spill extends out much further than the Thrunite, and as you observed isn't nearly as bright).
> 
> _Too bad the TN is such a cool tint, (and long for a 1 X AA light @ 107mm) because it's a very usefull beam pattern in that you can see everything well looking for small objects up close, yet throws remarkably well for its size. I think this light is underappreciated and wish more small EDC lights utilized a deeper reflector design like this.



I don't have a Thrunite 1A, but I do have a Thrunite 1C.

Comparing my Thrunite 1C on 16340 to my SC52 on 14500, the Zebralight has a much more useful beam for close up use. One of the things I really don't like about the Thrunite is that the beam is a relatively narrow cone due to the deep reflector, but at the same time the hotspot isn't very tight so it doesn't have great throw.


----------



## davidt1

Fireclaw18 said:


> I don't have a Thrunite 1A, but I do have a Thrunite 1C.
> 
> Comparing my Thrunite 1C on 16340 to my SC52 on 14500, the Zebralight has a much more useful beam for close up use. One of the things I really don't like about the Thrunite is that the beam is a relatively narrow cone due to the deep reflector, but at the same time the hotspot isn't very tight so it doesn't have great throw.



Thank you.

Finally, an opinion from someone who actually owns the SC52 and the other light mentioned. I have grown tired of people who don't own the SC52 and have no intention of owning one, yet continue to post useless nonsense about ZL lights.


----------



## MojaveMoon07

What "nonsense" could you be referring to ?

The video link posted on the previous page by *energythoughts* are of a Zebralight SC52 and a Thrunite Neutron 1A both personally owned by him; in the video he compares them side by side outside in front of his garage first on one AA battery and then on one 14500 battery. In the posts on this page, people have been posting their analysis of that video.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=laTsGecm6Ho


----------



## Vman63

Shipped! Ordered November 16. Excited about getting this light.


----------



## Fireclaw18

MojaveMoon07 said:


> What "nonsense" could you be referring to ?
> 
> The video link posted on the previous page by *energythoughts* are of a Zebralight SC52 and a Thrunite Neutron 1A both personally owned by him; in the video he compares them side by side outside in front of his garage first on one AA battery and then on one 14500 battery. In the posts on this page, people have been posting their analysis of that video.
> 
> www.youtube.com/watch?v=laTsGecm6Ho



When comparing my SC52 to my Thrunite 1C (both on li-ion), the wide spill on the SC52 is plenty bright enough for general use. When comparing the two, the narrow spill on the Thrunite 1C almost feels like I'm shining the light through a toilet paper tube. The difference in spill width is quite dramatic.

The SC52 is also much smaller than my Thrunite 1C. And a Thrunite 1A is basically just a Thrunite 1C with an even longer battery tube.

When I grab a light for EDC, I much prefer the SC52. It's very small, bright, has a great beam, super-interface, and feels good in the hand. The Thrunite is nicely knurled, but its beam is too narrow and it doesn't tailstand well until enough air has leaked out to allow the tailcap button to deflate.

Currently my EDC is the SC52. I have a lot of other lights I'd grab before grabbing the Thrunite. Lights such as the Eye10, RRT-01, TCR-01, Eagletac D25a and c, and my Balder HD1. I consider all of them better than the Thrunite.

Comparing the Thrunite 1C to the SC52. The Zebralight is the winner hands down. Not a close decision.


----------



## shelm

Fireclaw18 said:


> Lights such as the Eye10, RRT-01, TCR-01, *Eagletac D25a *and c, and my Balder HD1. I consider all of them better than the Thrunite.



Please let us know if you can tell by eyes that the *SC52 *is 150 OTF lumens brighter than the *D25A *on 1xEneloop AA, thanks!


----------



## Fireclaw18

shelm said:


> Please let us know if you can tell by eyes that the *SC52 *is 150 OTF lumens brighter than the *D25A *on 1xEneloop AA, thanks!



Unfortunately, I don't use Eneloops so can't really tell.

I tried an Energizer EA91 lithium 1.5v primary in each one then did a ceiling bounce test (point each light at the ceiling separately, then look at the floor. Alternate the lights to see which one makes the floor look brighter). With that test the SC52 was brighter. It was hard to tell though as the tints were different. My D25A is 4500k neutral.

I usually run my lights on li-ion. On that kind of cell I find the SC52 much more practical. I don't have to worry about it overheating as it has automatic step-down. And unlike the D25a, the SC52 maintains full functionality on li-ion cells.


----------



## MojaveMoon07

Fireclaw18 said:


> When comparing my SC52 to my Thrunite 1C (both on li-ion), [...]



I'm grateful for your analysis. After a fall that I had had, ever since I've had some nervousness sometimes about nighttime walks because now I know firsthand what the recovery process is if I ever have to face it again. I'm sharing that because it affected my conclusion of what is of greater importance to me in a flashlight. The spill of my 4sevens MiniAAx2 is dim enough that outdoors on a nightwalk certain terrain seemingly "swallows up" the brightness so that I'm left feeling like I have to navigate solely with the hotspot; if I try to compensate by increasing the brightness, that sorta helps because the spill is a little brighter but it can backfire because the hotspot might now be too bright for what the terrain and the situation call for.

I felt like I needed to explain to give some background about myself before I ask whether you think the spill is still bright enough if you run the sc52 on a AA battery.

When I was recently surveying the XML flashlights on the market, the most compact one I could find under 3.5" that runs on AA is a Balder HD-1. Longer than that, the next most compact one might be the Xeno E03. So the length, compactness, button all could make the sc52 a great EDC for me.

Regarding your concerns about the narrow spill of the Neutron 1C, your descriptions are precise and clear. But my first hand experience with flashlights is still limited enough that I don't have a personal frame of reference to draw upon to be able to visualize what you are explaining.


----------



## reppans

MojaveMoon07 said:


> What "nonsense" could you be referring to ?



That would be me - I believe ZL employs some bait-and-switch marketing tactics with it lumen claims. But one is being shipped to me as we speak and I will report its objective measurements vs some of its closest competitors.


----------



## LightWalker

reppans said:


> That would be me - I believe ZL employs some bait-and-switch marketing tactics with it lumen claims. But one is being shipped to me as we speak and I will report its objective measurements vs some of its closest competitors.



I look forward to your report.


----------



## moozooh

MojaveMoon07 said:


> The spill of my 4sevens MiniAAx2 is dim enough that outdoors on a nightwalk certain terrain seemingly "swallows up" the brightness so that I'm left feeling like I have to navigate solely with the hotspot; if I try to compensate by increasing the brightness, that sorta helps because the spill is a little brighter but it can backfire because the hotspot might now be too bright for what the terrain and the situation call for.



Actually it sounds like your needs would be far better suited with a diffused or a bare LED light. With reflected light it's always going to be a compromise between spill that is too dim and hotspot that is too bright. Have you considered something like, say, H502d or H600Fw instead of SC52? Or maybe something with a wide-angle TIR lens?


----------



## shelm

LightWalker said:


> I look forward to your report.



+ 1

:wave:


----------



## cyclesport

Error...sorry.


----------



## cyclesport

Fireclaw18 said:


> I don't have a Thrunite 1A, but I do have a Thrunite 1C.
> 
> Comparing my Thrunite 1C on 16340 to my SC52 on 14500, the Zebralight has a much more useful beam for close up use. One of the things I really don't like about the Thrunite is that the beam is a relatively narrow cone due to the deep reflector, but at the same time the hotspot isn't very tight so it doesn't have great throw.



You make valid points. I am still waiting for a neutral version on the SC52, but caved and ordered the U2 binned version from GG yesterday since it too looks to be a great EDC light addition. I have a bunch of truly exceptional XM-L small EDC lights that really are my favorites, but generally give the same type of beam characterized by a large bright diffuse hotspot with a substantially dimmer huge spill. This type of beam, and judging from the video in this thread is what I'll also get with the SC52, and really is the best type IMO for general everyday EDC tasks. 

I don't think that the Neutron series is the epitome of EDC light design by any stretch. And, it's not nearly as a refined design as the SC52, but Thrunite's departure from this general shallow reflector design embraced by most current EDC manufactureres gives us something new & different in that it not only offers a big hotspot and very bright spill, (although narrower than most) yet also punches out somewhat farther in the dark. It's no thrower, but outside on a dark night it's oddly intense, tight floody beam does reach a good 50 feet or so beyond the current crop of shallow reflector XM-L EDC lights that I have. I guess I just like variety.


----------



## Self-Ballasted Scamp

Vman63 said:


> Shipped! Ordered November 16. Excited about getting this light.


11/19 here, no notice yet--but getting close!


----------



## shelm

Found this pic on the WWW, someone who ordered his sample from ZL Texas USA.
Another example of bad centered emitter, thanks!


----------



## LightWalker

Maybe it just looks uncentered because of the angle it was shot.


----------



## eloreno

LightWalker said:


> Maybe it just looks uncentered because of the angle it was shot.




+1
That's what I'm thinking. It is certainly hard to tell for sure at that angle.


----------



## lightdelight

LightWalker said:


> Maybe it just looks uncentered because of the angle it was shot.



Yea, can't judge based on this photo. With this shallow of a reflector and this large of a die, I think there is some room for error anyways.


----------



## g.p.

+1

Plus the photo is much larger than 1:1 scale. Any error is going to be magnified and look worse than it is. Most of my flashlights (not just ZL) are less than perfect, but all of the beams look just fine.


----------



## CarpentryHero

Mine is well centered, it took over a month to get here. The third low mode is pretty awesome. I've only used it with an eneloop so far.


----------



## nanucq

CarpentryHero said:


> Mine is well centered, it took over a month to get here. The third low mode is pretty awesome. I've only used it with an eneloop so far.


+1 , well centered, superb beam and no rings, no green. Except for the 0.01 lm mode, i prefer 0.06, more "usable" and lower than my SC600 0.1


----------



## Mojer

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Can anyone comment as to which brand of 14500 batteries they have found work well with this light? Thanks


----------



## nanucq

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

SC52 works well vith AW 14500, no fitting problem (can handle wider and longer 14500)


----------



## Mojer

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



nanucq said:


> SC52 works well vith AW 14500, no fitting problem (can handle wider and longer 14500)



Thanks.....any recommendations on a brand?


----------



## g.p.

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

AW is the brand.

I ordered the Zebralight 14500s for mine. I hope they fit!


----------



## Vman63

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



g.p. said:


> I ordered the Zebralight 14500s for mine. I hope they fit!



It would be pretty funny if they didn't!:santa:


----------



## CVLPA

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Vman63 said:


> It would be pretty funny if they didn't!:santa:


The Zebralight 14500 do indeed fit!


----------



## henry1960

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



CVLPA said:


> The Zebralight 14500 do indeed fit!





And longer runtimes then the AW`S...840mah


----------



## AVService

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I got my 4 ZL batteries in the other day,now all I need is the SC52!


----------



## henry1960

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



AVService said:


> I got my 4 ZL batteries in the other day,now all I need is the SC52!




I have had mine for two weeks or so and ordered another from GG which should be in today, but as a rule i never buy two of the same lights but with this one i could not resist!!


----------



## AVService

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I can see that mine is in town too but I can't be sure I will get it before Monday?
So close yet so far!


----------



## bluemax_1

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Mojer said:


> Thanks.....any recommendations on a brand?



I tested the ZL 840mAh 14500 against an AW 750mAh 14500 and yes, I did see a roughly 12-15% increase in runtimes, so the ZL 14500 is worth it. Pity they designed them as flat tops though, because they don't work reliably in my Quark QPA-G2.


Max


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



cyclesport said:


> Good timing...it looks like GG sold their entire 30+(?) shipment in just 3 days.



i am no owner yet so i am posting in this thread 
the above quote is correct, i called GG and they confirmed that they sold their entire batch (30pcs) within the few days. they had ordered more but ZL did a partial fulfillment. ZL seems to ration their factory produce. if they produce 100pcs and there are 4 dealers who ordered 120pcs each (=4x 120 = a demand of 480), then every dealer gets maybe 25 (25x4 = 100) in the first shipment. And the missing 95pcs next time.

with xmas and such a seemingly(!) high demand, getting a SC52 is like getting a limited edition lol. much more limited than the Fenix PD32UE. i know places around the globe who have stock of the PD32UE but there is only that French store which stocks the SC52.


----------



## Climb14er

shelm said:


> i canceled my order and am
> 
> buying now the Eagletac D25A *2013 *Titanium Edition instead.
> 
> Now regulated on 14500's (no more direct drive!) and has XP-G2 emitter. Everything in a beautiful Titanium 1xAA package!
> 
> 
> ZL, see you in anotha life brotha! :wave:



I received my EagleTac D25A Clicky Ti 2013 light and can say... this is one beautiful light! It's super lightweight, very slim and the light UI functions perfectly. The lightbeam is absolutely perfect, the amount of lumens are more than enough for me using Eneloops. The D25A simply is IMHO, a great'gentleman's pocket light', an ideal backup light for me in my mountaineering climbing pack as it's so light and small, and a light that is totally bright and functional especially for its size.

The SC52 is probably going to arrive today or tomorrow and with both of these small AA lights, they are the perfect accompaniment to my SC600 and Triton M30 18650 lights. 

I'll EDC the small AA lights when I need something small but my regular EDC will still be the SC600 as it's 'the bomb' when it comes to lighting things up well. The M30 is my bedside light that resides next to my Sig P220 .45ACP and spare mag. 

The EagleTac is a really cool and super bright AA light!


----------



## Fireclaw18

Climb14er said:


> I received my EagleTac D25A Clicky Ti 2013 light and can say... this is one beautiful light! It's super lightweight, very slim and the light UI functions perfectly. The lightbeam is absolutely perfect, the amount of lumens are more than enough for me using Eneloops. The D25A simply is IMHO, a great'gentleman's pocket light', an ideal backup light for me in my mountaineering climbing pack as it's so light and small, and a light that is totally bright and functional especially for its size.
> 
> The SC52 is probably going to arrive today or tomorrow and with both of these small AA lights, they are the perfect accompaniment to my SC600 and Triton M30 18650 lights.
> 
> I'll EDC the small AA lights when I need something small but my regular EDC will still be the SC600 as it's 'the bomb' when it comes to lighting things up well. The M30 is my bedside light that resides next to my Sig P220 .45ACP and spare mag.
> 
> The EagleTac is a really cool and super bright AA light!



Where'd you buy the 2013 edition D25a? Feel free to PM me.


----------



## Fireclaw18

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



henry1960 said:


> I have had mine for two weeks or so and ordered another from GG which should be in today, but as a rule i never buy two of the same lights but with this one i could not resist!!



Me too! First time I've ever bought 2 of the same light. Though I plan to give away the second one as a Christmas gift.


----------



## Climb14er

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I received the SC52 earlier and compared this to the D25A Ti Clicky 2013 downstairs in my dark basement. Both of these lights are very high quality. In fact, I'm unbelievably impressed with each of these lights. 

The EagleTac appears to me to have a more focused beam while the ZL is bit more floody. Though both of the lights zero in on an object on the wall and illuminates it very well. 

Both have excellent light aspects to them though through my naked eye, I think the D25A is a bit more 'white'. 

In all honesty, I don't think you could go wrong with either as a very small pocket-able EDC. As mentioned, I'm running only Eneloops through each as I have not taken the time to purchase any 14500's. 

If I were to take a guess regarding durability, I think the ZL will handle banging around a little more than the EagleTac. The latter's Ti 'thinner' skin might leave it more susceptible to dings than the ZL. Granted, I have not dropped either at this time to find out. LOL

Time will tell which light I will like better but for now, in the initial stages of using the lights, it's a toss up using Eneloops. They're both THAT GOOD!


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Climb14er said:


> it's a toss up using Eneloops



On Eneloops, the SC52 XM-L is rated *280* ANSI lumens, the D25A Clicky XP-G2 is rated *121 *ANSI lumens. If these 2 numbers are exact and correct, then the human should see a brightness difference between the 2 lights, for example by looking at the _opposite _white wall of a white _wall _bounce, or by looking at the _floor _of a white _ceiling _bounce.

reppans is going to provide some hard measured numbers .. 
but what does your naked eye say so far?

Are your eyes able to tell, which light looks brighter .. and by how much? 280/121 = factor *2.3*


----------



## Climb14er

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> On Eneloops, the SC52 XM-L is rated *280* ANSI lumens, the D25A Clicky XP-G2 is rated *121 *ANSI lumens. If these 2 numbers are exact and correct, then the human should see a brightness difference between the 2 lights, for example by looking at the _opposite _white wall of a white _wall _bounce, or by looking at the _floor _of a white _ceiling _bounce.
> 
> reppans is going to provide some hard measured numbers ..
> but what does your naked eye say so far?
> 
> Are your eyes able to tell, which light looks brighter .. and by how much? 280/121 = factor *2.3*



As you could see, I've been on the forum for just about ten years but only have seventy posts. I've only purchased about eight lights during this whole time as I tend to use the lights in virtually all of my endeavors, climbing, mountaineering, home and auto and motorcycle repair, self defense, travel and vehicle carry. Many of you folks have a lot more experience with light 'explanation' that I do. 

With that said... as mentioned, it is my observation that the D25A Ti Clicky 2013 had more 'throw' and a more concentrated beam of light. The ZL52, while having more lumens, is more floody but still has good concentration of light.

It could very well be that my eyes see the throw aspect of the EagleTac as 'equal' to the higher lumen aspect of the floodier ZL. Plus the emitter of the D25A is different than the ZL's.

You folks who are more versed in the entire lumen aspect of all these lights and LED's could possibly see differences and variances better than I can and explain them better as well.

All I know is that both of these lights are really A+ designs and my eyes can easier utilize both lights to do what I want from them.

Hopefully I've articulated well what I've seen and experienced.

Once again, both of these lights are very well made and totally acceptable to me. 

I hope you all feel the same way you do about these lights as they are really neat designs in a small and powerful package!


----------



## lmorrison17

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Seems I read somewhere that ET publishes very conservative output specs.


----------



## Pretbek

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Climb14er said:


> It could very well be that my eyes see the throw aspect of the EagleTac as 'equal' to the higher lumen aspect of the floodier ZL.



Well yeah that makes sense: Much lower lumens but most of that light concentrated in a smaller area might result in a similar amount of lux compared to the ZL. 
So it puts out less total amount of light (121 Lm versus 280 Lm) but it has similar intensity (amount of light per square inch, lux). 

I'm sure B0ws3r can explain it much better, but I hope you know what I mean.


----------



## mgscheue

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> i am no owner yet so i am posting in this thread
> the above quote is correct, i called GG and they confirmed that they sold their entire batch (30pcs) within the few days. they had ordered more but ZL did a partial fulfillment. ZL seems to ration their factory produce. if they produce 100pcs and there are 4 dealers who ordered 120pcs each (=4x 120 = a demand of 480), then every dealer gets maybe 25 (25x4 = 100) in the first shipment. And the missing 95pcs next time.
> 
> with xmas and such a seemingly(!) high demand, getting a SC52 is like getting a limited edition lol. much more limited than the Fenix PD32UE. i know places around the globe who have stock of the PD32UE but there is only that French store which stocks the SC52.



I ordered one from GG last night and got a note today saying they're sorry but they're all gone and they probably won't be getting any more until mid to late January. I guess I waited just a bit too long before jumping on it.


----------



## Mojer

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



mgscheue said:


> I ordered one from GG last night and got a note today saying they're sorry but they're all gone and they probably won't be getting any more until mid to late January. I guess I waited just a bit too long before jumping on it.



Yup....me to. Stinks!!!


----------



## Mojer

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



mgscheue said:


> I ordered one from GG last night and got a note today saying they're sorry but they're all gone and they probably won't be getting any more until mid to late January. I guess I waited just a bit too long before jumping on it.



any idea where to get one before the end of January? How about directly through Zebralight?


----------



## twl

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Not to worry.
There's plenty of Chinese lights out there to choose from.
There have even been some posts on this thread where people are enjoying their other brands of light as much as their Zebralight.
You might even find you enjoy another brand even more. You might even find(gasp!




) that there is life beyond Zebralight.


----------



## cyclesport

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

Not sure where they're located (presumably US), nor am I familiar w/this site, but a place called "Expedition Warehouse" currently shows stock on the SC52. Just Google it or you can PM me for a link.


----------



## shelm

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

On CPFMP a dealer called TorchDirect had the SC52 in stock, FREE conus shipping, 10%OFF coupon code, Christmas was saved until he just sold out too!!


----------



## brightasday

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> On CPFMP a dealer called TorchDirect had the SC52 in stock, FREE conus shipping, 10%OFF coupon code, Christmas was saved until he just sold out too!!



TorchDirect seems to be out of stock.


----------



## jbrett14

*Re: Zebralight SC52*

I still don't understand how these companies manufacture their lights. Are they each made individually by hand, or are they made like automobiles on an assembly line? Seems like they would produce thousands, knowing how eager folks have been to get these. I don't understand how there could already be a back-order.


----------



## NiteShift

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



jbrett14 said:


> I still don't understand how these companies manufacture their lights. Are they each made individually by hand, or are they made like automobiles on an assembly line? Seems like they would produce thousands, knowing how eager folks have been to get these. I don't understand how there could already be a back-order.



I could be wrong but I think the initial run of lights were to made to order, i.e they only made as many lights as there were pre-orders. Depending on the sucsess of that they would go into full sacle manurfaturing, or do a second round of pre-orders? A post pre-order, post-order?

As for how they're made, probably similar to this http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-1-Introduction-to-the-manufacturing-facility


----------



## reppans

Hey folks, my SC52 came in yesterday (from GG, thanks Shelm) and I ran the DSLR lumen test last night. 

First off, there were no quality control issues to speak of other than loose clip screws. My emitter is blemish free and well centered, the threads are even and smooth, and although there is a slight greenish tint, I'm no tint snob and find my eyes have a natural auto white balance - after a minute or so I just get use it and it becomes unnoticeable. 

Just to get it out of the way first, here's a tint picture with all lights on moonlight (top) and max, or near max (bottom). Note that a QAA-S2 was included as this light is considered to be one of the all time meany greenies. While the S2 does take getting use to, to me the milder green of this 52 is virtually unnoticeable except for white wall comparison tests. FWIW my favorite tint of the lot is the QAAX NW. Note that pictures always over exaggerate tints and I'm not so sure about the "tint shift" thing people always talk about - I personally think it is a psychological / human perception thing. From left to right: Quark AA-X CW, Quark AA-S2 CW, T10-R5 CW, SC52-X CW, Quark AA-X NW, D25A Clicky - X NW, H51W - R5? 






Next up, lumen tests using a DSLR as an ambient lumen meter.


----------



## TweakMDS

From that tiny pic, the beam profile looks quite similar to the D25 you have there. Is that the XM-L or XP-G? I have both so I'll know what to expect 

By the way, any chance you have a greycard and a flash? I always try to use my Canon 580EX flash with a greycard as a benchmark for "white" at 5500K at +10 in lightroom (or whatever raw processing software). That way you can actually see how far the light varies from white in both color temperature and tint. The first number is the color temp in Kelvin (basically a gradient from blue to yellow), and the second one is the tint offset from magenta to green. 

If you take some shots of each light on the greycard in RAW with 5500K+10 (or whatever the flash uses) and then set the auto white balance by pointing at the greycard in lightroom, it'll give the exact color value of your light.

I suppose I made this sound more complicated than it needs to be, but I'll try to write a small guide over the holidays.

PS. As a note to anyone trying this, it's best to spot meter on the hotspot. If you use evaluative metering the hot spot will probably overexpose and your DSLR will probably clip to #FFFFFF - disregarding that the raw files are probably 12 or 14 bit and have some more latitude in the highlights.


----------



## reppans

reppans said:


> Next up, lumen tests using a DSLR as an ambient lumen meter.



OK, here are the results of the DSLR lumen test. If anybody has a DSLR and some basic photography background, PM me and I'll tell you how it works. It's easy... test your lights yourself.

On the top, the D25A Clicky XML NW was used to calibrate the camera at 125 lumens. I cannot accurately meter below 0.10 lumen... guess its just too dim to register. On the bottom I used the SC52 to calibrate the camera at 250 lumens (next slot is 320 which is too high).






I show both calibrations since the first happens to align quite well with 3 of the 4 manufacturer's listed specifications, while the other aligns more closely with what Zebralight thinks and what you might find on Selfbuilt's reviews. Selfbuilt has reviewed the QAA2X, Neutron 1A (but not T10), and various D25 Clickies (but not D25A), and found each to be under-spec'd by ~ 100 lumens on turbo, while confirming the SC51 lumen to be spot on. You decide what you want to believe.

The bottom line is that I have measured the SC52 to be the highest output light on a single Eneloop in my collection, and by a decent margin. It, however, will not double output of the competing lights, which on the XML/Eneloop combo, all seem to top out around the 140 lumen mark in the manufacturer listed specs. The SC52 actually did better than I expected... good for Zebralight.

A couple of notes: 

The 225 max lumens is short lived. After the few minutes it took to meter all the modes, I lost the ability to reproduce the 225 and the light fell to a solid 200 (still the brightest). Swapping the battery with the QAAX (which had less runtime) it again came up to 225, while the Quark produced the same results. I guess this is to be expected when you're squeezing every last ounce from an Eneloop.

The most disappointing thing for me (although this is personal preference) were the low-end modes, which is what I happen to use the most for things like camping, and was looking forward to in the SC52. Despite the same moonlight and low specs as the QAAX, the SC52 only proves to be 1/3 and 1/2 the Quark's illumination. The SC52's 0.34 lumens is lower than the T10's 0.09 firefly, and only half it's own sibling, the H51w, despite double the listed spec - and you can see it in the above moonlight tint picture. I was originally considering doing some runtime tests since ZL has spec'd this light an unbelievable 3x the runtime of the Quark on the low modes.... but now I guess I see how it is realistic. I was really hoping for moonlight modes that are as bright as the Quark yet still with the option of going dimmer than the ThruNite AND way more efficient than either - oh well.

All in all, it's a great light though and will move into my EDC rotation. It's not very costly and you get a lot for your dollar. I'm happy to have this one, think I have a good sample, and believe everyone will also enjoy theirs. However, one other small personal preference item will keep me from buying many ZLs, or even recommending them to my friends or family - and that's the warranty, or lack thereof.


----------



## reppans

Tweak...

Its an XML in NW. I hear you on the white balance, but I'm not as concerned with the tint thing... the pix was just a quick-and-dirty thing.


----------



## shelm

reppans said:


> The bottom line is that I have measured the SC52 to be the highest output light on a single Eneloop in my collection, and by a decent margin. It, however, will not double output of the competing lights, which on the XML/Eneloop combo, all seem to top out around the 140 lumen mark in the manufacturer listed specs.



Immense efforts reppans, thanks a million for doing so! I've indexed your post in the OP under "measurements" :thumbsup:
We see, the SC52 CW is on your paper almost double as bright as the D25A NW. Both are xml and floody.
Can you see the brightness difference with your eyes too? I know that the tint difference makes things harder ..


----------



## twl

shelm said:


> Immense efforts reppans, thanks a million for doing so! I've indexed your post in the OP under "measurements" :thumbsup:
> We see, the SC52 CW is on your paper almost double as bright as the D25A NW. Both are xml and floody.
> Can you see the brightness difference with your eyes too? I know that the tint difference makes things harder ..



By linear numbers it is measured in that test to be 90-100 lumens brighter.
By the db scale, it's well within the 3db margin, which isn't much. A lot could depend on the beam type and lux in center of beam, as to which might appear brighter.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

Got my pre-ordered SC52 in on Friday, and really love this light. It looks outstanding, and is smaller than I expected. My primary edc for the past two years has been a Quark AA (now called a Quark QPA) with a neutral XML head on it & using a 14500. I like the SC52 more and not just because the zebra's have my favorite UI. The SC52 is smaller (no surprise,) but it makes the Quark AA seem chunky in size comparison (which is a surprise.) The SC52 output options are excellent, and having the ability to program H2, M2, and L2 is awesome. Love the new switch, and it's not going to turn on by accident like the SC51. I even like the SC52 switch better than my SC600. The SC52 is quieter. You can barely hear the click on the SC52, where as, the SC600 makes some noise....not really a big deal though.

There is one thing I'd like to see changed on the SC52 - under the pocket clip (towards the head) there is a 90 degree angled ridge that gets hung up on my pocket when pulling the light out of my pocket. This ridge needs to be filed down a bit, so it slides out a little more smoothly. That's my only complaint, and looks like it'd be easy to file down with a dremel tool.

I won the tint lottery, and got one that has almost no green at all. Without comparing it to my other lights it looked very white. When I compared it to my many other lights the SC52 is a nice white with a leaning towards blue.

I'm glad to have a worthy AA sized Zebralight in my edc rotation, and love that it supports a 14500 Li-ion. I even like the battery indicator on this thing....cool. The first ZL that I edc'd was an SC30, but the thing kept turning on my pocket. The switch problem has FINALLY been fixed with the AA series of zebras, and there seems to be a near 0 chance of accidental activation. 

It would not surprise me if the SC52 ends up as one of the best selling lights (in this price range) for 2013.....and as one of the top ten lights on the Flashaholics top 10 "Must-Have" list - Click Here To View 

Now, I'm looking forward to the neutral version, and the headlight version of this new excellent design!


----------



## reppans

shelm said:


> Immense efforts reppans, thanks a million for doing so! I've indexed your post in the OP under "measurements" :thumbsup:
> We see, the SC52 CW is on your paper almost double as bright as the D25A NW. Both are xml and floody.
> Can you see the brightness difference with your eyes too? I know that the tint difference makes things harder ..



Well first off, all my Eneloops either have a few minutes runtime on them from the tests, or have been sitting for a bit and so are all just below 1.40v. As mentioned, the 225 is only available for a few minutes on an ultra-freshly charged batt. (and I'm not going to charge them for this eye-ball). so I'm probably working with 200 vs 125, or a 60% increase in lumens (26% perceived increase according the 4x lumens = 2x perceived thing; with which I strongly agree).

Basically what TWL said. No I can't tell a difference between the SC51 and D25A due to the massive difference in tints. Even comparing the CW QAAX and T10, I still can't tell the difference between the three due to beam pattern differences, and it's just too subtle on ceiling bounce tests. 

I've said this elsewhere before, but for me, when comparing the same light (beam & tint) I can reliably see differences starting at ~ 50% lumen (22% perceived) increases. When comparing different lights (beam & tint) I need ~ 100% (41% perceived) increases to reliably determine the differences. This is actually what lead to the DSLR ambient lumen meter thing - to improve my "eye-ball" accuracy from 1-stop (100%) to the camera's 1/3rd stop (33%), oh...and of course, my skepticism on ZL's lumen claims - thank you ZL ;-).

I'll finish with this... 200 vs 125 lumens is a 60% increase (26% perceived). Shelm, you have the D25A and turbo vs high is 122 vs 75, or a 63% increase (28% perceived). I can see the difference, barely, only because I'm looking at the same beam, same tint and I'm twisting the bezel. If someone else were doing it and there was a fraction of second darkness between mode switching, or the beam had moved..... I'm not sure I could tell the difference.


----------



## reppans

Outdoorsman5 said:


> Got my pre-ordered SC52 in on Friday.... My primary edc for the past two years has been a Quark AA (now called a Quark QPA) with a neutral XML head on it & using a 14500....



Finally, someone else with a QAAX!... 

Outdoorsman, do you find the 0.34 moonlight mode of the SC52 to be significantly dimmer than the QAAX moonlight? Also, how does the 0.34 moonlight level of the SC52 compare to the SC30 (not sure what spec is)? My SC52 0.34 ML is much dimmer than both my H51w 0.18 ML and QAAX 0.3 ML. And how about the 2.7 lows between the SC52 and QAAX (both spec'd the same)? 

I'm trying to determine if my unit is defective... even using a ZL-lumen scale, all my SC52 moonlight levels, and low, seem to be way off spec.


----------



## shelm

reppans said:


> If someone else were doing it and there was a fraction of second *darkness between* mode switching, or the beam had moved..... I'm not sure I could tell the difference.



Hehe.. all right you got me there. I totally agree with you.
You win 

In the end SC52 is a mere paper tiger then. Doesnt look brighter than D25A in RL situations. Good to know.
After such helpful beam comparisons i am really questioning the use of technical or professional flashlight reviews.
I know me, once i got a light, i am not interested in the reviews anymore and also complete forget about the data, graphs and specs.
Really, personally i dont care about runtimes ..for this i bought chargers and cells.. but in the end i mostly care about the beam perfection. That is, tint, LED centricity, beam pattern, no doughnut hole, no artifacts. We know that some higher-priced RRT01's and Sirius Ti's have poor beams compared to their asking price.


reppans said:


> clicky



http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/6097/8278653322d920449585o.jpg

Thanks!!!


----------



## reppans

shelm said:


> Thanks also for the beamshot pic. A little small jpg .. with posted.jpg[\img][\url] it'd be possible to link to the full size image ;)[/QUOTE]
> 
> [URL="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8495/8278653322_d920449585_o.jpg"]clicky[/URL]


----------



## Fireclaw18

Second SC52 just arrived from Goinggear.

Second one has a perfectly centered emitter and perfect anodize. First one emitter was a fraction of a mm off center and anodize near button had slight imperfection.

However, when shining them at a white wall the first one seems slightly brighter and slightly more focused. They are both very close though so it's hard to tell. Tint on both seems identical. Nice cool white.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

reppans said:


> Finally, someone else with a QAAX!...
> 
> Outdoorsman, do you find the 0.34 moonlight mode of the SC52 to be significantly dimmer than the QAAX moonlight? Also, how does the 0.34 moonlight level of the SC52 compare to the SC30 (not sure what spec is)? My SC52 0.34 ML is much dimmer than both my H51w 0.18 ML and QAAX 0.3 ML. And how about the 2.7 lows between the SC52 and QAAX (both spec'd the same)?
> 
> I'm trying to determine if my unit is defective... even using a ZL-lumen scale, all my SC52 moonlight levels, and low, seem to be way off spec.



1. Yes the .34 moonlight mode on the SC52 is significantly dimmer than the .3 lumen moonlight mode of the QAAX. To me though, I like the .34 lumen mode on the SC52 better....seems to be about the perfect brightness for a moonlight mode. I always thought the QAAX moon mode was slightly too bright when my eyes were fully adjusted for dark. I do wonder now which one is correct. Looks like ZL has overstated this output.

2. I'll compare the SC52 to my SC30 and other lights tonight, and get back to you.

3. The 2.7 lumen low on my QAAX is only slightly brighter than the 2.7 lumen low on the SC52. I'll test it out again tonight to be sure of this (I have both the neutral and cool white head for the quark AAX, and will test both.)


----------



## SonnyJim

reppans said:


> clicky



Hmmmm... that settles it, NW or HCRI for me for sure. Never thought I was a tint snob, but I guess I am : )


----------



## markr6

reppans said:


> clicky


D25A Clicky - X NW = beautiful tint!


----------



## TweakMDS

Reppans, thanks for that very informative post. I can't wait to try my lights in a test similar to this. Finally getting some use out of my sekonic lightmeter (other than metering flash). I wonder if I'll get the same results as you.


----------



## Lighteous

*Re: Zebralight SC52*



Mojer said:


> Can anyone comment as to which brand of 14500 batteries they have found work well with this light? Thanks



I have used both AW and Eagletac brand 14500's with complete success.


----------



## reppans

Outdoorsman5 said:


> 1. Yes the .34 moonlight mode on the SC52 is significantly dimmer than the .3 lumen moonlight mode of the QAAX. To me though, I like the .34 lumen mode on the SC52 better....seems to be about the perfect brightness for a moonlight mode. I always thought the QAAX moon mode was slightly too bright when my eyes were fully adjusted for dark. I do wonder now which one is correct. Looks like ZL has overstated this output.
> 
> 2. I'll compare the SC52 to my SC30 and other lights tonight, and get back to you.
> 
> 3. The 2.7 lumen low on my QAAX is only slightly brighter than the 2.7 lumen low on the SC52. I'll test it out again tonight to be sure of this (I have both the neutral and cool white head for the quark AAX, and will test both.)



Thanks, appreciate it. I have both the CW and NW AAXs too and just comparing them now, both feel a lot brighter than the 2x measurement that I took earlier. Be interesting to hear your thoughts later tonight. 

The SC52 moonlight specs are definitely overstated, of that I am certain. When I bumped the camera lumen scale to match all the SC52's M and H modes, the low modes were still way off. A camera only knows ratios and proportions, so after showing it what 250 should look like, it then knows that 25 lumens should be 1/10th of that 250, 2.5 is 1/100th, and 0.25 is 1/1000th.

I agree that the QAAX ML is at times too bright, and that's what I was looking forward to on the SC52 - an ability to have 0.34 AND be able to select a lower 0.06. Reason I like the QAAX (and D25A) ML level is for reading in bed without disturbing the Mrs. too much - the 0.2s of the R5s felt just a bit eye straining to me. The SC52 ML is definitely too low, while its low is too high, for reading... but again, it's personal preference.

Anyways, based on the measured differences between the QAAX, D25A-X, and SC52 low lumen modes, the incredible ZL runtime specs now seem quite reasonable and equally efficient across the three brands - this now makes sense to me.


----------



## reppans

TweakMDS said:


> Reppans, thanks for that very informative post. I can't wait to try my lights in a test similar to this. Finally getting some use out of my sekonic lightmeter (other than metering flash). I wonder if I'll get the same results as you.



Hey Tweak... I know you're a photographer and actually I have to thank you for the idea about using a DSLR as a ambient lumen meter - it came from one of your posts way back. PM me when to get to testing your lights, I'd love to compare notes on your methodology when you have a chance. Keep in mind, I'm an amateur and only have the DSLR - no light meters. Because of the consistency of my results and triangulation with (most) manufacturer's listed specs, I feel my methodology is correct and accurate, but I would welcome the opinion a professional to confirm, or point any holes out. 

I'm trying to get others to independently test themselves (there has to be other DSLR owners around?), but despite several offers, there are no takers. I welcome independent verification and only take offense from certain members that have dissed my skeptical Zebralight comments because "Selfbuilt said...."


----------



## reppans

SonnyJim said:


> Hmmmm... that settles it, NW or HCRI for me for sure. Never thought I was a tint snob, but I guess I am : )



I wouldn't exclude cool white purchases based on that photo. 



reppans said:


> ...Note that pictures always over exaggerate tints...



I purposely under-exposed the shots to bring out the slight tint differences for comparative purposes, they do not appear anywhere near that level of difference in real life. Except for QAA-S2, which I think everybody finds a little distasteful, I'd be very hard pressed to tell the difference between the other three cool whites, if shown them one at a time. And actually, I like them all.




markr6 said:


> D25A Clicky - X NW = beautiful tint!



Well, could be the camera once again - I find the D25A to be on the yellowish side. 

I know its all personal preference, but if I were to rank the tints, it would be as follows:

NW - QAAX, H51w, D25A
CW - T10, QAAX, SC51, QAAS2


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

Looks like Light Junction just got 30 in stock for all those who missed preorder. Lovin mine.


----------



## LEDburn

Has anyone from Australia received their sc52 yet? 
I got my shipping notification on the 23rd and as of yet nothing has showed up and the tracking code doesn't, and never did work either.

Starting to get anxious


----------



## HighlanderNorth

reppans said:


> OK, here are the results of the DSLR lumen test. If anybody has a DSLR and some basic photography background, PM me and I'll tell you how it works. It's easy... test your lights yourself.
> 
> On the top, the D25A Clicky XML NW was used to calibrate the camera at 125 lumens. I cannot accurately meter below 0.10 lumen... guess its just too dim to register. On the bottom I used the SC52 to calibrate the camera at 250 lumens (next slot is 320 which is too high).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I show both calibrations since the first happens to align quite well with 3 of the 4 manufacturer's listed specifications, while the other aligns more closely with what Zebralight thinks and what you might find on Selfbuilt's reviews. Selfbuilt has reviewed the QAA2X, Neutron 1A (but not T10), and various D25 Clickies (but not D25A), and found each to be under-spec'd by ~ 100 lumens on turbo, while confirming the SC51 lumen to be spot on. You decide what you want to believe.
> 
> The bottom line is that I have measured the SC52 to be the highest output light on a single Eneloop in my collection, and by a decent margin. It, however, will not double output of the competing lights, which on the XML/Eneloop combo, all seem to top out around the 140 lumen mark in the manufacturer listed specs. The SC52 actually did better than I expected... good for Zebralight.
> 
> A couple of notes:
> 
> The 225 max lumens is short lived. After the few minutes it took to meter all the modes, I lost the ability to reproduce the 225 and the light fell to a solid 200 (still the brightest). Swapping the battery with the QAAX (which had less runtime) it again came up to 225, while the Quark produced the same results. I guess this is to be expected when you're squeezing every last ounce from an Eneloop.
> 
> The most disappointing thing for me (although this is personal preference) were the low-end modes, which is what I happen to use the most for things like camping, and was looking forward to in the SC52. Despite the same moonlight and low specs as the QAAX, the SC52 only proves to be 1/3 and 1/2 the Quark's illumination. The SC52's 0.34 lumens is lower than the T10's 0.09 firefly, and only half it's own sibling, the H51w, despite double the listed spec - and you can see it in the above moonlight tint picture. I was originally considering doing some runtime tests since ZL has spec'd this light an unbelievable 3x the runtime of the Quark on the low modes.... but now I guess I see how it is realistic. I was really hoping for moonlight modes that are as bright as the Quark yet still with the option of going dimmer than the ThruNite AND way more efficient than either - oh well.
> 
> All in all, it's a great light though and will move into my EDC rotation. It's not very costly and you get a lot for your dollar. I'm happy to have this one, think I have a good sample, and believe everyone will also enjoy theirs. However, one other small personal preference item will keep me from buying many ZLs, or even recommending them to my friends or family - and that's the warranty, or lack thereof.





Very quickly, which light brands do have the best warranties(that they truly honor)? Also, reading the above post, you mentioned that the SC52's low is .34 lumens, but that it is lower than the Thrunite T10's .09L firefly. Really? 

I decided to do my own comparison between a few of my smaller lights. My other AA single AA light(Spark Sl5 210cw is in for warranty and has been for about 10 weeks) but I compared my Jetbeam PA10 and my BC10 to the SC52. The BC10 is a CR123 light, but its top mode is listed as 270L, which is right at the AA turbo setting of the SC52. The PA10 was spec'd at 140L on an AA as I recall. 

These lights all have slightly different tints and they different beam profiles as well. But its clear that the SC52's turbo is at least 40-50% higher than the PA-10's when comparing the 2 while doing ceiling and wall tests. But it also seems that the SC52 might be slightly brighter on turbo than the BC10 is on high. The BC10 is listed at 10L lower, but the SC52 seems a little brighter than just 10L. I'm assuming the BC-10's listed specs were probably emitter based and not OTF. However its still difficult to test these by eye because the BC is somewhat of a thrower and has a narrower, more concentrated beam, and its tint is almost 100% neutral white, while the SC52 is slightly warmer by comparison to that completely white, neutral beam. I'd call the SC52 85-90% neutral by comparison. Even with the differences in tint and beam profile its fairly clear that the SC52 is brighter by a little. But its close. So maybe the BC-10 is really around 190L-200L OTF on high(?)


----------



## shelm

TMCGLASSON36 said:


> Looks like Light Junction just got 30 in stock for all those who missed preorder. Lovin mine.



For black friday LJ sent out pp invoices for pre-ordering folks with *18% off* on the 69.99, plus 0.99 lol shipping, that's a total of 58.38 conus. Not bad. Now we can track how fast the 30pcs sell out, thanks!


http://tinyurl.com/zlsc52 said:


> 2012-12-17: 30 Units in Stock
> 2012-12-18: 29,28,27 Units in Stock
> 2012-12-19: 25,24,23 Units in Stock
> 2012-12-20: 22 Units in Stock
> 2012-12-21: 22 Units in Stock
> 2012-12-22: 22 Units in Stock
> 2012-12-23: 20 Units in Stock
> 2012-12-26: 20 Units in Stock
> 2012-12-27: 18 Units in Stock
> 2012-12-28: 18 Units in Stock
> 2012-12-30: 16 Units in Stock
> 2012-12-31: 16 Units in Stock
> 2013-01-02: 16 Units in Stock
> 2013-01-04: 16 Units in Stock
> 2013-01-06: 16 Units in Stock
> 2013-01-07: 15 Units in Stock
> 2013-01-10: 15 Units in Stock
> 2013-01-13: 15 Units in Stock
> 2013-01-16: 15 Units in Stock
> 2013-01-21: 13 Units in Stock
> 2013-01-27: 11 Units in Stock
> 2013-01-30: 10 Units in Stock
> 2013-02-13: 9 Units in Stock
> 2013-02-15: 3 Units in Stock
> 2013-02-18: 1 Unit in Stock
> 2013-02-18: 0 Units in Stock - SOLD OUT!


Maybe the last chance for conus to get 1 pc for xmas! 
LJ has a regular *12% OFF* discount code for CPFMP forum members.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

Reppans & others, 
I compared the output of my SC52 to my Zebralight SC30, SC60, SC600, H600, H501w, H51f, & H51fw. The SC52's output numbers appear to follow along with my other zebralights very closely EXCEPT for the L2 (0.34 lumen) output mode on the SC52. Meaning that the lights with similar advertised output modes to the SC52 actually look similar in output...except for L2. For example, the SC30 L1 is 4 lumens and the SC52 L1 is 2.7 lumens. When doing a ceiling bounce test the SC30 L1 looked slightly brighter than the SC52 L1. The SC600 L1 is 2.8 lumens and the SC52 is 2.7. They looked practically the same. The SC60 H2 (140 lumens) looked slightly more dim than the SC52 L2 (172 lumens.) And, the SC600 along with the H600 H1 (750 lumens) looks a little brighter than the SC52's L1 (500 lumens with a 14500.) 

I found this to be true almost across the board with my other zebras with variances accurring only on L2. Examples of variances - my H51f L2 and H51fw L2 are waaaaay different from each other, so I cannot compare either to the SC52 accurately. Also, my SC60 L2 is way brighter than the advertised 0.18 lumens, but I've always been aware of this variance when I compared it to other lights. Along the way I have been aware of the fact that the advertised output of the moonlight modes in my Zebras were inconsistant, but I've been alright with it since I still find them all to be extremely useful even with silght variances. Also, I have never worried too much about it, but know which ones I prefer.....I generally prefer the lower output of my zebra's moonlight modes compared to the higher output of the quark's moonlight modes. I especially like the moonlight modes that are close to 0.1 lumen in a couple of my zebras. The quark's moonlight modes were always a little too bright when my eyes were fully adjusted to the dark....again, really not a big deal though, and I am splitting hairs here.

So, for the most part it looks like Zebralight is consistant with its advertised output numbers on all output modes except for L2.....since out of my 8 zebralights the L2 appears to be inconsistant in at least 3 or 4 of them. This brings me to the SC52 L2, specifically the 0.34 output mode. When I compared it to my Zebralight SC600 L2 (0.1 lumen) and my H600 L2 (also 0.1 lumen) all three looked almost the same. Assuming the SC600 and the H600 are in fact 0.1 lumens then I'd say the SC52 0.34 is really somewhere around 0.1 lumens. For me this is fortunate since I like that amount of output the most in moonlight mode. For Reppans (see his coments above) it is unfortunate, since it is not bright enough for reading in bed and the L1 is too bright & risks disturbing the Mrs.

Ahhhhhhh, the extreme drama in the world of the flashaholic - :nana:


----------



## g.p.

LEDburn said:


> Has anyone from Australia received their sc52 yet?
> I got my shipping notification on the 23rd and as of yet nothing has showed up and the tracking code doesn't, and never did work either.
> 
> Starting to get anxious


Same here in Canada. I wouldn't get worried yet. It usually takes about this long from China, and it's the Christmas shipping rush too. I've never been able to make the tracking numbers work either.

Wonder if all those who were upset that theirs didn't ship on the same day as us international customers would like to trade now!?!?!


----------



## reppans

HighlanderNorth said:


> Very quickly, which light brands do have the best warranties(that they truly honor)? Also, reading the above post, you mentioned that the SC52's low is .34 lumens, but that it is lower than the Thrunite T10's .09L firefly. Really?
> 
> I decided to do my own comparison between a few of my smaller lights. My other AA single AA light(Spark Sl5 210cw is in for warranty and has been for about 10 weeks) but I compared my Jetbeam PA10 and my BC10 to the SC52. The BC10 is a CR123 light, but its top mode is listed as 270L, which is right at the AA turbo setting of the SC52. The PA10 was spec'd at 140L on an AA as I recall.
> 
> These lights all have slightly different tints and they different beam profiles as well. But its clear that the SC52's turbo is at least 40-50% higher than the PA-10's when comparing the 2 while doing ceiling and wall tests. But it also seems that the SC52 might be slightly brighter on turbo than the BC10 is on high. The BC10 is listed at 10L lower, but the SC52 seems a little brighter than just 10L. I'm assuming the BC-10's listed specs were probably emitter based and not OTF. However its still difficult to test these by eye because the BC is somewhat of a thrower and has a narrower, more concentrated beam, and its tint is almost 100% neutral white, while the SC52 is slightly warmer by comparison to that completely white, neutral beam. I'd call the SC52 85-90% neutral by comparison. Even with the differences in tint and beam profile its fairly clear that the SC52 is brighter by a little. But its close. So maybe the BC-10 is really around 190L-200L OTF on high(?)



On warranties - I'm confident that 4/7s will fix my lights if they ever stop working, and they are still in business. They're in the US so it's unlikely I'd have to wait 2 months. I have a lot of their lights, and gift/recommend many more to friends and family.... so far, I'm not aware of any failures. Eagletac has a long warranty but are Asia based - the US dealer I purchased through will handle warranty service incl. Int'l mailing, if necessary. Having spoken to this dealer, he said ET is actually good with their CS, unlike some other manufacturers he deals with, who shall remain nameless. No idea on Thrunite, but they have a presence on the CPFMP and seem responsive to uphold their reputation. But at their price point, I honestly don't care if I just toss it. I have to say I'm very impressed with the performance and quality to price ratio on the T10 - it blows away my 4/7s MiniAA. Don't like the Ti at all, however.

On the moonlight mode - take a look the large-sized tint picture posted above, the top half is with all the lights on moonlight. The SC52 is dead center and the T10 is just to the left. A pure white hotspot means that area is over exposed and the picture cannot accurately reflect additional brightness since no pixels (pure white) is its effective limit - so you cannot actually determine the full, or even relative, brightness of any of the lights with an overexposed hotspot. The SC52 has least amount of overexposure (almost none actually). If I were to incrementally underexposed a series of shots, all the white hotspots would eventually show their respective tints (ie, start to show detail) and then disappear - the SC52 would be the first to go. However, it is possible I have a defective sample, there is one comparative confirmation above, but I'd like to hear more from others with moonlight mode lights.

On the BC10 - Selfbuilt has reviewed the BC10 and finds it almost to spec (260 act vs 270 spec). That means it would fall under my non-conservative "ZebraBuilt" scale (lower spread sheet) which shows the QAAX at 400 lumens (yet another 280 spec light), and which triangulates with what Selfbuilt has tested. So I think the BC10 is directly comparable to the SC52. If you were to move the BC10 into the conservative "ThruSevensTac" ANSI scale, then my guess would be the same as yours. The only caveat is the state of charge of the batteries you used, my gut would be that a CR123 might hold regulation better and longer than the SC52 does on an hard stressed Eneloop. 

If you can observe a brightness difference between those two lights, given the different tints and imperfect swapping, then your eye sensitivity and light perception is far better than mine - see my post #942 above.


----------



## ToyTank

Thanks for the headsup on Lightjunction. They seem like a pretty good dealer and had a nice CPF coupon over on the marketplace. Great now I've spent $200 on myself for christmas


----------



## reppans

Outdoorsman5 said:


> Reppans & others,
> .... The SC52's output numbers appear to follow along with my other zebralights very closely EXCEPT for the L2 (0.34 lumen) output mode on the SC52.
> 
> ... Assuming the SC600 and the H600 are in fact 0.1 lumens then I'd say the SC52 0.34 is really somewhere around 0.1 lumens. For me this is fortunate since I like that amount of output the most in moonlight mode. For Reppans (see his coments above) it is unfortunate, since it is not bright enough for reading in bed and the L1 is too bright & risks disturbing the Mrs.
> 
> Ahhhhhhh, the extreme drama in the world of the flashaholic - :nana:



Thanks Outdoorsman, at least I know my unit is not defective. I can understand and agree with the consistency you find comparing different ZL models - my H51w and SC52 also show reasonable consistency, except L2 modes as you have confirmed. Specification consistency vs other manufacturer's is another matter entirely though. I guess the one open question that didn't get answered is what you thought about the difference between the 2.7 lumen modes between the QAAX and SC52.

The important point I was trying to get across with the low modes being so far off, is the specified efficiency of the SC52 driver which brought some heated discussion here weeks before the light came out. I think ZL's H and M runtime specs are within a reasonable range of what competing lights claim, but the L modes were in the double to triple range of competitor's runtimes?.... at similar or same lumen levels? There were people that argued ZL was so far ahead of anyone else in the industry. My point here is that there is no magical ZL ultra-efficient driver - you can simply get double to triple the runtimes using half to a third the output.

It just bugs me that the vast majority of the buying public only compare manufacture website specifications to make their purchases - and who wouldn't choose 2-3x the runtime from the same battery for the same lumens. It just penalizes the companies that are ..... well, lets just say more "conservative," and incentivizes bad behavior - kinda like what AW said about the 750mah rating he puts on his 16340 batteries.


----------



## HighlanderNorth

ToyTank said:


> Thanks for the headsup on Lightjunction. They seem like a pretty good dealer and had a nice CPF coupon over on the marketplace. Great now I've spent $200 on myself for christmas




They say its better to give than to receive.......Especially when you are giving to yourself! :twothumbs


----------



## HighlanderNorth

reppans said:


> On warranties - I'm confident that 4/7s will fix my lights if they ever stop working, and they are still in business. They're in the US so it's unlikely I'd have to wait 2 months. I have a lot of their lights, and gift/recommend many more to friends and family.... so far, I'm not aware of any failures. Eagletac has a long warranty but are Asia based - the US dealer I purchased through will handle warranty service incl. Int'l mailing, if necessary. Having spoken to this dealer, he said ET is actually good with their CS, unlike some other manufacturers he deals with, who shall remain nameless. No idea on Thrunite, but they have a presence on the CPFMP and seem responsive to uphold their reputation. But at their price point, I honestly don't care if I just toss it. I have to say I'm very impressed with the performance and quality to price ratio on the T10 - it blows away my 4/7s MiniAA. Don't like the Ti at all, however.
> 
> On the moonlight mode - take a look the large-sized tint picture posted above, the top half is with all the lights on moonlight. The SC52 is dead center and the T10 is just to the left. A pure white hotspot means that area is over exposed and the picture cannot accurately reflect additional brightness since no pixels (pure white) is its effective limit - so you cannot actually determine the full, or even relative, brightness of any of the lights with an overexposed hotspot. The SC52 has least amount of overexposure (almost none actually). If I were to incrementally underexposed a series of shots, all the white hotspots would eventually show their respective tints (ie, start to show detail) and then disappear - the SC52 would be the first to go. However, it is possible I have a defective sample, there is one comparative confirmation above, but I'd like to hear more from others with moonlight mode lights.
> 
> On the BC10 - Selfbuilt has reviewed the BC10 and finds it almost to spec (260 act vs 270 spec). That means it would fall under my non-conservative "ZebraBuilt" scale (lower spread sheet) which shows the QAAX at 400 lumens (yet another 280 spec light), and which triangulates with what Selfbuilt has tested. So I think the BC10 is directly comparable to the SC52. If you were to move the BC10 into the conservative "ThruSevensTac" ANSI scale, then my guess would be the same as yours. The only caveat is the state of charge of the batteries you used, my gut would be that a CR123 might hold regulation better and longer than the SC52 does on an hard stressed Eneloop.
> 
> If you can observe a brightness difference between those two lights, given the different tints and imperfect swapping, then your eye sensitivity and light perception is far better than mine - see my post #942 above.




Another thing, I noticed you said that while you were metering the other lights in your test, the SC52's batteries dropped down in charge enough that the SC52 wouldnt stay at over 200L any more after just a few minutes. Are you saying that on turbo, the SC52 will drain an Eneloop fast enough that it wont support turbo in that short a time? If thats the case, then maybe its not as efficient as we'd hoped.


The BC10 is the light I carry with me every day. I have this issue with not wanting to scratch up any of my other lights by EDC-ing them in my pocket with my keys and all, so I only use the BC10 for that purpose, and it was also the very first good quality LED light I ever bought, so I have had it the longest, about 15 months. I just installed a new CR123 only about 2 weeks ago, and the battery before that lasted for over 5 months because I only use it on 30L for the most part, and when I get home at night, I then switch to using other lights. So the battery in the BC10 when I tested it this morning is new. The Eneloop in the SC52 hasnt been used much either. I checked them both out again just now in comparison ceiling and wall tests. 

Its hard to compare those 2 because the BC10 has a hot spot that, while brighter than the SC52's hot spot, also only covers about 1/3 the wall or ceiling space that the SC52's hot spot covers from the same distance, so it seemed to me that even though the BC10 hot spot is brighter, the SC52's probably has more lumens spread out and therefore diluted within its hot spot which is about 250-300% larger in total area. Same with the spill beams of the 2 lights. The BC10 seems like its spill may be slightly brighter in some areas of the spill, but again, its not by much and the SC52's spill covers an area thats probably 40% larger. So again, I think there's more brightness there, but its just spread out and diluted. 

But its really close and its hard to say for sure. They do have similar output. A year ago I wouldnt have thought that I would be seeing a 1- AA light that compares almost equally with a 1- CR123 light. I was used to them being only half as bright.

Here's something that confuses me. I have read a few posts from different threads where people keep asking and talking about the Thrunite neutron AA as if its the other brightest AA light out there. I didnt recall seeing a Thrunite single AA light that was over 200 lumens, so I assumed it must be a newer version. So I looked it up and even watched a video, and its actually well below 200L, around 140L on high with an AA, so maybe I am looking at the wrong neutron light or something, because it doesnt seem as if its one of the brightest lights out there for an AA light.


----------



## reppans

HighlanderNorth said:


> Another thing, I noticed you said that while you were metering the other lights in your test, the SC52's batteries dropped down in charge enough that the SC52 wouldnt stay at over 200L any more after just a few minutes. Are you saying that on turbo, the SC52 will drain an Eneloop fast enough that it wont support turbo in that short a time? If thats the case, then maybe its not as efficient as we'd hoped.
> 
> [snip]
> 
> Here's something that confuses me. I have read a few posts from different threads where people keep asking and talking about the Thrunite neutron AA as if its the other brightest AA light out there. I didnt recall seeing a Thrunite single AA light that was over 200 lumens, so I assumed it must be a newer version. So I looked it up and even watched a video, and its actually well below 200L, around 140L on high with an AA, so maybe I am looking at the wrong neutron light or something, because it doesnt seem as if its one of the brightest lights out there for an AA light.



I said the SC52 didn't hold 225 lumens (on my conservative scale) for more than a few minutes in my original post, but it easily held 200 through my tests which were not very long... I think I removed the battery with ~ 1.37v+?? left. Anyways, this very typical of the ultra-high performance lights in a "the taller you are, the harder you fall" kinda way. Take a look at Selfbuilt's output/runtime graph of the SC51 on an Eneloop - both the SC51 and LD10 (the two brightest lights) fall off hard after a few minutes while all the lower performing lights maintain a flatter regulation graph. It's good ANSI marketing actually.

The 200+ lumen ThruNite issue, which Cyclesport and I discussed a couple pages back, is the whole crux of my review and measurement post. You see there are multiple lumens scales out there. 

One one hand, conservative companies like Foursevens, Eagletac and Thrunite, rate their lights very conservatively (perhaps) so 4/7s says the QAA2X is 280 - Selfbuilt reviews it and says its 400; ET says the D25C is 220 - SB says 330; TN says the Neutron is 145 - SB says 240.... all are ~ 100 lumens under spec'd...according to SB.

On the other hand, companies like Jet-Beam and Zebralight rate their lights not so conservatively so JB says the BC10 is 270, SB says 260; ZL says the SC51 is 200, SB says "I agree." 

So if you want to compare apples to apples between brands, you need to adjust for the respective conservative, or enthusiasm, as the case maybe. That's what the upper and lower halves of my spreadsheet do... the top is on a conservative ThruSevenTac scale, and on the bottom, a more aggressive ZebraBeamBuilt scale. Who's right and wrong?? I'll leave that up to you decide.


----------



## Mr Floppy

HighlanderNorth said:


> Here's something that confuses me. I have read a few posts from different threads where people keep asking and talking about the Thrunite neutron AA as if its the other brightest AA light out there. I didnt recall seeing a Thrunite single AA light that was over 200 lumens, so I assumed it must be a newer version. So I looked it up and even watched a video, and its actually well below 200L, around 140L on high with an AA, so maybe I am looking at the wrong neutron light or something, because it doesnt seem as if its one of the brightest lights out there for an AA light.



Has any one put this in an integrating sphere or done any arbitrary ceiling bounces with a light meter? It is CPF, so I would have thought most of us would have an integrating sphere of some sorts. 

Any tail cap draw numbers? My H51w was pulling around 2.2A-2.3A from a relatively worn first gen Eneloop (about 2.5 from other batteries).


----------



## cyclesport

Mr Floppy said:


> Has any one put this in an integrating sphere or done any arbitrary ceiling bounces with a light meter? It is CPF, so I would have thought most of us would have an integrating sphere of some sorts.
> 
> Any tail cap draw numbers? My H51w was pulling around 2.2A-2.3A from a relatively worn first gen Eneloop (about 2.5 from other batteries).



The attached link is selfbuilt's review of Thrunite's entire Neutron series. Based on his lightbox results the 1 X AA version outputs 240 ANSI lumens on 1 Eneloop, and 450 ANSI lumens on a 14500 li-ion. This is what prompted me to buy one recently while they were on sale. To my eye, and based on other lights I own with similar or higher outputs as a baseline, side by side this light seems _at least_ as bright as selfbuilt's data states. It's startlingly bright for a 1 X AA light and it's factory stated output is grossly underated.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?311559


----------



## Mr Floppy

cyclesport said:


> The attached link is selfbuilt's review of Thrunite's entire Neutron series.



Sorry, I meant has anyone put the SC52 into an integrating sphere yet. I kind of expected someone to take a multimeter to it at least. Kind of interested to see how harsh it is on the battery.


----------



## cyclesport

Mr Floppy said:


> Sorry, I meant has anyone put the SC52 into an integrating sphere yet. I kind of expected someone to take a multimeter to it at least. Kind of interested to see how harsh it is on the battery.



No prob...thought you were refering to HighlanderNorth's post. I'm guessing the SC52 is too new, most have only had these 2/3 weeks...many are awaiting/hoping for selfbuilt or another reviewer to post an extensive review.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

reppans said:


> Specification consistency vs other manufacturer's is another matter entirely though. I guess the one open question that didn't get answered is what you thought about the difference between the 2.7 lumen modes between the QAAX and SC52.



I compared my SC52 to my Quark AA with an XML head on it running on a 14500. The low on this quark is listed at 2.7 lumens, and looks only slightly brighter (using a ceiling bounce test) than the SC52's low which is also rated at 2.7 lumens. The moonlight mode on the quark is listed at .3 lumens, and appears to be a lot brighter than the SC52's moonlight mode that's listed at .34 lumens. This continues to lead me to believe the SC52 L2 .34 lumen mode is overstated. I'm alright with Zebralights rating on L1 since it was pretty close to the quark's low.

I also compared the SC52 to a Quark AA2 with an R5 head on it and running on two Eneloops. The low on this quark is listed at 4 lumens, and compared well with the SC52 on low (2.7 lumens.) The quark seemed slightly brighter as it should. The moonlight mode on this quark is listed at 0.2 lumens, and it looked slightly brighter than the SC52 .34 lumen mode which still points to zebralight overstating this output mode. 

I then switched the heads on the two quarks - Quark AA with an R5 head now running on a 14500 and a Quark AA2 with an XML head now running on two eneloops. I even used each head on a single eneloop in the single AA quark body. I found my impressions to be the same on each battery chemistries.

When I compare the SC52 to the rest of my zebralights (see my comments in post 959) I find that the L2 .34 lumen setting seems overstated. When I compare the SC52 to my quarks I am finding the same. The other output modes in High 1 & 2 and Medium 1 & 2 and Low 1 seem consistant & accurate.

How I feel about the SC52 overall (for what's its worth) - man I love it. It is my favorite general use light, and is in the number 1 position in my edc rotation. My opinion is subjective, and I recognize its advantages & disadvantages. All & all I view it as the best edc light on the market for my uses. I would like to see the L2 .34 lumen mode corrected in future editions though. I plan to buy more of these, especially a neutral version and later a headlight version (i.e. H52) when available.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

One more thing I meant to ask about. Yesterday I tested the battery indicator in the SC52 with all four battery chemistries. The battery indicator works fine on Lithium primary batteries and rechargeable Li-ion batteries, but did not work on alkaline or NiMH batteries (only blinks once even when both batteries where full...according to my voltage meter and my ZTS battery tester. I also tested this on multiple batteries that were clearly full.) Has this been discussed? Is this a defect or even known about? There's no mention of this on the ZL website. 

From the start I planned on using Li-ion almost exclusively in this light, and carry a lithium primary as a backup in a waterproof delrin keychain case. So, this will mostly not affect my uses, but wanted to know if everyone else's SC52 does this as well. If so, this seems strange since the light was tested using an eneloop which suggests the light was primarily designed around the NiMH battery. If folks are going to use a NiMH battery or even alkaline then they'd want to know the battery indicator worked for that chemistry.....right?

Anyone?

EDIT - I just sent zebralight a message asking this same information.


----------



## cyclesport

Outdoorsman5 said:


> One more thing I meant to ask about. Yesterday I tested the battery indicator in the SC52 with all four battery chemistries. The battery indicator works fine on Lithium primary batteries and rechargeable Li-ion batteries, but did not work on alkaline or NiMH batteries (only blinks once even when both batteries where full...according to my voltage meter and my ZTS battery tester. I also tested this on multiple batteries that were clearly full.) Has this been discussed? Is this a defect or even known about? There's no mention of this on the ZL website.
> 
> From the start I planned on using Li-ion almost exclusively in this light, and carry a lithium primary as a backup in a waterproof delrin keychain case. So, this will mostly not affect my uses, but wanted to know if everyone else's SC52 does this as well. If so, this seems strange since the light was tested using an eneloop which suggests the light was primarily designed around the NiMH battery. If folks are going to use a NiMH battery or even alkaline then they'd want to know the battery indicator worked for that chemistry.....right?
> 
> Anyone?
> 
> EDIT - I just sent zebralight a message asking this same information.



I think you may have a defect. My SC52's battery indicator blinks 4 times on any charged AA chem...Eneloop, Alkaline, or Li-ion.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

cyclesport said:


> I think you may have a defect. My SC52's battery indicator blinks 4 times on any charged AA chem...Eneloop, Alkaline, or Li-ion.




Dang. 

My 1,000th post on CPF, and what I have to say is dang. I have 9 zebralights, and my favorite has the first defect I've seen in a zebra.


----------



## cyclesport

Outdoorsman5 said:


> Dang.
> 
> My 1,000th post on CPF, and what I have to say is dang. I have 9 zebralights, and my favorite has the first defect I've seen in a zebra.



I hear ya'...kinda sucky. I haven't seen your earlier posts re this light and don't know how you feel about your existing SC52's beam quality/emitter centering, etc. _But, _if your not currently happy, and since the fix will probably be a swap for a new light...you have another chance at a better overall example? Glass is half full...right?


----------



## twl

Outdoorsman5 said:


> Dang.
> 
> My 1,000th post on CPF, and what I have to say is dang. I have 9 zebralights, and my favorite has the first defect I've seen in a zebra.



Well, you beat the odds getting to 9 without a defect.
According to 2 different polls here done on CPF the failure rate is about 23%-30% within one year.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

cyclesport said:


> I hear ya'...kinda sucky. I haven't seen your earlier posts re this light and don't know how you feel about your existing SC52's beam quality/emitter centering, etc. _But, _if your not currently happy, and since the fix will probably be a swap for a new light...you have another chance at a better overall example? Glass is half full...right?



Other than the battery indicator, my light is great. The tint is as close to perfect as it gets, the LED is centered perfectly, and the overall light is the best I've ever seen in an edc regarding UI & output. I just found out from zebralight that my battery indicator is flawed, and that I can swap the light out. I think I will buy from one of the folks that has them in stock right now, and just return this one within the 30 days. If I wait past the 30 days then it will be a repair instead of a refund, so I will do that.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

twl said:


> Well, you beat the odds getting to 9 without a defect.
> According to 2 different polls here done on CPF the failure rate is about 23%-30% within one year.



I've seen that, and still not so sure I believe the accuracy of it. Seems to me that when there is a problem with something, people make some noise...me included. But, when everything's working as it should, there's not much as much noise about it. I have no scientific proof of this though, and am judging based on my own past behavior & the behavior of a few others that I've witnessed.


----------



## Pretbek

Outdoorsman5 said:


> I've seen that, and still not so sure I believe the accuracy of it. Seems to me that when there is a problem with something, people make some noise...me included. But, when everything's working as it should, there's not much as much noise about it. I have no scientific proof of this though, and am judging based on my own past behavior & the behavior of a few others that I've witnessed.



I think you meant to quote twl's post:



twl said:


> Well, you beat the odds getting to 9 without a defect.
> According to 2 different polls here done on CPF the failure rate is about 23%-30% within one year.



And I agree with you. I have been guilty of exactly that: not responding to a poll when I had a positive input, therefore skewing the poll to the negative.

This time I did one better: on my phone screen I tapped the wrong button and confirmed, so now I didn't just abstain, I am actually registered as having a failure when I had no failure.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

I just discovered that Tekpicks (cellguy) has the SC52 in stock, so I just ordered a new one. I'll compare it to my first one before returning the defective one back to zebralight.


----------



## reppans

Outdoorsman5 said:


> I compared my SC52 to my Quark AA with an XML head on it running on a 14500. The low on this quark is listed at 2.7 lumens, and looks only slightly brighter (using a ceiling bounce test) than the SC52's low which is also rated at 2.7 lumens. The moonlight mode on the quark is listed at .3 lumens, and appears to be a lot brighter than the SC52's moonlight mode that's listed at .34 lumens. This continues to lead me to believe the SC52 L2 .34 lumen mode is overstated. I'm alright with Zebralights rating on L1 since it was pretty close to the quark's low.



Thank you for the double check... Unfortunately for me, this means mine must be defective on L1 since the proportionate drop in brightness compared to the QAAX for both the 2.7 and 0.3 modes is about the same....both show about 1/3rd the output and it is very obvious to the eye.

Metered its:
3 for the QAAX and 1 for the SC52 on a 14500 (oddly it meters higher ~1.4 on a NiMh?).
0.3 for the QAAX and 0.10 for the SC52, either battery.

I just tested the battery meter and found it to be very good and believe it must be a load tester. Used an Alk that metered at 1.33V, but showed weak under my 150ma load tester... it registered one flash. Then use an Eneloop at 1.29V, but showed strong under 150ma load... it registered four flashes. My 14500 just dropped to three flashes at 3.9V... just about right. Impressive.


----------



## reppans

Anyone else with an SC52 and another moonlight mode light like a D25A clicky, Quark AA, or ThruNite that can chime in with a visual comparison? Perhaps my whole set of low modes, and Outdoorsman's L2 modes, are defective.....


----------



## AmperSand

My modes go super low on my sc52. Programmed to the lowest. Goes lower than my original sunwayman v10r ti r5 (which is ridiculously low) or my zebralight sc600 (v10r is lower than sc600 anyway). Also lower than v11r or the quark 123 I used to have too.
So low you barely notice the emitter is lit up.
Tried it in pitch black darkness last was perfect.
My nearly 3 year old son has classic autism and sleeps in his bed pushed beside mine at night, so bright flashes sometimes annoy him. This was without a doubt best low low of all time!!


----------



## bluemax_1

reppans said:


> I just tested the battery meter and found it to be very good and believe it must be a load tester. Used an Alk that metered at 1.33V, but showed weak under my 150ma load tester... it registered one flash. Then use an Eneloop at 1.29V, but showed strong under 150ma load... it registered four flashes. My 14500 just dropped to three flashes at 3.9V... just about right. Impressive.


Wow... that IS impressive. Can't wait to see what an XP-G2 version will do.


Max


----------



## Darvis

My second SC52, ordered from the ZL website shipped 3 days ago... not bad, hope I win the tint lottery on this one!


----------



## maxrep12

twl said:


> Well, you beat the odds getting to 9 without a defect.
> According to 2 different polls here done on CPF the failure rate is about 23%-30% within one year.



TWL, was the point of your post to lend legitimacy to these "polls"? Or was it your purpose to point out the flawed nature of the "polls"? 

I would like discuss your post further with you.


----------



## twl

maxrep12 said:


> TWL, was the point of your post to lend legitimacy to these "polls"? Or was it your purpose to point out the flawed nature of the "polls"?
> 
> I would like discuss your post further with you.



The facts of the polls stand as they are.
I merely refer to the data shown.


----------



## maxrep12

twl said:


> The facts of the polls stand as they are.
> I merely refer to the data shown.



That you chose not to address the nature of these polls is quite telling.

The least problematic aspect of your post, is the statistical insignificance involved with such polls.

The most problematic nature of the data you chose to share, is two fold:

First, these polls are self selecting, meaning the participants elect to participate on their own. They do not represent a random sampling. Polling organizations recognize self selection as the most severe method of introducing bias.

Second, while there is always a layer of anonymity with online forum participation, the polls you referenced represent participation from complete anonymity. A self selected group that votes with complete anonymity(no screen name included in poll data) is spurious at best. Forums go to great lengths to avoid manufacturers plugging their own products with "shill" posts, known as guerilla marketing. Guerilla marketing also occurs in the form of attempting to sabotage a competitor in a forum environment. Without assigning screen names with votes, questionable behavior is invited.

As another cpf member stated, "There may be those who would attempt to throw water on Zebra Lights successes". Since ZL is arguably positioned on top of the cpf market, they have a bullseye painted on their backside. Cheap shots are going to take place.

twl, I enjoyed your posts on the 2600mah vs. 3400mah 18650 batteries, very helpful. However, you have made your disdain for chinese manufactured lights clear on this forum. With that in mind, perhaps you highlighted information that you do not really feel is all that accurate, but allowed for some venting. I imagine if we had the owner of GoingGear, or other ZL resellers, give a candid appraisal of the situation, we would begin to see how inaccurate the "facts" of the poll are.


----------



## twl

The information presented in the polls is the collected response of your fellow CPF members who owned Zebralights and had problems in the percentages listed in the polls.
It does not come from me.

If you feel the need to try to rationalize away the valid consumer feedback from your fellow CPF Zebralight users, that's up to you.
I feel no such need.


----------



## mgscheue

Coincidentally, I'm just now reading Charles Seife's book "Proofiness", in which he discusses in some detail the worthlessness of Internet polls for precisely the reasons maxrep12 outlines. While these ZL polls are fun, nothing of value can be concluded from them.


----------



## TMCGLASSON36

mgscheue said:


> Coincidentally, I'm just now reading Charles Seife's book "Proofiness", in which he discusses in some detail the worthlessness of Internet polls for precisely the reasons maxrep12 outlines. While these ZL polls are fun, nothing of value can be concluded from them.



I tend to agree. I believe the polls give bad insight to people looking for first time purchase or reasons not too.


----------



## low

mgscheue said:


> Coincidentally, I'm just now reading Charles Seife's book "Proofiness", in which he discusses in some detail the worthlessness of Internet polls for precisely the reasons maxrep12 outlines. While these ZL polls are fun, nothing of value can be concluded from them.




How true that is. You can not even be sure anyone that voted really owns a Zebralight!


----------



## maroast

My new ZL SC52 arrived today and it is a sweet little light! Everything looks spot on… buuuuuuuuuuuuuut the new ZL 14500 is dead right out of the box! DEAD! DMM reads 0.00 and it wont take a charge. Bummer.


----------



## Darvis

My second SC52 arrived today annnnndddd.... Eureka! I won the tint lottery this time, nice and white on high and just a hint of green on the low levels.

And get this.. No, as in NADA flicker on high with IMR's!! Wooohoooo!!!


----------



## moozooh

Exactly why do you use IMRs with this light, anyway?


----------



## Darvis

No over-discharge safety, safer chemistry, less voltage sag. I'm pretty much an IMR guy all the way around.


----------



## moozooh

Darvis said:


> No over-discharge safety


This shouldn't matter at all, since over-discharge protection is built into the driver, anyway (at 2.7 v, if I remember correctly). Whether the battery itself has it, won't change anything.



Darvis said:


> less voltage sag


 I don't get this. Basically it would only matter if the battery was able to sustain high power modes longer, but at ~70% the ICR capacity, just how much longer does it run?



Darvis said:


> safer chemistry


This is the only one that I could get behind so far, but even then the danger of a protected 14500 in a 1xAA light is hardly larger than that of a Li-Pol or a Li-Ion battery in your cellphone or laptop/tablet. Besides, as far as I understand, IMRs are in no way safer than protected ICRs when it comes to physical damage or shorting.


----------



## maxrep12

twl said:


> The information presented in the polls is the collected response of your fellow CPF members who owned Zebralights and had problems in the percentages listed in the polls.
> It does not come from me.
> 
> If you feel the need to try to rationalize away the valid consumer feedback from your fellow CPF Zebralight users, that's up to you.
> I feel no such need.



I dissected, in a clear manner, the multiple problems with the data you presented. You have not addressed my points.


The silent majority has made ZL the major player since the latter part of 2011, 2012, and 2013 will be no different. The funny thing is that ZL was always its own brand. They were always utilitarian in purpose, unassuming in their looks - maybe even plain, and yet here we all are in the Zebra foums. When everyone else was building Tacti-Kool throwers for Rambo himself to carry, ZL just kept doing their own thing. You might even say, "Success like this couldn't have happened to nicer light"  !


----------



## TedTheLed

where do I vote no? too blue. 

I'm getting this one:H502c High CRI Neutral White AA Flood Headlamp
Item Id:ZLH502c

Light enough that I can forget it's there (on my head, wiseguy..) the 18650 I never forget is there.


----------



## maxrep12

mgscheue said:


> Coincidentally, I'm just now reading Charles Seife's book "Proofiness", in which he discusses in some detail the worthlessness of Internet polls for precisely the reasons maxrep12 outlines. While these ZL polls are fun, nothing of value can be concluded from them.


As a pro mt. biker/product tester, my early introduction to internet forums was a bit of an eye opener. Manufacturers played dirty pool, and forum members had a tendancy to "marry" their purchases so to speak. The more financially vested an individual was in a brand, the greater their fidelity. At times this phenomenon did quite a number on the free exchange of information and innovation. 

I was one of the first guys to race on the Stans liquid latex system and 29ers. Both of these developements took an undeserved beating for years on internet forums, from armchair critics and manufacturer "plants". The Stans system was a one man garage developed idea that challenged the best mt biking wheel and tire manufacturers in the world. His internet beatings were frequent and unrelenting from the opposition. At times I am surprised that his product ever evolved into the accepted standard it represents today.....internet forums!


----------



## Darvis

All very good points moozooh.... here's my reasoning. Just keep in mind, most all of this is preference vs. performance.



moozooh said:


> This shouldn't matter at all, since over-discharge protection is built into the driver, anyway (at 2.7 v, if I remember correctly). Whether the battery itself has it, won't change anything.



Except that it does matter; the PCB is just another possible failure point. I've had 2 protected batteries not work for me because the PCB's failed, so I've since removed that factor by going IMR. True, I could go un-protected l-ion, but IMR' are a bit more forgiving when I've been bad about keeping track of runtime and the voltage dips a bit lower. Doesn't matter in this light, but does in others with no over-discharge protection built in. Granted, PCB failures are probably a rare occurrence, but I'm a bit paranoid and like to bank my odds a bit! The little Zeb is a complex beast, not the one light I'd take with me when I absolutely needed light all the time, every time. But as a backup... again, just trying to tip the odds in my favor.




moozooh said:


> I don't get this. Basically it would only matter if the battery was able to sustain high power modes longer, but at ~70% the ICR capacity, just how much longer does it run?



The SC52 is not the only light I use the little 14500's in. I do drive some more demanding drop-ins with them where voltage sag is a factor. You're right, in this light, probably not any gain at all, so it becomes a matter of I have them, so I use them.




moozooh said:


> This is the only one that I could get behind so far, but even then the danger of a protected 14500 in a 1xAA light is hardly larger than that of a Li-Pol or a Li-Ion battery in your cellphone or laptop/tablet. Besides, as far as I understand, IMRs are in no way safer than protected ICRs when it comes to physical damage or shorting.



Again, you are correct, and in a single cell light... probably not much of a gain. But I've long stopped using l-ions in multi cell lights and have moved to IMR's, again, to bank my odds. It comes down to the SC52 not being the only light that uses these, so it's an economy of use thing.

Bottom line:I personally think they're a better choice whenever possible, so I go the IMR route. Having an SC52 that plays nice with them means I can feel better about my cell choice and I can use the same cells I use for other lights- a bonus feature. If I could get the same output with eneloops, you bet I'd be using those 100%


----------



## shelm

Congrats to ZL for this product upgrade from SC51 to SC52, the community welcomes it:

the *1000th* reply (=post count #1001) in this thread, Darvis did it!







I found a photo on the WWW of the Moonlight mode of the SC52!!


----------



## LEDburn

maxrep12 said:


> ....
> 
> twl, I enjoyed your posts on the 2600mah vs. 3400mah 18650 batteries, very helpful. However, you have made your disdain for chinese manufactured lights clear on this forum. With that in mind, perhaps you highlighted information that you do not really feel is all that accurate, but allowed for some venting. I imagine if we had the owner of GoingGear, or other ZL resellers, give a candid appraisal of the situation, we would begin to see how inaccurate the "facts" of the poll are.



Twl seems to have some kind of issue with zebralight as this is not the first time unnecessary bias against them has been demonstrated.

In any case, my sc52 came today and I am highly impressed! Very nice tint with almost perfectly centered emitter. On 14500 this thing competes with my sc600w VERY CLOSELY. The tint difference makes brightness' seem very similar. Tiny bit floodier than the sc600w too although this could be more due to the tint as it also seems to throw as good if not slightly better.

I have a sc80w, sc600w, h600fw, h502d and now the sc52 also. Out of all my lights I have not had a single failure or defect - I didn't vote and wont bother finding the thread so this just serves to reinforce the fact the polls are flawed in their findings.

Overall this will replace my sc600 for a while as main EDC as I am very happy with its overall performance. 
The only drawback I can foresee is the shorter runtimes associated with the 14500 vs 18650 and as such, it will probably not replace it for extended trips into abandoned buildings or any other place a short runtime on high could cause a safety issue. The added lower levels are a real bonus too as I felt the L2 on past zebras to occasionally hurt my eyes when awoken in complete darkness.


----------



## GunnarGG

shelm said:


> Congrats to ZL for this product upgrade from SC51 to SC52, the community welcomes it:
> 
> the *1000th* reply (=post count #1001) in this thread, Darvis did it!



Yeah!
I have this thread subscribed and every time I open CPF this is updated.
This will be the update of my SC30w that I have been waiting for (NiMh and better switch).


----------



## twl

maxrep12 said:


> I dissected, in a clear manner, the multiple problems with the data you presented. You have not addressed my points.
> 
> 
> The silent majority has made ZL the major player since the latter part of 2011, 2012, and 2013 will be no different. The funny thing is that ZL was always its own brand. They were always utilitarian in purpose, unassuming in their looks - maybe even plain, and yet here we all are in the Zebra foums. When everyone else was building Tacti-Kool throwers for Rambo himself to carry, ZL just kept doing their own thing. You might even say, "Success like this couldn't have happened to nicer light"  !



To the contrary, there were no "points" to refute. All conjecture and broad generalizations.
And the use of anecdotes about "internet polling", intended to impugn the character of fellow CPF-ers who voted and commented on their Zebralight failures, as if they are frauds, is pretty low. 

I do not plan to be further dragged into your personalized attacks and innuendo. 
I plan to get back to the discussion of flashlights.
Good day.


----------



## Pvt. Pile

Man, why does this forum gain so many anal halfwits? Just PM each other, duke it out within your private messages, so people like me and many others don't have to skim through pissing contests to get to what we actually do want to read. Or just start up ......"anally retarded folk who want a keyboard fight in the name of a single aa battery operated flashlight".


----------



## kaichu dento

mgscheue said:


> Coincidentally, I'm just now reading Charles Seife's book "Proofiness", in which he discusses in some detail the worthlessness of Internet polls for precisely the reasons maxrep12 outlines. While these ZL polls are fun, nothing of value can be concluded from them.


On 'nothing of value' to 'little of value', as I think that there is much to be learned from some, little from others, but especially when it comes down to some of the positions displayed here, the air can become thick with bias.


----------



## kaichu dento

maxrep12 said:


> As a pro mt. biker/product tester, my early introduction to internet forums was a bit of an eye opener. Manufacturers played dirty pool, and forum members had a tendency to "marry" their purchases so to speak. The more financially vested an individual was in a brand, the greater their fidelity. At times this phenomenon did quite a number on the free exchange of information and innovation.
> 
> I was one of the first guys to race on the Stans liquid latex system and 29ers. Both of these developments took an undeserved beating for years on internet forums, from armchair critics and manufacturer "plants". The Stans system was a one man garage developed idea that challenged the best mt biking wheel and tire manufacturers in the world. His internet beatings were frequent and unrelenting from the opposition. At times I am surprised that his product ever evolved into the accepted standard it represents today.....internet forums!


Another excellent post. 



twl said:


> To the contrary, there were no "points" to refute. All conjecture and broad generalizations.
> And the use of anecdotes about "internet polling", intended to impugn the character of fellow CPF-ers who voted and commented on their Zebralight failures, as if they are frauds, is pretty low.
> 
> I do not plan to be further dragged into your personalized attacks and innuendo.
> I plan to get back to the discussion of flashlights.
> Good day.


You've not been dragged in so much as pushed your way in. If you plan on not participating any more then it would be more believable if you didn't feel you had to close with the snippy post here.



Pvt. Pile said:


> Man, why does this forum gain so many anal halfwits? Just PM each other, duke it out within your private messages, so people like me and many others don't have to skim through pissing contests to get to what we actually do want to read. Or just start up ......"anally retarded folk who want a keyboard fight in the name of a single aa battery operated flashlight".


Good one - now maybe the next time I open this thread I'll be able to read about the light.


----------



## jbrett14

maxrep12 said:


> Manufacturers played dirty pool, and forum members had a tendancy to "marry" their purchases so to speak. The more financially vested an individual was in a brand, the greater their fidelity.



Spot on!

From what I can tell, too many folks get into arguments about silly things and it appears that the reason is because of pride. Few are willing to admit that they dumped untold hundreds, perhaps thousands, into a brand that has been out-done by another brand. Few seem to be truly objective.

Additionally, I have found in my business that the old saying is true: "no news is good news". Who knows how many happy silent ZL owners there are who never say a thing, and never take a poll.


----------



## jbrett14

LEDburn said:


> I have a sc80w, sc600w, h600fw, h502d and now the sc52 also. Out of all my lights I have not had a single failure or defect



Do you use all of them very much? I'm just trying to establish for myself, how reliable this brand is before I buy more of them. I only have one which gets regular use - the H501


----------



## Swede74

Ordered mine today. I expect to receive it very early in January. I can't think of a better way to start the new year, or a better time to get a new light: the void after the end of the holidays needs to be filled (although filling it with an object may not be healthiest thing to do, but let's save that caveat for another forum, shall we?) and the sun rises at 8:40 A.M. and sets only seven hours later, at 3:40 P.M., which leaves plenty of time to enjoy a little Zebralight to its fullest. 

I hope the AW 14500 750 mAh I also ordered will fit.


----------



## DavidMB

The AW will fit, that's what I've been using in this great light.


----------



## maxrep12

jbrett14 said:


> Do you use all of them very much? I'm just trying to establish for myself, how reliable this brand is before I buy more of them. I only have one which gets regular use - the H501


Six months out of the year, my dog and I get out for atleast a 30 min to an hour walk at night. My sc600 also served as a nightstand light, in fire fly mode, year round. My lights get used alot. My kids use them too when taking the mutt out in the evening. Its an eye opener to watch the kids hunt down the ZL if it is not next to the rest of the lights, they don't like the the throwers . Not a single hitch or glitch with my ZL's.


----------



## nanucq

> I hope the AW 14500 750 mAh I also ordered will fit.


It does :thumbsup: (easily), enjoy, SC52 is a keeper.

EDIT: Burned by DavidMB


----------



## jbrett14

maxrep12 said:


> Six months out of the year, my dog and I get out for atleast a 30 min to an hour walk at night. My sc600 also served as a nightstand light, in fire fly mode, year round. My lights get used alot. My kids use them too when taking the mutt out in the evening. Its an eye opener to watch the kids hunt down the ZL if it is not next to the rest of the lights, they don't like the the throwers . Not a single hitch or glitch with my ZL's.



Thank you for the info. Very much appreciated. I understand about the throwers.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

I ordered my second SC52 two days ago, and just got it in the mail!! The new one even has a better tint than my first one (it's a little more white, and still no greens.) When comparing the output of both SC52's running on the same type of battery, brightness is identical on each level. The anodizing on my new one is a little more of a tough lookin green (very nice) where as the first one has a little more of a golden color to it (also nice.) Not that much of a difference though. 

The battery indicator works fine on the new one with each battery chemistry, so I will send the first one back to ZL. Almost hate to send it back, but I'd rather have one without a flawed battery gauge.


----------



## Darvis

shelm said:


> Congrats to ZL for this product upgrade from SC51 to SC52, the community welcomes it:
> 
> the *1000th* reply (=post count #1001) in this thread, Darvis did it!




Schwiiinnnggg!

My new one is awesome!!!! Got me a keeper.


----------



## Swede74

DavidMB said:


> The AW will fit, that's what I've been using in this great light.





nanucq said:


> It does :thumbsup: (easily), enjoy, SC52 is a keeper.
> 
> EDIT: Burned by DavidMB


 :thanks:


----------



## LEDburn

jbrett14 said:


> Do you use all of them very much? I'm just trying to establish for myself, how reliable this brand is before I buy more of them. I only have one which gets regular use - the H501



The sc600 is the light that I carry for work so for about 10 hours (if not getting used) a day it resides in an outer cargo pocket about knee level. Being an electrician and working on a building site, it gets no special treatment: bashing it into scaffolding as I walk past, having drill cases and other tools bang into it as I negotiate narrow passages etc. It often gets forgotten about until a loud metal on metal clang I am all too familiar with is heard. 
As for drops onto concrete, it has taken at least 5 decent hits and has the scars to prove it. 

The sc80 and h502 see similar use to each other which would be an hour or two a week, generally around the house. H502 gets more some weeeks or nights if I don't feel like having all my house lights on chewing power and providing too much illumination anyway.

The h600 was getting a heap of use a while back when the weather was more suited to underground expeditions but not so much now as the rainy season is here. When I use that it was a fairly constant 2-3hrs on the 220L mode. At one point I was using it 3 times a week average - some weeks we would go out each night and then some we would only venture out once or twice or on weekends.

As of yet, not one of my zebralights has had any issues and as I implied, these are all far from shelf queens. I have dropped a light from another manufacturer and had a switch failure. I also have a light which flickers and always has flickered when run on high. I cut my losses and didn't bother returning either. Funnily enough, the only brands I can say have not had a fault or failure was zebralight, led lenser and liteflux.


----------



## lmorrison17

I have an H31, SC600 and now an SC52.
I only started getting my Zebras in about the last 3 months but they're already my favorite lights by far.
The H31 sees the most use and it's still on it's first batt.
I only got the 600 at the begining of Nov and I would have waited if I had known the MKII was on the horizon.
All have functioned flawlessly.
The lows and the UI were the selling points for me.
All of this said the emitters on the H31 and the SC52 are almost imperceptibly off center (I need a magnifing glass to see it) but it doesn't affect the beam at all.
I want 600 MKII but it will have to wait a while and if they introduce an H32 I will have that as well.


----------



## henry1960

Outdoorsman5 said:


> I ordered my second SC52 two days ago, and just got it in the mail!! The new one even has a better tint than my first one (it's a little more white, and still no greens.)




Its funny you say that your second SC52 has a better tint then the first one...I preodered my first one like everyone else and the tint was great!!! So i ordered three more and not from the same retailer...But anyway not one of those three had that nice white tint as the first one...The three all have a slight greenish tint...Just thought i share that with everyone...


----------



## ToyTank

I just got my SC52 today. I have to say the tint is very similar to all my other XM-L CW. The corona has some green but the hotspot is alright.

My only criticism so far is the sharp edge around the switch recess. That is far sharper than a 90 and brand new there is some ano imperfections there. I could also see that causing wear issues in my pocket on the clip. 

Just seems it would be common sense to bevel that edge. Everything else about it is like all zebralights-sleek n sexy:devil:


----------



## BigBoy

Just received the SC52 I ordered a month ago. Amazing little light, and I am reluctantly becoming a big fan of Zebralight. Great beam quality, very compact, great output. This light is going to my sister. The only request I have, is a "civilian" version which would simply cycle L/M/H.


----------



## jbrett14

BigBoy said:


> Just received the SC52 I ordered a month ago. Amazing little light, and I am reluctantly becoming a big fan of Zebralight. Great beam quality, very compact, great output. This light is going to my sister. The only request I have, is a "civilian" version which would simply cycle L/M/H.



Why "reluctantly"? Just curious.

Also, can you not just hold the button down to obtain your preferred cycle of L\M\H? That is how my H501 is.


----------



## ToyTank

IMHO Most people are put off at first by the zebralight UI.

After some use most people like the UI. I have been a zebralight fanboy for years and it is now my favorite UI, don't even have to think about it, I can access L, M, and H easy and consistently with all my zebralights( I have 7)


----------



## moozooh

BigBoy said:


> Just received the SC52 I ordered a month ago. Amazing little light, and I am reluctantly becoming a big fan of Zebralight. Great beam quality, very compact, great output. This light is going to my sister. The only request I have, is a "civilian" version which would simply cycle L/M/H.



They're planning a cheap(er) 3-mode light like what you're describing, called SC5. There's very little information available about it, though, and even then it's mostly outdated.


----------



## kreisl

g.p. said:


> Same here in Canada. I wouldn't get worried yet. It usually takes about this long from China, and it's the Christmas shipping rush too. I've never been able to make the tracking numbers work either.



Okay, the product is now hitting the shelves of European dealers. *neolumen.eu* ships in the EU for *~65€*, *ru.nkon.nl* has them for *~50€* incl. shipping, which is the same price as the Zebralight's homepage *64US$*-price converted to EUR and very competitive when you think about how some German dealers charge *89€* lmao. So for EU-shoppers there is no more need to buy the flashlight from overseas or Hongkong. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!


----------



## TweakMDS

I just ordered one and looking very much forward to comparing it with the XP-G2 D25A Ti on 14500 that's all in the same order 

Wish me luck in the tint lottery!


----------



## GunnarGG

kreisl said:


> Okay, the product is now hitting the shelves of European dealers. *neolumen.eu* ships in the EU for *~65€*, *ru.nkon.nl* has them for *~50€* incl. shipping, which is the same price as the Zebralight's homepage *64US$*-price converted to EUR and very competitive when you think about how some German dealers charge *89€* lmao. So for EU-shoppers there is no more need to buy the flashlight from overseas or Hongkong. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!



The adress ru.nkon.nl shows the price excl VAT. Look at eu.nkon.nl for prices incl VAT.


----------



## shelm

On another site someone did a SC52 unboxing and took a quick beamshot click to enlarge:









To me this looks rather coolwhite than anything else, nice one! :green:


----------



## lightdelight

What was the white balance setting on the camera? What color is the wall/table?


----------



## moozooh

I think those might be two sheets of paper rather than wall+table, but it might be that shades are playing tricks with my eyes.


----------



## Lithium466

Looks greenish to me, guess it depends a lot of the color rendition of screen...


----------



## nanucq

The first pic is what i got on a white wall, this is my tint too


----------



## Philabuster

I couldn't stand the wait for the W version any longer. :mecry:I bought two SC52 to give away as gifts, but I intend to 'evaluate' them  while I wait for my SC52w. 

Regardless, the SC600w will continue to be my main EDC. :rock:


----------



## ToyTank

All I have is a cell phone camera, but I tried to take a photo comparing the tints of my CW XM-L lights. I have to say the only one I don't see green corona on is the [email protected] vestureofblood made.

I tried to match the brightness of the X10 on "low" to keep output close. 







​


----------



## shelm

Thanks for the beamshot!!

ToyTank, any chance you could share a link to the full-sized image of your beamshot?



ToyTank said:


> shelm-Yeah I just need to re-upload them. I tend to edit them before I stick them in dropbox to save space. I'll try to do that today.



Thanks, it's fixed now!! 

CLICK TO ENLARGE:



ToyTank said:


> ​


----------



## IcantDo55

Santa got me a SC52, Excellent!!! 
Amazing with 3.6V!


----------



## reppans

Anyone notice an intrusive automatic step-down on IMRs and certain ICRs?

I noticed my light stepped down from H1, I believe to M1, when my Eagletac 14500 ICR hit <3.7V resting. The battery tester function registers a single flash. OK this makes sense for a typically ICR like an AW 14500 since @3.7V resting, the cell is about 80% depleted. 

However, according to HKJ's comparator, the Eagletac's 14500 ICR is only about 50-60% depleted at ~3.7V resting.
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/CommonSmallcomparator.php

On my other lights, I typically run my Eagletac batt down to ~ 3.5V resting, or ~75% depleted, before charging. I seem to get plenty of runtime between 3.7-3.5ish Vs and am using Turbo normally. So I'm wondering if the SC52 is automatically stepping down (perhaps too early) based on resting voltage. If this is true, then I would think that an IMR would be similarly affected since its resting voltage is also lower than a typical ICR, despite having plenty of capacity left.

So, anyone run an IMR down to <3.7V resting (also ~ 50% depleted)? If so, what does the SC52 battery meter indicate, and can you still access H1?


----------



## ToyTank

reppans- I notice that with IFR(lifepo4). I think it's part of the step down zebralight built in it's newer lights. They are regulated and some people don't like regulated lights that go dead with no warning. Zebralight seems to be trying to make everyone happy by stepping down as voltage drops to keep from leaving you in the dark. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet- I'd like to get 500lm on lifepo4 but I also like thinking it will step down from high before it dies.

shelm-Yeah I just need to re-upload them. I tend to edit them before I stick them in dropbox to save space. I'll try to do that today.

Edit: here is the full size unedited photo


----------



## jomox

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

No option? (Not looking into buying them at all) Strange all polls say yes.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Thanks so much ToyTank!!



jomox said:


> Strange all polls say yes.


All say, strange poll. Yes. :laughing:


----------



## DIΩDΣ

ToyTank said:


> All I have is a cell phone camera, but I tried to take a photo comparing the tints of my CW XM-L lights. I have to say the only one I don't see green corona on is the [email protected] vestureofblood made.



Well I only have one, but even my NW XM-L is green! (4-7)


----------



## ToyTank

DIΩDΣ;4098007 said:


> Well I only have one, but even my NW XM-L is green!



I was surprised how little green the [email protected] has, it is even on a lower output IMO that tends to increase the green. I guess I won the lottery on that one!


----------



## jomox

But if I had a bit more spare money I'd probably get one.


----------



## Wiggle

Just wanted to say this is a very nice light. My other two EDCs are a 47s Quark AA-T R5 and Preon II Titanium, and I believe this will be my new EDC most of the time. I had seen pictures but didn't truly appreciate how small it is for a single AA/14500 sized light. I'm not used to side switches but am adapting to this one, it seems firm enough to not click on accidentally. I will be missing the forward clicky of the Quark in some ways though, momentary is nice. 

Once I got some practice with the UI I am really starting to appreciate it. All modes are easy to access and I like the versatility of selecting between the main and sublevels. I've tried it with my Duraloops but I will be running 14500 Li-ion most of the time I had played with that format alot more. The new Zebralight 14500s I got seem to be doing the trick. The 500 lumen burst mode is ludicrous (in a good way), seeing that tiny light illuminate an entire back yard is very satisfying. And even besides that, the stepped down 280 and 172 are very useable and potent enough for almost any task I can envision needing an EDC for.

I'm also enjoying the little features like the integrated battery checker, it seems to function correctly on both NiMH and Li-ion from my quick experimenting with it. 

About the only negative things I can say is that the light sometimes lacks that feeling of responsiveness you get from a mechanical clicky light and that the clip is a bit of a pocket shredder. Perhaps there is a way to modify the clip to soften it up, maybe some heatshrink? The lack of responsiveness isn't severe and it makes sense when you consider that some elements of the UI require the light to "wait" for extra clicks.


----------



## ivan1973

Just got my SC52 (a few hours ago). Comparatively, the button is harder than SC51 with deeper recess. Can those with SC51 can feedback as well. But still its solid and well crafted flashlight.


----------



## Wiggle

I'm in the process of testing some runtimes (moreso on the high output side) using the new ZL 14500s I got. Curious to see how they come out as the ratings were given for AA cells and sometimes there is a significant difference between AA and 14500 runtimes (for same output level) like with my Quark. Note that real-life H1 performance would be lower for the 14500 since you would spend more time in the 500 lumen burst mode than you would in one straight run like I tested.

*H1 Eneloop (280 lumens rated): 55 mins*
45 mins in, it has dropped to just a little brighter than the 172 lumens mode.
50 mins, double clicking between H1 and H2 now shows no difference, it has entirely stepped down to H2 it seems.
Dropped to M1 level, Approx 55 mins. Call that the end.

*
H1 14500 (500 lumens for 1 min + 280 lumens rated for remainder):50 mins*
50 mins (stepdown to medium)


*H2 Eneloop (172 lumens rated):* *85 mins*
85 mins (drop to med)*

H2 14500 (172 lumens rated): 90 mins*
90 mins (step down to medium)


----------



## moozooh

The burst mode itself doesn't make substantial difference in the long run, it's like –1.5 minutes to the overall H1 runtime at most (the power consumed for getting 500 lm from the LED is just about double that for 280 lm). I'm thinking that the 14500 should still prevail on all modes by a small margin.


----------



## Wiggle

What I mean is that (for myself anyway), I tend to use high modes for only a minute or two at a time anyway. So more of the time spent in H1 will be from the 500 lumen burst. In this long steady-state test, that 1 minute becomes not so important I agree, though I bet the LED is using at least twice as much power in 500 versus 280.


----------



## markr6

Meanie Greenies! Any word on the SC52w?


----------



## Wiggle

Beamshot comparison:

Left to right: Quark AA R5 on Max with AA, Quark AA2 NW R4 on Max with 2AA, Preon 2 Titanium on high, SC 52 on H1 with AA.

I did daytime white balance on this but the Quark CW and Preon 2 look way more blue than I notice, and the SC52 looks noticeably green but not what I see with my eyes. Also, the NW looks more yellow in my eyes. Regardless, output levels seem easy to judge. One thing to notice, I accidentally sat the SC52 a little far back on my support so the bottom of the spill is cut into a bit.


----------



## ToyTank

markr6 said:


> Meanie Greenies! Any word on the SC52w?



It's coming but don't hold your breath. IMHO likely around end of February beginning of March.


----------



## ToyTank

Wiggle said:


> Beamshot comparison:
> 
> 
> I did daytime white balance on this but the Quark CW and Preon 2 look way more blue than I notice, and the SC52 looks noticeably green but not what I see with my eyes.
> 
> ( pic coming soon, photobucket is acting up)



In my beam comparison I was going to include a CW XP-G but did not have room to get them all in. I agree the XP-G cool white have more dominant blue and purples, while the XM-L tends to be more green. Honestly I prefer green CW to Blue CW. What makes me  are the NW Greens. But green is in the middle of the visible spectrum so I can't blame cree for moving XM-Ls that way(purple was a major compaint with earlier LEDs)

Edit: Wiggle: Wow your Quark AA2 NW R4 look MUCH warmer than the one I had. Are you sure that is not warm? Thanks for the beamshot!


----------



## Wiggle

Actually I agree with your assesment of NW Greenish vs CW Greenish. I love the NW Quark AA2 at high drive levels and even as low as medium, but in low and moonlight there is a greenness that bothers me alot more than the green in this SC52 or my Jetbeam PA40. I never notice the greenness with the CW when actually shining it on things, especially outdoors it doesn't have that "flattening" effect that a very cool blue can have.


----------



## Wiggle

Here are some pictures of how these lights actually look rendering a scene. To me this is alot more useful than a white wall shot. Daytime white balance. All lights on max except the SC52 which I set to H2 (172 lumen rated). To me all the CWs are pretty close, slight edge to the ZL but not much. 

Quark AA R5





Preon 2:





SC52:





Quark AA2 NW:


----------



## stp

Wiggle said:


> (...)
> I did daytime white balance on this but the Quark CW and Preon 2 look way more blue than I notice, and the SC52 looks noticeably green but not what I see with my eyes. Also, the NW looks more yellow in my eyes.
> (...)



You told us what white balance did you use so you already did better than many others but you should also check if your photo camera isn't doing something to boost colours. Many current cameras do it by default to make pictures more vivid (sadly some don't even offer option to disable it). For example in my old canon I can set "color style" from vivid to faithful. Usually the most boosted colours are green (for grass), blue (for sky and water) and red (for flowers). It may be reason why you see the colours little different in reality. Also most displays targeted at non professionals will oversaturate some part of the spectrum too (again to make the picture "nicer")

Anyway your Zebra is definitely the greenest from your herd.


----------



## Wiggle

Yeah sadly I don't have a ton of options. I'm only shooting on a cell phone (Lumia 920 which has possibly the nicest smartphone camera, but regardless it's still just a phone). The scene I shot above tells alot more in my opinion and is quite close to what I see with my eyes. I also locked the exposure to be consistent.


----------



## ToyTank

I appreciate the work. Doing a quick and dirty is fast but less useful than rendering scenes as you have. Thanks!

I'm using a Droid razr and there is almost no options for the camera. My older Droid incredible had a much better camera and had white balance, exposure, etc.


----------



## markr6

Wow, thanks for those pics. I need a Quark AA2 NW now


----------



## Wiggle

markr6 said:


> Wow, thanks for those pics. I need a Quark AA2 NW now



I agree it's a nice tint  Something to consider though, the SC52 can run just as long and bright as that Quark but with only one AA instead of 2 and in a package less than half the size.


----------



## markr6

Wiggle said:


> I agree it's a nice tint  Something to consider though, the SC52 can run just as long and bright as that Quark but with only one AA instead of 2 and in a package less than half the size.



Yeah, but I'm now to the point where I'll take a substantial loss in performance for a good tint - I'm addicted!! Maybe not to the extent as in this example though, but you get the idea. ZL makes amazing lights, and even though I've been vocal about momentary on being a "must have", I still think an SC52w will end up in my hands eventually.


----------



## reppans

Wiggle said:


> I agree it's a nice tint  Something to consider though, the SC52 can run just as long and bright as that Quark but with only one AA instead of 2 and in a package less than half the size.



Are you talking about the QAA2-X which happens to share many of the same lumen modes? By my Lumen meter, the SC52 falls significantly short of the Quark, except Med, and is only ~ 1/3rd to 1/2 on the lows. Course, my ZL example could be faulty.... again.


----------



## Wiggle

reppans said:


> Are you talking about the QAA2-X which happens to share many of the same lumen modes? By my Lumen meter, the SC52 falls significantly short of the Quark, except Med, and is only ~ 1/3rd to 1/2 on the lows. Course, my ZL example could be faulty.... again.



Nope I'm referring to the XP-G R4 NW release. I don't own a QAA2X.


----------



## LEDburn

I asked ZL when they expect to have sc52w on the market and this is what I got:

Staff (Administrator)
12/29/2012 1:19:30 AM	We are expecting (finger crossed) to have some neutral white XM-Ls in early Feb. Hopefully we will have all those 'w' lights (H502w, SC52w, S6330w, and SC600w MkII) out by late Feb.


----------



## shelm

LEDburn said:


> *Staff (Administrator)*
> 12/29/2012 1:19:30 AM We are expecting (finger crossed) to have *some *neutral white XM-Ls in *early *Feb. Hopefully we will have *all *those 'w' lights (H502w, SC52w, S6330w, and SC600w MkII) out by *late *Feb.



Are we allowed to share such messages? lovecpf
Talking about selfbuilt's sample for the upcoming cpf review, here's another one :santa: 



> *Staff (Administrator)*
> 12/28/2012 10:12:02 PM We will ship SC52 to him next week.


----------



## LEDburn

shelm said:


> Are we allowed to share such messages? lovecpf
> Talking about selfbuilt's sample for the upcoming cpf review, here's another one :santa:



I don't see why not as I don't have inside knowledge. They willingly disclosed that to me when I asked them a question on their website. The only reason I could think why they don't want that disclosed is in the event of them being unable to live up to what they said - a lot of people may misinterpret that as a guaranteed date.


----------



## Overclocker

safe to use with UNPROTECTED 14500?


----------



## henry1960

Overclocker said:


> safe to use with UNPROTECTED 14500?



I would try using protected cells at all times if you can...But yes it is safe just keep an eye on battery..


----------



## iocheretyanny

SC52 is rated at 280Lm ANSI from one AA Eneloop and even more output with Energizer L91 lithium battery.

How much brighter is it?
What is the Lumens on the Energizer L91?


----------



## Wiggle

It seemed a bit punchier when I tried it. Assuming the 280 is accurate for eneloop I'd say about 350 lumens or so. Just a guess though, don't hold me to it.


----------



## TedTheLed

see, it's a matter of taste, I'd say the quark aa nw was the best color. and zl the worst. look at the buttons on the remote, more defined on quark, tinted with zl.. you are welcome to your taste, but I think you'll prefer the warmer hues once you get an 'educated palate.'..the blue cast of cool white lights looks wrong to me..


----------



## TweakMDS

Mine is finally in the mail, so I hope I will have it by wednesday. In the same shipment is an Eagletac D25A Clicky Ti in XP-G2 (2013 model) and an XP-G2 upgrade for my EagleTac P20A2. 
The only thing I didn't get yet is 14500 batteries (not in stock), so I still have to use lithium AA's and eneloops.

I really hope these two lights will keep me away from McGizmo's subforum for a while, but there's some serious urge towards a Haiku and/or Sundrop XR-U lately...

Eitherway: gonna get my lumens on in 2013! Happy new year in advance all!


----------



## wertzius

*AW: Zebralight SC52 & SC52w*

It's not allowed to use 14500 cells in this light!


----------



## henry1960

*Re: AW: Zebralight SC52 & SC52w*



wertzius said:


> It's not allowed to use 14500 cells in this light!



SC52 YOU CAN...SC51 They recomended you did not...


----------



## wertzius

*AW: Zebralight SC52 & SC52w*

Yes you are right, i checked that again.
I swear that 14500 were forbidden on the zebralight website last week.
Now there is the statement with 500 lm for 1 minute.


----------



## Overclocker

*Re: AW: Zebralight SC52 & SC52w*

any thoughts on transplanting a neutral XP-G2? you think the reflector will work well with G2?


----------



## turkeylord

LEDburn said:


> I asked ZL when they expect to have sc52w on the market and this is what I got:
> 
> Staff (Administrator)
> 12/29/2012 1:19:30 AM We are expecting (finger crossed) to have some neutral white XM-Ls in early Feb. Hopefully we will have all those 'w' lights (H502w, SC52w, S6330w, and SC600w MkII) out by late Feb.


Thanks for sharing.  I'm definitely interested.


----------



## nawwk

Just ordered the Zebralight Sc 52, it's gonna be my main EDC light. 280lm on AA Eneloops is just awesome plus it can run in 14500 too at a whopping 500lm!


----------



## markr6

ToyTank said:


> It's coming but don't hold your breath. IMHO likely around end of February beginning of March.



I'm patiently waiting! I love ZL headlamps but I've always held off buying a torch since I usually require a momentary on. But I think this will be my first; the UI is just so darn good!

Hopefully you're right, I can wait til February or March. ZL said the SC52w would be available in late November :shakehead


----------



## ScottFree

Mine arrived yesterday. First, but definitely not my last Zebralight. Small and mad grin-inducingly powerful (280lm 1xAA) and amazingly portable. Hopefully will have either a SC31 or SC80 this month.


----------



## shelm

CarpentryHero made a nice white wall beamshot, thanks!!







Please more beamshot contributions if possible


----------



## Wiggle

reppans said:


> Anyone notice an intrusive automatic step-down on IMRs and certain ICRs?
> 
> I noticed my light stepped down from H1, I believe to M1, when my Eagletac 14500 ICR hit <3.7V resting. The battery tester function registers a single flash. OK this makes sense for a typically ICR like an AW 14500 since @3.7V resting, the cell is about 80% depleted.
> 
> However, according to HKJ's comparator, the Eagletac's 14500 ICR is only about 50-60% depleted at ~3.7V resting.
> http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/CommonSmallcomparator.php
> 
> On my other lights, I typically run my Eagletac batt down to ~ 3.5V resting, or ~75% depleted, before charging. I seem to get plenty of runtime between 3.7-3.5ish Vs and am using Turbo normally. So I'm wondering if the SC52 is automatically stepping down (perhaps too early) based on resting voltage. If this is true, then I would think that an IMR would be similarly affected since its resting voltage is also lower than a typical ICR, despite having plenty of capacity left.
> 
> So, anyone run an IMR down to <3.7V resting (also ~ 50% depleted)? If so, what does the SC52 battery meter indicate, and can you still access H1?



I was thinking about this abit. Does IMR chemistry sag more under load than typical? Perhaps in higher modes there is a voltage sag that trips that mode stepdown.


----------



## twl

Wiggle said:


> I was thinking about this abit. Does IMR chemistry sag more under load than typical? Perhaps in higher modes there is a voltage sag that trips that mode stepdown.



IMR chemistry is MUCH MUCH better under high loads, and can supply current up into the 10+ amps range.


----------



## reppans

Wiggle said:


> I was thinking about this abit. Does IMR chemistry sag more under load than typical? Perhaps in higher modes there is a voltage sag that trips that mode stepdown.



As TWL mentions, the IMR actually hardly sags under heavy load vs the ICR, but it runs does run significantly lower resting voltages than an ICR. (Try using HKJ comparator I linked to). So the battery meter's step-down feature will depend upon if it is measuring voltage under load, or while resting. 

If it's measuring under load, then an IMR may actually have the reverse problem... it might only step-down when the battery is dead. If it's measuring resting, then it might step down too early. I don't know as I don't have IMRs - I just found it cut my Eagletac 14500s off far too early.

But the bottom line is that the different Li-ion chemistries, and even some batteries within the same chemistry, have different voltage and drain profiles and I wonder how the meter and step-down function account for those differences. For me though, it's getting to be like cars which give you automatic transmission and rain-sensing windshield wipers - to an extent, it makes things idiot proof, on the other hand, you take away a certain level of control and ability to tweak preferences.


----------



## twl

reppans said:


> As TWL mentions, the IMR actually hardly sags under heavy load vs the ICR, but it runs does run significantly lower resting voltages than an ICR. (Try using HKJ comparator I linked to). So the battery meter's step-down feature will depend upon if it is measuring voltage under load, or while resting.
> 
> If it's measuring under load, then an IMR may actually have the reverse problem... it might only step-down when the battery is dead. If it's measuring resting, then it might step down too early. I don't know as I don't have IMRs - I just found it cut my Eagletac 14500s off far too early.
> 
> But the bottom line is that the different Li-ion chemistries, and even some batteries within the same chemistry, have different voltage and drain profiles and I wonder how the meter and step-down function account for those differences. For me though, it's getting to be like cars which give you automatic transmission and rain-sensing windshield wipers - to an extent, it makes things idiot proof, on the other hand, you take away a certain level of control and ability to tweak preferences.



I personally would suspect that it is the lower internal resistance of the IMR that is allowing too much current to flow to the emitter in direct drive mode, and the system is stepping down from heat in an attempt to protect the emitter.
I don't know all the inner details of the Zebralight electronics, but it is a possibility.


----------



## reppans

twl said:


> I personally would suspect that it is the lower internal resistance of the IMR that is allowing too much current to flow to the emitter in direct drive mode, and the system is stepping down from heat in an attempt to protect the emitter.
> I don't know all the inner details of the Zebralight electronics, but it is a possibility.



Thanks, but not in my case. I don't own any IMRs, my batt. is an EagleTac 14500 ICR and according to HKJ's graph, still has ~ 40% capacity at a 3.7V resting (I typically run it down to 3.5V on other lights). Heat is definitely not the issue, once it gets to ~3.7V, the meter will show one flash and the light losses high, period. I never use H sustained - I hate changing batts ;-).


----------



## cyclesport

reppans said:


> Thanks, but not in my case. I don't own any IMRs, my batt. is an EagleTac 14500 ICR and according to HKJ's graph, still has ~ 40% capacity at a 3.7V resting (I typically run it down to 3.5V on other lights). Heat is definitely not the issue, once it gets to ~3.7V, the meter will show one flash and the light losses high, period. I never use H sustained - I hate changing batts ;-).



FWIW I finally got around to leaving an EagleTac 750mAh 14500 ICR in my SC52 until only one flash on the light's battery indicator and removed the battery and measured the remaining voltage @ 3.53v. I also have some of Intl' Outdoor's Sanyo based 840mAh 14500's and they too measure around the 3.5v level when one flash is reached.

Also when it reached one flash I set it on my desk on high and the drop-down from 500L to 280L occured within 30sec. I turned it off and repeated the test w/same ET batt, and the drop down happened at the 10 sec. mark...that is the point I measured 3.53V.


----------



## reppans

Great info Cyclesport, that is an ideal cut-off point for this battery, and step-down treatment by the light. I'm on my second charge with the ET14500, and will monitor more closely how my light behaves near the end.


----------



## reppans

OK, ran my ET 14500 750mah ICR down to first point of automatic stepdown - one flash battery indicator, resting voltage 3.68V, light was cool. The light steps down, not to H2, but to whatever is in M memory. 

Repeatedly let the batt rest, and ran max again until the light would only hold 400 lms for a couple of seconds, final resting voltage 3.63V. One thing is for sure, based on its behavior, the light definitely is metering under load, that's a good thing.

Pulled the batt out and ran it in my QAAX metered at 250-320 lumens for 5 straight minutes, then tested batt at around 3.43V resting. Back in and I quickly tripped the protection circuit. Popped it in the charger for few seconds to reset and it metered at 3.4V. 

So if you assume a total runtime on max of around 20-25 mins, with ~ 5 mins left to go, the step down function is cutting in at around 75-80% depleted on the Eagletac ICR... I think that's perfectly reasonable considering that, what I've seen from HKJ's ICR and IMR graphs, this ET battery is running one of the lowest voltages under load, of any battery from these two chemistries. 

Just speculating now, but based in this, I think IFRs and 14505 Lithium primaries may not be able to power Max on this light.


----------



## cyclesport

^

Since you let your battery rest before measuring 3.68v @ the one flash mark reppans, I think your light is behaving, on average, as designed. I subsequently took measurements (battery right outta' the light/no rest) as my light's battery meter descended, and with each flash I measured...

3 flashes...4.1v
2 flashes...3.85v
1 flash......3.53v

...and it seems to do this repeatedly and pretty consistently regardless of Li-ion brand, so it's reasonably the same as your SC52 since my lowest measurement of 3.53v @ 1 flash was taken without giving the battery any recovery time.


----------



## reppans

Agreed, mine did allow for some recovery time.... and as mentioned, based on HKJs comparator, it looks like the ET batts have the lowest loaded voltage characteristics of the ICR and IMR world, so most other batts will even work better.

What are your thoughts on running IFRs or 14505 lithium primaries? Anyone try it?


----------



## cyclesport

Sorry, but I ony use 14500 ICRs, and Eneloops in the AA format.


----------



## Outrider

reppans said:


> Agreed, mine did allow for some recovery time.... and as mentioned, based on HKJs comparator, it looks like the ET batts have the lowest loaded voltage characteristics of the ICR and IMR world, so most other batts will even work better.
> 
> What are your thoughts on running IFRs or 14505 lithium primaries? Anyone try it?



FWIW My SC52 with a 14505 will give approx 1 second on hi then step down to med. Tried 3 new 14505's
from BJ, same result.


----------



## bansuri

Don't know if George keeps up with this thread, but if so I'd sure love to see an SC52d! That's if the luxeon can handle that kind of output. 
Wow, what's not to like about this light? 
I knew this was a special company when I ordered my first h50. They only had that and the h30, I was hooked by the minimalist design and great runtimes. If you've seen my sales threads you know I've been through a TON of lights, I hang on to my Zebras though, their headlamps are so useful that I have one near me at home, in the car and at work. My daughter reads herself to sleep with an h50w and both my children cherish their SC51s. 
I'll order an SC52 no matter what the tint. Will try to hold out for W or Daylight hcri, but if the cool tint is anything like the cool tint of the SC600 then it's not bad at all.


----------



## TweakMDS

Not sure about the luxeon, but otherwise a Nichia 219 would be a great option. But I don't see that happening all too soon, and the SC52 might be tricky to get modded, being all cramped and tiny like that.


----------



## shelm

shelm said:


> Talking about selfbuilt's sample for the upcoming cpf review, here's another one :santa:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Staff (Administrator)*
> 12/28/2012 10:12:02 PM We will ship SC52 to him next week.
Click to expand...

a little news update 



> *Customer*
> 1/10/2013 9:17:12 AMThe review sample has been sent off (shipped) already? *Staff (Administrator)*
> 1/10/2013 9:59:53 PMYes.



very verbose them


----------



## bansuri

I don't think this will break any rules, but I've been wrong before. 
Got a response to an inquiry on the ZL website, was told there will be SC52c and SC52d. They're evaluating emitters.
In for an SC52d!!!


----------



## Harry999

bansuri,

Thank you for posting that. I will be in for an SC52d as soon as it is available. I have the H502d and that is a great tint with excellent colour rendition. 5000k definitely seems to be my sweet spot.


----------



## GunnarGG

+1 for sc52d


----------



## shelm

Please could someone explain in detail what these versions are: sc52c, sc52d? which one of them is High CRI, and is it the same as warm white? Are they all XML?

sc52w is XML and neutral white, that i know. "f" is frosted lens.

EDIT: i checked ..

H502: XML, 260lm, *6300K*, "cool white"
H502c: Rebel, 145lm(!!), *4000K*, "85 High CRI - neutral white" (=eveninglight white ;=)
H502d: Rebel, 170lm(!), *5000K*, "85 High CRI - daylight white"
H600w: XML, 645lm, *4200K*, "75 CRI - neutral white" (=late afternoonlight white ;=)

What a big lumens loss from CW to "c" or "d"!!!


----------



## Harry999

shelm,

No one knows at this stage what is going into the yet to be released SC51 c and d versions. If you look at past Zebralight version in headlamp and flashlight form then you will see there are a variety of LEDs from Philip Luxeons to XM-Ls.


----------



## Harry999

Following your edit yes there is a lumen loss but it is one users are prepared to accept for a more pleasing tint and higher CRI. The overall quality and enjoyment in using the light makes it acceptable. Not for all users but that is the great thing about having choice.


----------



## twl

shelm said:


> Please could someone explain in detail what these versions are: sc52c, sc52d? which one of them is High CRI, and is it the same as warm white? Are they all XML?
> 
> sc52w is XML and neutral white, that i know. "f" is frosted lens.
> 
> EDIT: i checked ..
> 
> H502: XML, 260lm, *6300K*, "cool white"
> H502c: Rebel, 145lm(!!), *4000K*, "85 High CRI - neutral white" (=eveninglight white ;=)
> H502d: Rebel, 170lm(!), *5000K*, "85 High CRI - daylight white"
> H600w: XML, 645lm, *4200K*, "75 CRI - neutral white" (=late afternoonlight white ;=)
> 
> What a big lumens loss from CW to "c" or "d"!!!



As you can see, it is not unusual to lose up to 40% of the total output(compared to cool white) when using these warmer emitters.
The other thing is that "85 High CRI" is not really a very high CRI. Most "high CRI" emitters are 90+ CRI. The popular Nichia 219 is 92 CRI.

As Harry999 notes, most people who use warm emitters are aware of this, and accept what comes along with the warmer tints because they like the warm tints and it's worth it to them.


----------



## a_b

Very nice photoshoot ZebraLight SC52 http://forum.fonarevka.ru/showthread.php?t=13844


----------



## Bill S.

Sweet pictures. Thanks for the link.


----------



## StandardBattery

Harry999 said:


> bansuri,
> 
> Thank you for posting that. I will be in for an SC52d as soon as it is available. I have the H502d and that is a great tint with excellent colour rendition. 5000k definitely seems to be my sweet spot.





GunnarGG said:


> +1 for sc52d


I'm pretty sure I'd buy a SC52d as well, because I really like the H502d. I do wish it had bit more output though, and they may not use the same emitter as the H502d so it will need to be evaluated on it's own. I have yet to get my hands on a light with a High CRI 219 Nichia, but I'm trying to find one I would really like.

I think an SC52d might be a very nice EDC especially if the lower output means it's also not driven as hard so the runtime on an eneloop is reasonable.


----------



## Overclocker

any thoughts on transplanting an XP-G2 into this thing? you think the stock reflector will work just fine with a G2?


----------



## Coleslaw38

Here is a beam shot at about 4 ft on a fresh 14500 on high. White wall.


----------



## Fireclaw18

Overclocker said:


> any thoughts on transplanting an XP-G2 into this thing? you think the stock reflector will work just fine with a G2?



Stock reflector would probably be fine with XP-G2. However, you might have a problem actually getting access to the emitter. The SC51 didn't really have a user-accessible emitter. The SC52 looks similar.

If anyone manages to disassemble an SC52 to get to the emitter please post pictures.


----------



## Overclocker

Fireclaw18 said:


> Stock reflector would probably be fine with XP-G2. However, you might have a problem actually getting access to the emitter. The SC51 didn't really have a user-accessible emitter. The SC52 looks similar.
> 
> If anyone manages to disassemble an SC52 to get to the emitter please post pictures.



dremel w/ cutoff wheel


----------



## eloreno

I've been having issues with flickering when I put in freshly charged zebralight 14500 batteries into my sc52, and turning the light on max. I am using a nitecore i4 charger so I know Its not overcharging. 
It seems to stop flickering after the batteries become slightly depleted. 

Thoughts anyone?


----------



## LEDburn

eloreno said:


> I've been having issues with flickering when I put in freshly charged zebralight 14500 batteries into my sc52, and turning the light on max. I am using a nitecore i4 charger so I know Its not overcharging.
> It seems to stop flickering after the batteries become slightly depleted.
> 
> Thoughts anyone?



So it ONLY happens on Max and ONLY 14500 NOT NiMH or Li-primary?
Does it happen with ALL the ZL batteries and ONLY when fully charged?
Do you have any other brand 14500's to test the light with? 
What happens if you pull the cell off charge as soon as it is done and let it sit, possibly for an hour or so to let voltage settle?

I don't know if what you're experiencing would even be the symptoms of over charged cells but that is what I think is happening.

EDIT: having thought about it for a second, I actually remember a user reporting similar issues although I believe they were using IMR cells. Might be a defect


----------



## atbglenn

Got mine today from Illumination Supply for $54.40 (discounted) I love it! Very nice quality, small, and very bright with 14500's.


----------



## crazyk4952

eloreno said:


> I've been having issues with flickering when I put in freshly charged zebralight 14500 batteries into my sc52, and turning the light on max.



I have noticed this with eneloops. Sometimes they will flicker when I first put them in the light off of the charger and turn it on high mode. I have also had an issue where my light will only turn onto L1 mode when the eneloop has ~75% charge left (often this will happen if I leave a battery in it overnight). I am going to send mine back to Zebralight and see what they say about it.


----------



## eloreno

LEDburn said:


> So it ONLY happens on Max and ONLY 14500 NOT NiMH or Li-primary?
> Does it happen with ALL the ZL batteries and ONLY when fully charged?
> Do you have any other brand 14500's to test the light with?
> What happens if you pull the cell off charge as soon as it is done and let it sit, possibly for an hour or so to let voltage settle?
> 
> I don't know if what you're experiencing would even be the symptoms of over charged cells but that is what I think is happening.
> 
> EDIT: having thought about it for a second, I actually remember a user reporting similar issues although I believe they were using IMR cells. Might be a defect




It happens with any 14500 that's fully charged, including 2 x ZL 14500 and 6 x trustfire 14500. It doesn't matter how long the cells sit. The flickering stops once the cells discharge to about 4.1 volts. The cells come off of the charger @ exactly 4.2 volts (measured by multi-meter).

I believe it to be a defect. I have already sent ZL an email, but I know from past experience it can take a long time to get a response.


----------



## Rikr

atbglenn said:


> Got mine today from Illumination Supply for $54.40 (discounted) I love it! Very nice quality, small, and very bright with 14500's.


What a great light Glenn...


----------



## funkychateau

How do we get that discount? Is there a CPF code?



atbglenn said:


> Got mine today from Illumination Supply for $54.40 (discounted) I love it! Very nice quality, small, and very bright with 14500's.


----------



## Mojer

eloreno said:


> It happens with any 14500 that's fully charged, including 2 x ZL 14500 and 6 x trustfire 14500. It doesn't matter how long the cells sit. The flickering stops once the cells discharge to about 4.1 volts. The cells come off of the charger @ exactly 4.2 volts (measured by multi-meter).
> 
> I believe it to be a defect. I have already sent ZL an email, but I know from past experience it can take a long time to get a response.



I use Eagletac 14500's and I am not having this issue.


----------



## atbglenn

No flickering with standard Eneloop's or KeepPower 14500's here

Edit: All of a sudden mine flickers with 14500's on the highest setting. Still not flickering with Eneloops. What the hell is going on????

Edit once again: It's not flickering anymore. Maybe the tail cap circuit board needs a cleaning? Not very confidence inspiring to say the least...


----------



## atbglenn

funkychateau said:


> How do we get that discount? Is there a CPF code?



The 15% discount code from Illumination Supply is Discount code removed.


----------



## TweakMDS

Some measurebating in the Eagletac Ti Clicky thread that involves the SC52, and thus may be of interest to this thread:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ac-Clicky-Ti&p=4116138&viewfull=1#post4116138


----------



## g.p.

TweakMDS said:


> Some _*measurebating*_ in the Eagletac Ti Clicky thread that involves the SC52, and thus may be of interest to this thread:
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ac-Clicky-Ti&p=4116138&viewfull=1#post4116138


Too much info!!!


----------



## TweakMDS

g.p. said:


> Too much info!!!



 
It's a term usually reserved for the photography world, where some people spend ALL their time with expensive lenses and cameras pixelpeeping, shooting brick walls, test charts and doing high ISO noise tests, rather than taking them out and forgetting any small differences that you won't notice anyway in real world pictures. 

The same counts for us flashaholics: Hunting white walls, comparing beamshots, measuring miniscule output differences etc.


----------



## shelm

TweakMDS said:


> It's a term usually reserved for the photography world, where some people spend ALL their time with expensive lenses and cameras pixelpeeping, shooting brick walls, test charts and doing high ISO noise tests, rather than taking them out and forgetting any small differences that you won't notice anyway in real world pictures.



i thought it was derived from measure-debating and not m*sture-bating


----------



## ruriimasu

Any expected date for a warm version?


----------



## TweakMDS

shelm said:


> i thought it was derived from measure-debating and not m*sture-bating



You don't know how excited some of these photographers get over megapixels...



ruriimasu said:


> Any expected date for a warm version?



IIRC ZebraLight unofficially replied that they would introduce warm XML versions in late february - so probably at least the SC52, H502W and SC600W MkII. Possibly also the newer monsters like the SC6330W, although I suppose the demand for huge lights in warm/neutral is comparatively lower than with the smaller edc-able ones.


----------



## reppans

shelm said:


> i thought it was derived from measure-debating and not m*sture-bating



American humor.... 

I like the term, its very appropriate, and I certainly resemble that remark - well, at least when it comes to Zebralight. 

I'm not normally like that, but I realize now that it's deeply rooted from my school years. All those braggart kids claiming to be the best at - whatever - were often worthy of a little one-on-one challenge.


----------



## Creezy

atbglenn said:


> The 15% discount code from Illumination Supply is Discount code removed.


What is the discount code please


----------



## StandardBattery

Creezy said:


> What is the discount code please



Just visit CPFMarketplace and look at the the first post in the dealer's thread for this light.


----------



## shelm

Talking of XML CW emitter. A quick interesting observation, stock numbers of Mike Cellguy and LightJunction havent been decreasing for the past ~3 weeks!! Cellguy has 52pcs left, LJ has 15pcs left. Same with other dealers around the globe, inventory isnt moving, i've checked. One seller, IlluminationSupply, managed to sell a few(!) copies during that time and is now out of stock. I dare to say that there is no more demand for the SC52 XML CW, the market is saturated already .. because ZL serves a very small market unlike Fenix, Nitecore or Eagletac who have a large array of widely distributed models with high availability. If you dont believe me, observe for yourself how slowly LJ, Cellguy continue to sell off their stock from this point on. Goinggear website shows stock numbers too, but they're out of stock.

Personally, i am waiting for a couple of real reviews ..isnt it strange that there isnt any review out yet of a flashlight which we all including myself consider as the most important 1xAA flashlight in 2013?.. and for the release of SC52 with XP-G2 emitter. I'd probably take the SC52w instead if user report super nice tint on their NW samples.

Anyway, i am intentionally holding off. I've seen too many Cree XM-L U2 CW emitters in my life, they all had a faint greenish haze distributed all over the beam and sometimes it was only possible to realize by direct comparison against my pure white reference LED's but i didnt like it anyway. If anyone in this thread claims that his SC52 doesnt look greenish, then i believe him that he cant see it. But you also need to believe me that i do see it if *i* compare it against my reference lights. Only few of us have good eyes, only few of us possess expensive pure white reference lights as i do, and only few of us care if the beam is _slightly _greenish or _notably _greenish because collectors, e.g. buyers of SWM Sirius M11R Ti, want to own the light no matter what and will accept that all CREE LED's kinda s*ck imho when it comes down to tint and tint uniformity, which btw doesnt exist with CREE LED's. I do care though. And i fiercely will not accept any light in my collection which doesnt have a tint as top grade as my reference lights. So i am continuing to wait for releases of SC52w or XP-G2 and for real reviews; per definition, a well-chosen NW emitter wont have any greenish haze in the beam but be uniformly "neutralish", and XP-G2 R5 CW's are the best CREE products i've seen so far. 

One thing's for sure, I really want one SC52, and i am going to get one. That's why i included the option "_Yes, i am going to order it sooner or later. Count me in yet!_" in the poll.. 

It's gonna be long year .. 2013 .. :tired:


----------



## TweakMDS

I'm very happy with my SC52, but I'll probably also get an XP-G2 version when it comes out... Or possibly an SC32 in XP-G2, and/or a warm XM-L version. 
Maybe I've been lucky with my SC52, because it has a great tint and perfect emitter centering, but this light has impressed me a lot. Possibly even more than the D25A Ti Clicky XP-G2 (EAGLETAC PLEASE SHORTEN THAT NAME!!!) which barely had any use yet because the SC52's floodiness just works better indoors and in the snow.
In spring and summer hikes, I'll probably prefer the XP-G2 though. Both lights work well together as a double EDC though.

Ironically, with all my new toys, the Tank007 E09 has gotten by far the most use these days - as it made it's way to my keychain. Thanks for that recommendation, Shelm.


----------



## shelm

Oh, am glad that you appreciate keychain lights now, welcome 

If you hold the D25A XP-G S2 CW and the SC52 side by side and shine against a white wall .. erh.. we still wait for your beam color comparison, best in form of beamshots, what do you say? You cant see that the SC52 has slight greenish haze in comparison to the Eagletac?


----------



## maxrep12

Shelm, 

I too am puzzled with the absence of reviews. Didn't you say something awhile back about Selfbuilt being sent a sample, or am I confusing this with someone else?


----------



## shelm

maxrep12 said:


> Didn't you say something awhile back about Selfbuilt being sent a sample, or am I confusing this with someone else?



Zebralight said that the sample is in transit to selfbuilt Canada.
You were right!!


----------



## g.p.

shelm said:


> ...sometimes it was only possible to realize by direct comparison against my pure white reference LED's...


I'm 100% happy with mine in real world useage. It's a tool and not a jewel, but I haven't noticed any green while working with it.

Perhaps I'm just not one of the few that are blessed with "good eyes"!?!? :thinking:


----------



## Badbeams3

I still have my eye on this light. Like others I`m waiting for a review...and Selfbuilt`s lumen estimate before pulling the trigger. Also the new Nitecore EC25 caught my interest...something about that blue lit camera style button...oo:...me likey....seems a step ahead...


----------



## StandardBattery

Badbeams3 said:


> ...something about that blue lit camera style button...oo:...me likey....seems a step ahead...


..or... so far behind is just looks cool. The side switch on the TM15 and EA4 are similar and are worse than the first Zebra switches... they have a long evolution to go.


----------



## reppans

Badbeams3 said:


> I still have my eye on this light. Like others I`m waiting for a review...and Selfbuilt`s lumen estimate before pulling the trigger...



I think Selfbuilt will find that it meets its lumen claims, except for all the L modes. The real question is how many lumens you should increase the competing AA/14500/sub-lumen lights to compare them, apples to apples, on a Zebralight-Selfbuilt scale. Sadly, some of the best competing lights will likely not be in his comparison charts.


----------



## stp

reppans said:


> I think Selfbuilt will find that it meets its lumen claims, except for all the L modes. The real question is how many lumens you should increase the competing AA/14500/sub-lumen lights to compare them, apples to apples, on a Zebralight-Selfbuilt scale. Sadly, some of the best competing lights will likely not be in his comparison charts.




I don't have SC52, I also don't have any way to measure lumens but anyway I will point you one thing related to few yours post in this thread.

Even leds from the same bin can differ in emited lumens by more or less 5%. So there can be huge difference between two samples of the same model of flashlight from specific manufacturer (if you add driver, and circuit resistance) especially if he is using leds from different bins. So maybe some manufacturers to be on the safe side specify lower amount of lumens than they usually measure just to be in the green when they sell underachiever.

Otherwise it doesn't have sense to me. Why would any manufacturer lower their specs under the real value when they know that high lumens are selling lights like high megapixels are selling photocameras. On the other hand if ZebraLights would overvalue their specs we would have other manufacturers pointing this on cpf (even if they would do this anonymously) because they would have financial interest in showing us that ZL is cheating us.

Anyway please keep in mind that the lumens you measured with your DSLR say nothing about entire model line or manufacturer. You could have overachiever from one manufacturer, avarager ;-) from other and underachiver from the third one for example. 

I don't know if it's the case, just food for thought.


----------



## reppans

stp said:


> I don't have SC52, I also don't have any way to measure lumens but anyway I will point you one thing related to few yours post in this thread.
> 
> Even leds from the same bin can differ in emited lumens by more or less 5%. So there can be huge difference between two samples of the same model of flashlight from specific manufacturer (if you add driver, and circuit resistance) especially if he is using leds from different bins. So maybe some manufacturers to be on the safe side specify lower amount of lumens than they usually measure just to be in the green when they sell underachiever.
> 
> Otherwise it doesn't have sense to me. Why would any manufacturer lower their specs under the real value when they know that high lumens are selling lights like high megapixels are selling photocameras. On the other hand if ZebraLights would overvalue their specs we would have other manufacturers pointing this on cpf (even if they would do this anonymously) because they would have financial interest in showing us that ZL is cheating us.
> 
> Anyway please keep in mind that the lumens you measured with your DSLR say nothing about entire model line or manufacturer. You could have overachiever from one manufacturer, avarager ;-) from other and underachiver from the third one for example.
> 
> I don't know if it's the case, just food for thought.



Oh I certainly agree with sample variation and the potential of it misrepresenting results, but obviously, as you get more and more samples and data points from different people using objective equipment to evaluate their lights, the story becomes clearer and clearer. Here's some:

- An older thread about the H51w CLICKY with a few of us using light meters/DSLRs.
- Selfbuilt obviously, and my tests with competing lights are consistent with his.
- TweakMDS, links provided above, against the D25A and D25C.
- mgscheue, just posted today on the "ZL SC52s Owner's Thread" against the Thrunite T10 and the QB2A.
- And just for another perspective on the who's conservative and who's exaggerating question, here's GoingGear's website filtered on 2xAAs CLICKY.

Sorry, I don't agree that it would ever make sense for one manufacturer to be throwing stones at another in forum like this.

EDIT: Just realized one of my more complete explanations was actually in the other "ZL SC52s Owner's Thread" in posts 137 and 139, so feel free to read that too.


----------



## g.p.

reppans said:


> Sorry, I don't agree that it would ever make sense for one manufacturer to be throwing stones at another in forum like this.


Don't put it past them...big business has learned about the power of personal recommendations and web forums. I was a memebr of a group of RC forums for several years until it came out that a certian manufacturer had paid shills disguised as members on the sites. The main site is crawling with them, and the mods are OK with it since it's the sites biggest sponsor. They do fake posts about products and launch group personal attacks against anybody that says anything bad about the products. There was a similar situation on a thread here today, but I was glad to see that the mods didn't put up with it. On the other site the paid shills get away with it, and the members get points if they do anything other than put up with it. There is even a site dedicated to exposing the truth about these RC sites - rctruth.com.

In short, things aren't always what they seem on the interweb. Take it all with a grain of salt and don't take it for granted that all businesses have morals.


----------



## Mr Floppy

stp said:


> Why would any manufacturer lower their specs under the real value when they know that high lumens are selling lights like high megapixels are selling photocameras



I would say that many manufacturers don't actually have a dedicated integrating sphere. George at Zebralight mentioned that they do. Still, for me the ceiling bounce is still the most consistent despite numerous attempts at a light box


----------



## shelm

Mr Floppy said:


> I would say that many manufacturers don't actually have a dedicated integrating sphere. George at Zebralight mentioned that they do. Still, for me the ceiling bounce is still the most consistent despite numerous attempts at a light box



Has anyone got the Fenix LD22 S2 or LD20 R5, i.e. *180-200 Fenix lumens*!, and compared its brightness against the SC52 *280 ZebraBuilt lumens*?


----------



## Badbeams3

Still no reviews of this light. Makes me think there is a problem and the reviewers are giving Zebralight a chance to remedy what ever it is, rather than come out with a negative review. Might be the flickering problem noted by many, or the light falling short on lumen claims...similar to what appears to be happening to the other new Zebralight. I hope whatever is going on gets fixed, if this is indeed whats going on...the SC52 is one of the players on my probably must have hit list.


----------



## reppans

shelm said:


> Has anyone got the Fenix LD22 S2 or LD20 R5, i.e. *180-200 Fenix lumens*!, and compared its brightness against the SC52 *280 ZebraBuilt lumens*?



Post #61 in the first link of my post above compares an R4 LD25 (180 lms) against the SC51w (172) and SC51 (200). FWIW, both my H51w (172) and SC52 appear to be on the same scale.


----------



## xed888

Badbeams3 said:


> Still no reviews of this light. Makes me think there is a problem and the reviewers are giving Zebralight a chance to remedy what ever it is, rather than come out with a negative review. Might be the flickering problem noted by many, or the light falling short on lumen claims...similar to what appears to be happening to the other new Zebralight. I hope whatever is going on gets fixed, if this is indeed whats going on...the SC52 is one of the players on my probably must have hit list.



I believe Selfbuilt is working on a review at the moment.

EDIT: What he said was he believed that ZL are sending him one to review. Whether they have, we don't know.


----------



## shelm

reppans said:


> FWIW, both my H51w (172) and SC52 appear to be on the same scale.



i am still looking for SC52 owners who also own post 2011 Fenix models with comparable brightness because my reference scale is not selfbuilt or Zebralight but whatever Fenix claims. the other day i borrowed a brand new Fenix LD20 R5 from a friend and with 2x Eneloop AA the claimed 180 Fenix lumens blew away all of my 1xAA lights by 4sevens, Thrunite, Eagletac, Jetbeam .. by a huge margin. "180" is a comparatively low number nowadays and mev reported 199 lumens in his LD20 R4 review but the margin by which the Fenix wins over D25A, Quark X w/ 1xEneloop AA, a.o. is incredible. simply put, at this point i cannot imagine that the SC52 is brighter than the 2x Eneloop AA Fenix LD20 until several users do report it.

sure enough, when i get my SC52w copy, some day in distant future .. when it's finally available and its tint reviewed favourably, i am going to discard all selfbuilt "ANSI FL-1" numbers and Zebrabuilt claims and compare the light against the incredibly bright (but so low numbered!) LD20 in Turbo-mode myself. LD22 even does 200 Fenix lumens.

actually in theory i could do it now already: order a SC52 copy, xml cw 280 Zebra lumens, and if it isnt brighter than the incredibly bright LD20 Turbo, simply return the light to the dealer.

problem is, my local dealer is out of stock of the SC52.

so, anyone with LD20?


----------



## Mr Floppy

shelm said:


> And how much useful is selfbuilt's aggrandized generous lumens scale?


Useful enough for many manufacturers and dealers who find it useful enough to send him samples. He's the closest thing there is to independent testing out there, and he does it all out of his own precious time.


----------



## drew78

shelm said:


> Has anyone got the Fenix LD22 S2 or LD20 R5, i.e. *180-200 Fenix lumens*!, and compared its brightness against the SC52 *280 ZebraBuilt lumens*?



I have both the LD22 S2 and the SC52. 

See post below for info....


----------



## drew78

Dorkus update...

So I grabbed my DSLR (Nikon D7000) and took it into the bathroom for some impromptu testing with my ZL SC52, Fenix PD22 S2, and my trusty ol' Surefire E1B.

I set it on the counter, put the soap dispenser infront of it as a focal point for the AF to "pick" so it would be consistent along the tests.

I pushed my ISO way up so I could get shutter speeds in increments of "10" for ease of understanding how the differnt levels of light were being interpreted by the carmera. Camera was in Shutter priority mode so I could contol that variable only and my apature setting was locked at 3.5 (as wide open as I can get this particular lens).

All 3 lights listed above were set in a tailstand position to get a ceiling bounce. All 3 lights were place in the same location for consistency. I measured MAX output only on all 3 lights after letting them run for at least 30 seconds first. In each test, I adjusted the shutter to hit at "0" on the +/- scale in the view finder in order to give me the same data point for all 3 tests. 

First up was the ZL SC52. Gave me a shutter of 1/40
Second was the Fenix PD22 S2. Gave me a shutter of 1/30
Third was my old SF E1B . Gave me a shutter of 1/10

So what does this info tell us. It tells us that the SC52 is brighter (at least in this test) than the PD22 S2. The SC52 boasts 280 lumens while the PD22 S2 is rated at 200. The 2 lights were only 1 stop apart. OR, another way of looking at it is that a shutter speed of 1/40 is faster then that of 1/30 meaning the camera picked up more light with the SC52 which allowed me to get a faster shutter speed vs the 1/30 with the PD22 S2. So maybe the ZL is 80 lumens brighter. Due to the difference in manuf published max brightnesses being 80 lumens apart, may be why my eyes dont percieve a notable difference in brightness between the 2 in a ceiling bounce test. This would also corelate with the fact that we are only looking at a 1 stop difference in shutter speed between the 2 lights, which makes sense given the 2 should have a difference in max output of olny 80 lumens.

Also a suprise was the E1B reading, I expected it it be MUCH lower as compared to the other 2 lights. That little guy just keeps amazing me. It looks like crap, all beat up and missing anodizing, but it always works!

Hope this info is helpful, it certainly gave me more confidence in the rating of the SC52 in comparing it to the Fenix light as they are pretty spot on with their lumen ratings from what I have seen.

Drew


----------



## Bullzeyebill

shelm said:


> How much worth are 400 selfbuilt lumens? Maybe 280 4sevens lumens? And how much useful is selfbuilt's aggrandized generous lumens scale?



Maybe you could have said that you disagree with selfuilt's results in a more polite manner? Otherwise it looks like you are flaming him, to evoke responses from members, as in baiting.

Bill


----------



## Jimbo75

Bullzeyebill said:


> Maybe you could have said that you disagree with selfuilt's results in a more polite manner? Otherwise it looks like you are flaming him, to evoke responses from members, as in baiting.
> 
> Bill



We call it Shelming on this ere forum....I like me mate selfbuilt and think he's an upstanding member that contributes much to this forum.....

On another note, love my SC52, without testing gear I can tell you all that it's really bright, throws quite well and has an ok tint......ok ok just wait for selfbuilt review .


----------



## reppans

drew78 said:


> Dorkus update...
> 
> So I grabbed my DSLR (Nikon D7000) and took it into the bathroom for some impromptu testing with my ZL SC52, Fenix PD22 S2, and my trusty ol' Surefire E1B.
> 
> I set it on the counter, put the soap dispenser infront of it as a focal point for the AF to "pick" so it would be consistent along the tests.
> 
> I pushed my ISO way up so I could get shutter speeds in increments of "10" for ease of understanding how the differnt levels of light were being interpreted by the carmera. Camera was in Shutter priority mode so I could contol that variable only and my apature setting was locked at 3.5 (as wide open as I can get this particular lens).
> 
> All 3 lights listed above were set in a tailstand position to get a ceiling bounce. All 3 lights were place in the same location for consistency. I measured MAX output only on all 3 lights after letting them run for at least 30 seconds first. In each test, I adjusted the shutter to hit at "0" on the +/- scale in the view finder in order to give me the same data point for all 3 tests.
> 
> First up was the ZL SC52. Gave me a shutter of 1/40
> Second was the Fenix PD22 S2. Gave me a shutter of 1/30
> Third was my old SF E1B . Gave me a shutter of 1/10
> 
> So what does this info tell us. It tells us that the SC52 is brighter (at least in this test) than the PD22 S2. The SC52 boasts 280 lumens while the PD22 S2 is rated at 200. The 2 lights were only 1 stop apart. OR, another way of looking at it is that a shutter speed of 1/40 is faster then that of 1/30 meaning the camera picked up more light with the SC52 which allowed me to get a faster shutter speed vs the 1/30 with the PD22 S2. So maybe the ZL is 80 lumens brighter. Due to the difference in manuf published max brightnesses being 80 lumens apart, may be why my eyes dont percieve a notable difference in brightness between the 2 in a ceiling bounce test. This would also corelate with the fact that we are only looking at a 1 stop difference in shutter speed between the 2 lights, which makes sense given the 2 should have a difference in max output of olny 80 lumens.
> 
> Also a suprise was the E1B reading, I expected it it be MUCH lower as compared to the other 2 lights. That little guy just keeps amazing me. It looks like crap, all beat up and missing anodizing, but it always works!
> 
> Hope this info is helpful, it certainly gave me more confidence in the rating of the SC52 in comparing it to the Fenix light as they are pretty spot on with their lumen ratings from what I have seen.
> 
> Drew



Good test... I'm surprised the SC52 beat out the PD22, but it is what it is. Couple of points if you don't mind me saying:

- 1/40th represents 1/3 stop brighter than 1/30 (technically 1 stop would be twice as bright or 1/60th) but your extrapolation is fine and could be seen as 40/30 x 200=267
- 1/10th is actually pretty low and represents 1.67 stops below the PD and a full 2 stops below the SC. 1 stop down is half as bright and 2 stops down is a quarter. Or 10/30x200=67 lms or 10/40x267=67
- Of course, a camera's 1/3 stop increments are not the finest, but I agree it is far more accurate that you can see with the naked eye, esp given tint and beam differences, and is at least objective and can be consistently replicated.

I'll PM you a cool trick for the DSLR measurements to get rid of all the PITA math, since you're 80% there anyways. This will also allow you test every modes of all those lights to see how well the specs line up. If you like it, please share your results back here.


----------



## shelm

PD22?

i was talking of LD20.

I have edited my post. 

There are at least 7 P25 reviews by AadvarSarkus, subwoofer, candlelamp, turboBB, selfbuilt, mev, Upz. Maybe an 8th review by bigmac_79 too? And there is really only 1 SC52 review coming up? 

Thanks drew


----------



## drew78

shelm said:


> PD22?
> 
> i was talking of LD20.
> 
> I have edited my post.
> 
> There are at least 7 P25 reviews by AadvarSarkus, subwoofer, candlelamp, turboBB, selfbuilt, mev, Upz. Maybe an 8th review by bigmac_79 too? And there is really only 1 SC52 review coming up?
> 
> Thanks drew



Dang, looks like I messed that up. I read PD22 S2 for some reason. Since I have one, I thought I could finally contribute something positive to this forum and ran with it!

Sorry for the confusion on that one. Good news is that the PD22 S2 is a 200lumen rated light on turbo so my "test" is still somewhat valid, just not the comparison you asked for.

Appologies again Shelm....

-Drew


----------



## drew78

Thanks reppans-

Thanks for the post and got your PM, I will have to try that sometime, sounds interesting!


----------



## drew78

Follow up.

I realized this morning that i had no idea what the status of each cell was in the Pd22 S2 and the SC52. So I re-ran the test with a fresh new primary in each light. Surefire 123 and Energizer Ultimate L91 respectivly.

Same set up as before so I am not going to go through all that again, reference post #1151 if you need.

Each light came up with a max shutter speed of 1/80 this time. However, the SC52 was literally dancing between maxing out at 1/80 OR 1/100. As reppans stated, the DSLR I was using is stepped in invrements of 1/3's so it isnt as precise as other measuring equipment.

Either way with fresh cells, the 2 lights seemed much closer in performance with "perhaps" a slight nod in output going to the SC52, but not by much.

Later-


Drew


----------



## reppans

drew78 said:


> Follow up.
> 
> I realized this morning that i had no idea what the status of each cell was in the Pd22 S2 and the SC52. So I re-ran the test with a fresh new primary in each light. Surefire 123 and Energizer Ultimate L91 respectivly.
> 
> Same set up as before so I am not going to go through all that again, reference post #1151 if you need.
> 
> Each light came up with a max shutter speed of 1/80 this time. However, the SC52 was literally dancing between maxing out at 1/80 OR 1/100. As reppans stated, the DSLR I was using is stepped in invrements of 1/3's so it isnt as precise as other measuring equipment.
> 
> Either way with fresh cells, the 2 lights seemed much closer in performance with "perhaps" a slight nod in output going to the SC52, but not by much.
> 
> Later-
> 
> 
> Drew



Drew, thanks for rechecking and rerunning your test. Your results are now completely consistent with my own, and which I have discussed in post #937 of this thread. 

- Although I don't own one, from what I've seen, Fenix uses a conservative lumen scale similar to the Foursevens, Eagletac and ThruNite scale which I calibrate to.
- I too found the same dancing/flickering between two 1/3rd-stop exposure increments (equivalent of 200 and 250 lumens) and so called it 225 lumens.
- I used 2000 mah Eneloops, which is what ZL states is used for their specs, and found I could only produce the 225 on a "laboratory" battery - ie, fresh off the charger, and for only a minute or two. Using an L91 would obviously be able to hold that level better and for much longer.

When you get a chance, try the method I PM'd you earlier to test all the "L" modes and see how far off they are - it'll clearly explain how ZL manages to get 2-3x the runtime of the low and moonlight modes compared to the same modes from 47s and ET.


----------



## DavidMB

Minus the 500 lumen mode. Do you think in general this light would have longer runtimes on an AW 14500 750mAh, or an Eneloop 2400 mAh? Also, does anyone know what kind of lube is used on Zebralights?
I'm still loving this light.


----------



## twl

DavidMB said:


> Minus the 500 lumen mode. Do you think in general this light would have longer runtimes on an AW 14500 750mAh, or an Eneloop 2400 mAh? Also, does anyone know what kind of lube is used on Zebralights?
> I'm still loving this light.



Both battery options have very similar amounts of total Watt capacity. The answer would be related to how the driver efficiency works in buck vs boost.
I doubt there would be a significant difference either way.


----------



## Badbeams3

What do you owners have to say about the 108 lumen level? That would probably be my user selected pick of high...on account of the 3 hour run time. Is it nice and usable? Does it really seem to get around 3 hours...on both 14500 and AA rechargeable`s? My plan is to stick with 14500`s.

Also, where in the states can I get a 14500 Zebralight 840 mah batt...a place that takes phone orders. Going gear is out of them. Only have 750mah batts in stock.


----------



## Swede74

Badbeams3 said:


> What do you owners have to say about the 108 lumen level? That would probably be my user selected pick of high...on account of the 3 hour run time. Is it nice and usable? Does it really seem to get around 3 hours...on both 14500 and AA rechargeable`s? My plan is to stick with 14500`s.



108 lumen is the selectable high I'm using. It's a level I think the SC600 is lacking; ~100 lumen is plenty when you're out walking in the woods, even before your eyes are dark-adapted. With a 14500 installed, you are only a doubleclick away from a burst of 500 lumen if you want to look at something in a (reasonable) distance. 

I did a runtime test in the Zebralight SC52 Owner's Thread http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?349811-Zebralight-SC52-Owner-s-Thread/page5 post #135, and reppans posted his test in #137.

I got 3*30 min on 108 lm + 6*1 min on 500 lm, after that the 500 lm level was gone but the highest high was still much brighter than the lowest (108 lm) Cell voltage was 3.57V.


----------



## DavidMB

I don't know if it gets 3 hours, but I bet it comes close. 108 lumens is what I use for high. It's a great level of light. Typically I don't need more. Just a double click away is some 200 lumens. I can see the difference, but it's not that much brighter. This light has to be the most versatile light I've ever owned.


----------



## maxrep12

shelm said:


> Has anyone got the Fenix LD22 S2 or LD20 R5, i.e. *180-200 Fenix lumens*!, and compared its brightness against the SC52 *280 ZebraBuilt lumens*?



Selfbuilt recently finished his review of the SC52. He specifically tested the Fenix LD20 R4 against the SC52 (per Shelms requests on the forums I can only guess).

Fenix LD20 = 205 lumens
SC52 = 290 lumens
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?354117

This should provide some clarity amidst the past couple months of conspiracy based lumen claims against Zebralight and Selfbuilt. There seemed to be a level of fervor here that would even allow for the throwing of Selfbuilt under the bus in order to defame ZL's stated lumen output.


----------



## reppans

maxrep12 said:


> This should provide some clarity amidst the past couple months of *conspiracy* based lumen claims against Zebralight and Selfbuilt. There seemed to be a level of fervor here that would even allow for the *throwing of Selfbuilt under the bus* in order to defame ZL's stated lumen output.



LOL.. sensationalism at its finest ;-)


----------



## maxrep12

reppans said:


> LOL.. sensationalism at its finest ;-)



Unfortunate, but true. There were statements made about Selfbuilt and ZL conspiring together, that the review of the sc52 would be rigged, and so on. Heck even check on post #1152 of this page where a mod stepped in.


----------



## Swede74

shelm said:


> i am still looking for SC52 owners who also own post 2011 Fenix models with comparable brightness



I don't have exactly what you're looking for, but I have a Fenix E11 I bought in 2012, according to specs on the packaging output on high is 105 lumen. 

What I certainly don't have is the equipment to take proper beamshots, but I took a couple with my phone camera, and have provided the metadata from the original files. 

Zebralight SC 52 on H2 (108 lumen according to ZL)
Fenix E11 on high (105 lumen according to Fenix)

I also took a couple of photos using a makeshift diffuser to try to compensate for any TIR/traditional reflector differences, but those files mysteriously disappeared...they weren't any good anyway. 









Fenix:
Exp time 1/12 sec
ISO speed ISO-746
Focal length 3mm

Zebra:
Exp time 1/11 sec
ISO speed ISO-746
Focal length 3mm


----------



## kaichu dento

maxrep12 said:


> Selfbuilt recently finished his review of the SC52. He specifically tested the Fenix LD20 R4 against the SC52 (per Shelms requests on the forums I can only guess).
> 
> Fenix LD20 = 205 lumens
> SC52 = 290 lumens
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?354117
> 
> This should provide some clarity amidst the past couple months of conspiracy based lumen claims against Zebralight and Selfbuilt. There seemed to be a level of fervor here that would even allow for the throwing of Selfbuilt under the bus in order to defame ZL's stated lumen output.





reppans said:


> LOL.. sensationalism at its finest ;-)


Your opinion referring to maxrep's post as being sensationalist is not shared by the mods, whose opinion is quoted below.



Bullzeyebill said:


> Maybe you could have said that you disagree with selfbuilt's results in a more polite manner? Otherwise it looks like you are flaming him, to evoke responses from members, as in baiting.
> 
> Bill


----------



## reppans

maxrep12 said:


> Unfortunate, but true. There were statements made about Selfbuilt and ZL conspiring together, that the review of the sc52 would be rigged, and so on. Heck even check on post #1152 of this page where a mod stepped in.





kaichu dento said:


> Your opinion referring to maxrep's post as being sensationalist is not shared by the mods, whose opinion is quoted below.



I apologize to you maxrep, I thought you were referring to something I said when you made the original statement and than linked to SB's review thread.


----------



## LEDburn

kaichu dento said:


> Your opinion referring to maxrep's post as being sensationalist is not shared by the mods, whose opinion is quoted below.



The mods aired their opinion before Maxrep even posted that.

Also, Maxreps post was sensationalist in nature. How he portrays his opinion (regarding the lumen arguments) is nothing but sensationalism.


----------



## kaichu dento

LEDburn said:


> Maxreps post was sensationalist in nature. How he portrays his opinion (regarding the lumen arguments) is nothing but sensationalism.


And yours is? Drop it and let the conversation go back to lights.


----------



## lampeDépêche

Right: back to lights!

I just noticed that the SC52 has a feature that I really like in a light.
(and I don't know whether anyone has mentioned it in the preceding 39 pages....)

Namely: it will take any AAA-sized cell, and run on it, without needing *any* kind of adapter. 

Because the head-end has a kind of central divot, the positive end is automatically centered.

And because the rear spring is uncommonly long, no additional length is needed.

Yes, if you jar it, then the rear end of the battery can get off-center from the spring, and lose contact. 

So if you're going to move it around, then you might want to put a wrap of paper or tape or rubber band or whatever around the back-end of the battery.

Of course you won't get the run-times that you would on the corresponding AA-sized cell, and you would probably be wise to keep it to the medium lumen-levels.

Still: if you are in a situation where all you have are AAAs (or lithium AAAs, or 10440s), then you are still good-to-go with this thing. 

I think that's a great EDC feature!


----------



## bansuri

lampeDepeche, nice find! While I don't expect or hope to find myself in an emergency situation where I'm scrounging for batteries, I've always considered that a AAA can be used in a AA light with some tinfoil or other conductive material on the negative end. Now it's built in!
I'm waiting patiently for the SC52d @5000k, using my H501 as a flashlight in the meantime.


----------



## Wiggle

Wow that's a nice little bonus, never thought to test it but good to know. Especially with that medium to low mode runtime advantage, AAA could prove useful in an emergency pinch.


----------



## brunt_sp

With the poll, how about adding another category of, "Am waiting for the XP-G2 version to come out".


----------



## shelm

brunt_sp said:


> With the poll, how about adding another category of, "Am waiting for the XP-G2 version to come out".



the SC51 had too many versions, from the table of discontinued products:


SC51 
SC51F 
SC51w 
SC51Fw 
SC51c 
 
and i cant change the thread title anymore nor edit the poll options. in theory we would have even more SC52 versions:
SC52: {xml cw, xml nw, *xp-g2 cw*, high cri, daylight} x {*normal lens*, Frosted lens} = 10 versions lol

personally i am waiting for the xp-g2 cw *or *the xml nw, whatever comes first and is reported favorably re tint and flickering issues (see selfbuilt's review). no matter how good the SC52 xp-g2 will be, i already _know _that to me my D25A 2013 Clicky Ti XP-G2 is the more likable light so i wouldnt mind the xml nw in the SC52 for a change. i am not gonna hold my breath for the SC52 xp-g2 because we don't know _when _ZL does it. by the time they release it ~fall/autumn 2013 imho , there's maybe a xp-g3 rofl already on the market and in the D25A. ZL is too slow with releasing new or updated products imo and making them readily available from dealers. heck i will not wonder if the SC52 xp-g2 becomes available thru local US dealers as late as in winter 2013/14.

let's recall that even Eagletac took ~15months too to release the different versions of D25A, with 2-3 months in between and updated drivers and updated LED's:
D25A Mini .. D25A Mini Ti .. D25A Clicky .. D25A Clicky 2012 Ti .. D25A Clicky 2013 Ti, and now the D25A Mini and D25A Mini Ti's are pretty much discontinued because they don't sell as well as the Clicky's. And no doubt that Eagletac is going to continue the D25A Clicky's by updating the drivers and LED's. 2012 was a glorious year for Eagletac. Now the SC52 takes turn. 
~15months of releasing different SC52 versions lmao.


----------



## TweakMDS

It's probably part of marketing. They set the reputation for a new model with their highest output emitter. Reviews will list a billion lumens and years of runtime which wouldn't be as impressive-looking with a luxeon daylight high-cri or even an XP-G2 for example.

Enthusiasts will immediately buy the highest specced first model (as in: XM-L CW), and are quite likely to also buy another version with a different LED about 6 - 12 months later. Also, if they bring out multiple versions at once, there's probably a lot more manufacturing, shipping and stock overhead.

When I asked illumination gear a while back about high CRI versions of some other lights, Tod told me they don't stock them because they barely sell any high CRI models when they have them, and even NW/warm versions do much, much worse in sales. I think the tint/cri snobs are simply not as big as a crowd for ZL to cater all at once.


----------



## Swede74

shelm said:


> by the time they release it ~fall/autumn 2013, there's maybe a xp-g3 rofl already on the market and in the D25A. ZL is too slow with releasing new or updated products and making them readily available from dealers. heck i will not wonder if the SC52 xp-g2 becomes available thru local US dealers as late as in winter 2013/14.
> .



By that time we will already be waiting for the SC53 :laughing: Fully programmable/customizable via USB/Bluetooth (think Nextorch's MyTorch), 750 lumen with LI-ion, 400 with NiMH, download usage statistics to your computer, temperature regulated output, accessories like diffusers, color filters etc. Oh, and this may actually happen: a holster.


----------



## Creezy

Lovin this little powerhouse of a light. Great with a 14500 installed! I don't know if anyone else clips their light on a baseball cap, but this works pretty good. It's not the perfect solution but :shrug: .Also with a little Dremel action to increase the inside diameter just slightly a Fenix AD101-W diffuser works nicely!

http://s1243.beta.photobucket.com/user/Creezy66/library/


----------



## bansuri

Speculative statements require no evidence and the always fallible human memory recalls date spans as much greater than they were.
Here are the release dates for a few ZL lights:
H600 - 10/20/11
H600w - 1/20/12
H600f - 3/20/12

H502 - 5/28/12
H502c - 6/22/12
H502d - 6/22/12

SC51 - 9/2010
SC51w - 12/2010

SC80 - 10/2011
SC80w - 1/2012
SC80c - 1/2012

Shelm, I have no idea how you extrapolated your release dates, please consider the occasional IMO or IMHO added to your posts. Zebralight is one of the few companies that actually changes their products and offerings BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM CPF MEMBERS. What you perceive as slow-to-release may actually be merely responding to customer requests and releasing different versions over time.

Side note: there are only 5 flashlights in the Active section of the Product Comparison page, only 2 of those have product pages. S5310, SC32, and SC600MkII don't have product pages but are still listed.


----------



## tygger

Any updates on SC52W release date?


----------



## BBL

I just received my SC52. I like it, but i am not overly impressed. The pocket clip is annoying and leaves a nasty exposed edge when removed. The ribs on the body make the light more slippery than any other light. Where is the clean, functional design of the SC600 gone?


----------



## crazyk4952

BBL said:


> I just received my SC52. I like it, but i am not overly impressed. The pocket clip is annoying and leaves a nasty exposed edge when removed.



+1

I have left the clip attached even though I will not use it due to the sharp edges that would be exposed if it were removed.


----------



## Swede74

Someone has a problem with their Zebralight. It looks like it's not running at all off an Eneloop, and comes on as soon as he puts in a Li-Ion cell, before he even clicks the switch. I don't speak German, maybe someone who does could translate what he says at the end. (at 1:32)


----------



## xed888

Swede74 said:


> Someone has a problem with their Zebralight. It looks like it's not running at all off an Eneloop, and comes on as soon as he puts in a Li-Ion cell, before he even clicks the switch. I don't speak German, maybe someone who does could translate what he says at the end. (at 1:32)



He "reverse polaritied" a 14500 in his SC52.


----------



## Swede74

xed888 said:


> He "reverse polaritied" a 14500 in his SC52.



Thank you. I only translated "Meine neue Zebralight SC52 habe ich mit einem verkehrt herum eingelegten 14500er gefüttert. Das Ergebnis seht Ihr hier." using Google Translate. It didn't make me any wiser, and I feared posting the translation here would have violated forum rules. :naughty:

I think $64 should buy you reversed polarity protection, but obviously it doesn't.


----------



## xed888

Swede74 said:


> Thank you. I only translated "Meine neue Zebralight SC52 habe ich mit einem verkehrt herum eingelegten 14500er gefüttert. Das Ergebnis seht Ihr hier." using Google Translate. It didn't make me any wiser, and I feared posting the translation here would have violated forum rules. :naughty:
> 
> I think $64 should buy you reversed polarity protection, but obviously it doesn't.



No probs. I hope I got it right. Been a while since I last spoke German!


----------



## shelm

Swede74 said:


> I think $64 should buy you reversed polarity protection, but obviously it doesn't.



i asked ZL about reverse polarity protection and they responded


Staff (Administrator) said:


> The positive contact inside the battery tube is slightly recessed.



..which implies that the SC52 has physical reverse polarity protection so everything is good!! :thumbsup:
Whatever the German dud did, he did it wrong.

BIG FAIL!


----------



## maxrep12

shelm said:


> Talking of XML CW emitter. A quick interesting observation, stock numbers of Mike Cellguy and LightJunction havent been decreasing for the past ~3 weeks!! Cellguy has 52pcs left, LJ has 15pcs left. Same with other dealers around the globe, inventory isnt moving, i've checked. One seller, IlluminationSupply, managed to sell a few(!) copies during that time and is now out of stock. I dare to say that there is no more demand for the SC52 XML CW, the market is saturated already .. because ZL serves a very small market unlike Fenix, Nitecore or Eagletac who have a large array of widely distributed models with high availability. If you dont believe me, observe for yourself how slowly LJ, Cellguy continue to sell off their stock from this point on. Goinggear website shows stock numbers too, but they're out of stock.



I am thinking about getting another sc52. On the 6th of this month, Cellguy had responded to my inquiry about availability. He sold out of the 52 units several weeks ago, but should be getting more in stock soon.

They seem to be moving quite fast.


----------



## Fireclaw18

shelm said:


> i asked ZL about reverse polarity protection and they responded
> 
> 
> ..which implies that the SC52 has physical reverse polarity protection so everything is good!! :thumbsup:
> Whatever the German dud did, he did it wrong.
> 
> BIG FAIL!



Slightly recessed might not be enough. The SC52 has no problem taking flat top batteries, unlike most other lights with physical reverse polarity protection. It might be that the flat back end of some batteries is enough to still make contact.


----------



## shelm

**** someone sold an used/mint SC52 on ebay for *92.xxUS$* incl. 4.90€ shipping lmao. The bidding with 13 bidders has ended and the auction is closed but it is instructive to note it.

The Zebralight website says again "*Availability:* Back Order".

And another ebayer who had 25 copies in stock now sells the last remaining unit for *407.94US$* omg:






SC52's are really *limited availability items*!! 
So when do we get the SC52w's?


----------



## moozooh

shelm said:


> in theory we would have even more SC52 versions:
> SC52: {xml cw, xml nw, *xp-g2 cw*, high cri, daylight} x {*normal lens*, Frosted lens} = 10 versions lol



Honestly, I don't think you should expect frosted lens in this case. SC52 has a very shallow OP reflector, and XM-L is a huge LED, so it's already one of the floodiest lights around. If one needs a 1xAA EDC for close range, ZL already makes H502 with similar specs exactly for that purpose.

Also, it's purely conjecture, but I wouldn't expect XP-G2 version in this case, either. SC52 has the most attributes of a mass-market model compared to the rest of ZL's lineup, and they'll have exactly as hard a time to sell an XP-G2-based version to non-enthusiasts as they do with high CRI and other specific versions... probably even harder. From revenue standpoint, it'd make more sense to use this emitter _instead _of XM-L by default in small-scale light series geared specifically at enthusiasts. Thus I would expect it to appear in the rumored SC62 (which would make the most out of XP-G2, and is virtually guaranteed to get it) and possibly SC82, which won't sell well at all if it's just _a chubbier SC52 that takes CR123_ (because 14500 is better than 16340 and CR123s are only marginally better than AA lithium primaries).


----------



## neutralwhite

is there an SC52c ?. HCRI?.
how bright, how good would that be compared ?.
thanks.


----------



## moshow9

neutralwhite said:


> is there an SC52c ?. HCRI?.
> how bright, how good would that be compared ?.
> thanks.



If you go to the ZebraLight website, you can see which lights are currently available and specs to those that are not on their *Compare All Models *spreadsheet.


----------



## Swede74

moozooh said:


> Honestly, I don't think you should expect frosted lens in this case. SC52 has a very shallow OP reflector, and XM-L is a huge LED, so it's already one of the floodiest lights around. If one needs a 1xAA EDC for close range, ZL already makes H502 with similar specs exactly for that purpose.



Here's a side-by-side comparison of the SC52 (M2, 12 lm) and the SC51 (M2, 8lm). I held the lights approximately 3 dm from the book. I think you can see that the SC52 is the floodier one, so I agree with moozooh: I don't expect a frosted lens version either - there's really no need for one.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

lampeDépêche said:


> Right: back to lights!
> 
> I just noticed that the SC52 has a feature that I really like in a light.
> (and I don't know whether anyone has mentioned it in the preceding 39 pages....)
> 
> Namely: it will take any AAA-sized cell, and run on it, without needing *any* kind of adapter.
> 
> Because the head-end has a kind of central divot, the positive end is automatically centered.
> 
> And because the rear spring is uncommonly long, no additional length is needed.
> 
> Yes, if you jar it, then the rear end of the battery can get off-center from the spring, and lose contact.
> 
> So if you're going to move it around, then you might want to put a wrap of paper or tape or rubber band or whatever around the back-end of the battery.
> 
> Of course you won't get the run-times that you would on the corresponding AA-sized cell, and you would probably be wise to keep it to the medium lumen-levels.
> 
> Still: if you are in a situation where all you have are AAAs (or lithium AAAs, or 10440s), then you are still good-to-go with this thing.
> 
> I think that's a great EDC feature!



Just put a AAA battery in my SC52, and sure enough it worked very well. Nice find!


----------



## dts71

Outdoorsman5 said:


> Just put a AAA battery in my SC52, and sure enough it worked very well. Nice find!



Nice one - gotta try when I get home


----------



## greeny1

I ordered on of these earlier in the week.

It arrived yesterday.

Had a quick play, got a quick flash of light then nothing, it's completely dead, bummer. So will be back to the seller tomorrow when they give me a return code.


----------



## shelm

This video measures the tailcap current in lockout mode:





Nitecore TM15 v1: *0.6100*mA total over 4x18650 (2200mAh AW) = 14426h = 601d = 20mo = *1.6y*
Nitecore EC1: *0.4200*mA total over 1xCR123A (1400mAh SF) = 3333h = 138d = *4.6mo*
Nitecore TM15 v2: *0.3500*mA total over 4x18650 (2200mAh AW) = 25142h = 1047d = 35mo = *2.9y*
Zebralight SC52: *0.1270*mA total over 1x14500 (750mAh TF) = 5905h = 246d = *8mo* <— ouch! :sick2:
Nitecore TM11 v3: *0.0680*mA total over 4x18650 (2200mAh AW) = 129411h = 5392d = 180mo = *15y*
Zebralight SC51: *0.0065*mA total over 1x14500 (750mAh TF) = 115384h = 4807d = 160mo = *13y* <— :twothumbs
Olight Baton S10: *0.0057*mA total over 1xCR123A (1400mAh SF) = 245614h = 10234d =341mo = *28y*

Wow, EC1 and SC52 are really poor performers on the chosen cells. The TM15 versions aren't much better considering that they harbor 8800mAh. S10, SC51 and TM11 perform much more reasonably. If one partially unscrews the tailcap, then there is nothing to worry about.


----------



## selas

shelm said:


> This video measures the tailcap current in lockout mode:
> Zebralight SC52: *0.127*mA <— ouch! :sick2:
> Zebralight SC51: *0.006*mA <— :twothumbs


That's because he's using a 14500 (you can see it's a Trustfire at 07:33). With an eneloop it's comparable to the SC51, about 0.010mA (can't be more specific, my multimeter's rubbish).


----------



## shelm

selas said:


> That's because he's using a 14500 (you can see it's a Trustfire at 07:33). With an eneloop it's comparable to the SC51, about 0.010mA (can't be more specific, my multimeter's rubbish).



Thanks, you are right, in the video he uses 14500 in both the SC51 (or is it a SC50??) and the SC52 and the SC51 has a much lower current on 14500 
selfbuilt had addressed this subject in detail too:



selfbuilt said:


> *Standby Drain*
> 
> A standby current drain is inevitable on the SC52, due to the electronic switch in the head. Here is how the new SC52 compares to the earlier SC50 and SC51:
> 
> SC52: 129.1 uA on 14500, 20.2 uA on Eneloop NiMH
> SC51: 41.8 uA on 14500, 14.2 uA on Eneloop NiMH
> SC50: 7.4 uA on 14500, 2.3 uA on Eneloop NiMH
> 
> While there has been an upward trend in standby currents over time on the SC5x series, these values for the SC52 are still quite low in absolute terms. Assuming a standard 900mAh protected 14500, and a 2000mAh Eneloop NiMH, these currents would translate into 9.5 months on 14500, and *11.3 years* on Eneloop.
> 
> Certainly, the drain is absolutely nothing to worry about on NiMH. The drain is higher 1x14500 (but still not unreasonable). But as always, I recommend you lock-out the light when not in use.





Zebralight SC52 official webpage said:


> Parasitic Drain: Negligible (equivalent to *16 years*, much less than the self discharging of a battery)





shelm said:


> Zebralight SC52: *0.127*mA total over 1x14500 (750mAh TF) = 5905h = 246d = *8mo* <— ouch! :sick2:
> Zebralight SC51: *0.0065*mA total over 1x14500 (750mAh TF) = 115384h = 4807d = 160mo = *13y* <— :twothumbs



Well well, the Zebralight spec "16 years" is an exaggeration and misleading (May i call it a lie?  ) since on Eneloop the correct number would be "11 years" and on 14500 the correct number would be "8 months" since a typical 14500 Trustfire 900mAh cells contains only 750mAh, see battery tests and databases.

We are left with the observation that on 14500 the SC51/50 have a considerably lower standby current than the SC52. I am not concerned but i am sure that the average Joe is not aware of this fact because Zebralight only states, wrongly, "Parasitic Drain: Negligible (equivalent to 16 years bla blah".

Bad bad Zebralight Co.!


----------



## Mr Floppy

shelm said:


> Zebralight only states, wrongly, "Parasitic Drain: Negligible (equivalent to 16 years bla blah".
> 
> Bad bad Zebralight Co.!



Yes, bad bad Zebralight, just when I planned on leaving my light untouched for 15 years ... quick, call up consumer affairs.


----------



## henry1960

shelm said:


> (May i call it a lie?  ) since on Eneloop the correct number would be "11 years" and on 14500 the correct number would be "8 months"
> I am not concerned but i am sure that the average Joe is not aware of this fact because Zebralight only states, wrongly, "Parasitic Drain: Negligible (equivalent to 16 years bla blah".
> 
> Bad bad Zebralight Co.!








Learn Something New Every Day!!


----------



## Wiggle

Mr Floppy said:


> Yes, bad bad Zebralight, just when I planned on leaving my light untouched for 15 years ... quick, call up consumer affairs.




Measuring small currents like that can difficult. The margin of error between 11 and 16 years doesn't concern me much. Even the draw on 14500 isn't a concern for a typical user who tops off their 14500 with any regularity. Not to mention we don't know if that measured standby current decreases with voltage as the battery deplates. With the difference between 14500 and Eneloop draw I don't think it's crazy to assume that standby would continue dropping as the battery lost charage and voltage, prolonging the time beyond the calculated 11 years.

To be fair, I bet the life of 16 years is about right for an alkaline cell.


----------



## holylight

maybe 16 years from now 14500 will be 8000 mah


----------



## twl

I think that the more important issue is not how long the parasitic drain will suck an entire battery dry, but instead the ramifications of pulling the light out of the desk drawer and only having part of the expected run time, or brightness.
In this case, it loses in the vicinity of about 10% per year. I don't know how far this specific light will have to drain before it can't do Turbo anymore. Or not last as long on High, or whatever.

Just because a light will take 11 years to drain my battery completely dead is not any great comfort, IMO. it has impact on run time far before 11 years rolls around.
Sure, we can have an extra battery. But some people are not flashaholics, and might not.

I just see no need for parasitic drain to drag my battery down, no matter how long it takes to run it dead. I use lights which don't have parasitic drain.
Just my preference.


----------



## bluemax_1

holylight said:


> maybe 16 years from now 14500 will be 8000 mah



Well, if they keep improving battery chemistry and LED tech at the rate their doing now, in 16 years, 14500 cells should be about 1500-2000 mAh and a single 14500 light should be able to put out ~1500-2000 lumens.

That was one of the things that amused me about the movie 'Prometheus';
" Oh look, they're waayyyy in the future and still using early millennium tech flashlights".

That'd be like us folks using oil wick lamps on a scientific expedition. I don't think there are any directors and screenwriters who are flashaholics though. As far in the future as Prometheus is, I'd at the very least, expect TK70 output from a helmet mounted light module the size of a Streamlight Nano.


Max


----------



## Overclocker

twl said:


> I think that the more important issue is not how long the parasitic drain will suck an entire battery dry, but instead the ramifications of pulling the light out of the desk drawer and only having part of the expected run time, or brightness.
> In this case, it loses in the vicinity of about 10% per year. I don't know how far this specific light will have to drain before it can't do Turbo anymore. Or not last as long on High, or whatever.
> 
> Just because a light will take 11 years to drain my battery completely dead is not any great comfort, IMO. it has impact on run time far before 11 years rolls around.
> Sure, we can have an extra battery. But some people are not flashaholics, and might not.
> 
> I just see no need for parasitic drain to drag my battery down, no matter how long it takes to run it dead. I use lights which don't have parasitic drain.
> Just my preference.




oh so you don't use batteries that self-discharge then? ;-)


----------



## twl

Overclocker said:


> oh so you don't use batteries that self-discharge then? ;-)



Most often I use them up before they self-discharge much, or else I recharge them.
But I don't see any point in compounding the issue by adding parasitic drain to the mix. I don't like any parasitic drain. I don't know why anyone would.


----------



## Swede74

shelm said:


> This video measures the tailcap current in lockout mode.


 
I wonder, when you measure like that, is it the tail cap current only you're measuring, or the tailcap + protection circuit current? The way I understand it, a protected cell will always suffer from parasitic drain from the protection circuit, as opposed to alkaline and NiMH which only have various degrees of self discharge to deal with.


----------



## r-ice

does zebra light still have that annoying preflash like the H51 did?


----------



## DavidMB

It seems you are only content when spreading negativity.


----------



## r-ice

DavidMB said:


> It seems you are only content when spreading negativity.


seriously I can't express that I didn't like the preflash, I bought two of them and both of them had it. I can say that I haven't had another light do that to me and I do find it annoying. I am contemplating the new sc52, so you can answer that and the smart alecky remark wasn't needed.


----------



## shelm

why do i feel that i am spoken to

EDIT: oh, david was addressing rice


----------



## r-ice

I am assuming he was addressing me
which I don't understand why you can't express what is an annoyance to someone who paid for the light and expects it to work with out the preflash, shows you how much I like the light, I lost one of them anyways. I was thinking of buying the sc52 and the preflash is a dealbreaker and I was wondering if it is present in the newer lights and he pops up with that.


shelm said:


> why do i feel that i am spoken to
> 
> EDIT: oh, david was addressing rice



here is a short vid that shows this preflash 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub1qhkbSzi8

I'm sitting here wondering if this davidmb guy is just a online troll trying to get a rise?


----------



## Glow_Worm

rice, I assumed that David was addressing his comment to the complaints about a parasitic drain that is far lower than the battery's own self-discharge rate (at least w/ a NiMH battery), not your question. 

To answer your question, no, the SC52 doesn't have any pre-flash. Unless you're talking about starting w/ a double-click to go to Medium, in which case a pre-flash is unavoidable as the light is actually starting in High and then jumping down to Medium.


----------



## r-ice

Glow_Worm said:


> rice, I assumed that David was addressing his comment to the complaints about a parasitic drain that is far lower than the battery's own self-discharge rate (at least w/ a NiMH battery), not your question.
> 
> To answer your question, no, the SC52 doesn't have any pre-flash. Unless you're talking about starting w/ a double-click to go to Medium, in which case a pre-flash is unavoidable as the light is actually starting in High and then jumping down to Medium.



thanks, I now have no idea who he was talking to but what he said despite who he was saying it to had no relevance to the light so it wasn't needed.


----------



## JetskiMark

I do not like parasitic drain at all, yet I really enjoy using my SC52 with a 14500.

If I was planning on storing this light for a long time, I would put an L91 in it and lock out the tail cap. Simple and effective.

If Zebralight ever comes out with a neutral version, I will add it to my collection.


----------



## DavidMB

Sorry rice, that was not directed towards you. I've been reading this thread since it was created. I was enjoying it, but certain posts have taken the fun and excitement out of it. You were right shelm, it was you.


----------



## bansuri

DavidMB said:


> Sorry rice, that was not directed towards you. I've been reading this thread since it was created. I was enjoying it, but certain posts have taken the fun and excitement out of it. You were right shem, it was you.



It is sad the this has turned into the default Zebralight SC52 thread as post #1 started out as this:





Originally Posted by *shelm* 

 

*New* Zebralight *SC52* flashlight upcoming with official 14500 support! 
Anyone got an itchyfinger yet?





but has now turned into a compendium of links to mostly negative posts. It will probably be edited 100's more times before it's run it's course.
Perhaps George could make an "Official SC52 Thread". 
Thread title at this point is deceptive by it's lack of clarity of intent.

DavidMB, if you click a member's name and click "view profile" you will see a link on the left - *add to ignore list*, this will hide posts from the selected member. This is useful if you feel that a certain member's posts detract from your CPF experience. 

While awaiting the release of the SC502d I'm enjoying my H502d, fantastic headlamp, hopefully indicative of the quality of the SC52.


----------



## markr6

I'm really looking forward to the SC52w. It will be my first non-headlamp ZL. Hopefully it will be out soon!!!


----------



## bbb74

Any ideas when zebralight might put XM-L2's in these?


----------



## PocketBeam

To those reading that don't understand parasitic drain, I want to post the other view point. Obviously manufactures can make a light without parasitic drain. So why do they do it? To give you a better user interface. For example if you want a small button to turn on the light, then you will need to have some parasitic drain. There are some exceptions to this, but they tend to be clumsy, don't last long, or have other issues. So the SC52 has a good button to turn it on. 

Another example is mode memory. The SC52 has a lot of brightness levels available, or modes. So first it needs to remember what was set for high 2, medium 2, and low 2. It also has to remember for high, medium, and low, if you used high 1 or 2 last. Same for M1, or M2, etc.

Personally my SC52 is my current favorite light, a big part because of the UI and button. So while I would rather not have any parasitic drain, it is more than worth it in this light. And if I didn't want the drain, a quick quarter twist will lock it out. This is because the threads are anodized. So it is very quick and easy to lock it out and eliminate the drain. Unlike my Fenix(also has parasitic drain) which takes many full turns to lock out.

So long story short, parasitic drain makes the light easier and better to use, it is easy to disable parasitic drain on the SC52, and I love my SC52.


----------



## shelm

xevious said:


> I got a reply from Zebralight within 1 day for an inquiry I made. FYI, SC52w will be shipping sometime in April.



Thanks for the news!

Hmm. If they say "_shipping _sometime in April", then we can probably _pre-order _them in May


----------



## neutralwhite

lol.



shelm said:


> Thanks for the news!
> 
> Hmm. If they say "_shipping _sometime in April", then we can probably _pre-order _them in May


----------



## PocketBeam

Well, sarcasm aside, on the SC600 mkII they posted on Dec. 2nd, 2012, that they would release it next month, I.e. January 2013. As of today they are actually expected to ship on March 22nd, 2013. I haven't been following their releases, so I don't know if this is normal or an exception. But I do know that many announced products are delayed, not just flashlights. Of course some companies are better than others.


----------



## kreisl

bbb74 said:


> Any ideas when zebralight might put XM-L2's in these?



In March I asked about the LED's in their models and they answered that

- the _recent _production batch of SC52 has the XM-L U3 emitter
- all SC600 Mk2 have the XM-L U3 emitter
- all S6330's have the XM-L U3 emitter
- H502 may come with either U2 or U3 emitters (spec'd with U2 but sometimes they use U3)


----------



## neutralwhite

to ZL;

Subject: XML U2/U3 with a 1C tint ?.

..hello. what emitter and tint is in the new SC600MkII please?.
XML U2/U3 with a 1C tint ?.



*Staff (Administrator)*
3/18/2013 12:00:52 AMXM-L U3, either 1C or 1D tint (but recent batches are all with 1C).







kreisl said:


> In March I asked about the LED's in their models and they answered that
> 
> - the _recent _production batch of SC52 has the XM-L U3 emitter
> - all SC600 Mk2 have the XM-L U3 emitter
> - all S6330's have the XM-L U3 emitter
> - H502 may come with either U2 or U3 emitters (spec'd with U2 but sometimes they use U3)


----------



## shelm

Has anyone checked how well the *Sunwayman *holster fits the SC52?
either *M11R Mr.Elfin* or *M11R Mr.Sirius*

Or the *Nitecore *holster *N208*, originally for *EC1*, *EA1*, *MT1C*.

Anyone? :wave:


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## Art_vandeley

I just ordered one, together with 2x 14500 and a charger. Only my second "real" flashlight besides my very well used Preon 1. Really looking forward to it.


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## PocketBeam

Art_vandeley said:


> I just ordered one, together with 2x 14500 and a charger. Only my second "real" flashlight besides my very well used Preon 1. Really looking forward to it.



Congratulations, I think you will be very happy. And to think the Preon used to have a great UI. Times change, and standards change. Preon is still a good light.


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## 1mT

There is SC52w in zebra's google-doc!
XM-L2 
T = 4400 K 
CRI = 75
Release 5/2013


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## Danielsan

i think i have to get one of those then, i always waited for the XM-L2


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## markr6

1mT said:


> There is SC52w in zebra's google-doc!
> XM-L2
> T = 4400 K
> CRI = 75
> Release 5/2013



OOOOOHHHHHHH NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Zebralight!!! I NEED this light!! So glad I waited...I was getting impatient! I'll plan on June though, yeah, yeah...


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## shelm

NW?

XM-L2??

the greenishness is herewith solved


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## markr6

shelm said:


> NW?
> 
> XM-L2??
> 
> the greenishness is herewith solved



Yeah buddy!! This is officially my most anticipated light ever!! I'm glad to see the 4400K, a little improvement over the usual 4200. I know it's subtle, but in the right direction. No real issues with my H600w or H51w, just a tiny bit on the warm side if anything.


----------



## shelm

markr6 said:


> I'll plan on June



i estimate that pre-order is up during June :nana:

naah. kidding.

if they say "release May", then this should mean pre-order is up _before _that.


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## RoadStar

Great news, I almost bought one about a week ago but decided to wait and see if they would put it out in NW, glad I waited too (sc52w)


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## kaichu dento

RoadStar said:


> Great news, I almost bought one about a week ago but decided to wait and see if they would put it out in NW, glad I waited too (sc52w)


That's the one I've been waiting for too, especially since they're not at all mod-friendly.


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## oeL

1mT said:


> There is SC52w in zebra's google-doc!
> XM-L2
> T = 4400 K
> CRI = 75
> Release 5/2013



Ah, Zebralight has finally announced the use of XM-L*2* for their warm white ones, thats great. And besides of the SC52W the SC600W Mk II and the S6330W will be coming soon as well.

Of course, the zebralight terminology for stuff like "soon", "release", "will", "future", "plans", "month", "year" and "started" is a bit different from what we treat as common.


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## burntoshine

'bout time! I've been occasionally checking CPF and the Zebrasite for a neutral SC52. I really would rather have a warmer high cri version (3000ish k); or even a nichia 219. Not going to pre-order though.

I used a SC51w+ at work for quite a while but sold it to someone who was looking to buy one. I used the money to buy a SC80w, but had to return it due to improperly fitting o-rings; it was a horrible, horrible fit. It was obviously way loose and wouldn't have protected against moisture. I have also sold both of my SC600w's. I've been waiting for a neutral version. I don't want a "daylight" tint. I tried one of those; too darn cool.

I wish they'd use a T4 XML like in the limited edition high cri Sunwayman V11r. I love the tint of that LED.


----------



## shelm

SB measures 260 SB lumens for the Penlight, rated 180 (on Alkalines) on the 4Sevens lumens scale.
SB measures 290 SB lumens for the SC52, an increase of ~11.5% (260*1.115 = 289.9).

Does this mean that the SC52 on the 4Sevens lumens scale is 180*1.115 lumens bright? tongue in cheek 
That's hardly 200 4Sevens lumens! And SB's number is off by 90 lumens, a diference of *45%* (200*1.45 = 290) :thumbsup:

So the identical flashlight measures 200 lumens in 4Sevens' light box and 280 lumens in Zebralight's light box, or am I missing something?


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## blackFFM

I'm looking forward to this one but isn't CRI 75 actually bad? Don't know if I should get this one or wait for the sc32 which I really want. But it's ZL, it could take months before they even announce the sc32...


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## melty

shelm said:


> SB measures 260 SB lumens for the Penlight, rated 180 (on Alkalines) on the 4Sevens lumens scale.
> SB measures 290 SB lumens for the SC52, an increase of ~11.5% (260*1.115 = 289.9).
> 
> Does this mean that the SC52 on the 4Sevens lumens scale is 180*1.115 lumens bright? tongue in cheek
> That's hardly 200 4Sevens lumens! And SB's number is off by 90 lumens, a diference of *45%* (200*1.45 = 290) :thumbsup:
> 
> So the identical flashlight measures 200 lumens in 4Sevens' light box and 280 lumens in Zebralight's light box, or am I missing something?



As selfbuilt stated, FourSevens doesn't provide information as to how they measure lumens. Ansi lumens are supposed to be measured using the provided batteries (or specifically state the kind of battery?). The penlight comes with alkalines which measure 240 lumens at 30 seconds, but drop to 140 lumens after 5 minutes :duh2:. Lumens could have been measured anywhere in that window. NiMH provides much better performance, but Foursevens most likely does not use them when measuring lumens. Zebralight DOES use NiMH and state exactly how they measure lumens. Zebralight's ratings much more closely match selfbuilt's... go figure.


----------



## amanichen

shelm said:


> So the identical flashlight measures 200 lumens in 4Sevens' light box and 280 lumens in Zebralight's light box, or am I missing something?


This argument is getting a little tired. Not all manufacturers test lights the same way even with the ANSI standard., The lack of consistency in the industry is in no way Selfbuilt's fault.

Selfbuilt tests lights consistently. Even if his lumen estimates were off by 1000% his runtime charts clearly show which light is brighter and for how long.


It's time to move beyond what marketing departments tell us and start using science.


----------



## xevious

burntoshine said:


> I wish they'd use a T4 XML like in the limited edition high cri Sunwayman V11r. I love the tint of that LED.


Actually, the T6-4C is a very well received tint... probably the closest CREE to Nichia 219.

As for CRI-75, that's a generalization for "Typical CRI". It may actually be higher than that.


----------



## Jubal

The preorder for the SC502w with an XM-L2 is up.
Does this mean anything for the SC52w? Will it get an XM-L2 as well?


----------



## markr6

Jubal said:


> The preorder for the SC502w with an XM-L2 is up.
> Does this mean anything for the SC52w? Will it get an XM-L2 as well?



Yes, their product sheet shows the SC52w as an XM-L2. Can't wait!!!!


----------



## PocketBeam

I think the CRI of each generation of led gets better as well as the tint control. I can't wait to see how this XM-L2 compares against previous lights. Bring on the beamshots.


----------



## xevious

markr6 said:


> Yes, their product sheet shows the SC52w as an XM-L2. Can't wait!!!!


Something to look forward to for June, that's for certain. I've been tempted to buy other lights but I think I can hold out for this one.


----------



## cancow

Preorder from where?



Jubal said:


> The preorder for the SC502w with an XM-L2 is up.
> Does this mean anything for the SC52w? Will it get an XM-L2 as well?


----------



## rpm00

SC52W! So tempting! SC52 is my favorite light by far. Must resist...


----------



## xevious

rpm00 said:


> SC52W! So tempting! SC52 is my favorite light by far. Must resist...


Don't resist! If you love the SC52, then the SC52w would be a great companion light. Why deny yourself the joy?


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## DavidMB

I really like this light, but I can't even read this thread anymore. Seems every time I look the lumen debate is resurrected. I think it should be taken up with Selfbuilt or in a thread of its own if it's that important.


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## GunnarGG

Just to straighten it out:

It's the H502w that's on pre order.
The SC52w hasn't shown up yet.

I'm waiting for it also, my SC30w is missing since a week or two.
I have looked in every pocket and bag and I'm now starting to think that it's actually lost. :mecry:


----------



## Mr Floppy

DavidMB said:


> I really like this light, but I can't even read this thread anymore.



Add a certain user to your Ignore list and it'll all go away. 

I don't have any of the SC lights yet but the SC52w will probably be my first. I wonder if anyone will offer a discount if you get both a H502w and SC52w together?


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## shelm

Mr Floppy said:


> Add a certain user to your Ignore list and it'll all go away.



I have removed all the BS from the OP. So for Christ's sake please don't anyone put me on their Ignore list!! :shakehead


----------



## turkeylord

1mT said:


> There is SC52w in zebra's google-doc!
> XM-L2
> T = 4400 K
> CRI = 75
> Release 5/2013





Hopefully we hear something soon!


----------



## markr6

turkeylord said:


> Hopefully we hear something soon!



They have 17 more days to hit that 5/13 date. Get on it Zebralight I can't wait much longer!!


----------



## Mr Floppy

markr6 said:


> They have 17 more days to hit that 5/13 date.



They listed the H502w as 5/13 but it's estimated as shipping in June. They did list the initial release of the 502w as 5/6/2013 in the spreadsheet so it could be month or so after. 

Either way, I'm personally no in any rush. Need to save up my pennies for both of these


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## moshow9

I like my share of Zebralight's but I don't understand why they now continue to list release dates when, as of late, they haven't been meeting them. To me it makes much more sense to just release it when it's ready to ship. On the other hand, I can understand them wanting to keep potential buyer interest. Miss when George was more active here on the boards and when their lights/headlamps were released on time.


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## markr6

moshow9 said:


> I like my share of Zebralight's but I don't understand why they now continue to list release dates when, as of late, they haven't been meeting them. To me it makes much more sense to just release it when it's ready to ship. On the other hand, I can understand them wanting to keep potential buyer interest. Miss when George was more active here on the boards and when their lights/headlamps were released on time.



Yeah...I miss the activity on Facebook as well. They should just kill that page and get it over with.


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## 1mT

markr6 said:


> They have 17 more days to hit that 5/13 date. Get on it Zebralight I can't wait much longer!!


http://www.zebralight.com/H502w-AA-Flood-Headlamp-Neutral-White_p_108.html
*Pre-order. Estimated shipping date: June 7, 2013*


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## markr6

1mT said:


> http://www.zebralight.com/H502w-AA-Flood-Headlamp-Neutral-White_p_108.html
> *Pre-order. Estimated shipping date: June 7, 2013*



Nope. This is the *SC52/SC52w* thread. However, I do expect a date like that as to not get my hopes up!


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## 1mT

*markr6*, sorry, my inattention


----------



## jak

And we have pre-order:
http://www.zebralight.com/SC52w-AA-Flashlight-Neutral-White_p_109.html


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## Erik1213

I couldn't help myself. I preordered. I wonder how long I will have to wait.


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## Al Thumbs

I'm in. I have been very happy with the HL51Fw, I like the clicky interface and multiple brightness levels, so I want to get a ZL flashlight. It says shipping on June 21, but they could be off in either direction. I favor the neutral tint over the colder tint.

I would like to see ZL do a AAA light, but again, won't hold my breath.


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## Fireclaw18

SC52w preordered.


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## Big Sam

jak said:


> And we have pre-order:
> http://www.zebralight.com/SC52w-AA-Flashlight-Neutral-White_p_109.html




Thanks. Just pre ordered a SC52W. I have had an SC52 since they came out and just love the thing. Neutral light just makes it better.


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## dreydin

I've been browsing threads on flashlights and LEDs all day (literally) and have somehow wound up here. The SC52w sounds nice!!

I'm in the market for my first "real" EDC flashlight and although this one is a little out of my budget, I'm very interested. My only other real flashlight is a Malkoff 3D Maglite, so I'm looking to expand the collection a little. Any input/advice?


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## kaichu dento

dreydin said:


> I've been browsing threads on flashlights and LEDs all day (literally) and have somehow wound up here. The SC52w sounds nice!!
> 
> I'm in the market for my first "real" EDC flashlight and although this one is a little out of my budget, I'm very interested. My only other real flashlight is a Malkoff 3D Maglite, so I'm looking to expand the collection a little. Any input/advice?


The only reason this may not be a good light for you would be if you're easily confused, and since I doubt that to be the case and that you'd quickly master the UI, absolutely a great light to go with.


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## JKolmo

Preordered. Looking forward to christmas (2015?).


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## markr6

This made my day!

:rock::rock::rock::rock::rock:


----------



## chaoss

Preordered, looking forward to a warmer tinted 52.
Thanks for the heads up jak :thumbsup:.


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## flyback

Pre-ordered also. Thanks for the heads up!


----------



## HIDblue

I may have to jump on this one as my first Neutral tint light. It seems like you have to sacrifice a little output for the Neutral tints, but that doesn't appear to be the case here with the XM-L2 Neutral emitter in the SC52w putting out the same 280 lumens as the regular SC52. Nice.


----------



## jak

I spend way too much time at that site.
(I just sit there, clicking "refresh," waiting for something new to appear.)
Now then, bring on the SC600w II and the SC32(w)!



flyback said:


> Pre-ordered also. Thanks for the heads up!





chaoss said:


> Preordered, looking forward to a warmer tinted 52.
> Thanks for the heads up jak :thumbsup:.


----------



## Ishango

I just preordered as well :sigh: I really like my SC52 and I already liked my SC51w, so it would make a nice upgrade for when I want to use/carry the warmer tint. I ordered quite a few lights this year already. Seems time to clean the collection up a bit again (or not?).


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## bzhgeek

Preordered one SC52w too. 3 days after receiving my SC52.

I just love these lights form factor and operation.


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## Outdoorsman5

dreydin said:


> I've been browsing threads on flashlights and LEDs all day (literally) and have somehow wound up here. The SC52w sounds nice!!
> 
> I'm in the market for my first "real" EDC flashlight and although this one is a little out of my budget, I'm very interested. My only other real flashlight is a Malkoff 3D Maglite, so I'm looking to expand the collection a little. Any input/advice?



Welcome to CPF. Get the SC52 or SC52w.....best edc light to date (IMO.) Because it's small (which is top priority in an edc light,) the light is floody with a very large hotspot. I prefer floody lights for general use though, so I don't get tunnel vision from a small hotspot. With 280 lumens from a rechargeable NiMH battery (like eneloop) or even 500 lumens with a 14500 Li-ion rechargeable battery like zebralight's 14500, the light will reach out decent enough. 

This light does not do that great with alkaline batteries (works ok, but not great.) At least get some AA sized eneloop rechargeable batteries for it though. For a little more fun learn how to care for Li-ion rechargeable batteries (at batteryuniversity.com), and then get you an AA sized 14500 Li-ion battery & charger for the extra output (it achieves extra output with the 14500 due to the extra voltage from this battery....and the light is built to handle it.)

Word of warning.....you already bought a Malkoff and now you are considering a zebralight. It never ends with just two or even three or four... You should turn back now before you end up with over 20 freakin flashlights like the rest of us (and I have way more than 20....just didn't want you to judge me too harshly. :nana If you stick around here, one day you'll be faced with this question from your wife, "why did you buy another flashlight?" And every respectable flashaholic answers by saying, "because they keep making better ones."


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## dreydin

kaichu dento said:


> The only reason this may not be a good light for you would be if you're easily confused, and since I doubt that to be the case and that you'd quickly master the UI, absolutely a great light to go with.


Thanks for the advice. I've watched a few videos on the UI and I think I'm ready to take her on.




Outdoorsman5 said:


> Welcome to CPF. Get the SC52 or SC52w.....best edc light to date (IMO.) Because it's small (which is top priority in an edc light,) the light is floody with a very large hotspot. I prefer floody lights for general use though, so I don't get tunnel vision from a small hotspot. With 280 lumens from a rechargeable NiMH battery (like eneloop) or even 500 lumens with a 14500 Li-ion rechargeable battery like zebralight's 14500, the light will reach out decent enough.
> 
> This light does not do that great with alkaline batteries (works ok, but not great.) At least get some AA sized eneloop rechargeable batteries for it though. For a little more fun learn how to care for Li-ion rechargeable batteries (at batteryuniversity.com), and then get you an AA sized 14500 Li-ion battery & charger for the extra output (it achieves extra output with the 14500 due to the extra voltage from this battery....and the light is built to handle it.)
> 
> Word of warning.....you already bought a Malkoff and now you are considering a zebralight. It never ends with just two or even three or four... You should turn back now before you end up with over 20 freakin flashlights like the rest of us (and I have way more than 20....just didn't want you to judge me too harshly. :nana If you stick around here, one day you'll be faced with this question from your wife, "why did you buy another flashlight?" And every respectable flashaholic answers by saying, "because they keep making better ones."


Haha, great post! Thank you for the welcome and the warning. I am an avid headphone junky (head-fi.org), so I understand how it goes. In the last few years I've probably owned and sold more than 30 headphones ranging from $20-$900 in value. My hope here is, if I buy a solid EDC like the SC52w, I won't have the problem you're describing... but I'm doubtful that will work. Pray for me? lol :huh:

ps. I pre-ordered the SC52w last night and I'm already thinking about ordering a Nichia 219 light


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## Outdoorsman5

dreydin said:


> ps. I pre-ordered the SC52w last night and I'm already thinking about ordering a Nichia 219 light



And the sickness has already begun. Next week you will decide that each car needs a great light, then each floor in the house needs one, then each room needs one, then the attic, then your friends & family needs one, & on & on. I am prayin for you man. 

I'm sort of kiddin. It's fun to get good stuff. My son & I are in an awesome scout troop, and love havin great gear! Good Luck.


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## turkeylord

jak said:


> Now then, bring on the SC600w II and the SC32(w)!


Can I get a H600w II while we're at it?


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## xevious

The "pre-order" label has disappeared from the listing. Given how shipment was estimated to be sometime in mid June and Zebralight is notorious for being late all the time, never early, I find it hard to believe they got stock in ahead of time. Maybe they were getting too many inquires and changed it to reduce the influx.



Outdoorsman5 said:


> Get the SC52 or SC52w.....best edc light to date (IMO.)


I'd venture to say that the Olight S10 is the best EDC to date. Why? Because it's SUPER small. Despite being a 1xCR123, the body is very short and slender, probably no thicker than the head of the SC52. You get more runtime/lumens from a CR123. And, the S10 is 50% less in cost (although 50% fewer modes).


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## xevious

* duplicate *


----------



## Fireclaw18

xevious said:


> The "pre-order" label has disappeared from the listing. Given how shipment was estimated to be sometime in mid June and Zebralight is notorious for being late all the time, never early, I find it hard to believe they got stock in ahead of time. Maybe they were getting too many inquires and changed it to reduce the influx.
> 
> 
> I'd venture to say that the Olight S10 is the best EDC to date. Why? Because it's SUPER small. Despite being a 1xCR123, the body is very short and slender, probably no thicker than the head of the SC52. You get more runtime/lumens from a CR123. And, the S10 is 50% less in cost (although 50% fewer modes).



Olight S10 also isn't very bright and has a pretty ugly tint. Part of the problems with its tint is the lens is yellow-tinted. But the other problem is that it's current controlled and fairly low powered. It will run quite awhile at max but won't output very many lumens. And the tint is very ugly. Even with an emitter upgrade and lens change it's still ugly due to the low amp current-controlled driver.

Another big problem with the S10 is that it lacks a shortcut to max power mode. If you start off in low or moonlight, it will take quite awhile to get back to max power.

Other than that, the S10 is a great light.


----------



## shelm

xevious said:


> The "pre-order" label has disappeared from the listing. Given how shipment was estimated to be sometime in mid June and Zebralight is notorious for being late all the time, never early, I find it hard to believe they got stock in ahead of time. Maybe they were getting too many inquires and changed it to reduce the influx.


On my PC the pre-order label is still there, and the webpage says


ZebraLight.com said:


> *Availability:* Pre Order
> 
> 
> 
> Description *Pre-order. Estimated shipping date: June 21, 2013*
> 
> What's New:


----------



## Al Thumbs

xevious said:


> The "pre-order" label has disappeared from the listing. Given how shipment was estimated to be sometime in mid June and Zebralight is notorious for being late all the time, never early, I find it hard to believe they got stock in ahead of time. Maybe they were getting too many inquires and changed it to reduce the influx.



I pre-ordered on Thursday, but did not get a confirmation e-mail until Saturday. I wonder if they are overwhelmed with pre-orders. Or maybe the ZL business department is just not efficient.




xevious said:


> I'd venture to say that the Olight S10 is the best EDC to date. Why? Because it's SUPER small. Despite being a 1xCR123, the body is very short and slender, probably no thicker than the head of the SC52. You get more runtime/lumens from a CR123. And, the S10 is 50% less in cost (although 50% fewer modes).



I differentiate the ZL from the Olight by battery type. I want an EDC that uses AA or AAA. I have no lights that use CR123s, or any of the 5-digit batteries. An AA or AAA light is plenty small for EDC, even if it's not the smallest available.

AT


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## GunnarGG

I have pre ordered a SC52w and looking forward to getting it, my SC30w is still missing.
Don't know if Zebralight is going to keep the delivery time but i'm not in a hurry, I have other lights that get some use now.

I saw somewhere that there might be an SC52d.
If so I wonder what the beam and throw will be like.
If it's the same emitter as the H502d it's a little smaller tha XM-L, almost like an XP-G, and should give a more throwy beam profile.


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## Mr Floppy

Has anyone used a Nitecore 14500 in their SC52?


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## packer

I pre-ordered both the SC52w and the H502w. However, they have already charged my CC (not just put in an authorization) for the full $133. Did this happen with anyone else? I really don't appreciate that, especially with an estimated shipping date over a month away for the SC52w. Good companies don't charge you until your order ships.


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## starryalley

Yes they already charged me with SC52w preorder. I knew amazon doesn't do this until the order ships. But as long as it arrives in one month, I won't care though


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## melty

Did you order through Paypal? AFAIK orders are always charged right away when using Paypal. The Zebralight Terms & Conditions state that "Your credit card will be billed upon shipment of your order." However, using Paypal is _not_ the same as directly sending your credit card information to Zebralight.

The only other possibility I can think of is that Zebralight has a different policy for pre-orders (a policy that isn't listed on their site).


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## starryalley

No I directly input the credit card info on their site when preordering it. My cedit card bank already sent me a purchase notice mail to me indicating this order is already charged.


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## oeL

packer said:


> I pre-ordered both the SC52w and the H502w. However, they have already charged my CC (not just put in an authorization) for the full $133. Did this happen with anyone else? I really don't appreciate that, especially with an estimated shipping date over a month away for the SC52w. Good companies don't charge you until your order ships.



This is the Zebralight pre-order rule: You are allowed to pay in advance, we will send you the light some weeks later - no guarantee when this will be.
And as long as flashaholic fools like me ;-) are accepting this rule just to be the first ones to get the new model, it works, and so why they should change it? And I don't mind, I'm just looking forward to get this faboulous SC52W 

I'm not sure how long this rule can go on like this: There are some new brands on the market that can be treated as serious competitors to Zebralight... competitors with serious roadmaps, a good customer service, active colloboration in cpfmarketplace, excellent quality, programmable UI and so on...


----------



## packer

melty said:


> Did you order through Paypal? AFAIK orders are always charged right away when using Paypal. The Zebralight Terms & Conditions state that "Your credit card will be billed upon shipment of your order." However, using Paypal is _not_ the same as directly sending your credit card information to Zebralight.
> 
> The only other possibility I can think of is that Zebralight has a different policy for pre-orders (a policy that isn't listed on their site).



Where did you see this? I did find here that they do in fact state that "your credit card will be billed when placing your order." That's still a pretty crappy policy. I placed my order with a credit card. The problem is that it could be two months later and I still don't have my flashlight, yet my credit card is outside the normal 30 days to dispute the charge. If I wanted to say, "Forget it, they're a month past when they said they'd ship it and I want to cancel," well, ZL kind of has you by the you-know-what because they've already got your money. You're at their mercy. I do like their lights (I owned the SC51w before) which I guess is why I'm going to put up with this policy that's often indicative of a less than trustworthy company.


----------



## melty

packer said:


> Where did you see this? I did find here that they do in fact state that "your credit card will be billed when placing your order." That's still a pretty crappy policy. I placed my order with a credit card. The problem is that it could be two months later and I still don't have my flashlight, yet my credit card is outside the normal 30 days to dispute the charge. If I wanted to say, "Forget it, they're a month past when they said they'd ship it and I want to cancel," well, ZL kind of has you by the you-know-what because they've already got your money. You're at their mercy. I do like their lights (I owned the SC51w before) which I guess is why I'm going to put up with this policy that's often indicative of a less than trustworthy company.


That's crazy. They updated their terms and conditions page between my post and your post. I thought I was going crazy at first, but I was able to confirm what I originally saw by using the Wayback Machine at http://archive.org


----------



## packer

melty said:


> That's crazy. They updated their terms and conditions page between my post and your post. I thought I was going crazy at first, but I was able to confirm what I originally saw by using the Wayback Machine at http://archive.org



Are you kidding?? They probably changed it after I emailed their customer service last night!

If that's true Zebralight, SHAME ON YOU!!! I really like their product, but I'm now tempted to find an alternative just because of this. Anyone know of alternatives in the single AA that has the warm white emitters?


----------



## melty

packer said:


> Are you kidding?? They probably changed it after I emailed their customer service last night!
> 
> If that's true Zebralight, SHAME ON YOU!!! I really like their product, but I'm now tempted to find an alternative just because of this. Anyone know of alternatives in the single AA that has the warm white emitters?



Well, you're likely the first person to bring it up, which led them to update the terms and conditions page to reflect their actual policy. That's actually very responsive of Zebralight compared to what I've been hearing (that customer service isn't their strong suit).

Offhand, the Eagletac D25A and L3 Illuminations L10 Nichia (_very_ nice beam) are neutral/warm AA lights, but they really are no comparison to Zebralight.


----------



## marcis

Zebralights page for the SC52W now says "not for sale" pre-order has been removed, at least as of right now. I did place a order and no e-mails have been sent out to me saying there is a problem, so maybe a glitch, or pre-orders are filled ?


----------



## packer

marcis said:


> Zebralights page for the SC52W now says "not for sale" pre-order has been removed, at least as of right now. I did place a order and no e-mails have been sent out to me saying there is a problem, so maybe a glitch, or pre-orders are filled ?



Hmmmm....that is interesting. Also says that for the H502w, which was also for "pre-order." Hope there aren't any problems.


----------



## GunnarGG

The sc52 and sc600 mkII now says In stock. Also some other lights on Zebra site.


----------



## packer

GunnarGG said:


> The sc52 and sc600 mkII now says In stock. Also some other lights on Zebra site.



Yes but for the new, SC52w and H502w, it was available for pre-order, but now just says "not for sale" and you can't even pre-order anymore. The cool-white SC52 has been "In Stock" for quite some time now.


----------



## Cereal_Killer

I just got mine! Its my first ZL, I love it all but the clip. I'm betting it would match the body and look much better if I bead blast it. Does anyone know what it's made of? I don't want to blast the cheap chrome off its its just pot metal that's going to rust in a few weeks.


----------



## reppans

melty said:


> That's crazy. They updated their terms and conditions page between my post and your post. I thought I was going crazy at first, but I was able to confirm what I originally saw by using the Wayback Machine at http://archive.org



Wow....

and some say they're not responsive.


----------



## swan

Mr Floppy said:


> Has anyone used a Nitecore 14500 in their SC52?


Yes . When i first got the sc52 i got a free ultrafire 14500 which would not sustain turbo for the full minute after one full turbo run. The nitecore allows many full turbo runs and has great run times. Also as side note i have two of these cells and one is a bit more snug than the other< protection circuit slightly raised on side> but works fine-good cells.


----------



## turkeylord

Looking forward to an SC52w, but I think I'll wait till they're in stock


----------



## xevious

They took away the "pre-order" notice and now it looks like an available item to order... but then they added in the start of the item description the following: "*Estimated shipping date: June 21, 2013*". I have a feeling that they'll have enough inventory for the level of interest, so I'm going to wait.


----------



## markr6

If they did get flooded with orders, hopefully they dont stick some poor SOBs with "seconds" or B-list units in order to fulfill the first wave of orders. We will never know!

By the way, I'm closing on a really nice house June 14. SC52w may ship as soon as June 21. Which one am I more excited about? LOL that's sad.


----------



## melty

markr6 said:


> If they did get flooded with orders, hopefully they dont stick some poor SOBs with "seconds" or B-list units in order to fulfill the first wave of orders. We will never know!
> 
> By the way, I'm closing on a really nice house June 14. SC52w may ship as soon as June 21. Which one am I more excited about? LOL that's sad.



Congrats on the house (and the light of course). Now you can get hooked on home theater equipment too!


----------



## shelm

any sc52w availability news?

i am not the only one to dislike waiting


----------



## rejsr

The message changed to "not for sale" in response to the complaints that credit cards were being charged immediately rather than at time of shipment. Their e-commerce software doesn't have an option to wait until shipment to incur the charge, so "pre-order" won't be available again until very close to the actual shipment date. They clarified that those who have already pre-ordered (and had their credit cards charged) will not have to place their order again when shipment is imminent.


----------



## markr6

Looks like the H502w are shipping ahead of schedule, so maybe our SC52w's will be heading out before 6/21!


----------



## packer

markr6 said:


> Looks like the H502w are shipping ahead of schedule, so maybe our SC52w's will be heading out before 6/21!



Where did you see this? I actually ordered both the H502w and SC52w, but I haven't seen anything about the H502w shipping yet. Supposed to be today (June 7, 2013)! I've been eagerly anticipating an email saying, "Your H502w has been shipped."


----------



## bbb74

Packer: I just got a shipping notification for my h502w


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Tell us about the glow in the dark reflector when you get it, if you would.


----------



## selas

Pre-order for the SC52w is up (again) btw


----------



## Starik1

selas said:


> Pre-order for the SC52w is up (again) btw



I just noticed that too, luckily. I sent them a query about this light, and they responded:

"It will be available for sale on June 21, 2013.
You can order or back order it after that date."

That was TWO DAYS ago...

And I'm on their mailing list so they could have warned me of the change, but they didn't.

Edit: Apparently they updated their e-commerce software yesterday, allowing them to take preorders now.


----------



## burntoshine

selas said:


> Pre-order for the SC52w is up (again) btw



Thanks for the heads up! I said I wouldn't pre-order from ZL again, but today I found myself doing just that.


----------



## cyclesport

Not sure if someone has already posted this, but there are two excellent ZL dealers are now offering pre-order status on the SC52w. Illumination Supply on CPF Marketplace is also offering a discount code bringing the price down below $55. *(Just ordered it a couple of days ago). Also, I see Tod @ Illumination Gear has pre-order up and generally meets others shipped prices. FWIW a few mos. ago when the cool version launched many ordered from dealers offering discounts just as product started shipping and those individuals got their lights at lower cost *and before* many who had been on ZL's pre-order waiting list a lot longer. Just a heads-up...


----------



## mattzane227

cyclesport said:


> Not sure if someone has already posted this, but there are two excellent ZL dealers are now offering pre-order status on the SC52w. Illumination Supply on CPF Marketplace is also offering a discount code bringing the price down below $55. *(Just ordered it a couple of days ago). Also, I see Tod @ Illumination Gear has pre-order up and generally meets others shipped prices. FWIW a few mos. ago when the cool version launched many ordered from dealers offering discounts just as product started shipping and those individuals got their lights at lower cost *and before* many who had been on ZL's pre-order waiting list a lot longer. Just a heads-up...



I just lost my Fenix E21 so now I've just got a Fenix E01 and a Fenix TK41. This should fill in the gap nicely. I preordered from Illumination Supply for $56 including shipping. Thanks for the tip!


----------



## Cataract

Just found this and yep, I'll be ordering one, but I'm waiting to see if it will be offered in high CRI or I'll just go for the neutral. Then I'll get the H52FC (FW if no high CRI) and a H601W (whenever that happens) then bunch them all with my H502D and H31r and I'll be a very happy camper - litterally. My current H51FW will become a car or work lamp and my SC51c will likely live on my computer desk instead of my L2D (why in the world don't I do that now? :thinking


----------



## Starik1

The SC52 is possibly going to be available in high CRI? I'm going to kick myself for preordering a W if that happens.


----------



## Cataract

Starik1 said:


> The SC52 is possibly going to be available in high CRI? I'm going to kick myself for preordering a W if that happens.



I can't say for sure... I'm just waiting to see, but there are chances


----------



## burntoshine

cyclesport said:


> Not sure if someone has already posted this, but there are two excellent ZL dealers are now offering pre-order status on the SC52w. Illumination Supply on CPF Marketplace is also offering a discount code bringing the price down below $55. *(Just ordered it a couple of days ago). Also, I see Tod @ Illumination Gear has pre-order up and generally meets others shipped prices. FWIW a few mos. ago when the cool version launched many ordered from dealers offering discounts just as product started shipping and those individuals got their lights at lower cost *and before* many who had been on ZL's pre-order waiting list a lot longer. Just a heads-up...



Thanks for that! I'm going to just keep my pre-order with ZL and see how it goes. I will give them another chance and hope that last time was an anomaly. I got pretty damn frustrated with them with the SC600w mess. I ended up ordering another SC600w from Illumination Gear and received it within a couple days while I was STILL waiting for my pre-order from ZL, which I think I remember waiting several more weeks for. 

I really like Illumination Gear. I ordered my Eagletac M2SC4 mkII from them and almost returned it because of the slight doughnut hole; got great customer service, but decided to keep it.

I have missed my SC51w+ since I sold it and am eagerly awaiting this guy. I bought a SC80w to replace the SC51w+, but it had ill-fitting o-rings and it went right back.

On Illumination Gear's website, the picture is of a SC51 and it says "14500 Li-ion batteries are not supported" & "Voltages: 0.7V - 2.5V". They should fix that so they don't confuse people.


----------



## cyclesport

burntoshine said:


> Thanks for that! I'm going to just keep my pre-order with ZL and see how it goes. I will give them another chance and hope that last time was an anomaly. I got pretty damn frustrated with them with the SC600w mess. I ended up ordering another SC600w from Illumination Gear and received it within a couple days while I was STILL waiting for my pre-order from ZL, which I think I remember waiting several more weeks for.
> 
> I really like Illumination Gear. I ordered my Eagletac M2SC4 mkII from them and almost returned it because of the slight doughnut hole; got great customer service, but decided to keep it.
> 
> I have missed my SC51w+ since I sold it and am eagerly awaiting this guy. I bought a SC80w to replace the SC51w+, but it had ill-fitting o-rings and it went right back.
> 
> On Illumination Gear's website, the picture is of a SC51 and it says "14500 Li-ion batteries are not supported" & "Voltages: 0.7V - 2.5V". They should fix that so they don't confuse people.



Yeah, good luck...ZL's direct shipping may work out for you this time. My strategy with ZL is that when a new product is about to be released that I'm interested in, I've learned to wait till product starts dribbling out to a few people from ZL, at which point most dealers usually get their stock about the same time and start offering deals and usually ship much faster than those further down the ZL pre-order wait line. In addition, if one is unlucky and gets a bad light, I know the guys at IS and IG will take care of their customers right away as opposed to silence from ZL, or worse...having to wait till the _next_ production run, adding weeks/months to the already long wait. I seem to remember that happening with the first SC52 release and some people cancelled their ZL direct orders in frustration after seeing others get their lights first from dealers and re-placed dealer orders. I simply like having actual dealer customer service after the sale if need be, and don't mind saving a few $$ either.


----------



## JKolmo

Whoohaa, I just received a shipping notice for my preordered SC52w! Two days ahead! Good news!


----------



## starryalley

JKolmo said:


> Whoohaa, I just received a shipping notice for my preordered SC52w! Two days ahead! Good news!



Good news too. Just got the notice as well! 
Last time it took 8 days to ship my H502d from China to my country (Taiwan).


----------



## mattzane227

Did you guys that got a shipping notice order straight from Zebralight I'm guessing?


----------



## starryalley

Yes, the shipping notice mail was straight from ZL website.


----------



## Ishango

Check, I also received the shipping notice  Probably my H502 (sent exactly a week earlier) is going to make it first, but I already like this one more. Now just hoping that customs doesn't take too long


----------



## Big Sam

Got my shipping notification yesterday. Won't be long now


----------



## Erik1213

Damn. Did you all order the second it was put on the webpage? I still have no shipping notice.


----------



## markr6

I ordered 9AM on 5/16/13 and no notice yet.


----------



## Erik1213

5/15/13 here. I'm just getting antsy.


----------



## JKolmo

I placed my order 5/16/13 at 7.30 AM CET and I got my shipping notice this morning. Maybe it's a different time agenda for US and ROW orders?


----------



## Ishango

I ordered 5/17. So definitely was pretty late to the party seeing earlier posts.


----------



## Fireclaw18

I ordered 5/15/13 at 7:55 pm in California.

No shipping notice yet :tired:


----------



## TronPlayer

Ordered the SC52w on 6/16. I think they should start from the latest order and work their way back this time


----------



## bbb74

Got my shipping notice today. Ordered it about 2 weeks ago maybe.


----------



## melty

I'm pretty sure the non-US buyers get their shipping notices early because their lights are drop-shipped from the China. Meanwhile, the US buyers have to wait for Zebralight to receive the lights for domestic shipping.


----------



## j2k

I preordered on the 13th and got my shipping notice on the 20th. Both SC52w and h502w. I'm in Canada and it's being shipped from China. It usually takes 2-3 weeks to get here.


----------



## shelm

do you non-US buyers get a tracking number for the China shipment?


----------



## JKolmo

Yup, I got a tracking number for my non-US order.


----------



## shelm

sounds good to me, thanks!

good luck everyone with the sc52w pre-order shipped from the china!!


----------



## Overclocker

curious about the standby flash at 1.06v and below...

any special reasons why it's 1.06v? why not 0.9v? is this to nag people to swap out their alkalines so they don't get overdischarged and leak?


----------



## bbb74

Overclocker said:


> curious about the standby flash at 1.06v and below...
> 
> any special reasons why it's 1.06v? why not 0.9v? is this to nag people to swap out their alkalines so they don't get overdischarged and leak?



If the batt is reading 1.06v at rest, its flat. 0.9v at rest would be super flat - when you think of 0.9v cutoffs, that is usually for a cell under load.


----------



## papershredder

Most single cell boost converter IC's have a minimum startup voltage around 0.8 to 0.9 V. However, they can usually run the cell down to 0.6 V once started.
Either Zebralight is constrained in their circuit in 1.09, or they want some room to keep for displaying low voltage. The latter is more likey, IMHO. 
You're not going to get much performance out of the cell or the boost converter at such a low voltage anyways. Diminishing returns.


----------



## markr6

I'm told my SC52w will ship Wednesday; I should have it by Friday!


----------



## DaFABRICATA

markr6 said:


> I'm told my SC52w will ship Wednesday; I should have it by Friday!



Where'd ya order it from?

I have 2 on order through Zebralight. One for myself another for a friend. Might order one for my Dad.


----------



## markr6

DaFABRICATA said:


> Where'd ya order it from?
> 
> I have 2 on order through Zebralight. One for myself another for a friend. Might order one for my Dad.



This one is coming from Zebralight.com.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

It is so very much hoped that those intrepid souls who get the new "w" and a sc52(greenish cast at low settings) will describe and if possible, photograph the two beams in comparison--relative brightness, and spill/hotspot, and color. I am as anxious as you guys who have them on order; what a great light.


----------



## Starik1

Keep updating us when you get your shipment notice, including the day you ordered it. I'll do it when mine ships


----------



## PoliceScannerMan

Looking forward to this light. I ordered about 6 days ago, so I have a lil wait.


----------



## Erik1213

Oh. god. yes. I just got my shipping notification! I am excited! I can't wait to see this tint.


----------



## hcd615

Sorry I am asking this question, but I jut discovered the Zebralight SC52 this morning reading threads here. What si the difference between the SC52 & SC52W? 

SC52 is COOL WHITE
SC52W is NEUTRAL WHITE

What does that mean?
Can I order one off the Zebralight website now since they are shipping?


----------



## Erik1213

SC52 is blueish (greenish?) and the SC52W is supposed to be more yellow, about the tint of the lighting used in common office fluorescent lighting.


----------



## marcis

Just got my shipping notice. I live in the USA. I placed my order on 5/17/13


----------



## DYD

I just got my shipping notice. Placed my order on 5/15 around 11pm.


----------



## Grizzman

I also received a shipping notice a few minutes ago for an SC52W. I ordered it on June 11th, directly from ZebraLight.


----------



## hcd615

Just placed my order at ZL for the SC52W and paid overnight shipping. I will keep you posted on my delivery, thanks!


----------



## Fireclaw18

Received my shipping notice today. Shipping to California, the notice estimated shipping should take 2-4 days.

I pre-ordered the day pre-orders went live.


----------



## creyc

Mines on the way too, cool!


----------



## oeL

mine just arrived 

I had chosen DHL shipping, and it worked like a charm. Zebralight sent it out on 21 june (as promised), yesterday 24 it arrived at my home (noone was there), and today the redirected parcel showed up at my workplace.
The quality seems very good, no scratches on the surface, a well centered LED, a pleasant warm-white tint.
Instead of the clip I would have preferred a lanyard ring like the SC600 has, but the clip is removable, and there are two screws, hm... 

What I really like is the UI: high (short click) and low (longer click) directly available, and a big difference between the two levels -> a "real" low


----------



## sticktodrum

Anyone else get their SC52W? I want pictures!


----------



## T-roc87

Placed my order on June 9 and finally got my shipping notice late last night! I'm very excited for this light since i got rid of my sc51w a while back as my edc due to the accidental turn on. And loosing two tail caps trying the lock out method was when i gave up on the light.


----------



## chaoss

Mine is inbound as well, can't wait to check out the tint on it.


----------



## Starik1

I ordered mine on June 9, and it shipped on June 24


----------



## TronPlayer

I've noticed on the ZL website they have removed the June 21st shipping date and it now says "backordered". There may be longer delays now for those who haven't received shipping notices yet


----------



## hcd615

I got an email from ZL today saying that the SC52W light I purchased on their site last night with overnight delivery will ship beginning of next week.


----------



## burntoshine

T-roc87 said:


> Placed my order on June 9 and finally got my shipping notice late last night! I'm very excited for this light since i got rid of my sc51w a while back as my edc due to the accidental turn on. And loosing two tail caps trying the lock out method was when i gave up on the light.



Same here. Ordered June 9th and just saw my shipping notice today (but the email was sent to my inbox at 10:04 PM last night). And this is a replacement for my SC51w+ that I sold a while back due to the too-easy-to-activate switch.

Yessssssssssss!


----------



## blackFFM

Strange, I ordered June 18th and mine shipped 06/21.



oeL said:


> mine just arrived
> 
> I had chosen DHL shipping, and it worked like a charm.



To which country?







sticktodrum said:


> Anyone else get their SC52W? I want pictures!



Hey, are you the guy who made this fantastic blade show video with ZT?


----------



## hatman

The dealers apparently have yet to get theirs.

I prefer to order from a dealer --more important to me to have that relationship if something goes wrong than it is to get one of the first batch.


----------



## sticktodrum

blackFFM said:


> Hey, are you the guy who made this fantastic blade show video with ZT?



Yep. That's me. 




hatman said:


> The dealers apparently have yet to get theirs.
> 
> I prefer to order from a dealer --more important to me to have that relationship if something goes wrong than it is to get one of the first batch.



Agreed.


----------



## oeL

blackFFM said:


> [DHL shipping] To which country?



Germany.


----------



## markr6

Awww crap! My SC52w is being delivered this Saturday, but since it's coming to my work address I'll have to wait until Monday.


----------



## Starik1

markr6 said:


> Awww crap! My SC52w is being delivered this Saturday, but since it's coming to my work address I'll have to wait until Monday.



HAHAHAHAHA!! That's what you GET!


----------



## papershredder

I ordered through Zebralight com. They've sent the info to USPS, but the carrier has not received the package yet...


----------



## Erik1213

My package is stuck at the same status. I'm hoping it's a glitch with tracking but likely not the case.


----------



## gigaset

My sc52w arrived 


http://i39.tinypic.com/oh24n9.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/a4bk8w.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/1zfu6hj.jpg

:welcome:

Your images are oversize, when you post an image please remember Rule #3 

Rule #3 If you post an image in your post, please downsize the image to no larger than 800 x 800 pixels.

*Please resize and repost.* - Thanks Norm


----------



## gigaset

My SC52W arrived !

http://i43.tinypic.com/a4bk8w.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/oh24n9.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/1zfu6hj.jpg


----------



## burntoshine

Erik1213 said:


> My package is stuck at the same status. I'm hoping it's a glitch with tracking but likely not the case.



Mine was stuck at the same status ("electronic info received") for a couple of days and then it finally said it was in the next town over last light. So it seems to have skipped a couple of scans inbetween. I should have it this evening...


----------



## creyc

If you have USPS shipping the tracking isn't that great and may appear to be 'stuck' until it arrives at the local post office. I've even gotten parcels delivered while the tracking status still said shipping info received.


----------



## sticktodrum

Gigaset, that looks glorious! I'm excited now!


----------



## PoliceScannerMan

sticktodrum said:


> Gigaset, that looks glorious! I'm excited now!



That tint does look good.


----------



## burntoshine

What is Zebralight's deal??? Just received my SC52w. First I noticed that the o-ring does NOT protect against water. Either the machining is wrong, or the o-rings are undersized. I had the exact same problem with my SC80w, which I returned. This one is getting returned as well! 

The second problem is that the LED flickers or pulses on the lowest mode (using a fully charged Eneloop). I haven't checked the other modes yet. I am not sure if I'll bother. Now to wait to get my money back. I'm pretty pissed about this.

*Two defects in a row!! Way to go, Zebralight!! *:shakehead


----------



## Starik1

That's bad luck.


----------



## Grizzman

I just checked the delivery status, and it shows as delivered. That was quicker than I expected. Unfortunately, I won't be leaving work for a couple more hours, but will definitely use it some outside this evening.

I intend to use it for camping, so it must be absolutely waterproof. I'll be dropping it into a 32 oz Nalgene bottle, and applying some agitation. I really hope it does as well as my H502W, and all my other tested lights.

Grizz


----------



## burntoshine

Starik1 said:


> That's bad luck.



Yeah, pretty frustrating. Althought I suspect it doesn't have much to do with luck. Y'all should check the fitting of your o-rings/tail cap on your herd. With my SC80w, it was both the head and tail that mis-fit exactly the same. Normally when you screw a light together, you will notice a point where the head or tail "grabs" the o-ring and the o-ring starts to turn. It's usually when the o-ring is about halfway obscured by the head or tail. A lot of times you can feel the resistance of the head or tail against the o-ring on a light when you tighten it. On my SC52w and also with my SC80w, there is no resistance and the o-ring never moves. When looking at the o-ring when tightening my SC52w, you can tell that the outer diameter of the o-ring is too small. My H600w o-ring fits just fine. My H501w o-ring fits just fine. The two SC600w's that I used to own had proper fitting o-rings as well. My very first Zebralight (can't remember the model name; early CR123 size headlight) was also fine in this respect. However, my H600w has a partially exposed o-ring. Not ideal, but still protects against water ingress. Every time I buy from Zebralight, the quality gets worse.

About the LED flickering, I have only noticed it on the lowest low mode. It seems to do it more often after the light has been on for 20 or 30 seconds. It's a very steady pulse. I am wondering if anyone else has noticed this, and could they tell me the BPM of the pulse.

Anyone else have these problems?


----------



## RedForest UK

I think a pulsing on the very lowest level has been reported before for the SC52. The current at that level is so incredibly low that it would be very difficult to keep it completely precise. I thought that a fix had been made for more recent units though. To be honest I couldn't care less about that issue as the lowest level is far to low to be used as anything other than an indicator imo for which a pulsing may even be desirable.

That issue with o-ring fit doesn't sound good at all though.


----------



## Erik1213

Beamshots!!

SC52w vs SC52:






SC52w vs SC600w:





I love love love the tint. Lots of pink. Makes my Xeno E03 NW look green.


----------



## Fireclaw18

burntoshine said:


> What is Zebralight's deal??? Just received my SC52w. First I noticed that the o-ring does NOT protect against water. Either the machining is wrong, or the o-rings are undersized. I had the exact same problem with my SC80w, which I returned. This one is getting returned as well!
> 
> The second problem is that the LED flickers or pulses on the lowest mode (using a fully charged Eneloop). I haven't checked the other modes yet. I am not sure if I'll bother. Now to wait to get my money back. I'm pretty pissed about this.
> 
> *Two defects in a row!! Way to go, Zebralight!! *:shakehead



I just received my SC52w. I'm in California and ordered the day preorders first became available.

Regarding the tailcap o-ring:

I screwed the tailcap on while looking at the o-ring. I did notice that the o-ring didn't seem to compress when the tailcap went over it. However, I did notice that the o-ring did move. When the tailcap was almost closed I could see the cap pushing the o-ring towards the head of the light.

I have not tested the o-ring to see if it is completely waterproof. I don't immerse my lights so it's not a big deal to me.

The tint is quite nice for an XM-L. It's much better than the tint on my Titanium Olight S-10 baton neutral, though this isn't surprising as the S-10 is lower powered, uses an XM-L instead of XM-L2, and has a yellow-tinted lens.

However, the tint on my SC52w is not as nice as on my modded Sipik 58s: one with triple Nichia 219 4500 high CRI (1 amp per emitter), and the other with an XM-L2 neutral 5000k at 3.56 amps. This isn't surprisingly as the Nichia 219 is known for its excellent CRI, and my other Sipik is much more heavily driven than the SC52w.


----------



## sticktodrum

If oring fit is the only issue, then I'll be in good shape. I've got a lot of those being a long time paintball player.


----------



## gigaset

I've tried now,

yes o-ring didn't seem to compress when the tailcap went over it.

LED pulses on the lowest mode in the low battery (Gp recyco)


----------



## Erik1213

Take the battery out. Using the absolute minimum force, twist on the tail cap. About half way down the o-ring, the force required should increase. This is the o ring interfacing.


----------



## Grizzman

My SC52 is sitting on the bottom of a 32 oz Nalgene bottle filled with water. 

It passed my first water test. Next I'll add some more agitation.

The light came with no defects, and is fully as nicely machined as my H502D. It's also smaller than I was expecting. Since I won't be EDC'ing it, the small size doesn't matter, but it will comfortably fit into pretty much any pocket.

The tint is a little more green than I'd prefer, but is very tolerable. It's tough for most lights to compare favorably with my Malkoff 219s and Ns. For its intended use, tint really doesn't matter too much.

I just refilled the water bottle, dropped in the light, and topped off the water. This was followed by turning the bottle end over end at a rate of one full rotation per second for about 30 seconds. No water made it into the bezel or past the trailcap o-ring. I consider it fully waterproof for my intended usage.

Grizz


----------



## Al Thumbs

Today I received three copies of the SC52w. I will give two of them as gifts, but it is interesting to have the three in-house to compare the consistency of the lights from unit to unit.

I bought these lights because I am very satisfied with the ZebraLight HL51Fw, a neutral-tint, floody headlamp. It rocks! Mostly I use it for close-up work and for reading in bed, and it has been good on the occasional camping trip. It is my only neutral-tint light. 

I compared the three flashlights to the neutral headlamp on a white ceiling. Unit #1 was pretty much identical to the tint of the headlamp. It's hard to make a perfect comparison because the headlamp is floody, and the flashlight has a hotspot with spill, and is brighter. But tint-wise, they were siblings. Unit #2 was slightly greener than #1. Unit #3 was slightly greener than #2, and so definitely greener than #1. I ran them past my lovely bride, who rolled her eyes, but rated the lights the same as I did for color.

Outdoors, however, I could not reliably tell them apart when shone from a distance on the wall of our white house, and I could not tell them apart at all on trees, plants, lawn, etc.

Build-wise, all three are nicely finished, no sharp edges, and they work in all modes. No duds! I notice the clicky switch is different from that on my headlamp. It is smaller in diameter, and is more deeply set into the body. Also, it is a bit harder to push, and does not make the satisfying click sound/feel that the headlamp makes, but I expect to get used to it quickly.

Beam spread and shape are pretty much the same from unit to unit. Very nice and useful. Brightness on High seems consistent from unit to unit.

For those watching the chronology of shipments, I ordered on May 15, received a shipping notice on June 24, and it arrived by USPS on June 27. I notice at the ZL web site that this light went from Preorder to Not-For-Sale, back to Preorder, and is now Backordered. It has never been in-stock!

I am disappointed that no two of the flashlights lights are identical for tint. I think at this price point, the quality control and consistency should be pretty damn tight. But in real-world use, they all look the same. In my case, I am giving two of the lights to friends who are not flashlight maniacs and will probably not notice the tint one way or the other; they will be bowled over by the amount of light this AA unit puts out, and if they take the trouble to try the various L-M-H modes, they will be further amazed by how useful it can be.

Al Thumbs reporting.


----------



## Grizzman

I agree with Thumbs' assessment of the switch. I've had my H502D turn on a couple times when in my front jeans pocket. Hopefully this Zebra will not have that problem. 

It is now dark outside, so I'll go see how it does compared to my new neutral Malkoff MDC.

Grizz


----------



## Wiggle

Erik1213 said:


> Beamshots!!
> 
> SC52w vs SC52:



Good comparison. I may not be interpreting this photo correctly but it appears that the W is a little more floody? Or are the beams pretty much identical? Having the W option is great but I almost wish there was a 5000K version. I have a 4000K XP-E2 I enjoy alot but moreso in the woods, for EDC I like something a little cooler. The non-W SC52 is also not terribly cool IMO, probably 5750K or so by my guess.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Yes, please Erik1213: Describe and/or post shots regarding differences in beam spread and brightness. What is your opinion?


----------



## papershredder

Got my 52w today, it's my first Zebralight. Very nice. It's smaller than I thought. Very impressive size. My thumb is sore from pressing that button all night though. I don't ever expect any pocket turn on. It has the best CRI compared to other lights I own. That clip is a little tight, I understand you can clip the light to a few pieces of card board overnight to loosen it up?

Now I'm wondering what that cool white looks like, I'm thinking about picking that up too. Or, should I jump for the cool white 18650 version?

What color is the cool white most comparable to? I'm used to looking at beams from PD32UE, D25A NW, L10 w/ Cree (I have Nichia on the way,) Preon P2, Fenix E25, and Crelant 7G5CS U3 NW.
I fired up my Preon P2 outside, and everything looked washed out compared to the 52w. I'm looking forward to using the 52w on some circuit boards at work tomorrow. These really get washed out with the Preon P2.


----------



## markr6

Just got my SC52w. I LOVE THIS THING!!! Neutral white FTW!!!

Update:
The led is perfectly centered and the finish is 100% perfect.

The clip is so tight I couldn't even get a piece of paper in there! I'll unscrew it tonight and bend it back a little to make it EDC friendly.

I'm running an alkaline since that's all I have here at work. I'll switch to an Eneloop when I get home, and can't wait to try a 14500!

The button is nice and firm, but not even close to being too firm...just right!

It sure is one ugly light, but an instant favorite for sure! If they threw a Nichia 219 in here...wow...I would pay twice as much without hesitation!


----------



## markr6

Nevermind, I got screwed in the tint lotto!! Meanie greenie! :green:

This is going straight back!

H600w on left. SC52w on right.


----------



## netprince

markr6 said:


> Nevermind, I got screwed in the tint lotto!! Meanie greenie! :green:
> 
> This is going straight back!
> 
> H600w on left. SC52w on right.



Boo. Green tint sucks.


----------



## RedForest UK

Have you tried comparing to a cool white too?


----------



## TronPlayer

I sent my payment on their site via PayPal on the 16th. I haven't received any email what-so-ever from ZL. I've emailed both customer service & sales for confirmation of my order and haven't received any response :shrug:


----------



## Erik1213

markr6 said:


> Nevermind, I got screwed in the tint lotto!! Meanie greenie! :green:
> 
> This is going straight back!
> 
> H600w on left. SC52w on right.



Good god that's green. Looks like my cool white version. My W model is very close to a nichia 219 tint.


----------



## mattzane227

Mine just shipped.


[SIZE=-1]*Illumination Supply * <[email protected]> [/SIZE] [SIZE=-1] Fri, Jun 28, 2013 at 6:37 PM [/SIZE] 
 [SIZE=-1]Dear Customer,

This email is an automatic notification sent from Illumination Supply to inform you that your Order has been packaged and labeled for shipment.

It will be dispatched to you on 6/28/2013 via U.S. Postal Service USPS First Class to the following address:


Please note that USPS First Class International does not have tracking after it leaves the United States.


Thank you for your support!
Illumination Supply LLC
[/SIZE]


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Come on guys, brightness comparison with sc52w and sc52, opinions. Guessing that the spill and hotspot are similar.

Tell us what you see, is the w about as bright as the cool white?


----------



## Fireclaw18

markr6 said:


> Nevermind, I got screwed in the tint lotto!! Meanie greenie! :green:
> 
> This is going straight back!
> 
> H600w on left. SC52w on right.



Sounds like there is some variation with the tints. My SC52w has a yellowish tint with no green at all. And in one of the earlier pictures, someone showed an SC52w with a pinkish tint somewhat like that of a Nichia 219.


----------



## Erik1213

Wiggle said:


> Good comparison. I may not be interpreting this photo correctly but it appears that the W is a little more floody? Or are the beams pretty much identical? Having the W option is great but I almost wish there was a 5000K version. I have a 4000K XP-E2 I enjoy alot but moreso in the woods, for EDC I like something a little cooler. The non-W SC52 is also not terribly cool IMO, probably 5750K or so by my guess.



The beams are the same. The brightness is hard to describe. The neutral white lights up colors better so it looks brighter but I don't think it is.


----------



## EZO

Just received my SC52w and I'm delighted with it. All the little nit-picky complaints I had about my SC51w were addressed and the output makes me smile, especially with a 14500. The tint on mine is a nice neutral warm creaminess that matches up fairly well with my SC51w even considering the different emitter, although the SC51w is perhaps just ever so slightly warmer. Sorry to hear that not everyone has been so lucky with the tint. Glad I was patient enough to wait for the neutral version of this light to come out.


----------



## markr6

Erik1213 said:


> Good god that's green. Looks like my cool white version. My W model is very close to a nichia 219 tint.



This pic is close but it's actually worse in person. I ordered another from Illumination Supply this time so we'll see how they compare. What can I say, I'm a lotto player with a light this good.


----------



## Erik1213

I don't understand how there can be that much tint variation. is this a Cree problem or a Zebralight problem? Doesn't Zebralight order a spool of LEDs with the same tint bin? Is that an XM-L2 in there?


----------



## LEDburn

markr6 said:


> Just got my SC52w. I LOVE THIS THING!!! Neutral white FTW!!!





markr6 said:


> This pic is close but it's actually worse in person. I ordered another from Illumination Supply this time so we'll see how they compare. What can I say, I'm a lotto player with a light this good.



C'mon, seriously..you aren't just being a tint snob?

How can you go from loving it (in CAPS) to saying it looks even worse in person?

I'm not having a go at you, I'm just confused how your opinion can change that much just because you have another light to compare it to. 
Did it appear to be a good tint but then when compared directly to another you decided you no longer liked it? 
Does it matter when NOT comparing to your other Zebra side by side? 
Does it make a difference when used outside?

I have a sc600w and sc80w and when used on their own they both look quite good but when compared side by side the sc600w looks greenishly-yellow and the sc80w looks pinkishly-yellow but as I said, on their own, used a few mins apart, the difference is much harder to see..


----------



## RedForest UK

That's exactly why I asked if mark had also compared it to a cool white. In which case the comparison might have been much more favourable. 

I have XM-Ls that look orange-ish when compared with one LED, but green when compared with another, and some which look blue or red-ish at one time but green another. It all depends on the current automatically updated 'white balance setting' of our own eyes and what they are being compared to.


----------



## marcis

My sc52w is out for delivery. I will be comparing it with my h51f cool white, h502 cool white, and spark sd-52 Neutral white.


----------



## marcis

marcis said:


> My sc52w is out for delivery. I will be comparing it with my h51f cool white, h502 cool white, and spark sd-52 Neutral white.


And what do you know, I checked my tracking right after I typed this and it say's delivered .. sure enough it's here. I am pretty sure this is the first time in over 4 years the mail has ever come this early too haha.. awesome!


----------



## marcis

I do believe I won the Tint lottery as some of you like to say. Tint on my sc52w looks great, and is a little bit better than my spark sd-52 neutral white. It's definitely brighter than the spark sd-52NW on both the 200 and 280 lumen modes. Although I have always wondered if my sd52's boost is broke, because it never looked any brighter at all, normally I can tell the difference between (EX.) 100-200 lumens. So far for me I am very pleased with my SC52w, keep in mind I have had it for about 20 or so minutes now. I will test it out when it's dark.....11 hours from now.


----------



## burntoshine

I've decided to keep my SC52w. However, I am still not completely satisfied with the fit of the o-ring. It seems that there is in fact somewhat of a barrier against water ingress. It is not as good as the standard of all other lights that I have seen. As far as I can tell, it is only the back of the o-ring barely pushing against the start of the threads in the tail cap that the light is relying on to keep water out. All Zebralight had to do was machine the o-ring cavity slightly bigger (or use a slightly thicker o-ring) so that the inner side of the tail cap and the o-ring fit properly snug like ALL other flashlights I have owned. _There is one slight exception to this; run #2 of Steve Ku's Ti LF2XT which had the o-ring cavity machined just a tad bit too small (operator error). Steve immediately sourced new o-rings and all was well. Steve rules!! _I will attempt to find a better o-ring. If anyone else finds one that works better, please let me/us know.

After reading Grizz' post on his water test and communicating with ZL, I tested it myself. With the light on, I filled a cup with water and continuously and semi-violently dunked the light in; head first, tail first, randomly, etcetera. I then left the light in the cup (light still turned on), set it in the kitchen sink and turned the faucet on full blast, shooting directly into the cup for about 30 seconds. Finally I held the light under the faucet, with the stream directly on the point where the body and tail cap meet. The light stayed on continuously and never malfunctioned. When I opened the light, there were a couple tiny drops of water on the threads, but the battery chamber and back of the tail cap were bone dry. I feel much better about its water resistance, but I know darn well it should be better.

The LED pulsing effect has not been noticed on any other levels; just the lowest low. Mine doesn't flicker randomly like in gigaset's video. It is a steady pulse. Neat in a way, but pretty disappointing. They should have left it out if they couldn't do it right; so I guess I will just have to leave it out. I have the second lowest low (0.06 lm) programmed for L2.

Another negative thing I recently noticed; the tail cap and/or threading is machined poorly. The tail cap is flush with the body on one side, but protruding on the other side. And it screws on all wonky-like. It also leaves a noticeable edge. It sticks out about half as much as the ledge (very back portion of the body) does from the rest of the body. Not a big deal and I can live with it, but it takes away from the otherwise flawless machining.

One more gripe: They really should have given it a bit more bezel. The lens is awfully close the end of the light. I guess it came down to having bragging rights for small size. Whatevs. Give me more protection, please.

Having said all that, It is still quite an awesome flashlight. Absolutely great design. Love the newer buttons; perfectly recessed IMO. Superbly small size. That great UI that many of us have come to love. The sealing between the battery chamber and all the innards is pretty cool. And I like the 14500 capability.

Mixed feelings on this light, but I'm keeping it; so I guess that says I like it overall.


----------



## sticktodrum

If you need a larger sized o-ring, let me know and I can send you one. As I said, I have almost every oring size in my closet, and most likely the size ZL uses. If you can print this chart: http://www.oringmonkey.com/OringmonkeyOringSizeChart.pdf#zoom=60 and tell me your size, I'll mail a larger size over if I have it.

I'm currently waiting for my dealer to get the 52w in....I'm jealous seeing you guys having them.


----------



## papershredder

I stuffed four sheets of cardboard totaling 10 mm under the clip during the night.
Now, the clip is just very slightly elevated (few microns) off the body. If you tap the clip, you can hear it click against the body.
Much better for EDC!


----------



## Grizzman

It isn't really visible on mine, but the tailcap does sit flush with the body on one side and slightly proud on the opposite.

I enabled the lowest low earlier today for the first time, and it did pulse. I turned it off and back on, and it pulsed again. I did the a third and fourth time, and it did not. The brighter settings are all pulse free. 

Grizz


----------



## burntoshine

sticktodrum said:


> If you need a larger sized o-ring, let me know and I can send you one. As I said, I have almost every oring size in my closet, and most likely the size ZL uses. If you can print this chart: http://www.oringmonkey.com/OringmonkeyOringSizeChart.pdf#zoom=60 and tell me your size, I'll mail a larger size over if I have it.
> 
> I'm currently waiting for my dealer to get the 52w in....I'm jealous seeing you guys having them.



That is awfully kind of you to offer! I printed the page as "actual size" and if all is correct, it looks like the SC52w o-ring is a 016. Using my non-existent o-ring knowledge, it looks like a better o-ring might be either 017, 113, or maybe 2x14.

I'd like to paypal you a fiver if you'll PM me your addy. Or maybe I could just wait until you get your light and perhaps you'll find the best fit.

Thoughts?

Thanks, buddy!

P.S. You play drums?


----------



## burntoshine

Grizzman said:


> It isn't really visible on mine, but the tailcap does sit flush with the body on one side and slightly proud on the opposite.
> 
> I enabled the lowest low earlier today for the first time, and it did pulse. I turned it off and back on, and it pulsed again. I did the a third and fourth time, and it did not. The brighter settings are all pulse free.
> 
> Grizz



Yeah, the tail cap machining offness is just within the tolerable / not-too-noticeable zone. I might mess around with that low and see if it the pulsing ever subsides. I wonder if battery type changes anything. Only using eneloops thus far. Maybe I'll match the beats per minute and write a song about all of this; probably not. 

Glad to know all or most of our lights are equally semi-defective. I'm semi-defective, too; so I guess this light is perfect for me.


----------



## EZO

Mine has the same tail cap issue but if not for this thread, it might have been awhile before I even noticed it. We're talking thousandths of an inch here....at least on mine. So far, no pulsing on the lowest low on mine but that's on a 14500. When I get the chance later I'll check it out with an Eneloop and see if it does it.


----------



## Grizzman

I've only run mine with an Eneloop so far. I bought a couple 18650s very recently, but didn't even think about adding a 14500.

I just learned the AW 14500 has a capacity of 750 mAh, versus the 2000 of my Eneloops. getting 500 lumens for a minute (and surely getting crazy hot) then giving significantly reduced run time thereafter makes little sense to me.

Grizz


----------



## sticktodrum

burntoshine said:


> That is awfully kind of you to offer! I printed the page as "actual size" and if all is correct, it looks like the SC52w o-ring is a 016. Using my non-existent o-ring knowledge, it looks like a better o-ring might be either 017, 113, or maybe 2x14.
> 
> I'd like to paypal you a fiver if you'll PM me your addy. Or maybe I could just wait until you get your light and perhaps you'll find the best fit.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> Thanks, buddy!
> 
> P.S. You play drums?



Yep, been a drummer almost 12 years now. Don't worry about money. Like I said, as a paintballer (and paintball gun tech) I have more orings than any normal person would ever even encounter. I measured the ring on my SC52 (cool white) and it's indeed a 2x14, which makes sense that it's a metric oring. A 016 technically fits, but it's loose. I tried a couple others but the 2x14 fits the best. Without any grease, it puts up a good amount of resistance when putting the cap on. So, just PM me your mailing address and I'll toss them in an envelope for you. No worries.


----------



## burntoshine

EZO said:


> Mine has the same tail cap issue but if not for this thread, it might have been awhile before I even noticed it. We're talking thousandths of an inch here....at least on mine. So far, no pulsing on the lowest low on mine but that's on a 14500. When I get the chance later I'll check it out with an Eneloop and see if it does it.





Grizzman said:


> I've only run mine with an Eneloop so far. I bought a couple 18650s very recently, but didn't even think about adding a 14500.....maybe next time I'll remember.
> 
> Grizz



Thanks, guys! I'm going to try out a 14500 eventually. I've never had anything that would take them until now...



sticktodrum said:


> Yep, been a drummer almost 12 years now. Don't worry about money. Like I said, as a paintballer (and paintball gun tech) I have more orings than any normal person would ever even encounter. I measured the ring on my SC52 (cool white) and it's indeed a 2x14, which makes sense that it's a metric oring. A 016 technically fits, but it's loose. I tried a couple others but the 2x14 fits the best. Without any grease, it puts up a good amount of resistance when putting the cap on. So, just PM me your mailing address and I'll toss them in an envelope for you. No worries.



Right on, sir! PM sent.


----------



## RIX TUX

I have a sc52 cool and was very worried when I ordered it because so many sc52 owners said they had a green tint. Well I dislike any other tints than pure bright whites. Of course when I got it the first thing I did was shine it on a white wall. There is a faint green ring around the spot and a little green in the center. I was bummed out and then went outdoors to light it up but could never notice the tint outside when shined on everything else. Second I set the light on a table on and stood about 40-50 yards away and looked into the beam. It seems pure white. The beam is perfect and really blends well with trees, grass, roads, ect. So I can only notice the green when aimed at a white wall. The light has so many other positives that I am not bothered by it and this tint/color may be designed this way by ZL give a natural look in the oudoors (or anything but a white wall).


----------



## KITROBASKIN

A few, brief comments:

i haven't read anything recently on this thread that has been over-torqued or loony. You guys are pioneers and helping to drive the LED flashlight industry to heights unthinkable back when the blue led was first released. Scrutinize on! This gives us other perspectives, it doesn't take long to read this stuff. Scanning is always an option but everyone here is serious and interested and many are having fun. We definitely need to hear about the glitches and the failures.

After having a friend's dog killed by a mountain lion, then, while patrolling for it the next night at the friend's house, having my dog almost killed, you know I wanted serious, drop dead gorgeous reliability in a torch. Back when the Surefire U2 was getting press, I was all wanting that piece of machined aluminum, getting one before it was officially offered on the Surefire website, along with a box of 123's. It cost ~$280! Not to mention fueling the critter. This sc52 costs what? Less than 70 bucks? It blows the U2 out of the water (except for tint) in terms of brightness, lowest low, and compactness. Thanks to this forum, I now know that I can use an 18650 cell in my U2 but you know what? The sc52 is the one on my belt at night. For a Chinese manufactured, American designed product, it's looking pretty good in all. Now I need to figure out who gets my sc52 so I can order the w.


----------



## TronPlayer

KITROBASKIN said:


> Now I need to figure out who gets my sc52 so I can order the w.



Giveaway, woot! Dibs!


----------



## RIX TUX

KITROBASKIN said:


> A few, brief comments:
> 
> Now I need to figure out who gets my sc52 so I can order the w.


I'm in Tx. Shipping would be cheap.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Yikes. Was thinking along the lines of first born or someone who saved my life, kind of like that.

We are visiting North Carolina, lots of fireflies tonight. My 3.5 year old caught two. We had a good time. What was the flashlight in use? You guessed it. Having it on a head strap made it easy to hold the jar and lid. It's second nature now to hold the switch just a little extra to get the low, enough to see the bug. Releasing them was almost as much fun.


----------



## Wiggle

Grizzman said:


> I've only run mine with an Eneloop so far. I bought a couple 18650s very recently, but didn't even think about adding a 14500.
> 
> I just learned the AW 14500 has a capacity of 750 mAh, versus the 2000 of my Eneloops. getting 500 lumens for a minute (and surely getting crazy hot) then giving significantly reduced run time thereafter makes little sense to me.
> 
> Grizz






750 mAh at 3.6V is not the same as 750 mAh at 1.2V. Overall the AW has effectively near the same amount of capacity.


----------



## Fireclaw18

Wiggle said:


> 750 mAh at 3.6V is not the same as 750 mAh at 1.2V. Overall the AW has effectively near the same amount of capacity.




This.

To get the total capacity of a cell multiply the voltgage by the amps. 

750 mAh x3.6v = 2700
2000 mAh x1.2v = 2400

And of course, you could also use Zebralight's 840 mAh li-ion cells.

840 mAh x3.6v = 3024 W/mAh

So 750 and 840 mAh li-ion cells store more energy than 2000 mAh eneloops. In theory if you ran both lights at the same power the light should run longer on the li-ion cells.


----------



## Grizzman

Thanks for the information. 

RCR123s having roughly the same capacity as Eneloops makes more sense than them having significantly less.

Brian


----------



## DaFABRICATA

Ordered 2 of these (one for a friend) and they showed up today. For the little time that I've had to spend with it, I like it a lot!:thumbsup:oo:

Both have very acceptable tints and function correctly, save for the pulse on the lowest low. It's too bad it's not steady, but will I really notice it in actualy use?...doubt it.
Mine has a very slightly pinkish tint and my friends has a slightly greenish tint. Nothing bad at all and most people probably would never notice unless they had as much experience, selection and time with flashlights as I've had. 
I've had the cool version for a while now and had fun with it for the first few weeks, but haven't used it much since my preference for a nice neutral emitter causes me to grab other lights. I can see this one getting much more use and the other one being mounted to the handlebar of my bike or thrown in the BOB as a back-up. Turbo screams with a 14500. I agree the o-ring on the tailcap could fit tighter.

Hope the rest of you get your lights soon and post your thoughts!


----------



## markr6

LEDburn said:


> C'mon, seriously..you aren't just being a tint snob?
> 
> How can you go from loving it (in CAPS) to saying it looks even worse in person?
> 
> I'm not having a go at you, I'm just confused how your opinion can change that much just because you have another light to compare it to.
> Did it appear to be a good tint but then when compared directly to another you decided you no longer liked it?
> Does it matter when NOT comparing to your other Zebra side by side?
> Does it make a difference when used outside?
> 
> I have a sc600w and sc80w and when used on their own they both look quite good but when compared side by side the sc600w looks greenishly-yellow and the sc80w looks pinkishly-yellow but as I said, on their own, used a few mins apart, the difference is much harder to see..


Yes, seriously...just look at my photo. Sorry I was so excited at first. I was at work and anxious to try it out after waiting for so long. I'll admit to a tint snob but this is just ridiculous.


----------



## Starik1

I've had my new SC52w for a few days. Is it normal when the battery is low for the light to blink rapidly? It will only turn on at one brightness (kind of a medium level) even if I try to turn it on low, and it flashes rapidly, faster than the real strobe mode.


----------



## creyc

Got my SC52w in last week, pretty happy with it although I agree a Nichia 219 would be far superior in my opinion. Zebralight tint seems a tad yellow/green for a "neutral".

Took a photo comparing tint:







Left: EagleTac D25A nw, middle L10 Nichia 219, right: SC52w


----------



## Erik1213

I must have really hit the jackpot on my SC52w. Here is a comparison shot between my SC52w, EagleTac TX25C2 (Neutral white XM-L2) and my EagleTac D25ATi Nichia 219 mod.






SC52w = LOTS of pink on the spill with slightly more yellow than the Nichia 219 in the hotspot.

EagleTac = Greenish but mostly yellow hotspot with pure white spill.

Nichia 219 = Pinkish hotspot with pure white spill with a slight rosy color.


----------



## marcis

Erik1213 said:


> I must have really hit the jackpot on my SC52w. Here is a comparison shot between my SC52w, EagleTac TX25C2 (Neutral white XM-L2) and my EagleTac D25ATi Nichia 219 mod.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> SC52w = LOTS of pink on the spill with slightly more yellow than the Nichia 219 in the hotspot.
> 
> EagleTac = Greenish but mostly yellow hotspot with pure white spill.
> 
> Nichia 219 = Pinkish hotspot with pure white spill with a slight rosy color.



I am in the same group as you with winning the tint lottery. Your tint looks exactly as mine does, and I love it. I have so far compared it with my zebralight h502, h51f, and Spark sd-52 NW, and fenix l2d (not sure if neutral or cool.. it oddly looks in between both neutral and cool)


----------



## RedForest UK

It looks to me like Zebralight are using two tint bins of emitter due to the low early availability of NW XM-L2, much like 4sevens did with their first neutral XP-G run. Possibly 4A/4B or 4C/4D; close but either side of the midline with regards red/green.


----------



## js82

RedForest UK said:


> It looks to me like Zebralight are using two tint bins of emitter due to the low early availability of NW XM-L2, much like 4sevens did with their first neutral XP-G run. Possibly 4A/4B or 4C/4D; close but either side of the midline with regards red/green.



It would be nice if they stuck to A and D. These companies seem to use B and C more though.


----------



## RIX TUX

what does everyone use to keep the sc52 in? if you dont carry in pocket. if transporting or stowing it. case? holster? battery tube? ideas?


----------



## creyc

Pocket carry here, and the new clip on these SC52W's are INSANELY tight, however it's well ramped to clip over heavy jeans and most pockets.

The concave grooves in the body seem like they would make this light a good candidate for a lanyard tied around the body.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

This video speaks more about a belt buckle but includes EDC or should I say Every Night Carry. At 2:28 one can see the inexpensive cell phone case used to keep my sc52 on a slightly modified NiteIze head strap. Also at the end is how the sc52 is clipped on a belt. Anyways...

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?client=mv-google&v=HngG3Oc0EYE&feature=plcp&rdm=mp2evu62l


----------



## shelm

RIX TUX said:


> what does everyone use to keep the sc52 in? if you dont carry in pocket. if transporting or stowing it. case? holster? battery tube? ideas?



http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?356918


----------



## markr6

marcis said:


> I am in the same group as you with winning the tint lottery. Your tint looks exactly as mine does, and I love it. I have so far compared it with my zebralight h502, h51f, and Spark sd-52 NW, and fenix l2d (not sure if neutral or cool.. it oddly looks in between both neutral and cool)



Tint looks great. You guys are LUCKY!! I'm giving the SC52w another shot so hopefully my next one has a nice tint. Mine was so green I didn't even need to compare it to anything - of course, I did anyway and that just confirmed the horrible green tint.


----------



## Hondo

Mine landed. I love it.

I will say, it is one of the most green-biased neutrals I have. But I could never have said that after my initial testing, it looked gorgeous all by itself. Some of my neutrals are much more pink-biased, like my 3C and 4C XM-L Nailbender modules. It is also a warmer color temp than most I have, but not by any means a warm tint, just down around the 4000K mark, where most of my others are more 4500-5000K range.

Shining it on the "outdoorsey" colors, greens and browns, it looks better than the slightly cooler, less green neutral lights I have. So I would sum it up as just fine, and a nice cozy light indoors, and one of the better lights I own for outdoors. If I ever want to "de-green" it a bit, I might consider adding a 1/4 minus green filter in the bezel, but I see no reason now.

As for the tailcap O-ring issue, I can confirm that there is essentially no interference on mine. Even with the battery out, I can't detect any increase in tension when screwing past it, and the ring does not move up in the groove as the cap screws over, let alone rotate. It could use a bit fatter O-ring. Most of the waterproofness may be coming from the lube. I generally keep my stuff dry, so I won't be searching hard for a replacement. But it sounds like sticktodrum has the trick with a 2x14 metric ring. Although it sounds like that is the size that Zebralight used, and maybe the ones he has fit better. If I understand it, sounds like Zebralight just got a bit undersized batch of 2x14's.

My tailcap does fit evenly around the circumference of the light body, not off-center, BTW. Not that that would effect waterproofing or any other function. And since the default low is as low as I will use, I did not even enter programming to check if the uber-low pulses, I'll assume it does. Like someone else mentioned, might act as a "feature" when used as a locator, to draw attention.


----------



## dreydin

I received mine a few days ago and tbh, maybe I jumped up too fast in the flashlight world because I am not seeing why I spent so much money on this light. The modes are nice and so is the build quality, but the light output is not what I was hoping for on an Eneloop. Darn my expectations.


----------



## creyc

dreydin said:


> I received mine a few days ago and tbh, maybe I jumped up too fast in the flashlight world because I am not seeing why I spent so much money on this light. The modes are nice and so is the build quality, but the light output is not what I was hoping for on an Eneloop. Darn my expectations.



Strange, I find the output quite excellent for a neutral white single AA in such a small size.

It's true though, if you're looking for max output perhaps you should look into a cool white option instead, as these will be brighter. Also consider a light built for lithium cells, (either 14500 or CR123A) as these will run higher voltage than a single AA, requiring less boost circuitry and OFTEN enabling greater output.

Speaking of 14500s, has anyone tried one in their new SC52w? Man this thing gets bright!


----------



## cyclesport

Sorry...my error. Withdrawn.


----------



## Philabuster

I bought a SC600w when it came out. I LOVE this light. :thumbsup: I bought a second one a year later as a spare to put on the shelf. 

I bought two SC52s right when they came out. I bought them mainly with the intent to evaluate the form factor and then give the lights away to family and friends as gifts. I really do not like cool tinted lights anymore, but my family and friends do not seem to mind getting used gifts of this caliber. :naughty:

Just received two SC52w lights in the mail. This is now my backup carry light to my original EDC SC600w. 

I am blown away how close the SC52w matches the SC600w in both color tint and output lumens. This is a nice light and is not going to be given away. :thumbsup:


----------



## Hondo

_Quote: the light output is not what I was hoping for on an Eneloop._

REALLY? You can't get more lumens from an Eneloop than this light puts out. It is a relatively floody beam, due to the small reflector size and the large emitter in the XM-L, so maybe you are looking for THROW. If that's the case, you need a large head format, and perhaps a smaller emitter, at least an XP-G2. This will put more light intensity at a distance. But these types of configurations are hard to find in a 1xAA format. You would likely need to look at 1x18650 or 2xCR123 lights.


----------



## LEDburn

Just got mine!

Top effort by the postal services, both Australia and China, as this left on Thursday morning and was at my house at 8 a.m this morning (Tuesday). I didn't pay any extra so this was the standard shipping option Zebralight offer for free!!



I would like to share my experiences compared to a few of the other members;

THE GOOD:
*Emitter is well centered
*Tailcap seems to line up perfectly with the body as far as my eyes and hands can tell
*Tailcap/o-ring feels exactly the same as my sc52 - you can definitely feel the drag as you screw the tailcap up when it contacts the o-ring - not worried about a watertight seal on my light..nothing like what some members are saying, how it is like the sc80! I feel sorry for those people as that was offputting for me with my sc80w!

THE BAD
*There is an easily noticeable blemish in the finish of the annodizing on my sample. 

I am by no means worried and wont be sending it back as, like almost every other production-line flashlight I own, this will see use on a construction site at some point and as such, will be treated like any other tool. Can't say I have had a Zebralight arrive with such a noticeable mark, that's all.

I know everyone wants to know what the tint is like but it's not dark here yet and my 14500's are on charge. 
I'll take this, my sc52, sc600w, sc80w, h600fw and also some from other manufacturers - mainly XP-G, one XM-L and all NW bar one WW XP-G. Might even bring out my 4500K SST50 NB drop-in..
I'll try get some pics but no promises as it will depend on how my s4 feels about capturing beamshots :shrug: but in any case, I'll share my thoughts on the tint soon..


----------



## dreydin

creyc said:


> Strange, I find the output quite excellent for a neutral white single AA in such a small size.
> 
> It's true though, if you're looking for max output perhaps you should look into a cool white option instead, as these will be brighter. Also consider a light built for lithium cells, (either 14500 or CR123A) as these will run higher voltage than a single AA, requiring less boost circuitry and OFTEN enabling greater output.
> 
> Speaking of 14500s, has anyone tried one in their new SC52w? Man this thing gets bright!





Hondo said:


> _Quote: the light output is not what I was hoping for on an Eneloop._
> 
> REALLY? You can't get more lumens from an Eneloop than this light puts out. It is a relatively floody beam, due to the small reflector size and the large emitter in the XM-L, so maybe you are looking for THROW. If that's the case, you need a large head format, and perhaps a smaller emitter, at least an XP-G2. This will put more light intensity at a distance. But these types of configurations are hard to find in a 1xAA format. You would likely need to look at 1x18650 or 2xCR123 lights.


Okay, so maybe I cried wolf too soon. I pulled out the manual (finally) and figured out I had the high beam on the lower setting. Now that I've messed around with the real high beam, I can say that I am much more pleased. Sorry about that. Also, I'd consider a 14500, but I was on a semi-budget when buying the Eneloops, charger, and 52w, so that won't be happening anytime soon probably. I wouldn't mind something with a little more throw, but this is pretty great for the size of the package here.


----------



## LeukTech

Erik1213 said:


> I must have really hit the jackpot on my SC52w. Here is a comparison shot between my SC52w, EagleTac TX25C2 (Neutral white XM-L2) and my EagleTac D25ATi Nichia 219 mod.
> 
> SC52w = LOTS of pink on the spill with slightly more yellow than the Nichia 219 in the hotspot.
> 
> EagleTac = Greenish but mostly yellow hotspot with pure white spill.
> 
> Nichia 219 = Pinkish hotspot with pure white spill with a slight rosy color.



That is pretty amazing, you should try for the real lotto, as you appear to be very lucky :thumbsup:

Among many lights, I have a Nichia 219 high CRI, SC600w and a SC51c with a high CRI Rebel. My SC600w tint looks *exactly* like the SC52w and EagleTac of this persons picture LINK. ie very yellow and green in tint :green: with the Nichia being nice and rosey tinted (but not too much rosey). 

Your picture, based off the Nichia comparison, looks identical to my SC51c high CRI Rebel vs the Nichia. Rebel is slightly more yellow, Nichia is more of a white-pinkish color. 


Comparison pics:

*Zebralight SC51c - Philips LUXEON Rebel 85 CRI 4000k*







*Xeno F7v6 - Nichia 219 90+ CRI 4500k*






*Zebralight SC600w - Cree XM-L Neutral white 4200k*





*
Nailbender XM-L2 90+ CRI 3000k* *7A2 bin.*








From your pics, looks like you scored big time on your SC52w!!! I would love to have an XM-L that has a similar/identical tint to my SC51c  Sadly, most neutral XM-L's are really green/yellow in the hotspot, and cooler in the spill (very abrupt transition between hotspot and spill). Luckily, my high CRI XM-L2 3000k is unlike any other XM-L I have seen/owned. Quite pleasant in tint (if only it was slightly cooler ).


----------



## amanichen

Here's a tint shot up against an off-white wall and white baseboard. 

I took the photo with my S3 phone, all auto settings, with HDR on to minimize over-exposure (I checked, and the HDR doesn't affect the tint). 

The tint differences are definitely visible with my eyes, but the camera seems to over-saturate colors compared to my eyes.

Side-by-side I prefer the SC51W, but I only notice the tint differences while white wall hunting. Looking at other surfaces and objects, I get a nice "neutral" feeling from the SC52W. The Eagletac is on the cooler side of the three, but it's nowhere near as bad as a cool XP-G (like I've had in previous 4Sevens lights), and it even felt neutral to me while I was walking through a pitch black forest path in Costa Rica.

Original Image:
Left: Eagletac P20A2 MKII (XM-L Neutral)
Middle: SC52W (XM-L2 Neutral)
Right: SC51W (XP-G Neutral)





Desaturated by me in a cheapo paint program to better match what I see with my eyes:


----------



## markr6

Good god there are some meanie greenies out there! It makes me feel better not to be the only one. I shipped mine back yesterday. I have another one coming to give it a try since I really like the SC52w. I just really hope to get one to match my H600w and H51w tint.


----------



## creyc

An odd thing I did notice today is a slight pulse AFTER the light has been turned off. This bit I'm not at all thrilled about, and going to contact ZL to see if it can be fixed. It's quite annoying as a bedside light when it blinks every 10 seconds. I posted a video of it: 



It looks like I'm not the only one with this blinking, either: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?335967-zebralight-H51FC-flash


----------



## markr6

creyc said:


> Aw c'mon it's not THAT bad of a tint, is it? It's only when you hold it up to a Nichia or a few NW XP-G's that you begin to see the color cast.
> 
> Keep in mind not everyone's cameras are the same or show tint the way ours eyes may perceive it, a lot of these images seem to exaggerate the color cast in my opinion. When I'm actually using the light, I don't get the impression, "gosh, that's a green tint!"
> 
> If you've ever tried another neutral white XM-L light, this should come as no surprise as the SC52w tint is, in my opinion, quite typical of other XM-L based lights.



I know comparing other lights will always make you bias, but I think it is a horrible tint. Even on my tan-colored wall, it shows green. Outside on grass or leaves, it's...well, green! I always complain about cool white tints throwing off color too much but this is worse. I'm not talking CRI here, just relative tint in general. When something is this green, almost any object will look bad under the light.

I've compared it to my XM-L Neutral on two PD32UE and EA4w - they are CRISP WHITE and all three look identical which I love. I didn't even try to do a side by side photo since it was just painful to see!


----------



## creyc

markr6 said:


> I know comparing other lights will always make you bias, but I think it is a horrible tint. Even on my tan-colored wall, it shows green. Outside on grass or leaves, it's...well, green! I always complain about cool white tints throwing off color too much but this is worse. I'm not talking CRI here, just relative tint in general. When something is this green, almost any object will look bad under the light.
> 
> I've compared it to my XM-L Neutral on two PD32UE and EA4w - they are CRISP WHITE and all three look identical which I love. I didn't even try to do a side by side photo since it was just painful to see!



You're not wrong, I suppose green doesn't exactly fit the "neutral white" description. I agree ZL should probably be more selective in their binning.


----------



## markr6

creyc said:


> You're not wrong, I suppose green doesn't exactly fit the "neutral white" description. All I'm saying is the Cree tint should really be no surprise to anyone who's seen another NW XM-L.



Yeah, I'll admit it took purchasing four PD32UE's to get two decent tints! Hey, maybe I should start a business for tint snobs. Stock a bunch of lights, select the "good" tints to sell, then discount/donate the ugly ones


----------



## GunnarGG

creyc said:


> An odd thing I did notice today is a slight pulse AFTER the light has been turned off. This bit I'm not at all thrilled about, and going to contact ZL to see if it can be fixed. It's quite annoying as a bedside light when it blinks every 10 seconds. I posted a video of it:
> 
> 
> It looks like I'm not the only one with this blinking, either: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?335967-zebralight-H51FC-flash



Isn't this the low battery warning you see?
What battery are you using and have you tried another one?

The H502 is supposed to blink every 40 sec or so when the cell is low and light off. 
I recall reading that those 40 sec could be anything between 15 sec and several minutes but it should blink on a low cell.

Maybe this is the same function in the SC52


----------



## creyc

GunnarGG said:


> Isn't this the low battery warning you see?
> What battery are you using and have you tried another one?
> 
> The H502 is supposed to blink every 40 sec or so when the cell is low and light off.
> I recall reading that those 40 sec could be anything between 15 sec and several minutes but it should blink on a low cell.
> 
> Maybe this is the same function in the SC52



I don't think so, the battery is about half charged according the the onboard battery gauge (two blinks). I haven't changed it out yet and the blinking went away, so if this is a low battery indicator it's a bit rubbish. The battery is a relatively new Eneloop and reads 1.13 on my multimeter.

I can be sure as soon as I shut the lights off and go to bed it will start acting up again. Off should be OFF!


Edit: I think I may know what's going on here. After the light is used the battery voltage sags below the "low alert" threshold and triggers this blinking. Leaving the light sit for 5 minutes the voltage recovers slightly, and the blinking goes away. I THINK. Still a bit nutso, but there's always the tailcap lockout option.

Anyone wanna buy an SC52w?


----------



## Hondo

You guys really might want to consider trying filters to nail what you want in a tint. Have you seen this?

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?320811-Changing-LED-Tint-With-Filters&highlight=

I have changed some of my most ugly tints into very pleasing lights this way. Just get the swatch books, spend 20-30 minutes (or more) deciding what you like best, then another 15 minutes carefully trimming a disc that snap fits inside the lens bezel. Very little loss, and protects the lens itself.

BTW, I got curious and programmed both my SC52 and SC52W for min brightness, which is no brighter than a SafeLight on "find me" glow mode. Both of mine run absolutely steady, no pulsing.


----------



## Derek Dean

Hondo, I've been thinking about purchasing the SC52, either cool tint or neutral, and as you know I'm VERY picky about my tints....... so, my question is...... would it be better to get the cool tint and filter that, or get the neutral tint and filter that. Does anybody have both AND a filter swatch book? Are both lights equal brightness to start with?

I've got a feeling that the SC52w is not as bright as the SC52, so it might be better to start with the cool tint light.


----------



## RedForest UK

Derek Dean said:


> Hondo, I've been thinking about purchasing the SC52, either cool tint or neutral, and as you know I'm VERY picky about my tints....... so, my question is...... would it be better to get the cool tint and filter that, or get the neutral tint and filter that. Does anybody have both AND a filter swatch book? Are both lights equal brightness to start with?
> 
> I've got a feeling that the SC52w is not as bright as the SC52, so it might be better to start with the cool tint light.



As filters simply block undesired wavelengths rather than converting them you would be best off choosing whichever has the highest output specifically in the wavelengths that you wish to keep. As both are virtually the same output overall anyway (the warm uses the more recent XM-L2) then that would almost certainly be the warm version.


----------



## Derek Dean

Thanks for your thoughts, RedForestUK .


----------



## LeukTech

Derek Dean said:


> Hondo, I've been thinking about purchasing the SC52, either cool tint or neutral, and as you know I'm VERY picky about my tints....... so, my question is...... would it be better to get the cool tint and filter that, or get the neutral tint and filter that. Does anybody have both AND a filter swatch book? Are both lights equal brightness to start with?
> 
> I've got a feeling that the SC52w is not as bright as the SC52, so it might be better to start with the cool tint light.



From my experience, your better off filtering a neutral. I recently got a SC600 Mk II cool white and it had the notorious green halo. No matter what I tried, I couldn't filter this light to an overall acceptable tint without using 3 or more filters. Not only would this not work (since the MK II doesn't have a screw off bezel like the sc600 original, but the loss of light was extreme. However I was able to filter my SC600w to be tolerable (still not ideal though) with a single lavender filter (003). 


But even trying to filter other cool white lights I have, it just doesn't seem to work very well. Neutrals have a higher CRI, thus a more natural looking light. So they tend to filter better. Plus with a neutral you can go both warm or cooler with very little loss of light. With cool white you are pretty much limited to making it slightly warmer into the neutral zone, otherwise you end up filtering too much.


----------



## reppans

creyc said:


> ..... The battery is a relatively new Eneloop and reads 1.13 on my multimeter.



1.2v resting on an Eneloop is essentially dead.


----------



## PoliceScannerMan

Fwiw I ordered 6/20 and my SC52W shipped today. Looking forward to it, fingers crossed for good tint.


----------



## TronPlayer

PoliceScannerMan said:


> Fwiw I ordered 6/20 and my SC52W shipped today. Looking forward to it, fingers crossed for good tint.



Did you order it from the ZL site? I ordered on the 18th and haven't received any emails. I've sent them 2 emails over a week ago asking for basic order conformation but haven't received any response. Being my first ZL order I'm kind of disappointed in the company but something tells me they probably don't care.


----------



## Hondo

Derek Dean said:


> Hondo, I've been thinking about purchasing the SC52, either cool tint or neutral, and as you know I'm VERY picky about my tints....... so, my question is...... would it be better to get the cool tint and filter that, or get the neutral tint and filter that. Does anybody have both AND a filter swatch book? Are both lights equal brightness to start with?
> 
> I've got a feeling that the SC52w is not as bright as the SC52, so it might be better to start with the cool tint light.




Having read your entire thread on this, I know what you sort of like, and I don't think you usually shoot for a warmer tint, just an honest white up in the 6000K region, or a bit above, which is were the SC52 is at. Given that, I think you may be better with the cool. I like a bit warmer temp, and will add something like "straw" to a perfect cool white. With the ~4000K that mine looks like, it is already at the low end of what I prefer for color temp, so I don't know how you would counter that without a lot more loss. But if you did want to go warmer, I would start with the SC52W. As I said above, I am tempted to add a 1/4 or 1/2 minus green to mine, to make it more in line with the neutral XP-G of my SC60W, which is my favorite Zebra neutral, although about tied with the neutral XP-E in my SC50W+. Viva la swatches!


----------



## hcd615

Just got my shipping email. I paid for overnight shipping so I should have it tomorrow. Let you guys know...


----------



## JKolmo

Received my SC52w yesterday. Dead on centered emitter, beautiful even machining, no low-low flickering, but jeez this thing is green. Almost embarrasing when compared to my Nichia 219 lights and even my SC600w. Not that apparent unless white wall hunting but anyways. They should have labelled it SC52g...


----------



## markr6

JKolmo said:


> They should have labelled it SC52g...



LOL AGREED! If my replacement is just as green, it's also going back and I'm purchasing two Eagletac D25A's


----------



## Hondo

Well, I just played swatch book with both of my 52's, the cool and the "W". The SC52W just needs quarter minus green, and it is right on par with the nicest of my neutrals. Half minus green makes it look too pink. Gonna start trimming to fit.

The SC52 is already a perfect cool white, but I like the slightly warmer color temps, so I found "marlene" is just the ticket to bring it a lot closer to the neutrals, without adding any other tints.

These things are so powerful now that the slight loss of brightness with a filter is not significant, and it lets you put the tint just where you want it. No amount of sorting at the manufacturer can do that, as each person wants something a bit different.


----------



## creyc

markr6 said:


> LOL AGREED! If my replacement is just as green, it's also going back and I'm purchasing two Eagletac D25A's



FYI I have a neutral white EagleTac D25A and its the same tint, likely same LED bin. The big advantage of the EagleTac being the bezel unscrews and the LED can be very easily swapped out to a more favorable version.


----------



## markr6

creyc said:


> FYI I have a neutral white EagleTac D25A and its the same tint, likely same LED bin. The big advantage of the EagleTac being the bezel unscrews and the LED can be very easily swapped out to a more favorable version.



I am worried about that too. Someone had a beamshot and it looked dingy yellow (maybe it was one of your posts?). Anyway, I'm feeling the need to go back to the usual cool blues. My PD32UE (~5000K) has me spoiled though...damn that thing is WHITE.


----------



## Derek Dean

Hondo said:


> Well, I just played swatch book with both of my 52's, the cool and the "W". The SC52W just needs quarter minus green, and it is right on par with the nicest of my neutrals. Half minus green makes it look too pink. Gonna start trimming to fit.
> 
> The SC52 is already a perfect cool white, but I like the slightly warmer color temps, so I found "marlene" is just the ticket to bring it a lot closer to the neutrals, without adding any other tints.
> 
> These things are so powerful now that the slight loss of brightness with a filter is not significant, and it lets you put the tint just where you want it. No amount of sorting at the manufacturer can do that, as each person wants something a bit different.


I appreciate your thoughts about the tint differences between the SC52 and the SC52w. I think you might be right, that it will be easier to start with the slightly cooler tint and warm it up just a bit rather than going in the reverse direction, although, the decision is also made easier by the fact that the SC52w is a hard animal to track down these days . Also, I've had great success warming up cool tints in all my other lights, so it's something I know I can do. 

It's funny, I keep looking at all the other brands of lights out there, and there are some mighty fine lights available, but after having used an SC600 for almost 2 years, I just can't quite imagine finding a UI that I would like better. So many of the other manufacturers seem to feel that two or 3 light levels in a 2400 lumen light is acceptable, and Zebralight is giving us a choice of 10 light levels in a 280 lumen light, along with a setup that let's us easily access the 3 we use the most. Just brilliant!


----------



## Erik1213

markr6 said:


> I am worried about that too. Someone had a beamshot and it looked dingy yellow (maybe it was one of your posts?). Anyway, I'm feeling the need to go back to the usual cool blues. My PD32UE (~5000K) has me spoiled though...damn that thing is WHITE.



Are all PD32UE's 5000K or did you get a custom build?


----------



## sticktodrum

Derek Dean said:


> the decision is also made easier by the fact that the SC52w is a hard animal to track down these days .



Not as hard as you'd think. E2 Field Gear has them in stock currently along with the H502W. He's "CellGuy" on CPFM, and a great US Dealer. I've bought from them before, and just got my order shipped of the SC52W & H502W.


----------



## markr6

Erik1213 said:


> Are all PD32UE's 5000K or did you get a custom build?



Supposedly they all are, but it took me FOUR purchases to get two matching units with white tints. One ended up green, one had a very strong magenta bias. Luckily my EA4W also has the EXACT same tint. I guess you could call me a "matcher"


----------



## Hondo

Well, I finished installing the "marlene" filter to my SC52 and the "quarter minus green" filter to my SC52W. With these in place, they are the best cool white and non-high CRI neutral tints I have, and I have a lot. While it is not fair to compare a non-high CRI LED to a Nichia 219, the SC52W now comes incredibly close in color rendition, while a bit warmer. The SC52 is now right on the border between a very warm cool LED and the cool end of a neutral. Neither has any bias for green, pink, yellow or blue.

The bezel is so shallow on these, that I could not get a "wedge-in" fit, and had to add a slim crescent of Scotch tape on one edge of the filter to keep it securely fixed in the bezel. A bit tricky, but not as hard to do as nailing a wedge-in fit, and as always, reversible and adjustable to different tints in the future.


----------



## LeukTech

Hondo said:


> Well, I finished installing the "marlene" filter to my SC52 and the "quarter minus green" filter to my SC52W. With these in place, they are the best cool white and non-high CRI neutral tints I have, and I have a lot. While it is not fair to compare a non-high CRI LED to a Nichia 219, the SC52W now comes incredibly close in color rendition, while a bit warmer. The SC52 is now right on the border between a very warm cool LED and the cool end of a neutral. Neither has any bias for green, pink, yellow or blue.
> 
> The bezel is so shallow on these, that I could not get a "wedge-in" fit, and had to add a slim crescent of Scotch tape on one edge of the filter to keep it securely fixed in the bezel. A bit tricky, but not as hard to do as nailing a wedge-in fit, and as always, reversible and adjustable to different tints in the future.



How's the tint shift on the lower modes? With all the filtering I did with my SC600w over the last year and a half, I could quickly find filters that would make the beam look amazing on high, but then when I back it down to medium (or pop it into turbo) it just ruins the tint. It's not too bad if you go straight into a lower mode without having seen high first, but if you go from high to medium after your eyes have adjusted, the tint shift is pretty extreme. 

Really wish Zebralight would have done PWM in the lower modes on these neutrals, cause that is mainly why people are buying them... because of the tint. Or at the very least offer two versions, one with PWM that retains an even tint across all modes, or a regulated version that has tint shift but has slightly better run-times.


----------



## reppans

LeukTech said:


> How's the tint shift on the lower modes? With all the filtering I did with my SC600w over the last year and a half, I could quickly find filters that would make the beam look amazing on high, but then when I back it down to medium (or pop it into turbo) it just ruins the tint. It's not too bad if you go straight into a lower mode without having seen high first, but if you go from high to medium after your eyes have adjusted, the tint shift is pretty extreme.
> 
> Really wish Zebralight would have done PWM in the lower modes on these neutrals, cause that is mainly why people are buying them... because of the tint. Or at the very least offer two versions, one with PWM that retains an even tint across all modes, or a regulated version that has tint shift but has slightly better run-times.



I really question the tint shift thing and was wondering if it's just perception - seems very similar to how a colors saturate better in pictures when they're underexposed (like using dim modes). Here's a pix of some my lights, all on moonlight on top, and something around 100-125 lms on the bottom, only one light is using PWM on moonlight (CW SC52 in the middle) clicky.


----------



## chazz

Got mine a few days ago, my first Zebralight so still getting used to the UI. I have to say I am a bit disappointed as mine has quite a bit of green tint also. I probably won't bother with exchanging it as likely I would get another green tint one. At least this one does not have some of the other problems that others are reporting; like flickering low, or post turn off flash, etc. At this point I almost wish I had just gotten the cool white version. I think I would really like the light if the tint was better. I look forward to the day when it is easier to get nice tint LED flashlights. So yeah, after waiting a month or so for it I feel a little deflated...:shakehead


----------



## Hondo

Yeah, I chalk most of the perceived differences in tint at different drive levels just that, perception. Seems that any kind of bad tint looks whiter when you drive the LED harder, PWM or current regulated. That's not to say that there is not a real shift going on, and PWM does get around that. It just seems harder to pick out a bad tint when the light is very bright.

But to your question, I make my comparisons mostly between M1 and M2, and the other modes end up looking just as good to me. Having done this to a lot of other lights, it took me about 5 minutes to find these filters for these two lights, and they came out better than any other filtered lights I have done. That may be because they were darn good already, where most of my others got filtered because they were very ugly at the start.


----------



## T-roc87

I got my sc52w making it my first zebralight since i owned the sc51w. Maybe I lucked out but my tint is a tad pink around the outer edge of the beam. I really have no complaints about and it can only be seen on a white wall. Otherwise i'm very pleased with my edc and remembering how much i enjoy the ui of it.


----------



## creyc

T-roc87 said:


> I got my sc52w making it my first zebralight since i owned the sc51w. May i lucked out but my tint is a tad pink around the outer edge of the beam. I really have no complaints about and can only be seen on a white wall. Otherwise i'm very pleased with my edc and remembering how much i enjoy the ui of it.



You got a good one, lucky you!


----------



## papershredder

Beamshots!






From the left: Preon P2, EAGTAC D25A Ti NW, L10 Nichia 219, Zebralight SC52w.
What does CPF think? Is my SC52w yellow or what? I was hoping it would be more like the middle two lights when I ordered it.

EDIT: 

Okay, I feel that first image may be a bit unfair. I did another wall-hunt after posting that, and I realized it's not THAT yellow.
This is a bit more representative. This is with the same D25A NW:


----------



## marcis

papershredder said:


> Beamshots!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From the left: Preon P2, EAGTAC D25A Ti NW, L10 Nichia 219, Zebralight SC52w.
> What does CPF think? Is my SC52w yellow or what? I was hoping it would be more like the middle two lights when I ordered it.



Wow! Zebralight is not doing a very good job with consistent tints this time around.. this is the worst I have seen. I can't complain I got a beautiful tinted sc52W, but judging by these photos lots of people are getting ugly greens, and now a yellow. Mine looks way more like all the nichica 219 photos I am seeing. If anyone has advice on how to take a good beam shot I will compare my spark sd52 NW, sc52W, h502, and h51f for you all, the tint on my sc52w is beautiful.


----------



## marcis

well I tried posting a photo.. didn't work. I used photobucket, and copied the url it said to use for forums into the insert image button, and nothing but a broken image. grrr

If you would like to host the photo for me, here is the url - http://s2.photobucket.com/user/joeyjoer/media/sc52w006.jpg.html you can also click that to view my SC52W Photo. It's on high, and I don't know what the camera settings are, but it closely represents what I see with my eyes


----------



## LeukTech

marcis said:


> well I tried posting a photo.. didn't work. I used photobucket, and copied the url it said to use for forums into the insert image button, and nothing but a broken image. grrr
> 
> If you would like to host the photo for me, here is the url - http://s2.photobucket.com/user/joeyjoer/media/sc52w006.jpg.html you can also click that to view my SC52W Photo. It's on high, and I don't know what the camera settings are, but it closely represents what I see with my eyes



Photobucket is terrible now (they used to be awesome).

You should switch to imgur, absolutely wonderful image hosting site that is so good it makes you want to donate to them (by signing up for their premium service). You don't even need to sign up to host images (but well worth signing up).


----------



## creyc

marcis said:


> well I tried posting a photo.. didn't work. I used photobucket, and copied the url it said to use for forums into the insert image button, and nothing but a broken image. grrr
> 
> If you would like to host the photo for me, here is the url - http://s2.photobucket.com/user/joeyjoer/media/sc52w006.jpg.html you can also click that to view my SC52W Photo. It's on high, and I don't know what the camera settings are, but it closely represents what I see with my eyes



Auto white balance on many cameras will tone a color cast back to neutral if you just take a picture of one light. If you have multiple lights you can take together, the comparison is more informative.


----------



## kaichu dento

marcis said:


> well I tried posting a photo.. didn't work. I used photobucket, and copied the url it said to use for forums into the insert image button, and nothing but a broken image. grrr
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's on high, and I don't know what the camera settings are, but it closely represents what I see with my eyes


----------



## LeukTech

reppans said:


> I really question the tint shift thing and was wondering if it's just perception - seems very similar to how a colors saturate better in pictures when they're underexposed (like using dim modes). Here's a pix of some my lights, all on moonlight on top, and something around 100-125 lms on the bottom, only one light is using PWM on moonlight (CW SC52 in the middle) clicky.




That picture is quite interesting, as it shows no tint shift in what would be a pretty dramatic change in person. Maybe it is just a perception thing, but then why does using PWM generally avoid the perception of tint shift?

Nailbender has PWM on all his modules because he wants to preserve a consistent tint across all modes (only the highest mode is not PWM). I cannot perceive any tint shift (worth noting) with his drop-ins like I can with any of my other lights that are not PWM.


----------



## Lite_me

papershredder said:


> Beamshots!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From the left: Preon P2, EAGTAC D25A Ti NW, L10 Nichia 219, Zebralight SC52w.


papershredder: Just curious.. is that D25A an XM-L or the XP-G2 model? Nice looking tint.


----------



## reppans

LeukTech said:


> That picture is quite interesting, as it shows no tint shift in what would be a pretty dramatic change in person. Maybe it is just a perception thing, but then why does using PWM generally avoid the perception of tint shift?
> 
> Nailbender has PWM on all his modules because he wants to preserve a consistent tint across all modes (only the highest mode is not PWM). I cannot perceive any tint shift (worth noting) with his drop-ins like I can with any of my other lights that are not PWM.



Can you take a picture of PWM and current regulated lights side-by-side at reasonably close matching lumen modes as above?


----------



## Ibex

Can anyone post pictures of SC52 and SC52W next to each other to see the tint? Also, comparison pictures outside would be great to see color rendering on plants and everyday objects. Thank you.


----------



## Erik1213

See here: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...52-amp-SC52w&p=4233402&viewfull=1#post4233402


----------



## papershredder

Lite_me said:


> papershredder: Just curious.. is that D25A an XM-L or the XP-G2 model? Nice looking tint.



This is the 2013 titanium version. The box says XM-L U2. On the box there is another sticker that says 4300k.
The website says they come in XM-L T6 for the neutral white option.


----------



## papershredder

Ibex said:


> Can anyone post pictures of SC52 and SC52W next to each other to see the tint? Also, comparison pictures outside would be great to see color rendering on plants and everyday objects. Thank you.




I'd like to see some beasmshots compared to a wider range of lights. I've posted mine. =)


----------



## Fireclaw18

papershredder said:


> This is the 2013 titanium version. The box says XM-L U2. On the box there is another sticker that says 4300k.
> The website says they come in XM-L T6 for the neutral white option.



That's how Eagletac packages the D25. The sticker overrides the default text on the box. Sounds like its emitter is a 4300k XML T6.

I have a D25c XML T6 4300k. The tint on it is considerably nicer than my SC52w.


----------



## papershredder

Fireclaw18 said:


> That's how Eagletac packages the D25. The sticker overrides the default text on the box. Sounds like its emitter is a 4300k XML T6.
> 
> I have a D25c XML T6 4300k. The tint on it is considerably nicer than my SC52w.



How so?


----------



## Trancersteve

Gah! I was just about to hit the order button on this.. then I read the last few pages of this thread. 

There are some pretty bad green tints out there! :duh2:

Not sure if it's worth the gamble as this lottery doesn't have very good odds.


----------



## Badbeams3

Trancersteve said:


> Gah! I was just about to hit the order button on this.. then I read the last few pages of this thread.
> 
> There are some pretty bad green tints out there! :duh2:
> 
> Not sure if it's worth the gamble as this lottery doesn't have very good odds.



I was dead set on getting this light...very excited about it...but after all the reports came out, like you, I changed my mind....going to spend my flashlight money on some other model....


----------



## Diablo_331

I pulled the trigger last night on amazon. I'll play the tint lottery. I'm feeling pretty lucky these days. If I lose I can either filter it to my liking or break the lens in a vice, swap the emitter then contact ZL for a new lens. I've done this once before when swapping a Nichia 219 into a H51w. I even told them exactly what I did and offered to pay for another lens but they sent it free of charge. I've also dropped my SC600w on its bezel and cracked the lens. Again, ZL's customer service was excellent and sent another one right out to me. Granted, I was dealing with the main office in Texas and not the China office. I've heard nothing but horror stories from China..


----------



## Fireclaw18

Diablo_331 said:


> I pulled the trigger last night on amazon. I'll play the tint lottery. I'm feeling pretty lucky these days. If I lose I can either filter it to my liking or break the lens in a vice, swap the emitter then contact ZL for a new lens. I've done this once before when swapping a Nichia 219 into a H51w. I even told them exactly what I did and offered to pay for another lens but they sent it free of charge. I've also dropped my SC600w on its bezel and cracked the lens. Again, ZL's customer service was excellent and sent another one right out to me. Granted, I was dealing with the main office in Texas and not the China office. I've heard nothing but horror stories from China..



Emitter swap in the SC52 is incredibly hard. Unlike previous generations of Zebralights, the SC52 doesn't have a separate star. Instead it has just one board with both the driver circuitry and the LED on it.

To swap the LED, you'd have to remove the bezel and reflector, then clear off the thermal goop, desolder and unscrew the driver board, then somehow heat the driver board enough so that you can remove the LED without all the other components on the board falling off.

I haven't heard of anyone successfully emitter swapping the SC52w, but I suppose it can be done. I have seen reports of people emitter swapping the DQG series lights which use a similar integrated board.


----------



## creyc

To those with a green SC52w or wanting a neutral SC52w; which LED would you swap in if you could? A 219 and take the lumen hit? A better binned XM-L2?

I may look into the swap, I've got experience re flowing much smaller and more difficult parts, if I can get the mechanical side of things figured out I will attempt it.


----------



## Fireclaw18

creyc said:


> To those with a green SC52w or wanting a neutral SC52w; which LED would you swap in if you could? A 219 and take the lumen hit? A better binned XM-L2?
> 
> I may look into the swap, I've got experience re flowing much smaller and more difficult parts, if I can get the mechanical side of things figured out I will attempt it.



Swapping in a 219 would be extremely difficult. The pads for the emitter on the driver board are placed in the correction position for an XM-L, but not for an XP-G or 219.

Keep in mind that because the SC52 doesn't use a separate star, it is not possible to swap in an XP-G star. To make a 219 fit you'd somehow have to put the 219 onto a pad sized for an XML. I'm sure it could be done, but it would be incredibly difficult.

If I were swapping emitter, I'd probably just aim for an XML2 with better tint. 219s have a nicer tint, but I don't find a single 219 bright enough for me and swapping in a triple 219 is out of the question with this light. I'm not that unhappy with my SC52w's tint, so I won't bother trying to change it.


----------



## sticktodrum

I came home to find my package from E2 Field Gear (CellGuy on CPFM), in it were 2 SC52Ws and an H502W. He really pulled through for me on this one, and all of them have fantastic tints. No joke, one is essentially the same tint as the Nichia 219 on my L10, and the other is practically the same, save for a little more yellow just around the hotspot. They're both perfect as far as I'm concerned, as well as the H502W.

I'm very much glad that I waited for a trusted dealer to get them in, despite how anxious I was early on to get in on the pre-order list direct from ZL. One of these 52Ws kicked the CW 52 right out of my pocket and into the storage case. This is my light now, and I'm all warm and tingly. 

Tomorrow I'll see about posting some beam shots and tint comparisons with as many lights as possible. 

Jackpot! *dances a jig*


----------



## creyc

sticktodrum said:


> I came home to find my package from E2 Field Gear (CellGuy on CPFM), in it were 2 SC52Ws and an H502W. He really pulled through for me on this one, and all of them have fantastic tints. No joke, one is essentially the same tint as the Nichia 219 on my L10, and the other is practically the same, save for a little more yellow just around the hotspot. They're both perfect as far as I'm concerned, as well as the H502W.
> 
> I'm very much glad that I waited for a trusted dealer to get them in, despite how anxious I was early on to get in on the pre-order list direct from ZL. One of these 52Ws kicked the CW 52 right out of my pocket and into the storage case. This is my light now, and I'm all warm and tingly.
> 
> Tomorrow I'll see about posting some beam shots and tint comparisons with as many lights as possible.
> 
> Jackpot! *dances a jig*



While its a nice sentiment, I don't know that buying from a dealer vs direct from ZL has any bearing on tint..?

Or is E2 hand selecting the tints they want? Seems like that wouldn't be feasible..


----------



## sticktodrum

creyc said:


> While its a nice sentiment, I don't know that buying from a dealer vs direct from ZL has any bearing on tint..?
> 
> Or is E2 hand selecting the tints they want? Seems like that wouldn't be feasible..



Of course it isn't. However it could be as simple as a batch that's more consistent than others, which it seemed to be in this particular case.

That being said, when it comes to things like this, I prefer to give continued business to a dealer that would be understanding in such a situation where tint variation would make me really unhappy with a light. 

That's all.


----------



## DMitchell

creyc said:


> While its a nice sentiment, I don't know that buying from a dealer vs direct from ZL has any bearing on tint..?



There are dealers that will accept any flashlight for any reason within a 30 day period for return. Just don't expect to get a 12% discount with free shipping both ways.


----------



## shelm

here two SC52w's with ugly greenish tint!!

number 1:



number 2:



OMFG


----------



## sticktodrum

Wow... That looks terrible...


----------



## blackFFM

papershredder said:


> This is the 2013 titanium version. The box says XM-L U2. On the box there is another sticker that says 4300k.
> The website says they come in XM-L T6 for the neutral white option.




You are lucky. My Eagletac d25s looks like your sc52w, maybe even more yellow. My sc52w is nice though.


----------



## PoliceScannerMan

Mine is out for delivery, instead of being excited I'm nervous about the tint lol. 

Hoping or more yellow than green, I'm ok with pinkish too. 

Fingers crossed!!!


----------



## netprince

Badbeams3 said:


> I was dead set on getting this light...very excited about it...but after all the reports came out, like you, I changed my mind....going to spend my flashlight money on some other model....



+1. No sale here. This light had so much potential.


----------



## papershredder

netprince said:


> +1. No sale here. This light had so much potential.



I'd keep a few things in mind when reading negative comments on the Internet:
People typically don't post when they're generally satisfied with something. But they sure do post when they're not happy!
Sample size and methodology. You've got, what, two? people who have shown green tint photos. That's not out of everybody who got a light posting beamshots, that's only the unhappy people; see the point above.

I bet there are hundreds of happy people running around happily with their SC52w right now, lighting up things just for the sake of it. Not unlike puppies frolicking in a field of flowers.


----------



## RIX TUX

papershredder said:


> I'd keep a few things in mind when reading negative comments on the Internet:
> People typically don't post when they're generally satisfied with something. But they sure do post when they're not happy!
> Sample size and methodology. You've got, what, two? people who have shown green tint photos. That's not out of everybody who got a light posting beamshots, that's only the unhappy people; see the point above.
> 
> I bet there are hundreds of happy people running around happily with their SC52w right now, lighting up things just for the sake of it. Not unlike puppies frolicking in a field of flowers.


Thats right ^
I got one on I'm happy. It has a little green but I can only tell when shot at a white wall. The light has many positives too.


----------



## PoliceScannerMan

Received my SC52w today, looks like I lucked out on the tint. I am happy with it. 

Here's two comparisons. SC52w on left in both shots. Both taken w my iPhone. 

The beam shots make the SC52w worse than it really is, by its self it is really nice. 

First is the best tinted light I have, my XM18 Alpha 4500K MCE with boom reflector:







Next is a Nichia 219 P60 drop in.


----------



## LeukTech

Wow, that XM18 Alpha has a beautiful tint! 

SC52w has a tint of what I would expect from an XM-L neutral, yellow with hints of green on the outer edges of the hotspot. Still amazed at some of the other nicely tinted SC52w's people have though, the neutral XM-L's that lean towards the A/D tint bin range are really nice and seem to be extremely rare in the XM-L world.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

papershredder said:


> I'd keep a few things in mind when reading negative comments on the Internet:
> People typically don't post when they're generally satisfied with something. But they sure do post when they're not happy!
> Sample size and methodology. You've got, what, two? people who have shown green tint photos. That's not out of everybody who got a light posting beamshots, that's only the unhappy people; see the point above.
> 
> I bet there are hundreds of happy people running around happily with their SC52w right now, lighting up things just for the sake of it. Not unlike puppies frolicking in a field of flowers.




Disagree. Many members of this forum are going to comment, good or bad. The gist of what I'm hearing is that most have a green tinge to them. Some yellow as well. This is something we can use to make an informed opinion about whether or not we will buy the sc52w. Yes we have members more concerned about the green than others. I think we can figure out who is a stickler and who is lucky, remembering that we all see in different ways and photos can lie. Multiple beams of different flashlights in one image are very interesting. Relative brightness between the sc52 and the sc52w is still not really being discussed. Only one comment if I remember. Thanks to all of you for commenting.


----------



## Fireclaw18

KITROBASKIN said:


> Disagree. Many members of this forum are going to comment, good or bad. The gist of what I'm hearing is that most have a green tinge to them. Some yellow as well. This is something we can use to make an informed opinion about whether or not we will buy the sc52w. Yes we have members more concerned about the green than others. I think we can figure out who is a stickler and who is lucky, remembering that we all see in different ways and photos can lie. Multiple beams of different flashlights in one image are very interesting. Relative brightness between the sc52 and the sc52w is still not really being discussed. Only one comment if I remember. Thanks to all of you for commenting.



I have both an SC52 and and SC52w.

It's very hard to judge relative brightness with a ceiling bounce test when the tints are so different. I think I'd need a lightmeter to judge relative brightness accurately. At a guess, I'd say they're equally as bright.

I'm a bit disappointed that the tint on my SC52w looks so yellow. But I still like it much more than the cool white tint of my original SC52.


----------



## papershredder

KITROBASKIN said:


> Disagree. Many members of this forum are going to comment, good or bad. The gist of what I'm hearing is that most have a green tinge to them. Some yellow as well. This is something we can use to make an informed opinion about whether or not we will buy the sc52w. Yes we have members more concerned about the green than others. I think we can figure out who is a stickler and who is lucky, remembering that we all see in different ways and photos can lie. Multiple beams of different flashlights in one image are very interesting. Relative brightness between the sc52 and the sc52w is still not really being discussed. Only one comment if I remember. Thanks to all of you for commenting.



I guess we need a poll, but having another thread about the SC52w would not be so good.


----------



## creyc

papershredder said:


> I guess we need a poll, but having another thread about the SC52w would not be so good.



I've already created a poll earlier for this particular tint issue, as this discussion is probably getting beyond the scope of this general SC52 thread.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?365572-SC52W-quot-Green-tint-quot-poll


----------



## papershredder

Has anyone noticed inconsistent results with the built-in battery checker? 

I'll run it and get one flash. But if I unscrew the tailcap, screw it back down, and run the check again, I'll get four flashes.

Either I'm rubbing off some oxidization or Zebralight is using Coulomb counting in volatile RAM.


----------



## moshow9

Do all the SC52w lights feature the strobing effect on the firefly modes? Did the regular SC52 have this?


----------



## Grizzman

Honestly, I'm not sure how much the strobing will affect the actual usefullness of the light. Mine does it inconsistently, and I haven't tested it yet with fully night-adapted vision in a real scenario. Maybe I'll test that out tonight.

My H502W's battery meter seems less accurate than my SC52W's. I won't know for sure until I've run the SC for considerably longer, which should happen in a couple weeks.

Grizz


----------



## Fireclaw18

moshow9 said:


> Do all the SC52w lights feature the strobing effect on the firefly modes? Did the regular SC52 have this?



No strobing at all on mine, but I only run it on 14500.


----------



## PoliceScannerMan

Mine does not pulse.


----------



## sticktodrum

No pulsing or strobing on either of mine, using a 14500 and an Eneloop.


----------



## PoliceScannerMan

Left to right, SC52w, XM-18 Alpha 4500k, Spy XM-L2 5000K, M61N 4000K, Malkoff MDC Cool white. 






Left to right: Haiku AA CRI, HDS Rotary CRI, SC52w, Oveready Triple Copper cool xpg2.


----------



## sticktodrum

Posted this in the tint poll thread, but figured I'd also post this here.

Left to right is SC52, SC52W, L10 w/ Nichia 219, Olight S10 NW (lens swapped)


----------



## TronPlayer

sticktodrum said:


>



WOW, all I can say is ....... That's a real sloppy texture job :shakehead


----------



## sticktodrum

I live in an apartment in NYC...so I take no responsibility for it.


----------



## GunnarGG

So I got mine today.
As I also wrote in the tint poll thread it has a nice neutral tint.
Slightly cooler than my SC30w and H31w.

Other thoughts:
It has a large hotspot and so less throw compared to lights with tighter spot and similar or even lower brightness.
Somebody wrote that a LD10 with 100 lumens throwed longer and that might be right.

The beam is very nice.
If the floody beam is good or bad depends of course of the intended use.
For short / medium distance I think it's good.

The cooling fins doesn't have the sharp edges that my SC30w and H31w has.
The fins on the H502d are like the SC52.

The edge where the clip makes contact with the light is sharp and will give unnecessery wear on the pocket fabric.
I have already sanded the edge a little bit...

My light also have the "not so tight" o-ring that I have read about.
I measured with calipper and it looks like the o-ring exactly fills out the gap between body and tailcap but no compression at all of the o-ring.
I had an o-ring for my EagleTac P20C2 and it has same outer diameter but is thicker - perfect fit!

Some pics of my Zebra family:

From left to right: SC52w, SC30w, H502d, H31w



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Cooling fins on SC52w



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Cooling fins on SC30w



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----------



## j2k

Got my SC52W and H502W today. Tint on SC52W is very nice, close to my rebel high CRI SC51, the H502W is cooler and whiter with a yellow ring at the edge of the beam. Not green at all but cooler than the SC52W.


My SC52W has a strange problem however - medium modes are messed up - the output is comparable to low modes. Did anyone experience a problem like that?? Also the low modes are incorrect - the L1 is stuck on the lowest 0.01 lumen . I can program L2 normally.

H502 is fine.


----------



## sticktodrum

I checked both of mine, neither have that kind of mode issue... You try a different battery?


----------



## PoliceScannerMan

I reported previously mine does not pulse on the lowest low. Now that I put a Eneloop in it does pulse on lowest low. Not a huge deal. It's too low to use for me, even in use, the pulse isn't bad.


----------



## GunnarGG

Some photos for comparising:

SC52w, SC30w and LD10, WB auto. 1/125, F8









SC52w, SC30w and LD10, WB auto. 1/500, F8








H502d, WB auto, 1/30, F4





It seems like the SC30w has a little better throw than SC52w and the 100 lumens LD10 with tighter spot throws maybe the same as SC52w.
The total output, beam and tint is of course much better on SC52w compared to LD10.

As you may notice the photo of the H502d has an exposure that is x16 of the upper row of photos and x64 of the lower row. That's all flood!


----------



## creyc

It's encouraging to see many good looking SC52W tints out there.

I'm not sure whether to return my SC52W and chance an exchange on a light with a less ugly tint, or ask for a refund and wait till ZebraLight gets a better handle on their tint inconsistency, but who knows when that could happen.


----------



## reppans

GunnarGG said:


> Some photos for comparising:
> 
> SC52w, SC30w and LD10, WB auto. 1/125, F8



Not sure if the intention is to show comparative tint, but if so, and my understanding of photography is correct, if you use auto WB, you need to show multiple beams in the same photo, or if you want to use single beam shots, you need to lock your WB to a specific color temp, just as you have locked exposure settings.


----------



## markr6

creyc said:


> I'm not sure whether to return my SC52W and chance an exchange on a light with a less ugly tint, or ask for a refund and wait till ZebraLight gets a better handle on their tint inconsistency, but who knows when that could happen.



That's a tough call. I liked this light so much I ordered another...still checking the mailbox daily! If I lose the lottery with another green puke tint, I'm going back over to the dark side...COOL WHITE!!! Yes, you heard me right! It's the lesser of two evils in this situation.


----------



## hatman

markr6 said:


> That's a tough call. I liked this light so much I ordered another...still checking the mailbox daily! If I lose the lottery with another green puke tint, I'm going back over to the dark side...COOL WHITE!!! Yes, you heard me right! It's the lesser of two evils in this situation.



Oh, I'm waiting for my dealer to get back in stock and that's not the news I want to hear!


----------



## GunnarGG

reppans said:


> Not sure if the intention is to show comparative tint, but if so, and my understanding of photography is correct, if you use auto WB, you need to show multiple beams in the same photo, or if you want to use single beam shots, you need to lock your WB to a specific color temp, just as you have locked exposure settings.



It's more for comparing beam profile and brightness.
I posted some pics in the "sc52w-green tint poll" thread with fixed WB for tint comparising.

I'm on my phone now, I'll try to update my post with a link later.

Edit: These are the beamshots I put in the other thread:

SC52w and SC30w, both on max. WB set on 4500K





H31w and SC30w, both on max. WB set to 4500K






Btw: Those pics of the cooling fins on the head were taken with the flashlight head just 5 cm from the lens and the H502d attached on top of the lens with tape for illumination.


----------



## LeukTech

markr6 said:


> That's a tough call. I liked this light so much I ordered another...still checking the mailbox daily! If I lose the lottery with another green puke tint, I'm going back over to the dark side...COOL WHITE!!! Yes, you heard me right! It's the lesser of two evils in this situation.



It's really hard going back to the blues after using neutrals, at least for me. I had a SC600 MkII for a couple of days, but I just couldn't see myself getting used to the cooler temp. Even a 3D 5000k XP-G2 is too cool for me, it's weird cause if I use it for a little while I could almost swear it was a CW temp (until I actually compare it to a CW temp ). Nichia 219 high CRI is about as cool as I can go these days, neutrals have spoiled me! 

Instead of going back to the blues, you could always go in the opposite direction... warms. Pretty much guaranteed to have zero green problems with those, and using them outdoors is just insane! 

I'm currently getting my SC600w retrofitted with a XM-L2 high CRI 3000k by vinh, I can't wait to get it back! :twothumbs


----------



## tygger

A bit disappointed with the tint on my SC52w. Too much green but overall it's a nice light. I'm also very spoiled by my Malkoff 219. 219s are tint perfection IMO.


----------



## Mr Floppy

To me, the 219 is not the perfect tint. CRI, perhaps but the tint is similar to that of my LF2XT which I really liked but that was at a time of mostly all cool whites. I preferred my TK20 over the LF2XT at that time though. 

The new paragon for me is the tint of my DQG XP-G NW with the 5A bin. Anyone have SC52w and the DQG IV NW?


----------



## creyc

Mr Floppy said:


> To me, the 219 is not the perfect tint. CRI, perhaps but the tint is similar to that of my LF2XT which I really liked but that was at a time of mostly all cool whites. I preferred my TK20 over the LF2XT at that time though.
> 
> The new paragon for me is the tint of my DQG XP-G NW with the 5A bin. Anyone have SC52w and the DQG IV NW?



5A looks like they would be great looking tints, have any beam shots? Closest I can find are 3C or 5C bins.


----------



## Mr Floppy

creyc said:


> 5A looks like they would be great looking tints, have any beam shots?



I don't do the best photos but I'll try to do some for you. I should say that it's an XP-G2 NW 5A. I mentioned above that it's an XP-G but it's an XP-G2. Some people do seem to find it too yellow.


----------



## Creezy

Does anyone know if the latest Sc52 in cool white now use the XML2 LED ? One way to tell would be the absence of the binding wires across the LED. Thanks


----------



## sticktodrum

Creezy said:


> Does anyone know if the latest Sc52 in cool white now use the XML2 LED ? One way to tell would be the absence of the binding wires across the LED. Thanks



They do not. Far as I know, all the current stock of SC52s in cool white are from the run that used XM-Ls, and none have been produced with any XM-L2s.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta


----------



## markr6

Got the shipping confirmation for my second SC52w. Looking forward to Monday! But just like last time regarding the tint....


----------



## creyc

markr6 said:


> Got the shipping confirmation for my second SC52w. Looking forward to Monday! But just like last time regarding the tint....



Nice, I'm sure mine won't be far behind yours.


----------



## markr6

Got it earlier than expected, but....ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME ZEBRALIGHT???????  How much did you pay CREE for these pieces of shite?

My second attempt SC52w on left, H600w on right


----------



## creyc

markr6 said:


> Got it earlier than expected, but....ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME ZEBRALIGHT???????  How much did you pay CREE for these pieces of shite?
> 
> My second attempt SC52w on left, H600w on right



Ouch, just as bad as the first time if not worse! I feel for you.

I'm starting to think maybe the SC52 cool white plus a color filter might be the best option for getting a true NEUTRAL WHITE light from ZebraLight. It's pretty obvious you can't count on ZL to select good LEDs for their own product.

What a shame.


----------



## Derek Dean

That really is a shame. With folks becoming more interested in tint these days, it seems like ZL has taken a huge step backward with this release.


----------



## PoliceScannerMan

Maybe all the tints are the exact same, and some are less sensitive to the green. Thoughts?


----------



## Diablo_331

PoliceScannerMan said:


> Maybe all the tints are the exact same, and some are less sensitive to the green. Thoughts?



I would disagree but I can't be absolutely sure since tint is a subjective thing and varies from person to person. By my eyes (which is key here as you alluded to), my SC52w has a great tint which I can compare to my SC600w and also the best XML that I've ever owned or seen which is a Vihnhguyen54 4000k XML dropin. I like to consider myself a tint snob, FWIW. I love great tints and hi-CRI emitters. I've owned hi-CRI XPGs, numerous Nichia 219's, and also a hi-CRI 4000k Rebel in my SC51c. I've also had and still have lights with green and purple tints. By comparing my personal SC52w side by side with many lights, (hi-CRI, greens, purples, ect.) I can tell, without a doubt, to my own eyes, that the XML2 in my SC52w has no hint of green on both of the high settings with a VERY SLIGHT green tinge appearing more and more as you decrease levels (decreasing current to the emitter). 

From what I've seen here in this thread, Zebralight appears to be using at least two different bins of XML2s. But then again, I can't be sure of that either because you have to take into account various camera and monitor settings as well as how one's eyes/brain "sees tints". I guess the only way to know for absolute certain is for someone to ship their "perfect tint" SC52w to someone with a SC52w that has a "green" tint or vise versa. I'd be willing to ship mine to someone with a green tint as long as they are willing to pay shipping both ways with insurance. And of course are handy with beam shots and are willing to share them here. This only applies to members that have a good rep or at my own discretion of course. Any takers? :naughty:


----------



## Al Thumbs

PoliceScannerMan said:


> Maybe all the tints are the exact same, and some are less sensitive to the green. Thoughts?



I bought three copies of this light. One seemed neutral, as compared to my ZL H51fw headlamp. The second was a little bit green compared to the first, and the third was greener than the second. So regardless of how I perceive tint, the three copies were all different to the same eyeballs.

But another observation: when used outdoors, they all looked fine.


----------



## markr6

Diablo_331 said:


> I'd be willing to ship mine to someone with a green tint as long as they are willing to pay shipping both ways with insurance. And of course are handy with beam shots and are willing to share them here. This only applies to members that have a good rep or at my own discretion of course. Any takers? :naughty:



I'm considering this, plus a bonus $$ for your help. If I can verify a SC52w with good tint exists, I'm buying 10 and keeping the 3 with good tint. This light is too damn good to give up on


----------



## moshow9

What I don't understand is that Zebralight was known for choosing very good to premium bins in the past. I owned multiples upon multiples of their lights and headlamps. My favorite (save for accidental pocket activation without locking the light out) was hands down the SC51w. "Warm" tint, from what I recall, was excellent on the early models (SC30/50 and on). I am not sure how it was on the SC80 model but I noticed a change with the release of the SC600w. I much didn't like the purplish spill due to the anti-reflective lens coating. The strong slant towards green or yellow just are not my cup of tea. Yellow could pass for a daylight neutral type tint, but I much prefer the warmer tones of old Zebralight neutral tints.


----------



## creyc

PoliceScannerMan said:


> Maybe all the tints are the exact same, and some are less sensitive to the green. Thoughts?



That's an interesting theory I hadn't really thought about. After all I DO have both an SC52W and H52W with the exact same tint..so while I THINK it looks green, I guess I really don't have a non-green ZebraLight to compare to.

Then again I do have plenty of great looking XM-L2 lights, so I feel pretty confident in saying the ZL's both look green. In fact the one thing that might help substantiate the green claims on here is that a lot of these photos are taken with the exact same cameras, and displayed on the exact same displays: iPhones.

I'm getting a replacement SC52W soon though so I guess I'll reevaluate after that.


----------



## kaichu dento

markr6 said:


> Got it earlier than expected, but....ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME ZEBRALIGHT???????  How much did you pay CREE for these pieces of shite?
> 
> My second attempt SC52w on left, H600w on right


This right here, coupled with the difficulty in modding any Zebralight is why I'm still holding off buying an SC52w. With tint being a fairly easily controlled aspect of emitters these days, price is the only reason I can think of blaming for the purchase of such a huge order of green emitters passed off as 'warm' by the manufacturer, and their focus is on selling us the new form factor and UI with light quality not even as part of the consideration.


----------



## burntoshine

The tint of my SC52w is really close to my H600w. More yellowy than anything else. I'm happy with it. What I ultimately prefer is the incandescent-like warm high cri tint; like what HDS uses for their high cri lights. I've tried the nichia 219 tint and it's a nice tint, but that warm high cri is just so cozy and perfect. It's too bad ZL doesn't try these. The limited edition "HIGH CRI" Sunwayman V11R used an identical tinted T4 XML LED. I wish I had a H600 and SC52 with that LED in there.


----------



## netprince

kaichu dento said:


> This right here, coupled with the difficulty in modding any Zebralight is why I'm still holding off buying an SC52w. With tint being a fairly easily controlled aspect of emitters these days, price is the only reason I can think of blaming for the purchase of such a huge order of green emitters passed off as 'warm' by the manufacturer, and their focus is on selling us the new form factor and UI with light quality not even as part of the consideration.



+1. My thoughts exactly.


----------



## hatman

The dealer promised to inspect my SC52W to make sure it isn't green -- and it's not!

Someone posted that theirs is the same tint as their 51C; mine isn't but it's nice.

It may be the most floody light I have. Definitely not a thrower.

Nits: Out of the box, I had trouble finding turbo just playing with it. The heads of the clip screws are a bit rough for my pocket. And the white lettering looks like a decal.

These are out-of-the-box impressions and I look forward to carrying it.


----------



## RIX TUX

hatman said:


> The dealer promised to inspect my SC52W to make sure it isn't green -- and it's not!
> 
> Someone posted that theirs is the same tint as their 51C; mine isn't but it's nice.
> 
> It may be the most floody light I have. Definitely not a thrower.
> 
> Nits: Out of the box, I had trouble finding turbo just playing with it. The heads of the clip screws are a bit rough for my pocket. And the white lettering looks like a decal.
> 
> These are out-of-the-box impressions and I look forward to carrying it.


Glad you got a good tint, my screws are smooth and high quality, my lettering seems like paint.
Isn't ZL known for having floody lights? I dont think any of their lights are throwers.


----------



## markr6

I'm really at a loss and not sure what to do now. I love this light but the tint is obnoxious. Even outside, of course all the green vegetation is going to be GREEN with a GREEN emitter. But then I went closer to a shrub that had a bunch of teal-colored buds on it (not sure what it was called). When I lit it up, they looked light green-yellowish. Movie buffs, remember in The Abyss when Ed Harris was on the ocean floor cutting the wire on the nuke using a green glow stick? "Cut the blue wire with white stripe, not the black wire with yellow stripe" LOL that immediately came to mind. Of course I could still tell it was a shrub, and that it had buds on it but that's not the point.

I guess I can try one more time but I find it hard to believe anyone has a nice white tint. Photos don't lie, unless photoshopped. One photo shows the tint close to a Nichia 219. Not accusing anyone of anything but something's fishy.


----------



## shelm

markr6 said:


> all the green vegetation is going to be GREEN with a GREEN emitter


omg that was funny and very green lol 


Hmm.. can't you ask your dealer to cherry pick among 7 samples? That's in case you really trust his word if he agrees to do so. Trust is good, control is better. Let him/her shoot a short video clip of the 7 samples and demo which one he/she picks for your 3rd shipment by marking it somehow. My dealer see op did so, not a video, but photos of his stash and several beamshots. He then picked the better sample, i trust him on his word, shipped and i happy. I still have the photos.

Great service from a great dealer. :thumbsup:


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## markr6

shelm said:


> Hmm.. can't you ask your dealer to cherry pick among 7 samples? That's in case you really trust his word if he agrees to do so. Trust is good, control is better. Let him/her shoot a short video clip of the 7 samples and demo which one he/she picks for your 3rd shipment by marking it somehow. My dealer see op did so, not a video, but photos of his stash and several beamshots. He then picked the better sample, i trust him on his word, shipped and i happy. I still have the photos.
> 
> Great service from a great dealer. :thumbsup:



That would be nice, but I understand that Illumination Supply cannot do this as stated in CPF. If they had 100 people asking for tests, they would not have time to fulfill orders, handle CS, etc. So that's fine, but I contacted ZL directly about the green issue - I want to know what's going on.

Maybe they can help me out somehow. Does ZL want me to keep buying and returning them? Or would they rather spend 5 minutes to send me the "least green" SC52w out of, say, 8 lights? That would be fine by me. I'm waiting for their response.


----------



## shelm

markr6 said:


> So that's fine,


Oki then 

Erh.. now i am confused, is your seller ZL proper or IS?
You're doing it right: returning the light out of dissatisfaction regarding the tint. This way ZL learns that nowadays customers don't put up with such **ee **ap any more.

Hopefully this will lead to more responsible tint picks by the ZL staff in future when accepting a lot delivery from CREE. Then this would go up the chain eventually to CREE management.


----------



## JKolmo

Great little light as pointed out by many, but the awful green of my SC52g, duuhh sorry SC52w, actually makes me steer away from ZL, at least for the time beeing until they are able to put out a non green w emitter light. Was looking forward to the SC600w and SC6330w but will now hold my horses until the green plague is gone, if ever.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


----------



## markr6

shelm said:


> Oki then
> 
> Erh.. now i am confused, is your seller ZL proper or IS?
> You're doing it right: returning the light out of dissatisfaction regarding the tint. This way ZL learns that nowadays customers don't put up with such **ee **ap any more.
> 
> Hopefully this will lead to more responsible tint picks by the ZL staff in future when accepting a lot delivery from CREE. Then this would go up the chain eventually to CREE management.



I got the first green one from ZL, second from IS. Since I'm totally insane, I just ordered my THIRD! Third time's a charm right? (or more frustration than a person should be allowed)

Looking past the tint, this light is almost perfect! Both of my samples had perfect anodizing, sharp laser cut logo, perfectly centered emitter, nice clip, no sharp edges, and nice feel to the button. The anodize color is fantastic on this one - more green than my H51, H51w, H502(sold) or H600w. It's a darker green, I guess olive drab when some look a little more goldish green. See, green CAN be good sometimes


----------



## creyc

markr6 said:


> I got the first green one from ZL, second from IS. Since I'm totally insane, I just ordered my THIRD! Third time's a charm right? (or more frustration than a person should be allowed))



Hmm wasn't it Einstein who said the definition of insanity is "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." ;-). So yes you may be a bit insane. Lol

I agree that returning green lights is probably the best course of action, since this hits them directly where they seem most concerned unfortunately; in the bank account. Spreading the message to help warn others should help as well, both in terms of making it known there seems to be a real issue here, and to inform potential customers who may not know any better.

It's sad to see a company like ZL spend all the time and effort to release a 'W' version of this light, a version which is solely focused on the TINT of the emitter, and then they don't even bother paying attention to this tint on the finished product. Why not call it an SC502M, for mystery, because its anyone's guess what color light you're going to get!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2


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## kaichu dento

creyc said:


> I agree that returning green lights is probably the best course of action, since this hits them directly where they seem most concerned unfortunately; in the bank account. Spreading the message to help warn others should help as well, both in terms of making it known there seems to be a real issue here, and to inform potential customers who may not know any better.


I somewhat agree, but then there have been makers in the past who complained that for all our expressed desire for warmer tints, we haven't been buying them. Never mind that they always saturate the market as thoroughly as possible with cool tints first, then offer a green light instead of the anticipated warm. 

I have never thought of green as warm and the only tints that can be honestly described as warm to me would be emitters delivering a tint ranging from gold to rose. Ah well, Zebras think green is warm and we should buy without question.


> It's sad to see a company like ZL spend all the time and effort to release a 'W' version of this light, a version which is solely focused on the TINT of the emitter, and then they don't even bother paying attention to this tint on the finished product. Why not call it an SC502M, for mystery, because its anyone's guess what color light you're going to get!


Quotable and directly on point.


----------



## tygger

Tint issues aside, its a great light. EDC pocket carry, nightlight, book light, etc. And unlike my SC51w it has not turned on in my pocket. When the tint issues improve I plan on ordering another.


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## markr6

Future units made over the next few months will use the same emitter from the "same batch", but "different reels"...so who knows.


----------



## markr6

Well it looks like I'm stuck with my original SC52w. Fortunately, Mike from E2 Field Gear offered to check the tint for me on a new model. It turns out, I live only a few miles away so he contacted me and invited me to stop by and check them for myself!! After trying about 8 different SC52w's I found the most neutral and went with that. Good deal! I know where I'm getting all my future Zebralights! Sorry IS.

It's amazing to see first hand how much these tints vary. Most consumers would not notice or care, but we're not most consumers 

I'm happy with my new light, but I was also surprised to see the difference in anodizing. I know there are many variables that affect the color so I don't expect them to try and control this, but it makes me wish Zebralights would go with a darker color...just a personal preference.

I also noticed the cap screws on COMPLETELY silent on my IS model. It also appears to screw on further with less gap. My newer model has the usual friction sound when screwing on the cap. No big deal but the IS model has a really nice feel and sound to it. 

Here's a shot of my new SC52w (left) which is like all the other ZL's I have, My SC52w from Illumination Supply (right) is much darker - I love this color!!






Thanks again E2 Field Gear!!


----------



## sticktodrum

I'm glad you got a good sample of the light finally. Mike is great, a fantastic dealer and a great guy. I get all of my Zebralight stuff from him. He was nice enough to find a couple of good samples of the SC52w for me, and I'm happy with them both. 

I find that it's better to find a good dealer than to just go with who has them first or offers the most discounts. Mike has great prices anyway though, I found E2 Field Gear from finding Mike as CellGuy on CPFM.


----------



## shelm

markr6 said:


> Well it looks like I'm stuck with my original SC52w. Fortunately, Mike from E2 Field Gear offered to check the tint for me on a new model. It turns out, I live only a few miles away so he contacted me and invited me to stop by and check them for myself!! After trying about 8 different SC52w's I found the most neutral and went with that. Good deal! I know where I'm getting all my future Zebralights! Sorry IS.



Wow, this is awesome and unprecedented service by E2 Field Gear beating in my books IS.
Congrats to the 1-out-of-8 cherry picked SC52w unit, fantastic!
As i said in the OP, my sample was cherry picked by the dealer too, i could not go there, so he sent me various photos and yes, the units were all different regarding tint and brightness. Small variations of tint and brightness but still clearly noticeable in a direct comparison of several samples against a white wall, and even more so after looking through a digicam.

My dealer does not have the SC52w in stock, so when i am ready to order the SC52w i will definitely go with Mike from E2 Field Gear and ask him for the same favor, checking several samples of the SC52w. Illumination Supply does not have the time to do so, so my business goes to Mike, cheers and thanks!! 


( i just noticed that 300 voters voted in the poll. nice round number!  )


----------



## markr6

sticktodrum said:


> I find that it's better to find a good dealer than to just go with who has them first or offers the most discounts.



You think I would have learned this by now, for anything in life! I'm starting to get much better though. Doing things "right" makes it a whole lot less stressful.

And for the record, nothing against IS. I just hate being stuck with this "greener" light. I was going to sell it, but I think I'll keep it in my Jeep along with my PD32UE.


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## creyc

I JUST got my replacement SC52W, here's to hoping to winning the tint lottery?


[Edit]

Well of course, still a green tint, though maybe not as bad, or maybe I'm just learning to accept it. :/

On the plus side however, the replacement light has a super DARK anodizing which looks pretty cool. More dark gray than the olive/green typically seen on ZL stuff.

Here's a comparison with my H52W:


----------



## EZO

creyc said:


> I JUST got my replacement SC52W, here's to hoping to winning the tint lottery?
> 
> 
> [Edit]
> 
> Well of course, still a green tint, though maybe not as bad, or maybe I'm just learning to accept it. :/
> 
> On the plus side however, the replacement light has a super DARK anodizing which looks pretty cool. More dark gray than the olive/green typically seen on ZL stuff.
> 
> Here's a comparison with my H52W:



Than ano looks really nice! At least you got something different with your replacement.

It's funny but instead of getting used to the subtle green tint on my SC52w, I seem to be noticing it more and it's starting to bug me! :hairpull: I probably need to stay away from all the discussion here on CPF about the green tint and just use the light. Really, it could be worse, I 'spose.


----------



## creyc

EZO said:


> Than ano looks really nice! At least you got something different with your replacement.
> 
> It's funny but instead of getting used to the subtle green tint on my SC52w, I seem to be noticing it more and it's starting to bug me! :hairpull: I probably need to stay away from all the discussion here on CPF about the green tint and just use the light. Really, it could be worse, I 'spose.



Hey, I'm just trying to look 'on the bright side! 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2


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## burntoshine

creyc said:


>



Holy smokes!! This is interesting. That is a blast from the past. I love that darker anodizing! To me, it seems like their anodizing has been lighter and lighter as time goes on. I hope they go back to the darker green. Is it really more gray than green?


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## creyc

burntoshine said:


> Holy smokes!! This is interesting. That is a blast from the past. I love that darker anodizing! To me, it seems like their anodizing has been lighter and lighter as time goes on. I hope they go back to the darker green. Is it really more gray than green?



Yep, it really is quite gray. I asked a neutral third party what color it looked, and she replied "gray or graphite".

I took a photo in the sunlight, against skin tone, with an actual green (grass!) background for comparison. On my iPhone, this photo looks pretty accurate.


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## sticktodrum

Wow, that looks pretty nice.


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## moshow9

Believe it or not but it looks like a "chocolate" or brown color to me, but I mean that in a good way and actually like that (even though it may just be my eyes/screen causing it to look different to me).


----------



## creyc

Strange issue popped up with this replacement light tonight. After changing out the Eneloop battery with an AW IMR 14500, the light flickered on before I could finish screwing down the tailcap, and now I can't figure out how to turn it off.

Actually I just discovered going back to the Eneloops, the light no longer does anything at all. 

I made a video since it seems to happen repeatedly. Anyone seen this before or know what's going on? Not off to a great start, I swear this light will be the end of me. I really really WANT to like this light too!

http://youtu.be/Mo87wYSJlhg


----------



## markr6

creyc said:


> On the plus side however, the replacement light has a super DARK anodizing which looks pretty cool. More dark gray than the olive/green typically seen on ZL stuff.



I love that! Pretty close to my darker one (post #1587)...unfortunatley it was the one stolen out of my Jeep last week  Mine had a smoother feeling too which I really liked; didn't feel like metal.


----------



## Swede74

creyc said:


> Strange issue popped up with this replacement light tonight. After changing out the Eneloop battery with an AW IMR 14500, the light flickered on before I could finish screwing down the tailcap, and now I can't figure out how to turn it off.
> 
> Actually I just discovered going back to the Eneloops, the light no longer does anything at all.
> 
> I made a video since it seems to happen repeatedly. Anyone seen this before or know what's going on? Not off to a great start, I swear this light will be the end of me. I really really WANT to like this light too!
> 
> http://youtu.be/Mo87wYSJlhg



I don't know what's going on, but similar problems have been reported earlier in this thread. It seems to only happen when IMR cells are used, not with ICR. Check post #785

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?344890-Zebralight-SC52-amp-SC52w/page27


----------



## creyc

Swede74 said:


> I don't know what's going on, but similar problems have been reported earlier in this thread. It seems to only happen when IMR cells are used, not with ICR. Check post #785
> 
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?344890-Zebralight-SC52-amp-SC52w/page27



Yep, according to Zebralight *the use of IMR cells is unsupported!
*
Fortunately they're covering the repair but it would have been nice to mention this in the manual or on their website to have avoided this situation in the first place. The only battery compatibility info I can find from ZL: "3.7V 14500 Li-ion battery".


----------



## mhpreston

Noob question (again) my SC52 arrived today and compared with my other lights it does look greenish ( shining on the white ceiling etc). I know this is an issue with those of you who bought the 52W. Is it normal for my version? I'm learning tons here on CPF and my garden has never looked so fresh and green!


----------



## Badbeams3

mhpreston said:


> Noob question (again) my SC52 arrived today and compared with my other lights it does look greenish ( shining on the white ceiling etc). I know this is an issue with those of you who bought the 52W. Is it normal for my version? I'm learning tons here on CPF and my garden has never looked so fresh and green!



A little green is normal for these I think.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Won't someone here make comment regarding the reason Zebralight chose the green/yellow tinted LED's? Is it that they wanted to claim they have the "brightest for size" flashlights and the tint is the result of pushing the performance to the max, or is it because the green/yellow tinted LED's are cheaper, or what? Anyone care to venture an opinion or lay out their knowledge on this?


----------



## Badbeams3

KITROBASKIN said:


> Won't someone here make comment regarding the reason Zebralight chose the green/yellow tinted LED's? Is it that they wanted to claim they have the "brightest for size" flashlights and the tint is the result of pushing the performance to the max, or is it because the green/yellow tinted LED's are cheaper, or what? Anyone care to venture an opinion or lay out their knowledge on this?



Well, we know the Olight "S" series is given to this same problem. And from what I read much of it seems to be caused by the choice of the anti reflective coatings used. Might be a similar thing going on here...


----------



## Badbeams3

creyc said:


> Yep, according to Zebralight *the use of IMR cells is unsupported!
> *
> Fortunately they're covering the repair but it would have been nice to mention this in the manual or on their website to have avoided this situation in the first place. The only battery compatibility info I can find from ZL: "3.7V 14500 Li-ion battery".



I`m really sorry to hear this happened to you. I really like the darker color of your sample. Was going to say that...but seems pointless at this point lol. Guess you`ll just have to send it back...?


----------



## creyc

Badbeams3 said:


> I`m really sorry to hear this happened to you. I really like the darker color of your sample. Was going to say that...but seems pointless at this point lol. Guess you`ll just have to send it back...?



Yep, back to the 'ol lottery again for me. 

It's a bit amusing (and disturbing) how much time, money and effort I've invested trying to get something usable from this one light. I do think the SC52w has the potential to be a great light though so I hope it pays off in the end. To say this experience has tarnished my perception of the Zebralight brand is quite an understatement however.

Fortunately this has taught me an important lesson--always buy through a reputable dealer!


----------



## Cataract

I could live with a greenish tint if it only shows on white walls, but the support for ICR and not IMR feels like a bit of a let down IMO. Still, I am looking at the SC52W for use with AA's, but I now decided to wait a bit to see if Zebra makes any changes. Their lights are great, but so many reported issues makes me feel apprehensive now.


----------



## mhpreston

I must say, for a little AA, it lit up most of my garden last night - green tint or not. And that was just with the standard battery supplied. I'm going to keep mine for compact EDC, but I can see how they will lose the edge for purists if they aren't careful. Mine is made in China (which I know can produce top quality stuff nowadays) - it made me wonder which US designed lights are still made locally?


----------



## stevenkelby

I have one on order. Why aren't IMR cells usable? Do they give a higher voltage or something?


----------



## creyc

stevenkelby said:


> I have one on order. Why aren't IMR cells usable? Do they give a higher voltage or something?



It's not so much that they're unusable, just that they're unsupported by Zebralight and seem to be the common denominator amongst several reports of broken SC52's.

I've used an H502w for months on an IMR no issues, but the instant I popped it in my SC52w it fried.


----------



## stevenkelby

Thanks, any idea why? What about an IMR could be harmful, how are they different to normal cells?

I think they can deliver more current (higher discharge) if the light asks for it, but that shouldn't fry the light as the light shouldn't ask for more current than it's ok with surely? And IMR voltage should be same.


----------



## markr6

KITROBASKIN said:


> Won't someone here make comment regarding the reason Zebralight chose the green/yellow tinted LED's? Is it that they wanted to claim they have the "brightest for size" flashlights and the tint is the result of pushing the performance to the max, or is it because the green/yellow tinted LED's are cheaper, or what? Anyone care to venture an opinion or lay out their knowledge on this?



I don't think it has to do with pushing the performance to the max, but rather the quality of what they're getting from CREE. These LED tints are all over the place. I had an opportunity to try about 8 differnet SC52w's from the same batch and they basically all had different tints. In fact, one had something closer to a cool white hot spot with a warmer (greenish) spill...nastiest thing I've seen from an LED to date.

I begged and pleaded for Zebralight to come out with an "SC52n" using the Nichia 219 emitter. They told me to stay tuned as this is a possibility. Keeping my fingers crossed!


----------



## JKolmo

Wow SC52n, now we're talking! That would make my SC52g redundant. Such a nice package + Nichia 219 is a true killer combo!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


----------



## shelm

How bright would a Nichia be in the SC52 package?

Why not XP-G2 or XP-G2 NW? Ah i see, no more CREE's please, harhar!!


----------



## creyc

shelm said:


> How bright would a Nichia be in the SC52 package?
> 
> Why not XP-G2 or XP-G2 NW? Ah i see, no more CREE's please, harhar!!



According to datasheets the 219 seems to be a little less than 60% of that of an XM-L2, which would put a Nichia 219 "swap" at around 160 lm on high, compared to the XM-L2's 280 lm.

This is merely a calculated estimation, keep in mind.


----------



## markr6

Seeing that my L10 and Xeno E03 with Nichia is plenty bright, I would welcome it in an SC52 model...well worth the sacrafice in output just as I found in these other two lights. Simply another option like the H502/w/c/d


----------



## shelm

Thanks creyc for the estimation. 
160 ANSI lumens wouldn't be too shabby. Still brighter than LD12 or Quark AA² with 1x Eneloop!


----------



## KITROBASKIN

markr6 said:


> I begged and pleaded for Zebralight to come out with an "SC52n" using the Nichia 219 emitter. They told me to stay tuned as this is a possibility. Keeping my fingers crossed!




If it will help, I will keep my fingers crossed as well. It would be OK for it to have less intensity, just hoping that it is still a very bright light.


----------



## Al Thumbs

creyc said:


> It's a bit amusing (and disturbing) how much time, money and effort I've invested trying to get something _*usable*_ from this one light.



Surely this is an exaggeration. If the light works at all, it is usable, yes?

I too bought this light to get a neutral tint, and I understand the frustration of those who are more discriminating than I. My SC51w copy is not as neutral as a ZL H51Fw headlamp _when compared side by side on a white ceiling._ But in the real world, it is far more than useable– it's a great light. I feel badly for those who are disappointed in its tint (or tints!), but I feel that many more people are going to miss out on a _very_ useable light because they are scared off by a few near-hysterical reviews.


----------



## creyc

Al Thumbs said:


> Surely this is an exaggeration. If the light works at all, it is usable, yes?



No.

Take a look at the video I posted, the light is unusable in my opinion. Could only be turned off by unscrewing the battery compartment, and it will not change modes.


----------



## markr6

Al Thumbs said:


> ...but I feel that many more people are going to miss out on a _very_ useable light because they are scared off by a few near-hysterical reviews.



I hope this isn't directed towards my reviews, but I would understand if it is. However, there is a gray area in what we would call useable. Some people buy specific lights based on the tint first, others on the functionality. I do both. But in this case, I could literally use a red road flare to navigate or my green SC52w...both tints suck. OK, now I'm exaggerating 

The point is, they missed the mark so bad on this one it warrants all the complaining. This is literally the first light I purchased where the tint mattered, WHITE WALL HUNTING OR NOT.


----------



## MattSPL

I have an sc52 on its way. 

Which 14500's are people using?
I ordered 2 Efast IMR's and 2 Sanyo 840mAh.

I asked Zebralight about IMR usage after reading a few posts here about them. This is the reply I got 

"The only 14500 type battery we've tested with the SC52 is of Li-ion chemistry. Don't know what will happen if you use a 14500 IMR. 
We did receive a ticket several days ago for an SC52w 'fried' by an IMR. All other IMR related tickets are just questions like yours. 
That said, there is no need to use IMR 14500s, a regular li-ion 14500 such as the ZL584 will be fine".


----------



## sticktodrum

I've only used the AW ICR 14500, Nitecore NL147 14500, and Zebralight's ZL584. All standard LiCo chems I believe. I haven't used an IMR and don't intend to.


----------



## MattSPL

Thanks for the reply.
I'm trying to understand why an IMR would act any differently unless the light was direct drive?


----------



## papershredder

markr6 said:


> Future units made over the next few months will use the same emitter from the "same batch", but "different reels"...so who knows.



With Cree you order a chromacity "kit," where the color temperature can be in some range. When you get the reel, you find out which "bin" you got. That's the actual color temperature range you got. It's not just the end buyer that plays the tint lottery.


----------



## EZO

papershredder said:


> With Cree you order a chromacity "kit," where the color temperature can be in some range. When you get the reel, you find out which "bin" you got. That's the actual color temperature range you got. It's not just the end buyer that plays the tint lottery.



That's interesting information. Still, I imagine that a decent sized manufacturer would have the right to reject a batch that seems so far out of spec. Most of these emitters are not really made with the flashlight market in mind. They are often used in architectural lighting where, say, product lighting or gallery lighting requirements and color temperatures are quite specific. No one wants their product to have a sickly greenish appearance in the display cabinet or for a painting in a museum or gallery to appear to have odd coloration. These are just hypothetical examples but I'm sure there are many others.

Remember too that Zebralight took a long time to issue the neutral version of this light, so they would likely have had plenty of time to do pre-production runs where they would have become aware of the out-of-spec tint issues.


----------



## sticktodrum

Maybe this is the best they got.


----------



## wjv

My SC52W will arrive tomorrow. I'm hoping it's really Natural White and not Natural Green. If green, it's going back. These lights aren't cheap. They are more expensive than many other quality brands, therefore I expect real quality. How hard would it be to test the LEDs in a test harness before installing the LED and to send the crappy ones back to the mfg for a credit.

Sorry, but my wife and I own a on-line seafood business. We sell Alaskan and Pacific NW seafood nationally and we charge a premium price ($20+/lb + shipping for the cheaper products $30+/lb for some of the nicer products) We know if someone is paying $159 for 5lbs of Salmon, they expect damn good salmon. My wife has on occasion rejected deliveries from suppliers because the product didn't meet her quality standards. 

The point is, if you charge a premium price, then deliver a premium product. Even if that means taking a few extra steps to do some quality control! If everyone kept sending back lights that didn't meet the advertised standards, companies would have to improve their quality, or go out of business. Unfortunately it sometimes seems like we let flashlight companies get away with delivering sub-quality lights.


----------



## wjv

EZO said:


> That's interesting information. Still, I imagine that a decent sized manufacturer would have the right to reject a batch that seems so far out of spec. Most of these emitters are not really made with the flashlight market in mind. They are often used in architectural lighting where, say, product lighting or gallery lighting requirements and color temperatures are quite specific. No one wants their product to have a sickly greenish appearance in the display cabinet or for a painting in a museum or gallery to appear to have odd coloration. These are just hypothetical examples but I'm sure there are many others.



At my day job, we have overhead LED lighting. Each unit has 48 LED clusters in it (they look like fluorescent light housings, but with LEDS). We probably have a hundred plus units on this floor of the building. Just looking across the work area, every single light looks exactly the same. Same brightness; same tint. So "getting it right" can be done. It just takes good quality standards.


----------



## turkeylord

We really just need Nichia to come out with a larger "219" LED...

XM-L sized 219...


----------



## kaichu dento

markr6 said:


> I begged and pleaded for Zebralight to come out with an "SC52n" using the Nichia 219 emitter. They told me to stay tuned as this is a possibility. Keeping my fingers crossed!


Okay, my fingers are crossed too. I've been really wanting to buy one of these, have no interest in a tint-compromised light that isn't at least easily modded.



wjv said:


> At my day job, we have overhead LED lighting. Each unit has 48 LED clusters in it (they look like fluorescent light housings, but with LEDS). We probably have a hundred plus units on this floor of the building. Just looking across the work area, every single light looks exactly the same. Same brightness; same tint. So "getting it right" can be done. It just takes good quality standards.


This has been the case for a long time now and the 'good quality standards' is exactly what too many of these companies are not willing to exercise.

Now to keep watching for the SC52n thread to start up so I can finally get my order placed.


----------



## EZO

I would surely get in line right away for a SC52n - and I would love to see a SC32n as well but looking at Zebralight's list of forthcoming lights I see there is a LUXEON T powered SC32d and SC62d (5000K - 85 CRI), both scheduled for release in 9/2013 (which of course, in Zebra time, probably means 12/2013 at the earliest). From this we can infer that it is more likely that we will see a SC52d before we ever get to see a SC52n.


----------



## papershredder

EZO said:


> That's interesting information. Still, I imagine that a decent sized manufacturer would have the right to reject a batch that seems so far out of spec. Most of these emitters are not really made with the flashlight market in mind. They are often used in architectural lighting where, say, product lighting or gallery lighting requirements and color temperatures are quite specific. No one wants their product to have a sickly greenish appearance in the display cabinet or for a painting in a museum or gallery to appear to have odd coloration. These are just hypothetical examples but I'm sure there are many others.
> 
> Remember too that Zebralight took a long time to issue the neutral version of this light, so they would likely have had plenty of time to do pre-production runs where they would have become aware of the out-of-spec tint issues.



I don't think it's so much as Cree sending them stuff out of spec, but that Cree specs these out in pretty wide ranges. 
You order Cree LEDs in 1000 unit reels. Pre-production usually does not reach these sorts of quantities. Reel-to-reel you get a different bin.
It is possible for Zebralight to control the tints more, but that would involve taking, perhaps significantly, a hit on the emitters. That is, selling off or discarding what they don't want to use. Chances are, if they don't want then, then nobody else does either.
I guestimate an increase of the cost between 10-15 dollars per unit to do that.

Most light manufacturers out there use cool white tints. The guys who are buying those don't seem to care much about the color, but I expect a wide variance there too. The manufactures that are trying to deliver to the "tint snobs" are getting unfairly beat up.
We're all in the same boat. We play the tint lottery. The light manufacturer plays the tint lottery... they're not making the LEDs. Blame Cree and the fact that lumens sell. Zebralight has some lights on their spec sheets that are yet to be released using the Luxeon T. This is an interesting development I look forward to. Supposedly, there are tighter chromacity controls on those.


----------



## smokey616

My SC52w arrived yesterday. If the tint is green, it's not noticeably so. This is based upon a quick comparison to my H51w.


----------



## EZO

papershredder said:


> I don't think it's so much as Cree sending them stuff out of spec, but that Cree specs these out in pretty wide ranges. You order Cree LEDs in 1000 unit reels. Pre-production usually does not reach these sorts of quantities. Reel-to-reel you get a different bin. It is possible for Zebralight to control the tints more, but that would involve taking, perhaps significantly, a hit on the emitters. That is, selling off or discarding what they don't want to use. Chances are, if they don't want then, then nobody else does either. I guestimate an increase of the cost between 10-15 dollars per unit to do that. Most light manufacturers out there use cool white tints. The guys who are buying those don't seem to care much about the color, but I expect a wide variance there too. The manufactures that are trying to deliver to the "tint snobs" are getting unfairly beat up. We're all in the same boat. We play the tint lottery. The light manufacturer plays the tint lottery... they're not making the LEDs. Blame Cree and the fact that lumens sell. Zebralight has some lights on their spec sheets that are yet to be released using the Luxeon T. This is an interesting development I look forward to. Supposedly, there are tighter chromacity controls on those.


 The whole "tint snob" business that keeps getting mentioned exists primarily in the rarefied world of internet forums such as CPF where enthusiasts tend to forget that flashlights, especially the neutral tint variety are merely the tiniest portion of the overall LED lighting market. Nevertheless, as LEDs penetrate more and more architectural lighting markets, so called "tint snobs" are no longer just fanatical individuals who complain on internet forums but corporations who have specific color temperature requirements that will affect their bottom line if those requirements are not met. While LED manufacturing color balance control is not as yet as exacting a science as it strives to be and "Cree specs these out in pretty wide ranges", no major supermarket chain is going to accept display lighting that makes their foods appear a sickly green. I don't really buy the statement that, "the guys who are buying those don't seem to care much about the color". (This "may" be true of some flashlight manufacturers but as the technology has evolved so has the industry, along with consumer expectations. While we all used to readily accept blue and purple tints in our lights "we" (the buying public) now at least expect white to be essentially white)


----------



## markr6

EZO said:


> From this we can infer that it is more likely that we will see a SC52d before we ever get to see a SC52n.



I bet that's what will happen. Looking forward to seeing the tint on the SC62d and hopefully an SC52d model!


----------



## EZO

markr6 said:


> I bet that's what will happen. Looking forward to seeing the tint on the SC62d and hopefully an SC52d model!



Apparently, there is a SC62c in the works too...and it will share the same lens and reflector with the SC52/SC32. An SC52d and "c" couldn't be too far behind. This could be pretty cool!


----------



## wjv

Well my SC52W arrived today and I'm sending it back!

Contacted customer service via their website. To give you an idea of just how bad my light was. . . .

>> Your web site list the SC52W as having a “natural white” emitter. Perhaps a more accurate descriptor would be “puke green with purple fringe”.

>> How would you feel if you purchased a Kobe steak, and then discovered that it was horse meat? From my perspective I ordered a premium product, and you delivered the flashlight equivalent of horse meat to my door.



I REALLY wanted this light, but I'm not going to keep something with a horrid beam tint.


----------



## Al Thumbs

wjv said:


> Well my SC52W arrived today and I'm sending it back!
> 
> Contacted customer service via their website. To give you an idea of just how bad my light was. . . .
> 
> >> Your web site list the SC52W as having a “natural white” emitter. Perhaps a more accurate descriptor would be “puke green with purple fringe”.
> 
> >> How would you feel if you purchased a Kobe steak, and then discovered that it was horse meat? From my perspective I ordered a premium product, and you delivered the flashlight equivalent of horse meat to my door.
> 
> 
> 
> I REALLY wanted this light, but I'm not going to keep something with a horrid beam tint.



I guess you told _them! _




Al Thumbs said:


> I feel badly for those who are disappointed in its tint (or tints!), but I feel that many more people are going to miss out on a _very_ useable light because they are scared off by a few near-hysterical reviews.


----------



## creyc

wjv said:


> Well my SC52W arrived today and I'm sending it back!
> 
> Contacted customer service via their website. To give you an idea of just how bad my light was. . . .
> 
> >> Your web site list the SC52W as having a “natural white” emitter. Perhaps a more accurate descriptor would be “puke green with purple fringe”.
> 
> >> How would you feel if you purchased a Kobe steak, and then discovered that it was horse meat? From my perspective I ordered a premium product, and you delivered the flashlight equivalent of horse meat to my door.
> 
> 
> 
> I REALLY wanted this light, but I'm not going to keep something with a horrid beam tint.



That's really unfortunate, I've see several green ones but not so bad as to have the purple fringe. Best of luck with the replacement!


----------



## papershredder

EZO said:


> The whole "tint snob" business that keeps getting mentioned exists primarily in the rarefied world of internet forums such as CPF where enthusiasts tend to forget that flashlights, especially the neutral tint variety are merely the tiniest portion of the overall LED lighting market. Nevertheless, as LEDs penetrate more and more architectural lighting markets, so called "tint snobs" are no longer just fanatical individuals who complain on internet forums but corporations who have specific color temperature requirements that will affect their bottom line if those requirements are not met. While LED manufacturing color balance control is not as yet as exacting a science as it strives to be and "Cree specs these out in pretty wide ranges", no major supermarket chain is going to accept display lighting that makes their foods appear a sickly green. I don't really buy the statement that, "the guys who are buying those don't seem to care much about the color". (This "may" be true of some flashlight manufacturers but as the technology has evolved so has the industry, along with consumer expectations. While we all used to readily accept blue and purple tints in our lights "we" (the buying public) now at least expect white to be essentially white)



The difference is that in a flashlight, you have one emitter. In displays, you have multiple.
One emitter on its own can perform poorly in terms of color. However, if you have an even distribution, "bad" ones on one side will make up for "bad" ones on the other side. Things will balance out, or you can match LEDs to 7
Infact, Cree even deliberately mixes and matches LEDs for you on the same package! www.cree.com/led-components-and-modules/products/xlamp/arrays-directional/xlamp-xml-easywhite



> XM-L EasyWhite LEDs can reduce
> LED-to-LED color variation to within
> a 2step MacAdam ellipse, 94%
> smaller than the total area of the
> corresponding ANSI C78.377 color
> region.



Now. Why have flashlight manufacturers not started using these?

One reason is that the forward voltage ranges significantly. This particular product is typically 5.7 volts at 700 ma and 11.5 volts at 350 ma! The dies are obviously hooked up in series due to temperature coefficients--current sharing problems.
11.5 volts. That's 9.5 times greater the nominal voltage of a Ni-Mh battery. That complicates the power electronics. Now you need a transformer, not just a inductor boost-buck converter. That wide range is a pain to meet too.
We're talking longer lights to accomodate the new magnetics. Not a signifant problem, but it'll add a centimeter or so. Most electrical engineers are obvlious to power electronics and are downright awful at them.

Second reason is that everyone is copying everyone else. (As an aside, Zebralight has and is coming out with lights that are not using Cree emitters. Aside from the few Nichia you can get, this is unique.)

Third reason -- most people don't care. Manufacturers make tons of cool whites and those are sufficient for 75% of people out there. I'm making that number up, but I don't think it's too far from the truth.


----------



## markr6

wjv said:


> Well my SC52W arrived today and I'm sending it back!
> 
> Contacted customer service via their website. To give you an idea of just how bad my light was. . . .
> 
> >> Your web site list the SC52W as having a “natural white” emitter. Perhaps a more accurate descriptor would be “puke green with purple fringe”.
> 
> >> How would you feel if you purchased a Kobe steak, and then discovered that it was horse meat? From my perspective I ordered a premium product, and you delivered the flashlight equivalent of horse meat to my door.
> 
> 
> 
> I REALLY wanted this light, but I'm not going to keep something with a horrid beam tint.



Sorry to hear that. I finally got one with a pretty good tint, but it took some work! We're getting more and more complaints and I actually feel bad for Zebralight. I really don't want to see upset customers and negative marks towards my favorite manufacturer, but that's the reality.

If tint wasn't a big issue, LED manufacturers wouldn't offer different flavors and get so specific in their spec sheets about it. Light manufacturers wouldn’t offer a choice in emitters (Nitecore, EagleTac, etc)

It’s not just us CPF members...

Coffee drinkers: imagine a world without coffee snobs. What kind of crap would you be drinking? How many great varietals WOULD NOT exist?
Car enthusiasts: imagine a world where people didn't care about squeezing every bit of horsepower out of an engine possible.
Golfers: if a certain driver can max out around 200yds, is that good enough? It gets the job done right? Should every manufacturer shut down R&D instead of trying to make it 210yds?
iPhone users: the 4S makes calls, runs great apps, it’s relatively small and lightweight...why did they make the iPhone 5?

You can slice and dice this all you want and say it’s an “apples to oranges” comparison, but the bottom line is that just like some discuss user interfaces, clicky vs twist, and throw vs flood, others like to discuss tint which is what flashlights are all about. It’s what you see when you hit that switch.


----------



## papershredder

markr6 said:


> Sorry to hear that. I finally got one with a pretty good tint, but it took some work! We're getting more and more complaints and I actually feel bad for Zebralight. I really don't want to see upset customers and negative marks towards my favorite manufacturer, but that's the reality.
> 
> If tint wasn't a big issue, LED manufacturers wouldn't offer different flavors and get so specific in their spec sheets about it. Light manufacturers wouldn’t offer a choice in emitters (Nitecore, EagleTac, etc)
> 
> It’s not just us CPF members...
> 
> Coffee drinkers: imagine a world without coffee snobs. What kind of crap would you be drinking? How many great varietals WOULD NOT exist?
> Car enthusiasts: imagine a world where people didn't care about squeezing every bit of horsepower out of an engine possible.
> Golfers: if a certain driver can max out around 200yds, is that good enough? It gets the job done right? Should every manufacturer shut down R&D instead of trying to make it 210yds?
> iPhone users: the 4S makes calls, runs great apps, it’s relatively small and lightweight...why did they make the iPhone 5?
> 
> You can slice and dice this all you want and say it’s an “apples to oranges” comparison, but the bottom line is that just like some discuss user interfaces, clicky vs twist, and throw vs flood, others like to discuss tint which is what flashlights are all about. It’s what you see when you hit that switch.



Someone reward this man for his thoughtfullness with a nice scotch whiskey. (I'm in Phoenix.)

A+.


----------



## jorn

I think some of the tint problems might be the xm-l2. Its the newest and "best" led. So marked is in demand. But we are using it in a aa light. A light so small you have no chanse at driving it close to spec without overheating. Underdrive a led and the tint will look far from optimal. I bet lots of the tint problems comes from using a huge underdriven led. And current controlled modes, makes it worse. I see this pretty often when i swap leds. Tints look way better when a led is driven hard with a 3.7V vs a 1,5V. And if this is the case with the puke green w ones, a 14500 would help a lot fixing the tint. But it still wont drive the led hard. I think it would have been better with a xp-g2. Smaller surface, so it will be driven harder vs a huge xm-l2 running at less than 30%.


----------



## papershredder

jorn said:


> I think some of the tint problems might be the xm-l2. Its the newest and "best" led. So marked is in demand. But we are using it in a aa light. A light so small you have no chanse at driving it close to spec without overheating. Underdrive a led and the tint will look far from optimal. I bet lots of the tint problems comes from using a huge underdriven led. And current controlled modes, makes it worse. I see this pretty often when i swap leds. Tints look way better when a led is driven hard with a 3.7V vs a 1,5V. And if this is the case with the puke green w ones, a 14500 would help a lot fixing the tint. But it still wont drive the led hard. I think it would have been better with a xp-g2. Smaller surface, so it will be driven harder vs a huge xm-l2 running at less than 30%.



Yes, drive current does change the tint, but that's not the cause of the complaints here. It's just where these emitters ended up on the spectrum.
PWM should give you a consistent tint at different brightness levels. As long as the frequency is high enough, there is no reason why PWM is bad. (Flicker and audible noise.)
Temperature changes tint, but not as much as the drive current.
Illuminance will change what tint you percieve is pleasing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruithof_curve.That may be why you think harder drive results in better tint.


----------



## jorn

High frequency pwm is better than lo, no doubt. But high frequency drains the battery faster than a lo. And pwm cant match current controlled drivers in runtime. Even the slow frequency ones. So if you want to max out the runtime, pwm is not the way to go.
Im glad the zebras are cc.


----------



## moshow9

papershredder said:


> As long as the frequency is high enough, there is no reason why PWM is bad. (Flicker and audible noise.)


While not bad if, as you say the frequency is high enough (and I own my fair share of lights with PWM that are in that range), efficiency/runtime does take a bit of a hit over current controlled correct?


----------



## jorn

You say the drivecurrent and heat affect the tint of a led. But you say the problem here is the wrong tint, not the wrong current? How do you know that? The xm-l2 is not even stretching it`s legs in this light.

Tint "seems" to change a tiny bit on pwm light, the different light levels fools your eyes a bit. Im aware of that. 

But im also pretty used to having lights where tint looks GREEN on all levels with a 1.5V, and pretty nice on all levels with a 3,7V. There is no doubt in my mind that tint also changes, and not only the intensety.
Edit. Im not saying all the leds are fine and the huge underdriven led is all to blame. But think many of them might be way better looking with a 3,7V.


----------



## stevenkelby

I'd think the majority of us with a green tint complaint, are indeed using 14500 3.7v power.


----------



## KDM

Sorry if I've miss it but does anyone know the exact cree number XML2 ZL chose for this light. Maybe they just decided on a emitter that is supposed to be on the green side of the spectrum. Their previous XML 4200k emitters were in my opinion the best XML neutral. I was really looking forward the new headlamps release but if they use this same led I'm afraid they'll be disappointed in their sales. I bought the sc52w even after hearing the possible tint issues, thought I might get lucky and I didn't. I won't return it, it's my fault I was warned but no more sweet pea LED for me. For what ZL tries to achieve with their lights design xpg2 4000 would be a great emitter for these lights. Don't give up on neutral models ZL just chose wisely.


----------



## wjv

KDM said:


> I bought the sc52w even after hearing the possible tint issues, thought I might get lucky and I didn't. I won't return it, it's my fault I was warned but no more sweet pea LED for me.



If you don't return it, there is no motivation for the manufacturer to change (improve) their product. People here pay premium prices for these devices. It is not unreasonable to expect a premium product. Cool white should be cool white, not purple and NW white should be NW white, not green.

Would you accept this in other products? "We said 35 mpg for your car but it only gets 15 mpg" KIA and a couple other car makers got sued (and lost) for mis-representing mpg. . If a flashlight manufacturer post that their NW White light may have a moderate to harsh green tint, and I still buy it, then it is my problem. If they claim a neutral tint and it is green, then they have the problem.


----------



## KDM

I don't disagree with what you have said and I understand why people are not satisfied with this light. However the term neutral can have a broad meaning of color temperatures and color spectrum. They state 4400cct but don't state the specific emitter. It could be a problem of Cree's or ZL knowingly chose what we have today. Whichever the case it up to ZL to provide customer satisfaction. Some people will like it or accept it and some wont. I personally will not purchase another one of their products with this emitter. I have also experienced that LED's color and beam profile tend to smooth out some with extended run times. I have ran the light for about 5 hours so far and it seems to have lost a little of the green. I'll continue with running it just to see if it changes any further.


----------



## moshow9

jorn said:


> But you say the problem here is the wrong tint, not the wrong current? How do you know that? The xm-l2 is not even stretching it`s legs in this light.


For me, I would look to the Spark SL5 (1st gen) as comparison. This is an AA light using the XML-L emitter and not driving it very hard at all, whether it is on a primary, NiMH, or Li-ion. Spark's neutral white SL5 (going off of memory) resembles more of what Zebralight is claiming their current SC52w's to be (4400K).

Granted, I understand Spark has updated their line to XM-L2 emitters. I'm curious if they already have a neutral white offering, and if so, how it would compare.


----------



## KDM

ZL sc52w (left) and Spark SG3 NW(right)

Both host XML2 neutral emitters. Sorry for the cell phone pictures, but they do show the difference in tint.


----------



## MattSPL

Is your SG3 cool white?


----------



## moshow9

MattSPL said:


> Is your SG3 cool white?


Nope:


KDM said:


> ZL sc52w (left) and Spark SG3 (right)
> 
> *Both host XML2 neutral emitters.*



Thank you for the photo KDM.


----------



## MattSPL

moshow9 said:


> Nope:
> 
> 
> Thank you for the photo KDM.



Sorry, don't know how I missed that


----------



## KDM

MattSPL said:


> Is your SG3 cool white?



It's my SG3 NW.


----------



## MattSPL

KDM said:


> It's my SG3 NW.



Ok thanks. There looks to be quite a bit of difference in the tints.


----------



## moshow9

MattSPL said:


> Sorry, don't know how I missed that



No worries mate. 

I guess I consider myself a tint snob and wish the tint shown on the Spark was the one available on the SC52w as I would be all over it. UI preference for me with Zebralight.


----------



## KDM

MattSPL said:


> Ok thanks. There looks to be quite a bit of difference in the tints.



There is quite a bit, what you see in the picture is very close to what my eyes see.


----------



## KDM

moshow9 said:


> No worries mate.
> 
> I guess I consider myself a tint snob and wish the tint shown on the Spark was the one available on the SC52w as I would be all over it. UI preference for me with Zebralight.


 
Yes my thoughts exactly. You're welcome.


----------



## papershredder

moshow9 said:


> While not bad if, as you say the frequency is high enough (and I own my fair share of lights with PWM that are in that range), efficiency/runtime does take a bit of a hit over current controlled correct?



Higher frequency does mean less efficient, but you have to understand that all those "current regulated" lights are just PWM with output filters. Those are inductors and capacitors to smooth out the switching waveform before it gets to the LED.

You only need to go a little past 20khz, not considering harmonics, to get out of the audible range. 20khz is pretty low frequency as far as SMPS are concerned...

I don't know who's spreading these lies about how "current controlled" lights are not using PWM. Unless they're using linear regulators. Then we can start to talk about lost efficiency.


----------



## MattSPL

I'm going to be ordering an SC52 for my Dad for Xmas. I'm trying to decide if I should get a cool white or warm white version. I got a nice tinted cool white, but it looks like more people are suffering with the green tint who bought the SC52W.


----------



## stevenkelby

I would get the sc52w again even though it's a bit green. I still prefer the tint over all my other cool white lights.


----------



## MattSPL

stevenkelby said:


> I would get the sc52w again even though it's a bit green. I still prefer the tint over all my other cool white lights.



Yeah it's a tough call. I'm not really a fan of warm tints. My favorite would be 5000k. Hopefully they bring out an SC52d.


----------



## EZO

KDM said:


> ZL sc52w (left) and Spark SG3 NW(right)
> 
> Both host XML2 neutral emitters. Sorry for the cell phone pictures, but they do show the difference in tint.



I've been dealing with the green tint issue like most everyone else but it's been subtle. Sometimes I notice it more and sometimes I hardly notice it or think about it at all. For this reason, I've been skeptical about some of the overly saturated beam tint photos we've been seeing in the SC52w threads. This photo strikes me as one of the more accurate images I've seen as it tells the story more "honestly" than any that we've been presented with so far. Thanks for posting it.


----------



## arnold ziffle

I got mine a few days ago from illumination supply and am really happy with it. it's the sc52w. the beam is quite a warm creamy tint with no hint of any other color in the hot spot, corona or spill. even better than I was hoping for. also, the beam has a smoothe transition from center to edge. it's also smaller than I thought it would be. it's the only light I've left the clip on because its not in the way and helps with finding the button. gonna be a long time before another light takes its place in my pocket.


----------



## kaichu dento

EZO said:


> ...no major supermarket chain is going to accept display lighting that makes their foods appear a sickly green.
> 
> While we all used to readily accept blue and purple tints in our lights "we" (the buying public) now at least expect white to be essentially white)


Very well stated and the sooner people who are not willing to accept poor quality are not marginalized with accusations of 'snobbery' when what they really want is satisfaction, the sooner offerings will improve.


----------



## Derek Dean

kaichu dento said:


> Very well stated and the sooner people who are not willing to accept poor quality are not marginalized with accusations of 'snobbery' when what they really want is satisfaction, the sooner offerings will improve.


+1
When I first found CPF, many members were so obsessed with tint that they would buy 2-3 lights of the same model just so they could "cherry pick" the tint they liked. Then they would sell the other lights on CPFMP at a reduced price, figuring the slight loss was just the cost of getting a primo tint for a light they knew they would have in their pocket, hopefully, for years to come. 

It's important to realize that we all have different expectations of our lights, and different ideas of what is an "acceptable" tint. For some folks it doesn't matter much, while for others it's a HUGE deal. 

In any case, if you're unhappy with the tint of your light, it's important to let Zebralight (and your dealer) know your feelings about it. LED technology has matured quite a bit in the last few years, and consumers are becoming more savvy as to what's possible, and we know for a FACT that LEDs with better tint are available. It's simply of a matter of convincing the manufacturers that tint is every bit as important as maximum output levels.


----------



## markr6

KDM said:


> ZL sc52w (left) and Spark SG3 NW(right)
> 
> Both host XML2 neutral emitters. Sorry for the cell phone pictures, but they do show the difference in tint.



Thanks for the shot. It does show the tint difference. But I'm sure in real life it is worse than it appears here. Your phone camera's exposure makes both of them look much whiter especially near the lens. I'm leaning to deal with some green, but waiting for an SC52d!!!!


----------



## EZO

markr6 said:


> Thanks for the shot. It does show the tint difference. *But I'm sure in real life it is worse than it appears here.* Your phone camera's exposure makes both of them look much whiter especially near the lens. I'm leaning to deal with some green, but waiting for an SC52d!!!!



KDM's photo is a bit overexposed and a little out of focus but I like it because (for me) it captures the the neutral quality of the Spark quite well in contrast to the Zebralight. The overexposure of the beam near the lens seems irrelevant here. I've stated previously that this photo more closely matches my personal green tint experience. On the other hand we've seen other images that show a more dramatic tint, including from mark6. While a variety of these photos have been posted, the vagaries of different cameras, auto or manual settings and color balance, saturation, exposure, photographic skills and monitor calibration make any truly objective determinations impossible here. Still, the images have been very enlightening and useful. It will be interesting to see what happens with the next production runs of Zebra's SC52w.

Clearly, from all the reports, there is a problem here of varying degree but I've tried to look at all the evidence and not make assumptions about what others are experiencing. Maybe there is a wide range in quality control in the tints CREE is delivering? Maybe some are more sensitive to the green tint than others? Maybe some are being too damned fussy and neurotic about what they expect out of a flashlight, why they actually buy them and who chose to spend all their time pointing it at the wall and going nuts over the tint rather than taking it outside and actually using it? Maybe there are people like you mark6 whom I suspect got a particularly bad emitter and want to make sure everyone knows. Of course, all of the above likely applies.

My point is that I think it's important to accept that each of has his or her own perceptions and experience. I've found this thread to be especially interesting and useful but in that I don't think it serves us well when we tell others how to think or perceive. So, this has been a somewhat roundabout and long winded way of saying that I don't agree with saying, *"But I'm sure in real life it is worse than it appears here."* You can't be sure of that and other people may not share your particular experience. Let's just accept that what everyone is reporting about their green tinted Zebra is true for them.


----------



## markr6

EZO said:


> So, this has been a somewhat roundabout and long winded way of saying that I don't agree with saying, *"But I'm sure in real life it is worse than it appears here."* You can't be sure of that and other people may not share your particular experience. Let's just accept that what everyone is reporting about their green tinted Zebra is true for them.



I didn't mean "sure" literally, like I was putting words in KDM's mouth. I was simply agreeing with KDM about the tint and trying to diffuse any smartass comments about his photo beforehand, since I understand many camera phones don't offer the best quality. It's a fine comparison and makes a point. And if my tint photo was SOOOO dramatic, then let me take another with my new SC52w and H600w. I'll post it here when I get a moment.


----------



## markr6

EZO said:


> Maybe some are being too damned fussy and neurotic about what they expect out of a flashlight, why they actually buy them and who chose to spend all their time pointing it at the wall and going nuts over the tint rather than taking it outside and actually using it?



...and maybe I need to reiterate post *#1643*. I'm really tired of the "white wall hunting" scenario. It's overused and a total cop-out for those that want to live with a subpar tint. I use my SC52w every night while walking my dog. It's a fine light...and apparently I'm the only person in the history of the world with a green and brown Australian Shepherd


----------



## kaichu dento

markr6 said:


> I'm really tired of the "white wall hunting" scenario. It's overused and a total cop-out...


Amen brother. It starts out with the oh, so original "white wall hunting" accusation and all of a sudden someone whole post is sidelined for having committed the crime of wanting a neutral light source, which is actually neutral.


----------



## EZO

markr6 said:


> I didn't mean "sure" literally, like I was putting words in KDM's mouth. I was simply agreeing with KDM about the tint and trying to diffuse any smartass comments about his photo beforehand, since I understand many camera phones don't offer the best quality. It's a fine comparison and makes a point. And if my tint photo was SOOOO dramatic, then let me take another with my new SC52w and H600w. I'll post it here when I get a moment.





markr6 said:


> ...and maybe I need to reiterate post *#1643*. I'm really tired of the "white wall hunting" scenario. It's overused and a total cop-out for those that want to live with a subpar tint. I use my SC52w every night while walking my dog. It's a fine light...and apparently I'm the only person in the history of the world with a green and brown Australian Shepherd



I think you make some excellent points in post #1643 but I think you are overreacting to my post. Responding with _"if my tint photo was SOOOO dramatic, then let me take another with my new SC52w and H600w" _ is an exaggeration of my actual remark which was more general and included other people's photos, not only yours. The exact quote of what I said was, "On the other hand we've seen other images that show a more dramatic tint, including from mark6." Do we really need another photo, mark? We get it! You feel your tint is way too green and you want to hammer that fact home......yet again. I went out of my way to not discount your personal experience here, I merely ask you to understand that not everyone's experience is as bad as yours. 

I'm not sure why you are focusing on whether or not you meant the word "sure" literally while ignoring the part of your statement, *"in real life it is worse than it appears here."* To me this is an example is discounting and not accepting what someone else is telling you or showing, which was the gist of my post about it.

Anyway, although I used your post as a point of reference I tried to balance my remarks to include all of us and all of our different experiences with this. Yup, we all want a nice neutral tint here and we didn't get it but some of us got a subtle green tint that is sometimes hard to notice and some of us got a horrible green tint. Some of are more upset about our experience and some of us not quite so much. Why insist that others don't get it if they simply don't share your experience and perceptions? 

I'm sorry you came up with such a short straw in the tint lottery. Also, sorry to hear about your green dog.


----------



## markr6

EZO said:


> Why insist that others don't get it if they simply don't share your experience and perceptions?



When did I tell others not to get it? Look at my ZL collection; I wouldn't have them if I was promoting people to stay away from them. In fact, that should simply show how dedicated I am to Zebralight and the fact I want them to improve upon this area. I still say GET IT! It's a great light. My message is to 1.) apply some pressure for ZL to work on this issue and 2.) suggest people try a couple lights and cherry pick the tint, like I did.


----------



## EZO

markr6 said:


> When did I tell others not to get it? Look at my ZL collection; I wouldn't have them if I was promoting people to stay away from them. In fact, that should simply show how dedicated I am to Zebralight and the fact I want them to improve upon this area. I still say GET IT! It's a great light. My message is to 1.) apply some pressure for ZL to work on this issue and 2.) suggest people try a couple lights and cherry pick the tint, like I did.



No, No...I didn't meant get "it" the flashlight, I meant "get it" that your experience with the tint has been so bad.

Listen, mark6, this seems to be turning into friction between us which was not my intention at all. I was just trying to say that we've all experienced this differently. I apologize if my post didn't come across to you the way I meant it to. Let's both accept the good points we've each made and move on, OK?


----------



## kaichu dento

Just from the sidelines, I've liked many points made by both of you and additionally, am holding out hope for the SC52n (Nichia 219 version) to become reality.


----------



## KDM

OK fellows tried for a little better shot.


----------



## markr6

EZO said:


> Let's both accept the good points we've each made and move on, OK?


 Agreed (this thread is long enough already)



kaichu dento said:


> Just from the sidelines, I've liked many points made by both of you and additionally, am holding out hope for the SC52n (Nichia 219 version) to become reality.



The fact they are making an SC62d is a move in the right direction and makes me hopeful for a Nichia 219 some day!



KDM said:


> OK fellows tried for a little better shot.



Great shot, thanks!


----------



## EZO

kaichu dento said:


> ...........am holding out hope for the SC52n (Nichia 219 version) to become reality.



I'm hoping for a Nichia 219 version too.......but I'm not holding my breath. Maybe all the brouhaha over the greenish XM-L2s will get them to reconsider what people are desiring in a small neutral tinted flashlight though. The fact that Zebralight is beginning to deploy the LUXEON T seems promising though. I've had been waiting for the SC32s to be introduced as they were already bumped back many months in Zebra's comparison spreadsheet. Now that there's a forthcoming LUXEON T powered SC32d scheduled for production I will probably be first in line to order one. The LUXEON T sounds very promising. It won't be a 500 lumen flashlight but reasonable output and 5000k would be very appealing in such a small light.

This thread prompted me to look at Phillip's LUXEON T web page. I like the sound of phrases like "Freedom from Binning" and "tight Correlated Color Temperature control".


----------



## KITROBASKIN

EZO said:


> This thread prompted me to look at Phillip's LUXEON T web page. I like the sound of phrases like "Freedom from Binning" and "tight Correlated Color Temperature control".



Mention of a SC62d prompted me to look at the Luxeon T web pages as well. Curiously, the list of possible applications suitable for the Luxeon T did not include "portable illumination" like Cree lists for the XML. They listed automotive, commercial, and others but not for flashlights. Why? Is the flashlight market that small or is there something about that LED that is not ideal for a torch? Anybody out there know?


----------



## markr6

KITROBASKIN said:


> Mention of a SC62d prompted me to look at the Luxeon T web pages as well. Curiously, the list of possible applications suitable for the Luxeon T did not include "portable illumination" like Cree lists for the XML. They listed automotive, commercial, and others but not for flashlights. Why? Is the flashlight market that small or is there something about that LED that is not ideal for a torch? Anybody out there know?



Just guessing, but it's probably too specific or too small like you said so they threw it into "others" if they even considered it.


----------



## dna89

I recently purchased a SC52 . It's CW ( Thats what I prefer ) Awesome little light! Although I fear I may not have it long.... Mrs. Dna has been eyeballing it...


----------



## MattSPL

dna89 said:


> I recently purchased a SC52 . It's CW ( Thats what I prefer ) Awesome little light! Although I fear I may not have it long.... Mrs. Dna has been eyeballing it...



Yeah great little light. What batteries are you using?


----------



## dna89

MattSPL said:


> Yeah great little light. What batteries are you using?



Alas, just some cheap ultrafires at the moment. Any suggestions on good ones?


----------



## MattSPL

The Sanyo's(Panasonic) seem to be the best. They are the highest capacity 14500. Zebralight's own 14500's are re-wrapped protected sanyo cells, so they are probably the best to go for. I haven't found any in Europe yet.

I have a couple of unprotected Sanyo's and a couple of Nitecore's.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Not having anything to compare it to, the Zebralight 14500 has been serving me well. Just remember if you want to have that burst of light at your disposal, consider the state of charge before you go out. A one half discharged cell may not give you much time on max, if any after a couple quick uses. There is only so much capacity in that size cell.


----------



## creyc

KITROBASKIN said:


> Not having anything to compare it to, the Zebralight 14500 has been serving me well. Just remember if you want to have that burst of light at your disposal, consider the state of charge before you go out. A one half discharged cell may not give you much time on max, if any after a couple quick uses. There is only so much capacity in that size cell.



I usually leave the high output set to H2 for this very reason, still plenty bright and easy enough to enable "turbo" if really needed.


----------



## viperxp

I ordered the SC52W but as many here received the SC52G edition. Sent it back, but before asked Zebralight to check the flashlight before they send me the replacement,as I am not interested at green tint. Hope that the second one will have a bearable tint as there will not be a third. Besides tint the flashlight had the flickering issue on lowest low. I will report here upon receiving my second SC52 , hope this time it will be the W.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

viperxp said:


> I ordered the SC52W but as many here received the SC52G edition. Sent it back, but before asked Zebralight to check the flashlight before they send me the replacement,as I am not interested at green tint. Hope that the second one will have a bearable tint as there will not be a third. Besides tint the flashlight had the flickering issue on lowest low. I will report here upon receiving my second SC52 , hope this time it will be the W.



Many of us will be very interested to read your future report. In my case, I wanted the flashlight for an upcoming trip even though they said I could return it because of the dissatisfaction with the tint (within 30 days).


----------



## wjv

As I mentioned in a prior post, I returned my SC52w because of the tint.

I replaced it with a Fenix LD10 *AND* a ITP A2 eos, and still came out $0.87 ahead. But then I blew it by ordering three ThruNite Tis 60 lumen lights for $6.95 each.  Neither of these lights have the lumen output of the SC52, but I never intended on using the SC52 as a high output light. I have the Fenix TH15, PD32 and PD32UE if I need lots of lumens or throw.

The ITP A2 is an awesome little light BTW and I love the 1.5 lumen mode. I figured I'd get an LD10 since the rumor is that they are not being made anymore and the modes on the replacement (LD12) are set to higher lumens.  

That said, if Zebra does switch emitters, or figures out a way to eliminate the green glow, I'll be back in line with my $$ in hand to get one. Yes the email I sent to them was rather harsh. But hopefully feedback such as that will motivate them to improve their products. I believe I mentioned somewhere in this thread (or maybe in a similar thread), I own an on-line seafood company that sells premium (read $$$$) products. We toss a percentage of our product because it doesn't meet our standards, and we know what charging a premium price, and delivering a sub-premium product could do to our business. Well, actually we give it away to our friends and family because it's still good quality, but just not premium quality. 

So if Zebra fixes the tint issues I would be very happy! 

If they go with something like the Luxeon T, is that a floody or throwy LED?


----------



## viperxp

wjv said:


> As I mentioned in a prior post, I returned my SC52 because of the tint.
> 
> So if Zebra fixes the tint issues I would be very happy!



I don't think they will just "fix the issues". First of all majority of users will hardly notice the green tint , so they will not complain ant Zebralight will still get they $. Second of all many customers will not bother sending the flashlight back, so still $$ will be at Zebralights disposal. 

Just think of it, why Zebralight don't intend of updating the SC52 (cool white version) to XM-L2 emitter? Because it sells well the way it is now. I think so will be with the SC52W also.


----------



## shelm

KDM said:


> OK fellows tried for a little better shot.




Is that SC52 or SC52w?

My SC52 looks exactly like it. Nice sweet greams


----------



## moshow9

KDM did a comparison between both the Zebralight and Spark lights using neutral emitterred lights. SC52w is mentioned as the light being used here:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...52-amp-SC52w&p=4260207&viewfull=1#post4260207


----------



## jkid1911

I have an SC51w and it has a perfect neutral tint with no hint of green tint at all. IMHO I feel that ANY amount of green hue in a Neutral light is unacceptable. I will NOT be buying the SC52w until I am certain that none of them being sold might even "possibly" have a green tint however slight. I can't be bothered with buying things that aren't as expected and returning them, I have more important things to deal with than waste my time with that. It's not rocket science, they should be able to figure it out BEFORE they start shipping lights. Using the market for "tweeking" purposes is negligent. That's why companies have R&D. Then again, I'm making an assumption that they do. Maybe their idea of R&D is let's sell a bunch of lights and hope no one notices and returns them......good luck to us all.


----------



## LEDburn

jkid1911 said:


> I have an SC51w and it has a perfect neutral tint with no hint of green tint at all. IMHO I feel that ANY amount of green hue in a Neutral light is unacceptable. I will NOT be buying the SC52w until I am certain that none of them being sold might even "possibly" have a green tint however slight. I can't be bothered with buying things that aren't as expected and returning them, I have more important things to deal with than waste my time with that. It's not rocket science, they should be able to figure it out BEFORE they start shipping lights. Using the market for "tweeking" purposes is negligent. That's why companies have R&D. Then again, I'm making an assumption that they do. Maybe their idea of R&D is let's sell a bunch of lights and hope no one notices and returns them......good luck to us all.



If you have a look at the actual users who are complaining, not the amount of posts, you may soon realize that this "green" tint may not be so prevalent after all..

I have two sc52w's and one sc52 and I honestly cannot tell the difference between the two 'w' versions if I was to cycle from sc52w to sc52 to the other sc52w. 
I can notice a VERY faint shift in tint if I was to go from one sc52w to the other but neither appear 'greener' than the other, one simply appears rosier and it is very subtle. Both have excellent neutral tints in my opinion.

When compared to my sc600w in the same manner, using the sc52 in between them, the sc52w's appear to be very close in tint and the differences can again only be seen in back to back tests.

I only have one sc52w on hand for a few days as the other one spends most of its time with the Mrs, who's away, so I have no excuse not to go and attempt some beam shots as last time I never got round to it. Look out for some dodgy camera phone comparison between sc52w vs sc52 vs sc600w vs sc80w vs h600fw..
Last time colours seemed to come out surprisingly well and accurate to what my eyes witnessed but as you'd expect, the detail wasn't so great. We'll see what happens..


----------



## viperxp

LEDburn said:


> If you have a look at the actual users who are complaining, not the amount of posts, you may soon realize that this "green" tint may not be so prevalent after all..



Can you please explain what you mean ?


----------



## markr6

viperxp said:


> Can you please explain what you mean ?



Talking about people like me that complained 9,523 times :wave:. I know and I stopped complaining LOL. It's such a great light so I'm living with the green. I'd buy another if there wasn't the possibility of another neutral emitter introduced in the near future (like the SC62d Luxeon LED)


----------



## stevenkelby

I don't know what he's talking about but I've bought many dozens of "neutral" lights, and my SC52w is the greenest. 

We're not making it up, and it's not just 1 or 2 lights here and there.


----------



## viperxp

Well,I retired from the tint lottery,just notified Zebralight that I want my money back.
Don't want to gamble again,I will wait for the D models I guess.


----------



## jkid1911

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

By the way, although I stand behind my comments about the issues surrounding the green tint (my exercise in grandstanding on principle), let me go on record as saying the the Zebralight SC series lights in AA is my absolute *FAVORITE *light in this category. I may just be splitting hairs when talking about the tint, but I guess I've been spoiled by the ones I already own. I have an SC52 also. It's perfect other than a little more cool than I like for tint. So in the end, whether you buy an SC52 or SC52w, as long as you're not trying to compare them to another Neutral light, or being too picky I'm sure you would be happy. My issue is really about wanting to have my cake and eat it too.


----------



## stevenkelby

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

To be honest I do feel mislead by the "w" in SC52w.

The issue is that Green is not White, and my light does have a Green tint.

Luckily I don't mind that much, and love the light anyway, but there is an issue here, for sure.

We shouldn't ignore it, or belittle those who notice and are vocal about it.


----------



## KDM

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

The green tint would be expected in a $6.00 light. I just don't understand, they've taken the time to design a nice, compact light with a great UI (sc52w) and botch it with this emitter. Sorry couldn't hold back any longer.


----------



## Vesper

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

My SC52w does actually have a green tint to it when I white wall it, but then so does one of my Malkoff W dropins. Both are slight and not such a big deal when used in the real world. Both are a pleasant tint when compared to cool LEDs. Maybe some are more attuned to color green, like the reverse of color blindness. :shrug:


----------



## KDM

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I guess some of us are spoiled by the previous ZL neutral lights. In my opinion, the prior models had a very nice neutral tint whatever it was being used to illuminate. I use my lights for work and they get used a lot. My most used ZL is a H600FW, I'll probably cry the day it dies.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



stevenkelby said:


> To be honest I do feel mislead by the "w" in SC52w.
> 
> The issue is that Green is not White, and my light does have a Green tint...
> 
> We shouldn't ignore it, or belittle those who notice and are vocal about it.



YES

It should be said (again) that Zebralight needs to be reminded of this issue; that it is significant, and that potential purchasers be informed to make their own choice regarding the green cast on lights advertised as cool, as well as warm.


----------



## moshow9

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

As much of a Zebralight fan I am, and as much as I would like to pick up a SC52, I will not be doing so due to the tint. At one point in time the most lights I owned from a single manufacturer were Zebralights. Quite a bit of them were SC51 and SC51w's and even one SC51c.

I now regret selling those lights off, specifically the SC51w and SC51c. I took it for granted that something better would come along (for me, I should add) with greater improvements on the end product for the user. And for me, I don't consider these to be better with regards to tint and some of the SC52w having a strobe like pulse on the moonlight/firefly modes. Runtime and output are vastly improved, but that's not the selling point for everyone (just as tint is not the selling point for everyone).

To be fair and honest, I don't discount those that are very happy with their SC52 and SC52w's. I only hope that Zebralight is able to move back to an area in their product that I can be just as happy to spend money on it and them again.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



moshow9 said:


> To be fair and honest, I don't discount those that are very happy with their SC52 and SC52w's. I only hope that Zebralight is able to move back to an area in their product that I can be just as happy to spend money on it and them again.



The SC600w MkII is announced in the spreadsheet.

XM-L2 NW, same 4400K greenish tint?


----------



## papershredder

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> The SC600w MkII is announced in the spreadsheet.
> 
> XM-L2 NW, same 4400K greenish tint?



Darn it, ZL is going to get all of my money. Neither my SC52w or SC502w are green, so I'm not worried.


----------



## JKolmo

shelm said:


> The SC600w MkII is announced in the spreadsheet.
> 
> XM-L2 NW, same 4400K greenish tint?



I'll definently await the tint reports before pulling the trigger on that one. Meanwhile I'll stick to my Malkoff addiction and all the other lights I don't need.


----------



## wjv

viperxp said:


> Well,I retired from the tint lottery,just notified Zebralight that I want my money back.
> Don't want to gamble again,I will wait for the D models I guess.



Good Move!


----------



## Kabible

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I'd buy the SC52W and S6330 if they were offering them with T6 (hopefully 3C) emitters. Otherwise, forget it. Every S6330 beam shot I've seen has a greenish tint. Green tint is useless. Color rendition is nowhere near real.


----------



## js82

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Kabible said:


> I'd buy the SC52W and S6330 if they were offering them with T6 (hopefully 3C) emitters. Otherwise, forget it. Every S6330 beam shot I've seen has a greenish tint. Green tint is useless. Color rendition is nowhere near real.



I don't get it. Why do you want the 3C tint when you don't like the green tint? 3C is on the green side while 3D is on the neutral or rose side of white.


----------



## papershredder

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



js82 said:


> I don't get it. Why do you want the 3C tint when you don't like the green tint? 3C is on the green side while 3D is on the neutral or rose side of white.



I see 3C everywhere. I own: PD32 UE. E03 NW. 7G5CS NW. Fenix E25. They're all 3C. No hints of green anywhere.


----------



## js82

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



papershredder said:


> I see 3C everywhere. I own: PD32 UE. E03 NW. 7G5CS NW. Fenix E25. They're all 3C. No hints of green anywhere.


Here's a non-subjective chart.


----------



## creyc

Its true the 3D should have less green to it than the 3C bin, but its really quite relative anyway. Compared to whatever tint Zebralight is using, a 3C bin might be a huge improvement.


----------



## markr6

I used my SC52w quite often this past weekend with the ZL 14500 battery fully charged. After what I expected to be about 50%, the indicator only showed one flash. When I single-clicked the button, it would go into H1 for about 1 second then fall back to M1 (not H2); I could not get it into H2 since there was not enough delay to double click. But when I got home, I tested it on a DMM and the voltage was 3.89v which seems right for how much I used it. This has me worried.

At one point over the weekend, I threw in a backup battery I had, a Tynergy 2500mAh. This worked fine in all modes, but the indicator only showed 2 flashes then soon 1 flash after a little use. I figured it was the battery since it's not a LSD cell (at least I don't think so). But I also tested this when I got home and ZTS tester showed 80%. After charging, it took about 580mAh.

So something is definitely wrong here. This would be the first real issue (not tint) with any Zebralight for me.


----------



## creyc

Sounds like the light is detecting the cell as dead prematurely, that does seem odd.

Have you tried using a similarity discharged NiMh cell to see how it's responds? Maybe your ZL 14500 cell is faulty?


----------



## markr6

creyc said:


> Sounds like the light is detecting the cell as dead prematurely, that does seem odd.
> 
> Have you tried using a similarity discharged NiMh cell to see how it's responds? Maybe your ZL 14500 cell is faulty?



I've also been using an Eneloop 2000mAh but not to the point where it would step down. I'll pull a weaker Eneloop from something else tonight and give it a try. The ZL 14500 is fairly new and worked fine in my Xeno E03. Maybe I'll test it more in that light as well.


----------



## moshow9

markr6 said:


> I used my SC52w quite often this past weekend with the ZL 14500 battery fully charged. After what I expected to be about 50%, the indicator only showed one flash. When I single-clicked the button, it would go into H1 for about 1 second then fall back to M1 (not H2); I could not get it into H2 since there was not enough delay to double click. But when I got home, I tested it on a DMM and the voltage was 3.89v which seems right for how much I used it. This has me worried.
> 
> At one point over the weekend, I threw in a backup battery I had, a Tynergy 2500mAh. This worked fine in all modes, but the indicator only showed 2 flashes then soon 1 flash after a little use. I figured it was the battery since it's not a LSD cell (at least I don't think so). But I also tested this when I got home and ZTS tester showed 80%. After charging, it took about 580mAh.
> 
> So something is definitely wrong here. This would be the first real issue (not tint) with any Zebralight for me.




papershredder reported a similar issue with his (there may be others in this thread but I didn't go too far back):
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...52-amp-SC52w&p=4239035&viewfull=1#post4239035



papershredder said:


> Has anyone noticed inconsistent results with the built-in battery checker?
> 
> I'll run it and get one flash. But if I unscrew the tailcap, screw it back down, and run the check again, I'll get four flashes.
> 
> Either I'm rubbing off some oxidization or Zebralight is using Coulomb counting in volatile RAM.


----------



## markr6

Oh crap! Well I guess I could live with an incorrect battery indicator reading, but not the jumping down from H1 to M1 when there's still a good 70-80% battery life remaining 

Looks like I have more to complain about than just the diarrhea tint.


----------



## GunnarGG

markr6 said:


> Oh crap! Well I guess I could live with an incorrect battery indicator reading, but not the jumping down from H1 to M1 when there's still a good 70-80% battery life remaining
> 
> Looks like I have more to complain about than just the diarrhea tint.



Is it a healthy battery?
If it's getting old or not top quality it might have high internal resistance and drop to much in voltage under that rather high load.
Try it with an Eneloop or similar and see how it performs.


----------



## Cataract

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Vesper said:


> [...]Maybe some are more attuned to color green, like the reverse of color blindness. :shrug:



You might be on to something... I have one or two lights with tints that compare with the pics on here and I don't find it a problem at all. What I'd like to see are pictures of everyday objects rather than white walls. The color rendition must still be suprerior on the "w" version


----------



## markr6

GunnarGG said:


> Is it a healthy battery?
> If it's getting old or not top quality it might have high internal resistance and drop to much in voltage under that rather high load.
> Try it with an Eneloop or similar and see how it performs.



It's a fairly new Zebralight 14500 (ZL584). I purchased it a few months ago and used it in my Xeno E03 now and then before the SC52w came out. Comes off the WP2 II charger around 4.18v and holds a charge well. Maybe I'm just used to using 18650s so much that the smaller capacity caught up to me quick from using H1. But the 3.89v reading has me worried - this should mean it's around 60% right? Or at least 50% Not so low to kick it down into M1.


----------



## MattSPL

markr6 said:


> It's a fairly new Zebralight 14500 (ZL584). I purchased it a few months ago and used it in my Xeno E03 now and then before the SC52w came out. Comes off the WP2 II charger around 4.18v and holds a charge well. Maybe I'm just used to using 18650s so much that the smaller capacity caught up to me quick from using H1. But the 3.89v reading has me worried - this should mean it's around 60% right? Or at least 50% Not so low to kick it down into M1.



If you 14500 is reading 3.89v out of the light, when under load in the light, it will drop below that. It might drop to 3.6v for example and as far as i know, that's not far off depleted.


----------



## markr6

MattSPL said:


> If you 14500 is reading 3.89v out of the light, when under load in the light, it will drop below that. It might drop to 3.6v for example and as far as i know, that's not far off depleted.



OK. I was probably getting carried away with the H1 mode. I'll have to do more testing with an Eneloop. The Tenergy which had at least 75% life was showing one flash, but I'm not familiar with this brand (it was given to me to try)


----------



## MattSPL

markr6 said:


> OK. I was probably getting carried away with the H1 mode. I'll have to do more testing with an Eneloop. The Tenergy which had at least 75% life was showing one flash, but I'm not familiar with this brand (it was given to me to try)



Ok, will be interesting to see how you get on with some more testing.


----------



## Wiggle

MattSPL said:


> If you 14500 is reading 3.89v out of the light, when under load in the light, it will drop below that. It might drop to 3.6v for example and as far as i know, that's not far off depleted.



Yeah but that 3.6 is only the temporary sagging of the voltage, surely ZL designed the circuit to handle this as my battery gauge has always been quite accurate. Not to mention, to take the battery reading you need to turn the light off first, relieving load from the battery.

See this table I created using my ZL52 tested with Zebralight 14500 and a Duraloop:


----------



## burntoshine

So I order two 14500 batteries from ZL and they send me two 18650s. Grrr. 18650s are twice as much money; it's too bad that I already have enough of them.

Well, now lighthound has AWs back in stock; so I'm just going to order those. I wanted AWs in the first place.


----------



## ledmitter_nli

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



js82 said:


> I don't get it. Why do you want the 3C tint when you don't like the green tint? 3C is on the green side while 3D is on the neutral or rose side of white.



3C is on the YELLOW side.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?364259-Carclo-dropin-optics-beamshots-XP-G2-vs-219-Reference-quality-tint-comparisons


----------



## waxking1

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Got my SC52w yesterday from Illumination Supply. It has a bit of a green tint, but to my eyes it looks more yellow. Here is a screenshot on high with 14500 ZL 840Mah battery next to an SC60 on high. I love the size of the 52. The 60 is actually brighter everywhere except high but it also has a very white tint. I got an email from IS today with 25 percent off 

on the SC600Mk2 and I couldn't resist.


----------



## RI Chevy

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

Sounds like we need a SC52 219!


----------



## RedForest UK

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



waxking1 said:


> Got my SC52w yesterday from Illumination Supply. It has a bit of a green tint, but to my eyes it looks more yellow...



The neutral in that picture is very similar how my SC52w looks, although our actual tints could be different as the 'cool' tint on the left looks a bit overly blue to me.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



waxking1 said:


>



what's the light on the left?
and what's the light on the right?

model name and exact emitter designation please thanks


----------



## Grizzman

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

My SC52W's tint appears nearly identical to waxking's (which is on the right). It only appears green when compared directly with Nichia 219s and M61Ns.

Grizz


----------



## Diablo_331

Did you read his post?


----------



## shelm

i did. 
he didn't use the words "right" and "left" and everything else was bizarre and vague.

i don't understand him.


----------



## Diablo_331

Since it's a SC60 and a SC52W, I think it's safe to assume that the SC60 is on the left and the SC52W is on the right. I could be wrong but then that would have to be the worst two Zebralights ever, as far as tint is concerned.


----------



## Lite_me

Diablo_331 said:


> I think it's safe to assume that the SC60W is on the left and the SC52W is on the right.



It's not an SC60w on the left, it's an SC60. Cool version.


----------



## Diablo_331

Yea I messed that one up but that's what I meant lol.


----------



## kaichu dento

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



shelm said:


> what's the light on the left?
> and what's the light on the right?
> 
> model name and exact emitter designation please thanks



Here ya go - just read the text in the post. 



waxking1 said:


> Got my SC52w yesterday from Illumination Supply. It has a bit of a green tint, but to my eyes it looks more yellow. Here is a screenshot on high with 14500 ZL 840Mah battery next to an SC60 on high. I love the size of the 52. The 60 is actually brighter everywhere except high but it also has a very white tint. I got an email from IS today with 25 percent off
> 
> on the SC600Mk2 and I couldn't resist.


----------



## shelm

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



waxking1 said:


> Got my SC52w yesterday from Illumination Supply. It has a bit of a green tint, but to my eyes it looks more yellow. Here is a screenshot on high with 14500 ZL 840Mah battery next to an SC60 on high. I love the size of the 52. The 60 is actually brighter everywhere except high but it also has a very white tint. I got an email from IS today with 25 percent off
> 
> on the SC600Mk2 and I couldn't resist.



so it's SC52w on the left
and SC60 on the right!!


----------



## RedForest UK

shelm said:


> i did.
> he didn't use the words "right" and "left" and everything else was bizarre and vague.
> 
> i don't understand him.



Are you serious? 

One is a cool white XP-G and the other a neutral XM-L2. Which one would be prime candidate for the tighter bluer beam, and which for the wider yellower one?


----------



## shelm

RedForest UK said:


> Are you serious?
> 
> One is a cool white XP-G and the other a neutral XM-L2. Which one would be prime candidate for the tighter bluer beam, and which for the wider yellower one?



I was serious, really. After reading the text, this is what i really had understood.
But now that you're asking, it has to be vice versa.

left is tight xp-g coolwhite beam of SC60
and right is wider xm-l yellowish beam of SC52w.

both beams look good on the pic!!

i also thought that the left was SC52 because SC52 is a greenish light (all SC52g's and a couple of SC52w's)!


----------



## markr6

Has anyone noticed a deep magenta artifact on the reflector when you look at a 45-85° angle? It goes away as you approach a straight-on view of the emitter. It's there on higher settings too, just too bright to focus on or photograph.

Here's a view at about 45°


----------



## moozooh

You never noticed it before? That's just the anti-reflective coating. It's also the reason for a slight purple fringe that can be seen at close distances sometimes.


----------



## EZO

markr6 said:


> Has anyone noticed a deep magenta artifact on the reflector when you look at a 45-85° angle? It goes away as you approach a straight-on view of the emitter. It's there on higher settings too, just too bright to focus on or photograph.
> 
> Here's a view at about 45°



Yes, and it's a feature, not a bug (artifact as you call it). What you are seeing is an AR (anti-reflective coating) commonly used on many camera lenses and eyeglasses to increase light transmission or limit certain wavelengths of light from passing through the lens. Look around at lenses you may have around the house and you will likely see it.

In fine camera lenses it is referred to as multi-coating as several layers of different coatings have been deposited on the glass to achieve very specific light transmissions for particular sensors and or films.

See this Wikipedia page for further info.


----------



## markr6

Thanks for the info guys. I do recall seeing this on my EA4w now that you mention it.


----------



## Streak

Did anyone ever here back from ZL about the tint variation on the emitters used in the SC52W?

I have owned a bunch of SC51's and now EDC an SC51W and come to really enjoy it despite the reduced output when compared to the SC51.

I really want to pull the trigger on an SC52W but don't want the hassle for me or the dealer on exchanges until a non green one is found.

Have things improved somewhat since the "green" posts earlier in this thread?


----------



## EZO

I've mentioned previously that the greenish tint on my SC52W seems to have improved somewhat the longer I own it. Maybe I'm just getting used to it but I believe there may be some sort of break in period with this emitter. Certainly, the tint is nowhere as warm and pleasing as the tint on my SC51W and indeed it is "greenish" in a side by side comparison.......but I have a little story to relate:

Two nights ago we were barbequing some steaks out on the deck and it got too dark to really see what we were doing so I used the SC52W that I had in my pocket to illuminate the grill and my guests were amazed at how much light this little single AA flashlight was putting out. Then someone commented about the color of the light and so I gave everyone a little spiel about neutral tinted emitters and CRI. None of my guests had ever heard about neutral colored flashlights or ever seen one in action but they were all duly impressed. It was one of the few times when people didn't act like I'm an oddball for being a flashaholic. The thing is that the SC52W not only gave a natural and pleasing look to the meat, it also facilitated the preparation of the food. When I took the meat off the grill and sliced it open I could see the natural color of the interior to judge how well done it was. A cool-white version of this light would not have allowed me to do that in the same way because the "rare" meat would have looked more blueish and the food would not have looked natural and appealing during cooking as well. I forgot all about the "green" problem as it was completely irrelevant and not at all even noticeable.

I think the time comes when we all have to stop being such a bunch of fussy perfectionists about whether one light or another looks greener or whatever when pointed at a white wall and remember that we bought these lights to use out there in the real world where some of these issues are of less concern. Sure, I would love it if the SC52W had the tint of a Nichia 219 _AND_ a 500 lumen output but all in all I've come to understand that greenish bias or not, the SC52W is a terrific and eminently useable flashlight if you want to actually go out there and use the thing. If all you want to do with your lights is point them at a white wall in your bedroom you will not be happy.


----------



## Starik1

Streak said:


> Did anyone ever here back from ZL about the tint variation on the emitters used in the SC52W?
> 
> I have owned a bunch of SC51's and now EDC an SC51W and come to really enjoy it despite the reduced output when compared to the SC51.
> 
> I really want to pull the trigger on an SC52W but don't want the hassle for me or the dealer on exchanges until a non green one is found.
> 
> Have things improved somewhat since the "green" posts earlier in this thread?


Why would you want that? Green, for lack of a better word, is good. Green is right. Green works. Green clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of everything it lights up. Green, in all of its forms; the green of life, of money, of love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of flashlight sales and green, you mark my words, will not only save the SC52w, but that other malfunctioning flashlight called the SC600w.


----------



## markr6

EZO said:


> I think the time comes when we all have to stop being such a bunch of fussy perfectionists about whether one light or another looks greener or whatever when pointed at a white wall and remember that we bought these lights to use out there in the real world where some of these issues are of less concern. Sure, I would love it if the SC52W had the tint of a Nichia 219 _AND_ a 500 lumen output but all in all I've come to understand that greenish bias or not, the SC52W is a terrific and eminently useable flashlight if you want to actually go out there and use the thing. If all you want to do with your lights is point them at a white wall in your bedroom you will not be happy.



Nailed it! I'm starting to come around. I love my SC52w. Just keep it off that white wall, and AWAY from the tint of my PD32UE or Nichia lights!



Starik1 said:


> Why would you want that? Green, for lack of a better word, is good. Green is right. Green works. Green clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of everything it lights up. Green, in all of its forms; the green of life, of money, of love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of flashlight sales and green, you mark my words, will not only save the SC52w, but that other malfunctioning flashlight called the SC600w.



LOL!


----------



## Streak

Thanks for the replies.
I am not a white wall hunter. I am someone who EDC's my old SC51w and looking to upgrade.
I hope to enjoy the increased output and better switch and to not notice any problems with the tint.

I just placed my order with IG. Tod was amazingly communicative and made me feel confident that I would not be making a mistake both with this light and in dealing with IG.


----------



## pjandyho

EZO said:


> I've mentioned previously that the greenish tint on my SC52W seems to have improved somewhat the longer I own it. Maybe I'm just getting used to it but I believe there may be some sort of break in period with this emitter. Certainly, the tint is nowhere as warm and pleasing as the tint on my SC51W and indeed it is "greenish" in a side by side comparison.......but I have a little story to relate:
> 
> Two nights ago we were barbequing some steaks out on the deck and it got too dark to really see what we were doing so I used the SC52W that I had in my pocket to illuminate the grill and my guests were amazed at how much light this little single AA flashlight was putting out. Then someone commented about the color of the light and so I gave everyone a little spiel about neutral tinted emitters and CRI. None of my guests had ever heard about neutral colored flashlights or ever seen one in action but they were all duly impressed. It was one of the few times when people didn't act like I'm an oddball for being a flashaholic. The thing is that the SC52W not only gave a natural and pleasing look to the meat, it also facilitated the preparation of the food. When I took the meat off the grill and sliced it open I could see the natural color of the interior to judge how well done it was. A cool-white version of this light would not have allowed me to do that in the same way because the "rare" meat would have looked more blueish and the food would not have looked natural and appealing during cooking as well. I forgot all about the "green" problem as it was completely irrelevant and not at all even noticeable.
> 
> I think the time comes when we all have to stop being such a bunch of fussy perfectionists about whether one light or another looks greener or whatever when pointed at a white wall and remember that we bought these lights to use out there in the real world where some of these issues are of less concern. Sure, I would love it if the SC52W had the tint of a Nichia 219 _AND_ a 500 lumen output but all in all I've come to understand that greenish bias or not, the SC52W is a terrific and eminently useable flashlight if you want to actually go out there and use the thing. If all you want to do with your lights is point them at a white wall in your bedroom you will not be happy.


Wow! Well said! I have to admit that being a high CRI fan, and having been used to many much nicer neutral white tints, I was initially kind of bothered by the SC52w's tint when I received it. But it did not bother me for too long. In a day of two of really using it I sort of got used to the slight greenish tinge that I still see in the beam, and I have found this light to be perfect in doing what I really needed it to do, which is pure general illumination for my day to day tasks. It is a keeper definitely.


----------



## Streak

Now you really have me watching the mailbox!
Order placed at 12:12 tracking number received at 1:16, going to wear out the refresh button on the USPS tracking website!


----------



## kaichu dento

Nice to see so many users happy with the green tint and able to ignore it. Fortunately I have a couple lights that deliver what I need with no green and perfect tints.

I'll keep watching the Zebralight threads and when they eventually decide to offer and better range of tint, something that we might actually accept for indoor lighting, I'll jump on the bandwagon.


----------



## Sway

White wall hunting allows me to appreciate the space between my Dutch Masters and provides an interlude for reflecting, green tints need not apply


----------



## Al Thumbs

kaichu dento said:


> Nice to see so many users happy with the green tint and able to ignore it. Fortunately I have a couple lights that deliver what I need with no green and perfect tints.



Having such discriminating tastes _can_ be a burden! <_sigh>_



> I'll keep watching the Zebralight threads and when they eventually decide to offer and better range of tint, something that we might actually accept for indoor lighting, I'll jump on the bandwagon.



Please don't trouble yourself. The bandwagon has left without you.:wave:


----------



## EZO

kaichu dento said:


> I'll keep watching the Zebralight threads and when they eventually decide to offer and better range of tint, something that we might actually accept for indoor lighting, I'll jump on the bandwagon.



Maybe the forthcoming SC62d and SC32d with the Phillips Luxeon T (5000k - 85 CRI) will be what you are waiting for? I know I'm looking forward to their arrival.


----------



## kaichu dento

Al Thumbs said:


> Having such discriminating tastes _can_ be a burden! <_sigh>_
> Please don't trouble yourself. The bandwagon has left without you.


You thought you were making a witty comment? Don't trouble yourself over others having taste.


EZO said:


> Maybe the forthcoming SC62d and SC32d with the Phillips Luxeon T (5000k - 85 CRI) will be what you are waiting for? I know I'm looking forward to their arrival.


Probably, but I'd still love to see that made available in the SC5x series.


----------



## aberson

Been lusting after this light for a while. The H52w is also under consideration, though the SC52w with a strap might be more versatile since hand-held use would be more comfortable.

I just noticed in the user guide for the H52w that the beacon/strobe modes aren't a High sublevel, but rather they are a separate mode accessible with a triple-click from off. Makes sense to me. Has there been any talk of this UI coming to the SC52?

Also, the zebralight spreadsheet claims 13 modes for the H52, but I only count 12 (one more strobe than the SC52). Am I missing something?


----------



## Cataract

aberson said:


> [...]
> I just noticed in the user guide for the H52w that the beacon/strobe modes aren't a High sublevel, but rather they are a separate mode accessible with a triple-click from off. Makes sense to me. Has there been any talk of this UI coming to the SC52?
> [...]



Thanks for sharing this as I haven't been paying attention lately. It does make sense in the way that high is already accessible through a single short click, but I did like to get to low through a triple-click when my eyes are dark adapted. It would make much more sense if there was a 30+ Hz strobe for self-defense, but this light is definitely an utilitarian light, not a tactical light anyways... Now I have to restrain myself for two weeks and order an H52w


----------



## Wiggle

Why would you want a 30 Hz or higher strobe ? That would be more like a bad PWM than a strobe.


----------



## mactavish

Interesting, the 3x click is not documented in the PDF manual for my new SC52w, just tried it, light goes into "low" mode, same as the click/hold documented setting, not sure how useful that is as click/hold is quicker. 4x clicks is from "off" is of course the battery tester mode.


----------



## Starik1

mactavish said:


> Interesting, the 3x click is not documented in the PDF manual for my new SC52w, just tried it, light goes into "low" mode, same as the click/hold documented setting, not sure how useful that is as click/hold is quicker. 4x clicks is from "off" is of course the battery tester mode.


Yeah, it just cycles from high to low as you click: High->Med->Low. My manual says, in part, "Short click turns on the light to High. Short click again quickly to cycle from High to Medium, and Low." It's the opposite if you press and hold from off - it will cycle Low->Med->High.


----------



## leon2245

Starik1 said:


> Why would you want that? Green, for lack of a better word, is good. Green is right. Green works. Green clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of everything it lights up. Green, in all of its forms; the green of life, of money, of love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of flashlight sales and green, you mark my words, will not only save the SC52w, but that other malfunctioning flashlight called the SC600w.




hahaha yes!


----------



## MojaveMoon07

mactavish said:


> Interesting, the 3x click is not documented in the PDF manual for my new SC52w [...]



Are you talking about the 3x click to access beacon/strobe mode ? The SC52w was launched last June or maybe a little earlier than that, but the 3x click beacon/strobe is being introduced in the SC52/H52 series in the H52 and H52Fw being released in November.


----------



## mactavish

MojaveMoon07 said:


> Are you talking about the 3x click to access beacon/strobe mode ? The SC52w was launched last June or maybe a little earlier than that, but the 3x click beacon/strobe is being introduced in the SC52/H52 series in the H52 and H52Fw being released in November.



There is NO 3x click for strobe on my SC52w, it only goes to low mode that way. I would have to program for beacon/strobe, which I don't bother with. I was replying to a post above mine.


----------



## Cataract

Wiggle said:


> Why would you want a 30 Hz or higher strobe ? That would be more like a bad PWM than a strobe.



Hmmm... you're right. I wasn't thinking properly. 19Hz should be annoying enough.


----------



## calflash

I got a new zebra for my herd today... finally ordered one without anodizing.


----------



## Diablo_331

That's beautiful! Did you order it directly from Zebralight like this?


----------



## PoliceScannerMan

That's sweet!


----------



## calflash

Thanks guys. I'm pretty excited about it too - I'm always falling for bare metal lights. 

Yes I did order it direct from zebralight. They confirmed by email it could be ordered without anodizing and so I put an order in and made the request in the comments box on the order page. It took abut two months to get it though. It seems that the light had to come from the factory to zebralight USA and then they shipped it to me.


----------



## KDM

This is one of my SC31's I experimented with de anodizing.


----------



## pjandyho

How would it look a few months later without anodizing? I am wondering more about oxidization occurring. Just kept me thinking if it would be feasible to have a titanium version but it might overheat with the 14500 that I am running in my SC52w now.


----------



## jorn

pjandyho said:


> How would it look a few months later without anodizing? I am wondering more about oxidization occurring. Just kept me thinking if it would be feasible to have a titanium version but it might overheat with the 14500 that I am running in my SC52w now.



No big deal. As long as you use it, it will look fine. But your pocket might turn black , and polished alu is easy to scratch. Stripped the ano on a mismatched vme head and vitalgear fb-3 tube over a year ago. Still looks sweet.

Sent from my LG-P880 using Tapatalk


----------



## PoliceScannerMan

Black would look good too with black clip IMO.


----------



## Swede74

calflash said:


> I got a new zebra for my herd today... finally ordered one without anodizing.



It certainly stands out here (in a good way :thumbsup and I'm sure it did at the assembly line as well. I think you killed two birds with one stone - you got something unique that, because of its uniqueness, probably underwent very thorough quality control.


----------



## calflash

Good point swede74 - I hadn't thought about QC.

and +1 on titanium - thermal issues aside, that would be awesome. I'd even sacrifice lumens for titanium. A sc-52w-ti with 180-200 lumens

KDM - that's an amazing job. What process did you use if you don't mind my asking?


----------



## KDM

calflash said:


> Good point swede74 - I hadn't thought about QC.
> 
> and +1 on titanium - thermal issues aside, that would be awesome. I'd even sacrifice lumens for titanium. A sc-52w-ti with 180-200 lumens
> 
> KDM - that's an amazing job. What process did you use if you don't mind my asking?



I used sodium hydroxide to remove the anodizing. Sodium hydroxide is a extremely dangerous chemical read and follow all the warnings and exercise all precautions if you decide to use chemicals. I removed the battery and clip and soaked the light in the solution for five minutes. Wearing chemical resistant gloves and eye protection, I then used a stiff bristle nylon brush to go over the light with. Then soak the light for a couple of more minutes and repeat. Rinse with water and clean using dish detergent several times. Dry the light and went over it with ultra fine 0000 steel wool. I can't stress it enough that extreme caution be used if you decide to use this process!


----------



## KDM

Here's a closer shot, it's been carried some. Haven't done anything to it since I removed the anno a couple of months ago.


----------



## markr6

KDM said:


> Here's a closer shot, it's been carried some. Haven't done anything to it since I removed the anno a couple of months ago.



WOW!!! Looks amazing!!


----------



## KDM

Thanks guys, I really like my ZL lights and headlamps. The color of the anodizing, not so much.


----------



## burntoshine

KDM said:


> Here's a closer shot, it's been carried some. Haven't done anything to it since I removed the anno a couple of months ago.



Cool! That makes me want a Ti Zebra.

My wife and I went backpacking through Europe the last couple weeks of October. We went to London, Brussels, Bruges, Paris, Cochem and Amsterdam. We packed extremely light; one pack each. I packed everything into my Camelbak Mule and brought only my SC52w and a high cri 7777 MiNi AA. The SC52w was my main light, always within reach and the MiNi was packed away as backup. We flew to London, took trains the whole way through and flew back home from Amsterdam. It was an amazing and beautiful trip! The '52w performed like a champ and was perfect for the adventure. :thumbsup:


----------



## Overclocker

new darker anodizing. more fins.


----------



## markr6

WOW that's dark! I like it. Now I've seen three distinct colors. I know photos can be deceiving, but the dark one I had is definitely in between both of yours.


----------



## kreisl

Anyone else experiencing rusting after a dip in tap water and letting it room dry?




_click to enlarge_​
These are the SC52 screws. I just mounted them on some Niteye light to perform waterproofness tests on it. Days ago the SC52 screws looked all mint and new!

I am not gonna perform rustproofness on the Niteye screws which are now mounted on the SC52 because i don't believe in waterproofness of the Zebralight


----------



## sticktodrum

My SC52w has seen quite a bit of moisture and water exposure, and I haven't had any rust issues yet...that seems a bit odd.


----------



## KDM

I've had some different ZL models to rust on the back side of the push on clip where the plating had wore off. Anyone know the exact material used? Spring steel? If so that would explain it.


----------



## BFT

I have had my SC52W for about a week now. I have been running it on Duracell's so far and enjoying it. I ordered and received an Xtar VP1 charger and two Eagletac 750 Mah 14500 protected batteries. Both batteries charged up without any issues but neither one works in the light. They are a snug fit but they feel like they go in all of the way. The top of the batteries don't protrude as much as the Duracell so I'm wondering if they aren't making contact with the top contact of the light as it isn't a spring contact. Has anyone else experienced this?


----------



## Streamer

Overclocker said:


> new darker anodizing. more fins.



From the pic. The fins look exactly the same.


----------



## Razzle

Streamer said:


> From the pic. The fins look exactly the same.



The left one has one more "fin" on the head.


----------



## Razzle

BFT said:


> I have had my SC52W for about a week now. I have been running it on Duracell's so far and enjoying it. I ordered and received an Xtar VP1 charger and two Eagletac 750 Mah 14500 protected batteries. Both batteries charged up without any issues but neither one works in the light. They are a snug fit but they feel like they go in all of the way. The top of the batteries don't protrude as much as the Duracell so I'm wondering if they aren't making contact with the top contact of the light as it isn't a spring contact. Has anyone else experienced this?



The Eagtac's might be a tad short? I use AW protected 14500's, and they are nice and long, work great in my SC52.


----------



## Lampe

Hello, I tried for the first time my brand new SC52w with the Eagletac 14500 750 mAh. It works without problem for about 30 mn, but after that it seems to have fried something. Indeed when I insert a new AA Eneloop, the light automatically switch on in low mode and stay in this mode. Impossible to change mode or to switch off. So be careful when using this SC52w with 14500. Does anybody have some trick in order to clear/reset the device ? I've tried keeping the button pressed, triple clicking and everything but nothing happen.


----------



## BFT

Razzle said:


> The Eagtac's might be a tad short? I use AW protected 14500's, and they are nice and long, work great in my SC52.



The Eagtac's are longer overall than the Alkaline battery that I'm using. The positive terminal is shorter than the Duracell. When I look inside my flashlight I see the black insulation around the contact has a blob that extends to one side. I'm thinking that blob is not allowing the battery to sit all the way into the flashlight and keeping the positive terminal from touching the contact.


----------



## KDM

BFT said:


> I have had my SC52W for about a week now. I have been running it on Duracell's so far and enjoying it. I ordered and received an Xtar VP1 charger and two Eagletac 750 Mah 14500 protected batteries. Both batteries charged up without any issues but neither one works in the light. They are a snug fit but they feel like they go in all of the way. The top of the batteries don't protrude as much as the Duracell so I'm wondering if they aren't making contact with the top contact of the light as it isn't a spring contact. Has anyone else experienced this?



Does the positive end of the eagletac protrude past the shrink wrap of the body? Does it appear to be pushed in any?


----------



## Streamer

Correct. It appears so.



[IMG





]

[/IMG]


Razzle said:


> The left one has one more "fin" on the head.


----------



## Lampe

Lampe said:


> Hello, I tried for the first time my brand new SC52w with the Eagletac 14500 750 mAh. It works without problem for about 30 mn, but after that it seems to have fried something. Indeed when I insert a new AA Eneloop, the light automatically switch on in low mode and stay in this mode. Impossible to change mode or to switch off. So be careful when using this SC52w with 14500. Does anybody have some trick in order to clear/reset the device ? I've tried keeping the button pressed, triple clicking and everything but nothing happen.



Some more details : with a 14500, I have no problem. When I finished inserting the battery, the lamp switch on for just a quarter of a second and then I can use it normally.
However with AA (Eneloop or standard), the lamp is always stuck on low level.

If nobody has a clever trick to revive it, then it's going for warranty repair.
I loved this tiny lamp... :-(


----------



## shelm

Lampe said:


> I loved this tiny lamp... :-(



Me too. It is 12 months old light.
Last week Spark came up with something similar, the SF5 with 280 ANSI lumens on Eneloop, cw and nw emitter options. Maybe it is time to try this new make. Fully compatible with 14500.

Might have better tint after all.


----------



## Lampe

shelm said:


> Me too. It is 12 months old light.
> Last week Spark came up with something similar, the SF5 with 280 ANSI lumens on Eneloop, cw and nw emitter options. Maybe it is time to try this new make. Fully compatible with 14500.
> 
> Might have better tint after all.



Don't tempt me !
Anyway I think the standard procedure is to repair it, not to give refund (bought it from E2 Field Gear).

But I was clearly thinking about buying HDS instead in the future to have a better reliability.


----------



## BFT

KDM said:


> Does the positive end of the eagletac protrude past the shrink wrap of the body? Does it appear to be pushed in any?




Both the eagletac's protrude past the shrink wrap of the body, about 1/2 as high as the alkaline Duracell does. I think my problem is in the flashlight. The positive contact in the flashlight is surrounded by an insulating material that seems to have a glob to the outside of the center. I think this is keeping the Eagletac's from fully seating. In the picture I'm attaching you can see the blob at the 11 o'clock position. I would assume the insulation should be a "perfect" circle around the contacts, right?





[/URL][/IMG]


----------



## cyclesport

BFT said:


> Both the eagletac's protrude past the shrink wrap of the body, about 1/2 as high as the alkaline Duracell does. I think my problem is in the flashlight. The positive contact in the flashlight is surrounded by an insulating material that seems to have a glob to the outside of the center. I think this is keeping the Eagletac's from fully seating. In the picture I'm attaching you can see the blob at the 11 o'clock position. I would assume the insulation should be a "perfect" circle around the contacts, right?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/URL][/IMG]



Actually that's normal. Both of my SC52's are like that.


----------



## KDM

BFT said:


> Both the eagletac's protrude past the shrink wrap of the body, about 1/2 as high as the alkaline Duracell does. I think my problem is in the flashlight. The positive contact in the flashlight is surrounded by an insulating material that seems to have a glob to the outside of the center. I think this is keeping the Eagletac's from fully seating. In the picture I'm attaching you can see the blob at the 11 o'clock position. I would assume the insulation should be a "perfect" circle around the contacts, right?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/URL][/IMG]



It's hard to tell from the picture but does it appear that the cell is making contact with the "blob"? Made an indention? If so it probably keeping it from making contact.


----------



## BFT

KDM said:


> It's hard to tell from the picture but does it appear that the cell is making contact with the "blob"? Made an indention? If so it probably keeping it from making contact.



I think the blob is thick enough to possibly cause the problem. I haven't left the 14500 in the flashlight long enough to make an indentation, so I will let it sit for awhile. I can't foresee any issues if I carefully removed that blob. I really want to be able to use 14500's with this flashlight, that was one of the reasons I bought it.


----------



## BFT

Now that I've had time to really examine the light, the blob fills a machined hole and is recessed so it isn't causing the problem. It seems like the center contact is recessed far enough down in the center that the Eagletac is bottoming out without the positive side reaching the contact where an alkaline battery will reach. So do I have two brand new 14500 batteries that are a waste or is there a way to make this work still? Solder on the center contact of the light to raise it up? I don't imagine putting solder on the battery is a good idea but it would be easier than trying to solder the bottom of the light. 
Any suggestions welcome


----------



## KDM

Can you take a side shot picture of your battery?


----------



## reppans

I have an Eagletac 14500, 750mah, ICR (with a small button top) and it fits/works in my SC52, except it's not the best cell to use for this light. If you look up HKJs graphs, this cell runs to a lower voltage with decent remaining capacity than most ICRs - the SC52's auto step down feature will cut this cell off before it's time.


----------



## BFT

[/URL][/IMG]


----------



## KDM

I don't see those cells being a problem. The ZL 14500's I use appear to have a smaller button than those do. I suppose it's possible the AA's button may have bent or pushed the contacts in far enough that the eagletac button won't reach, or could have been that way when you received it. Regardless I would contact who you purchased it from and request a replacement light. If it hasn't been long since you purchased it shouldn't be a problem.


----------



## Etsu

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



Overclocker said:


> That model 4sevens actually 400 lumens before stepdown



I've seen selfbuilt's 400 lumen estimate for the Quark 2A XML-2 flashlight. I think that's being generous. My own estimates put it around 360 lumens at most. Granted, my measurements are far less accurate than selfbuilt's, but I think his setup gives consistently high measurements for all lights.

But your point of the Quark being brighter than the SC52 is valid. Zebra seems to overstate their lumens a bit, whereas 4sevens seems to understate. The SC52 (with a AA) is not as bright as the Quark QP2A-X.


----------



## reppans

Etsu said:


> I've seen selfbuilt's 400 lumen estimate for the Quark 2A XML-2 flashlight. I think that's being generous. My own estimates put it around 360 lumens at most. Granted, my measurements are far less accurate than selfbuilt's, but I think his setup gives consistently high measurements for all lights.
> 
> But your point of the Quark being brighter than the SC52 is valid. Zebra seems to overstate their lumens a bit, whereas 4sevens seems to understate. The SC52 (with a AA) is not as bright as the Quark QP2A-X.



Your estimate is excellent, is that by eye or meter? Look up ti-force's review of the QAA2X, he claims ANSI accuracy - his calibration lights having been tested in a professional laboratory. SB does not claim lumen estimate accuracy, he just claims 'relative' accuracy (with which I agree). BTW, on the under/overstatement thing.... it's not just 47s.... clicky.

Curious, but since you have both lights, I was wondering if you can comment (or better yet, post a side-by-side pix) on their 2.7 and 0.3 lumen modes, which are both spec'd the same. My SC52 meters at 1.5 and 0.06 lumens, and I'm still trying to determine if its sample variation, or "overstatement."

Thanks.


----------



## DIΩDΣ

While I have no lumen estimates, while I was shooting beamshots of my H52w I recently purchased, I did throw in a shot with my Quark-X AA2. Its rated 280 lumens, and here it is side by side with the H52w on H1 with a 14500 cell (500L).






I'd have to take some more to get a better comparison, it was just a spur of the moment idea, fwiw.


----------



## BFT

KDM said:


> I don't see those cells being a problem. The ZL 14500's I use appear to have a smaller button than those do. I suppose it's possible the AA's button may have bent or pushed the contacts in far enough that the eagletac button won't reach, or could have been that way when you received it. Regardless I would contact who you purchased it from and request a replacement light. If it hasn't been long since you purchased it shouldn't be a problem.



Thank you for letting me know about your batteries. It makes more sense returning the light instead of trying to modify it or the batteries to make it work. I've only had the light for 5 days now and don't want to see it go. I will be returning it tomorrow and "patiently" wait for my replacement light. I hope the tint on the new light is as good as the one I'm returning.


----------



## LlF

IS the green tint only an issue for the W version of the light?
i only browsed a few pages on this thread, it looks like zl doesn't have a very strict quality control, with great variation in tint and anodizing, for what iv read..

i brought a h502 from e2 field on ebay, after some of you guys molested it while choosing your preferred tint:shakehead


----------



## TyJo

I'm looking at getting the SC52w, skimmed some of the thread but there are a lot of pages.... Are there any flaws with this light that I should be aware of before purchasing? I don't want to derail the thread/bring negativity/etc., I'm just looking for a quick summary of 61 pages I guess....


----------



## stevenkelby

TyJo said:


> I'm looking at getting the SC52w, skimmed some of the thread but there are a lot of pages.... Are there any flaws with this light that I should be aware of before purchasing? I don't want to derail the thread/bring negativity/etc., I'm just looking for a quick summary of 61 pages I guess....



The sc52w has a green tint and can't be trusted with water resistance. Otherwise it's great


----------



## TyJo

Ha thanks, I might hold off then.


----------



## stevenkelby

It's not a bad light, I still like mine, just don't submerge it


----------



## Grizzman

stevenkelby said:


> The sc52w has a green tint and can't be trusted with water resistance. Otherwise it's great



Saying that the SC52W has a green tint and can't be trusted to be water resistance seems a bit harsh to me. 

The lights exhibit the possibility of having a green tint, ranging from mild to excessive. Mine is significantly less green than my Surefire E2DL Ultra and Malkoff XP-G M61s. Comparisons against lights with Nichia 219s and neutral Malkoffs is less flattering to the Zebralight. If a buyer is lucky, a nice tinted example can be received, but it's hardly a guarantee.

Water resistance is another quality that seems to have some variability with Zebralights. There was a thread a while ago regarding the H502's ability to survive immersion, and the results of those that tested were not overly negative. I've tested both my H502D and SC52W in water and neither had any water intrusion.

If purchased through a reputable dealer, a light with an ugly tint should be able to be returned due to generaly dissatisfaction. Water intrusion should be grounds for a warranty replacement, due to the IPX rating of the lights.


----------



## sticktodrum

I agree with Grizzman. I have a few samples of the W, and all of them meet their spec of water resistance. Their tints are also all good, as I got them from a great dealer, E2 Field Gear (CellGuy on CPFM).


----------



## moshow9

I think there was more tint variation and proneness to receiving a green slanted tint upon first release of the SC52w. I wanted to pick this light up when it was first released but held off due to reports of the tint.

Ended up waiting a long while until after it was released and a picked up a couple a few months ago when reports regarding less than desirable tint had lessened. One I gifted to my dad, the tint on this one was perfect and as close to the lovely neutral white that was used in the H501w/SC51w series. The one I kept leaned a bit towards yellow but I much preferred that over a green. All in all, I'm very happy with the selection.


----------



## kaichu dento

moshow9 said:


> I think there was more tint variation and proneness to receiving a green slanted tint upon first release of the SC52w. I wanted to pick this light up when it was first released but held off due to reports of the tint.
> 
> Ended up waiting a long while until after it was released and a picked up a couple a few months ago when reports regarding less than desirable tint had lessened. One I gifted to my dad, the tint on this one was perfect and as close to the lovely neutral white that was used in the H501w/SC51w series. The one I kept leaned a bit towards yellow but I much preferred that over a green. All in all, I'm very happy with the selection.


Hey, thanks for posting up on this because it's exactly what I'd been hoping to hear all along. 

I'll be pulling the trigger on one of these soon now!


----------



## Etsu

Grizzman said:


> Saying that the SC52W has a green tint and can't be trusted to be water resistance seems a bit harsh to me.
> 
> The lights exhibit the possibility of having a green tint, ranging from mild to excessive. Mine is significantly less green than my Surefire E2DL Ultra and Malkoff XP-G M61s. Comparisons against lights with Nichia 219s and neutral Malkoffs is less flattering to the Zebralight. If a buyer is lucky, a nice tinted example can be received, but it's hardly a guarantee.
> 
> Water resistance is another quality that seems to have some variability with Zebralights. There was a thread a while ago regarding the H502's ability to survive immersion, and the results of those that tested were not overly negative. I've tested both my H502D and SC52W in water and neither had any water intrusion.
> 
> If purchased through a reputable dealer, a light with an ugly tint should be able to be returned due to generaly dissatisfaction. Water intrusion should be grounds for a warranty replacement, due to the IPX rating of the lights.



Yes, I think the negatives are over-stated. Tint might be a problem for people that like to do white-wall tests, but not an issue with regular use. I'm not sure if water-resistance is a issue with the design, but again not a problem with regular use. I don't use my lights under water. If they can handle rain and brief washing under a faucet, that's good enough for me. If you need a light in a life-and-death situation, always carry a back-up. If you need a multi-mode light for around the house and walks around the neighborhood, the SC52w is just fine.

If you need an under-water light, then get a dive light. I wouldn't trust any of my lights for use under-water, regardless of what the IPX rating says.

Are there weaknesses in the SC52 design? Absolutely. Are they an issue for some people? Certainly. Are they an issue for most people? No.


----------



## pjandyho

kaichu dento said:


> Hey, thanks for posting up on this because it's exactly what I'd been hoping to hear all along.
> 
> I'll be pulling the trigger on one of these soon now!


I don't think you will have any regrets with this light. I love my SC52w. Mine is more yellow than green, but I would still prefer one that is a little more rosy in tint, like in the Q3 5A or 5B range. Overall, an awesome and compact light deserving a place in your EDC rotation.


----------



## kaichu dento

pjandyho said:


> I don't think you will have any regrets with this light. I love my SC52w. Mine is more yellow than green, but I would still prefer one that is a little more rosy in tint, like in the Q3 5A or 5B range. Overall, an awesome and compact light deserving a place in your EDC rotation.


Definitely sounding much better than a couple months ago!

I took a couple pictures tonight to add to my hCRI thread and will try to post them up in the next day or two.


----------



## pjandyho

kaichu dento said:


> Definitely sounding much better than a couple months ago!
> 
> I took a couple pictures tonight to add to my hCRI thread and will try to post them up in the next day or two.


Yes, definitely better. Like moshow9, I was hesitant about getting the SC52w after all the complaints but was glad I eventually decided on getting one two months back. No regrets really.


----------



## lightliker

I mailed Zebralight and asked for a hand-picked SC52 and they sent me e really nice white one wich I am very happy with 
I really like the interface of this small giant wich throws out a huge amount of light! 
I also ordered four keeppowers 800mAh that arrived the same day as my SC52, however, they were too big in diameter to fit into the SC52.
For a useful life of these cells I orded a Marsfire at cnqualitygoods and hope they will fit into this light.


----------



## neutralwhite

will ZL release another similar to the SC52?.
thanks.


----------



## marinemaster

Can i program the sc52 to do 172 then 108 ? So i click once goes to 172 then double click goes to 108 ?

Or can i program the sc52 to do 280 then 172 ? Sequence as above.

Or 280 then double click 108 ? Sequence as above.

Or 172 then double click 108 ?
Sequence as above.

Which of these are possible ? I dot need strobe. I use aa or eneloop only


----------



## LEDburn

marinemaster said:


> Can i program the sc52 to do 172 then 108 ? So i click once goes to 172 then double click goes to 108 ?
> 
> Or can i program the sc52 to do 280 then 172 ? Sequence as above.
> 
> Or 280 then double click 108 ? Sequence as above.
> 
> Or 172 then double click 108 ?
> Sequence as above.
> 
> Which of these are possible ? I dot need strobe. I use aa or eneloop only



You can only change one of the secondary modes. 280L (or 500L if using li-ion) will always be one of the modes you can choose from - the other is selected by the user.


----------



## marinemaster

So are these true statements ?
280 and 172
280 and 108
280 and strobe ?

These are the only possible configurations on high ?


----------



## stevenkelby

marinemaster said:


> So are these true statements ?
> 280 and 172
> 280 and 108
> 280 and strobe ?
> 
> These are the only possible configurations on high ?



Correct


----------



## marinemaster

I have been experimenting with it so i got it now. Thanks guys 

What modes do you guys use 172 or 108 ? What is used the most between these two levels ?


----------



## stevenkelby

marinemaster said:


> I have been experimenting with it so i got it now. Thanks guys
> 
> What modes do you guys use 172 or 108 ? What is used the most between these two levels ?



Always 172 / 500 for me on high. (With 14500).

Med I have 50 and 12.

Low is 2.7 and 0.06

Perfect for me


----------



## RI Chevy

neutralwhite said:


> will ZL release another similar to the SC52?. thanks.



Yes. Get ready for a 2016 delivery date.


----------



## Swede74

marinemaster said:


> I have been experimenting with it so i got it now. Thanks guys
> 
> What modes do you guys use 172 or 108 ? What is used the most between these two levels ?



108/500 lumen here. 

According to Zebralight's website
_
H2 *172* Lm (1.7 hrs) / *108* Lm (3 hrs) _

and I believe 172 lumen seem only marginally brighter than 108 lumen, while 3 hours is a significantly longer runtime than 1.7 hours.


----------



## marinemaster

I set high for 280 and 108. This should work for most situations. Thanks again. 

Ill have to see what works best for medium next


----------



## neutralwhite

Ticket status: Completed

Department: Sales

Subject: new 2014 sc52

We'll release an SC52 L2 within the nexe 2-3 month. It comes wiht an XM-L2 (slightly brighter), plus a UI similar to the SC600 Mk II L2.

Sincerely,

ZebraLight, Inc.
2908 Story Rd. W
Irving, TX 75038


----------



## Etsu

neutralwhite said:


> We'll release an SC52 L2 within the next 2-3 month.



That means it will be available sometime in 2016... wheeee!


----------



## RIX TUX

neutralwhite said:


> Ticket status: Completed
> 
> Department: Sales
> 
> Subject: new 2014 sc52
> 
> We'll release an SC52 L2 within the nexe 2-3 month. It comes wiht an XM-L2 (slightly brighter), plus a UI similar to the SC600 Mk II L2.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> ZebraLight, Inc.
> 2908 Story Rd. W
> Irving, TX 75038


Somebody have a good guess what it might cost?
I might want to upgrade.


----------



## MojaveMoon07

neutralwhite:

Thank you for the update. So if a cool white XM-L2 SC52 is what's next in the pipeline, then could that mean that we'll have to wait until *after* that is released before we see a SC52c , SC52d , H52c , and/or H52d ?


----------



## neutralwhite

hi most welcome, yes it's something like ZL. 
you can never really tell with ZL what they want out until last moments...
a Nichia 219 52 light would be nice somehow. 




MojaveMoon07 said:


> neutralwhite:
> 
> Thank you for the update. So if a cool white XM-L2 SC52 is what's next in the pipeline, then could that mean that we'll have to wait until *after* that is released before we see a SC52c , SC52d , H52c , and/or H52d ?


----------



## markr6

I just purchased my fourth SC52w. *HORRIBLE GREEN TINT*! I gave it a try since my recent H600w II and SC600w II purchases had a nice tint. Figured they got a good batch of emitters. Nope. Already back in the mail for a refund.

Good news about the new UI. I was actually wondering about that last night. I'll definitely wait since I can live with my last remaining SC52w with a decent tint. One of them was stolen, the other two shipped back for return. All purchased over the past 4 months or so.


----------



## reppans

markr6 said:


> I just purchased my fourth SC52w. *HORRIBLE GREEN TINT*! I gave it a try since my recent H600w II and SC600w II purchases had a nice tint. Figured they got a good batch of emitters. Nope. Already back in the mail for a refund.
> 
> Good news about the new UI. I was actually wondering about that last night. I'll definitely wait since I can live with my last remaining SC52w with a decent tint. One of them was stolen, the other two shipped back for return. All purchased over the past 4 months or so.



Curious... do you buy from and return to ZL direct, or do you use a dealer?


----------



## markr6

reppans said:


> Curious... do you buy from and return to ZL direct, or do you use a dealer?



A little bit of both. This last SC52w was purchased and returned direct to Zebralight. I also live only a few miles from E2 Field Gear, so I'll most likely drop by there to hand pick my next light. I just tried ZL this time since I wanted the newest batch with the dark anodizing.


----------



## DavidMB

I have one of the first sc52's, I love it and have been thinking about getting the sc52w after I getting the small hozuki lantern by snow peak. The lanterns light is very warm and a found myself really liking the warmer color temperature. Question I have is how much warmer to the eye is the sc52w compared to the sc52, and what do you think of the color?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## AVService

DavidMB said:


> I have one of the first sc52's, I love it and have been thinking about getting the sc52w after I getting the small hozuki lantern by snow peak. The lanterns light is very warm and a found myself really liking the warmer color temperature. Question I have is how much warmer to the eye is the sc52w compared to the sc52, and what do you think of the color?
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I just got a H52W Today and it is a more warm than my SC52 which is also one of the first batch.
It is not the warmest tint that I have but it is about what I prefer and pretty much like the SC600W that I have too.

I have been comparing all morning between the two and I far prefer the tint for Attic and Crawlspace work which is what I got it for.
I already had the SC502W too but when trying to use it at any distance I can not even tell if its on a lot of times!
It is perfect for soldering though or other close-up work so I plan on carry all 3 of them in the truck.
I still love the original and thats the one in my pocket all the time.....with an LD12........2 is 1!


----------



## neutralwhite

would it be a good idea to swap the LED of the SC52 to a Nichia 219?.
im after better colour rendering with a still quality UI, rather than getting a small keychain twisty light.

what do you think on that?.
thanks.


----------



## RedForest UK

Unfortunately that isn't possible. The SC52 uses an integrated MCPCB for the circuit and LED mounting and the solder pad is XM-L sized, there is no way to replace with a smaller LED.

They do supposedly have an SC52c and d in the pipeline though using high CRI Luxeon T LEDs.


----------



## neutralwhite

thanks, would Luxeon be just as good as Nichia though?.
if not, might stick to a SC52w
thank you.



RedForest UK said:


> Unfortunately that isn't possible. The SC52 uses an integrated MCPCB for the circuit and LED mounting and the solder pad is XM-L sized, there is no way to replace with a smaller LED.
> 
> They do supposedly have an SC52c and d in the pipeline though using high CRI Luxeon T LEDs.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

neutralwhite said:


> would it be a good idea to swap the LED of the SC52 to a Nichia 219?.
> im after better colour rendering with a still quality UI, rather than getting a small keychain twisty light.
> 
> what do you think on that?.
> thanks.



Who is going to do the swap? Word is, the SC52 is a bugger.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

RedForest UK said:


> They do supposedly have an SC52c and d in the pipeline though using high CRI Luxeon T LEDs.



Are you referring to the SC32d with a Luxeon T emitter with a CRI of about, what was it? 85?


----------



## KITROBASKIN

markr6 said:


> I also live only a few miles from E2 Field Gear, so I'll most likely drop by there to hand pick my next light.



It is curious to note that if you look on E2 Field Gear's website on the SC600 L2 info page, the title for that model has "White" marked out. So, they think it is just "Cool", but probably not particularly white? Pretty Funny.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

A CPF member, DaFabricata, milled the body off of an sc52 to get the internals in order to make his own brass creation with the ZL user interface and his choice of emitter. That is just so cool but the newer ZL UI is better for sure. And the PID sounds really great.


----------



## Brasso

I'm considering the sc52w, but I'm a bit scared to order one with all the green tints out there. I'll probably just wait for the sc62d.


----------



## neutralwhite

what is the sc62d compared to the 52w ?.



Brasso said:


> I'm considering the sc52w, but I'm a bit scared to order one with all the green tints out there. I'll probably just wait for the sc62d.


----------



## Brasso

If they follow suit with model numbers, it will be an 18650 light with the same outer dimensions, proportionally, as the sc52. An updated sc60. Bigger than the sc52, but smaller than the sc600. It will also have a Luxeon emitter with a 5k tint and 85 cri. It's still cool, but much better color rendering than an xpg or xml. Not as good as a nichia, but acceptable. It won't be as bright as an xml obviously, but run time will be incredible. According to an email I got this morning from Zebralight, it's due out in about 10 days.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...authkey=CNqP6KIC&hl=en&authkey=CNqP6KIC#gid=0


----------



## DavidMB

Is the main difference between the Cree and Luxeon that the Luxeon has better color and longer runtime, but not quite as bright?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Brasso

The luxeon just can't be driven has hard as an xpg or xml, therefore it won't be as bright. It does have much better color rendoring though. For a 5k tint light, it's an 85 cri compared to about a 65 cri in a typical cool tint xpg or xml. Because it's not being driven as hard, run time will be better. Additionally, because Zebralight can tweak the drive to a very specific voltage range, due to the light only using an 18650 cell, the driver will be more efficient as well. I wouldn't be surprised if the sc62d has an output of @ 200 lumens on high and runs for at least 6hrs. That would be comparable to what they drove their 502d lights at.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Looking at Luxeon T literature, it does not suffer from the wide tint variation like XML, Cree emitters. The expression is something about not being binned. There are two (or more) threads here on CPF about the upcoming sc32d and sc62d. It is hoped the lumen output will be significantly more than the Nichia but not expected to approach a more neutral XML2. That it will weigh about the same as an H600 but have a standard flashlight form factor. Of course we are hoping for a pleasant, friendly switch, disinclined to turn on accidentally, with a durable, attractive surface treatment that ZL is certainly capable of. I am so hoping for a clip that is screwed on like the SC52. It will be my ENC. (Every Night Carry)


----------



## neutralwhite

Hi thanks, ooooo impressive .
I just might wait on for that. why didn't ZL go ahead with Nichia 219?.
any reason?.
thanks.




Brasso said:


> If they follow suit with model numbers, it will be an 18650 light with the same outer dimensions, proportionally, as the sc52. An updated sc60. Bigger than the sc52, but smaller than the sc600. It will also have a Luxeon emitter with a 5k tint and 85 cri. It's still cool, but much better color rendering than an xpg or xml. Not as good as a nichia, but acceptable. It won't be as bright as an xml obviously, but run time will be incredible. According to an email I got this morning from Zebralight, it's due out in about 10 days.
> 
> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...authkey=CNqP6KIC&hl=en&authkey=CNqP6KIC#gid=0


----------



## Mr Floppy

neutralwhite said:


> why didn't ZL go ahead with Nichia 219?.
> any reason?.



are you really going to notice a difference in the CRI? You'll notice a difference in the CCT


----------



## marinemaster

If is ten days that would make it first 2014 flashlight purchase 
If is the same switch and clip as the SC52 that would be great.


----------



## neutralwhite

looking forward to this sc52d Luxeon as a back up kinda edc with my sc600mkII


----------



## markr6

SC52 with updated UI and SC62d...more Zebralights to wait for!


----------



## neutralwhite

yehp - you think the sc62d will have the upgraded UI?.



markr6 said:


> SC52 with updated UI and SC62d...more Zebralights to wait for!


----------



## markr6

neutralwhite said:


> yehp - you think the sc62d will have the upgraded UI?.



Anyone's guess really. I'd like to hope so, but it all depends on how far along they are with this model...if they even started!


----------



## neutralwhite

lol, that's true. 
thank you, we'll see in some 10 days or so what's what.
got to love Zebralight though, keeping us all awake with these release's ...




markr6 said:


> Anyone's guess really. I'd like to hope so, but it all depends on how far along they are with this model...if they even started!


----------



## LightObsession

Just ordered the SC52W from E2 Field Gear to replace my lost Fenix P2D.

Hopefully, it won't have the green tint.

And hopefully, the free shipping won't take too long. I miss my brightest light (even though it wasn't relatively dim by today's standards).


----------



## fridgemagnet

I very much want an SC52 (pref SC52L2) - but where can I buy one of these - I live in Ireland.
Does anyone know of a reputable dealer in the UK who will stand by any guarantee problems that might arise?
Maybe a good European dealer - Germany maybe? - or can I buy from Zebralight directly, and pay by credit card?


----------



## neutralwhite

hello Ireland!. www.flashaholics.co.uk are really good and very much trusted indeed.
before you buy the light, you can tell them to look over it properly to ensure the tint is how you want it, the anodizing, the switch, the seals, all that.
I would buy from zebralight, but more often they don't go over the light, just post it off, and then you have the hassle of returning it back there rather than flashaholics in the UK so they can deal with it with a replacement and so on.

I would go with the UK most certainly if it's UK. 
I got my SC600mkII L2 from www.illuminationsupply.com in california as flashaholics did not have their order of those delivered when I wanted it for christmas. "IS" are my favourite ZL dealer. 

check out the UK site i said, give them a call. see what they got. if not, surely illumination supply. luckily I escaped customs charges. 
tell them Darryl sent you .

thanks.


fridgemagnet said:


> I very much want an SC52 (pref SC52L2) - but where can I buy one of these - I live in Ireland.
> Does anyone know of a reputable dealer in the UK who will stand by any guarantee problems that might arise?
> Maybe a good European dealer - Germany maybe? - or can I buy from Zebralight directly, and pay by credit card?


----------



## fridgemagnet

Thanks for the helpful reply Darryl - I will phone flashaholics tomorrow - maybe illuminationsupply also, as I expect there will be a high demand for the SC52L2.


----------



## Etsu

neutralwhite said:


> hello Ireland!. www.flashaholics.co.uk are really good and very much trusted indeed.
> ...
> "IS" are my favourite ZL dealer.



Note that Flashaholics doesn't appear to stock the SC52 or SC52w, and IS hasn't had the SC52w available for quite some time. You can order the SC52 or SC52w from ZL directly, as they have them both in stock.

My conspiracy theory for the day: ZL isn't restocking any dealers, and they're going to replace/update the SC52/SC52w soon. So they're selling off existing inventory and not making any more. Maybe they're going to use the latest UI and an updated LED, not just for the SC52 but also for the SC52w? Maybe they got tired of the green tint issues, and are using a different brand for the emitter?

Change of my conspiracy theory being true: probably only 5%. But it makes for an interesting speculation!


----------



## neutralwhite

most welcome. yes, chase them up, especially Illumination Supply.
let us know how you get on. 



fridgemagnet said:


> Thanks for the helpful reply Darryl - I will phone flashaholics tomorrow - maybe illuminationsupply also, as I expect there will be a high demand for the SC52L2.


----------



## neutralwhite

yes, but maybe ZL have them in stock as many don't want to buy direct...maybe...??
I certainly agree with your conspirtheory, that's right on!,...ZL are being very shussh lately,..they're up to something GOOD!.
im loving the updated UI. waiting on the Luxeon T emitter on the new sc62d, even though now the XT LED is released now. hurry ZL, keep up!...
would like to see a Nichia 219 on their lights!. 



Etsu said:


> Note that Flashaholics doesn't appear to stock the SC52 or SC52w, and IS hasn't had the SC52w available for quite some time. You can order the SC52 or SC52w from ZL directly, as they have them both in stock.
> 
> My conspiracy theory for the day: ZL isn't restocking any dealers, and they're going to replace/update the SC52/SC52w soon. So they're selling off existing inventory and not making any more. Maybe they're going to use the latest UI and an updated LED, not just for the SC52 but also for the SC52w? Maybe they got tired of the green tint issues, and are using a different brand for the emitter?
> 
> Change of my conspiracy theory being true: probably only 5%. But it makes for an interesting speculation!


----------



## HikingMano

I've been wanting to pick up a SC52w, and a week or so ago I checked ZL to see if they had them in stock. The website indicated it was not in stock, so I contacted ZL to ask for an ETA. I received a response yesterday saying it will be available in Feb. But I was looking at the specs of the light today and noticed the light is now listed as "in stock" again. 

I don't want to place an order because the last time I ordered something the website listed as "in stock" (H52Fw), I didn't get a shipping notice for a week, then upon contacting them to ask why, was told the light wouldn't be available for 2 weeks, and they'd refund me if I didn't want to wait. Ended up going with a H52w from BrightGuy instead since the delay gave me time to reconsider (long time user of H51w). 

I spoke with the director/manager of sales a while back (very cool guy, very helpful), and he mentioned they'd be opening a facility soon here in the states that will start handling customer service calls and the like. It'll be much easier then to get a concrete and immediate answer on what they do and don't have available...


----------



## neutralwhite

that place in the states is already there in Irving , Texas. Zebralight's US base if that's what you mean.



HikingMano said:


> I've been wanting to pick up a SC52w, and a week or so ago I checked ZL to see if they had them in stock. The website indicated it was not in stock, so I contacted ZL to ask for an ETA. I received a response yesterday saying it will be available in Feb. But I was looking at the specs of the light today and noticed the light is now listed as "in stock" again.
> 
> I don't want to place an order because the last time I ordered something the website listed as "in stock" (H52Fw), I didn't get a shipping notice for a week, then upon contacting them to ask why, was told the light wouldn't be available for 2 weeks, and they'd refund me if I didn't want to wait. Ended up going with a H52w from BrightGuy instead since the delay gave me time to reconsider (long time user of H51w).
> 
> I spoke with the director/manager of sales a while back (very cool guy, very helpful), and he mentioned they'd be opening a facility soon here in the states that will start handling customer service calls and the like. It'll be much easier then to get a concrete and immediate answer on what they do and don't have available...


----------



## HikingMano

neutralwhite said:


> that place in the states is already there in Irving , Texas. Zebralight's US base if that's what you mean.



No, I called the place in TX and spoke with the sales director. That is not what I mean. The sales director told me that ZL is in the process of getting a separate US customer service center up and running (or something along those lines, the details elude me at the moment) to handle direct customer calls. Basically, what I did - call the only number I could find online - is not an ideal situation for them; the call was directed to him, and dealing with customers on an individual call basis is not in the normal scope of his position. He was incredibly courteous despite that, and was happy to talk lights with me for a bit.


----------



## neutralwhite

hi, oh I got you now. thanks, sorry,...wow, that would be good. 
i know there was someone at ZL named George. owner I think, ???.


could do with one of those call places in the UK as well.
ZL certainly is the most innovative flashlight company ever I think.
its hard to keep up most times. 
thanks.




HikingMano said:


> No, I called the place in TX and spoke with the sales director. That is not what I mean. The sales director told me that ZL is in the process of getting a separate US customer service center up and running (or something along those lines, the details elude me at the moment) to handle direct customer calls. Basically, what I did - call the only number I could find online - is not an ideal situation for them; the call was directed to him, and dealing with customers on an individual call basis is not in the normal scope of his position. He was incredibly courteous despite that, and was happy to talk lights with me for a bit.


----------



## HikingMano

Nothin to be sorry for, my initial post wasn't clear 

I can't, for the life of me, remember the guy's name. I don't think it was George, but I can't be sure. Met a few new folks over the holiday season, and I'm terrible with names...

Perhaps with continued growth ZL will put one over there too for you folks


----------



## neutralwhite

i think there is somewhere on here about ZL george. 
would like to meet this great man!. 

would love to visit ZL both offices, and production and see what really is happening.
imagine!.





HikingMano said:


> Nothin to be sorry for, my initial post wasn't clear
> 
> I can't, for the life of me, remember the guy's name. I don't think it was George, but I can't be sure. Met a few new folks over the holiday season, and I'm terrible with names...
> 
> Perhaps with continued growth ZL will put one over there too for you folks


----------



## HikingMano

Hmmm, well I just ordered my SC52w on the chance the "in stock" listing on ZL was accurate. Right after placing my order, I went back to the SC52w page, and it's now listed as "out of stock", ha! Perhaps I snagged the last one of some forgotten batch? I just hope it isn't a return or something like that  We'll see what happens. If it proves to be erroneous inventory listing, I'll decide whether to get the money refunded or just wait it out.


----------



## HikingMano

HikingMano said:


> Hmmm, well I just ordered my SC52w on the chance the "in stock" listing on ZL was accurate. Right after placing my order, I went back to the SC52w page, and it's now listed as "out of stock", ha! Perhaps I snagged the last one of some forgotten batch? I just hope it isn't a return or something like that  We'll see what happens. If it proves to be erroneous inventory listing, I'll decide whether to get the money refunded or just wait it out.



Yep, order just got canceled and my payment refunded. Weirdly enough, the SC52w is now listed as "in stock" again on their site. No idea what's going on.


----------



## neutralwhite

LOL.. Zebralight are funny. its all well worth it though. once you got the light, all this game really means nothing. lol



HikingMano said:


> Yep, order just got canceled and my payment refunded. Weirdly enough, the SC52w is now listed as "in stock" again on their site. No idea what's going on.


----------



## LightObsession

I ordered my SC52W from e2 Field Gear using the CPF discount and the total price was $58.** Check their stock status.

It should arrive in the next day or two.


----------



## Etsu

HikingMano said:


> Yep, order just got canceled and my payment refunded. Weirdly enough, the SC52w is now listed as "in stock" again on their site. No idea what's going on.



ZL has some innovative lights, but they really need to get their act together on inventory management. Frustration when trying to get something totally puts me off their products.


----------



## AVService

O ordered both an SC52 and H52w last week from Illumination Supply and the H52 was backordered.

I received them both in 3 days with the free shipping during the Xmas-NY week anyway!

The H52 is great and does have the newer interface too!

They also have a pretty decent discount on the site,hurry!

Highly recommend I.S. as a supplier.


----------



## neutralwhite

+1. for sure!. 



AVService said:


> O ordered both an SC52 and H52w last week from Illumination Supply and the H52 was backordered.
> 
> I received them both in 3 days with the free shipping during the Xmas-NY week anyway!
> 
> The H52 is great and does have the newer interface too!
> 
> They also have a pretty decent discount on the site,hurry!
> 
> *Highly recommend I.S. as a supplier.*


----------



## KITROBASKIN

AVService said:


> O ordered both an SC52 and H52w last week from Illumination Supply and the H52 was backordered.
> 
> I received them both in 3 days with the free shipping during the Xmas-NY week anyway!
> 
> The H52 is great and does have the newer interface too!
> 
> They also have a pretty decent discount on the site,hurry!
> 
> Highly recommend I.S. as a supplier.



I second that emotion.


----------



## HikingMano

LightObsession said:


> I ordered my SC52W from e2 Field Gear using the CPF discount and the total price was $58.** Check their stock status.
> 
> It should arrive in the next day or two.



Yeah, checked them a while ago, pre-order only. Will keep checking though on the chance they get some somehow, or maybe shoot them a message to check. 



Etsu said:


> ZL has some innovative lights, but they really need to get their act together on inventory management. Frustration when trying to get something totally puts me off their products.



Yep. I can understand supply problems, but the inventory management has definitely been perplexing. 



AVService said:


> O ordered both an SC52 and H52w last week from Illumination Supply and the H52 was backordered.
> 
> I received them both in 3 days with the free shipping during the Xmas-NY week anyway!
> 
> The H52 is great and does have the newer interface too!
> 
> They also have a pretty decent discount on the site,hurry!
> 
> Highly recommend I.S. as a supplier.



I.S. had it listed as backordered, but I sent them an email to check. They're near enough to me that I could just go in and pick it up if they have it :thumbup: If the site is accurate, they do have the SC52 and the H52w in stock, but no SC52w.


I'll update if I manage to score one anywhere, thanks for all the input guys


----------



## neutralwhite

nice. so lucky to live so close. 
love from London!. 




HikingMano said:


> Yeah, checked them a while ago, pre-order only. Will keep checking though on the chance they get some somehow, or maybe shoot them a message to check.
> 
> 
> 
> Yep. I can understand supply problems, but the inventory management has definitely been perplexing.
> 
> 
> 
> I.S. had it listed as backordered, but I sent them an email to check. They're near enough to me that I could just go in and pick it up if they have it :thumbup: If the site is accurate, they do have the SC52 and the H52w in stock, but no SC52w.
> 
> 
> I'll update if I manage to score one anywhere, thanks for all the input guys


----------



## chazz

I know this has been talked about before and someone was wanting more data points, so thought I would post the parasitic drain measurements on my SC52w ( it is from one of the first batches when they first came out )

136 uA 14500 (@ 4.18 v)
121 uA 14500 (@ 3.93 v)
36 uA Energizer Ultimate Lithium L91 (@ 1.81 v 'new out of box') 
26 uA Alkaline (@ 1.56 v, not that I would use one in there just thought I would check it)
20 uA Eneloop (@ 1.3 v)

I knew there was a bit of an issue on the parasitic drain on the 14500 cells when I bought it, so no big surprise. I have not read this entire thread, was wondering if the new ones are better or is this still a thing?


----------



## LEDburn

chazz said:


> 136 uA 14500 (@ 4.18 v)
> 121 uA 14500 (@ 3.93 v)



Whilst I can't test a newer SC52 as my meters are at work which read current, I can reassure you that even though the number seems high, you're dealing with microamps. Also, as you can see, it seems to decrease as voltage drops so discharge wont be exactly linear..

Anyway, assuming you're using a Sanyo 14500 which are rated at 840mAh but with a minimum average of 800mAh then you're looking at 800/0.136 which gives you 5882 hours so then, 5882/24 gives you approx 245 days.

I really doubt that anyone using a 14500 will have NOT drained and recharged their cells LONG before the cells have a chance of being drained by the standby current drain. 

Obviously if this is intended as a emergency light or something of the like, a lithium primary would surely be the prefferred choice..


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Good info, LEDburn
And can't the SC52 be shut down with a 1/4 turn lockout for mid term storage, with simple battery removal for longer storage?

Also want to thank LEDburn for mentioning Oveready in a previous post, maybe on another thread. You have given new life for my Surefire U2, now that I have an adapter that allows p60 dropins. THANKS


----------



## chazz

Yes, you can unscrew the tail cap to stop the parasitic drain. The drain is not a huge deal (if you know about it and treat it accordingly) like I said, I knew about it before buying the light. But it is far from ideal, and I would hope it could be improved upon. This is a problem for any light with parasitic drain, not just the SC52. Nothing more annoying than putting new and expensive energizer lithiums in a light and go to use it a year or two later and have it be stone dead. Not a problem with lights that have an old school switch with no parasitic drain. So I guess it's just more general information for anyone interested.


----------



## marinemaster

Do you use your light once a year or once every two years ? Sounds to me you just want bashing the ZL in a very snicky way.


----------



## reppans

I think its a good lock-out reminder.... lots of people buy lights and store them in BOBs. I have an H51w headlamp that I use infrequently (only for tight quarters work like plumbing/engine maintenance) which probably has the same cell a year later (I do remember to lock this one out). This is purely anecdotal, but I read a post from one guy that used alkalines put a half dozen of his unused lights (with batts) in a shoebox - then went back to them a year later and only his ZL had a leaking/dead battery which ruining the light. Even my SC52 is becoming a shelf queen, it's the greenest in my collection and I'm finding lots of really nice tinted CW 2nd Gen CREEs and more production N219s with other manufacturers. Now that I've been reminded, I think I'll start locking this one out too .


----------



## chazz

marinemaster said:


> Do you use your light once a year or once every two years ? Sounds to me you just want bashing the ZL in a very snicky way.




LOL, if you are referring to what I posted, do not worry. My ZL sc52 is one of my favorite lights. I will probably will be buying a SC600 at some point also. But at some point, if when I get lights I like or use more, it might not get used so often. I am not saying this is a problem for a light that gets used often and batteries changed or charged often. 

I have had lights with parasitic drain, sitting around for a year or so, go to use them and dead batteries. So it is something to think about. Now I store that light without the batteries in it, but that means I have to have another light to see to put the batteries in that light. etc.. 

I was just posting information that was talked about earlier, and figured more data samples might be useful. This is the type of information I would want to know about a light if I was thinking of buying it. Information that is usually also included in a good review of a light. Like I said, it goes for ANY light with parasitic drain. So I am not Zebralight 'bashing', or trying to be 'snicky'... Sorry if it came across that way, it was not my intention.


----------



## Overclocker

since the SC62d isn't terribly impressive i'm gonna skip it over and just wait for the Mark-II SC52!!!

improvements wishlist:

1) full-power strobe. right now the SC52 has a crippled strobe mode, about half power, even when using 14500

2) triple-click strobe

3) better tints


----------



## markr6

Overclocker said:


> since the SC62d isn't terribly impressive i'm gonna skip it over and just wait for the Mark-II SC52!!!
> 
> improvements wishlist:
> 
> 1) full-power strobe. right now the SC52 has a crippled strobe mode, about half power, even when using 14500
> 
> 2) triple-click strobe
> 
> 3) better tints



Looking forward to this one! I've given up on the better tints...almost


----------



## Diablo_331

Overclocker said:


> since the SC62d isn't terribly impressive i'm gonna skip it over and just wait for the Mark-II SC52!!!
> 
> improvements wishlist:
> 
> 1) full-power strobe. right now the SC52 has a crippled strobe mode, about half power, even when using 14500
> 
> 2) triple-click strobe
> 
> 3) better tints





markr6 said:


> Looking forward to this one! I've given up on the better tints...almost



And a screw on bezel!! They can gross me out with whatever tint they wanted to then because it'd be easier to mod.


----------



## Fireclaw18

Diablo_331 said:


> And a screw on bezel!! They can gross me out with whatever tint they wanted to then because it'd be easier to mod.



Forget modding the SC52.

To make the light shorter than earlier models, Zebralight used a single board that has both the emitter and all the driver components on it. There's no traditional star. This probably makes it impossible to do an emitter swap for the vast majority of modders on these forums even if they figure out how to remove the bezel.


----------



## Diablo_331

Yes but it can and has been done. ;-) Also for most folks that don't want to void their warranty or destroy their light trying to get it open, simple tint swatches work wonders for fine tuning the tint to your liking.


----------



## Fireclaw18

Diablo_331 said:


> Yes but it can and has been done. ;-) Also for most folks that don't want to void their warranty or destroy their light trying to get it open, simple tint swatches work wonders for fine tuning the tint to your liking.



Supposedly it's possible to remove the bezel ring without destroying the lens. Not sure how, but the guy who showed pictures of the inside of hte SC52 a year ago did it.

I'm not quite sure how to change the emitter on an SC52. I could probably disassemble it, though I might have to destroy the lens. But how do I get the emitter off the board without all the other components falling off or cooking and destroying their internal circuits? My usual technique to do an emitter swap of mounting the star on a wooden clothesclip and then holding a soldering iron underneath while lifting the emitter off with tweezers almost certainly wouldn't work.


----------



## DavidMB

It seems like the front part / lens is pressed in. I've thought that maybe the way to get it apart would be to go through the switch and then pry the front out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Lithium466

Here's a video on how to remove the bezel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOeUPCeZNyM&feature=youtu.be


----------



## shelm

i thought it was my obligation  as thread starter to ask ZL what's going on here with the discounted SC52 XM-L U3 versus the un-discounted SC52w


----------



## Swede74

shelm said:


> So basically they're using up their inventory of XM-L U3's in the back-ordered SC52's, then discontinue the SC52 XM-L U3 altogether and transit to the updated SC52.
> the new SC52 coolwhite model will not be called "SC53", sorry guys. :thumbsup:



Thanks for the info. I guess they are saving the model name "SC53" for something really exciting.


----------



## HikingMano

I was told the SC52w is to be discontinued as well, so I wonder what they're planning to change in the new version since the SC52w is already running XM-L2.


----------



## shelm

i asked ZL and they permitted to disclose their info openly:



> The SC52 and SC52w will be updated to SC52 L2 and SC52w L2. The SC52 L2 will come with an XM-L2 and a new UI similar to the H52. The SC52w L2 will come with the same XM-L2 as before but with a new UI.


----------



## Etsu

I just don't get ZL's business model. The SC52w was selling so well they couldn't keep it in stock anywhere (maybe SC52 as well). So, they discontinue it, and plan to replace it exactly the same except for a minor tweak to blinky modes in the UI? Why lose out on months of sales, just for that?


----------



## markr6

Etsu said:


> I just don't get ZL's business model. The SC52w was selling so well they couldn't keep it in stock anywhere (maybe SC52 as well). So, they discontinue it, and plan to replace it exactly the same except for a minor tweak to blinky modes in the UI? Why lose out on months of sales, just for that?



I ask myself the same things over and over. It's killing me just to know WHY! In the past they've update lights without making them "discontinued". They just noted the "upgrades" in the product description. But maybe that caused some confusion.

I'm still looking to get a nice set of SC52w with a good tint. Maybe this time around?


----------



## HikingMano

shelm said:


> i asked ZL and they permitted to disclose their info openly:



Good :thumbup: I heard about it (thought in less specific detail) from a vendor a couple of weeks ago, but wasn't sure it was for open disclosure so I kept quiet and waited for ZL to make the announcement. They said they were going to announce it by the end of this month, and have the SC52s ready for Feb. Thanks for reporting more info. 



Etsu said:


> I just don't get ZL's business model. The SC52w was selling so well they couldn't keep it in stock anywhere (maybe SC52 as well). So, they discontinue it, and plan to replace it exactly the same except for a minor tweak to blinky modes in the UI? Why lose out on months of sales, just for that?



Me neither. We'll see if the UI upgrade is more substantial for some reason. 



markr6 said:


> I ask myself the same things over and over. It's killing me just to know WHY! In the past they've update lights without making them "discontinued". They just noted the "upgrades" in the product description. But maybe that caused some confusion.
> 
> I'm still looking to get a nice set of SC52w with a good tint. Maybe this time around?



My relatively recently acquired H52w had a nice tint, so I'm hopeful.



Seriously, ZL, I have money in my pocket allocated for you, get your stuff together and let's do business...


----------



## RIX TUX

Etsu said:


> I just don't get ZL's business model. The SC52w was selling so well they couldn't keep it in stock anywhere (maybe SC52 as well). So, they discontinue it, and plan to replace it exactly the same except for a minor tweak to blinky modes in the UI? Why lose out on months of sales, just for that?


MAYBE............. there were so many problems with "tints" they wanted to start using another emitter, thus new model.


----------



## Etsu

RIX TUX said:


> MAYBE............. there were so many problems with "tints" they wanted to start using another emitter, thus new model.



Except they're still using the same emitter (XM-L2) in the SC52w, so that theory doesn't hold. If they want to improve tints, they can just check the LEDs or purchase better bins or something.


----------



## LEDburn

I am thinking the new UI is a decent amount more efficient and worth cancelling production until it is implemented. 

That's what I'm hoping anyway  I haven't had a single issue with my SC52 or SC52w so can't see any reason to change anything unless it has performance benefits..


----------



## markr6

I'm worried about the new soft switches. They said their manufacturer changed them and that's it. Very annoying when changing modes, double clicking. But I'll take a gamble on a new one to try and get a better tint.


----------



## HikingMano

markr6 said:


> I'm worried about the new soft switches. They said their manufacturer changed them and that's it. Very annoying when changing modes, double clicking. But I'll take a gamble on a new one to try and get a better tint.



Yeah, I much prefer the switch on my H51w, but I'm learning to work with the new soft switch.


----------



## DavidMB

Is it confirmed that the switch is going to be softer?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Overclocker

what's all the fuss with the softer switches. really no big deal. still just as easy to do quadruple clicks on them

still recessed so still no accidental activation


----------



## HikingMano

Overclocker said:


> what's all the fuss with the softer switches. really no big deal. still just as easy to do quadruple clicks on them
> 
> still recessed so still no accidental activation



It's subjective. I just prefer the feel/action of the older switch. Seemed like there was more control with multiple clicks. As I said though, nothing I can't adjust to.


----------



## markr6

Overclocker said:


> what's all the fuss with the softer switches. really no big deal. still just as easy to do quadruple clicks on them
> 
> still recessed so still no accidental activation



Think of a keyboard with standard keys and some newer ones that have almost no travel. Very difficult to type on. Something you have to get used to for sure. Plus the deep recess doesn't help matters; really need to get your fingertip into there. Gloves? Forget it.


----------



## Fireclaw18

markr6 said:


> Think of a keyboard with standard keys and some newer ones that have almost no travel. Very difficult to type on. Something you have to get used to for sure. Plus the deep recess doesn't help matters; really need to get your fingertip into there. Gloves? Forget it.




Maybe wait until you actually get the softer switch in hand before passing judgment.

I have multiple flashlights with soft switches including the Olight S10 (original version), and Xtar WK41. I have no problems with the softer switch. To me it doesn't feel any better or worse than the switch on my SC52 and SC52w.


----------



## RIX TUX

Fireclaw18 said:


> Maybe wait until you actually get the softer switch in hand before passing judgment.


+1.......ns


----------



## markr6

Fireclaw18 said:


> Maybe wait until you actually get the softer switch in hand before passing judgment.





RIX TUX said:


> +1.......ns



-1. What the heck are you taking about?!?! Who are you to pass judgement?!?!

I've had *FOUR* Zebralights since they confirmed the softer switch. Three of them are pretty nice (SC600wII, H600wII, H52w) but once was just way too soft (my 3rd SC52w).

Since you both live under a rock, I'll inform you these are actually out and have been for a while. Wake up and learn how to read posts before passing judgement.


----------



## RIX TUX

markr6 said:


> -1. What the heck are you taking about?!?! Who are you to pass judgement?!?!
> 
> I've had *FOUR* Zebralights since they confirmed the softer switch. Three of them are pretty nice (SC600wII, H600wII, H52w) but once was just way too soft (my 3rd SC52w).
> 
> Since you both live under a rock, I'll inform you these are actually out and have been for a while. Wake up and learn how to read posts before passing judgement.


why worry about it till it happens? wait till the new light is out
I have *T W O* zl and they feel different but I'm not crying, if it was unbearable I would have sent it back. Maybe your softie should have been returned. If it's too late send it to me, I can handle it (because not much room to move my fingers living under this rock)


----------



## markr6

RIX TUX said:


> why worry about it till it happens? wait till the new light is out
> I have *T W O* zl and they feel different but I'm not crying, if it was unbearable I would have sent it back. Maybe your softie should have been returned. If it's too late send it to me, I can handle it (because not much room to move my fingers living under this rock)



[my apologies for the negative personal attack if anyone read it here] but I'll continue the rest as posted:

I did send it back!! READ! And it ALREADY DID HAPPEN. I'm saying I hope it's not a permanent change. Wow


----------



## RIX TUX

markr6 said:


> [my apologies for the negative personal attack if anyone read it here] but I'll continue the rest as posted:
> 
> I did send it back!! READ! And it ALREADY DID HAPPEN. I'm saying I hope it's not a permanent change. Wow


its a forum - giving your opinion is fine
1900 posts on this forum - read them all? no thanks


----------



## markr6

RIX TUX said:


> its a forum - giving your opinion is fine
> 1900 posts on this forum - read them all? no thanks



Come on now, we're obviously talking about this thread, not all 1900. Don't get upset just because I'm right. Let's get back on track with this SC52(w).


----------



## RIX TUX

markr6 said:


> Come on now, we're obviously talking about this thread, not all 1900. Don't get upset just because I'm right. Let's get back on track with this SC52(w).


I don't think opinions can be right or wrong but if you want somebody to tell you you're right then I can give you a daily affirmation quote from Stuart Smalley "I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!".........but back to the switch, how do other ZL owners feel about the firmness of the switch? too soft/ok/too hard?


----------



## shelm

SC52L2
SC52wL2

are both available now on the ZL site for pre-order


----------



## Stefano

shelm said:


> SC52L2
> SC52wL2
> 
> are both available now on the ZL site for pre-order




New UI - strobo-beacon removed from H Levels.
"Beacon-strobe mode can be accessed from 3 short-clicks when the light is Off"


----------



## Overclocker

as expected no PID

though i was half-expecting to see a gradual ramp down that seems to be the fashionable thing these days

still a very welcome incremental upgrade

time to sell my sc52w


----------



## pjandyho

Overclocker said:


> time to sell my sc52w


You are probably kidding, but just asking if it is worth it selling the SC52w just for an incremental improvement? As for myself, I love my SC52w and I don't bother about blinkies so this new upgrade is pointless to me. I still like having to cycle through all my output levels by clicking through. 3 clicks to low and that's it. Fast and precise.


----------



## cyclesport

I'm uninterested in the new UI but am hoping the key upgrade on these new SCs is not listed in the specs...but is the much improved tint as seen in the new H52w/XM-L2 4400k and reported in some of ZL's newer 18650 lights. The new H52w *(also listed as XM-L2 4400k) is completely absent of the yellow/green tint of current gen SC52/SC52ws as is much closer to the Nichia 219. Fingers crossed.


----------



## Overclocker

pjandyho said:


> You are probably kidding, but just asking if it is worth it selling the SC52w just for an incremental improvement? As for myself, I love my SC52w and I don't bother about blinkies so this new upgrade is pointless to me. I still like having to cycle through all my output levels by clicking through. 3 clicks to low and that's it. Fast and precise.




no i'm not kidding. for me it plugs that hole between medium and MAX that is otherwise occupied by strobe 

but first i have to verify that strobe is now FULL POWER on 14500. if it is then i'm definitely selling. in case you haven't noticed strobe is about half power on sc52/w


----------



## Etsu

Yes, completely worthless UI change. And since there was no other change to the light, it was a stupid decision to take the SC52w off the market for a couple of months.

IMO, I'd rather the UI changed so that
- 1 short click to "low"
- 2 short clicks to "medium"
- 3 short clicks to "high"
- 4 short clicks to strobe (or just get rid of it), the battery indicator function is useless anyway

Keep the "press and hold" the way it is now, so that you can get back to low in a single press.

This change would prevent accidental turning on to "high" in the middle of the night.

And if they wanted to make it even more programmable, allow us to program in ANY mode in each of the 3 slots. That way, I could program in 2 different moonlight modes, and a high, for example.

A *real *UI change would have made sense. This one they're doing is useless.


----------



## markr6

Etsu said:


> IMO, I'd rather the UI changed so that
> - 1 short click to "low"
> - 2 short clicks to "medium"
> - 3 short clicks to "high"
> - 4 short clicks to strobe (or just get rid of it), the battery indicator function is useless anyway
> 
> Keep the "press and hold" the way it is now, so that you can get back to low in a single press.



I like your UI Etsu. But I'm also fine with the way it is. I would still want the battery indicator, so I'm not sure where that would leave the strobe. I guess one or the other. Or maybe 5 clicks for indicator since it's probably not used so often.


----------



## Etsu

markr6 said:


> I would still want the battery indicator.



Do you find it any use? On an Eneloop, whenever I use it, it either shows "4 flashes", or "1 flash". That is, it's rather useless for telling me my battery is 50% drained. Maybe mine is defective, or maybe it works better with lithium-ion cells.


----------



## HikingMano

I like the 1 click to high or off, and the press and hold to cycle from hold. When I want high, I want it NOW, I don't want to fuss with click timing or over-clicking if (for example) in a stress situation. My low and medium are utility modes for me and I usually use the cycle feature to select; they're not cases when I need the quickest and simplest activation, if that makes sense. 1 short click activating the light into low rather than high would annoy me in a light with this sort of potential output. I like the simplest activation to be low level for my keychain lights (one short click, first activation on twisty, etc.). With regards to accidental activation at high in the middle of the night, if I deliberately want to keep the light low and it's a potential for an accidental high, I just activate the light with the bezel against my thigh. As for battery indicator, I'd find it more useful if it put out a voltage reading rather than arbitrary scale. I like the battery indicator on my Nitecore EA4w. 

Just shows you how subjective light UI preferences are. Different strokes for different folks. Now Etsu's suggestion for programmable modes would suit everyone, everyone willing to program levels anyway 

I agree though that the UI change was not enough to take the SC52w off the market. It just annoyed potential customers like myself.


----------



## markr6

HikingMano said:


> I like the 1 click to high or off, and the press and hold to cycle from hold. When I want high, I want it NOW, I don't want to fuss with click timing or over-clicking if (for example) in a stress situation. My low and medium are utility modes for me and I usually use the cycle feature to select; they're not cases when I need the quickest and simplest activation, if that makes sense. 1 short click activating the light into low rather than high would annoy me in a light with this sort of potential output. I like the simplest activation to be low level for my keychain lights (one short click, first activation on twisty, etc.). With regards to accidental activation at high in the middle of the night, if I deliberately want to keep the light low and it's a potential for an accidental high, I just activate the light with the bezel against my thigh. As for battery indicator, I'd find it more useful if it put out a voltage reading rather than arbitrary scale. I like the battery indicator on my Nitecore EA4w.
> 
> Just shows you how subjective light UI preferences are. Different strokes for different folks. Now Etsu's suggestion for programmable modes would suit everyone, everyone willing to program levels anyway
> 
> I agree though that the UI change was not enough to take the SC52w off the market. It just annoyed potential customers like myself.



All good points. The subjective preference shows on many twisty lights as well (H-M-L, L-M-H, M-L-H) which makes it impossible to satisfy everyone. Most times I wish my L10 started in high so I don't have to keep twisting; other times I like it starting on low. That's why I keep coming back to Zebralights for the option to chose where it starts.

Regarding "discontinuing" the SC52(w), maybe it does make some sense to flush out the old models so resellers could start stocking the new ones without having a big mix of both? Not saying that would work though.


----------



## pjandyho

Overclocker said:


> no i'm not kidding. for me it plugs that hole between medium and MAX that is otherwise occupied by strobe
> 
> but first i have to verify that strobe is now FULL POWER on 14500. if it is then i'm definitely selling. in case you haven't noticed strobe is about half power on sc52/w


No I never did realize it maybe largely because I don't use strobe and never really can be bothered about it. Now that you mentioned, I do realized what you said is true. Just to make myself clear, I am not saying strobe is completely useless, I was saying that it is of no use to me so the new UI is nothing of importance to me.


----------



## pjandyho

HikingMano said:


> I like the 1 click to high or off, and the press and hold to cycle from hold. When I want high, I want it NOW, I don't want to fuss with click timing or over-clicking if (for example) in a stress situation. My low and medium are utility modes for me and I usually use the cycle feature to select; they're not cases when I need the quickest and simplest activation, if that makes sense. 1 short click activating the light into low rather than high would annoy me in a light with this sort of potential output. I like the simplest activation to be low level for my keychain lights (one short click, first activation on twisty, etc.). With regards to accidental activation at high in the middle of the night, if I deliberately want to keep the light low and it's a potential for an accidental high, I just activate the light with the bezel against my thigh. As for battery indicator, I'd find it more useful if it put out a voltage reading rather than arbitrary scale. I like the battery indicator on my Nitecore EA4w.
> 
> Just shows you how subjective light UI preferences are. Different strokes for different folks. Now Etsu's suggestion for programmable modes would suit everyone, everyone willing to program levels anyway
> 
> I agree though that the UI change was not enough to take the SC52w off the market. It just annoyed potential customers like myself.


Yes I like this setup as you have mentioned. I prefer one click to high although I won't even be using my lights for any tactical situation. I am quite happy with the current UI setup.


----------



## Impulses

Hah, figures they'd come out with L2 a week after I buy my SC52... No big deal I guess, won't be out for another month and I didn't pay $64 for mine either. Quick question though, I'd verify it myself but I'm ashamed to say I don't have the SC52 with me atm. 

Did they actually add a double click to medium shortcut? Or is that just a rephrasing of something they already had? Like I said, I've only had mine a few days was I'm not super familiar with it yet, I'd mostly been accessing low/medium thru press and hold and didn't even remember you could actually click thru to medium and low after turning it on...

I guess my question is, does double click on the current model take you straight to medium or does it just go high then medium or high then off? I imagine they had to rephrase that part of the instructions anyway since the third click is for blinkies now.

I think their UI is pretty logical, more customization would be great but anything more than a single or double click for max would be a step back IMO. As it is, I wish there was a shortcut to high when it's already on...


----------



## Etsu

Impulses said:


> Did they actually add a double click to medium shortcut?



The new version will be the same as the old, I presume. Double-click will activate medium, with the minor annoyance that you get a brief flash on high until that double-click is finished. IMO, this is one other reason why I'd prefer a short click to be "low".... that would eliminate the "high" preflash when selecting medium. I just press and hold for medium, though, to stop the pre-flash.


----------



## HikingMano

markr6 said:


> [...] Most times I wish my L10 started in high so I don't have to keep twisting; other times I like it starting on low. [...]



Yeah, me too. Sometimes I regret going 4-mode instead of 3-mode too. Hard to know you've twisted far enough for activation when you can't see the sub-lumen mode in any little bit of ambient light. I'm always worried I'll crush the battery or wear out the pad too soon. 



markr6 said:


> [...]Regarding "discontinuing" the SC52(w), maybe it does make some sense to flush out the old models so resellers could start stocking the new ones without having a big mix of both? Not saying that would work though.



Could be. It certainly does avoid confusion, though a good seller would just make a note even if they carried both models. Oh well, I'm just happy to be able to snag one finally 



pjandyho said:


> Yes I like this setup as you have mentioned. I prefer one click to high although I won't even be using my lights for any tactical situation. I am quite happy with the current UI setup.



Yeah, I don't really use em in any tactical way either, I just do a lot of walking/running/hiking at night where I want the simplest activation for the highest mode (spot an animal, alert a car/cyclists, check for trail, etc). 

Anyway, can't wait to get mine!


----------



## HikingMano

Etsu said:


> [...] I just press and hold for medium, though, to stop the pre-flash.



Same here :thumbup:

I'll check it out on my H52w when I get home though. I don't remember if there's a pre-flash when double-clicking to medium.


----------



## HikingMano

One more thing:

Don't know if it showed it this morning, but the last time I checked the ZL site just listed it as "in-stock". Now the list it as "Pre-order" AND have provided a estimated ship date of 2/27/14. Bit farther away than I was hoping, but oh well. Patience is a virtue I suppose.


I will say that it's nice that both my H52w and soon SC52w-L2 will both be using the same UI. Easier to keep things straight, especially considering all the other niche lights I have, haha. My hope is that these two should cover a majority of my uses.


----------



## crazyk4952

Etsu said:


> Do you find it any use? On an Eneloop, whenever I use it, it either shows "4 flashes", or "1 flash". That is, it's rather useless for telling me my battery is 50% drained. Maybe mine is defective, or maybe it works better with lithium-ion cells.



I have this problem too. I also found that Eneloop batteries were not lasting as long per charge as I thought they should in my SC52. So, I switched to using lithium primaries. While they are more expensive, I find that I get significantly more runtime when compared to the Eneloops in this light. They are also noticeably lighter in weight, which is nice.

I rarely use the light for long periods of time, and I probably end of changing the battery every 2-3 months. So, the extra expense isn't much more for my usage.


----------



## mcantu

can someone describe the tint of the SC52w? its supposed to be a neutral tint (4400k) but i keep seeing people here referring to it as warm


----------



## wings400

I have the H52w which uses the same led, and mine is nice warm, but not too warm. The tint is very lovely, I like it more than my other "neutrals". Best tinted flashlight I have.


----------



## cyclesport

wings400 said:


> I have the H52w which uses the same led, and mine is nice warm, but not too warm. The tint is very lovely, I like it more than my other "neutrals". Best tinted flashlight I have.



Even though ZL lists the SC52w and H52w as the same XM-L2 4400k emitter they are vastly different. The current SC52w on most peoples light is a very yellow/green almost, IMO, in the 3700-4000k range, whereas the H52w is *great* (in mine and others posted also)...slight rose tint (219 like) almost perfect neutral, neither warm nor cool. I've posted about this several times but my hope is the new UI version SC52ws will be very similar to the H52w.


----------



## HikingMano

wings400 said:


> I have the H52w which uses the same led, and mine is nice warm, but not too warm. The tint is very lovely, I like it more than my other "neutrals". Best tinted flashlight I have.



Same here. I can try and snap some comparison shots with L10 Nichia 219 later. Hope the SC52w-L2 will be the same.


----------



## Etsu

crazyk4952 said:


> I have this problem too. I also found that Eneloop batteries were not lasting as long per charge as I thought they should in my SC52. So, I switched to using lithium primaries. While they are more expensive, I find that I get significantly more runtime when compared to the Eneloops in this light.



Yeah, you have to take ZL's claims of output and run time with a grain of salt. I'm not impressed by the run time on an Eneloop either, so I generally stick to High2B or lower output, which gives decent run times. I didn't get it for a bright light, and since I mainly just use it around the house, replacing a battery is no problem. It would be nice if their battery indicator wasn't useless, though.


----------



## twl

Where's the "No, I'm not looking into it, nor am I buying it" selection in the poll?


----------



## Impulses

HikingMano said:


> Same here :thumbup:
> 
> I'll check it out on my H52w when I get home though. I don't remember if there's a pre-flash when double-clicking to medium.



There is on my SC52, even tho you have to double click pretty fast to begin with. I'd be curious if there is one on the new model where it's explicitly suggested as a double click shortcut, probably.


----------



## Mr Floppy

Etsu said:


> it was a stupid decision to take the SC52w off the market for a couple of months.



It's called Just in time production. Makes more sense to me since a new model is coming out. I imagine that some stock will make it back to the discontinued listings page, probably from re-sellers.


----------



## HikingMano

Impulses said:


> There is on my SC52, even tho you have to double click pretty fast to begin with. I'd be curious if there is one on the new model where it's explicitly suggested as a double click shortcut, probably.



Well, I just checked my H52w, and it has a high preflash when double-clicking to medium. So assuming the SC52w-L2 uses the exact same UI, then one can expect a pre-flash. No biggie for me, I prefer to press&hold to cycle from low.


----------



## Overclocker

Mr Floppy said:


> It's called Just in time production. Makes more sense to me since a new model is coming out. I imagine that some stock will make it back to the discontinued listings page, probably from re-sellers.



exactly! JIT. zebra's a small outfit with a niche market. dealers won't be happy to be stuck with a bunch of unsold old models.


----------



## Fireclaw18

HikingMano said:


> Well, I just checked my H52w, and it has a high preflash when double-clicking to medium. So assuming the SC52w-L2 uses the exact same UI, then one can expect a pre-flash. No biggie for me, I prefer to press&hold to cycle from low.



If they didn't have the preflash, then whenever you single-clicked to high mode there would be a half or 1 second pause at medium before the light went to max.

The most used modes for flashlights are Minimum and Maximum. It doesn't make sense to sacrifice functionality at max mode just to get slightly better functionality at much less used medium. Especially when there's already a way to get to medium mode without the preflash.


----------



## Overclocker

actually there's a simple way for zebra to avoid the flash issue. i've elaborated on this on another thread. probably just a few more lines of code. but they haven't implemented it yet

upon releasing the button the first time simply make the flashlight go to MED instead of HI. then wait for another click, if yes then stay at MED. if none then proceed to HI. 

simple. and even gives it a pseudo soft start which is nice


----------



## Etsu

Overclocker said:


> exactly! JIT. zebra's a small outfit with a niche market. dealers won't be happy to be stuck with a bunch of unsold old models.



I'm not aware of ANY dealers that have the old SC52w in stock, nor have had it in stock for the past month or two! Stopping production on it for nothing more than a useless UI change was a stupid business decision. I had ordered one, didn't get it, and now I've moved on. My window for buying it (around Christmas) has passed. I'm sure they've lost a lot of sales permanently, because people couldn't get it when they wanted it.

I like the lights that ZL designs. The company, however, needs a lot of improvement. Sales, service, warranty, inventory, quality control... it's all bad. But again, before I'm accused of being a hater, I like the ZL's I have. They're not my favorite light, but they're up there.


----------



## Overclocker

Etsu said:


> I'm not aware of ANY dealers that have the old SC52w in stock, nor have had it in stock for the past month or two! Stopping production on it for nothing more than a useless UI change was a stupid business decision. I had ordered one, didn't get it, and now I've moved on. My window for buying it (around Christmas) has passed. I'm sure they've lost a lot of sales permanently, because people couldn't get it when they wanted it.
> 
> I like the lights that ZL designs. The company, however, needs a lot of improvement. Sales, service, warranty, inventory, quality control... it's all bad. But again, before I'm accused of being a hater, I like the ZL's I have. They're not my favorite light, but they're up there.




well you sort of have a point, but they know they can get away with all this because they know that they have the technological lead. the sc52w really has no true competitor

btw i wouldn't be surprised if they only build one model at a time. so they really had to halt sc52 production in order to make the Sc600 Mk2 L2 and H600 Mk2 with the PID awesomeness


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Got the newsletter about the L2 SC52. Says it is current regulated, not PID?


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Guessing that The SC52 L2 does not have PID because it doesn't have that much capacity to sustain the high setting, therefore not needing temperature regulation?


----------



## RIX TUX

Etsu said:


> I'm sure they've lost a lot of sales permanently, because people couldn't get it when they wanted it.


lose sales.....lol.....they always sell out of a new model, they lose nothing


----------



## SonnyJim

Did anyone else like the tint of the H502d High CRI Daylight version? I think it's awesome, and I'm wondering why there's no Daylight version of the SC52. I've got one of those unfortunately tinted green/yellow SC52w (supposedly neutral).


----------



## Etsu

RIX TUX said:


> lose sales.....lol.....they always sell out of a new model, they lose nothing



You can laugh all you want, but selling to 1000 customers is better than selling to 1.

They should either raise their prices to make more profit on the limited lights they do sell, or they should make more lights and sell more of them for greater revenue. IMO, they can't raise their prices too much, or they would price themselves out of the market entirely. But they could make a whole lot more money if they simply made more lights available.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

My retailer described the ZL lack of flashlights for sale as a production problem. It is so easy for us to say "Make more flashlights" but quite another to actually do it. I'm guessing that these little babies push the limits in some ways yet ZL tries to sell at a competitive price. It could be the factory is trying to go as cheap as possible, while still meeting ZL's specs. Does anyone know how U.S. ZL production is going? Are there production hiccups happening stateside or is it a China thing?


----------



## Grizzman

Yes, I really like the tint and light pattern of my H502D. I like it so much I ordered a second one.


----------



## Mr Floppy

Etsu said:


> I'm sure they've lost a lot of sales permanently, because people couldn't get it when they wanted it.



How sure are you? There are a lot of assumptions being made here, I'll add my own. ZL often makes revisions, updates and improvements. In the case of the H51w, I was waiting for the updated version 3. I held off until I could be sure that I got the version 3, and I assume so did many others. Stockists had much stock they couldn't shift without discounting, some people got version 2 and sent them back. ZL would have projected the number of units they were going to sell before the next revision so the only the criticism is that perhaps they under estimated the popularity. 

The question is though whether to sell out of current stock or be left with unsold stock


----------



## HikingMano

Fireclaw18 said:


> If they didn't have the preflash, then whenever you single-clicked to high mode there would be a half or 1 second pause at medium before the light went to max.
> 
> The most used modes for flashlights are Minimum and Maximum. It doesn't make sense to sacrifice functionality at max mode just to get slightly better functionality at much less used medium. Especially when there's already a way to get to medium mode without the preflash.



Agreed, I'm fine with it.


----------



## RIX TUX

Etsu said:


> You can laugh all you want, but selling to 1000 customers is better than selling to 1.
> 
> They should either raise their prices to make more profit on the limited lights they do sell, or they should make more lights and sell more of them for greater revenue. IMO, they can't raise their prices too much, or they would price themselves out of the market entirely. But they could make a whole lot more money if they simply made more lights available.


if they sell more lights the quality might go down


----------



## RIX TUX

KITROBASKIN said:


> My retailer described the ZL lack of flashlights for sale as a production problem. It is so easy for us to say "Make more flashlights" but quite another to actually do it. I'm guessing that these little babies push the limits in some ways yet ZL tries to sell at a competitive price. It could be the factory is trying to go as cheap as possible, while still meeting ZL's specs. Does anyone know how U.S. ZL production is going? Are there production hiccups happening stateside or is it a China thing?


they are made in China, designed and engineered in the U.S


----------



## e-tom

I think ZL didn't stop production of older model. They just produce a batch of one flashlight, then another. It's common in electronics production.


----------



## LEDburn

cyclesport said:


> Even though ZL lists the SC52w and H52w as the same XM-L2 4400k emitter they are vastly different. The current SC52w on most peoples light is a very yellow/green almost, IMO, in the 3700-4000k range, whereas the H52w is *great* (in mine and others posted also)...slight rose tint (219 like) almost perfect neutral, neither warm nor cool. I've posted about this several times but my hope is the new UI version SC52ws will be very similar to the H52w.



My SC52w isn't that bad. I used to think it was great but when I got my first H52fw I instantly noticed how much better than the SC52w looked! As others have said, a nice rose tint. 

The H52fw started playing up so I contacted ZL about returning it. In the meantime while it is away I decided to buy another one, got it from Illumination Supply and it arrived in Australia about a week after I ordered using the cheapest shipping!! Funnily enough the first one stopped playing up about a day or so before the new one arrived and continues to run ok so will hold off on sending it back but will use it and keep an eye on it. 

The best part now, other than having a spare light, is that the new one has an even nicer tint again! This all reminds me of the Quark days when David was doing all the limited warm and neutral runs and you would buy several of the same light and find all the tints were different, pick the best and sell the rest. I just ordered another SC52w hoping the tint is alike my H models and now wonder should I have bought more? Sure as hell wont have trouble selling the ones that didn't make the cut..


----------



## marinemaster

Etsu said:


> You can laugh all you want, but selling to 1000 customers is better than selling to 1.
> 
> They should either raise their prices to make more profit on the limited lights they do sell, or they should make more lights and sell more of them for greater revenue. IMO, they can't raise their prices too much, or they would price themselves out of the market entirely. But they could make a whole lot more money if they simply made more lights available.



"Limited lights they do sell" do you have hard numbers to prove or disprove that statement ?


----------



## markr6

LEDburn said:


> I just ordered another SC52w hoping the tint is alike my H models and now wonder should I have bought more? Sure as hell wont have trouble selling the ones that didn't make the cut..



I tried that and they were ALL different, unfortunately. But yes, you can always sell them if YOU are not happy with it. Some people don't care as much about tints.

On a related matter, I guess I can ease up a bit on the bad tints Zebralight is getting. I just received my EagleTac G25C2 neutral white. It is JUST as green as my greenest SC52w. We all know cree emitters vary, but with such bad luck with Zebralight I always hoped it was just an isolated reel/manufacturer. Obviously not


----------



## markr6

Remember, the SC52 can run on *1xAAA* too! Obviously not your first choice though.


----------



## Etsu

I'd never use alkaleaks. AA Eneloop is my prefered energy source. The Sc52 manages a little over 200 OTF real lumens on a single Eneloop, so the format isn't too wimpy.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

marinemaster said:


> Is not necessary about the light itself, is about what powers it... Thankfully the SC62d is around the corner.



Yes Sir. You got that right.


----------



## duckied

I guess some people like how aa/14500 lights are thinner vs cr123 light, not always the case. Its more available and cheaper. I probably can go to pretty much anyone house and find a aa battery if needed. I run a 14500 li-ion on my d25a. But its nice to know if it dies, it be easier to find some backup that will work in it. That format IMO is the best type for edc.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


----------



## Norm

Off Topic and bickering posts have been deleted - Norm


----------



## KITROBASKIN

I thought we would see more enthusiasm for the new XML2 emitter in the excellent SC52.


----------



## Fireclaw18

KITROBASKIN said:


> ...
> 
> I thought we would see more enthusiasm for the new XML2 emitter in the excellent SC52.



I own both an SC52 and SC52w. 

I'm all about neutral tints these days so never use the SC52. The SC52w already has an XM-L2 so won't see any gain in brightness.

Upgrading to an SC52w L2 doesn't seem worth it as it's using the same emitter and has the same output. The only upgrades seem to be minor tweaks to the driver UI (triple click for strobe), and the addition of potted electronics. These changes aren't sufficient to me to warrant spending the cost to upgrade.


----------



## kaichu dento

Fireclaw18 said:


> Upgrading to an SC52w L2 doesn't seem worth it as it's using the same emitter and has the same output. The only upgrades seem to be minor tweaks to the driver UI (triple click for strobe), and the addition of potted electronics. These changes aren't sufficient to me to warrant spending the cost to upgrade.


For me the strobe addition is a downgrade.


----------



## Fireclaw18

kaichu dento said:


> For me the strobe addition is a downgrade.



I don't like strobes unless they're out of the way.

The new triple-click for strobe sounds fine to me. It's still possible to shortcut to moonlight, medium and max without having to click through the strobe.


----------



## Etsu

Fireclaw18 said:


> I don't like strobes unless they're out of the way.
> 
> The new triple-click for strobe sounds fine to me. It's still possible to shortcut to moonlight, medium and max without having to click through the strobe.



I've screwed up the mode too many times, while getting up in the middle of the night. Short-click... damn! High! Click again... and again! Double-damn, now that registered as a double click and I'm at High1 instead of High2. Crap..! Click for off a bunch of times....! God knows what mode I'm in now! Where's my moonlight?!?!?!!

I know it sounds stupid, but when you're barely awake it's easy enough to screw up. What I don't want, is some triple click that would activate STROBE in the middle of the night by mistake!!!!

I do wish that they would make the short-click go to low. Far less likely to screw up that way. I understand it's designed so that the panic click will put it in high. However, it's such a small and floody light that its really not that much use outdoors. It's main use is around the house, where you don't need a panic mode, and certainly not a strobe.

Perhaps in some of ZL's more powerful lights, the panic click to high or strobe makes more sense.


----------



## kaichu dento

Fireclaw18 said:


> I don't like strobes unless they're out of the way.
> 
> The new triple-click for strobe sounds fine to me. It's still possible to shortcut to moonlight, medium and max without having to click through the strobe.


That's my point, it's not out of the way with three clicks.

If I'm the only one who liked the older excellent interface then I'll be surprised, but while I have no plans of getting rid of my present light, I'd much rather lose the strobe. To me, they went and broke what wasn't broken to begin with in an awkward attempt to improve it. 

Zebralight will always be to me a company with too many great ideas which are often at odds with each other.


----------



## Bill S.

Etsu said:


> I've screwed up the mode too many times, while getting up in the middle of the night. Short-click... damn! High! Click again... and again! Double-damn, now that registered as a double click and I'm at High1 instead of High2. Crap..! Click for off a bunch of times....! God knows what mode I'm in now! Where's my moonlight?!?!?!!
> 
> I know it sounds stupid, but when you're barely awake it's easy enough to screw up. What I don't want, is some triple click that would activate STROBE in the middle of the night by mistake!!!!
> 
> I do wish that they would make the short-click go to low. Far less likely to screw up that way. I understand it's designed so that the panic click will put it in high. However, it's such a small and floody light that its really not that much use outdoors. It's main use is around the house, where you don't need a panic mode, and certainly not a strobe.
> 
> Perhaps in some of ZL's more powerful lights, the panic click to high or strobe makes more sense.



Not stupid at all. Very relevant in real-world use. That's why I use the 4-mode L10 as my nightstand light. One twist to moonlight, no blinding. No midnight disco. With the Nichia it is sweet.


----------



## Fireclaw18

Bill S. said:


> Not stupid at all. Very relevant in real-world use. That's why I use the 4-mode L10 as my nightstand light. One twist to moonlight, no blinding. No midnight disco. With the Nichia it is sweet.



Spark SF3 has a decent interface: It comes on in whichever mode you left it in last other than turbo. If you hold the button down it will jump to moonlight mode before cycling up. Double-click to get to turbo mode which is not remembered. Pretty much the only modes I use no it are turbo and moonlight. So the interface becomes single click for moonlight and double-click for turbo. Pretty easy and much easier to avoid the zebralight blast-o-light when getting up in the middle of the night.

Another light with a good interface is the Olight S10 L2: Hold down the button and it comes on in moonlight. Double-click it for turbo. Single-click turns to whichever intermediate mode you last used.


----------



## twl

I just don't understand how these problems could occur.
I have read almost unlimited numbers of assurances that ZL has the "worlds best user interface" which is "universally loved". Surely it couldn't have these issues.


----------



## kaichu dento

twl said:


> I just don't understand how these problems could occur.
> I have read almost unlimited numbers of assurances that ZL has the "worlds best user interface" which is "universally loved". Surely it couldn't have these issues.


The now defunct LiteFlux had about as perfect a UI as has been come up with to date, but Zebralight still has a very good UI and one of the best things they could do is to not fiddle with it too much.

I'm not going to get rid of my light any time soon, but the strobe surprise is one I could have done without.


----------



## burntoshine

I love the idea of adding the 3-click to access the blinky modes;specifically for the beacon. I like it on my H600w mkII and wish it was on my '52w. I understand why some don't like it. But for some reason I am quite fond of low level beacons and think the 3-click is ideal.

Getting into moonmode is not a problem for me. There have been a couple times that I held it a bit too short and accidentally got max, but just a couple. One thing I do is point the light into my leg or hand or table top when double clicking for medium, so I don't get a high-flash. I do the same for getting into moonmode when it's important; for instance, to not disturb the wifey when she's sleeping. However, I don't use the '52w very much for moonmoding around the house. For that I mostly use my Sunwayman (limited edition) high-cri V11r because it can adjust to whatever low level I want. There's just too much of a gap between the lows on the '52 and I find myself wanting a level in between when I'm navigating out of bed. The V11r solves that problem and with a better tint. My better half wakes up later than me, so I need a variety of low levels and sometimes the moonmode is just a little too dim. 

Don't get me wrong, I love my '52w, but it's not my everything light.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

twl said:


> I just don't understand how these problems could occur.
> I have read almost unlimited numbers of assurances that ZL has the "worlds best user interface" which is "universally loved". Surely it couldn't have these issues.



I virtually never double click or triple click in most uses. It is an extra hold for a short moment to get to moonlight, and continue to hold to cycle through the different levels. The quick press from off is ideal for me to access full brightness when in the field. Do I sometimes make a mistake? Yes, but the system itself is worth it.

Laughing Rabbit Inc.(?) created the "Freedom" circuitry in the 90's(?) for the Photon Freedom Microlight. That user interface is almost as quick as ZL's. One click on for full, hold to ramp down the brightness from full on. Or, with the light off, hold to ramp up in brightness; plus the other features it has.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

kaichu dento said:


> The now defunct LiteFlux had about as perfect a UI as has been come up with to date...



Could you describe that LiteFlux UI?


----------



## Etsu

Bill S. said:


> Not stupid at all. Very relevant in real-world use. That's why I use the 4-mode L10 as my nightstand light. One twist to moonlight, no blinding. No midnight disco. With the Nichia it is sweet.



I used my L10 for awhile as well. I liked its dim moonlight mode. But, I find that twisting is too awkward in the middle of the night when mostly asleep. So, I've gone back to one of my Quarks. The moonlight is brighter, but still dim enough to not trigger any "wake up" receptors in my eyes. As long as you don't mess with the head setting of the Quarks, you can't screw up, and one-handed is pretty easy when mostly asleep.


----------



## Mr Floppy

KITROBASKIN said:


> Could you describe that LiteFlux UI?



Complicated. 

Here's a flowchart that may though. http://franzdom.net/px/fl/lights/lf2xt-flow.pdf. Whether it is the best, in my opinion, is up for debate. The ZL interface is much easier to learn and get a hang of.


----------



## kaichu dento

Mr Floppy said:


> Complicated.
> 
> Here's a flowchart that may though. http://franzdom.net/px/fl/lights/lf2xt-flow.pdf. Whether it is the best, in my opinion, is up for debate. The ZL interface is much easier to learn and get a hang of.


Not complicated.

Don't want to go too far into the comparison with other UI's again here, but the LFxXT UI in the CUI mode was the easiest UI of all and the above linked chart is very misleading in making it look more complicated than it was.

The more we talk about SC52's the more I want to get one, but is there one that doesn't have the three clicks to strobe mode?

(I've weighed in on the UI issue here because I have the same UI in my SC600w mkII L2)


----------



## Impulses

twl said:


> I just don't understand how these problems could occur.
> I have read almost unlimited numbers of assurances that ZL has the "worlds best user interface" which is "universally loved". Surely it couldn't have these issues.



Do I sense some sarcasm?  Can't please everyone, moonlight isn't everyone's top priority, and some people will even appreciate quicker acces to strobes and blinkies... Though I'd argue something like an Eagletac Clicky is still better suited for that (with a high/tactical mode accessible thru a head twist).

Personally ZL's UI is still my favorite one button UI, though I'm not too picky, Olight's Baton series works just as well for me... They're pretty similar, they've just got mode memory and high/turbo is bumped off to the double click. Moonlight and cycling is similar, you just don't get the abundance of modes that ZL provides.

I would think that if you really need to use a light while half asleep on a daily basis it'd be easier to just get a single or dual mode light that starts off on moonlight... The SC52 is powerful enough even if not a big thrower that I appreciate quick access to max. It's pretty hard to say what the majority would favor, even if you ran a poll here you're only sampling a small enthusiastic subset of the market.


----------



## Impulses

kaichu dento said:


> The more we talk about SC52's the more I want to get one, but is there one that doesn't have the three clicks to strobe mode?



AFAIK the only one with a triple click to disco shortcut is the new unreleased model. The one I received from Illumination Supply certainly doesn't have this... Only way to access the blinking modes out of the box is to double click like half a dozen times while on high, at which point you could turn it off to program it as a secondary high.

Edit: I was wrong, apparently they've already implemented this triple click shortcut on some of the H headlamps. The remaining SC52 stock (@ Illumination Supply?) definitely doesn't have it tho, I imagine all stores will start labeling new stock as SC52 L2 or whatever ZL's calling it, at least I'd hope so.


----------



## Bill S.

The EagleTac D25C Clicky is also a great nightstand light. I have a couple of them and they're no-fumble single click to moonlight. A very ample pocket carry, too. My preferred edc.


----------



## Fireclaw18

Bill S. said:


> The EagleTac D25C Clicky is also a great nightstand light. I have a couple of them and they're no-fumble single click to moonlight. A very ample pocket carry, too. My preferred edc.



... for those who don't have a partner. If you have a partner and you need a light with moonlight mode to use to discretely visit the bathroom in the middle of the light you should steer clear of the D25C... its switch has a very loud click which which will probably wake your partner up.


----------



## kaichu dento

Impulses said:


> I would think that if you really need to use a light while half asleep on a daily basis it'd be easier to just get a single or dual mode light that starts off on moonlight... The SC52 is powerful enough even if not a big thrower that I appreciate quick access to max. It's pretty hard to say what the majority would favor, even if you ran a poll here you're only sampling a small enthusiastic subset of the market.


Don't try too hard to discount the preferences of others, especially since your recommendations leave a lot to be desired for most of the people you're grouping together on the singular point of love for moonlight modes.

All your points really are valid, and so are those of others as well.


Impulses said:


> AFAIK the only one with a triple click to disco shortcut is the new unreleased model.


You forgot to include the SC600w mkII L2 I've got in my hand that came to me through the MarketPlace from MarkR.

While this is the SC52 thread, they share the same UI and what I have now for a UI is what others soon will have in their newer 'updated' Zebralights. I love this light, I love this UI, but just as with all the other lights and UI's I have and love, it's still not perfect and though we accept the limitations of reality, we still hold out hope.
That's what makes all these conversations so valuable.


----------



## markr6

kaichu dento said:


> All your points really are valid, and so are those of others as well.
> You forgot to include the SC600w mkII L2 I've got in my hand that came to me through the MarketPlace from MarkR.



Hope you're liking the SC600w II!

I use mine a lot, along with my SC52w. I may get an SC52w L2 for the new interface just to "match" my SC600w II, and maybe sell the current SC52w. As for the triple click, I NEVER used that to get into low. And I never have a need for strobes, so for me it really doesn't matter.


----------



## Impulses

kaichu dento said:


> Don't try too hard to discount the preferences of others, especially since your recommendations leave a lot to be desired for most of the people you're grouping together on the singular point of love for moonlight modes.
> 
> All your points really are valid, and so are those of others as well.
> You forgot to include the SC600w mkII L2 I've got in my hand that came to me through the MarketPlace from MarkR.
> 
> While this is the SC52 thread, they share the sameUI and what I have now for a UI is what others soon will have in their newer 'updated' Zebralights. I love this light, I love this UI, but just as with all the other lights and UI's I have and love, it's still not perfect and though we accept the limitations of reality, we still hold out hope.
> That's what makes all these conversations so valuable.



I wasn't trying to discount anyone's preference, quite the opposite, I was saying there's always gonna be a degree of personal preference and no light's gonna be perfect due to it. I think we agree on that, obviously my knowledge of different models isn't very comprehensive, only been poking around here a little while. It seems in quoting and dissecting my post(s) you've taken my humble recommendation out of context though, maybe I wasn't very clear. Sorry, English isn't my first language.

What I meant was that just like some people are all about moonlight, or max, or whatever, some surely find blinking modes useful as well... Which is why I said that some people would probably appreciate the new triple click shortcut while others deride it (at least one person on the thread already claimed it'd be useful). I followed THAT statement with the Eagletac Clicky comment (it was barely a recommendation), since their UI makes it just as easy or easier to access BLINKY modes. (as one head twist limits you to max or strobe, if you need another sorta blinking then it's no good either obviously)

I can (sort of) see how it could've been misconstrued as a recommendation for moonlight use since I later made a completely separate comment about what could maybe be more suitable for that (albeit with no specifics, was phrased as a suggestion actually). Another poster entirely suggested the Eagletac Clicky as a beside light, NOT me, maybe you meant to quote him or that added to the confusion? Obviously in some cases ZL's UI isn't the bestest for moonlight mode but the newest changes haven't made them any worse or better in that regard.

I guess I'll refrain from further recommendations for the time being tho, sorry. However you asked about the SC52 specifically so I answered, since I have a freshly bought one (and this being the thread for that light and all), guess I should've limited the comment to that lest I dare risk being wrong about something... I certainly don't like spreading misinformation. ZL does list their UI for every light in a very detailed manner on their site tho, dunno if they take down old models or something, maybe I've just stepped in it again by directing you to info that isn't there anymore, oh well...


----------



## kaichu dento

Impulses said:


> I wasn't trying to discount anyone's preference, quite the opposite, I was saying there's always gonna be a degree of personal preference and no light's gonna be perfect due to it.


Very true and as I said in my previous post, all of your points were valid and I just wanted to point out that no matter which direction they go, everyones personal choices are their own and generally have reasons for them.

Keep up the enthusiastic input!


----------



## holygeez03

Impulses said:


> AFAIK the only one with a triple click to disco shortcut is the new unreleased model. The one I received from Illumination Supply certainly doesn't have this... Only way to access the blinking modes out of the box is to double click like half a dozen times while on high, at which point you could turn it off to program it as a secondary high.




My H52Fw has the "triple-click to strobe" and I hate it... I was so confused when I first got the light because I assumed it had the exact same UI as my SC52w... I accidentally activate strobe via the following scenario:

1) Short click to High
2) Double click to toggle the High mode
3) STROBE!

Once I figured out why it was happening, I am much better at waiting before I toggle the high mode... but it sucks to worry that I might activate the strobe at an embarrassing time... very glad my SC52w doesn't have this "feature".


----------



## markr6

holygeez03 said:


> My H52Fw has the "triple-click to strobe" and I hate it... I was so confused when I first got the light because I assumed it had the exact same UI as my SC52w... I accidentally activate strobe via the following scenario:
> 
> 1) Short click to High
> 2) Double click to toggle the High mode
> 3) STROBE!
> 
> Once I figured out why it was happening, I am much better at waiting before I toggle the high mode... but it sucks to worry that I might activate the strobe at an embarrassing time... very glad my SC52w doesn't have this "feature".



Ahhhh I didn't even think of that. Now that you mention it, I guess I have "trained" myself to wait a little. Sometimes the same thing with medium and 4 clicks to avoid the battery indicator.


----------



## Impulses

Added an edit to my previous post, wasn't aware some headlamps already had triple click for strobe... I can definitely see how you could activate it by mistake, that'd be pretty annoying indeed. Will the battery level sequence actually trigger from an on state? Or did you mean it could accidentally trigger if going high-> medium-> medium 2 (double click after two sequential clicks)...

I think the thing about UIs is, regardless of your priorities, they work better if there's some common logic behind them. The new triple click sorta muddled that for ZL, now a single/double click control levels yet a triple/quadruple click control special features. At this point they might as well repurpose the double click too... It seems moonlight/max are usually the most modes, or at least the two you'll often wanna access in a touchy situation (asleep, or when you're in a hurry to illuminate something well, etc).

Maybe those two should take precedent over quick medium access (which is probably a mode you set once and use for longer stretches, and wouldn't mind cycling thru to)... Personally I wouldn't have a problem if they went with single click to moonlight and double to high, like Olight and others, I think a lot of people would even welcome single click to high and double to moonlight (if there's no pre flash).


----------



## Bill S.

Fireclaw18 said:


> ... for those who don't have a partner. If you have a partner and you need a light with moonlight mode to use to discretely visit the bathroom in the middle of the light you should steer clear of the D25C... its switch has a very loud click which which will probably wake your partner up.



So true! In fact I just used my decibel meter to measure the difference between my EagleTac D25 Clicky volume versus my fender Strat with Fender twin reverb amp cranked all the way up. 250 decibels for both in my living room. Damn that clicky. it almost blows the house down. But you know what... a simple hand cup will not let a mouse hear it.


----------



## Wiggle

Bill S. said:


> So true! In fact I just used my decibel meter to measure the difference between my EagleTac D25 Clicky volume versus my fender Strat with Fender twin reverb amp cranked all the way up. 250 decibels for both in my living room. Damn that clicky. it almost blows the house down. But you know what... a simple hand cup will not let a mouse hear it.



Haha I've never understood this clickys being too loud for use at night thing. Unless you live in the quietest home and your family are the lightest sleepers possible I can't see a clicky being a disturbance.


----------



## Joys_R_us

Impulses said:


> I imagine all stores will start labeling new stock as SC52 L2 or whatever ZL's calling it, at least I'd hope so.



L2models are now on the website of ZL...


----------



## HikingMano

holygeez03 said:


> My H52Fw has the "triple-click to strobe" and I hate it... I was so confused when I first got the light because I assumed it had the exact same UI as my SC52w... I accidentally activate strobe via the following scenario:
> 
> 1) Short click to High
> 2) Double click to toggle the High mode
> 3) STROBE!
> 
> Once I figured out why it was happening, I am much better at waiting before I toggle the high mode... but it sucks to worry that I might activate the strobe at an embarrassing time... very glad my SC52w doesn't have this "feature".





markr6 said:


> Ahhhh I didn't even think of that. Now that you mention it, I guess I have "trained" myself to wait a little. Sometimes the same thing with medium and 4 clicks to avoid the battery indicator.



Yeah, that's what I mean about click timing. It doesn't happen often to me, because I typically leave the high on the highest level and cycle to medium, but it can be annoying. I, too, have learned to delay when double clicking to toggle sub-level. I'm not crazy about all the clicking for sub-level selections, but once&done...

Anyway, my SC52w-L2 is ordered, very excited to get it in hand, pop a ZL14500 in there, and go play with it on a night hike (with H52w accompanying)


----------



## Joys_R_us

Do you guys buy flashlights to go hiking or go hiking to have a reason to buy lights ? ;-)


----------



## RIX TUX

Joys_R_us said:


> Do you guys buy flashlights to go hiking or go hiking to have a reason to buy lights ? ;-)


Neither - it is a sickness


----------



## HikingMano

RIX TUX said:


> Neither - it is a sickness




This  

Although for most night hiking in open terrain with enough moon out... Well, mother nature's "moonlight mode" is often sufficient . I like having a nice light along though, for curiosity and play or actual need.


----------



## EZO

Joys_R_us said:


> Do you guys buy flashlights to go hiking or go hiking to have a reason to buy lights ? ;-)



This reminds me of a friend who says, " I hike to eat!"

Me? I hike to hike but I really enjoy ALL the paraphernalia I have stashed in my pack, including and especially my flashlights. I also really get a kick out of blowing the minds of fellow hikers who don't know from flashlights, especially powerful small ones with nice tints.


----------



## Etsu

SC52/SC52w makes a poor outdoor light, IMO. Too small to get a good grip on it. If it's cold, you can't turn it on with gloves. It's too floody to be able to see very far. Not easily hooked up to a lanyard. I might pack it as a backup light on a hike (great for that, since it's so small), but no way would I use it as my primary light.


----------



## RIX TUX

Etsu said:


> SC52/SC52w makes a poor outdoor light, IMO. Too small to get a good grip on it. If it's cold, you can't turn it on with gloves. It's too floody to be able to see very far. Not easily hooked up to a lanyard. I might pack it as a backup light on a hike (great for that, since it's so small), but no way would I use it as my primary light.


I agree with you there, it would be a good back up light, all the modes are good for different situations, but it is a pocket light


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Etsu said:


> SC52/SC52w makes a poor outdoor light, IMO. Too small to get a good grip on it. If it's cold, you can't turn it on with gloves. It's too floody to be able to see very far. Not easily hooked up to a lanyard. I might pack it as a backup light on a hike (great for that, since it's so small), but no way would I use it as my primary light.



Add to that the desire to use the 14500 blast of light, only to quickly run out of the amount of voltage required to sustain it. 

As I've said numerous times, though, using a NiteIze headstrap allows a good, secure hold on these lights, as well as offering immediate hands free capability, at the cost of some added bulk. But I don't drop my flashlight hardly ever with this setup.

SC52 is great. In denser forest, oodles of throw are not necessary. 

When the SC62 arrives, it is hoped that the highest high will be high enough for the forests and meadows we have. Additionally, I'll be carrying a compact thrower on twilight walks and the TM26 for the nighttime forays.


----------



## HikingMano

Etsu said:


> SC52/SC52w makes a poor outdoor light, IMO. Too small to get a good grip on it. If it's cold, you can't turn it on with gloves. It's too floody to be able to see very far. Not easily hooked up to a lanyard. I might pack it as a backup light on a hike (great for that, since it's so small), but no way would I use it as my primary light.





RIX TUX said:


> I agree with you there, it would be a good back up light, all the modes are good for different situations, but it is a pocket light



I wouldn't say poor. I think it's the perfect backup for day hikes, like you said, but it would also do a pretty decent job if pressed into a good bit of night service. I carry a Nitecore EA4w and ZL headlamp for dedicated night hikes, but depending on terrain and moon phase, I typically only really need to use the headlamp. I only use the nitecore when I want to light up an animal or need it for quick bits of navigating trail/terrain. As for lanyard, a ranger band / bit of bicycle tube and some cordage takes care of that with the SC52. Anyway, I don't think it's that bad for outdoor use, and I plan on carrying mine with the H52w and 2xL91 I normally have with me on day hikes. That 1min of 500lumens with li-ion in it would be a handy complement to dc-fixed H52w.





KITROBASKIN said:


> Add to that the desire to use the 14500 blast of light, only to quickly run out of the amount of voltage required to sustain it.
> 
> As I've said numerous times, though, using a NiteIze headstrap allows a good, secure hold on these lights, as well as offering immediate hands free capability, at the cost of some added bulk. But I don't drop my flashlight hardly ever with this setup.
> 
> SC52 is great. In denser forest, oodles of throw are not necessary [...]



Yeah, I definitely minimize use of 1min burst. I rarely need to throw or really light something up for longer than a few seconds anyway. 

Definitely agree with rest, though I don't prefer to use my nite-ize strap - rather use purpose-built headlamp.


----------



## Etsu

For outdoors, I prefer an XP-G2 based light, which gives more throw in a compact design. XML would be good in a larger format that has a big enough reflector to throw the light. But the SC52's small reflector just gives too little throw. For example, my old LED mini-maglite at about 30 lumens has more throw than my SC52 on max output (on an Eneloop). Granted, I'd still rather have the SC52 with me than the maglite, but it gives you an idea just how floody the SC52 is.

I'm generally not a fan of super-throwy lights, but I like to have a bit of throw for outdoor use. I don't need it in dense woods, but most of the time outside I'm not walking in deep forest.


----------



## HikingMano

Etsu said:


> For outdoors, I prefer an XP-G2 based light, which gives more throw in a compact design. XML would be good in a larger format that has a big enough reflector to throw the light. But the SC52's small reflector just gives too little throw. For example, my old LED mini-maglite at about 30 lumens has more throw than my SC52 on max output (on an Eneloop). Granted, I'd still rather have the SC52 with me than the maglite, but it gives you an idea just how floody the SC52 is.
> 
> I'm generally not a fan of super-throwy lights, but I like to have a bit of throw for outdoor use. I don't need it in dense woods, but most of the time outside I'm not walking in deep forest.




All perfectly valid points :thumbup: Yeah, my EA4w has a nice big/deep reflector for the XML.

ETA: I realize this thread drift is my doing. I just mentioned the night hike thing because I find it a good test of a "general use" light; it's a way to get a good feel for how a new light performs. I want to clarify that I'm not saying this is THE light for outdoor use. Lots of other better suited lights out there.


----------



## aberson

Impulses said:


> Added an edit to my previous post, wasn't aware some headlamps already had triple click for strobe...





Impulses said:


> I think the thing about UIs is, regardless of your priorities, they work better if there's some common logic behind them. The new triple click sorta muddled that for ZL, now a single/double click control levels yet a triple/quadruple click control special features. At this point they might as well repurpose the double click too...



I don't have a ZL yet, but I think it's worth pointing out that when I saw the H52w's new UI a few months ago, I emailed and asked when that UI was coming to the SC52w; I've been waiting ever since for it to come out. So there are at least a few people who specifically like this UI.

The main reason I waited is that I wanted to be able to get to strobe when I need it, but I didn't want to lose my H2 mode just to be able to have strobe on occasion. My occasion for strobe is for attention getting - like if I need to step out in the traffic when doing emergency services work (not necessarily into the eyes of oncoming cars), or when cycling and approaching an intersection.

Right now I have a four-sevens QPAA2, and getting to high/strobe requires a tightening move, meaning it needs 2 hands. There's only so much you can do with 1 button, but I think ZL did a good job.

As for common logic in the UI and repurposing the double-click... I think the double-click is common logic, in the sense that it's the same as clicking on to high and then doing a 2nd click to medium. Since you can do the long-press for low, I think all bases are pretty well covered. Maybe doesn't get you to moonlight, but at least low.


PS - I use my QPAA2 with a 20 year old niteize strap, and it works pretty well, though the elastic is quite stretched by now. For the ZL, I'd probably get another niteize, or maybe the nitecore hb02 so I could finally have some control over the downward tilt if I mount the light in the top strap. I remember thinking I wish the top strap were removable on the nitecore, but can't remember why now. I do like that the nizeize opens with velcro, since I can strap it to things besides my head; maybe I could mod the nitecore with some velcro.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

aberson said:


> For the ZL, I'd probably get another niteize, or maybe the nitecore hb02 so I could finally have some control over the downward tilt if I mount the light in the top strap. I remember thinking I wish the top strap were removable on the nitecore, but can't remember why now. I do like that the nizeize opens with velcro, since I can strap it to things besides my head; maybe I could mod the nitecore with some velcro.



The Nitecore headstrap I have is a little too tight for my big head, even in it's largest adjustment. Have to physically stretch it before putting it on. The top strap is great to mount a lightweight torch, and the light coming from straight above is great for working on some projects, but the weight of even an SC52 I'm afraid would be too much distraction. And physical movement (running or biking) may jostle that weight on the head. I am just used to having the weight on the side of my head and the SC52 was great for that. On my preorder for the SC62d is also a ZL headstrap for the H600 series headlamps, hoping it will work with the SC62. Having the weight directly on my forehead is less desirable for me. The Petzl MYO RXP splits the weight front/back but then leaning back and resting your head on the battery pack is cumbersome.

The side switch on the SC52 gets indexed in the headstrap; easy to find, on the head or not.


----------



## EsthetiX

Just noticed you can order XM-L2 on amazon? Anyone else seen this/have experience ordering on amazon? 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HSAXM5K/?tag=cpf0b6-20


----------



## markr6

EsthetiX said:


> Just noticed you can order XM-L2 on amazon? Anyone else seen this/have experience ordering on amazon?
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HSAXM5K/?tag=cpf0b6-20



That's the first I've seen from techX...not familiar with them. Photos show SC52 (which some appear to be non-stock and stolen from E2 Field Gear), description shows SC52w. I'm guess it actaully is the w. In stock March 5 - I wonder if they recevied that info directly from ZL?


----------



## madkap

A few weeks ago I received tritium screws for my SC52W (here's what I had to say):

Just recieved my tritium screws today from Eclipsesharp. *I am super impressed.* The vials are TINY. It’s beautiful to see such precise work. I like how the screws look much better than the standard phillips head. They also allow the light to lay flush rather than angled off the clip like before. To me, they make my favorite flashlight even better.
Below is a comparison of the screws against night sights manufactured in 2010 (though I should mention I find these as bright as 2013 manufactured sights from Trijicon in different sight sets). Interestingly enough, the spacing between the screws and night sights can’t be much different than a millimeter.
My perceived brightness of the screws is perhaps 1/3 that of the nightsights. This is great as I can leave my flashlight on my nightstand and with my dark adapted eyes easily find it without it being annoying (if I have the light rotated towards me). If you use your zebralights moonlight moods, specifically the 0.06lm mode, I think you will find these pair very nicely.
I don’t believe they will aid much in locating a completely lost light as the angle is somewhat specific that the light can be seen (due to the deep screw heads). I consider them to be the final elegant touch on an already amazing light. I will surely another set whenever I find a more perfect light. 

I will add, the light really does need to be rotated towards you to see the light. If any of you have used night sights in AR-15 rear apertures, these have about the same brightness. (so way smaller tubes than pistol night sights).


----------



## StorminMatt

Joys_R_us said:


> Do you guys buy flashlights to go hiking or go hiking to have a reason to buy lights ? ;-)



Probably a little of both. I've always liked hiking. But at the same time, I've never liked getting up early to go hiking. I'm also not too crazy about hiking in the pounding midday sun, having to apply sunscreen and having to carry TONS of water because I'm sweating buckets. So getting a late start is just the way I do things. I usually hike out in late afternoon and return in the dark. So flashlights are a necessity. But at the same time, a new light can be a reason to go for a hike when I otherwise might not have.



Etsu said:


> SC52/SC52w makes a poor outdoor light, IMO. Too small to get a good grip on it. If it's cold, you can't turn it on with gloves. It's too floody to be able to see very far. Not easily hooked up to a lanyard. I might pack it as a backup light on a hike (great for that, since it's so small), but no way would I use it as my primary light.



I agree with some of this. I myself actually like to carry a larger light on hikes. Much of the time, I use my 3C Malkoff XM-L2 Mag. It produces LOTS of light, runs a long time (3 hours on Tenergy Premiums), and is easily cradled in my hand without having to grasp it (like a smaller light). I can also see how the SC52 would be hard to use with gloves. But I generally don't hike in such cold conditions that I need gloves. On the other hand, I LOVE the very even, floody output of the SC52w. Throw is absolutely NOT important to me when hiking. And, although the SC52w is not nearly as bright as my Mag or EA4, output is certainly sufficient for most hiking needs. I DO tend to use it mainly as a backup light. But I occasionally use it as my primary light if I don't intend to hike at night.


----------



## markr6

madkap said:


> Just recieved my tritium screws today from Eclipsesharp. *I am super impressed.*



Dammit I want some of those!!! Very nice!


----------



## Etsu

madkap said:


> A few weeks ago I received tritium screws for my SC52W




They look great. And the best thing is.... they match the tint of the SC52w perfectly!


----------



## pjandyho

markr6 said:


> Dammit I want some of those!!! Very nice!


Yeah! Me too! Where to order it from?


----------



## markr6

Etsu said:


> They look great. And the best thing is.... they match the tint of the SC52w perfectly!
> [/FONT][/SIZE]


----------



## moshow9

pjandyho said:


> Yeah! Me too! Where to order it from?


Available in the marketplace, at least they were. He may still be taking orders.


----------



## pjandyho

Is this the sales thread? http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...e-Tritium-6-32-3-8-quot-stainless-steel-screw

Doesn't seem to look the same as the one pictured.


----------



## moshow9

Close, but it's this thread: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...crews-for-flashlights-(Zebralight-and-Jetbeam)


----------



## HikingMano

StorminMatt said:


> [...]I agree with some of this. I myself actually like to carry a larger light on hikes. [...] On the other hand, I LOVE the very even, floody output of the SC52w. Throw is absolutely NOT important to me when hiking. And, although the SC52w is not nearly as bright as my Mag or EA4, output is certainly sufficient for most hiking needs. I DO tend to use it mainly as a backup light. But I occasionally use it as my primary light if I don't intend to hike at night.



Yup, I intend the same here, once I get mine. I will say I do like having a light for a bit of throw, especially when off-trail or on poorly marked or faint trails. Like in the fall when relatively little used trails are covered with leaves - makes it easier to spot general trail path even with the leaf litter. Is it absolutely crucial most of the time? No. But I like having the ability if needed.

Once, a buddy and I were coming down a mountain on the Lost Coast, back to a base camp. The jeep trail we'd been following just evaporated on us, and it was well after sunset. All I had was my H51w to get down the mountain safely. Though it did the job, I certainly would have loved to have another light that gave a little more throw (I'm assuming the SC52 would have more throw given reflector), especially if I could kick it up to 500 lumens now and again to check we weren't getting too close to a cliff. And at it's size and weight, not too unappealing to carry in addition to my H52w when I know I may be hiking at night, even given my UL-leaning backpacking mindset. 

Otherwise, totally agree: SC52w-L2 certainly sufficient for most hiking needs, but I, too, intend to use it mainly as backup (or complementary light since I always have H52w on me when out). Even when out specifically for night hiking, moonlight or lower levels on H51/H52 have been sufficient in general, with throwy/brighter lights along for play or specific tasks. 




pjandyho said:


> Yeah! Me too! Where to order it from?



I have been watching these on ebay (seller: btzqabc) for a while now and have been debating ordering a set. Good to know he's here at the Marketplace, even better pricing. Do most folks think it'll fit the SC52w L2 without a problem? I'm assuming it'd be fine, but you know what they say about assuming. 

Btw, madkap, great pictures, thanks!


----------



## keith p

Stupid question thar was probably already answered.

Whats the difference from a SC52W and an SC52W-L2?

http://www.zebralight.com/SC52w-AA-Flashlight-Neutral-White_p_109.html

http://www.zebralight.com/SC52w-L2-AA-Flashlight-Neutral-White_p_138.html


----------



## sampson2269

The SC52W-L2, The UI has been updated with programmable H2, M2 and Beacon/Strobe mode.


----------



## moshow9

The difference between the two is a change in the UI.

*SC52w*


Short click turns on the light to High or turns off the light.
Long click (press and hold for about 0.6 seconds) turns on the light to Low.
 Short click turns on the light to High. Short click again quickly to cycle from High to Medium, and Low.


Press and hold to cycle from Low, Medium and High, release to set. When press and hold, the light always cycle from Low to High regardless which level you are currently in
This light uses the main LED (flashing 1 to 4 times) to indicate the estimated remaining capacity of the battery. To start the battery indicator, (from Off) short-click 4 times without pause


*SC52w-L2*

One short-click turns on the light to High or turns off the light.
Two short-click turns on the light to Medium.
Three short-click turns on the light to the beacon-strobe mode.
Press and hold (for over 0.6 seconds) turns on the light to Low and then Medium and High. Release at the desired level.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

moshow9 said:


> The difference between the two is a change in the UI.
> 
> *SC52w*
> 
> 
> Short click turns on the light to High or turns off the light.
> Long click (press and hold for about 0.6 seconds) turns on the light to Low.
> Short click turns on the light to High. Short click again quickly to cycle from High to Medium, and Low.
> Press and hold to cycle from Low, Medium and High, release to set. When press and hold, the light always cycle from Low to High regardless which level you are currently in
> This light uses the main LED (flashing 1 to 4 times) to indicate the estimated remaining capacity of the battery. To start the battery indicator, (from Off) short-click 4 times without pause
> 
> 
> *SC52w-L2*
> 
> One short-click turns on the light to High or turns off the light.
> Two short-click turns on the light to Medium.
> Three short-click turns on the light to the beacon-strobe mode.
> Press and hold (for over 0.6 seconds) turns on the light to Low and then Medium and High. Release at the desired level.



After one has pressed and held to reach one of three levels, a quick double click will go to the alternate setting for that level. I am guessing (and hoping) that still applies to the newer user interface.


----------



## kaichu dento

KITROBASKIN said:


> After one has pressed and held to reach one of three levels, a quick double click will go to the alternate setting for that level. I am guessing (and hoping) that still applies to the newer user interface.


Yes, that's still the same.

There are also three alternative brightnesses for high and low that you can cycle through after turning the light on to the mode you want to change the secondary brightness on, which is accessed by clicking 12 times.

On my SC600w-L2 it only works on high and low, but not medium.


----------



## moshow9

It does.


----------



## Etsu

kaichu dento said:


> There are also three alternative brightnesses for high and low that you can cycle through after turning the light on to the mode you want to change the secondary brightness on, which is accessed by clicking 12 times.
> 
> On my SC600w-L2 it only works on high and low, but not medium.



Seriously? They removed the programmable medium mode in the new interface???


----------



## bgm307

Etsu said:


> Seriously? They removed the programmable medium mode in the new interface???



I just got the SC600 MKII L2 and it's just like that. I can't get medium to cycle through the choices. High and low work as they should.


----------



## RedForest UK

My SC600w MKII had a programmable medium mode.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

ZL specs on their website show the SC52 variants show three possibilities for the medium settings.

Is there a problem with the 6 double clicking?


----------



## LlF

nvm...


----------



## shelm

Question:

When you order/pre-order the light from the Zebralight website AND you're ordering from a non-US location, will the product get shipped directly from China? And how is the package labeled, i.e. the *amounts of US-dollars declared* on the green CUSTOMS DECLARATION CN23 sticker?

Does it really say "64$"?


edit: btw it is confirmed info that in the new L2 versions again there is "No reverse polarity protection in the SC52, H52, H502, etc.".


----------



## KITROBASKIN

We have a first report of an SC62d shipping notification going to Europe, ordered on Jan. 10, a day after I ordered from USA.


----------



## PoliceScannerMan

KITROBASKIN said:


> We have a first report of an SC62d shipping notification going to Europe, ordered on Jan. 10, a day after I ordered from USA.



I ordered mine 1/9 also.


----------



## aberson

Paraphrased and emphasized:


moshow9 said:


> The difference between the two is a change in the UI.
> *SC52w*
> 
> Short click turns on the light to High. *Short click again quickly to cycle* from High to Medium, and Low.
> 
> *SC52w-L2
> *
> 
> One short-click turns on the light to High *or turns off the light.*
> Three short-click turns on the light to the beacon-strobe mode.




I was surprised here for a moment thinking the new UI took away the ability to cycle between modes in the H>M>L direction. After looking at the 2 users manuals, I think I understand now that the old UI's ability to cycle between modes with a short click was only available immediately after turning the light on anyway ("quickly"). So it's actually not a huge loss with the new UI.

If I understand correctly, with _either _UI, after a few seconds in High if you want to drop to medium you need to turn off and then click twice, or ramp through low.


----------



## Impulses

That is correct. You can start up the ramp-up routine without turning it off tho, just press and hold from whatever mode, it always starts off from low. 

Only thing the new UI took away was the ability to get to low with a third click after initially turning it on, the long press was always more useful to that end tho. Not a big deal either way, it'll bug some if they triple, click by mistake and it'll delight others who sought easier access to strobes.


----------



## LlF

shelm said:


> Question:
> 
> When you order/pre-order the light from the Zebralight website AND you're ordering from a non-US location, will the product get shipped directly from China? And how is the package labeled, i.e. the *amounts of US-dollars declared* on the green CUSTOMS DECLARATION CN23 sticker?
> 
> Does it really say "64$"?
> 
> 
> edit: btw it is confirmed info that in the new L2 versions again there is "No reverse polarity protection in the SC52, H52, H502, etc.".



im curious about this as well. I want to buy a sc52 which is in stock now.

from my experience if it's send via regular mail, canada post here never charge for customs...


----------



## GunnarGG

shelm said:


> Question:
> 
> When you order/pre-order the light from the Zebralight website AND you're ordering from a non-US location, will the product get shipped directly from China? And how is the package labeled, i.e. the *amounts of US-dollars declared* on the green CUSTOMS DECLARATION CN23 sticker?
> 
> Does it really say "64$"?
> 
> 
> edit: btw it is confirmed info that in the new L2 versions again there is "No reverse polarity protection in the SC52, H52, H502, etc.".



I haven't bought from them in a while. My latest ZL was SC52w, I have 3 others from before.
They put a smaller amount on the package IIRC, maybe something like $10-20


----------



## Etsu

LlF said:


> from my experience if it's send via regular mail, canada post here never charge for customs...



Mostly true. If it's under $20, the rules state you won't get charged for anything extra. Above that, officially Canada Post will charge you a $9.95 brokerage fee, plus GST/HST, and possibly duty tax on top of that. In my experience, they only do that when you get up to around the $100 level, but it's possible they might do it for less.

Still, it's a better deal than UPS or Fedex, which will always charge you, and their brokerage fee is several times higher than $9.95 (unless you pay for it in a higher service delivery option).


----------



## kaichu dento

Etsu said:


> Seriously? They removed the programmable medium mode in the new interface???


I kept hoping that it was just a user mistake, but apparently others are finding this as well, like bgm below. High and low are cycling just fine, but not medium.



bgm307 said:


> I just got the SC600 MKII L2 and it's just like that. I can't get medium to cycle through the choices. High and low work as they should.





RedForest UK said:


> My SC600w MKII had a programmable medium mode.


Which would leave us expecting it to be programmable on the L2 as well...


KITROBASKIN said:


> ZL specs on their website show the SC52 variants show three possibilities for the medium settings.
> 
> Is there a problem with the 6 double clicking?


I've done the same sequence for all three levels, and it's worked every time for high and low, but never for medium.

Still a plenty usable light, but I for one would have been happy with no strobe and wish that I could make the choice on medium levels.

Just ran through all modes again and no change; on high and low you get to cycle through 3 levels of brightness for the secondary mode, but on medium it just toggles between two levels ad infinitum.


----------



## HikingMano

kaichu dento said:


> [...]Just ran through all modes again and no change; on high and low you get to cycle through 3 levels of brightness for the secondary mode, but on medium it just toggles between two levels ad infinitum.



My understanding, at least in using my H52 which has the same UI, is that you don't get to cycle between all 3 possible levels of brightness when doing sub-level selections; you can only select between two except for the low mode:



High: H1 *280* Lm (0.9 hrs) or H2 *172* Lm (1.7 hrs) / *108* Lm (3 hrs)
Medium: M1 *50* Lm (7.5 hrs) or M2 *25 *Lm (12 hrs) / *12* Lm (27 hrs)
Low: L1 *2.7 *Lm (4 days) or L2 *0.34* Lm (3 weeks) / *0.06 *Lm (2 months) / *0.01 *Lm (3 months)

So at high, sub-level selections allows you to choose between 172 and 108 for H2. At medium, 25 or 12 for M2. And at low, 0.34,0.06, and 0.01 for L2. 

Am I misunderstanding what's under discussion? I don't remember being able to cycle through 3 brightness levels at high on my H52w when doing sub-level selection.


----------



## markr6

HikingMano said:


> So at high, sub-level selections allows you to choose between 172 and 108 for H2. At medium, 25 or 12 for M2. And at low, 0.34,0.06, and 0.01 for L2.
> 
> Am I misunderstanding what's under discussion? I don't remember being able to cycle through 3 brightness levels at high on my H52w when doing sub-level selection.



Same understanding here. I'm confused.


----------



## Colonel Sanders

Medium: M1 *50* Lm (7.5 hrs) or M2 *25 *Lm (12 hrs) / *12* Lm (27 hrs)

I think they mean that there is no programming mode (you enter programming mode by doing 6 sets of double clicks while in the level you want to program. H2, M2, or L2 but not H1, M1, or L1 which are not programmable) on medium #2 (M2). Programming only works for L2 and H2. They still have M1 and M2 in normal operation, it's just that they can't pick their M2 level to be set at 25Lm or 12Lm as described in the specifications.

At least that's the way I'm taking it! :thinking:


----------



## Etsu

I wonder if losing the programmable medium mode is a firmware screw-up. Maybe they accidentally removed a medium mode when they added all their stupid blinky modes.


----------



## HikingMano

Colonel Sanders said:


> Medium: M1 *50* Lm (7.5 hrs) or M2 *25 *Lm (12 hrs) / *12* Lm (27 hrs)
> 
> I think they mean that there is no programming mode (you enter programming mode by doing 6 sets of double clicks while in the level you want to program. H2, M2, or L2 but not H1, M1, or L1 which are not programmable) on medium #2 (M2). Programming only works for L2 and H2. They still have M1 and M2 in normal operation, it's just that they can't pick their M2 level to be set at 25Lm or 12Lm as described in the specifications.
> 
> At least that's the way I'm taking it! :thinking:



I could see that being a problem, if that's the case. Hmmm, M2 programming works just fine on my H52, and I'm not even certain you have to be on M2 to enter it. I'll confirm later, but I'm pretty sure 6 double-clicks will put you in M2 programming whether you started on M1 or M2.

If I had any UI complaint, mine would be that I wish the sub-level programming was easier/simpler. It'd be nice to be able to cycle through M1 and both M2 modes together to better judge which M2, H2, L2 you want. As it stands now, I just try to aim for an exponential spread amongst all the levels to provide me with the most versatile range.


----------



## Streamer

I too thought the medium mode was not functioning properly when I had ZL SC52.
Here's what I learned.

From Mike at E-gear: "So after playing with mine and chatting with Zebra today here is the conclusion of how the light should perform. M1 is not programmable. M2 can be programmed for 2 sub levels. The brightness difference between those sub-levels is only 12 lumens. You eye cannot detect that difference at any distance which why it may seem that the light is not programming correctly.. To see it you need to reflect the light very closely say between your hands. The advantage is the run time - about double from M2-1 to M2-2".

When I did as he suggested, I could see the difference in brightness. There's nothing wrong with the Medium levels at all.

Hope this helps.


----------



## HikingMano

Yep, did my programming right up against a white wall, worked well - particularly for M and L.

Excellent summary and tip.


----------



## kiwee

Hi, i am new to posting on this forum, ordered the Thrunite T10S and now also pre-ordered the SC52L2, i am pumped!! :huh:

Anyone knows if the shipment from China comes with tracking number like Registered Airmail Letter? I live in the Europa


----------



## markr6

Good info, thanks. Works fine on mine!


----------



## 18650

The internet almost blew up nothing into something.


----------



## kaichu dento

HikingMano said:


> Am I misunderstanding what's under discussion? I don't remember being able to cycle through 3 brightness levels at high on my H52w when doing sub-level selection.


When I do programming access on high or low I can run through 3 levels of brightness, but not on medium.



Colonel Sanders said:


> I think they mean that there is no programming mode (you enter programming mode by doing 6 sets of double clicks while in the level you want to program. H2, M2, or L2 but not H1, M1, or L1 which are not programmable) on medium #2 (M2). Programming only works for L2 and H2. They still have M1 and M2 in normal operation, it's just that they can't pick their M2 level to be set at 25Lm or 12Lm as described in the specifications.
> 
> At least that's the way I'm taking it! :thinking:


Exactly. It's hard sometimes explaining some of these things and I'm glad I was able to word it so that at least one person understood.



Etsu said:


> I wonder if losing the programmable medium mode is a firmware screw-up. Maybe they accidentally removed a medium mode when they added all their stupid blinky modes.


That's what I suspect.


----------



## LEDburn

kaichu dento said:


> Which would leave us expecting it to be programmable on the L2 as well...
> 
> I've done the same sequence for all three levels, and it's worked every time for high and low, but never for medium.
> 
> Just ran through all modes again and no change; on high and low you get to cycle through 3 levels of brightness for the secondary mode, but on medium it just toggles between two levels ad infinitum.




The light that RedForest UK is referring to is in actual fact an 'L2.'

I don't know where you are getting your information from but there are only two versions of SC600w ever released. One has under 700 lumens on H1, the other has over 1000 lumens and has PID.

There was an interim cool white model which sported the newer UI and efficiency sans the 3 clicks to get to strobe but I never cared for that so can't comment on it's operation.

All I can say is that my SC600w mkII has two sub levels for M2, just like my H52w's, my SC52w's and my SC52.

Your lights or eyes are defective. End of story.


----------



## HikingMano

kaichu dento said:


> When I do programming access on high or low I can run through 3 levels of brightness, but not on medium.[...]



I still don't understand. On my H52w, which has the *exact same* UI as the upcoming SC52w L2, programming H2 allows you to select between *two* brightness levels. One cannot program H1. One can select among three sub-levels for L2. As for programming M2, mine (and others, it seems) works just fine. I will reiterate: there is nothing wrong with programming M2 on my H52w. Perhaps you have a lemon? I don't want folks getting the idea that all models with this same UI are experiencing the same loss of function. 

I just walked through all my modes to verify. If I had time, I'd do a video. Just for reference, my H52w is set to 108 Lm for H2, 12 Lm for M2, and 0.34 Lm for L2. And I'll be setting my SC52w L2 up the same way.


----------



## kiwee

kiwee said:


> Anyone knows if the shipment from China comes with tracking number like Registered Airmail Letter? I live in the Europa



i asked ZL CS and they answered that they ship FREE for orders $50+ and that a FREE tracking number is included since it is indeed shipped as Registered Airmail Letter to non-US destinations.

so for non-US locations ordering from ZL direct as i did (pre-order!!) is probably the least expensive method to buy the SC52 L2. also depends on your local customs office


----------



## kaichu dento

HikingMano said:


> I still don't understand. On my H52w, which has the *exact same* UI as the upcoming SC52w L2, programming H2 allows you to select between *two* brightness levels. One cannot program H1. One can select among three sub-levels for L2.


Yeah, I've got three sub-levels for high and the same goes for low.

At any rate, interesting set of options here.


----------



## HikingMano

kaichu dento said:


> Yeah, I've got three sub-levels for high and the same goes for low.
> 
> At any rate, interesting set of options here.



Ah, yeah, the SC600w MkII L2 does have 3 sub-levels available for H2 as well. Smaller / less output lights must not have it. Perhaps the missing M2 programming is also unique to models with the same UI as the SC600w MkII L2's. Although LEDburn doesn't seem to have a problem, if his is a L2.


----------



## kaichu dento

HikingMano said:


> Ah, yeah, the SC600w MkII L2 does have 3 sub-levels available for H2 as well. Smaller / less output lights must not have it. Perhaps the missing M2 programming is also unique to models with the same UI as the SC600w MkII L2's. Although LEDburn doesn't seem to have a problem, if his is a L2.


I don't really see any problem with lack of three levels for medium, and really don't care about it for high either, but am definitely glad to have the extra level of selectability for low.

They do what a light is supposed to do and then a bit more, which is what they're known for.


----------



## LlF

it's been 4 business days, how long is their handling time from china??

it's not often that i order toys, this is killing me


----------



## turkeylord

Tempted to pre-order, but I think I'll wait till some tint reviews come in. Looks promising and I like the UI changes.


----------



## kreisl

In my ZL account the pre-order now is listed with "_Status: Processing_", finally. 

:thumbsup:


----------



## fridgemagnet

Tonight the Zebralight site says 'new - shipping from China'
Hope my Sc52wL2 arrives soon...the tint lottery begins.


----------



## markr6

fridgemagnet said:


> Tonight the Zebralight site says 'new - shipping from China'
> Hope my Sc52wL2 arrives soon...the tint lottery begins.



It's been like playing the Powerball lottery for me...no chance. But I'll keep an eye on the reviews and possibly try again.


----------



## funkychateau

sampson2269 said:


> The SC52W-L2, The UI has been updated with programmable H2, M2 and Beacon/Strobe mode.



Has anyone yet assessed the average current draw of the beacon modes? I've inquired two times in the past few months, by emailing Zebralight, and received no responses. If the current is low enough in the interval between pulses, and the duty cycle also low enough, the beacon mode could become a "flashlight-finder" mode in a backpack or toolbox with no need to ever turn it off.


----------



## LlF

fridgemagnet said:


> Tonight the Zebralight site says 'new - shipping from China'
> Hope my Sc52wL2 arrives soon...the tint lottery begins.



the tint lottery is related to Warm version only, am i right? the cool white (sc52) version normally have okay tint?


----------



## Etsu

LlF said:


> the tint lottery is related to Warm version only, am i right? the cool white (sc52) version normally have okay tint?



My cool-white SC52 is definitely the greenest of my cool-white lights. But it's not objectionable. I think the greenish Zebralight tints tend to bother people more in the warmer tints because they expect better. But they're a bit green in both cool white and neutral white.

Cree XMLs seem to all have a greenish cast, at least in the corona. If quality tint is your #1 concern, you'll have to go with something like a Nichia 219A LED. Zebralight doesn't use those LEDs, though I've heard the Luxeon LEDs they use in some models are pretty good too.


----------



## Streamer

LlF said:


> the tint lottery is related to Warm version only, am i right? the cool white (sc52) version normally have okay tint?



the tint lottery is for both cool and warm whites...you have been warned.


----------



## markr6

Anyone with shipment notifications on the L2 models yet? Gotta be getting close!


----------



## HikingMano

Talked to my vendor; ZL says it'll be another 3 weeks before the vendors get them. Don't know if the same time frame applies to direct customers. So much for the Feb 27th shipping, or whatever date it was I saw on their site a while back.


----------



## sampson2269

HikingMano said:


> Talked to my vendor; ZL says it'll be another 3 weeks before the vendors get them. Don't know if the same time frame applies to direct customers. So much for the Feb 27th shipping, or whatever date it was I saw on their site a while back.



Well that sucks! :-(


----------



## xellz

Didn't see last pages of this thread before ordering sc52w l2, so no one got it yet? It's still available from 27 february on their page so thought they can ship it already


----------



## markr6

xellz said:


> Didn't see last pages of this thread before ordering sc52w l2, so no one got it yet? It's still available from 27 february on their page so thought they can ship it already



I'm guessing you're looking at the "non-L2" version. The L2 status is "Back order", so no shipments yet.


----------



## xellz

markr6 said:


> I'm guessing you're looking at the "non-L2" version. The L2 status is "Back order", so no shipments yet.


Nope, i was looking at l2, it was changed just now. When i ordered (5 march) it was pre-order, available from 27 february. I'm just a bit surprised at this not so serious attitude to inform their customers of current stock or dates, no mail notifications either. Only hope it won't take more few weeks. Although their flashlight from all reviews i saw are top-notch, should be worth waiting


----------



## fridgemagnet

fridgemagnet said:


> Tonight the Zebralight site says 'new - shipping from China'
> Hope my Sc52wL2 arrives soon...the tint lottery begins.



Now the site just says 'processing' - so much for the 'shipping from China' message.


----------



## markr6

I think they thoroughly complicated the matter calling these "L2". Makes you think they're talking about XM-L2, when in fact the SC52w already has an XM-L2. Anyway, I'm curious to see if the green tint is gone on the new ones. Other than that, no big changes to make me order any...yet.


----------



## xellz

markr6 said:


> I think they thoroughly complicated the matter calling these "L2". Makes you think they're talking about XM-L2, when in fact the SC52w already has an XM-L2. Anyway, I'm curious to see if the green tint is gone on the new ones. Other than that, no big changes to make me order any...yet.



True, i was looking before at sc600 mkII and it had xm-l and sc600 mkII L2 already xm-l2. So i didn't even look at emitter on sc52w. But anyway, sc52w L2 UI is more than enough for me to wait extra time.


----------



## whoofit

I sent an email to them this week, 03/04/14, asking for a revised ETA. Here's what I got back the next day.

"Ticket status: Completed

Department: Customer Service

Subject: SC52w L2

The lead time is three to four weeks. Sorry for the waiting.

Please let us know if you don't want to wait, and cancel for refund.

Sincerely,

ZebraLight, Inc.
2908 Story Rd. W
Irving, TX 75038"

I would order the older version but it's not potted. That and I'm guessing they probably have a load of green tinted ones remaining from returns over the last available run. I'll wait.


----------



## xellz

whoofit said:


> I sent an email to them this week, 03/04/14, asking for a revised ETA. Here's what I got back the next day.
> 
> "Ticket status: Completed
> 
> Department: Customer Service
> 
> Subject: SC52w L2
> 
> The lead time is three to four weeks. Sorry for the waiting.
> 
> Please let us know if you don't want to wait, and cancel for refund.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> ZebraLight, Inc.
> 2908 Story Rd. W
> Irving, TX 75038"
> 
> I would order the older version but it's not potted. That and I'm guessing they probably have a load of green tinted ones remaining from returns over the last available run. I'll wait.



Thanks for info, sad news. But after reading a bit more, sure waiting seems a better option. Especially i can't really buy a lot of different flashlights. I like L2 ui and now saw many posts about greenish tint on original one (and as you said, they probably have mostly returned units left, not new)


----------



## LlF

whoofit said:


> That and I'm guessing they probably have a load of green tinted ones remaining from returns over the last available run. I'll wait.



i've made a huge mistake.









... before I buy, I was hesitating,... the sc52 went from in stock to out of stock. or was it in back order, I can't remember. Then a week or so later it was in stock again. and right now it is saying back order. it makes me feel like they are still actively manufacturing the light. but now i think i've been fooled


----------



## whoofit

xellz said:


> Especially i can't really buy a lot of different flashlights. I like L2 ui and now saw many posts about greenish tint on original one (and as you said, they probably have mostly returned units left, not new)



I said I couldn't afford it either, then, at the last Going Gear snowed-in sale, I dropped hundreds on far too many lights. At GG a Wizard Pro wide bundle, a G25C with kit. Then to drive a couple more nails in the coffin a SC600w MKII L2 from ZL. Then 2x Archer 2A's from Amazon. Then a MAHA C9000....now this SC52w L2. I've become addicted but the good news is I have not caught the flu this year....

This L2 UI looks fine to me. I could be happy with the first one as well. I'm really interested in the potted version mostly and am not into a green one. Though I wonder if I could even ever tell the difference?


----------



## whoofit

LlF said:


> i've made a huge mistake. ... before I buy, I was hesitating,... the sc52 went from in stock to out of stock. or was it in back order, I can't remember. Then a week or so later it was in stock again. and right now it is saying back order. it makes me feel like they are still actively manufacturing the light. but now i think i've been fooled



I think you will only find the earlier version on the Discontinued page? I too saw the neutral version in, then out, then BO'd several times. I figured they were finding one or two here and there or were processing returns or were selling boat loads of them super quickly. I can only imagine these shipments from China being crate or pallet sized...but I could be very wrong here too...

Either way I think you are lucky to have one coming soon! They are nowhere to be had. I'm jealous...


----------



## markr6

I highly doubt this new L2 will have a better tint. It will be the same old tint lottery I've been playing for awhile now. Not just the SC52w but SC600w as well. For some reason, the headlamps have always been consistent for me. Again, just luck of the draw there.

Having said that, I will probably try the SC52w L2 myself.


----------



## Etsu

markr6 said:


> I highly doubt this new L2 will have a better tint. It will be the same old tint lottery I've been playing for awhile now. Not just the SC52w but SC600w as well. For some reason, the headlamps have always been consistent for me. Again, just luck of the draw there.



I think the issue with the complaints about green SC52w's is primarily because people that choose a tint (other than cool white) have higher expectations than the general public. A little bit of green in a SC52w is more annoying than a little bit of green in a regular SC52. However, I've only ever bought 1 SC52w, and I didn't find the green objectionable in normal use. The green, just like in the regular SC52, really only showed up on a white wall. Whether I was lucky or not, who knows.

But while I don't mind it, I can certainly understand why buyers looking for a nice tint are put off by it. Zebralight should understand that when they offer a specific tint (other than cool white), they should be more selective about what they're putting into the light. Charge a couple bucks more, but provide a pleasant tint that is more consistent across all lights.


----------



## kaichu dento

Even with green tints there's a wide range and the SC600w L2 that I got from MarkR is, while detectable, nothing as bad as I feared it might be, and for an XM-L, pretty acceptable in my book.


----------



## markr6

Yes, I would certainly pay a little more for consistency.

Unfortunately I really notice tints without comparing and without a white wall. Just this morning walking down the hallway and looking out the window, I noticed my concrete patio looked greenish-yellow. I haven't paid much attention over the past few months, so it really caught my eye this morning now that it's dark with the time change. I have a 40w Cree LED bulbs, warm white, 80CRI in the house light out there. They're good enough and I'm sure no one notices except me.

Same with my SC52w. I use it in my garage sometimes and notice the greenish concrete and my Jeep looks far off from its gray color. Still works just fine, but the frustration comes when you know other lights with the exact same emitter look so much better. Not being able to mod makes it even worse.

I'll get a NEUTRAL SC52w one of these days!


----------



## xellz

They might get out sc52w L2 sooner, i got an update too. 5-10 business days.


----------



## shelm

> *Shipping Method:* Airmail*Tracking Number:* RB29******0CN
> *Shipped on:* 3/19/2014



my preordered SC52 L2 cw got shipped, with tracking jumber from the China direct!!:mecry:


----------



## Ray F.

I thought these were made in the USA?


----------



## Streamer

Saint Patrick's Day was the only day I missed my Long Gone SC52...


----------



## reppans

Streamer said:


> Saint Patrick's Day was the only day I missed my Long Gone SC52...


----------



## whoofit

I hope this thing is worth the wait. In the meantime I picked-up a D25A in neutral and so far I'm really impressed with it. I sit here wondering why I need another one. The more time goes by the more I consider cancelling....


----------



## whoofit

Streamer said:


> Saint Patrick's Day was the only day I missed my Long Gone SC52...



Heh heh heh....


----------



## shelm

lol

erh, so anyone else with a SC52L2/SC52wL2 shipping notification?

The tracking has registered finally and is now live, working:
http://sao.cn
http://17track.net
http://track-chinapost.com/startairmail.php
http://trackitonline.ru/?tn=_RB123456789CN_ (_← substitute your number_)


----------



## markr6

Ray F. said:


> I thought these were made in the USA?



That's what I was thinking. This is a new model, so figured it would be one made in the US. Maybe the US location is still just a hub for shipments within the US?


----------



## rexet

I am so happy with my SC600w MKII L2 that I just put an order for the new SC52w L2. Can't wait!


----------



## snowdriver

I received my SC52w L2 today. Looks identical to the SC52w except for the heat sink. I like the instant access to the strobe mode.


----------



## Fireclaw18

How's the tint compare to the earlier version SC25w?


----------



## snowdriver

the SC52w L2 is on the left. The Camera is set to 4400 Kelvin. I'd day there's no difference in tint at all.






left: SC52 cool white; middle: SC52w L2; right: SC52w


----------



## cyclesport

Thanks for the beam shots snowdriver. Sadly it looks like ZL is resigned to supplying the same yellow/green tinted XM-L2s as previous SC52ws...no matter how much, or how many forum posters protest!? Really disappointing for those of us with hope that it might share the consistent rose'ish tint of the H52w. Sigh...


----------



## Fireclaw18

Thanks for the screenshots.

I was hoping that Zebralight would have improved the tint. It's possible to get XML2s with great tint. Eagletac and Spark flashlights have them with great tint. Unfortunately, it sounds like Zebralight made no changes to the tint.


----------



## fridgemagnet

Lordy - that looks BAD.
I wish now that I had ordered the cool white.

or an Eagletac...


----------



## Etsu

Hmmm, yeah, they're pretty close. If anything, I'd say the L2 is actually slightly more yellow-green.


----------



## markr6

Etsu said:


> Hmmm, yeah, they're pretty close. If anything, I'd say the L2 is actually slightly more yellow-green.



Yeah that's a bummer!  I was really hoping for an improvement on the tint this time around. So strange it can't match the nice neutral white of my SC600wII, H600wII, and H52w.


----------



## Etsu

markr6 said:


> Yeah that's a bummer!  I was really hoping for an improvement on the tint this time around. So strange it can't match the nice neutral white of my SC600wII, H600wII, and H52w.



You may have just been lucky on those lights. I find it hard to believe that Zebralight uses different standards when picking LEDs, depending on what model they're building. Unless they build them in different locations?


----------



## henry1960

Etsu said:


> Hmmm, yeah, they're pretty close. If anything, I'd say the L2 is actually slightly more yellow-green.



Well This Just Made My Decision Easier Of Buying One....:shakehead


----------



## 18650

snowdriver said:


> the SC52w L2 is on the left. The Camera is set to 4400 Kelvin. I'd day there's no difference in tint at all.


 Should it not be white if the white balance on the camera set to 4400K to match the light? I'm not sure what people expect though. Anything below 5000K is just a different degree of yellow.


----------



## LEDburn

cyclesport said:


> Thanks for the beam shots snowdriver. Sadly it looks like ZL is resigned to supplying the same yellow/green tinted XM-L2s as previous SC52ws...no matter how much, or how many forum posters protest!? Really disappointing for those of us with hope that it might share the consistent rose'ish tint of the H52w. Sigh...



Maybe I just got lucky then as mySC52w L2 which i received yesterday is very similar to my H52fw and H600fw 

It is definitely A HEAP BETTER than the original SC52w..and I didn't even have a problem with that until I got one of the headlamps with the nice rose tint


----------



## xellz

Waiting was long, but finally got shipping notification, hope EMS from China to Japan won't take too long.


----------



## Etsu

18650 said:


> Should it not be white if the white balance on the camera set to 4400K to match the light? I'm not sure what people expect though. Anything below 5000K is just a different degree of yellow.



No, you can definitely have lights below 5000K that look white, not yellow (when viewed alone). The Nichia 219 LED gives an excellent white tint around 4400K. A bright incandescent bulb will give a nice white tint about 3500K (when viewed by itself). Cree LEDs never look completely white; they all have a slight green tinge to them in the corona.

A camera's automatic white balance will usually do a pretty good job of trying to find the correct white balance, but it can't compensate for beam profiles that do not have consistent tint across the beam. When I photograph lights, I manually set the white balance so it properly compares different beams, and doesn't compensate for tint shifts (whether green or magenta).

An image of a beam profile is usually less forgiving than what it looks like in person.


----------



## Fireclaw18

Actually, I don't really think the Nichia 219 looks pure white. It looks more pinkish-tan. Beautiful tint with great color rendition... but definitely not pure white. 

To get light that looks truly pure white I think a cooler tint is needed. Anywhere from 5000K to 5500K. This shouldn't surprising as it's closer to natural light. The color temperature of sunlight on a sunny day at noon is 5500k.


----------



## Streamer

snowdriver said:


> the SC52w L2 is on the left. The Camera is set to 4400 Kelvin. I'd day there's no difference in tint at all.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> left: SC52 cool white; middle: SC52w L2; right: SC52w


----------



## Etsu

Fireclaw18 said:


> Actually, I don't really think the Nichia 219 looks pure white. It looks more pinkish-tan. Beautiful tint with great color rendition... but definitely not pure white.



It's the only light I have that measures zero tint shift when I profile the color. 4400K and no magenta/green shift. All my other lights have at least some shift one way or the other. Natural sunlight also measures zero tint shift (different temperature, obviously).



> To get light that looks truly pure white I think a cooler tint is needed. Anywhere from 5000K to 5500K. This shouldn't surprising as it's closer to natural light. The color temperature of sunlight on a sunny day at noon is 5500k.



Agreed. Sunlight is 5500K, so it would be a natural (daytime) white. The Nichia 219 definitely looks yellow when shone on a white floor lit by sunlight. But our eyes are very good at adapting to different color temps of light, when it's the only source of light. I see white as anything from 3500K to 6500K. Above 6500K and the blue tint is getting too much to ignore. Below 3500K and it starts to look yellow. But in-between it looks plain white, as long as it's dark and there is no other light. Different people may have different tolerances, of course.


----------



## xellz

Arrived today. Really like it, feels solid and nice, great UI. Only one thing i don't like, it's too hard clip for this tiny and light flashlight, difficult to use. Now waiting for evening for real use testing, but almost certainly this flashlight will see a lot of use. I have only one more flashlight for outside, D40A neutral white and color of my SC52W L2 is more warm. I'll take a photo latter, can't tell yet which i like more until use them in evening.


----------



## Etsu

xellz said:


> Only one thing i don't like, it's too hard clip for this tiny and light flashlight, difficult to use.



Yeah, I don't know why they make the clips so tight. Too tight for jeans or any thick material, and I'm worried it would rip thin material. I never use the clip, and just consider it an anti-roll device.


----------



## Dave D

Etsu said:


> Yeah, I don't know why they make the clips so tight. Too tight for jeans or any thick material, and I'm worried it would rip thin material. I never use the clip, and just consider it an anti-roll device.



I replaced mine with a Nitecore Titanium clip, does the job perfectly now.


----------



## BobMc

We'll I ordered my sc52w L2 tonight ,I ordered the neutral as I liked seeing the better colors in the outdoor pictures that I looked at.Also it will be my first neutral light. I am just learning about the different tints from the forum here,now I just have to wait about 3 weeks according to the folks at Zebralight.


----------



## xellz

Amazing UI, makes so much more sense than D40A UI. Especially i like long press and that it always starts from low to high. I like this flashlight so much that i'm actually looking for opportunities to use it more  Also feels like sc52 l2 has good heat transfer from led to body. Anyway, now i'm a fan of zebralight. Eventually going to replace D40A or simply add sc600 mk2, sadly not anytime soon. Not that easy to sell a flashlight in Japan.


----------



## whoofit

Seems to be some supply issues. I haven't received a shipment notification yet. In the meantime I used some of my other lights in St Croix, VI last week and had to surrender the D25A T6 to wifey or her nursing duties based on her preference. A D25A Ti Clicky replacement will be here Weds AM, no trouble at all. With lots of other choices in lights I wonder why I am so compelled to wait around for his one too..... but I am.


----------



## Fireclaw18

xellz said:


> Amazing UI, makes so much more sense than D40A UI. Especially i like long press and that it always starts from low to high. I like this flashlight so much that i'm actually looking for opportunities to use it more  Also feels like sc52 l2 has good heat transfer from led to body. Anyway, now i'm a fan of zebralight. Eventually going to replace D40A or simply add sc600 mk2, sadly not anytime soon. Not that easy to sell a flashlight in Japan.



Zebralights are known for their excellent heat transfer. Most Zebralights have a one-piece body that includes a platform for the star. There's no pill or separate head. Heat has a very direct path to transfer from the LED to the entire outside of the light.

One downside of this is that Zebralights are incredibly difficult to mod. This is because:
1. They have press-fit lens retaining rings instead of screwed in rings.
2. On older Zebralights like the SC600 (early version), the star is soldered to the retaining screws.... and the excellent heatsinking sucks the life out of all but the strongest soldering irons.
3. On newer Zebralights (SC52 and newer), space is saved by using an integrated board containing the driver and the LED. There's no traditional star.


----------



## BIG45-70

Are all the new zebra lights potted?


----------



## krisvm

Just got mine today. Awesome!


----------



## fridgemagnet

I wish mine would arrive - it's been 16 days since the given dispatch date...I hope it comes before I have to claim on my credit card (if I can, after all this waiting).
It is 44 days since Zebralight took payment from my Visa card.


----------



## run4jc

Mine came yesterday- ordered on January 28. I probably should have scrolled back through other's comments, so if this is redundant I apologize. Darker finish, just an ⅛ of an inch or so shorter. I am not sure about the switch/boot...this one feels 'mushy' compared to my old SC52. Nice uber low (I programmed it to the lowest setting) and a solid 400 lumen on high with a 14500...210 with an Eneloop.


I'm a huge ZL fan and consider this light to be a tremendous value, but I'm just a bit disappointed with the switch.


Just my $.02


----------



## reppans

run4jc said:


> ..... a solid 400 lumen on high with a 14500...210 with an Eneloop.



Good readings, I get ~ the same. Have you had a change to measure all the L modes? Mine's off by multiples there - course they're the ones I care most about .


----------



## whoofit

I cancelled for refund. A month delay and still no shipment. Will let the dust settle a bit on these and maybe order in the future.


----------



## chorlton

I've had my SC52w for a few months now and it has many useful attributes: very good flat runtimes even with alkaline although I use L91 lithium, excellent colour rendition, very high output, massive for its size on 3.7v li-ion, really low low and well spaced programable selections in between. I like the side clicky and the grip and build are excellent. My only one reserve is that I would rather it had more throw! It lights up a good area but when out walking its just too floody for my liking. For every other task...spot on!


----------



## markr6

chorlton said:


> I've had my SC52w for a few months now and it has many useful attributes: very good flat runtimes even with alkaline although I use L91 lithium, excellent colour rendition, very high output, massive for its size on 3.7v li-ion, really low low and well spaced programable selections in between. I like the side clicky and the grip and build are excellent. My only one reserve is that I would rather it had more throw! It lights up a good area but when out walking its just too floody for my liking. For every other task...spot on!



I also think it could benefit with a bit more throw. I generally prefer floody lights, but wish the SC52 was closer to my SC600 or SC62d. They are throwy, but not the laser-beam type like some lights. Between the three I mentioned, I like the SC600 the best.


----------



## fridgemagnet

fridgemagnet said:


> I wish mine would arrive - it's been 16 days since the given dispatch date...I hope it comes before I have to claim on my credit card (if I can, after all this waiting).
> It is 44 days since Zebralight took payment from my Visa card.



YES -it arrived today!
And what a beautiful creation it is - blows everything else into the weeds. Not too sure about the tint yet, but so far so good. I'm colour blind, so it's a bit different for me than for others, but it's much better than the harsh, two dimensional effect that the more blue tints give me. Things appear more natural, anyway.
Love the UI too.


----------



## RIX TUX

chorlton said:


> I've had my SC52w for a few months now and it has many useful attributes: very good flat runtimes even with alkaline although I use L91 lithium, excellent colour rendition, very high output, massive for its size on 3.7v li-ion, really low low and well spaced programable selections in between. I like the side clicky and the grip and build are excellent. My only one reserve is that I would rather it had more throw! It lights up a good area but when out walking its just too floody for my liking. For every other task...spot on!


the reflector is smaller than a dime-what do you expect ?
put a 14500 in it.


----------



## HikingMano

Finally got shipping info. Feel like I've been waiting forever for ZL...


----------



## jackbombay

Hmm, it looks like these are sold out everywhere, anybody know if they are in stock anywhere?


----------



## HikingMano

HikingMano said:


> Finally got shipping info. Feel like I've been waiting forever for ZL...




:sigh:

I didn't win the tint lottery; my SC52w L2 is :green:. So frustrating after waiting for so long. I put it next to my L3 Illumination L10 w/ Nichia 219 and my H52w; the H52w is somewhat rosy next to the Nichia, but still pretty good, while the SC52w L2 is noticeably green. I'll take pics when I get a chance later. 

Honestly, it'll probably be "good enough" for my use, but it's a little disappointing considering how long I waited and how much I paid...

Also, interesting side note: The green tint is much more noticeable when the light is on low and shining on close surfaces. On high, the green seems much less apparent. Must be some nuance in ocular processing...


----------



## holygeez03

I believe it is very common for the tint to shift more at lower outputs... for all emitters (cool, neutral, warm).


----------



## Diablo_331

True story. ^^^


----------



## Etsu

Exaggerated story. ^^^

I've photographed my Quarks at moonlight and turbo, with white-balanced fixed, and adjusting the exposure for the brightness level. I can't tell which is moonlight and which is max, when I compared the pics. They both have a slight green corona, and it looks the same regardless of output.

Our eyes can more easily see the green at lower output, simply because our photoreceptors aren't overpowered by bright light, washing out the subtle tints.

While there is tint shift and reduction to CRI as you reduce current to the LED, I do not think it is significant enough for our eyes to perceive. IMO, it's probably used to justify crappy PWM regulation by some light manufacturers.


----------



## reppans

Etsu said:


> Exaggerated story. ^^^
> 
> I've photographed my Quarks at moonlight and turbo, with white-balanced fixed, and adjusting the exposure for the brightness level. I can't tell which is moonlight and which is max, when I compared the pics. They both have a slight green corona, and it looks the same regardless of output.
> 
> Our eyes can more easily see the green at lower output, simply because our photoreceptors aren't overpowered by bright light, washing out the subtle tints.
> 
> While there is tint shift and reduction to CRI as you reduce current to the LED, I do not think it is significant enough for our eyes to perceive. IMO, it's probably used to justify crappy PWM regulation by some light manufacturers.




+1... here're some 1AAs, top all on moonlight, bottom all around 100-125 lms (SC52 in center). One light is even PWM on ML mode. I don't notice any tint differences, other than that caused by color saturation from underexposure, or washout from overexposure.


----------



## Diablo_331

Since when have cameras been able to perfectly reproduce what a person sees? Another point that I'll add is that I can tell. If another person can tell or not has nothing do with my sight. It's all subjective and everyone perceives tints differently. To each his own I suppose. I can see this off topic posting getting out of hand quickly so I won't be adding anything else.


----------



## Etsu

Diablo_331 said:


> Since when have cameras been able to perfectly reproduce what a person sees?



They don't, but they're pretty good at picking up differences in tint, especially at the very low light levels where human eyes become less sensitive to color, and high light levels, where human eyes get overwhelmed.




> Another point that I'll add is that I can tell. If another person can tell or not has nothing do with my sight.



Sure, and I can clearly see the face on Mars. Doesn't make it true, though.

Show me photographic evidence that can be objectively reviewed, and I might believe you.


----------



## markr6

HikingMano said:


> Also, interesting side note: The green tint is much more noticeable when the light is on low and shining on close surfaces. On high, the green seems much less apparent. Must be some nuance in ocular processing...



Very true! If my SC52w was a 1-mode light at only 280 lumens, I never would have complained about the tint. At that level it appears much closer to white or some of the better NW lights I have. On any of the middle settings, forget it...puke green. Is it the actual LED or my eyes? Don't know, don't care.


----------



## kaichu dento

holygeez03 said:


> I believe it is very common for the tint to shift more at lower outputs... for all emitters (cool, neutral, warm).


Not sure if they shift more at one end or the other, but they do go cooler the higher the output and I've always wished it were the other way around.



markr6 said:


> Very true! If my SC52w was a 1-mode light at only 280 lumens, I never would have complained about the tint. At that level it appears much closer to white or some of the better NW lights I have. On any of the middle settings, forget it...puke green. Is it the actual LED or my eyes? Don't know, don't care.


I had to laugh when I read this because it's so true.

If all my lights only worked at their highest output I'd be much less picky about tint. Not completely unconcerned, but much less so than at present.


----------



## HikingMano

Etsu said:


> [...]Our eyes can more easily see the green at lower output, simply because our photoreceptors aren't overpowered by bright light, washing out the subtle tints.[...]



No, I don't think the photoreceptors are saturated; I view the light on the white wall at a distance, so absolute input is probably in the same range given the distance, relative to viewing reflected light at a lower output level at close range.

On low looking at a white surface at close range --> apparent green tint.

On high looking at white surface from across the room --> much less discernible green tint

I don't have an opinion on whether it's visual processing or hardware-dependent... just reporting empirical observation. I'd be interested if someone produces some relevant peer-reviewed lit though. 



markr6 said:


> Very true! If my SC52w was a 1-mode light at only 280 lumens, I never would have complained about the tint. At that level it appears much closer to white or some of the better NW lights I have. On any of the middle settings, forget it...puke green. Is it the actual LED or my eyes? Don't know, don't care.



Agreed:thumbsup:

ETA: To an extent anyway, I mean, somehow some LEDs are able to stay white at both low and high levels, so it must at least be partially independent of visual processing?


----------



## Etsu

kaichu dento said:


> If all my lights only worked at their highest output I'd be much less picky about tint.



Then choose lights that use PWM at lower levels. Problem solved. (If you really believe that current is the only determining factor in perceiving tint. I bet after you try out a few PWM lights, you'll change your mind.)


----------



## kaichu dento

Etsu said:


> Then choose lights that use PWM at lower levels. Problem solved. (If you really believe that current is the only determining factor in perceiving tint. I bet after you try out a few PWM lights, you'll change your mind.)


Your post is complete and utter nonsense and has nothing to do with the one of mine you were attempting to respond to.


----------



## Impulses

Really? They're so similar in practice... I mean sure, the D40A has mode memory and two buttons, but both lights let you jump to max or moonlight from off and cycle pretty logically. Both have nicely spaced modes too. I love both, wouldn't replace either, just wish both were cheaper so I could have multiples as secondary lights! (my S15 & E03 fill that role alright for the price)



xellz said:


> Amazing UI, makes so much more sense than D40A UI. Especially i like long press and that it always starts from low to high. I like this flashlight so much that i'm actually looking for opportunities to use it more  Also feels like sc52 l2 has good heat transfer from led to body. Anyway, now i'm a fan of zebralight. Eventually going to replace D40A or simply add sc600 mk2, sadly not anytime soon. Not that easy to sell a flashlight in Japan.


----------



## bgm307

Dave D said:


> I replaced mine with a Nitecore Titanium clip, does the job perfectly now.



Do the holes on the Nitecore clip line up with the holes on the SC52? I just got my SC 52 L2 yesterday. It's really almost perfect. I just don't like the chrome clip very much.


----------



## pjandyho

bgm307 said:


> Do the holes on the Nitecore clip line up with the holes on the SC52? I just got my SC 52 L2 yesterday. It's really almost perfect. I just don't like the chrome clip very much.


If you don't like the chrome clip, you can always brush it with a scotch-brite. Keep brushing in one direction lengthwise for consistency.


----------



## kreisl

bgm307 said:


> Do the holes on the Nitecore clip line up with the holes on the SC52? I just got my SC 52 L2 yesterday. It's really almost perfect. I just don't like the chrome clip very much.



_Foursevens_ Deep Carry pocket clip miraculously fits on the _TX25C2_ (and the _D25LC2_) but not on the _T20C2_.



​_Nitcore titanium clip installed on SC52, beautiful fit and function!_


----------



## Etsu

kaichu dento said:


> Your post is complete and utter nonsense and has nothing to do with the one of mine you were attempting to respond to.



Okay, then let me go through it again with footnotes so you will understand:

You said, 



kaichu dento said:


> If all my lights only worked at their highest output I'd be much less picky about tint. Not completely unconcerned, but much less so than at present.



And I responded,



Etsu said:


> Then choose lights that use PWM at lower levels. Problem solved. (If you really believe that current is the only determining factor in perceiving tint. I bet after you try out a few PWM lights, you'll change your mind.)




Okay, now here's the point you're missing: PWM operates your light on high all the time, regardless of what setting you have it at. It just flashes high on-and-off very quickly. No tint shift from operating at a low current. Your problem is solved! You're welcome.

Oh, if you really want an easier solution, just use your lights on high and don't ever put them on low. I'm guessing you already figured that one out, though.


----------



## fridgemagnet

Hang on - that does not compute...PWM flashes on & off at full power - agreed. 
But the led has to come up to temperature, be at full power, and go down in temperature, so it will run through whatever range of tints it has in it's arsenal.
How long it spends in the intermediate states I have no idea, but nothing happens instantaneously.


----------



## Fireclaw18

fridgemagnet said:


> Hang on - that does not compute...PWM flashes on & off at full power - agreed.
> But the led has to come up to temperature, be at full power, and go down in temperature, so it will run through whatever range of tints it has in it's arsenal.
> How long it spends in the intermediate states I have no idea, but nothing happens instantaneously.



One of the advantages I recall about LEDs is that unlike other types of lights there's no warmup time. If you put full power through them they light up instantly at full power. So they don't go through a range of tints when you have a PWM light cycling on and off hundreds of times a second. This is one reason PWM is even possible. Other types of lighting methods (incandescent, fluorescent) have warmup times so can't use PWM.

If the LED is run heavily wtihout proper heatsinking, it will heat up and output may decrease... but this is something that happens much more gradually. It doesn't go from fully hot to fully cold at the PWM cycle rate.

*For flashlights*:
*Advantages of PWM*:
1. No tint-shift. Many LEDs tend to shift towards green as you lower the current. My SC600 gives a beautiful white tint at max power and an ugly greenish tint at lower modes. In contrast, with a PWM light you get the same great tint at all levels. If tint matters to you and you run at lower power settings a lot this can be a big advantage in favor of PWM.
*
Advantages of Current Control*
2. More efficient - LEDs get more efficent at producing light when run at lower current. At max power both the PWM light and the current control light have the same efficiency. At lower power settings, current control pulls ahead. At very low power settings it can be twice as efficient as PWM, giving you twice the runtime.

3. No whine - depending on the frequency of the PWM, you may get an audible whining sound from the driver. At 9.4 khz, a Nanjg 105c produces an audible while on medium modes. However, if you set the firmware to faster 16 khz PWM the problem is solved and there's no audible whine on any mode.

4. No uncomfortable strobing effect when compared to slow PWM. - very slow PWM is visible to the eye and produces an uncomfortable strobing effect. This problem is easily solved by using faster PWM that's too fast for the eye to see. Good quality PWM lights all use fast PWM.

Personally, I'm a tint fanatic and a I hate green tint. I don't need the super-long low-mode runtimes that current control provides. As such, I tend to prefer lights with fast PWM over lights with current control.


----------



## rexet

My SC52w L2 just arrived this morning (order placed on the 21st of March, it was on "back order" at this time, shipped on the 4th of April and arrived on the 19th by Airmail). This is a really nice flashlight with a good output regarding its size.
The tint is really warm, more yellow than my SC600w MKII L2. The switch is kind of too soft compared to the SC600 which has a really distinct clic.
But I'm quite happy of my purchase


----------



## kaichu dento

Etsu said:


> ...here's the point you're missing: PWM operates your light on high all the time, regardless of what setting you have it at. It just flashes high on-and-off very quickly. No tint shift from operating at a low current. Your problem is solved! You're welcome.
> 
> Oh, if you really want an easier solution, just use your lights on high and don't ever put them on low. I'm guessing you already figured that one out, though.


Here's what you're missing; I made a statement regarding tint and how I'd be less picky if my lights only had one output level and you made the mistake of deciding that you understood more about my tint preference than you possibly could, unless you'd read any of my posts in the past saying that I wish that emitters put out warmer tints at higher levels and cooler tints at lower levels.

Your closing statement is completely meaningless, again.

No one buys a Zebralight to use at one level only and the lowest levels being what I use the most at particular times places them very high on my list of priorities.

We've got different tastes in lights and while your solutions may be ideal for you, they're useless for me.


----------



## adras

I'd really love to order one, but on the zebralight webpage it says: back order. Should I place the order anyway, and hope it get's delivered within a week or so, or should I wait?


----------



## thedoc007

adras said:


> I'd really love to order one, but on the zebralight webpage it says: back order. Should I place the order anyway, and hope it get's delivered within a week or so, or should I wait?



You must be an optimist...if you need it in a week, forget about ordering it direct from Zebralight. Almost no chance it will arrive on time...it could be a couple MONTHS. 

If you know you want the light, no matter when it comes, then go ahead and reserve your spot by placing an order now. But as to getting it soon, forget about it.


----------



## jimboutilier

adras said:


> I'd really love to order one, but on the zebralight webpage it says: back order. Should I place the order anyway, and hope it get's delivered within a week or so, or should I wait?



A few minutes ago E2FieldGear still listed SC52L2CW in stock. Ordered a couple on Sunday, they shipped yesterday and should be here on Thursday. I've been happy with them before and have gotten items no one else appeared to have at the time.


----------



## adras

jimboutilier said:


> A few minutes ago E2FieldGear still listed SC52L2CW in stock. Ordered a couple on Sunday, they shipped yesterday and should be here on Thursday. I've been happy with them before and have gotten items no one else appeared to have at the time.



Just got a reply back from zebralight support. They said current lead time is 2-3 weeks. As I usually order things from china I'm used to waiting. Order is placed, let's see how long it takes


----------



## whoofit

I don't see "potted and sealed" in the product description. Not sure this is the latest version?


----------



## LEDburn

whoofit said:


> I don't see "potted and sealed" in the product description. Not sure this is the latest version?



I really doubt anyone had left over stock from the "non-L2" batch. 
Also, seeing as the SC52w already had an XM-L2 and the output hasn't changed, it makes sense that they didn't see the need to update the page or have simply overlooked the changes. 
They have stated it has the new UI which would make it an L2 (which the product is listed as) and therefore it would also be potted and sealed…


----------



## shelm

i've seen driver disassemblies and lemme tell you the driver is most definitely not potted


----------



## LEDburn

shelm said:


> i've seen driver disassemblies and lemme tell you the driver is most definitely not potted



You have, have you?

You have literally seen all the electronics removed from a newer model ZL?

Only recently were the lights potted and sealed. The only pics of disassembly that I have seen are from well before ZL ever claimed that so unless you have recently seen one, and have pics, then we'll just leave your comment in the speculation bin where it belongs.


----------



## DaFABRICATA

This is a SC52 driver with most of the silicon like thermal potting compound ZL uses...

Every Zebralight that I have ever had apart ALL had the same grey silicon like thermal potting compound, going back to the H30.


----------



## shelm

LEDburn said:


> You have literally seen all the electronics removed *from a newer* model ZL?


argh i never said that.

i checked, the pics were from the older L2 nw model.

so you call a splash of grey silicone "potting"?

oic

oh i see 


and i think you just dissed me. for no good. pease man.


----------



## jimboutilier

jimboutilier said:


> A few minutes ago E2FieldGear still listed SC52L2CW in stock. Ordered a couple on Sunday, they shipped yesterday and should be here on Thursday. I've been happy with them before and have gotten items no one else appeared to have at the time.



Order arrived on Thurs as scheduled. SC52L2CW as ordered. Nice tint. Darker shinier anodizing. Softer button but still a preceptable click. Nice.


----------



## whoofit

LEDburn said:


> I really doubt anyone had left over stock from the "non-L2" batch.
> Also, seeing as the SC52w already had an XM-L2 and the output hasn't changed, it makes sense that they didn't see the need to update the page or have simply overlooked the changes.
> They have stated it has the new UI which would make it an L2 (which the product is listed as) and therefore it would also be potted and sealed…



All I see on the SC52w L2 page at E2 is still a Pre-Order.. I see the SC52 L2 page showing out of stock. So this means, to me at least, the NEW SC52w-L2 still has not arrived there.

Am I wrong?

I looked for where "they" said it was the new UI and couldn't find it. Where did you see this?


----------



## whoofit

DaFABRICATA said:


> This is a SC52 driver with most of the silicon like thermal potting compound ZL uses...
> 
> Every Zebralight that I have ever had apart ALL had the same grey silicon like thermal potting compound, going back to the H30.



My understanding of potted is filled. I feel the gray that you show is not potted. At least not the potting we do in the manufacture of temperature probes where I work. We fill cavities and housings for vibration, shock, moisture ingress and impact resistance using thermally conductive materials.

This feature was key to me when I pre-ordered the SC52w-L2.


----------



## Fireclaw18

Those pictures are of an old-model SC52 cool white. It's not the updated L2 model. Notice how the emitter is an XML and not an XML2.

Zebralight never claimed the early model SC52s were potted.

However, Zebralight does claim that the newer L2 version IS sealed and potted. I assume the new version is completely filled with some kind of potting compound.


----------



## DaFABRICATA

My post above should have said: "before most of the compound was removed."
All ZL that I've had apart were all FILLED with the stuff. It's rubbery and comes off using a toothpick to carefully remove it. 
So, to me, I feel its potted.


----------



## Fireclaw18

DaFABRICATA said:


> My post above should have said: "before most of the compound was removed."
> All ZL that I've had apart were all FILLED with the stuff. It's rubbery and comes off using a toothpick to carefully remove it.
> So, to me, I feel its potted.



What's interesting is that until the SC62d, Zebralight's official feature listing never mentioned potting. Since then, their feature list includes "Sealed and potted LED driver circuitry".

This makes me wonder if their sealing and potting in the newer lights (SC62d, SC52 L2, SC52w L2) is any different from the rubbery grey stuff they used on all their earlier lights.


----------



## DaFABRICATA

Good point!....and we shall eventually find out.


----------



## LEDburn

whoofit said:


> I don't see "potted and sealed" in the product description. Not sure this is the latest version?



We're clearly discussing the newer (dubbed L2) version..



shelm said:


> i've seen driver disassemblies and lemme tell you the driver is most definitely not potted





shelm said:


> argh i never said that.



Seems you did. Maybe you deliberately left the part out about not having seen the electronics from one of the ones which are actually claimed to be potted. 

Pretty simple really: we're discussing the newer "potted" version; you chime in that they aren't potted and have seen so yourself; I call you out; you're wrong and now look like a fool or someone deliberately spreading misinformation; clearly I am having a dig..at a fool..


----------



## shelm

The SC52w L2 is out of stock everywhere, found only 1 place with current stock (NKON) and quickly placed an order, they go fast!! 

I'll let you know how i like the SC52w L2!!


----------



## NutSAK

I ordered an SC52W L2 from ebay user eyebrowse on 4/26 and received it on 4/28. The seller is Zebralight authorized.

Excellent service, and I got a nice, neutral white tint. I'm very pleased with the purchase.


----------



## cyclesport

NutSAK said:


> I ordered an SC52W L2...and I got a nice, neutral white tint...



Really?! As in no green/yellow tint? Would you characterize it as a slight rose tint similar to Nichia's 219? My hope is that ZL is starting to use the same great 4400K XM-L2 that so consistently present in the H52w. I had given up hope that that I'd ever be able to acquire a good neutral tint in the SC52w L2 platform...


----------



## NutSAK

cyclesport said:


> Really?! As in no green/yellow tint? Would you characterize it as a slight rose tint similar to Nichia's 219? My hope is that ZL is starting to use the same great 4400K XM-L2 that so consistently present in the H52w. I had given up hope that that I'd ever be able to acquire a good neutral tint in the SC52w L2 platform...



It is yellowish. If I were being very picky, I would say the spot's corona is _slighty_ greenish at lower outputs, but that is only evident when comparing directly to other warm tints. It never appears green to me by itself, but it also isn't "rosy" like a Nichia. Comparing other lights, the tint appears nearly identical to a 5B2 XP-G that I have in a Nailbender drop-in.

I consider myself fairly sensitive to greenish and bluish tints and, like yourself, was concerned with all the disappointing comments about the tint of the SC52w's, but I'm completely satisfied with the tint of this one. With that said, I don't want to give anyone a false sense of security, as I think there is good evidence that a "tint lottery" is at play. Also, it's my opinion that the AR coating that Zebra is using on their lights is creating some tint shift across the beam profile, causing the spill to be cooler than the spot.


----------



## markr6

NutSAK said:


> Also, it's my opinion that the AR coating that Zebra is using on their lights is creating some tint shift across the beam profile, causing the spill to be cooler than the spot.



I wonder if that is true, and maybe why they left the coating off the SC62d? At least it appears that way:


----------



## cyclesport

Thanks for the honest detailed assessment NutSAK! Sounds like your newest gen SC52w L2 might be similar enough to the older SC52w, though maybe somewhat improved, that I guess I'll hold off for now. Like many, the SC52w is one of my fave 1 X AA lights due to the great UI and I keep hoping ZL will latch on to one of the same XM-L2 reels they use for the existing H52w that is vastly better than my older SC52w *(tint lottery not withstanding....seems most owners of the recent H52w report the same slightly rose tint). I like it so much I've started to carry it in place of my SC52w(s) even though I prefer the SC52w platform.

I don't have any of nailbender's XP-G drop-ins but do have his XM-L2 T6 3C 5000k and like all XM-L/XM-L2's it too has some green if one looks very hard but the overall beam profile and tint is very good. I'd be very satisfied with the same emitter in an SC52w! I'm really not that picky but some XM-L/XM-L2 reels are just ghastly yellow/green and better relegated to budget lights...or rejected for production flashlights altogether. I still believe ZL could improve it's SC52w's tint consistency if they chose to do so.


----------



## NutSAK

markr6 said:


> I wonder if that is true, and maybe why they left the coating off the SC62d? At least it appears that way:



It's just a theory. There is a lot of tint shift across the beam of my SC600 II L2, which has the very noticeable purple coating that you show in your picture. However, now that I look closer at my SC52w L2, it doesn't appear to have that coating either so, even if it is true, it shouldn't be a factor.

That's a great pic, BTW, to show the size difference in between the two 18650 lights.


----------



## funkychateau

kaichu dento said:


> Your post is complete and utter nonsense and has nothing to do with the one of mine you were attempting to respond to.





Etsu said:


> Then choose lights that use PWM at lower levels. Problem solved. (If you really believe that current is the only determining factor in perceiving tint. I bet after you try out a few PWM lights, you'll change your mind.)



What Etsu said actually does make sense. Checking a lower intensity produced by on/off modulation (PWM) of a fully-driven emitter would separate the two variables in question.

If the PWM-dimmed version appears to color-shift substantially, then it may truly be a function of eyeball saturation rather than emitter performance. This is because the emitter current (when "on") is approximately the same between the two modes. One unavoidable difference, though, would be the thermal environment. Not sure how junction temperature alone affects the emitted spectrum.


----------



## Fireclaw18

My understanding is that tint shift at low current is an actual physical effect in the emitter. It's not in the eyeball's perception of the light.

You can see this with Nichia 219As: 92 CRI at 1.5 amps. But when you reduce the current the CRI drops to 90 and lower, suggesting there's an actual difference in the wavelengths of light emitted.

None of my PWM lights color shift at all at low power. The tint looks the same. At very very low power colors may wash out a bit due to lack of saturation, but they never shift towards green. 

In contrast, my current control lights tend to shift very dramatically towards green at low currents. This is especially so for ones with CREE leds. The exceptions tend to be current controlled lights that already had very warm tints (3000 and 4000k XML2). Interestly, I didn't notice much tint shift with my SC62d, so perhaps the luxeon is less vulnerable to tint shift than the CREEs.


----------



## Mr Floppy

Fireclaw18 said:


> My understanding is that tint shift at low current is an actual physical effect in the emitter. It's not in the eyeball's perception of the light.



Bit of both. At low currents the relative spectral power of each frequency will change and your eyes may or may not perceive that difference. The CREE docs shows the relative spectral power distribution at 350mA and 700mA for their LED's. Compare that to the spectral distribution power of the Nichia 219 and you can see that the 219 has a much more even spread where as the CREE has high peaks.


----------



## Ares

Got my SC52w L2 in. It's definitely not even a little green. But I'm kind of torn, now. I tend to prefer warmer tints with a floody beam profile (unless it's the SC62d, which I make an exception for). This L2 is much like the first SC600w MkII L2 I got in - entirely too purple. It washes out light green and turns it grey. I have some light green curtains that look completely grey when I shine this light on it. It's almost the exact opposite of what the original did - turn everything green.

It's funny, if I shine the original SC52w onto the new grey L2 body, it looks like green anodizing. If I shine the L2 onto the light-green anodizing of the original SC52w - it looks grey! They almost switch places haha.

On top of that, the head is just a little longer, making the hot spot just a wee bit more focused. You'd think that would mean it throws further... but to my eyes, the original SC52w is the winner outdoors. That, and the grass and trees actually have some color to them. I feel like I'm losing depth perception with the L2. Sigh.

This is entirely personal preference, of course - and I'm notoriously picky. If you don't mind a little rose/purple tint, it's a great light. The strobe mode is nice and disorienting, if you like that sort of thing (I do). If you can't stand the green, I'd recommend this torch. Personally, I think I've actually grown partial to the green. Warmer lights just "feel" better to me. Cooler (or rose/purple) lights don't.

Unlike my SC62d, it works perfectly in all modes, too. It's a good light. I may be reselling it on eBay, though haha.


----------



## markr6

Thanks for the info Ares. I can't imagine a SC52w with a cool or purplish after all the *greenies *I've seen. Man, the lottery just got even more impossible to win :shakehead I may give another one a try one of these days though.

But with my SC62d and SC600w II L2, I really don't even use my SC52w anymore.


----------



## kreisl

Ares said:


> Got my SC52w L2 in. It's definitely not even a little green. But I'm kind of torn, now. I tend to prefer warmer tints with a floody beam profile (unless it's the SC62d, which I make an exception for). This L2 is much like the first SC600w MkII L2 I got in - entirely too purple.



+ 1

i got my SC52w L2 in too, good light. tailcap anodization color does not match the body but it looks acceptable. No more sharp edges at the bezel or at the lower body area around the money clip, that is before the tailcap. the glass lens does not seem AR-coated yet the beam is rosy in the middle and purplish at the spill, with practically no hints of green. on the lower modes all i see is the rosy hotspot because the purplish spill is too dim. the tint is really likable, does not look yellowish, orangish or yellow-greenish. rosy + purple, that's how i would characterize the beam. can't tell how close it is to a Nichia but if i had to venture a guess by looking at all the Nichia reports and beamshots, it has to be damn close.

my unit is factory-fresh from the latest sc52wl2 production batch as stated by the nkon retailer in the Dutchland and i got no complaints with the ZL product nor seller, happy camper here cheers! 

have a great weekend all!!


----------



## HikingMano

kreisl said:


> + 1
> 
> [...]my unit is factory-fresh from the latest sc52wl2 production batch as stated by the nkon retailer in the Dutchland and i got no complaints with the ZL product nor seller, happy camper here cheers!



All these reports of folks winning the lottery is making me bitter I lost it :scowl:. Debating trying again...


----------



## rexet

I have a weird behaviour with my brand new SC52w L2 regarding the battery left indicator system. After few hours when I click "four times" on the switch, the light flashes 1 or 2 times max even if the battery (Eneloop) inside is fully charged. If I unscrew the tailcap and screw it back then the light flashes 4 times as it should.
Do you experience that too or do I own a faulty unit?


----------



## EZO

rexet said:


> I have a weird behaviour with my brand new SC52w L2 regarding the battery left indicator system. After few hours when I click "four times" on the switch, the light flashes 1 or 2 times max even if the battery (Eneloop) inside is fully charged. If I unscrew the tailcap and screw it back then the light flashes 4 times as it should.
> Do you experience that too or do I own a faulty unit?



It's not clear what you mean by "after few hours" as to usage but try cleaning the contacts in the flashlight. Clean the contacts on the battery too while you're at it. Maybe there is some sort of residue, contaminant or oxidant on the flashlight's contacts left over from the manufacturing process.


----------



## moozooh

Grease on the edges of battery tube where it makes contact with the tailcap is a very common cause for something like that.


----------



## Fireclaw18

Good idea to get DeOxit Gold and brush it over the edge of the battery tube.


----------



## rexet

Thank you for your help. I just ordered some Nyogel 760G yesterday, I will do it as soon as I receive it.


----------



## Lithium466

Keep the Nyogel on the anodized threads only!
(and on o'rings of course)


----------



## hatman

Lithium466 said:


> Keep the Nyogel on the anodized threads only!
> (and on o'rings of course)



Eh.....please explain: Is Nyogel harmful?


----------



## Lithium466

No, not at all (not that I am aware of), but it may prevent a good contact if threads are not anodized and current passes through them. Anodized threads do not conduct current, so no problem.
Use conductive grease on threads, if the lights rely on them to make contact, that's better 

Edit: my first answer was specially dedicated to Rexet, after seing his posts on other forum, should have been less specific, sorry.


----------



## Etsu

Nyogel is electrically conductive. That's why you use it on flashlight threads. There's no problem with it on bare threads. Deoxit Gold is also electrically conductive, so good to use.


----------



## NutSAK

Etsu said:


> Nyogel is electrically conductive. That's why you use it on flashlight threads. There's no problem with it on bare threads. Deoxit Gold is also electrically conductive, so good to use.



Some Nyogel products are designed to be electrically conductive, but the Nyogel products sold by flashlight vendors typically are not. They protect electrical pathways, but are not conductive.

Nye list these products as electrically conductive: 753G, 756G, and 758G

Here is a quote from Lighthound:


> Note that NyoGel® 760G is not conductive, but it was designed for lubricating surfaces that are conductive.



Also, from Caig: 



> DeoxIT® and DeoxIT® Gold are designed to improve the flow of electricity between metal surfaces. These products are initially non-conductive liquids, when subjected to an electrical field,DeoxIT® and DeoxIT® Gold promote current flow. No short circuits will occur. In both states, DeoxIT, DeoxIT® Gold and DeoxIT® Shield have resistances high enough to prevent short circuits.



Conductive materials have very low resistances and will cause short circuits. So, Deoxit Gold also is not truly conductive--it is basically a dielectric. Dielectrics transmit electric force without conduction. They are electrical insulators that undergo dielectric polarization when exposed to electrical current.


----------



## Lithium466

I thought the 760G was not conductive, and I think I already had contact issues with it, but I'm not 100% sure. Will test tomorrow with multimeter.

edit: burned


----------



## sticktodrum

I can only speak for myself, but grease always ends up on the non anodized portion of the butt end where it males contact with the tailcap. I clean it sparingly, but even before that it doesn't seem that the grease hinders and functionality with any of my ZLs or other lights.


----------



## Etsu

NutSAK said:


> So, Deoxit Gold also is not truly conductive--it is basically a dielectric. Dielectrics transmit electric force without conduction. They are electrical insulators that undergo dielectric polarization when exposed to electrical current.



Hmmm, okay, I'll have to take your word for it, because I don't see the difference in practical use. I've found Deoxit Gold to work great on non-anodized threads and other electrically conductive areas. It's what 4sevens sells and recommends for its flashlights.


----------



## NutSAK

Etsu said:


> Hmmm, okay, I'll have to take your word for it, because I don't see the difference in practical use.



The difference in practical use is that a conductive lubricant not only protects electrical contacts the way Deoxit and Nyogel do, but also conducts electricity. I would not recommend a conductive lubricant on flashlight threads, because it could cause problems (shorts) if used excessively.


----------



## rickyro

rexet said:


> I have a weird behaviour with my brand new SC52w L2 regarding the battery left indicator system. After few hours when I click "four times" on the switch, the light flashes 1 or 2 times max even if the battery (Eneloop) inside is fully charged. If I unscrew the tailcap and screw it back then the light flashes 4 times as it should.
> Do you experience that too or do I own a faulty unit?



This happened to me too. But the batteries with this weirdness are some very old other brand ones with more than 6 years of life, not the eneloops I bought within recent years.

And those batteries will run out fast even when put back with more flashes.


----------



## UnderPar

I just pulled another trigger today. Ordered the SC52w L2 very recently. On wait mode now.


----------



## nbp

Just ordered an SC52w L2. Hoping it doesn't take too long to come from Zebralight!! This is my first ZL, and the first, ahem, Chinese built light I have purchased in ages. Need to scratch the itch for a new light and can't afford more McGizmos right now, Hahaha. So my expectations are high, but I'm looking forward to playing with it! If it seems tough and reliable I'll be happy to add it to my pocket gear for work days.


----------



## pjandyho

nbp said:


> Just ordered an SC52w L2. Hoping it doesn't take too long to come from Zebralight!! This is my first ZL, and the first, ahem, Chinese built light I have purchased in ages. Need to scratch the itch for a new light and can't afford more McGizmos right now, Hahaha. So my expectations are high, but I'm looking forward to playing with it! If it seems tough and reliable I'll be happy to add it to my pocket gear for work days.


I think you will like it. Especially when running it with 14500.


----------



## UnderPar

pjandyho said:


> I think you will like it. Especially when running it with 14500.



I second to this. I received my SC52w L2 last night and its really awesome!  This is my second warm white light. UI is still very much similar to my SC600MkII L2. This is my new EDC now.


----------



## rexet

I also own both SC600w MKII L2 and SC52w L2. I love them both but I prefer the tint from my SC600w. The SC52w I received is too warm, really yellow. It doesn't bother me that much but I would have liked a more neutral white.


----------



## nbp

pjandyho said:


> I think you will like it. Especially when running it with 14500.



Thanks Andy.  We usually have similar preferences so that boosts my confidence!


----------



## UnderPar

rexet said:


> I also own both SC600w MKII L2 and SC52w L2. I love them both but I prefer the tint from my SC600w. The SC52w I received is too warm, really yellow. It doesn't bother me that much but I would have liked a more neutral white.



I also have the same impression on the color. Comparing it to my other warm white light, this one is warmer. But I dont want it to bother me anymore. Am still very happy owning one.


----------



## Etsu

At some point this year, I'm going to buy another SC52w (L2). But I want to make sure they work out the kinks first, since they seem to be changing materials, according to another thread. I don't mind a warm tint, so yellow is okay with me. Hopefully, not too green.

I don't like the blinkies in the new UI, but I'll just avoid triple-clicks.


----------



## Overclocker

UnderPar said:


> I also have the same impression on the color. Comparing it to my other warm white light, this one is warmer. But I dont want it to bother me anymore. Am still very happy owning one.




while i would prefer something around 5000K, i consider zebra's "w" to be the lesser evil compared to their cool white offering


----------



## markr6

Overclocker said:


> while i would prefer something around 5000K, i consider zebra's "w" to be the lesser evil compared to their cool white offering



Same here. I am spoiled now by the 5000K SC62d, but I still like my "w" models too (some more than others)


----------



## Etsu

The Nichia 219 spoils it for all other LEDs. It's my #1 choice for a light. #2 choice is an incandescent at around 3500K (which still looks white to me, and of course shows great reds and oranges). Last choice is any cheap light that uses an LED up in the 8000K+ range, into the ugly blue and purple range. I'll take yellow over purple any day.

The rest of my family couldn't care less about the tint or color temp. I think that's why cool white is so popular.


----------



## markr6

Etsu said:


> The Nichia 219 spoils it for all other LEDs. It's my #1 choice for a light. #2 choice is an incandescent at around 3500K (which still looks white to me, and of course shows great reds and oranges). Last choice is any cheap light that uses an LED up in the 8000K+ range, into the ugly blue and purple range. I'll take yellow over purple any day.
> 
> The rest of my family couldn't care less about the tint or color temp. I think that's why cool white is so popular.



I agree. It's like a digital camera. People like big numbers so a 20 megapixel camera will impress them. But I look through that and see the crappy color, noise, chromatic aberration, etc). I would rather take the 12 megapixel camera with a quality processor and lens and enjoy an adequately sized photo with rich bright color and razor sharp detail.


----------



## jackbombay

UnderPar said:


> I just pulled another trigger today. Ordered the SC52w L2 very recently. On wait mode now.



I ordered one over the weekend, it shipped yesterday via Priority mail, I should have it tomorrow!


----------



## UnderPar

Overclocker said:


> while i would prefer something around 5000K, i consider zebra's "w" to be the lesser evil compared to their cool white offering



Very well said. Would love this light more if it is in the 5000k color level. This could have been the neutral white which is how ZL identified it in their website. But the "w" on the 52 stands for warm.


----------



## dts71

UnderPar said:


> Very well said. Would love this light more if it is in the 5000k color level. This could have been the neutral white which is how ZL identified it in their website. But the "w" on the 52 stands for warm.



Consider it w for warmer than cold.


----------



## WalkIntoTheLight

I just ordered a SC52w-L2. I already have the SC52, but want something warmer. I hope the tint consistency is better on the L2 line than it was on the original SC52w, but I'll take what I get.

Zebralight seems to be one of the few manufacturers that offer neutral white choices in their standard line of lights. Pity that more companies don't offer higher CRI versions. I would have preferred a warm white high CRI, because the neutral XML still isn't that high, but at least it's better than cool white. Anyone know if Zebralight has any plans for a high CRI LED in a version that uses AA batteries?


----------



## Mr Floppy

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Anyone know if Zebralight has any plans for a high CRI LED in a version that uses AA batteries?



They come in the form of a Luxeon T and they are the H502c and H502d.


----------



## markr6

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Pity that more companies don't offer higher CRI versions.



I'm hopeful more companies will start. Eagletac is doing a good job offering neutral in many of their models. They even offer a Nichia 219 in the D25A which is pretty surprising. Hopefully others follow.


----------



## WalkIntoTheLight

Mr Floppy said:


> They come in the form of a Luxeon T and they are the H502c and H502d.



Yes, that is their headlamp model, not a flashlight model. I don't think I could get used to using a flashlight that shines out the side.



markr6 said:


> I'm hopeful more companies will start. Eagletac is doing a good job offering neutral in many of their models. They even offer a Nichia 219 in the D25A which is pretty surprising. Hopefully others follow.



I didn't know they used the Nichia, I thought they only used Crees. Thank you. I have one light with a Nichia 219 and I really like the output with no variation in tint across the beam. Crees always seem to have a greenish corona.


----------



## shelm

A new generation of SC52's is announced, got the newsletter today in the mail:







Pure Innovation. 

Awesome. 

:huh:


----------



## WalkIntoTheLight

Oh, no! Are you telling me that I've wasted my money on the SC52w-L2 I just ordered, when I could have waited and got the exact same thing but with a frosted lens???

When I get the light, I'm going to scratch up the lens to "upgrade" it.


----------



## shelm

:laughing:


----------



## markr6

Somethings wrong with their email newsletters. I got 3 in the last few days...one was for the SC52L2 which has been out for awhile now. The others don't seem that new either. But at least I'm starting to get them now for some reason.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

markr6 said:


> Somethings wrong with their email newsletters. I got 3 in the last few days...one was for the SC52L2 which has been out for awhile now. The others don't seem that new either. But at least I'm starting to get them now for some reason.



Same here. I figure something's better than nothing. It will be interesting to see how their new models play out: whether it's same-old same-old, or improved customer experience. (But I DO love the ZL's I have; using one of the two, nightly/numerous times)


----------



## NutSAK

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Crees always seem to have a greenish corona.



The XM-L and L2 emitters seem to all have a greenish corona and tint variation, but I don't have any XP-G/2 or XP-E with a greenish corona.


----------



## WalkIntoTheLight

NutSAK said:


> The XM-L and L2 emitters seem to all have a greenish corona and tint variation, but I don't have any XP-G/2 or XP-E with a greenish corona.



I have an XPG2 with a green corona. It's a smaller hot spot, so is a bit more difficult to see than on the XML2. My XPE's are not green, but they all seem to have a purplish cast near the centre, or maybe their CCT is just so much higher than the XMLs and XPGs. But they are more consistent than the other LEDs.


----------



## KDM

Well I placed a order for a SC52W L2, H502C L2, & SC62D. I should have a rainbow of new colors.


----------



## holygeez03

KDM said:


> Well I placed a order for a SC52W L2, H502C L2, & SC62D. I should have a rainbow of new colors.



Why not a SC600wII as well? Just to have all options covered...


----------



## KDM

holygeez03 said:


> Why not a SC600wII as well? Just to have all options covered...



Already have it, version 1 and 2. I have a large herd of Zebras.


----------



## holygeez03

KDM said:


> Already have it, version 1 and 2. I have a large herd of Zebras.




Good answer.


----------



## jackbombay

holygeez03 said:


> Good answer.



Indeed!

The correct number of lights to own is N+1, N being the number of lights you currently own.


I got my SC52w L2 today this thing is awesome, tint seems fine to me shining it on a white wall, but I am admittedly not too much of a flashaholic and I am admittedly not as discerning as many are when it comes to tint.


----------



## NutSAK

jackbombay said:


> Indeed!
> The correct number of lights to own is N+1, N being the number of lights you currently own.



Even better answer. :thumbsup:


----------



## KDM

I received my lights from ZL, very pleased with the tint on all three. The SC52w L2 is a big improvement over the original, tint is a lot closer to what their XML neutral LEDs of the past were like. No green with the one I received. I like the looks of the SC62d, looks better in person than the photos I've seen. Tint is very pleasing and I'm really liking the darker anno also. The H502c also looks great, I love mule lights. Only complaint is ZL's own 14500 won't work in this light being a flat top cell and is also too long. My AW 14500 work just fine though.


----------



## sticktodrum

They list the 502 as not supporting li-ion batteries. Oddly enough the voltage range will cover it, but perhaps they put that there for the issue of sizing for standard AAs.


----------



## KDM

The ZL 14500's are bigger that any 14500 that I own. They do however have more capacity than most 14500 li ions, work great in the SC52.


----------



## trojansteel

So I read a few pages back in this thread that there was some dispute as to whether the L2s are really "potted" any differently than prior models. Seems like this is an important factor for some folks... Has this been resolved/verified?


----------



## markr6

trojansteel said:


> So I read a few pages back in this thread that there was some dispute as to whether the L2s are really "potted" any differently than prior models. Seems like this is an important factor for some folks... Has this been resolved/verified?



They specify potted in the description. If there is a descrepency, the only think I can think of is an early run not having this, or vendors selling old stock as an L2. But I would be surprised with either of those unless it was a shady Ebay seller.


----------



## WalkIntoTheLight

markr6 said:


> They specify potted in the description. If there is a descrepency, the only think I can think of is an early run not having this, or vendors selling old stock as an L2. But I would be surprised with either of those unless it was a shady Ebay seller.



It says the model on the side of the light, so it would be difficult to get away with selling an old version as an L2.

It would be interesting to see pictures from someone that has dissected the heads of an old version and an L2, to see the difference. There's no obvious potting that you can see without taking it apart.


----------



## markr6

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> It says the model on the side of the light, so it would be difficult to get away with selling an old version as an L2.



I wouldn't put it past anyone, but shame on them if they do. I started buying direct from ZL anyway. BTW, I didn't even know what potted meant until now. Good to know!


----------



## Derek Dean

I'm curious if anybody is making a double looped clip for the SC52? You know, the kind that loops down normally so you can clip it to a pocket, but that loops back on itself to also allow clipping onto a ball cap. It's such a tiny little light that I think it would work perfectly for clipping on a hat brim.


----------



## pjandyho

Derek Dean said:


> I'm curious if anybody is making a double looped clip for the SC52? You know, the kind that loops down normally so you can clip it to a pocket, but that loops back on itself to also allow clipping onto a ball cap. It's such a tiny little light that I think it would work perfectly for clipping on a hat brim.


I think you are referring to the two way clip like those found on the latest Surefire lights? That's a brilliant idea! With such a floody beam profile on the SC52, it would definitely make a good headlamp.


----------



## Derek Dean

Yes, pjandyho, that's what I'm referring to (thanks for the clarification). I wonder who I would contact on CPF about having one made? Any ideas?


----------



## markr6

Derek Dean said:


> Yes, pjandyho, that's what I'm referring to (thanks for the clarification). I wonder who I would contact on CPF about having one made? Any ideas?



I guess something like this:






From 4Greer - never heard of them but the clip looks nice. If you could grind/cut off the part that clips around the body, then drill holes for the screws in the flat part it may work. I've seen other manufacturers make these (Sunwayman). It would be trial and error to get one just the right size and make it fit.

Finding someone skilled to do this on CPF would be ideal though!


----------



## EsthetiX

markr6 said:


> I wouldn't put it past anyone, but shame on them if they do. I started buying direct from ZL anyway. BTW, I didn't even know what potted meant until now. Good to know!



Their customer service, return process, and shipping is usually much worse than most of their dealers. Example, buy from a dealer and they'll exchange a defective return almost immediately. Try to do that with ZL and you're looking at 4-6 weeks.


----------



## Mr Floppy

Derek Dean said:


> Yes, pjandyho, that's what I'm referring to (thanks for the clarification). I wonder who I would contact on CPF about having one made? Any ideas?



Actually, it is relatively easy to mod a Streamlight micro stream pocket hat clip 660032 to do the job. Trim the extra bits and there a slots already there for screws. Haven't done it with a SC52 though ...
[h=1][/h]


----------



## KDM

Has anyone had this issue? My sc52w L2 low mode has died, medium and high still work fine. The second stage of low won't come on at all and the normal low mode flickers then goes off. I've contacted ZL and waiting on their response.


----------



## pjandyho

Derek Dean said:


> Yes, pjandyho, that's what I'm referring to (thanks for the clarification). I wonder who I would contact on CPF about having one made? Any ideas?


Have you had any luck yet?


----------



## pjandyho

KDM said:


> Has anyone had this issue? My sc52w L2 low mode has died, medium and high still work fine. The second stage of low won't come on at all and the normal low mode flickers then goes off. I've contacted ZL and waiting on their response.


Oh no.. This sucks. I love the low output, and without that my light would be useless. I know ZL will resolve it for you. My first gen SC600w was sent back for servicing because the switch was acting finicky. They did a great job for me and now I am in love with my old SC600w again.


----------



## Derek Dean

Derek Dean said:


> I'm curious if anybody is making a double looped clip for the SC52? You know, the kind that loops down normally so you can clip it to a pocket, but that loops back on itself to also allow clipping onto a ball cap. It's such a tiny little light that I think it would work perfectly for clipping on a hat brim.





pjandyho said:


> Have you had any luck yet?


Unfortunately I haven't had time, but there is a custom metal shop only a few blocks from my apartment, so I'm hoping to stop by this week and see what they think.


----------



## pjandyho

Derek Dean said:


> Unfortunately I haven't had time, but there is a custom metal shop only a few blocks from my apartment, so I'm hoping to stop by this week and see what they think.


Maybe if they can produce something decent, you could help take some mass order and earn some extras?


----------



## Derek Dean

Yes, I'd thought of that. I certainly might be able to get a better price for 10-20 instead of 2 (I need one for my SC62 too).


----------



## pjandyho

Derek Dean said:


> Yes, I'd thought of that. I certainly might be able to get a better price for 10-20 instead of 2 (I need one for my SC62 too).


Yes, that would be great. I am thinking of an SC62w as and when it is available. That and my SC52w could use some help with that clip.


----------



## jruser

I don't think the recommended titanium clips from banggood are actually titanium. A magnet sticks to them really firmly.


----------



## TweakMDS

jruser said:


> I don't think the recommended titanium clips from banggood are actually titanium. A magnet sticks to them really firmly.



Don't you just hate that? I have the same with knife handles... Looking for something with a titanium handle (because I like) and then they flat-out lie to you or try to fool you with *Titanium* coated


----------



## NutSAK

jruser said:


> I don't think the recommended titanium clips from banggood are actually titanium. A magnet sticks to them really firmly.



That is odd. I bought the Banggood clip in May for my SC52w L2, and mine definitely is not magnetic.

The part I got was: 1 x Titanium Alloy LED Flashlight Clip For Nitecore Jetbeam Niteye (SKU099344)


----------



## gunga

The old ones were the titanium nitecore clips. The newest ones are spring steel. Just longer versions of what you see now on thrunite T10, later generation Jetbeam RRT01 etc. 


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


----------



## shelm

TweakMDS said:


> fool you with *Titanium* coated



you had me fooled haha

didn't see the word the first time around

:laughing:


i got 2 copies of the banggood clip. looks as pictured.

ugly. lol.


----------



## NutSAK

shelm said:


> i got 2 copies of the banggood clip. looks as pictured.
> 
> ugly. lol.



I guess I got lucky. When I ordered, the "ugly" clip was pictured, but what arrived was a Ti Nitecore-style clip.


----------



## Derek Dean

I finally had a chance to stop by my local custom metal shop to see about a custom two way clip. Looks like it's not going to be economically feasible there ($95/hr with a 2 hour minimum :sick2, but I'm not giving up on a nice two way clip. Maybe I'll drop ZL a note and make a suggestion.


----------



## KDM

I received my light today, back from warranty repair. So far so good everything working like it should.


----------



## gunga

Derek Dean said:


> I finally had a chance to stop by my local custom metal shop to see about a custom two way clip. Looks like it's not going to be economically feasible there ($95/hr with a 2 hour minimum :sick2, but I'm not giving up on a nice two way clip. Maybe I'll drop ZL a note and make a suggestion.



How many clips can you make in 2 hours? I'll buy 1 to 3. 


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


----------



## cyclesport

KDM said:


> I received my light today, back from warranty repair. So far so good everything working like it should.



Glad you got your light back to fully functional again KDM. Sometimes I think it's advantageous to send E devices in for repair or service, since a tech usually goes over the product to check for other potential or reported issues and takes care of those problems as well.

Since your in TN, I presume you sent it back to the Texas facility? Just out of curiosity, (and for possible future reference) what was the turn-around time to repair your light? Any unexpected fees/charges?


----------



## KDM

I purchased the light from ZL and yes I shipped it back to them in Texas. Turn around time was close to their estimated six weeks. The only cost was shipping it first class to them. I've bought probably over fifteen of their products and returned two for repairs, they've taken care of it each time.


----------



## cyclesport

^Good to know...thanks.


----------



## Tixx

Oh, I already have one. Voted and didn't realize it.


----------



## madkap

Hi guys,

Just got an SC52w l2 in addition to my SC52w.

Tint is improved for sure, but there are a couple areas where I'm confused as to why they changed it. 

The biggest one is this gap between the tailcap and the body. Is this normal? I now have about a 1mm gap whereas my SC52w (non-l2) is perfectly flush.

Did I get a dud or is this how it's supposed to be?


----------



## mekquake

I have 4 zebras and only one without gap - the ones I sold had gap as well


----------



## cyclesport

madcap: I currently have 5 ZL's from 1st gen. SC52 & SC52W's, up to the newest being a SC62w and all are consistently at approx .4mm gap. None are either flush, or as wide as your SC52w L2? I'm guessing you just happen to have two examples that are at either end of ZL's acceptable spec. I'd say that as long as the tail-cap completely captures the O.D. of the O-ring, you're functionally golden...as long as you're okay with the cosmetics.


----------



## Hondo

The one to worry about is the one with no gap. In order for the negative path to complete when the cap is screwed on, the inside of the cap must touch down on the end of the battery tube. If the cap bottoms on the anodized edge on the outside of the body first, you will have a dead light. Your zero gap light is just making a photo finish between the two contacts, so you are lucky. In order to accommodate reasonable manufacturing variation, they should have a gap there by design. As cyclesport said, you have two examples at each end of the spectrum of variation, and if the O-ring is covered, you have 100% function.


----------



## kaichu dento

madkap said:


> Just got an SC52w l2 in addition to my SC52w.
> 
> Tint is improved for sure, but there are a couple areas where I'm confused as to why they changed it.
> 
> The biggest one is this gap between the tailcap and the body. Is this normal? I now have about a 1mm gap whereas my SC52w (non-l2) is perfectly flush.


Apparently it's okay, but I'd be leaning towards putting an o-ring in there to eliminate the dirt-catching gap.


----------



## burntoshine

...I'm still curious as to why the heck Zebralight changed how the o-rings fit on their newer lights. I bought a SC80w a while back and the o-rings didn't make enough contact on the sides to provide a seal. This is also true for my SC52w. They appear to only seal on the back of the o-rings where the threads "start". Every other light I've owned seals mainly on the sides of the o-ring, where it comes in contact with the other part of the body or head or whatever. 

Usually, when you tighten two parts of a light together, there is a seal as soon as the other part of the light covers up the o-ring because the machined cavity and o-ring are squished tightly and properly snug. However with my SC80w (which I returned for this reason) and my SC52w, the o-ring remains loose while tightening until the end cap (or other flashlight part) is completely tight. So, on my '52w, the only seal is where the o-ring meets the start of the threads on the end cap. Its just weak. The main seal should be on the sides.

I still have not heard any explanation of this. It also seems like most people haven't noticed this, which seems odd with this community of attention-to-detail folk.


----------



## Hondo

My take on the O-rings is that they sourced rings just a bit too small in cross section - not "plump" enough to fill the void to the mating part. I thought I had read of some folks finding spare rings from other lights that actually worked better. I have had very good luck replacing O-rings at the plumbing counter of my local hardware store. They have loose assortments and will let me try them on the light.


----------



## burntoshine

Thanks, Hondo! Yeah, maybe I should do that. I tried that with my jet beam RRT-01, but to no avail; as it turns out, the standard Quark o-ring fits it almost perfectly.

My H600w, H600w mkII and H501w have properly fitting o-rings. It was just the SC80w and SC52w for me. 

I am seriously considering getting the SC62w fairly soon. Can anyone comment on the SC62w o-ring fit?

The SC52w is one of my all-time favorite lights! Great design and functionality with minimal size. Thanks, Zebralight for making great and cool (and neutral) products! Just fix the weird o-ring thing, please.


----------



## cyclesport

burntoshine said:


> Can anyone comment on the SC62w o-ring fit?



FWIW mine seals adequately (lubed) with the OD of the O-ring just barely compressing enough to seal against the ID of the cap.


----------



## burntoshine

Cool, thanks, cyclesport! It sounds like your fit is just barely better than my '52.

I was happy with the results of my water test on my '52, but I'm still planning on sourcing new o-rings.


----------



## madkap

Has the waterproofness been in question at the tailcap or at the front of the light? Is the front glass 'press' fit?


----------



## Lithium466

Yes it is press fit...I will be a bit cynical but I don't think most waterproofness problem will come from the tailcap


----------



## funkychateau

I can feel the O-ring in my SC52WL2 begin to "drag" at the very first coverage by the tail cap - pretty tight compression fit. 

I also have a small "gap", which I think is good. If the tail cap's rim actually stopped on anything, the unanodized end of the body would not make good contact with the inside bottom of the tail cap, and electrical contact would be iffy for the ground path from the spring.


----------



## Thacker

Sorry if this is stupid, but I'm pretty green/new about all of this. I have two SC52w l2s. One is darker grey with a more rounded cut out for the button and the other is the lighter grey (like my sc62w l2) with the more oval cut out. Obviously from different batches etc... The o-ring compression on my darker (earlier) one is obvious. I can feel it compress. The newer ones (both sc52w and sc62w) I can't really feel any compression and the o-rings turn with the caps as I twist them closed. Do I have an issue on the newer lights? Is the fix as simple as replacing the o-rings? There is the small gap on all three lights when they are fully tightened.


----------



## Bad_JuJu

If you can't feel it compressing such as it starts to get tighter the closer it gets to the body, then I would suggest using something to lube up the ring (I use frog lube). Don't over due it though just a tiny drop on the edge of your finger would suffice. Once you spread it out over the o-ring tighten the cap down and pull it back off. If the o-ring is "clean" on the side with little to no residue, I'd say its making decent contact. If you still have residue then I'd say go ahead and replace it such as how Hondo posted above with the trip to the plumbing section at the local hardware store. This has worked for me in the past. Hope it helps. 

for the record, I have a newer sc52w L2 and mine has the tiniest gap and the o-ring fitment is perfect. It gets nice and snug as I tighten it down. I can't see the O-ring at all.


----------



## burntoshine

Even though they are not sealing like they should, I believe there is somewhat of a seal formed when the start of the threads on the tailcap meet with the part of the o-ring facing the threads. I did a water test where I turned my sink faucet on full blast and held my '52w under the stream. Then I dunked it in a cup of water. Next I let the faucet run full blast into the cup of water with the light in it. Finally I repeatedly tossed the light into the plastic cup of water, semi-violently at point blank range. I am pretty satisfied with the test, but I am still planning on finding better o-rings. It seemed to have a good seal during the test, but I don't know how quick that seal could be worn out with use.


----------



## radellaf

Hey, I have a SC52d and SC52L2 and both have a "problem" in that they scratch up both the positive and negative contacts of the AA battery. Maybe no worse than a minimag if you don't finesse the spring, but at least that bad
on the negative, with circular scratches of more than one diameter. The positive it makes all these little dents in. 
It doesn't matter for alkalines, and I can dedicate an Eneloop to these lights and just accept the damage, though I'm not happy about it. Eneloops and Sanyo 2500s have pretty tough metal compared to other cells and show less damage. Alkalines and 700mAh Sanyo NiCds (with a top as wide as a Sanyo UR14500) get nicked pretty clearly.

For the negative of that UR14500, though, maybe I underestimate the thickness, but I worry one day the spring will scratch away enough metal to push in the bottom end and cause a catastrophic short.

UR14500




KR-1100AAU




Both lights are as bad. One from ZL, one from E2.
I haven't talked to ZL.
Finessing the spring's top shape and polishing the metal with the finest side of a nail buffer (1000 grit?) has either helped or changed the scratch pattern, but not eliminated it.
Putting some similar very fine abrasive on the end of a thin stick and rubbing the positive contact wires has helped a lot with the positive. But, again, still not totally fixed the problem.


----------



## holygeez03

I think the scratches are a ZL feature... "self cleaning contacts"!

I'm not an expert in this "field" but I don't think those scratches are ever going to damage your Eneloops enough to cause any issue... you would probably hit the recharge cycle limit first anyway.


----------



## radellaf

Nice feature  Certainly ensures a low-resistance for that 2.5A drain on high. The top contact might be gnarly after 100+ insertions, but of all the cells I've tried the Eneloops seem to be made of the stoutest steel and I agree, doesn't seem like those would fail, and many would say they're the only cell the SC52 should be powered by. The SC51 never did much damage, the minimag did more (dent one and scratch other).

Officially, I should be using ZL's protected 14500s instead of the bare ones; with those, the scratches would at worst tear through the plating into the PCB and cause an open rather than a short. I'll just keep an eye on the Sanyos. The bottom should develop a dent well before giving way.

Wonder if the "potted electronics" mean that a venting cell really would blow off the tailcap before popping the rubber switch cover like the earlier models would (51, 600). I've thought of drilling a small hole into the tailcap, as I don't really need it waterproof. That occurred to me since I just got into "vaping" with their 50+ watt draw off a single 18650. Their safety feature is a set of holes drilled in the "tail" cap. I don't plan to explore that extreme of the hobby, but the holes aren't a half bad idea for some flashlights.


----------



## fnsooner

I checked several of my ZLs and I have slight circular wear marks on my batteries but not the scratches seen on yours. All of the pointed tips on my springs are bent inward so that they make no contact with the battery. 

Does the spring end make contact with the battery?

I might add that I use a 14500 in my SC52w and it is a backup light that I keep in the console of my truck. So it doesn't have a ton of battery removal. My anecdotal observations come from other Zebralights.


----------



## Wiggle

I've had the same ZL 14500 cell in mine for two years. No problems with excessive wear on the bottom.


----------



## markr6

I posted a thread about scratches awhile back, from a Zebralight I think. I forget. But after a few battery changes I totally forgot about it since the battery ends no longer had a new, unscratched finish. No problems so far.

Found it: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?352871-18650-bottom-etched-by-H600


----------



## Joys_R_us

What a coincidence. Just yesterday I discovered much worse scratches on the bottom of my 18650 cells. What makes things worse is the fact that I recently purchased Soshine batteries with the PCB on the positive pole, so that the deep scratches are on the naked cell !!!

The cell was used in my Zebra and was put in just a few times ( maybe 5-6 times). I will try to make a photo


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## radellaf

Fortunately my 18650s as used in a SC62, 600, or 60 are fine. The springs are "polishing" the very lightly matte ends of a few batteries but not scratching. Where I get concerned is when you rub the edge of a fingernail over the scratches and can feel them clearly. Barely, on a polished end like a Duracell, and I figure the spring is more "pushing" on the metal than scratching it.
I've a request in with ZL about these 52s. Well, that was a mistake, I only mentioned the worse one (L2), so will have to see if they'll stretch any help to the second one (d) or say enough already. I thought a judicious bend and polish fixed the 52d, but no, not really.

---
Edit: They are sending two replacement tailcaps. Score one for ZL CS. I'm adding this as an edit since it only seems worth a new post after I get to try the replacements. I'll take some photos of how they do and I guess accept that as "normal" for the model. Maybe I should have asked for SC51 tailcaps. They fit and the spring doesn't press nearly as hard.

So, now I tried more thoroughly to "fix" the bad springs. No dice. Made it worse. I have to warn against trying much to fix these. The spring seems to be steel with a thick coating (.1mm perhaps) of gold-colored metal. Thick enough that if you bend it too much pieces of it can crack off and then you have sharp edges that just will not polish out. A bit of polishing won't hurt anything, but I don't have any equipment to bend such a stiff spring a small, controlled amount and doing that with a relatively soft surface. Too much polishing and you'll probably thin the coating to the point it might flake off on its own. I'm thinking that despite the obvious effort ZL put into these springs, they're not a good design.

---







The 52 L2, on the other hand, is _much_ worse. Even worse after a tweak and polish than it was originally. This isn't in as good focus, but trust me, those scratches feel like a fine file to my fingernail.


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## Tixx

Here is a pic of mine used in SC52.


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## UnderPar

Sorry to hear this happening. My SC52w L2 have no issues similar to this. But I certainly hope this issue can be corrected.


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## RIX TUX

the spring has a rough spot or the end of the wire/spring need to be bent downward some


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## ScottJD

Since this is a ZebraLight thread I thought I would ask. 

What good Li-Ion cell protected will work? 
I just received KeepPower 14500 Sanyo 840mAh cells and one won't even allow me to close he tail cap all the way to work. 
The other is so tight I wouldn't trust it once it starts heating up or in the summer when it could expand a little. The spring is %100 compressed and still has a little more gap on the tail cap so it's not completely screwed on. 


So I guess I need to return them and look for other options. 
What protected Li-Ion cells do you run in your SC52W L2 or SC52 L2?


Thank you,
Scott


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## cyclesport

It's hard to recommend a given 14500 Li-ion brand that will fit with certainty since virtually all sizes and brands will vary somewhat, even within a given brand + the I.D. (inside diameter) of your ZL SC52 varies a little from light to light. I've had several of these SC52's and the I.D.'s all fluctuate a little, but most 14500 brands, AW, Eagletac, *Keepower (the older 800ma versions), Intl' Outdoor, Xtar, etc. fit more or less...even though I have to do a little shaking sometimes.

Probably the best cells are AW's in any config when it comes to consistent sizing and quality...but you pay a premium for them, sometimes double+ other brands.


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## Bad_JuJu

I run eagletac and AW. They fit perfectly.


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## mactavish

Same here. In my SC52W, the black AW 14500 750 mHa fit and work great.


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## ScottJD

Thanks, I've been in touch with AW and might go with his, I found a dealer in the US and he confirmed.

Mine seems to be on the bigger side of the ID so I think my biggest issue is the length. 

I just got done testing these keeppowers, looks like I may have recevied fakes. They average 600mAh and I've never seen the voltage drop so bad on a 1A load as I have with the ones I received. 
Its a sad day when my 6 trustfire Flames beat these KeepPower 14500 by 150 to 250 and keep a higher voltage under load. I know a lot of people look down on the ****fire brands! but I spent a lot of time to find a true authentic dealer for my trustfire 14500. I know they say 900mAh but I avergae 700 to 750 which I expected and the protection circuit works great. My guess is the keeppower I got are fakes, back to Amazon they go. 

Im thinking an AW 14500 and either a Nitecore 14500 or zebralights own brand with the Sanyo cell. I sent ZebraLight an email to confirm and I'm sure they will take it back if it doesn't fit. 

Its ts interesting to see how some of these cells vary from the testing I've done over the years with 18650 cells. But this is the first light that I have besides a SK68 clone that will run 14500 and I wanted to get some new cells to go with it. 



mactavish said:


> Same here. In my SC52W, the black AW 14500 750 mHa fit and work great.


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## ScottJD

I ended up ordering 2 AW black cells, thanks for all the feed back. 


Thank you,
Scott


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## BowHunter1

ScottJD said:


> I ended up ordering 2 AW black cells, thanks for all the feed back.
> 
> 
> Thank you,
> Scott



Can you tell a big difference in output?? I have been using lithium energizers in my SC52 for about a year now and wonder if its worth the money??


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## ScottJD

BowHunter1 said:


> Can you tell a big difference in output?? I have been using lithium energizers in my SC52 for about a year now and wonder if its worth the money??



I can see a big difference. I know some people don't care for the ****fire batteries but I've found the TrustFire 14500 flame cells to be good if you get the real ones and not the flakes. Their rated for 900, I get between 650 and 750 between the 6 I own and tested and the cutoff circuits work good. I'll test the AW cells when I get them, but the 840 Sanyo cells I tried fit a little to tight for my comfort (they might have been fakes).
I've heard of some weaker Li-Ion users not being able to see the difference so the quality of the battery does make a difference. So far even with the light reporting - flash for under %25 battery level left it still hits the high turbo.

The pictures are as follows with the same camera setting on my iPhone 6. I didn't feel like breaking out the Nikon but I have apps that I can set fixed ISO and speed for my phone.
Camera setting f2.2, ISO 1000,1/15s

The distance is 18 feet from the light/camera to the door. Notice how the high/turbo Li-Ion mode washes out the lines in the door and you can't see the hinges. If I was to do the same shots to my back yard it makes even a more noticeable difference in lighting up the back yard. 
But it's to cold for back yard shots tonight. Another thing to note with the ZebraLight you still have your pick of the 3 low/moonlight program modes even with running a Li-Ion, so you don't loose any modes or functions like you do with some other lights when you run a stronger battery since it's fully current controlled. Battery guage flashes still work also, the light auto detects what kind of battery your running. 
So I guess it would have been easier to say you gain a high/turbo and everything else stays the same. 

I hope this helps. 


1st picture Li-ion high/turbo about 500lm





2nd picture Li-ion step down on high after 60 seconds 280lm






3rd picture Eneloop on high seconds 280lm





4th picture Alkaline on high seconds 280lm


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## sarge1967

I just got my sc52w in the mail yesterday. This is one tiny light! I love the color temp and it is quite bright for it's size.


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## sarge1967

Has anyone tried Nitecore or Olight 14500 batteries in the sc52? Do they fit?


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## AlanS

I use a Nitecore 14500 in my SC52. Fits perfectly.


Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums


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## BowHunter1

Wow Thanks Scott for the write up and the pics!!! Looks like I will be ordering some 14500 today


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## sarge1967

AlanS said:


> I use a Nitecore 14500 in my SC52. Fits perfectly.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums


Thanks Alan!


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## Desdinova

OK, I just ordered a sc52w thanks to all the praise and a 10% off coupon code. My second Zebralight (sc62 was my first, last month. I'm a recent ZL convert.)


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## Desdinova

I also have had good luck with the "flame" Trustfires 14500. I use them in my SC52w and Quark Tactical QTA. No problems at all and performance, at least so far.


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## kreisl

How well have your SC52's been holding up so far?

Did anyone drop the light several times on hard ground or what kind of damage or failure did you guys experience? I am thinking of retiring my SC52w since i got the Nitcore PD-series light with that awesome flicker-free electronic momentary switch, the piston drive.


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## ghuns

kreisl said:


> How well have your SC52's been holding up so far?
> 
> Did anyone drop the light several times on hard ground or what kind of damage or failure did you guys experience? I am thinking of retiring my SC52w since i got the Nitcore PD-series light with that awesome flicker-free electronic momentary switch, the piston drive.



Mine has hit concrete more times than I can count. Never hurt it.


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## bbb74

kreisl said:


> How well have your SC52's been holding up so far?
> 
> Did anyone drop the light several times on hard ground or what kind of damage or failure did you guys experience? I am thinking of retiring my SC52w since i got the Nitcore PD-series light with that awesome flicker-free electronic momentary switch, the piston drive.



I had a H51r that flew off my bike a couple of times, once at 50kmh and it hit bitumen and it survived. Then a year later I dropped it 60cm to a concrete floor and it must have fallen the wrong way because now some of the modes don't work, including strobe which was the most important for me.

My brother has killed a couple of H51's/H502's just using it for work with normal wear and tear. So I'm not sure how tough they really are, particularly all the AA ones with no head spring.


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## RIX TUX

kreisl said:


> How well have your SC52's been holding up so far?
> 
> Did anyone drop the light several times on hard ground or what kind of damage or failure did you guys experience? I am thinking of retiring my SC52w since i got the Nitcore PD-series light with that awesome flicker-free electronic momentary switch, the piston drive.



SEND it to me, I will do it


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## drew78

My sc52 has been dropped, submurged, and beat on. Living is life in my pockets everyday for over the past year. No issues, breakage, or failures. Add fresh battery and keep on plugging away


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## xzel87

I just ordered the sc52wl2, first ZL. Didn't like the looks & size of the newer SC5 and runtimes are pretty much equal.

Although it was a bit slow (really slow) I eventually got on the ZL wagon too....


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## MikeSalt

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

SC52d for me, unless they decide to release an SC5d, and I might change my mind.


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## pjandyho

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

I like my SC52w, especially the tint which is quite nice. Unfortunately it didn't get much carry time and has been sitting on the shelf for the last 6 months. Everyday it is always the HDS HCRI rotary on me and an Eagletac DX30LC2 warm for throw. I wanted to carry the SC52w but just couldn't do it. Should I just sell it off?


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## chillinn

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



MikeSalt said:


> SC52d for me, unless they decide to release an SC5d, and I might change my mind.



They did, but its with a frosted lens, so SC5Fd instead of SC5d OP. I'd prefer it with clear lens and orange peel reflector, too. Actually, I'd rather have an SC5c OP, or a TC5c OP (tail clicky).


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## chillinn

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*

weird, spontaneous dupe, ignore


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## MikeSalt

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



chillinn said:


> They did, but its with a frosted lens, so SC5Fd instead of SC5d OP. I'd prefer it with clear lens and orange peel reflector, too. Actually, I'd rather have an SC5c OP, or a TC5c OP (tail clicky).



I've seen the SC5Fd and thought it very odd that an SC5d OP wasn't produced.


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## jon_slider

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



MikeSalt said:


> SC52d for me, unless they decide to release an SC5d, and I might change my mind.



note that the SC5 is NOT 14500 LiIon compatible due to specified voltage range:

Operating Voltage Range: 0.7V - 2.0V


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## chillinn

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



jon_slider said:


> note that the SC5 is NOT 14500 LiIon compatible due to specified voltage range:
> 
> Operating Voltage Range: 0.7V - 2.0V



Also note that the SC5, arguably, makes 14500 irrelevant.


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## Tachead

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



chillinn said:


> Also note that the SC5, arguably, makes 14500 irrelevant.



That is definitely arguable considering there are factory lights that produce 900+ lumens off a 14500. No lights can do that off an Eneloop that I am aware of. NiMH is also not great for the cold.


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## Tachead

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



MikeSalt said:


> I've seen the SC5Fd and thought it very odd that an SC5d OP wasn't produced.



Its because it uses an XM-L2 Easywhite which is a quad die emitter which could produce beam artifacts without a frosted lens. I will say that the Easywhite emitter they use has a much nicer tint then the Luxeon T imo. It lacks the cw spill and is a very nice ever so yellowy pure NW with near zero tint shift(I have one of these in my H600Fd MKIII). The medium diffusion frosted lens is also pretty nice and still has a hotspot albeit diffused. Honestly, in a small single AA light I personally find a diffused beam more useful. If I want a tighter hotspot and more throw I will use a larger light. The "floody" beam is great for around the house and close range work where a small light like this shines(pun intended)lol.


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## jon_slider

*Re: *NEW* Zebralight SC52*



chillinn said:


> Also note that the SC5, arguably, makes 14500 irrelevant.



I see what you mean! Wow! thanks for highlighting that, I missed it on the first reading. Can I have one in Copper with 90CRI 



selfbuilt said:


> No doubt about it, Zebralight has managed to produce the first 1xAA light that can reach output levels previously only attainable by 1x14500. Given the increase work capacity of current NiMH batteries, 1x14500 has been rendered completely obsolete.
> 
> … The performance of the SC5 is simply outstanding. Overall efficiency and regulation are comparable to the SC52 on the lower levels (which was always best in class). But at the highest levels, the SC5 blows away anything in the class in terms of output.
> 
> … *With the SC5, Zebralight has succeeded in making 14500 obsolete – you get equivalent max output, with greater runtime, using regular NIMH batteries here.*



I am very happy not to deal with the risks of LiIon. Go Eneloop!


fwiw, I wrote to Zebralights to get CRI info and they sent me this very informative link with all the CRI and Color Temperature info

85 CRI is the max offered in AA models, with a choice of 4000k or 5000k in flood or spot.. 
example SC5fd at 85 CRI, after 3 minutes of turbo, it drops to a High of 228 lumens. Thats _30% more CRI and 30% less lumens_ than the 65 CRI SC5 which after 3 minutes of turbo, drops to 325 lumens


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## sticktodrum

I don't think it makes the 14500 obsolete, at least not as far as the current gen of ZLs go. The SC5 is much more bulky than the 52, and doesn't feel as good in the pocket. The SC5 feels clunky for a AA, and the thing I appreciate more from ZL is their pattern of trimming down size to fit the battery.


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## jon_slider

sticktodrum said:


> The SC5 feels clunky



the extra lumens make it heavier.. LOL

the SC5 IS 45% heavier than the SC52, 
the SC5 packs 98% more lumens than the SC52… Lumens are heavy, don't ya know?


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## maukka

Just got my SC5Fc. Seems it is quite a bit warmer than advertised at 3650 K. CRI is at 83.


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## jon_slider

maukka said:


> Just got my SC5Fc. Seems it is quite a bit warmer than advertised at 3650 K. CRI is at 83.



Love your posts, thanks
fwiw, the LED is rated for 4000k, so yours is within 9%, and the 83CRI matches the spec sheet from Zebras site.. (post 2342)
I do hope you will post the spectral curve in this style (it is my favorite graphic format)


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## maukka

jon_slider said:


> Love your posts, thanks
> fwiw, the LED is rated for 4000k, so yours is within 9%, and the 83CRI matches the spec sheet from Zebras site.. (post 2342)
> I do hope you will post the spectral curve in this style (it is my favorite graphic format)



Here's a spectral distribution graph for the Zebralight SC5Fc. I'll do a more in depth review later.


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## gunga

Your data is astoundingly good. Thanks for posting!


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## jon_slider

maukka said:


> … spectral distribution graph for the Zebralight SC5Fc.


Thank You!!!


maukka said:


> Nichia 219B-V1:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CW XM-L2:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> XPL:


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## Bob_McBob

Is the SC52w L2 discontinued now? It doesn't look like it has been available anywhere for quite a while, but the floody versions are still readily available, and none of them are actually listed as discontinued.


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## cyclesport

Bob_McBob said:


> Is the SC52w L2 discontinued now? It doesn't look like it has been available anywhere for quite a while, but the floody versions are still readily available, and none of them are actually listed as discontinued.



Actually the SC52w L2 was in stock several days ago when I last checked. You simply need to check back every few days to snag one since stock status routinely goes in-and-out. 

This ZL platform is still my fav. EDC despite acquiring newer ZL lights. I keep hoping ZL will update the SC52w (L3?) with PID, newer CREE XP-L or XHP series emitters. I like the SC5w but never warmed to the chunky size, or to exclusive NiMh/alkaline powered lights w/the 1.5v battery sag issues.


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## roger-roger

As someone posted a while back, Zebralight (at the time) mentioned the possibility of an SC53 release. We can only hope.


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## Bob_McBob

cyclesport said:


> Actually the SC52w L2 was in stock several days ago when I last checked. You simply need to check back every few days to snag one since stock status routinely goes in-and-out.



Ah, excellent. Right now I have an SC600w III HI which is quite an amazing light, but I'm finding the beam profile way too narrow for trail hiking and most close-up use, and it is really a bit big to carry. I was torn between it and the SC63w when I originally ordered, and based on the beam profiles in this huge comparison of Zebralight products, the latter might work better, so I went ahead and ordered one. It looks like the SC52w L2 is much the same as the SC63w, just smaller and obviously less bright. I want something really small to live in my bag pocket, and I am torn between the SC52w L2 and the new Olight S1A. The S1A uses a TIR optic instead of a reflector so it has a wideish soft beam without a lot of spill that might be a useful change from the Zebralights. Decisions, decisions.

http://www.taschenlampen-forum.de/threads/25-zebralight-lampen-im-beamshotvergleich.50095/


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## tops2

If you want to try something different, go for the Olight. I have the Olight S1 and love it for EDC purpose. It's not only short, but the diameter is much slimmer when I pocket carry. That few mm makes a huge difference for me when minimizing for pocket carry. The UI is close enough to Zebralight for me. To me, the only negative for the S1A is that it memorized moonlight. I prefer the current S1 UI if not memorizing moonlight nor turbo since there's already shortcut to those levels. It's got a huge hotspot which is a nice change from a small hotspot with large spill.


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## haytorious

cyclesport said:


> Actually the SC52w L2 was in stock several days ago when I last checked. You simply need to check back every few days to snag one since stock status routinely goes in-and-out.



Can confirm, just snagged one  

Any recommendations for regular lithium AA batteries? I'd like to start there before exploring the rechargeables.


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## LightObsession

haytorious said:


> Can confirm, just snagged one
> 
> Any recommendations for regular lithium AA batteries? I'd like to start there before exploring the rechargeables.


I get 12 Energizer lithiums for $20 at Sam's Club.


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## jon_slider

haytorious said:


> regular lithium AA batteries? I'd like to start there before exploring the rechargeables.



I suggest you buy rechargeable NON Lithium… charger, plus 4 rechargeable AA batteries from WalMart for $14
None of the safety issues of rechargeable Lithium
and None of the expense of Lithium Primaries (non rechargeable)

that way you wont worry about using your light, for fear of the expensive Lithium primary battery dying


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## haytorious

LightObsession said:


> I get 12 Energizer lithiums for $20 at Sam's Club.



I ended up ordering these off Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DC4EL/?tag=cpf0b6-20

What do you think? Is this a good deal for (8) ?




jon_slider said:


> I suggest you buy rechargeable NON Lithium… charger, plus 4 rechargeable AA batteries from WalMart for $14
> None of the safety issues of rechargeable Lithium
> and None of the expense of Lithium Primaries (non rechargeable)
> 
> that way you wont worry about using your light, for fear of the expensive Lithium primary battery dying




Thanks for your recommendation! Have any differences in Lumen outputs been recorded between the non-rechargeable lithium batteries and rechargeable NiMH ?


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## jon_slider

haytorious said:


> What do you think? Is this a good deal for (8) ?
> ...
> Have any differences in Lumen outputs been recorded between the non-rechargeable lithium batteries and rechargeable NiMH ?



yes you got a good deal, and the Ultimate Lithium is a GREAT battery. They last longer and are brighter, and weigh about half as much as regular Alkaline batteries. Primary Lithium also stores extremely well long term, and performs better in extreme cold, and tolerates high heat. It is a good choice for a cell that lives in a car. The only thing wrong with Primary Lithium is the cost.

here is a review that has runtime charts of the various battery options. Primary Lithium lasts Longer than NiMh. afaik Brightness modes on Zebras are, consistent, regulated, the battery does not change that (except for Turbo on rechargeable Lithium Ion, which is brighter)


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## curry__muncha

I accidentally fried the circuitry on my SC52 by inserting the li-ion the wrong way around (been using my Olight S Mini a lot). So I sent it in to get repaired and after I got it back few months ago I noticed very horrible PWM (almost strobe like) on the brightest High mode. I also noticed the a new positive terminal contact but it had been glued inside the body very off centre, such that i was surprised that the positive terminal on the battery actually made contact. But I was going to just keep the light and just accept the PWM as it wasn't worth it for me to send it back. However, another issue has since come up - when using my light the other day, I went to change the battery and the initially off-centre positive terminal from the first repair had fallen out.

Got to say I am pretty unhappy about the quality of service of the RMA repair - from the very visible PWM on li-ion to the positive terminal inside the flashlight breaking. I did also request the emitter to be changed to the 4400K XM-L2 (from my cool white XML) which they failed to acknowledge. I will be sending it back again and hopefully this will be the last time I do. The light was working for 4 years flawlessly until the RMA =(


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## curry__muncha

Following up on my RMA with Zebralight: They ended up sending me a brand new SC52 L2 to replace my SC52. It's the right move by them but I am disappointed that they couldn't keep my trusty old SC52 body as the anodizing on the older models looked a lot nicer and mine also had a nice patina to it from the EDC wear. The anodizin on the L2 is too dark imo. I will be giving this SC52 away to friends as I just acquired a Astrolux SS and SC600Fd MkIII (with a green tint but I did manage to get it for cheap)


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## markr6

These have been out of stock for a while, and appeared to be gone for good....but now it says on their site

 *Ship to customers in U.S.A. only!!*

Could be your last chance


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## Tixx

markr6 said:


> These have been out of stock for a while, and appeared to be gone for good....but now it says on their site
> 
> *Ship to customers in U.S.A. only!!*
> 
> Could be your last chance



Thanks! Ordered a SC52w. Thought I lost it one day and might have Tim M. make one of his flat versions for me if he could.
[h=2][/h]


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## Repsol600rr

Ordered one of them to compliment my 62w. Thought I missed out before but its nice they had them back long enough for me to get one. Now I have the set I've wanted for a while. 52w and 62w as well as 52d and 62d.


----------

