# Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650) Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, VIDEO+



## selfbuilt

*Warning: pic heavy, as usual. *











Zebralight updated their popular 1x18650 model a little while back, now named the SC600 Mk II. More recently, they have updated the emitter to XM-L2 – which I now have on hand to review.

Let's see how the model has evolved from the original SC600 - and how it compares to other recent lights in the popular 1x18650 class of XM-L2 lights. 

*Manufacturer Reported Specifications:* 
(note: as always, these are simply what the manufacturer provides – scroll down to see my actual testing results).


 LED: Cree XM-L2 Cool White (Norminal CCT 6300K)
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.
Light Output (runtimes)
High: H1 1100 Lm (PID, approx 2 hr) or H2 670 Lm (PID, approx 2.5 hrs) / 356 Lm (3.9 hrs) / 162 Lm (11 hrs)
Medium: M1 70 Lm (30 hrs) or M2 32 Lm (66 hrs) / 12 Lm (172 hrs)
Low: L1 3.8 Lm (16 days) or L2 0.43 Lm (2.5 months) / 0.06 Lm (4.6 months) / 0.01 Lm (5.5 months)
Beacon Strobe Mode: 0.2Hz Beacon at Low / 0.2Hz Beacon at H1 / 4Hz Strobe at H1 / 19Hz Strobe at H1
Light output are ANSI out the front (OTF) values. Runtimes tested (and parasitic drain estimated) using ZL631 batteries. Runtimes of the two PID controlled levels (1100Lm and 670Lm) vary greatly with ambient temperature and air circulation.
Operating Voltage Range: 2.7V - 4.2V
Battery: One 18650 size (up to 69mm long) 3.6/3.7V li-ion rechargeable. Batteries are not included in the package.
Parasitic Drain: Negligible (much less than the self discharging of a battery)
Beam Type: 80 degree spill, 10 degree hot spot
PID thermal regulated outputs (1100Lm and 670Lm)
Battery capacity indicator (LED flashes 1-4 times, 4 short clicks to start)
Automatic stepping down from High to Medium, and from Medium to Low when battery capacity is low
Built-in over-discharging protection (2.7V cutoff)
Durable electronic soft-touch switch
Smart user interface provides fast and easy access to all brightness levels and beacon-strobes.
Precision machined unibody casing from premium grade aluminum bar stocks
Proprietary heat sinking design bonds the LED board directly to the unibody aluminum casing
Durable natural hard anodized finish (Type III Class I)
Sealed and potted LED driver circuitry
Tempered optical grade glass
Orange peel textured reflector
Battery reverse polarity protection
Pocket clip
Lanyard ring
Waterproof to IPX7 (2 meters, 30 minutes) 
Dimensions: Head Diameter: 30 mm, Body Diameter: 25 mm, Length: 101.6 mm
Weight: 2.75 oz (78 gram) without battery
MSRP: ~$95






Inside the standard eco-friendly Zebralight cardboard box, you fill find the light with pocket clip, spare o-rings, and manual.













From left to right: AW Protected 18650 2200mAh; Zebralight SC600-II L2, SC600; Olight S20-L2; Nitecore EC2; Eagletac D25LC2; Eagletac TX25C2, Sunwayman C21C.

All dimensions directly measured, and given with no batteries installed:

*Zebralight SC600 II*: Weight 79.3g, Length: 101.8mm, Width (bezel) 29.7mm
*Zebralight SC600*: Weight 87.2g, Length: 107.8mm, Width (bezel) 29.7mm
*Eagletac D25LC2*: Weight: 50.0g, Length: 116.3mm, Width (bezel): 22.5mm
*Eagletac TX25C2*: Weight 93.6g, Length: 120.4mm, Width (bezel): 31.6mm
*Foursevens Quark Q123-2 X* (Regular tailcap): Weight: 44.6g, Length: 112.7mm, Width (bezel) 22.0mm
*Olight S20 (2012, XM-L)*: Weight: 51.8g, Length: 105.4mm, Width (bezel): 23.1mm
*Sunwayman C21C*: Weight 78.6g, Length: 102.0mm, Width (bezel side) 26.9mm (bezel diagonal) 31.2mm

The new SC600-II is even more petite than the original – it is surprisingly quite compact for the 1x18650 class, despite the larger than typical reflector. oo:






















The build of the SC600 II remains distinctive, with its relatively large head (i.e., most other compact lights have slim heads as well). I understand from Zebralight that the body is now machined from a single bar of Alcoa aluminum, sourced in the U.S. (same goes for the emitters). 

The natural-finish anodizing is somewhat darker than I've seen on most Zebralights (apparently also a result of switching to US manufacturing for both the aluminum and anodizing, according to ZL). Zebralight confirms it is still type III (hard anodized). The finish seemed excellent on my sample (I had previously noticed some fine lines on some of their earlier models with the old anodizing). As always, labels are very minimal and small, though clearly legible against the background. 

As before, knurling is not very aggressive on the body, but does provide good grip on the tailcap. There are also finger wells and other body elements to help with grip, as before. Rolling is reduced due to the addition of the split-ring attachement point now, near the tail. Screw threads are anodized for tailcap lock-out. :thumbsup:

As always with all Zebralights, the control switch is electronic and located on the head. Switch feel is slightly stiffer than most lights with this kind of switch, and the button is slightly recessed in the opening to limit the risk of accidental activation. Overall feel is similar to the earlier SC600 (i.e., you may need a firmer press than on some competing lights).

Light can tailstand as before, thanks to the flat base. 

Pocket clip is similar to the later generation SC600, and feels more substantial than typical in this class. Note the clip is reversible (i.e. can attach near the head or the tail, pointing in opposite directions).

There is now a small spring on the positive terminal contact board in the head (replacing the previous raised button). Despite this, there actually seems to be slightly _more_ room for extra long cells now, compared to the SC600 (i.e., Zebralight has condensed the head internals even more than it would appear from the external measurements). All my flat-top high capacity cells fit and worked in the light. 










The main reflector is textured, to a medium-to-high orange peel finish. It appears to be slightly deeper than my SC600 sample. XM-L2 cool white emitter was well centered on my sample.

The AR coating seems slightly changed from my earlier SC600. According to Zebralight, this is due to sourcing the glass from a US manufacturer now.

Finally, I'm informed by Zebralight that there have been a few internal changes as well (that I can't directly verify). Apparently, the driver board is integrated with the emitter star board now - which would certainly help explain the lower overall height despite accommodation for extra length cells (and slightly deeper reflector). Most of the circuit components are apparently also sourced from US distributors now. Finally, the head circuitry is apparently potted now. 

*User Interface*

The SC600-II L2 uses the latest variant of the classic Zebralight interface. While it may sound a little complex when first described, it is actually quite easy to use. 

On/off and mode switching is controlled by the electronic clicky switch. The main level choices are Lo – Med – Hi. There are two possible memorized outputs at each level, commonly referred to as 1 or 2 (e.g. Lo1/Lo2, Med1/Med2, Hi1/Hi2). And for each of the second levels, you can choose between 2 or 3 options. This gives you a total of 11 constant outputs to choose from. There are also 4 blinking modes. 

I know that may sound confusing, but the interface is actually well layout for simple operation. Let me walk you through everything:

_Basic Operation_

By default, the light is set to come on in Hi1, Med1 or Low1. You could therefore easily use the light as a simple, straight-forward three-mode light, if you want.

To get Hi initially, do a quick single click from Off. You can click quickly again to cycle from Hi to Med, and Low - but you need to perform these extra clicks reasonably rapidly, yet not as rapidly a double- or triple-click (i.e. from Off, a single-click is Hi, two single clicks is Med, and three single clicks is Lo). As with everything on a Zebralight, it takes a bit of use to get the timings right. After about a second or so of being On, a quick click will simply turn the light off.

Alternatively, from Off, a slightly longer press and hold (i.e. >0.5 sec) turns on the light in the Lo mode. 

To advance from one mode to the next while the light is On, press and hold the switch to cycle through Lo > Med > Hi, repeatedly (you can do this directly from Off too). Release the switch to select the level. As before, a quick click turns off the light.

The sequence is actually surprising versatile - you can choose your preferred way of accessing the three main levels.

_Secondary modes for each level_

When On, a quick double-click at any time switches to/from the secondary mode for that level (i.e. 1 or 2). The light will memorize your choice and return to it next time you cycle or turn on at this level. The memory even lasts through battery changes.

As before, you also have a few choices as to what the secondary mode can be for each level (in fact, you have a few more choices now). To select this choice, let me use the the Hi level as an example. To enter the programming feature, double-click the light 6 times rapidly. Now, every additional double-click will advance you through the three programmable options (670 Lm, 356 Lm, 162 Lm). To select the mode you want as Hi2, simply turn off the light once you have made your choice. When you next turn it on, that last level will have been memorized as Hi2, and returned to automatically. There are now two possible Med2 levels, and three possible Lo2 levels to choose from.

_Blinking modes_

Blinking modes are hidden away under a rapid triple-click of the switch from off. You can switch between four blinking options by double-clicking the switch once On in this state (a single click reverts you to the constant output modes). Mode sequence for the double-click is: Fast Strobe > Lo Beacon > Hi Beacon > Slow Strobe, in repeating sequence.

_Battery Indicator_

Another new feature on the SC600-II is a relative battery life remaining indicator. Quadrupule-click the switch from off, and the main emitter flashes out a relative battery strenth (flashes 1-4 times, with 4 being nearly fully charged).

And that’s it – it is really very simple in practice, once you get used to the timings. :wave:

*Video*: 

For information on the light, including the build and user interface, please see my video overview:



Video was recorded in 720p, but YouTube typically defaults to 360p. Once the video is running, you can click on the configuration settings icon and select the higher 480p to 720p options. You can also run full-screen. 

As with all my videos, I recommend you have annotations turned on. I commonly update the commentary with additional information or clarifications before publicly releasing the video.

*PWM/Strobe*

As with my other Zebralight lights, I don't see any signs of pulse width modulation (PWM) on any the lower output modes. The light appears to be fully current controlled at all levels. 

I did detect a few oscilloscope spikes on occasion when first entering Hi1 output level, but these disappeared rapidly (i.e., I was not able to capture an oscilloscope trace of them).

Fast Strobe:





The fast strobe mode is a disorienting ~18Hz tactical strobe.

Lo/Hi Beacon:





The beacon modes have a common frequency of one quick flash every ~5 secs. The intensity is different between the two modes (i.e., one at max, one at a lower level)

Slow Strobe:





The slow strobe has a frequency of ~4 Hz, which makes it a good general signaling strobe.

*Standby Drain*

Due to the electronic switch, all Zebralights have a constant parasitic stand-by current drain when the tailcap is connected. 

In the case of the SC600-II L2, I am happy to report the standby current is a negligible 4.3uA. Zebralight isn't kidding when they say this is below the self-discharge rate of a standard battery - for a 2600mAh cell, that would theoretically translate into 69 years before the battery would be drained. :laughing:

Note this is an improvement over the original SC600, which I measured at 69.6uA. This was still reasonably low (i.e, over four years and three months to drain a 2600mAh cell), but it's nice to see the further improvement. :thumbsup:

As before, you can fully break this current - and physically lock-out the light - by twisting the tailcap a quarter turn.

*Beamshots:*

For white-wall beamshots below, all lights are on Max output on an AW protected 18650 battery. Lights are about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences.





























































Overall beam pattern is very similar to the earlier SC600, as you would expect. Overall output has definitely increased however, and it does seem a touch more focused for throw. Beam pattern is also similar to my recently reviewed compact Sunwayman C21C. 

Scroll down to see my summary output/throw table.

*Testing Method:* 

All my output numbers are relative for my home-made light box setup, as described on my flashlightreviews.ca website. You can directly compare all my relative output values from different reviews - i.e. an output value of "10" in one graph is the same as "10" in another. All runtimes are done under a cooling fan, except for any extended run Lo/Min modes (i.e. >12 hours) which are done without cooling.

I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values (ROV) to estimated Lumens. See my How to convert Selfbuilt's Lightbox values to Lumens thread for more info. 

*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/FL1.htm for a discussion, and a description of all the terms used in these tables. Effective July 2012, I have updated all my Peak Intensity/Beam Distance measures with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter (orange highlights).






As you could tell from the beamshots, max overall output has increased from the original SC600 (which was a class leader when it came out). The SC600-II is similarly the current highest output 1x18650 light I've tested. This is presumably due to the extra protection provided by the PID controller on the highest output levels (scroll down to my Runtimes for a discussion).  

Significantly, the lowest output levels have dropped considerably as well. At the lowest level, you can now quite comfortably stare into the emitter (for hours on end, if you were so inclined). :kiss:

Peak intensity throw/beam distance is as you would expect for this light (i.e., it is still not particularly throwy).

Let's see how it does on my estimated lumen scale:






Overall, my lumen estimates are pretty close to Zebralights specs. The lowest output modes seem lower than the specs would suggest, but that could be due in part to sample variation.

As always, note my lumen estimation method is just that – an estimation based on the calibration of my lightbox. As such, don't get caught up on the _absolute_ difference between lights or levels, as I can't guarantee absolute accuracy. Focus instead on the _relative_ differences, as that is internally consistent across all my reviews.

*Output/Runtime Graphs:*

Let's start with a comparison of the Hi modes, under my standard testing conditions (i.e., a cooling fan is used)






All levels show a clear step-down pattern as the batteries near exhaustion. This is convenient, as it means you won't be stranded in the dark without warning.

But you can also see some evidence of the PID circuit feature on the max mode (Hi1). Although the overall pattern is similar to the drop-off seen on many lights as the batteries/circuit head up, there are actually a lot of very finely discriminated steps in output happening. This will not be apparent to you in practice (i.e., they are too subtle to see), but my lightbox can indeed detect the precise thermal regulation introduced by the PID.

You can read up more about PID (Proportional-Integral-Differential) controllers online, but basically they are a more sophisticated mechanism to regulate circuit function in regards to temperature than the typical step-down features we are used to with flashlights. The controller has to be specifically customized to the build in question, and can be thought of a refinement/replacement of the typical current-control regulation we are used to. 

According to Zebralight, both the Hi1 and H2A levels use PID. This presumably explains why they are unable to provide typical runtime estimates (i.e., depends a lot on ambient temperature conditions). Note that I don't see any thermal step-down on the Hi2B runtime above - likely due to my use of cooling fan during testing. 

To explore this in more detail, here is a close-up of the H1 and H2A modes with and without a cooling fan:






Now you can really see the PID in action. On the Hi1 mode, there's no difference in the runtime pattern due to cooling over the first 5 mins or so. Beyond that point though, the non-cooled runtime shows a progressive drop in output – down to below the Hi2A level. Of course, this also means the light can run for a lot longer, as you are not draining the cells as quickly. 

A similar (though less pronounced) effect of the PID can also be seen on the Hi2A run. Output again remains initially consistent between cooling and non-cooling runs, but eventually becomes divergent. By ~25 mins into the non-cooled run, there is a definite drop off in output, although it is not as pronounced as the Hi1 (in relative terms). 

That said, the sustained output level of both Hi1 and Hi2A is remarkably consistent once step-down occurs. At the 30 min mark, I would estimate the PID-reduced output on the non-cooled runs to be ~600 lumens on both levels. By 80 mins, it has consistently dropped to ~560 estimated lumens.

Once the pronounced step-downs occur (due to declining battery voltage), performance on the non-cooled runs looks the same as the cooled runs.

Here's a comparison of my standard AW 2200mAh cells to a NCR18650A cell (Xtar 3100mAh)






Finally, let's do a brief examination of surface temperature relative to output. This was done by simultaneously logging data from a temperature probe taped to the head (on the opposite side from the switch, near the base of the head). There is no cooling applied, and I am using the same Xtar 3100mAh cell as above:






As you can see, the PID keeps the temperature within a remarkably consistent range. Again, don't worry about the absolute temp value (that just reflects the specific probe placement). 

Let's see how the fan-cooled SC600-II L2 compares to the competition (all on AW protected 2200mAh):














Zebralight's SC600-II L2 is showing top-of-class efficiency and regulation on 1x18650. :thumbsup:

Note however that this light has a narrower circuit range than most of the competition (i.e., doesn't support 2xCR123A or 2xRCR) -this helps reduce overhead, and facilitates efficiency gains. But the degree of improvement (while maintaining full regulation) is still impressive.

*Potential Issues*

Like its predecessor model, the new SC600-II is 1x18650 only (i.e., it doesn't take 2xCR123A or 2xRCR).

As with other heavily-driven lights, some 18650s may not be able to handle the sustained discharge rate on Max. I recommend you stick with high-quality cells.

Switch timing takes a little getting used, if you aren’t already familiar with Zebralight. 

*Preliminary Observations*

First the headline news: the new SC600-II L2 tops my charts for initial max output on a single 18650 (at least for now).  

It really is a surprising amount of light from such a small package. It would seem the introduction of the PID thermal controller has allowed them to drive the light a bit harder than the competition. Of course, the PID will regulate output in response to temperature - and no light on a standard ICR chemistry 18650 cell is going to be able to keep that >1000 lumen output up for long.  But the PID is an interesting and sophisticated way to minimize the disruption in output due to heat (i.e., much more finely tuned than previous thermal controls I've seen). Scroll back up to my Runtimes section for a discussion.

Output/runtime efficiency remains top-of-class for the SC600-II L2. :thumbsup: On both the PID-controlled Hi1 and Hi2A levels, and the standard current-controlled lower levels, you see excellent efficiency across the board. I quite like the low battery voltage step-down feature (on all levels), as it means you will never get stuck with no light without warning. Regulation patterns are excellent, in my view. Keep in mind however than only 1x18650 is supported.

The overall build looks similar to the earlier light, but the Mk II version is quite a bit smaller than the SC600 (which was petite to start with). The revised star/circuit sandwich on the Mk II version has clearly saved them a lot of space in the head, as I find it is even easier to accommodate longer 18650 cells now. 

The switch feel and user interface will seem very familiar to Zebralight owners - but as always, there are a few updates here. I like the extra options on the programmable second modes of each output level (i.e., more constant output choices now). I am also happy to see strobe/blinky modes moved out of the main sequence and hidden under the new triple-click feature. The lower Lo modes are also always appreciated (i.e., several true sub-lumen Moonlight modes now). And the battery indicator feature is a cute touch. As ever, this feels like a continued evolution of the user interface - and one that gets better on every iteration of the light.

Although the revised reflector design gives you marginally more throw, I would still consider the SC600-II to be more of a floody style of light.

As an aside, it is seems that Zebralight has switched to largely US-based distributors and manufacturing (if that is important to you).

At the end of the day, the new SC600 Mk II L2 is a measurable improvement over the original SC600 in every sense (and that was a pretty nifty light in its own right). No doubt about it, this light is a strong contender in the 1x18650 space. Hopefully you will find the detailed comparisons above useful in coming to your own conclusions. :wave:

----

SC600-II L2 provided by Zebralight for review.


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## shelm

thxzhz


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## blackFFM

Thanks for the review. Not a fan of the new anodizing though.


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## Ryp

Thanks for the review!


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## KITROBASKIN

Much respect and a hearty Thank You to selfbuilt.

To the lucky members who have one of these units: What do you think? How would you describe the quality of the beam? How does it compare with your other lights? What about the SC600w L2?


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## T0rch

Nice review. Still waiting on my shipping notice.


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## Clayton4971

Nice review easy to understand


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## Overclocker

great review selfbuilt! but i think you should start adding runtime tests using NCR18650B  for better real-world relevance.

this new PID is very interesting! it would be interesting to see a graph of the relationship between stabilized head temperatures and actual light output i.e. how much the computer decides to throttle down for a given head temperature


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## markr6

It's nice to have all the details on this light. Thanks! Still waiting from mine I ordered from Illumination Supply 10/21. Getting very anxious!


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## selfbuilt

Overclocker said:


> great review selfbuilt! but i think you should start adding runtime tests using NCR18650B  for better real-world relevance.


I do on occassion run NCR18650A, when I have time. The issue is that the older 2200mAh batteries are the only true universally accepted battery I've ever come across. Even the button-top high capacity ones don't work in all lights with physical reverse polarity protection (due to their relatively low button profile), or length restrictions. So as a matter of course, I'm stuck with whatever battery works in all lights (for direct comparisons, which are my main goal)

In terms of NCR18650A and B, performance is very much in line with the 2200mah - just with proportionately longer runtime. You can therefore estimate fairly well in most lights (although I agree it's not so easy on fully regulated lights like these). I'll see if I can squeeze in an extra runtime.



> this new PID is very interesting! it would be interesting to see a graph of the relationship between stabilized head temperatures and actual light output i.e. how much the computer decides to throttle down for a given head temperature


I agree, but am not sure how much simple external surface temperature probe measures would help (which is all I can measure). Again, if I get the chance.
_
EDIT: Just updated the review with the results_


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## StarHalo

All-American body with potted electronics and .002 to 1000 lumens on one cell, it's like Zebralight wants to take on the custom builders too.. 

Quality review as always :thumbsup:


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## moozooh

At first I was a little irked by the discrepancy in claimed lumens, but a >50% increase in throw (which is very visible in the comparison photos) while maintaining what appears to be a brighter hotspot corona (i.e. wider hotspot basically) actually exceed the expectations. Will definitely order the neutral version when I get the chance.

Thanks a lot for the review, and thanks to the kind dude above me who gave a head's up.


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## bodhran

Great review. The video answered a few question I had about the strobe/beacon mode. I was wondering about the darker color though. Is it a darker green or like the pictures show, a dark gray? I have to wait unit Friday to see mine.


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## selfbuilt

Overclocker said:


> great review selfbuilt! but i think you should start adding runtime tests using NCR18650B  for better real-world relevance. this new PID is very interesting! it would be interesting to see a graph of the relationship between stabilized head temperatures and actual light output i.e. how much the computer decides to throttle down for a given head temperature


Ok, here we go - just updated the main review with a comparison of my standard AW 2200mAh cells to a NCR18650A cell (Xtar 3100mAh)






Also added a brief examination of surface temperature relative to output. This was done by simultaneously logging data from a temperature probe taped to the head (on the opposite side from the switch, near the base of the head). There is no cooling applied, and I am using the same Xtar 3100mAh cell as above:






As you can see, the PID keeps the temperature within a remarkably consistent range. 



moozooh said:


> At first I was a little irked by the discrepancy in claimed lumens, but a >50% increase in throw (which is very visible in the comparison photos) while maintaining what appears to be a brighter hotspot corona (i.e. wider hotspot basically) actually exceed the expectations. Will definitely order the neutral version when I get the chance.


To be accurate, there's a ~50% increase in cd (or lux @1m). But I tend to think of throw as actual beam distance (which is only ~25% higher, due to the inverse square law). 



bodhran said:


> Great review. The video answered a few question I had about the strobe/beacon mode. I was wondering about the darker color though. Is it a darker green or like the pictures show, a dark gray? I have to wait unit Friday to see mine.


I would describe it as a dark gray now. I don't really see any green in there any more (like there used to be). Of course, that is just my one sample. :shrug:


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## Overclocker

selfbuilt said:


> Ok, here we go - just updated the main review with a comparison of my standard AW 2200mAh cells to a NCR18650A cell (Xtar 3100mAh)
> 
> Also added a brief examination of surface temperature relative to output. This was done by simultaneously logging data from a temperature probe taped to the head (on the opposite side from the switch, near the base of the head). There is no cooling applied, and I am using the same Xtar 3100mAh cell as above:
> 
> As you can see, the PID keeps the temperature within a remarkably consistent range.




thanks selfbuilt! wow this latest version is really impressive!


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## oeL

KITROBASKIN said:


> To the lucky members who have one of these units: What do you think? How would you describe the quality of the beam? ... What about the SC600w L2?



Compared to the SC600w, the new L2 release has a smaller and more intense beam, and in the very center of the hotspot brightness increases a bit - while in the "old" SC600w brightness decreases a very little bit (a glance of a donut shape).
I would describe the "w" color as "just white", a neutral white without any greenish, and with quite good color rendering for a LED.

Thanks for the great test, your findings go hand in hand with my subjective impressions. The PID does a good job, and it does not step down too aggressive. I tested the light running on max in the pocket of my jacket: It was quite hot, and still brighter than the "old" SC600w.


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## SYKO

Just had to quit lurking and start posting again. Finally what I've been waiting for,a real review of the light I just found out last week was coming. Almost got the mk II right before it dropped to about $65 a week or 2 ago.

This will go well with my Zebralight H51 that I used to think was bright. What battery do I get from fasttech since I am actually on their order page right now? I want protected 3400mah. Looks like it should be this one? FASTTECH SKU 1141104
It's 69.4mm long,seems to be too long or am I wrong?

Can you do some outdoor beamshots when you can? I'm still ordering it but we all would like to see beamshots.


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## oeL

SYKO said:


> What battery do I get from fasttech since I am actually on their order page right now? I want protected 3400mah.



I'm using the Panasonic NCR18650B based 3400's from AW. They have outstanding manufacturing quality and smallest size. The protection circuit is suited for very high ampere draws and has a very low voltage drop.


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## selfbuilt

SYKO said:


> Can you do some outdoor beamshots when you can? I'm still ordering it but we all would like to see beamshots.


Sorry, but my outdoor location was picked for throw, and doesn't really suit standard output floodier lights well. As you can imagine, it's hard to find a single location and camera settings what work well across such a wide range of light.

If it's any consolation, I just finished doing a bunch of outdoor shots for some high output/throwy lights, and those will be coming out in my upcoming reviews over the next month.


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## KITROBASKIN

In your excellent review you mentioned that ZL is sourcing their aluminum and anodizing in the USA. Are the L2 SC600's being assembled in the US? Do you know if the upcoming SC62 will be assembled stateside? Does any one else know? A quick search did not yield answers and the ZL website is mum regarding "About Us" and still says USA owned and operated... but it seems someone here on the forum spoke of ZL expanding their facilities.


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## moozooh

ZL opened a new assembly line in the US (in late 2012 or early 2013, don't remember exactly), and they'd said at least once that items ordered by customers from the US (or that part of the globe in general) would be delivered from that assembly line. I've no idea what happened to their Chinese line, but it's probably still operational as well, serving Australasian and European customers.


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## KITROBASKIN

moozooh said:


> ZL opened a new assembly line in the US (in late 2012 or early 2013, don't remember exactly), and they'd said at least once that items ordered by customers from the US (or that part of the globe in general) would be delivered from that assembly line. I've no idea what happened to their Chinese line, but it's probably still operational as well, serving Australasian and European customers.



Thanks Moozooh.

So maybe they are not touting the Made In USA claim because some are still assembled in China and the Zebralight website is international? No one sees any indication on their new SC600's regarding "Made in ......" either on the light or the box?


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## ChessFan

Excellent review, as always selfbuilt! :thumbsup:
Initially I was out for the SC600w MkII L2, but as I already have the Fenix PD32 UE as a NW light, I went for the MkII 900 lumen version when it was on sale for 69 USD on the Zebralight site a couple of weeks ago.
I would really be curious if somebody could measure the output of the xm-l version of the MkII, compared to the MKI and this new xm-l2 version. There is no "real" review of the xm-l MKII to be found, though there are lots of video reviews on youtube.
The PID seems to be a great feature, but I am not really bothered by the timed step-down. I use the max output for short bursts, if needed, as for continuous use I prefer the 270 lumens H2 of the MKII for the great runtime.
I suspect the MKII would fall somewhere between the 780 lumens of the MKI and the 1000 lumens of the MKII L2 (referring to selfbuilt's great and valuable comparison tables... ), but it would be interesting to know exactly!
Selfbuilt, I suppose you don't own the SC600 MKII I am referring to?


----------



## selfbuilt

KITROBASKIN said:


> In your excellent review you mentioned that ZL is sourcing their aluminum and anodizing in the USA. Are the L2 SC600's being assembled in the US? Do you know if the upcoming SC62 will be assembled stateside?


Sorry, everything I know is specific to the SC600 Mk II, and is mentioned in the review.



ChessFan said:


> Selfbuilt, I suppose you don't own the SC600 MKII I am referring to?


'Fraid not.


----------



## ChessFan

No problem! 
It was just my (sometimes) obsessively inclined mind that made my curiosity manifest itself. 
The MKII (xm-l) is still a great light with the same form factor as the xm-l2 version, even if a bit less bright, I am still very happy with it!


----------



## KITROBASKIN

selfbuilt: I just sent you $5 Canadian. You deserve more. Thanks for your perspective.


----------



## rdljr1

Love the Zebralights! Can't wait for mine to ship!


----------



## SYKO

selfbuilt said:


> Sorry, but my outdoor location was picked for throw, and doesn't really suit standard output floodier lights well. As you can imagine, it's hard to find a single location and camera settings what work well across such a wide range of light.
> 
> If it's any consolation, I just finished doing a bunch of outdoor shots for some high output/throwy lights, and those will be coming out in my upcoming reviews over the next month.



Man, I can't keep buying lights every time something cool comes along. That's one reason I stayed away from this place for a good while. I would like a thrower but is this light so floody that it's totally useless for throw like in your backyard? I think where I'm at a wider beam is more practical,but feel like I'll be missing out on throw. Maybe it's a bigger problem when you are outdoors and you want more throw.

This should be a good light for everyday urban use right? If you headed out to the jungle/woods with this light or a thrower,which would you choose? I'm sure the SC600 so you can see all the snakes that are about to drop on your head huh? (I have no intention on trekking through any jungle or forest)

Is there a Zebralight thrower coming? Curse you internet for making me buy stuff I can't afford.


----------



## oeL

SYKO said:


> If you headed out to the jungle/woods with this light or a thrower,which would you choose? I'm sure the SC600 so you can see all the snakes that are about to drop on your head huh? (I have no intention on trekking through any jungle or forest)



I'm often out in the forest at night. To find my way, I'm using a SC600w or something similar. And when something interesting shows up - an owl or a boar, for example - I grap my Armytec Predator to have a better look


----------



## selfbuilt

SYKO said:


> I would like a thrower but is this light so floody that it's totally useless for throw like in your backyard? I think where I'm at a wider beam is more practical,but feel like I'll be missing out on throw. Maybe it's a bigger problem when you are outdoors and you want more throw. This should be a good light for everyday urban use right?


For a backyard, I think any of the modern 1x18650 lights provides MORE than enough output to light everything up pretty well (unless your backyard is a farm!).

Personally, for everyday use, I would think this beam pattern is very good. My personal preference though has always been a thrower light with flip-top diffuser - that way I get the best of both worlds in one. But the SC600-II is an excellent general choice. 



> If you headed out to the jungle/woods with this light or a thrower,which would you choose? I'm sure the SC600 so you can see all the snakes that are about to drop on your head huh? (I have no intention on trekking through any jungle or forest):


I've actually done this a couple of times (as I described back in 2007 in this thread). Basically, both flood and throw are very useful in the jungle, depending on the terrain. Flood is the most helpful around your immediate campsite/cabin. But for looking off over distances, a pocket thrower is helpful. 

But the simple fact is that it is hard to see much of anything in dense folliage. And even in more open areas, a low power thrower is actually better than a high power one in those environments (i.e., you will spot citters by eyeshine in low light far easier than picking out camouflaged body patterns in moderate light). In the wild, everything stops to stare at the rube carrying a flashlight ...


----------



## ChessFan

ChessFan said:


> The MKII (xm-l) is still a great light with the same form factor as the xm-l2 version, even if a bit less bright, I am still very happy with it!



Rereading this part it seems like I would minimize the merits of the SC600 MKII L2, which I consider a worthy upgrade. The PID thermal regulation and the increased output levels/efficiency are clear improvements.
I apologize if I went a bit off topic with my previous remarks.


----------



## funkychateau

Hi,

I notice that your output vs runtime charts only compare this light to the original SC600 rather than the SC600-II, which it replaces. Did you also review the SC600-II? How does the output vs time compare? I'm sure the improvement is less - is it still significant?

thanks!


----------



## moozooh

selfbuilt has said on the previous page that he doesn't own an SC600 mkII (L1). I don't even think anybody here has tested it at all? The model became obsolete in like 3 months.


----------



## ChessFan

moozooh said:


> selfbuilt has said on the previous page that he doesn't own an SC600 mkII (L1). I don't even think anybody here has tested it at all? The model became obsolete in like 3 months.



I have to agree with you, but it still is an excellent buy for the money when discounted.
My curiosity regarding the comparative output of the xm-l MKII has been declared as I neither have the equipment nor the expertise to measure it myself.
The latest version is definitely a great 18650 light. 
I begin to feel like......so I'll stop.
No offense intended.


----------



## burnct

I just want to say thank you. Your review and thorough detail is top notch. Also the video was very clear and we'll spoken. I must say you sold me on an excellent 18650 upgrade.


----------



## SYKO

anybody have word on when they are shipping?


----------



## bodhran

I've had mine for three days now. How soon you get it probably depends on when and where you placed your order. Hang in there...it's worth it.


----------



## funkychateau

moozooh said:


> selfbuilt has said on the previous page that he doesn't own an SC600 mkII (L1). I don't even think anybody here has tested it at all? The model became obsolete in like 3 months.



The SC600 II obsoleted the original SC600, and possibly captures most of the improvements found in this three-version evolution. The SC600 II is also the model being currently clearanced for about $63, to make way for the L2. I recently bought two of the SC600 II versions, for myself and a friend, and mine is my favorite light by far. Two co-workers bought them as well, after seeing mine.

The SC600 II and the SC600 L2 appear to share the same reduced-size housing, and perhaps differ only in the emitter and a tweak in the electronics. Hard to decide whether it's worth paying an extra $32 to try the L2 as well, so that's why I'd like to see a side-by-side. If someone in the Dallas area gets an L2 and contacts me, we can post some side-by-side beamshots to see how much more is gained by the newer emitter. 

Contact me by PM or email.

thanks!


----------



## 18650

They need to make this thing in XM-L2 5000K daylight version like they do with the Luxeon 5000K models.


----------



## lovemylexicon

Selfbuilt: Did you detect any green tint in the light? Thank you.


----------



## StarHalo

funkychateau said:


> The SC600 II obsoleted the original SC600



You're on your own there; a barely 10% increase in output with a couple extra mode features is hardly "obsoleted", it wasn't enough for me to justify buying again to replace my original SC600. Even the L2 isn't significantly different enough lumens-wise, but the potted electronics and expanded low modes certainly give pause..


----------



## radu1976

I didn't understand completely but is it possible to have the* Hi 2A *- 720 lumesn - set up as the primary mode, so once you turn on the light you'll have 720 lumens ? Or it just be used as a second high only ? I much preffer a balanced HIGH which is to last 1hr instead of a an extra 40% brightness which comes with the cost of half of the runtime. I have never been a fan of hard driven lights with a short runtime - especially 1xCR123 lights which puts hundreds of lumens for ... 20 min with a RCR123 -


----------



## 18650

radu1976 said:


> I didn't understand completely but is it possible to have the* Hi 2A *- 720 lumesn - set up as the primary mode, so once you turn on the light you'll have 720 lumens ? Or it just be used as a second high only ? I much preffer a balanced HIGH which is to last 1hr instead of a an extra 40% brightness which comes with the cost of half of the runtime. I have never been a fan of hard driven lights with a short runtime - especially 1xCR123 lights which puts hundreds of lumens for ... 20 min with a RCR123 -



If you set the 720 lumen level as your high setting, it will remember it the next time you turn the light on whether it's with one quick click or button holding. A double click will flip it to the 1000 lumen level if you are sitting on 720.


----------



## funkychateau

StarHalo said:


> You're on your own there; a barely 10% increase in output with a couple extra mode features is hardly "obsoleted", it wasn't enough for me to justify buying again to replace my original SC600. Even the L2 isn't significantly different enough lumens-wise, but the potted electronics and expanded low modes certainly give pause..



Obsoleted as in the SC600 was discontinued in favor of the SC600-II. Nothing derogatory there ... I actually waited for the SC600-II to be obsoleted by the L2, then picked up my SC600-IIs as bargains.

Of course the SC600-II was a little brighter than the original, but the biggest improvement to me was the reduction in size - the second version became truly pocketable. I use both of the super-low modes as a night light. The (tailstanding). I suppose if I had an original I might be tempted to gift it and upgrade to the II (or the L2). My friends and relatives get a lot of obsolete-but-nice stuff from me.

The SC600-L2 bumps max output a little more but the size is still the same as the SC600-II. Is the latest bump a big deal? Would the owner of a II be tempted to upgrade to an L2? Would most non-owners choose a $95 L2 over a $63 II? 

Still looking for someone in the Dallas area with an L2 to meet me for side-by-side beamshots.


----------



## moozooh

Well, I'm pretty sure there's no real need to upgrade unless you specifically want to take advantage of the PID at the highest settings (which you might want if you intend on using it as, say, a bike light or a snorkeling light). The difference on the rest of the modes is marginal for the most part, and apparently there are two modes that actually work more efficiently on the regular mkII (unless it is a spec error on ZL's site). The UI and the body are identical between the two. I don't know, hardly enough of an incentive for a hundred dollar light in my opinion.

Myself, I'll most likely wait until ZL release an update using the next XM-L2 brightness bin, and only then upgrade. Or maybe S5310 is released first.


----------



## StarHalo

moozooh said:


> Or maybe S5310 is released first.



S6330 MT-G2


----------



## Mr Floppy

wow, the PID works great. Looks like this could be popular with bike riders. Well, just speaking for myself


----------



## selfbuilt

lovemylexicon said:


> Selfbuilt: Did you detect any green tint in the light? Thank you.


Can't say I recall anything obvious (I'm away at the moment). There is typically some chromatic shift across the beam with all lights, of course.


----------



## tonkem

StarHalo said:


> S6330 MT-G2



StarHalo, do you have inside knowledge of the MT-G2 coming to the 6330? I assumed it would be XML-L2 emitters? Spill the beans


----------



## StarHalo

tonkem said:


> StarHalo, do you have inside knowledge of the MT-G2 coming to the 6330? I assumed it would be XML-L2 emitters? Spill the beans



No inside knowledge at all, but now the seeds have been planted..


----------



## Glock19carrier

Damn that was a thorough review. This light looks awsome. Thanks for doing the review


----------



## bobstay

selfbuilt said:


> _Battery Indicator_
> 
> Another new feature on the SC600-II is a relative battery life remaining indicator. Quadrupule-click the switch from off, and the main emitter flashes out a relative battery strenth (flashes 1-4 times, with 4 being nearly fully charged).



Any idea what battery voltages the four levels represent?


----------



## tonkem

bobstay said:


> Any idea what battery voltages the four levels represent?



1 FLASH, 25%, 2 Flashes 50%, 3 flashes 75%, 4 flashes 100%. Obviously, they would be estimated to be as close to that percentage, etc. Will not be 100% accurate.


----------



## bobstay

I said voltages, not percentages. The driver has no way of estimating percentage except by the cell voltage.


----------



## bodhran

I think when people discuss tint they should mention if they bought the cool or neutral version. Getting a little confused here...*s*


----------



## tonkem

Ok, Sorry, I guess someone would have to measure the voltages at each level. 



bobstay said:


> I said voltages, not percentages. The driver has no way of estimating percentage except by the cell voltage.


----------



## markr6

tonkem said:


> Ok, Sorry, I guess someone would have to measure the voltages at each level.



It would be nice if Zebralight could use a voltage readout like some Nitecore lights. And speed it up a little while they're at it!


----------



## funkychateau

bobstay said:


> Any idea what battery voltages the four levels represent?



4 flashes = above 3.9 volts
3 flashes = < 3.9 volts
2 flashes = < 3.7 volts

Voltages were measured by depleting the light to the point where the lower indication is observed immediately after a short usage, then the higher indication after a period of recovery, and repeating until the recovery no longer yields the higher indication. Then the cell was removed and no-load voltage measured.

I have not yet depleted my SC600-II to the one-flash level in a controlled test.


----------



## selfbuilt

funkychateau said:


> 4 flashes = above 3.9 volts
> 3 flashes = < 3.9 volts
> 2 flashes = < 3.7 volts
> 
> Voltages were measured by depleting the light to the point where the lower indication is observed immediately after a short usage, then the higher indication after a period of recovery, and repeating until the recovery no longer yields the higher indication. Then the cell was removed and no-load voltage measured.


Thanks for these no-load measures funkychateau.

I have no idea what Zebralight is actually using for their cut-offs at each level in the circuit (although it would involve measuring under a small load). While it is a bit unusual to use this sort of 4 place indicator instead of a voltage readout, it's not unheard of (e.g., Olight SR-series lights).


----------



## funkychateau

funkychateau said:


> 4 flashes = above 3.9 volts
> 3 flashes = < 3.9 volts
> 2 flashes = < 3.7 volts
> 
> Voltages were measured by depleting the light to the point where the lower indication is observed immediately after a short usage, then the higher indication after a period of recovery, and repeating until the recovery no longer yields the higher indication. Then the cell was removed and no-load voltage measured.
> 
> I have not yet depleted my SC600-II to the one-flash level in a controlled test.



Ok, I completed the run last night. The SC600-II changes to one flash at 3.6 volts. So the internal voltmeter calibration appears to be:

4 flashes = over 3.9 volts
3 flashes = between 3.9 and 3.7 volts
2 flashes = between 3.7 and 3.6 volts
1 flash = below 3.6 volts


----------



## marinemaster

I have a technical question. How much of the efficiency the SC600 would loose if it would run on 2x123 as well ? I chose my lights to run on 1x18650 or 1x17670 or 2x123. Would the runtime be affected or lumens or both ? Much appreciated.


----------



## tonkem

marinemaster said:


> I have a technical question. How much of the efficiency the SC600 would loose if it would run on 2x123 as well ? I chose my lights to run on 1x18650 or 1x17670 or 2x123. Would the runtime be affected or lumens or both ? Much appreciated.



The SC600 is only able to accept 1 x 18650. 2 x 123 would be too much voltage. 3.7 volts versus 6 volts.


----------



## bobstay

tonkem said:


> The SC600 is only able to accept 1 x 18650.



He knows that. The question was:



marinemaster said:


> *if* it would run on 2x123 as well



To give some insight, if not an answer: It's very difficult to say - it's a matter of tradeoffs which depend on many variables.

Sorry this is a bit technical but you did ask! To widen the voltage range that a buck-boost converter can accept on its input, you would need to:



Use bigger value inductor, because a higher voltage means that the core will saturate more quickly each cycle. Your choices are:
Make the flashlight bigger, and use a bigger inductor with the same wire size and more turns. This maintains your efficiency at the higher voltage, and should be ok for the lower voltage too. But you have a bigger flashlight now, which makes consumers unhappy.
Use a thinner wire in the inductor, allowing you more turns to reach the greater inductance value. This increases the DC resistance, though, which wastes more energy as heat on either battery type, lowering efficiency. But your inductor, and so flashlight, stays the same size.
Don't change the inductor. This means it'll work the same on 18650s, but with 2xCR123, the inductor core will saturate before the FET turns off. That means there will effectively be a short circuit of the battery through the inductor for a percentage of each cycle. Needless to say, that energy is wasted as heat too, and might mean you can't reach the LED current you want at the highest levels.

Use higher voltage spec on the input capacitor. Your options are very similar to the above: bigger flashlight, or lower efficiency through wasted heat. Making the capacitor value smaller (to keep it the same size while tolerating a higher voltage) would result in pulling rapid high current pulses from the battery, which it might not be able to supply very well, leading to energy lost in both the internal resistance of the battery, and in the wires and contacts between battery and driver.
Widen the range of duty cycle (ratio of time the FET is on to time it's off) that your microprocessor outputs. You need lower duty cycles (shorter FET on-time) to accommodate the higher battery voltage. This isn't necessarily a problem, because you already use the lower duty cycles for the low modes anyway, but it probably means you will have less fine-tuning control at the high duty-cycle end, which is where this light needs fine control for the temperature-controlled high modes.

There are probably some others I've forgotten too. As for exactly how much efficiency you'll lose on each of these tradeoffs, it's really impossible to say without knowing the circuit design and the specs of each component that zebralight has used. Some of the tradeoffs also involve the battery, which adds another variable not under ZL's control. Probably the best thing to do to get a ballpark figure is to compare it to other lights with the same emitter which do accept 2xCR123, and see how the efficiencies compare. But you still can't know how comparable the driver circuits (and component quality therein) are.


----------



## ChessFan

funkychateau said:


> Ok, I completed the run last night. The SC600-II changes to one flash at 3.6 volts. So the internal voltmeter calibration appears to be:
> 
> 4 flashes = over 3.9 volts
> 3 flashes = between 3.9 and 3.7 volts
> 2 flashes = between 3.7 and 3.6 volts
> 1 flash = below 3.6 volts



Interesting info!
I'm curious what battery you have used for this test.
Thanks.


----------



## funkychateau

ChessFan said:


> Interesting info!
> I'm curious what battery you have used for this test.
> Thanks.



Chessfan,

Battery selection should not affect this test because the voltmeter measurement is entered from the "off" state, i.e. no load. You should therefore get the same transition points regardless of battery type/condition. There may be some minor effect due to current drawn immediately prior, because the LED flashes briefly and on a really bad battery this could possibly cause a slight voltage depression/recovery cycle.

For the record, though, I tested my light with two different 18650 cells. The first was a brand-new (third cycle) Tenergy protected battery from Fry's. It had a claimed capacity of 2600 maH, and a measured capacity of 2800 maH using a 1-amp test load. The other battery I used was one of my unprotected "salvage" cells from a discarded laptop power supply. It is approximately 5 years old and I have not load-tested it. The SC600-II voltmeter results were essentially identical, to my ability to determine, for both cells.

Battery condition will, however, have a strong influence on automatic step-down. This is a different function of the SC600-II which looks at cell voltage under load.


----------



## ChessFan

funkychateau said:


> Chessfan,
> 
> Battery selection should not affect this test because the voltmeter measurement is entered from the "off" state, i.e. no load. You should therefore get the same transition points regardless of battery type/condition. There may be some minor effect due to current drawn immediately prior, because the LED flashes briefly and on a really bad battery this could possibly cause a slight voltage depression/recovery cycle.
> 
> For the record, though, I tested my light with two different 18650 cells. The first was a brand-new (third cycle) Tenergy protected battery from Fry's. It had a claimed capacity of 2600 maH, and a measured capacity of 2800 maH using a 1-amp test load. The other battery I used was one of my unprotected "salvage" cells from a discarded laptop power supply. It is approximately 5 years old and I have not load-tested it. The SC600-II voltmeter results were essentially identical, to my ability to determine, for both cells.
> 
> Battery condition will, however, have a strong influence on automatic step-down. This is a different function of the SC600-II which looks at cell voltage under load.



Hi funkychateau,

I did a similar test with the SC600 MKII (previous version) using a 3400 mAh unprotected Panasonic cell. I suppose Zebralight didn't change the way the battery checker works, but that's just a guess. While testing I was more interested in the number of flashes related to the remaining runtime than the voltage, but I also measured the voltages after every hour (30 minutes nearing the end). At higher voltages my results seem to coincide with yours, but nearing the end of the run I am still getting 2 flashes below 3.5 Volts, hence my curiosity regarding the battery type used for your test. It is known that the 2600 mAh cells have a lower capacity left at 3.7 Volts than the 3400 mAh cells at 3.6 Volts (or even 3.5 in some cases).
Please see my results in below post:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...t-SC600-MkII&p=4318463&viewfull=1#post4318463

Do you have the possibility to repeat the test with a 3100 or 3400 mAh Panasonic based battery?


----------



## funkychateau

ChessFan said:


> Hi funkychateau,
> 
> I did a similar test with the SC600 MKII (previous version) using a 3400 mAh unprotected Panasonic cell. I suppose Zebralight didn't change the way the battery checker works, but that's just a guess. While testing I was more interested in the number of flashes related to the remaining runtime than the voltage, but I also measured the voltages after every hour (30 minutes nearing the end). At higher voltages my results seem to coincide with yours, but nearing the end of the run I am still getting 2 flashes below 3.5 Volts, hence my curiosity regarding the battery type used for your test. It is known that the 2600 mAh cells have a lower capacity left at 3.7 Volts than the 3400 mAh cells at 3.6 Volts (or even 3.5 in some cases).
> Please see my results in below post:
> 
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...t-SC600-MkII&p=4318463&viewfull=1#post4318463
> 
> Do you have the possibility to repeat the test with a 3100 or 3400 mAh Panasonic based battery?



Perhaps the SC600-II is not absolutely consistent in it's calibration of the voltmeter from unit-to-unit. Yours definitely seems to read different from mine. However, 1 blink at 3.6 volts makes sense to me, as that is a commonly-rated lower voltage for Li-ion.

Also, after I measured the voltage I always put the battery back in and quad-clicked to make sure the number of flashes was unchanged. This ensured that the SC600-II's measurement transition points correllated to the same battery voltages as my multimeter data.

Unfortunately, I don't have any ultra-high-capacity batteries with which to repeat my test. If I come across one, I'll test with it and post the results here.

edit: It's also possible that ZL tweaked their voltmeter algorithm over time. Since the units don't appear to be serialized, there's probably no way to tell whose unit was manufactured earlier, or by how much. I purchased mine about 3 weeks ago. When did you get yours?


----------



## ChessFan

funkychateau said:


> Perhaps the SC600-II is not absolutely consistent in it's calibration of the voltmeter from unit-to-unit. Yours definitely seems to read different from mine. However, 1 blink at 3.6 volts makes sense to me, as that is a commonly-rated lower voltage for Li-ion.
> 
> Also, after I measured the voltage I always put the battery back in and quad-clicked to make sure the number of flashes was unchanged. This ensured that the SC600-II's measurement transition points correllated to the same battery voltages as my multimeter data.
> 
> Unfortunately, I don't have any ultra-high-capacity batteries with which to repeat my test. If I come across one, I'll test with it and post the results here.
> 
> edit: It's also possible that ZL tweaked their voltmeter algorithm over time. Since the units don't appear to be serialized, there's probably no way to tell whose unit was manufactured earlier, or by how much. I purchased mine about 3 weeks ago. When did you get yours?



Mine is 4 weeks old, but it's the xm-l version, not the xm-l2. I bought it directly from Zebralight before the launch of the L2 version, as these were on sale.
The reason why I've asked about the battery type in the first place is that I remember reading somewhere about the capacity indicator checking the remaining capacity (not that I would know how Zebralight could accomplish that with all the different cell types around) and not the voltage. If this would be true, then the discrepancy at the lower voltages could be attributed to the different discharge characteristics of the 2600 vs. 3400 mAh cells (more capacity left in the 3400 mAh cell, at lower voltages). But, maybe my memory is just playing tricks on me.
Anyway, this function is still quite useful even if not 100% accurate. You know approximately how much "juice" is left in the battery without having to remove it from the light.


----------



## T0rch

Received my SC600w II L2 today and it would be awesome except it doesn't work right. If I turn the light off while in H2 it will not come back on. The light is registering the click however, just not turning on. I can for example from off single click and nothing happens, wait a few seconds and double click it comes on in H1. Other things, minor, are the plating on the clip is horrible. Copper colored in half a dozen spots, and the tail cap doesn't match the light at all.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

T0rch: Can you post photos or video? Someone here may think you have reason to besmirch ZebraLight although many of us know that ZL messes up at times. Sounds like a return is in order.


----------



## T0rch

KITROBASKIN said:


> T0rch: Can you post photos or video? Someone here may think you have reason to besmirch ZebraLight although many of us know that ZL messes up at times. Sounds like a return is in order.



I have no reason to besmirch Zebralight. I love my SC52. I wish I could do video, the problem with mine is easily replicated.







I wrote ZL and gave a detailed description of the problem. Basically won't turn on if turned off while in H2, and they told me it was a battery problem. I'm using RediLast 2600's.



> Usually, this happens when the battery can't keep up with the current needed for the H1 level, due to the quality of the battery or the protection circuitry. Try a unprotected Panasonic cell if you can. Sorry about the clip. We'll ship another one.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Yeah that tail cap is the darker anodizing. Recently ordered an Austri-Alpin Cobra belt buckle in Coyote Brown. The 2 buckle pieces are seriously off in color. Looking on the vendor's website later, I noticed a buckle in a picture that had mismatched pieces as well. http://milspecmonkey.com/store/hardware-diy/339-austrialpin-cobra-buckle.html and those are some serious buckles.

So your next step is to try another battery?


----------



## T0rch

KITROBASKIN said:


> So your next step is to try another battery?


 I tried four different RediLast 2600 and four different Solarforce batteries. No difference. The way it's behaving seems like an electronic control problem to me, but I'm no expert. I wrote ZL back and kindly asked that they reread my original description of the issue. I think they kind of skimmed what I wrote or didn't read it all and believe I have an issue with turning the light on to H1, hence the suggestion it's a battery problem, and that's not the case.


----------



## rickypanecatyl

Just curious about the max output compared to the Thrunite Lynx. On your chart it has

Lynx 215 CBMO*; 930 lumens
MRKII 213 CBMO; 1000 lumens.

*With CBMO of course being "Ceiling Box Max Output!" 

I probably need to study your page on converting light box to lumens more but was just a bit confused how a lower ceiling box max output converted to higher lumens....


----------



## Mr Floppy

rickypanecatyl; said:


> *With CBMO of course being "Ceiling Box Max Output!"
> 
> I probably need to study your page on converting light box to lumens more but was just a bit confused how a lower ceiling box max output converted to higher lumens....



Ceiling BOUNCE you mean. Lumen estimation is done with his milk carton light BOX.

Throwy lights do tend to have higher ceiling bounce readings I've observed in my own tests


----------



## selfbuilt

Mr Floppy said:


> Ceiling BOUNCE you mean. Lumen estimation is done with his milk carton light BOX.
> Throwy lights do tend to have higher ceiling bounce readings I've observed in my own tests


Yes, the ceiling bounce numbers don't exactly match my lightbox testing (which are converted to estimated lumens). 

The ceiling bounce numbers are just to give you another measure, and one that reflects what a lot people have on hand (i.e. a light meter and small room). But as Mr Floppy points out, throwier lights tend to do better on ceiling bounce (likely because more is reflected back down to the meter, which is near the light). The measures also tend to be a lot more variable though, as specific placement in the room can have an impact.

Personally, I would recommend you stick with the lightbox numbers for handheld lights, as those numbers are the best validated (plus it is easier to control all variables in lightbox placement). The design of the box is also better, as my sensor is side-mounted near the entry point at the base, with the light's own bezel serving as a baffle. 

I keep doing the ceiling bounce measures as not all the big lights fit in my box ...


----------



## RIX TUX

Is there a battery that puts out more lumens that someone has used in th sc600?


----------



## moozooh

Within the usual IFR chemistry found in the vast majority of 18650 batteries on the market there will be no difference other than in runtimes. IMR chemistry can theoretically supply a higher current, but even if the light's max output isn't limited by power, it's still limited by its operating temperature all the same. Which means the only way to take advantage of IMRs would be to put the light into a freezer. Not exactly practical even regardless of runtimes. So I think using anything based on a Panasonic 3400 mAh would be the way to go in any case.


----------



## jakepen

Button tops or not? 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


----------



## m1ke

jakepen said:


> Button tops or not?
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


Not necessary, and possibly not desirable depending on the length of your battery. I could barely squash a protected Xtar 2600 mAh battery into mine; as a result I'm using an unprotected one.


----------



## penuries

Hi,

1) SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2) Cw from Nkon

I received mine yesterday from Nkon, I strongly recomand this FL . It is the top for me ..It is far the best product I have purchased until now

Thanks
Br
Yves Soussi from Paris - France


----------



## jakepen

What batteries are you guys using in them? 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


----------



## noboneshotdog

AW 3400s fit great!


----------



## jakepen

Ya, I'm looking to two nice 18650s. I have orbtronics for my tx25c2, but I'm getting the mkii l2 for Christmas, so I need me batts. I was thinking maybe Zebralight or eagle tac brand? Are they good batteries? 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


----------



## m1ke

penuries said:


> It is far the best product I have purchased until now


Yeah, me, too. Fantastic light.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

jakepen said:


> What batteries are you guys using in them?
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk



KEEPPOWER 3400's work well in my TM26. Just got an EagTac 3400 for an H600w; so far, so good. AW's have a good reputation, and I don't remember people complaining about the ZL fare.


----------



## Saquavin

Awesome review !

Selfbuilt, could you do a comparison beetween those 3 lights I find similar : Nitecore P12, Fenix PD35, Zebralight SC600 MKII L2 ?


----------



## selfbuilt

Saquavin said:


> Selfbuilt, could you do a comparison beetween those 3 lights I find similar : Nitecore P12, Fenix PD35, Zebralight SC600 MKII L2 ?


Sorry, don't have those other lights.


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

Sorry if this was previously addressed, but what happens (from off) if you double-click?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## RIX TUX

ozzie_c_cobblepot said:


> Sorry if this was previously addressed, but what happens (from off) if you double-click?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


goes to medium mode
3 quickies goes to low mode
4 " " " battery voltage mode


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

RIX TUX said:


> seems to go to medium mode



I would have thought so. The reason I'm asking is because of the following quote from post #1:

<cutNpaste>
To get Hi initially, do a quick single click from Off. You can click quickly again to cycle from Hi to Med, and Low - but you need to perform these extra clicks reasonably rapidly, yet not as rapidly a double- or triple-click (i.e. from Off, a single-click is Hi, two single clicks is Med, and three single clicks is Lo). As with everything on a Zebralight, it takes a bit of use to get the timings right.
</cutNpaste>


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## m1ke

RIX TUX said:


> goes to medium mode
> 3 quickies goes to low mode
> 4 " " " battery voltage mode


Three turns on strobe. You get to low with a single slightly prolonged click.


----------



## selfbuilt

ozzie_c_cobblepot said:


> I would have thought so. The reason I'm asking is because of the following quote from post #1:
> 
> <cutNpaste>
> To get Hi initially, do a quick single click from Off. You can click quickly again to cycle from Hi to Med, and Low - but you need to perform these extra clicks reasonably rapidly, yet not as rapidly a double- or triple-click (i.e. from Off, a single-click is Hi, two single clicks is Med, and three single clicks is Lo). As with everything on a Zebralight, it takes a bit of use to get the timings right.
> </cutNpaste>


Yes, as I indicated in the quote part above, it is hard to get directly to the Med or Lo mode by click repeatedly from a Hi activation (i.e., the timings are tricky, as it requires a brief pause after the activation click). A straight-forward double-click, triple-click or quadruple-click from off is different from doing these additional single clicks. I would recommend people just focus on the Lo or Hi mode off, and then cycle normally by a press-hold.


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

@selfbuilt Yes, I gathered that it is different based on your quote, because you have a very precise writing style. My question though is _what_ in fact happens if you do a double click from off? (And for completeness, a triple click?) Lastly, is the "check battery level" quad click as hard to reach as the off-to-medium two-quick-single-clicks-but-not-a-double-click?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## m1ke

ozzie_c_cobblepot said:


> My question though is _what_ in fact happens if you do a double click from off?


Medium mode.



ozzie_c_cobblepot said:


> (And for completeness, a triple click?)


Strobe, as I said above.



ozzie_c_cobblepot said:


> Lastly, is the "check battery level" quad click as hard to reach as the off-to-medium two-quick-single-clicks-but-not-a-double-click?


Nah, it's easy. Also, double click from off gets to medium.


----------



## penuries

jakepen said:


> What batteries are you guys using in them?
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


 Hi

1) Batteries

I use un protected batteries (from Nkon.nl)

First Panasonic NCR 18650B 3400. Very good results

Then I decided to try = *Sony Konion US18650VTC4 3.6V 2100mAh (15C) button top. These batteries are better because they stayed à 4.195V much longer. The NCR 18650B 3400 dropped to 3.9V very quickly*


br
Yves SOUSSI


----------



## RIX TUX

penuries said:


> Hi
> 
> 1) Batteries
> 
> I use un protected batteries (from Nkon.nl)
> 
> First Panasonic NCR 18650B 3400. Very good results
> 
> Then I decided to try = *Sony Konion US18650VTC4 3.6V 2100mAh (15C) button top. These batteries are better because they stayed à 4.195V much longer. The NCR 18650B 3400 dropped to 3.9V very quickly*
> 
> 
> br
> Yves SOUSSI



so a 2100 mah battery will last longer than a 3400?


----------



## Mr Floppy

RIX TUX said:


> so a 2100 mah battery will last longer than a 3400?



at a higher current draw, but his point is that there is less voltage sag at high currents.


----------



## selfbuilt

m1ke said:


> Medium mode.
> Strobe, as I said above.
> Nah, it's easy. Also, double click from off gets to medium.


What he said. 

It is actually pretty easy to get to the medium level from a classic double-click timing (and strobe from a classic triple-click timing). It's just the more complicated maneuvers that take some getting used to.


----------



## jakepen

Do button tops work? 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


----------



## selfbuilt

jakepen said:


> Do button tops work?


Yes, all the ones I've tried. Really long cells may be a bit of a tight squeeze, but length limits do seem improved on the Mk II version.


----------



## jimboutilier

This is probably a silly question but about the lanyard split ring in the pics...

All of my small (6mm or so) split rings have a double layer of wire for almost the total circumference of the ring with only a tiny amount of the ring with a single layer of wire. The small diameter and relatively deep lanyard ring hole on the SC600 won't fit any of my split rings. The one in the pics seem to have quite a bit of the ring with one one layer of wire which allows it to work with this light. Did you cut down the ring or do you have a source of rings built this way?

Thanks!


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Looking around, you might find a good split ring that has a, just large enough gap between the 'ends' of the split ring. Then, it will fit. You won't be able to rotate the split ring in the opening however. Just a thought. I have had to do that before. It works. The split rings with a large gap between the ends are usually cheap and not trustworthy.


----------



## selfbuilt

KITROBASKIN said:


> Looking around, you might find a good split ring that has a, just large enough gap between the 'ends' of the split ring. Then, it will fit. You won't be able to rotate the split ring in the opening however.


Yes, that's my experience as well - usually the better way to go.


----------



## jimboutilier

KITROBASKIN said:


> Looking around, you might find a good split ring that has a, just large enough gap between the 'ends' of the split ring. Then, it will fit. You won't be able to rotate the split ring in the opening however. Just a thought. I have had to do that before. It works. The split rings with a large gap between the ends are usually cheap and not trustworthy.



Thanks. Guess I'll make a trip to some local outfitters in search of an appropriate ring and if I can't find some I'll grind a bit off the ends of an existing ring to form just enough gap to get on but not to rotate.


----------



## bodhran

Fishing dept. such as at Bass Pro carries smaller sized split rings.


----------



## RIX TUX

I have the first version sc600 mark II and wondering if the L2 version has a tighter beam(more throw). Anybody have both versions?


----------



## neutralwhite

which out of the CW and NW has the most Lux?.
CW right?.
what would they be compared?.
looking for a brighter spot!. 
something like that.

thanks.


----------



## selfbuilt

RIX TUX said:


> I have the first version sc600 mark II and wondering if the L2 version has a tighter beam(more throw). Anybody have both versions?





neutralwhite said:


> which out of the CW and NW has the most Lux?. CW right?.


There shouldn't be a big difference in either case. On average, the CW L2 version will have slightly more output (and thus slightly more throw) than the NW L2 or CW XM-L. But inter-sample variation is likely high enough that there is no guarantee of that - the difference between any two samples is likley to be pretty negligible (in either case).


----------



## neutralwhite

thank you,...i love your stuff, your replies!.




selfbuilt said:


> There shouldn't be a big difference in either case. On average, the CW L2 version will have slightly more output (and thus slightly more throw) than the NW L2 or CW XM-L. But inter-sample variation is likely high enough that there is no guarantee of that - the difference between any two samples is likley to be pretty negligible (in either case).


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

What were the release dates of the SC600 MKii and the MKii L2? What would be the [obviously speculative] implied release date for the next iteration of the SC600?

(I believe the MKii L2 was Nov 2013)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## KITROBASKIN

neutralwhite said:


> thank you,...i love your stuff, your replies!.



Did you check out selfbuilt's L3 Illumination L10 review? He had something like 8 units to test, 2 different LED's. He did a statistical analysis; fun to hear (unless you have to do it at work all day, right?). Anyways, he was careful with his words in that his results pertained to those particular units, made no claims that his sample was randomly chosen. One interesting thing was the challenge manufacturers face when reporting the lumen values of their flashlight's sublumen settings, quite a bit of variation. All very interesting. Glad I have contributed to his battery fund, even if it was a pittance. Wish more members would pony up.

Just because a finding is statistically significant, isn't it really just an agreement (broadly accepted, scientific opinion), when data reaches a certain level, that it is meaningful? Or am I revealing my ignorance while violating a forum stricture by going so egregiously off topic?


----------



## markr6

I sure love this light!

MUCH smaller than I expected, even after seeing all the photos and video reviews.

The updated soft-touch switch surprised me at first - so much easier to click than my SC52w and H600w. At first I liked the harder click better, but now I'm used to the soft click. So much, I may update my H600w just for the switch. I like headlamps to be easy to operate with one hand when in use.

A lot more throw than I expected, but not too much. I thought it would be like my SC52w and H52w which have a bigger hot spot. I think more throw in a larger light makes sense though.

The darker anodizing is great. Seems to scratch less (spinning the clip around) and just looks better IMO.

And my favorite part....a PERFECTLY NEUTRAL WHITE TINT! It matches my H52w exactly. I was worried about getting more green but I finally won the tint lottery!


----------



## roadkill1109

Finally decided to pull the trigger on the SC600 MKII L2. I just love the changes they have made to their flagship light, thereby making it more of a better buy than before. Never thought i'd say this, but ever since I got an SC52 few months back, I've been EDC'ing this more than any of my lights.


----------



## neutralwhite

ZL recommend un protected batteries, but I got some protected keeppower 2600's.
is this still OK and a safer bet?.
does it make a real difference?.

safer than sorry?.
can we really fully rely on a flashlight's electronics never to fail?.

thanks.


----------



## bram005

Never saw such a extensive review on a flashlight i think its really good for people who are searching for a small flashligth though which can handle 18650 batteries!

Thanks


----------



## m1ke

neutralwhite said:


> ZL recommend un protected batteries, but I got some protected keeppower 2600's.
> is this still OK and a safer bet?.
> does it make a real difference?.
> 
> safer than sorry?.
> can we really fully rely on a flashlight's electronics never to fail?.
> 
> thanks.


No harm if it fits! I had issues with mine, and actually ended up ripping off the protection of an Xtar 18650 to get it to fit. The battery housing is much less spacious than my other 18650 light, which is a Nitecore EC2.


----------



## neutralwhite

+1.



bram005 said:


> Never saw such a extensive review on a flashlight i think its really good for people who are searching for a small flashligth though which can handle 18650 batteries!
> 
> Thanks


----------



## balto charlie

Greetings: Another excellent review. You guys really rock. I came to this review via the Fenix PD-35 review. I realized that the Fenix steps down to lower lumen by a timer. This was not going to work for my needs. I am a cyclist and want a self contained lights (no wires) that stay bright. Almost all bike lights have wires or are not very powerful or are very, very expensive. This light seems to be a little pricey but the size and brightness win out. Please explain it's step down process. I believe most lights like these have some type of step down to prevent overheating. Since most of my cycling with lights is in the colder months my current batteries never get too hot. This light also seems to have both a nice flood and throw combination. Any thoughts for cycling?? Thanks Charlie


----------



## selfbuilt

neutralwhite said:


> ZL recommend un protected batteries, but I got some protected keeppower 2600's.
> is this still OK and a safer bet?.
> does it make a real difference?.
> safer than sorry?.
> can we really fully rely on a flashlight's electronics never to fail?.


There is never an issue with running protected cells ... ZL's recommendation is presumably based on the size restrictions of the body (meaning some high capacity protected cells may not fit), and the built-in circuit features (meaning you could safely run unprotected). 

But like you, I believe in better safe than sorry - if your protected cells fit, I would recommend you use them.



balto charlie said:


> Please explain it's step down process. I believe most lights like these have some type of step down to prevent overheating. Since most of my cycling with lights is in the colder months my current batteries never get too hot. This light also seems to have both a nice flood and throw combination. Any thoughts for cycling??


It's hard to say without someone directly testing it - under the same climatic conditions. The max output step-down process here is as finely-tuned to heat build up as any light I've ever seen though, so I doubt it would cause any issues for you. And given how bright the light is, you may find yourself getting by just fine on one of the lower Hi modes (that don't step down).

And :welcome:


----------



## Mr Floppy

selfbuilt said:


> and the built-in circuit features (meaning you could safely run unprotected).



Speaking of which, I pretty much have a stash of unprotected 18650 cells I get from old battery packs. I don't have the specs for many of them but what would the current draw be like for max? Of all the cells I have, only the Sony green US18650GR 2200mAh has a defined max discharge of 2C but I wouldn't want to do 3A for a long time on harvested cells, nor let it hit the 2.7V cut-off (I think the Sony is 2.75V).


----------



## roadkill1109

Would it be better to use a high-drain Panasonic 2900mAh cell rather than the higher capacity Panasonic 3400mAh cell? I plan to go unprotected, but would want to know which battery is better. High-Drain cells or high-capacity cells.


----------



## selfbuilt

Old laptop pulls are unlikely to be in great shape, so may not perform so well on higher levels.

For those planning to run mainly on max, cells that better support high drain would likely be good over typical high capacity.


----------



## 18650

balto charlie said:


> Greetings: Another excellent review. You guys really rock. I came to this review via the Fenix PD-35 review. I realized that the Fenix steps down to lower lumen by a timer. This was not going to work for my needs. I am a cyclist and want a self contained lights (no wires) that stay bright. Almost all bike lights have wires or are not very powerful or are very, very expensive. This light seems to be a little pricey but the size and brightness win out. Please explain it's step down process. I believe most lights like these have some type of step down to prevent overheating. Since most of my cycling with lights is in the colder months my current batteries never get too hot. This light also seems to have both a nice flood and throw combination. Any thoughts for cycling?? Thanks Charlie



I don't see what the issue with the stepdown is. I'd reckon even 500 lumens would be way overkill for most cycling. At that level you'd seriously have to worry about blinding other people on the road.


----------



## Overclocker

18650 said:


> I don't see what the issue with the stepdown is. I'd reckon even 500 lumens would be way overkill for most cycling. At that level you'd seriously have to worry about blinding other people on the road.



dude. off-road. 500 lumens isn't gonna cut it.

the thermal regulation is just fantastic on these new zebralights! since cooling is good it doesn't throttle down very much. but personally i prefer the H600w Mk2 beam pattern for cycling

and there's no sudden off that would put you in a dangerous situation. it steps down to MED, then eventually to Low, so even if you didn't bring spare cells theres still enough light to get you home


----------



## m1ke

Overclocker said:


> the thermal regulation is just fantastic on these new zebralights!


It's quite remarkable. I had my light on max for a few minutes, tail-standing on my desk. I picked it up and within a few seconds of my hand absorbing some of the heat, it began to visibly step back up in brightness.


----------



## Overclocker

m1ke said:


> It's quite remarkable. I had my light on max for a few minutes, tail-standing on my desk. I picked it up and within a few seconds of my hand absorbing some of the heat, it began to visibly step back up in brightness.




yep! was testing it the other day. sc600 tailstanding. lux meter beside it. when i placed a fan on the zebra it started stepping up within like 4 seconds

here's another test. insert an almost depleted cell into the zebra. you still get almost full brightness. now take the same cell and insert it into something else, say a Fenix or Nitecore. so dim it's unusable 

these newest zebralight drivers are just so far ahead of the competition right now. all the others are still on buck drivers that on 950-lumen lights DO NOT STAY IN REGULATION for any decent amount of time even if restarted. and are still using timer based stepdowns that kick in even when frozen


----------



## 18650

Overclocker said:


> dude. off-road. 500 lumens isn't gonna cut it.
> 
> the thermal regulation is just fantastic on these new zebralights! since cooling is good it doesn't throttle down very much. but personally i prefer the H600w Mk2 beam pattern for cycling
> 
> and there's no sudden off that would put you in a dangerous situation. it steps down to MED, then eventually to Low, so even if you didn't bring spare cells theres still enough light to get you home



Dude, I said road. I don't know what you do in the woods.


----------



## balto charlie

selfbuilt said:


> It's hard to say without someone directly testing it - under the same climatic conditions. The max output step-down process here is as finely-tuned to heat build up as any light I've ever seen though, so I doubt it would cause any issues for you. And given how bright the light is, you may find yourself getting by just fine on one of the lower Hi modes (that don't step down).
> 
> And :welcome:



Thanks for the info and the welcoming.


----------



## balto charlie

18650 said:


> I don't see what the issue with the stepdown is. I'd reckon even 500 lumens would be way overkill for most cycling. At that level you'd seriously have to worry about blinding other people on the road.



500 L, to me is not overkill. It works but by no way is it too much light. When you are riding fast in traffic you need to see AND BE SEEN. 500 lumen can get lost is a sea of car lights.


----------



## balto charlie

Overclocker said:


> dude. off-road. 500 lumens isn't gonna cut it.
> 
> the thermal regulation is just fantastic on these new zebralights! since cooling is good it doesn't throttle down very much. but personally i prefer the H600w Mk2 beam pattern for cycling
> 
> and there's no sudden off that would put you in a dangerous situation. it steps down to MED, then eventually to Low, so even if you didn't bring spare cells theres still enough light to get you home



Good to hear thermal reg is excellent. I figure that the wind generated from riding should keep this light on high.
H600w Mk2 beam pattern, I'll have to check this one out. Is this a different light altogether or a different version of the Zebra 600 we were discussing. I like the size and lumen of the Z600.


----------



## T0rch

Anyone else have ones with just a dramatic difference between the battery cap and the body? I finally received the replacement for my original order that didn't work right and it's a pretty big difference, almost green.


----------



## neutralwhite

that is different. 
looks ok though..



T0rch said:


> Anyone else have ones with just a dramatic difference between the battery cap and the body? I finally received the replacement for my original order that didn't work right and it's a pretty big difference, almost green.


----------



## m1ke

T0rch said:


> Anyone else have ones with just a dramatic difference between the battery cap and the body? I finally received the replacement for my original order that didn't work right and it's a pretty big difference, almost green.


Mine's the same. Doesn't bother me, though.


----------



## neutralwhite

same here, it all looks pretty neat, the entire light.



m1ke said:


> Mine's the same. Doesn't bother me, though.


----------



## neutralwhite

I have 2 2600mAh Keeppowers, and I used one with the light on high, when it dropped to medium it volts was measured at 3.25. is this ok?.
is it OK to go that low before recharge?.
usually when it gets to medium its time to recharge.
hope this is all ok.

thanks.


----------



## RIX TUX

balto charlie said:


> 500 L, to me is not overkill. It works but by no way is it too much light. When you are riding fast in traffic you need to see AND BE SEEN. 500 lumen can get lost is a sea of car lights.


If you need 1000 lumens all the time you better be riding something with an engine and an alternator.


----------



## neutralwhite

LOL!. 



RIX TUX said:


> If you need 1000 lumens all the time you better be riding something with an engine and an alternator.


----------



## AmperSand

I just discovered something a little cool in the UI.
When you set your low mode to L1 or L2, it also sets that low mode as the low beacon. So if you have your mode set to L1 it flashes the brighter low beacon as L1 is configured brighter. If you set your Low mode to L2 it changes the low beacon to whatever you have L2 set to also! A little extra versatility from an already extremely versatile light!


----------



## neutralwhite

hi hey I did wonder that, as I noticed the other night beacon flashed real low, and another time it flashed higher,...so that was it.
thanks, now I know what it was. thanks.....what a cool UI. will remember that.




AmperSand said:


> I just discovered something a little cool in the UI.
> When you set your low mode to L1 or L2, it also sets that low mode as the low beacon. So if you have your mode set to L1 it flashes the brighter low beacon as L1 is configured brighter. If you set your Low mode to L2 it changes the low beacon to whatever you have L2 set to also! A little extra versatility from an already extremely versatile light!


----------



## selfbuilt

neutralwhite said:


> I have 2 2600mAh Keeppowers, and I used one with the light on high, when it dropped to medium it volts was measured at 3.25. is this ok?.
> is it OK to go that low before recharge?


Absolutely fine, no worries at that level.


----------



## neutralwhite

thank you, all seems fine.



selfbuilt said:


> Absolutely fine, no worries at that level.


----------



## Scenic

Is Zebralight always out of stock/backorder of these? I keep checking to see of they are in stock and they never are. Is it the norm to just order and wait? I am itching to try my first Zebralight.


----------



## Rick Condon

I was wondering the same thing, Scenic. I'm going to try and order a neutral 600 tomorrow.



Scenic said:


> Is Zebralight always out of stock/backorder of these? I keep checking to see of they are in stock and they never are. Is it the norm to just order and wait? I am itching to try my first Zebralight.


----------



## Scenic

Rick Condon said:


> I was wondering the same thing, Scenic. I'm going to try and order a neutral 600 tomorrow.


Nice, let me know how soon you get it or if they give you a timeframe.


----------



## neutralwhite

keep itching, it will be a little while still.
well worth the wait though!. 
welcome to Zebralight!. 




Scenic said:


> Is Zebralight always out of stock/backorder of these? I keep checking to see of they are in stock and they never are. Is it the norm to just order and wait? I am itching to try my first Zebralight.


----------



## funkychateau

*Timing and Current Consumption of Beacon Mode?*

The beacon modes could have the potential to provide an extremely long runtime. This is something I've frequently wished for in a light - a "strobe-like" beacon that could be left on without substantially depleting the battery. Most "strobe" modes, including ZLs, have merely been 50%-duty "blinkers".

Has anyone measured the duty cycle of the 0.2-Hz beacon modes, as well as the current drain during the interpulse time? I'd like to calculate an average current consumption and runtime. The ZL web site doesn't address any of this.

thanks!


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: Timing and Current Consumption of Beacon Mode?*



funkychateau said:


> Has anyone measured the duty cycle of the 0.2-Hz beacon modes, as well as the current drain during the interpulse time? I'd like to calculate an average current consumption and runtime. The ZL web site doesn't address any of this.


For that, you would need someone with a proper oscilloscope to do timecourse current readings. Wouldn't be accurate with a DMM.


----------



## neutralwhite

*Re: Timing and Current Consumption of Beacon Mode?*

very good question. this is something I would like to know. 
it seems the ZL beacon can go on forever lol.
thanks.




funkychateau said:


> The beacon modes could have the potential to provide an extremely long runtime. This is something I've frequently wished for in a light - a "strobe-like" beacon that could be left on without substantially depleting the battery. Most "strobe" modes, including ZLs, have merely been 50%-duty "blinkers".
> 
> Has anyone measured the duty cycle of the 0.2-Hz beacon modes, as well as the current drain during the interpulse time? I'd like to calculate an average current consumption and runtime. The ZL web site doesn't address any of this.
> 
> thanks!


----------



## tonkem

RIX TUX said:


> If you need 1000 lumens all the time you better be riding something with an engine and an alternator.



Or check out Lupine bike lights, but be ready to spend some money. They will support over 1000 lumens for many hours, depending on the battery size you choose. I was close to buying this Zebralight, but decided I had enough power in a small package in my Lupine Wilma TL and Betty TL-S, but have been watching Zebralight to see when they re release the 6330 with more power and the s5310 and sc32. I love my zebralight s6330, SC52, H600 and Sc80. They are great lights with excellent lows, and great runtime.


----------



## Matt.m

Anyone know if 3400mah orbtronic protected cells fit in this light? I really need to stop looking at this site. 2nd flashlight I've bought in two weeks


----------



## RIX TUX

Matt.m said:


> Anyone know if 3400mah orbtronic protected cells fit in this light? I really need to stop looking at this site. 2nd flashlight I've bought in two weeks


I don't know if that battery is a panasonic but I have a green protected 3400 panasonic and the 900 lumen sc600 mk II. When I got the battery new (recently) it only fit halfway, but the seller put a small paper sticker on it that had 3400 on it. The sticker was kinda thick so I took it off and it fit almost all the way but about the last 1/4 inch. I think the problem is where the board is. I knew it would go in all the way but didn't know about getting out. Well it wouldn't come out, so I knew it would come out if I swung my arm around a couple of times but then the battery would fly wherever so I put on a long sleeve shirt balled the sleeve cuff in my hand with the light in my hand inside the sleeve and swung. It came out fine. Now if it takes alot of pressure to push it in I wouldn't recommend this. After one battery drain and a recharge it now comes out by tapping in on my hand a couple of times. I don't know if charging it changed the size of it just a hair. Also another trick I found out was I have a SF g2 tailcap with the switch removed and it fits perfectly over the end of the ZL, with the cap removed and then I tap it on a desktop on something like a notepad and that pops it out too.


----------



## roadkill1109

Finally got my ZL SC600 MKII L2 in the mail the other day, got the chance to test it last night, all i can say is WOW!  Can't believe i've passed this up for all this time! Best 18650 EDC ever! Hehehe! 

Kinda wished it had more SS around the head though, one drop on concrete and i'm sure there'd be quite a dent on it or even the SS retaining ring might pop out. Oh well, nothing's perfect anyway.

Ton of light! It chooses batteries too, if you put in a weak battery, it senses it and doesn't stay in the highest mode. I'm currently using high-drain Panasonic 2900's on it, the battery rattles a bit, but I can live with that. Have ordered unprotected Panasonic 3400's and will test them with this bad boy. 

Oh yeah, beam-wise, its good for general lighting and lighting up stuff few meters away, it's NOT a thrower, but decent enough and a whole lot of light!

I started out with the SC52 cool white, now the SC600MKII L2, I guess i'm officially a Zebralight fan.


----------



## tonkem

2000 posts and just now a Zebralight fan  Welcome aboard.



roadkill1109 said:


> Finally got my ZL SC600 MKII L2 in the mail the other day, got the chance to test it last night, all i can say is WOW!  Can't believe i've passed this up for all this time! Best 18650 EDC ever! Hehehe!
> 
> Kinda wished it had more SS around the head though, one drop on concrete and i'm sure there'd be quite a dent on it or even the SS retaining ring might pop out. Oh well, nothing's perfect anyway.
> 
> Ton of light! It chooses batteries too, if you put in a weak battery, it senses it and doesn't stay in the highest mode. I'm currently using high-drain Panasonic 2900's on it, the battery rattles a bit, but I can live with that. Have ordered unprotected Panasonic 3400's and will test them with this bad boy.
> 
> Oh yeah, beam-wise, its good for general lighting and lighting up stuff few meters away, it's NOT a thrower, but decent enough and a whole lot of light!
> 
> I started out with the SC52 cool white, now the SC600MKII L2, I guess i'm officially a Zebralight fan.


----------



## guerita32699

Thanks a lot Selfbuilt. I will admit I only understood about 2% of your review (I just know how to turn a flashlight on and off), but I can only imagine how valuable this is to those who know and understand it. Thank you for your time and effort, really.

I'm still so undecided about getting this light, the P12, or the PD35. I believe I read on someone's signature "so many lights, so little money," so true.

For what I do I need a light that can access the lowest or moonlight setting directly, that is a very big plus for me on this zebralight. 

I'm a noob here by the way, hello everyone.


----------



## selfbuilt

guerita32699 said:


> I'm still so undecided about getting this light, the P12, or the PD35. I believe I read on someone's signature "so many lights, so little money," so true.
> For what I do I need a light that can access the lowest or moonlight setting directly, that is a very big plus for me on this zebralight.


Well, the P12 and PD35 both have mode memory, AFAIK, so the lights would restart in the lowest level (if that is what you left them in). The ZL SC600-II is certainly more versatile in its control, but the other two are a bit simpler to use.

:welcome:


----------



## tonkem

Welcome: be sure you understand the dangers of lithium batteries and have a good charger and buy only quality cells(eagletac/aw/keeppower/orbtronic/zebralight, etc. 

Never owned a fenix, but have 5 zebralights. I love the interface and just how small they are relative to their output. If you decided to get the SC600 you won't be disappointed, unless you are wanting a throw light. 



guerita32699 said:


> Thanks a lot Selfbuilt. I will admit I only understood about 2% of your review (I just know how to turn a flashlight on and off), but I can only imagine how valuable this is to those who know and understand it. Thank you for your time and effort, really.
> 
> I'm still so undecided about getting this light, the P12, or the PD35. I believe I read on someone's signature "so many lights, so little money," so true.
> 
> For what I do I need a light that can access the lowest or moonlight setting directly, that is a very big plus for me on this zebralight.
> 
> I'm a noob here by the way, hello everyone.


----------



## RIX TUX

selfbuilt said:


> Well, the P12 and PD35 both have mode memory, AFAIK, so the lights would restart in the lowest level (if that is what you left them in). The ZL SC600-II is certainly more versatile in its control, but the other two are a bit simpler to use.
> 
> :welcome:



if you used the ZL for one day you would learn it. It's simple.


----------



## guerita32699

Thanks for the welcomes guys, just what I expected, I had been on the forum before but I had not joined.

I've only had and currently have one led flashlight, and I like it a lot. I don't know if I like the UI so much just because it's my first light and I got used to it, or it really is just simple and yet great. It is a Olight S-20, not the XM-L2 but the one before it.


----------



## brightnorm

I just ordered one based on this typically excellent Selfbuilt review. Now that this shorter Zebralight is able to match or exceed the previous model's throw, perhaps the next version could have noticeably increased throw while being only slightly longer than that earlier model. That would be yet another unique light.

Considering the advanced engineering of this light, I was a little surprised at the IPX-7 rating, though that is admittedly a nitpick. 

Brightnorm


----------



## selfbuilt

brightnorm said:


> Considering the advanced engineering of this light, I was a little surprised at the IPX-7 rating, though that is admittedly a nitpick.


I suspect that's due to the press-fit bezel (and Zebralight being scrupulous in its specs). ZL informs the electronics are potted on the SC600-II, so I would expect it to be pretty resistant to water ingress and impact. But technically, samples could fail a strict interpretation IPX-8, if any water gets in around the emitter. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it - unless it looks like a bezel has been misaligned.


----------



## Camping guy

Hello all, I'm a new member and recently discovered how amazing these new flashlights are! :wave: I take my family RV'ing all the time and I have used an old 3D & 5D cell halogen Maglite in the past. A buddy showed me his AAA LED that he got in a 3pack at Costco and it blew away my Maglites...so I went out and spent the $20 on the Costco lights the next day and now I carry it everywhere. These cheap little lights were great value but I thought, if Costco has this then what would a quality light be capable of...then I discovered this forum...I just ordered the SC600 mk II L2 today from Zebralight. For my EDC I ideally need something small and floody and I think this fits the bill. I'm curious about batteries and chargers. I'm looking at the Nitecore Intellicharger i4 v2 and Eagletac 18650 protected 3400mAh batteries. I would also like to get a Thrunite TN30 xm-l2 for work - I'm a Realtor and occasionally show property in the evening and I want a lot of light - floody is good for my application...my question is this. Will the Eagletacs fit in both flashlights? Or does anyone have a better battery choice for these flashlights? I want to be able to charge up to 4 batteries at a time, is this the right choice or should I look at something else? Thank you for the great review and any input you all may have. Cheers!


----------



## aristein

I think I am missing something. The zebralight website posts 1100 ANSI lumens for 2 hours (cool white)....which is hard to believe. But less than an hour of actual runtime seems a little weak to me. I guess because it doesn't step down so dramatically but uses the PID makes it run brighter but decreases the runtime then? But, why would the website post 2 hours as the max output runtime? Being off a little on runtime is understandable, but not even being able to run for half the time you claim (on any battery really) seems like a pretty bad mistake (or a lie).


----------



## Mr Floppy

aristein said:


> But, why would the website post 2 hours as the max output runtime? Being off a little on runtime is understandable, but not even being able to run for half the time you claim (on any battery really) seems like a pretty bad mistake (or a lie).



It's called ANSI FL-1 for max runtime. Most of us look at the time to 50% but the manufacturers tend to use ANSI FL-1. That's why the graphs by Selfbuilt and other members here are much more useful than the single point numbers printed on a web page.


----------



## selfbuilt

Camping guy said:


> I just ordered the SC600 mk II L2 today from Zebralight. For my EDC I ideally need something small and floody and I think this fits the bill. I'm curious about batteries and chargers. I'm looking at the Nitecore Intellicharger i4 v2 and Eagletac 18650 protected 3400mAh batteries. I would also like to get a Thrunite TN30 xm-l2 for work - I'm a Realtor and occasionally show property in the evening and I want a lot of light - floody is good for my application...my question is this.


I don't recall if I tested the ET 3400mAh cells in the SC600-II L2, but they should work (away from my office right now, so can't double-check). The Nitecore charger works fine, but there are some Xtar chargers with more features (check out the batteries/electronics subforum here for reviews of chargers).

FYI, you may want to wait until your SC600 arrives before deciding what light to get next. You may find it is adequate for your realtor job (it is certainly a lot more portable than the larger TN30.

And :welcome:



aristein said:


> I think I am missing something. The zebralight website posts 1100 ANSI lumens for 2 hours (cool white)....which is hard to believe.





Mr Floppy said:


> It's called ANSI FL-1 for max runtime. Most of us look at the time to 50% but the manufacturers tend to use ANSI FL-1. That's why the graphs by Selfbuilt and other members here are much more useful than the single point numbers printed on a web page.


Yes, that's it exactly. The ANSI FL-1 standard describes runtime to 10% of max output (measured at 30-120 secs post activation). As such, the ZL spec is quite believable, for typical conditions where the PID would engage to significantly lower output. 

So while the standard is being appropriately applied, this example illustrates why you should always rely on actual output/runtime graphs. I discuss this a bit on my website here.


----------



## aristein

selfbuilt said:


> Yes, that's it exactly. The ANSI FL-1 standard describes runtime to 10% of max output (measured at 30-120 secs post activation). As such, the ZL spec is quite believable, for typical conditions where the PID would engage to significantly lower output.
> 
> So while the standard is being appropriately applied, this example illustrates why you should always rely on actual output/runtime graphs. I discuss this a bit on my website here.



Ok, after reading the comments, link, and watching the videos, I think I understand. There is indeed a lot more going on in the runtime graphs than just what the numbers (lumens and runtime) capture. And, runtime to 50% does seem to be a more useful number than runtime to 10% (at least on high output lights/lithium batteries).


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

1. Does double-click go straight to M, without an "H blink"?
2. Is accidental activation a problem when EDC'd loose in the pocket? This is very important to me. I have an S20 which I must keep locked out at the tail cap due to accidental activation.
3. I know the SC600 is described as "floody". How does it compare with the O-Light S20 L2, or with the ShiningBeam S-Mini XPG-R5?
4. Isn't it weird that they didn't include SOS in the blinking modes?
5. Is there really no electronic lockout?

I know I asked once before about going directly from off to M via a double-click. #1 above is a clarification on that. I'm _guessing_ that it goes DIRECTLY to M, without having an "H blink", because otherwise going to strobe (via triple-click from off), or checking the battery (via quad-click from off) would cycle through H and M.


----------



## tonkem

#1: still does an H blink
#2: it can be, but I carry my SC52 in my pocket all the time and have never had it come on accidentally
3. don't have either of those lights, but it is a floody beam
4. no comment 
5. no. loosen tailcap is only lockout. 



ozzie_c_cobblepot said:


> 1. Does double-click go straight to M, without an "H blink"?
> 2. Is accidental activation a problem when EDC'd loose in the pocket? This is very important to me. I have an S20 which I must keep locked out at the tail cap due to accidental activation.
> 3. I know the SC600 is described as "floody". How does it compare with the O-Light S20 L2, or with the ShiningBeam S-Mini XPG-R5?
> 4. Isn't it weird that they didn't include SOS in the blinking modes?
> 5. Is there really no electronic lockout?
> 
> I know I asked once before about going directly from off to M via a double-click. #1 above is a clarification on that. I'm _guessing_ that it goes DIRECTLY to M, without having an "H blink", because otherwise going to strobe (via triple-click from off), or checking the battery (via quad-click from off) would cycle through H and M.


----------



## Camping guy

selfbuilt said:


> I don't recall if I tested the ET 3400mAh cells in the SC600-II L2, but they should work (away from my office right now, so can't double-check). The Nitecore charger works fine, but there are some Xtar chargers with more features (check out the batteries/electronics subforum here for reviews of chargers).
> 
> FYI, you may want to wait until your SC600 arrives before deciding what light to get next. You may find it is adequate for your realtor job (it is certainly a lot more portable than the larger TN30.
> 
> And :welcome:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you Selfbuilt. After reading more about batteries and chargers I think I'll go with the Xtar VP1 and I'll stick to the single cell sc600 mkII L2 until I'm comfortable with Li-ion. The TN30 operates from 8-13V so I'm assuming the batteries are in series...maybe a little more than I want to get in to at this point.
> I see that you're in Canada too. Any suggestions on the best place to order batteries and chargers?


----------



## markr6

Yes ET 3400mAh cells fit, but a little too snug for my liking. Something about compressing the spring that much just bothers me. But I've switched to unprotected cells in most of my lights anyway.


----------



## Mr. Tone

Thanks for another great review. Based on this info I recently purchased a SC600w MKII. I just got it yesterday and I am pleased with it. One of the biggest draws for me was the option of several moonlight modes.


----------



## Wiggle

I've been EDC'ing an SC52 for over a year and have been very happy with it. I'm thinking I am going to pick up an SC600 mk2 (probably in neutral/warm). The size of this light is interesting. Am I correct in assuming it is a good size for jacket carry and possibly a bit large for jeans carry?


----------



## selfbuilt

Wiggle said:


> I've been EDC'ing an SC52 for over a year and have been very happy with it. I'm thinking I am going to pick up an SC600 mk2 (probably in neutral/warm). The size of this light is interesting. Am I correct in assuming it is a good size for jacket carry and possibly a bit large for jeans carry?


Yes, I would say that is a good description.


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## StarHalo

Wiggle said:


> Am I correct in assuming it is a good size for jacket carry and possibly a bit large for jeans carry?



I manage the slightly larger original SC600 in cargo pants, but definitely can't do it in straight or slim fit jeans.


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## KITROBASKIN

On lights this size (if they have a clip) I will put it between my belt and pants with the clip over the belt, facing out; never in a jeans pocket.


----------



## Overclocker

SC600 is like a Glock 26. short but fat. not the most comfortable to carry, but i can be done

personally i wouldn't carry a glock26/SC600 because there are small and slim .380s like the sc52


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## ozzie_c_cobblepot

For me at least, EDC is all about fitting into a jeans pocket, which has a definite restriction on diameter, and length to a lesser extent. 20-23mm max diameter is perfect, 24 is acceptable, 25/26 is borderline, and the 30 on the SC600 is just way too high. This is one reason why the new SC62 is exciting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Joys_R_us

Hi, I am new here and appreciate the wonderful reviews and help. Am interested in ZL SC600. Does it have "momentary" light function, I mean does it light up before clicking through ?

thx and have a good "enlightened" day


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## markr6

Joys_R_us said:


> Hi, I am new here and appreciate the wonderful reviews and help. Am interested in ZL SC600. Does it have "momentary" light function, I mean does it light up before clicking through ?
> 
> thx and have a good "enlightened" day



Unfortunately no momentary on the Zebralights. This used to be a "must have" feature for me when buying lights, but I like the Zebralight user interface so much I got over it.


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## KITROBASKIN

markr6 said:


> Unfortunately no momentary on the Zebralights. This used to be a "must have" feature for me when buying lights, but I like the Zebralight user interface so much I got over it.



I got over not having the switch on the tail cap as well. And... Never thought a torch as floody as the 'spot and spill' type of reflector would so ably suit my needs as the ZebraLight so clearly does.


----------



## Joys_R_us

KITROBASKIN said:


> . Never thought a torch as floody as the 'spot and spill' type of reflector would so ably suit my needs as the ZebraLight so clearly does.



This is a statement that moves me clearly towards Zebra SC600 because this was one of my doubts...


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## ozzie_c_cobblepot

The SC600 is fabulous, absolutely. Especially the new PID circuitry. Too bad it's just too big n' chunky.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RIX TUX

ozzie_c_cobblepot said:


> too big n' chunky.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


really?


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## ozzie_c_cobblepot

Head diameter is too large for pocket carry, for me. It's 30mm, whereas I like to stay at 20/22, maybe 23mm.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RIX TUX

ozzie_c_cobblepot said:


> Head diameter is too large for pocket carry, for me. It's 30mm, whereas I like to stay at 20/22, maybe 23mm.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I would figure any 18650 light is too big for an edc pocket carry


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## ozzie_c_cobblepot

The S-Mini is okay.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ozzie_c_cobblepot

It's not that the 18650 is too big; it's that the large bezel of the SC600 is, but it's important for heat sinking and guarding against accidental activation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Redstorm

I like this light given its short length which fits me well. I find it quite tempting to have but on the other hand I have never used a light with many sub levels to programme especially having to do it going by certain number of clicks. To me, it is confusing and I prefer have something simple with just a few modes and straightforward clicking to get into each mode like the Fenix PD35, which I have, and the Nitecore P12. I don't know if I will get use to this light if I buy it. Decision, decision......... Argh.......


----------



## KITROBASKIN

I gave my 80 year old mother my SC52, it is simple to use the three modes. Over the phone I described the next option modes. It is not hard to use. Understanding the verbal description of how to use all the modes is daunting at first. By the way, I told my mother to use only primary lithium AA's to avoid possible alkaline leakage, and to not mess with Li-ion charging issues.


----------



## RedForest UK

If you want then setting the levels can be a one-off, then it's just a relatively simple and intuitive 3 mode UI.


----------



## rexet

I received the Neutral White version of this light and I love it! Size is just perfect for my use.
UI is a bit tricky at first but when everything is set up it works like a charm.


----------



## jimboutilier

ozzie_c_cobblepot said:


> Head diameter is too large for pocket carry, for me. It's 30mm, whereas I like to stay at 20/22, maybe 23mm.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



That was my thought originally. The dimensions and pictures made it seem too big for EDC. But I ordered one for jacket/backpack carry. It came in the same size box as an SC52 and thought they had shipped the wrong light until I opened the box and saw how tiny the SC600IIL2 really was. Now it's in my casual dress EDC rotation as I find it quite pocketable in jeans or shorts but i do find it too large for dressier clothes.


----------



## Redstorm

From what you guys described, it looks like it is not so difficult to set up the level sub-levels afterall. Now, I will have to wait for my local shop, which carries this model, to re-stock it and go down to take a look at it. At least, I get a chance to play with it before I can decide on the spot if I want to get it.


----------



## Mr. Tone

Redstorm said:


> From what you guys described, it looks like it is not so difficult to set up the level sub-levels afterall. Now, I will have to wait for my local shop, which carries this model, to re-stock it and go down to take a look at it. At least, I get a chance to play with it before I can decide on the spot if I want to get it.



I think setting up the sub levels is pretty easy and intuitive. The Zebralight UI is quite a good design.


----------



## holylight

Wrong post


----------



## nunnya

Where are you guy's ordering from? The venders seem to be out of stock and Zebralight's website seems to have a problem with credit cards.


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## Joys_R_us

I ordered at ZL yesterday per credit card and it was ok


----------



## markr6

nunnya said:


> Where are you guy's ordering from? The venders seem to be out of stock and Zebralight's website seems to have a problem with credit cards.



This may not be related, but I have to use Chrome or another browser when ordering. If I use IE10, it doesn't do anything when I click to add a product to a cart. I've always been a loyal IE user, but more and more things stopped working over the past year and gave up on it.


----------



## nunnya

Thanks for the replies.
I ended up ordering from Illumination Supplies.
Hope the backorder is short.
nunnya


----------



## Joys_R_us

ZL answered my question (regarding backorder) stating that the time to shipment were currently four weeks and that they do not expect this to change in the coming months...


----------



## Camping guy

I ordered a sc600 mk ii l2 from Zebralight on Jan 13th and it just arrived today - Vancouver, BC. I was worried the interface would be difficult but within minutes I had it dialed in, it is actually very easy to use. So far this is an awesome light, can't believe how much light this thing put out and it isn't even night time yet! I'm looking forward to taking the dog out tonight  

I agree with the posts above that this light is too big (bezel diameter) to comfortably carry in jeans pocket but it is perfect for cargo pants or a jacket pocket.


----------



## moldyoldy

markr6 said:


> This may not be related, but I have to use Chrome or another browser when ordering. If I use IE10, it doesn't do anything when I click to add a product to a cart. I've always been a loyal IE user, but more and more things stopped working over the past year and gave up on it.



FWIW, if your computer can run IE10 (ie:Win7/8), then you should upgrade to IE11 which has been out for some time now. That should be part of the normal MS updates. Check your Windows Update listing, or maybe refresh if nothing is listed. IE10 was relatively short-lived. IE9 was a major change, then thru IE10 to IE11 - all of them still using ActiveX programming. Otherwise Firefox uses the plug-in system.


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

Yeah, if you love the ZL UI but need to carry in your jeans, get instead the tiny SC52, or even the new SC62.


----------



## LAMPARITA

nunnya said:


> Where are you guy's ordering from? The venders seem to be out of stock and Zebralight's website seems to have a problem with credit cards.



There's a guy on Ebay selling them.


----------



## Camping guy

After using this light a few days my only complaint is the lower light output ranges have a notable green tint - almost a halo around the hotspot - that is a little annoying, however it is not noticeable in the medium to high settings.


----------



## nunnya

It arrived yesterday! Illumination Supply had a pretty quick turn around for a back-order. It's my only white "neutral" tint flashlight and I do believe I like it better than cool white. Incredible, floody, output with decent throw in a pocket size. Thank you Zebralight!

nunnya


----------



## RIX TUX

Has anyone had both of the mk ii versions? I'm wondering if the newer version is much brighter and if it has more throw?


----------



## Mr. Tone

nunnya said:


> It arrived yesterday! Illumination Supply had a pretty quick turn around for a back-order. It's my only white "neutral" tint flashlight and I do believe I like it better than cool white. Incredible, floody, output with decent throw in a pocket size. Thank you Zebralight!
> 
> nunnya



That is nice that Zebralight usually has a neutral white version of each model. I am definitely at a point where I just can't buy cool white lights anymore. I just did a couple weeks ago on something that wasn't available with a neutral tint. It only took me a couple minutes of use to realize I had to sell it because I couldn't stand the cool white tint. Now I am really into the hi CRI Nichia 219 LED.


----------



## neutralwhite

nichia hcri is the only way now ahead.
hope ZL consider nichia 219HCRI.




Mr. Tone said:


> That is nice that Zebralight usually has a neutral white version of each model. I am definitely at a point where I just can't buy cool white lights anymore. I just did a couple weeks ago on something that wasn't available with a neutral tint. It only took me a couple minutes of use to realize I had to sell it because I couldn't stand the cool white tint. Now I am really into the hi CRI Nichia 219 LED.


----------



## nunnya

"nichia hcri is the only way now ahead.
hope ZL consider nichia 219HCRI"

Excuse my ignorance but how is this better? Tint, lumens?

nunnya


----------



## Etsu

nunnya said:


> "nichia hcri is the only way now ahead.
> hope ZL consider nichia 219HCRI"
> 
> Excuse my ignorance but how is this better? Tint, lumens?
> 
> nunnya



Better tint. Lumens/watt is lower, but the tint is very clean. The entire beam profile is the same tint, and there are no green or yellow hues. Very good color rendition, too. It's a great emitter for a light that doesn't have to be really bright. Probably good up to about 200-250 OTF lumens, although most lights that use the 219A seem to be closer to the 100 lumen level (which is fine for most uses).


----------



## Mr. Tone

nunnya said:


> "nichia hcri is the only way now ahead.
> hope ZL consider nichia 219HCRI"
> 
> Excuse my ignorance but how is this better? Tint, lumens?
> 
> nunnya



Yes, to many people the tint and color rendering are superior. We are talking about a specific Nichia 219 model that has a typical CRI of 92 and a CCT of 4500K. It is beautiful to many of us. I would love to see Zebralight make the SC600II with a triple of these Nichia 219 LEDs. The B11 flux bin can produce between 250-300 OTF when driven at 1.5 amps. Zebralight could get a triple close to that with their efficient circuits. The big disadvantage of these particular Nichia 219 LEDs is that they are quite a bit less output than the XM-L2 and the XP-G2. That is the trade off for the wonderful tint/CRI.


----------



## Etsu

Mr. Tone said:


> Yes, to many people the tint and color rendering are superior. We are talking about a specific Nichia 219 model that has a typical CRI of 92 and a CCT of 4500K. It is beautiful to many of us. I would love to see Zebralight make the SC600II with a triple of these Nichia 219 LEDs. The B11 flux bin can produce between 250-300 OTF when driven at 1.5 amps. Zebralight could get a triple close to that with their efficient circuits. The big disadvantage of these particular Nichia 219 LEDs is that they are quite a bit less output than the XM-L2 and the XP-G2. That is the trade off for the wonderful tint/CRI.



It would be nice to see a ZL that used 219's, but it won't happen. ZL is all about maximizing output, and not tint. Look at all the complaints about the green tints on their XML neutral varieties. If they really wanted, they could be more picky about the bins they use, but they refuse to change. They don't care about tint. Sometimes you get lucky, but it's a crap shoot. Though I've heard the luxeons are better, they're still no Nichia 219.


----------



## markr6

Etsu said:


> It would be nice to see a ZL that used 219's, but it won't happen. ZL is all about maximizing output, and not tint. Look at all the complaints about the green tints on their XML neutral varieties. If they really wanted, they could be more picky about the bins they use, but they refuse to change. They don't care about tint. Sometimes you get lucky, but it's a crap shoot. Though I've heard the luxeons are better, they're still no Nichia 219.



That's probably right. I asked them about the Nichia and they said it was a supply issue. I'm looking forward to the SC62d w/ Luxeon @ 85 CRI though. Good enough for me!


----------



## Etsu

markr6 said:


> That's probably right. I asked them about the Nichia and they said it was a supply issue.



It might also be a design issue. IIRC, the 219 is a simple replacement for an XPG. I don't think ZL uses any XPG's in their lights, although maybe I'm wrong about that. Going from an XML to a 219 would require some redesign, which on a light as small as ZL's are, might be more effort than they're willing to do.

(Though I still think it's an issue of output.)


----------



## Mr. Tone

Yeah, I doubt we will see them make a triple Nichia or use a Nichia 219 in anything. It would be great, though, wouldn't it?


----------



## Mr Floppy

Etsu said:


> Though I've heard the luxeons are better, they're still no Nichia 219.



That's what you've heard or what you have seen? The Luxeon is just as uniform in the light as the Nichia and better output. I also think the Luxeon is a nicer warm than the Nichia (which I don't find warm at all), although I have one Nichia that is warmer (4300K according to the auto WB on FCamera) than the other two (which I would call a genuine neutral 4500K). I've only seen the Luxeon Rebel in action. The Rebel they used is 4000K which some find too yellow but I think it is great. Not as yellow as my 4000K TK20 but much more vibrant. That's about the only thing I can differentiate when it comes to CRI, and the vibrancy between the Rebel and the Nichia, well I can't tell the difference but I haven't spent hours in front of the fruit bowl pondering the differences.


----------



## Fra881

how does this SC600 MKII L2 cold white compare to the PD35?

I still didn't find any beamshot comparison, nor any PD35 review from selfbuilt to compare (values especially).


----------



## selfbuilt

Fra881 said:


> I still didn't find any beamshot comparison, nor any PD35 review from selfbuilt to compare (values especially).


I haven't specifically compared them yet, but I will be doing a PD35 review soon. Can't give you an exact ETA, but it should be done within a month.

And :welcome:


----------



## Fra881

selfbuilt said:


> I haven't specifically compared them yet, but I will be doing a PD35 review soon. Can't give you an exact ETA, but it should be done within a month.
> 
> And :welcome:



excellent 
and I take the opportunity to thank you a lot for your very thorough reviews

PS: I don't know if you ever saw one in action, but in that case can you (or anyone else who saw both the SC600 L2 and the PD35) write your impressions about the comparison?


----------



## Fra881

and btw, I've read this new SC600 uses a generic XM-L2 but does it use the U2 version?


----------



## romteb

ZEBRALIGHT, HEAR MY PLIGHT, WE NEED A TRIPLE HCRI 219 SC600 MKII 2 PHASE 2 VERSION 2, PLEASE.


----------



## Fra881

Fra881 said:


> and btw, I've read this new SC600 uses a generic XM-L2 but does it use the U2 version?



plus I've read on a german forum the SC600 MK2 L2 has difficulties taking the NCR18650B original Panasonic 3400mAh cell because of diameter interference: some say it works some say it doesn't.

The diameteres seem to confirm it can take it, has anyone tried it here?


----------



## bgm307

Fra881 said:


> plus I've read on a german forum the SC600 MK2 L2 has difficulties taking the NCR18650B original Panasonic 3400mAh cell because of diameter interference: some say it works some say it doesn't.
> 
> The diameteres seem to confirm it can take it, has anyone tried it here?



The NCR18650B 3400 unprotected cells fit it perfectly. Orbtronic 3400 protected cells fit. KeepPower 3400 are tight and getting them out takes a little work.


----------



## neutralwhite

wow, +1 right there!. 
ZL!,..LISTEN!!. 
xx



romteb said:


> ZEBRALIGHT, HEAR MY PLIGHT, WE NEED A TRIPLE HCRI 219 SC600 MKII 2 PHASE 2 VERSION 2, PLEASE.


----------



## moozooh

You guys should just take their new SC62d while it's available, because ZL with Nichia 219 isn't happening. It would require another full round of R&D since its forward voltage is higher than that of Cree and Philips LEDs. They won't go through it to satisfy a handful of particularly picky forum members, it just won't pay for itself.

Besides, why not just get an existing light that has everything you ask minus the ZL UI. It's not like Lux-RC FL-33 with triple Nichia doesn't exist and isn't exceptionally good already.


----------



## romteb




----------



## romteb

I directly asked Zebralight about the Nichia 219 yesterday, this is their answer:

"_We have never ruled out the possibility of using the Nichia 219 in the future. As a matter of fact, we've even reserved the 'n' for our Nichia lights, and using the 'w', instead of the 'n' for warmer tint 'neutral white' lights.

Sincerely,

ZebraLight, Inc.2908 Story Rd. WIrving, TX 75038_"


----------



## rexet

Thank you for this information. Any idea about the Orbtronic 3600mah new version?
I am currently using intl-outdoor protected Panasonic 3100mah but I would like to replace them by 3400mah ones... even 3600mah if this could be possible.


----------



## ncvetteman

Fra881 said:


> excellent
> and I take the opportunity to thank you a lot for your very thorough reviews
> 
> PS: I don't know if you ever saw one in action, but in that case can you (or anyone else who saw both the SC600 L2 and the PD35) write your impressions about the comparison?



I have ordered both the *Fenix PD35* and the *Zebralight SC600w MKII L2*. Hopefully I will have them next week and can do a comparison. :thumbsup:

I am new to the 'high tech' LED flash lights and I wasn't sure which version of the Zebralight SC600 I would like better, the warm (neutral white) light or the 'cool' white light.

I went ahead and ordered the 'warm' version. What do most of you prefer? Warm or Cool?


----------



## duckied

I just order one too but I realized after I purchase it that I got the cool white instead of the warm. But I'm not too picky on color tint. I read that the warm sometimes have greenish yellow tint. The cool white is brighter but is hard on the eyes. What your opinion on the sc600 vs sc600w?


----------



## Clavace

Hey: I am new to the forum and this is my 2nd post - 3 more and I get rid of the very annoying red text box!!!

I just purchased an SC600w Mk II L2 (warmer color) a few weeks ago...my first real flashlight to replace the Coast I got at Home Depot. Flashlight Forum helped me find and pick this light...thank you! Got it direct from Zebralight and even though it said backorder on their website I emailed them before order and they shipped within in 24 hours of placing order.

Warning I also got an Xtar VPI charger (great charger) and Xtar 18650 3400mAh protected batteries, they are 0.1mm thicker than Zebralight batteries according to specs and the Xtar were too tight to fit so I had to return them. Xtar Direct was very good about return and gave me instant refund upon receipt...then I got the Zebralight 3400mAh.

Anyway onto my light review. I use it for hashing in the desert (live in AZ) with my drinking/running club (we do about 7 miles a run and stop several times along the trail for slower runners to catch up and tip a few). This light is perfect being small & light so it is easy to hold when running or fit in pocket of running shorts with variable output not to blind other runners while having plenty of output when needed to avoid snakes and cactus. Also nice not having to keep buying packs of AAA batteries anymore. Highly recommended!


----------



## selfbuilt

Glad you are finding it useful. :welcome:


----------



## Clavace

duckied said:


> I just order one too but I realized after I purchase it that I got the cool white instead of the warm. But I'm not too picky on color tint. I read that the warm sometimes have greenish yellow tint. The cool white is brighter but is hard on the eyes. What your opinion on the sc600 vs sc600w?



I am not sure about the the cool white model but my CS600w Mk II L2 has very accurate and pleasing color with no green or yellow tint.


----------



## Clavace

selfbuilt said:


> Glad you are finding it useful. :welcome:




Thanx for the greeting & the great reviews selfbuilt - I had no idea that flashlights had gotten so Hi-Tech & I can see how collecting could become an obsession! I am already looking for another light with higher output and greater throw... :twothumbs


----------



## carl

Does anyone have an issue with the slight delay in feeling for, or finding the sideswitch, when going to get the SC600 in a completely dark room? 

In other words, strictly from the standpoint of the location of the switch, especially for initial turn-on, do you prefer the side location?

thanks for your input.


----------



## markr6

carl said:


> Does anyone have an issue with the slight delay in feeling for, or finding the sideswitch, when going to get the SC600 in a completely dark room?
> 
> In other words, strictly from the standpoint of the location of the switch, especially for initial turn-on, do you prefer the side location?
> 
> thanks for your input.



I've recently starting preferring side switches to tail switches. I do sometimes find myself "rolling" the light with my fingers to find the switch, but it's no big deal really. Since the switch is in a large recessed area it's easy to find. Something smooth like the side switch on my EA4 is another story.


----------



## carl

Thanks Mark - I'm glad to hear the recess helps in finding the switch. My side-clicky Fenix doesn't have a recess so i find myself rolling it in my fingers to find the switch.


----------



## Clavace

carl said:


> Does anyone have an issue with the slight delay in feeling for, or finding the sideswitch, when going to get the SC600 in a completely dark room?
> 
> In other words, strictly from the standpoint of the location of the switch, especially for initial turn-on, do you prefer the side location?
> 
> thanks for your input.



I find it very easy to find and use the side switch to both turn on and change outputs with my thumb using one hand since it is such a small light.


----------



## Charles L.

My thumb doesn't fit in the recess  I use my index finger.


----------



## carl

So if Zebralight made a tailswitch version of the SC600, would you still get the sideswitch version?


----------



## carl

Charles L. said:


> My thumb doesn't fit in the recess  I use my index finger.



sorry to hear about that! I've never seen a comment like that before. interesting...


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

Side switches will always lag behind tail switches in the "time from in my pocket to on". Also, the grip is different. Really depends on how you use it.


----------



## markr6

Charles L. said:


> My thumb doesn't fit in the recess  I use my index finger.



I can understand that. It's really just the tip of my thumb that is fitting in. I would prefer the switch to be less recessed, like my SC52w - I can pretty much get the whole end of my thumb on that and it's much easier to operate.


----------



## JamesBr

I just recieved my sc600w II L2 and I think I am going to RMA it.

I love the UI but the deep recession of the switch is a big turn off, that combined with the size being just a little to big for me to EDC with the pocket clip.

I think I may end up contacting Vinh and see if he has time to make a light that would fit my needs. Zebralight *Almost *fit the bill.


----------



## peartree_423

I have been thinking about purchasing this light for a few weeks now… in my opinion, there are just a few things that keep it from being the *PERFECT* EDC light-

1. The battery must be removed from the light for charging
2. The switch seems like it is *too* recessed, as some people have commented that their thumb doesn't even fit…
3. The slot for the battery seems to be slightly small to fit a wide variety of 18650's
4. IPX-7...

Regarding #3, does anyone use Nitecore 3400 batteries in this light? I would like to know if they fit ok, as they are the only 18650's I own...

Do you guys think I am being too picky?


*peartree_423*


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

Regarding your #2: this is the trade off between accidental activation and ease-of-use. In my opinion, the designers got it right in really reducing the accidental activations, but I could see it being a matter of taste. But it comes with the territory for the side switches...


----------



## markr6

I feel they went overboard on the switch depth. A little recessed is fine to keep it from turning on, but if it was a little less that it would make it easier to use. Even then I don't think accidental activation would be a problem in normal use like a pocket or backpack pocket. If people are cramming it in a EDC pouch or tightly packed bag, then maybe it could be an issue. In that case you can just loosen the tail cap. But since it is packed away and not being used every 5 minutes, that shouldn't be a hassle like it would in a pocket.

Still a great light and all thankfully all I can do it nitpick. Close enough to being perfect for me!


----------



## peartree_423

Two more things.

1. How come companies never give run times for strobes/flashing modes? I always found this to be somewhat irritating.

2. What is a "beacon" mode intended to be used for?

*peartree_423*


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

Beacon (what I call slow strobe) would be useful for extremely long runtime in a situation where you are lost, and a S&R party is looking. Fast/tactical strobe is useful for, obviously, tactical situations. In between (med strobe) is useful walking down a street, in occasional traffic, for visibility, where both other strobes are inappropriate.


----------



## tubed

Peartree,
I have this light and in one year it became my favorite out of the 8 or so I have. It's the closest thing to a single do-it-all light there is . If it took 2 x cr123s it would be (IMO) the most perfect light ever. (maybe a bit more throw would be good too)
As for battery size - I use mine with a KeepPower 3400 18650. It barely fits, but it fits. I have to shake it hard to get the battery out. It runs forever with this battery.


----------



## domingez

Why does people wait so long for this light from producent? Lead time is a month


----------



## RIX TUX

peartree_423 said:


> 2. What is a "beacon" mode intended to be used for?
> 
> *peartree_423*



for when ships get too close to land, same as what a lighthouse does


----------



## captbobby

Just got mine. As an edc it's just a bit large,but I carry a sc52 and use the sc600 at night. Love the Ui and the HI1 is great for making coffee in the morning.


----------



## zs&tas

RIX TUX said:


> for when ships get too close to land, same as what a lighthouse does



:lolsign:


----------



## zebraa

captbobby said:


> Just got mine. As an edc it's just a bit large,but I carry a sc52 and use the sc600 at night. Love the Ui and the HI1 is great for making coffee in the morning.



The SC600 Mk II L2 is one of the smallest 18650 lights.

But--the SC52 is even smaller. I love how the SC52w just disappears into a pocket.


----------



## Viperbart

Ordered the Zebralight SC600 MKII L2 CW from Illumination Supply. 
Thanks for the great review and all the info.


----------



## Sean

I got one of these and really like it so far. For those who wonder about the size of the Zebralight SC600 MKII L2 here's a shot of it next to a Surefire E1L-A:







This thing is very easy to EDC.


----------



## RIX TUX

Sean said:


> I got one of these and really like it so far. For those who wonder about the size of the Zebralight SC600 MKII L2 here's a shot of it next to a Surefire E1L-A:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This thing is very easy to EDC.


NICE set there, I have the sc600ii and really like it, I have always liked that SF too but doesn't it only put out 65 lumens ? can one be upgraded for more output?


----------



## Sean

RIX TUX said:


> NICE set there, I have the sc600ii and really like it, I have always liked that SF too but doesn't it only put out 65 lumens ? can one be upgraded for more output?



The one pictured actually is rated at 90 lumens (it drops to 70 after 2 minutes) and runs in regulation for 5.5 hours. If I remember later I'll put a beam shot up between the two lights pictured. Beam profiles are very different between these two.

Edit:
Here is the difference between beam profiles of these two lights. At the settings seen in the picture below, I am measuring nearly exactly the same lumen output from both lights. Obviously, the TIR used in the E1L-A is going to have a brighter hotspot by sacrificing spill. I'm still amazed at the small size of the Zebralight.
Surefire E1L-A on the left, Zebralight SC600 MKII L2 on the right.


----------



## tonkem

Sean said:


> I got one of these and really like it so far. For those who wonder about the size of the Zebralight SC600 MKII L2 here's a shot of it next to a Surefire E1L-A:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This thing is very easy to EDC.



Sean, is your SC600's switch mushy? Did you get the cool white or neutral white? Know anywhere they are selling them?


----------



## Sean

tonkem said:


> Sean, is your SC600's switch mushy? Did you get the cool white or neutral white? Know anywhere they are selling them?



I would say my switch is neither crisp nor mushy but rather somewhere in between. Seems to work well overall. Considering some people are having issues with the SC600 coming on in low mode properly, I'm glad mine works the way it does. Wish the HA was darker but that's not a big deal. 

I got the cool white. I don't mind the tint, plus neutral was out of stock. 

The place I bought mine from is now out of stock so I don't know anyone who has these in stock. Not even eBay has them!


----------



## tonkem

Sean said:


> I would say my switch is neither crisp nor mushy but rather somewhere in between. Seems to work well overall. Considering some people are having issues with the SC600 coming on in low mode properly, I'm glad mine works the way it does. Wish the HA was darker but that's not a big deal.
> 
> I got the cool white. I don't mind the tint, plus neutral was out of stock.
> 
> The place I bought mine from is now out of stock so I don't know anyone who has these in stock. Not even eBay has them!



I purchased a sc62d from a CPF member, that has a very mushy switch, and it started flickering on the H2 mode, as well as randomly not turning on, very strange and not normal for other Zebralights I own (6330, Sc52, H600, etc). I definitely prefer the stiffer switch of all my other lights, than the mushy switch of the SC62d I have.

Not sure I will be buying any more Zebras until they fix their QC issues.


----------



## markr6

tonkem said:


> I purchased a sc62d from a CPF member, that has a very mushy switch, and it started flickering on the H2 mode, as well as randomly not turning on, very strange and not normal for other Zebralights I own (6330, Sc52, H600, etc). I definitely prefer the stiffer switch of all my other lights, than the mushy switch of the SC62d I have.
> 
> Not sure I will be buying any more Zebras until they fix their QC issues.



Unfortunately the switch is not really a QC issue. I guess we could argue that, but in the end it's the switch supplier that's providing those softer switches. I would like for ZL to find another supplier and provide something consistent though.

It reminds me of a manufacturer I used to work for. We sold about 1,200 different parts. About 70% of them were made in-house. For the other 30% we were at the mercy of what the international suppliers provided. We could switch suppliers, but no matter what we did customers would always complain. Some liked the old part, others like the new part.


----------



## tonkem

markr6 said:


> Unfortunately the switch is not really a QC issue. I guess we could argue that, but in the end it's the switch supplier that's providing those softer switches. I would like for ZL to find another supplier and provide something consistent though.
> 
> It reminds me of a manufacturer I used to work for. We sold about 1,200 different parts. About 70% of them were made in-house. For the other 30% we were at the mercy of what the international suppliers provided. We could switch suppliers, but no matter what we did customers would always complain. Some liked the old part, others like the new part.



Actually, I can live with the mushy switch, it is the flickering on H2 and randomly not turning on that I have issue with.


----------



## markr6

tonkem said:


> Actually, I can live with the mushy switch, it is the flickering on H2 and randomly not turning on that I have issue with.



That's no good...has to go back and they need to make it right.


----------



## DogCompany

Thank you for this review (this may be one of my first posts). I purchase this light based on this review and I have been pleased with it. I was looking for the smallest 18650 light over 1k lumens that I could EDC. Works great. The UI is interesting. If you carried it every day, you could master the settings. I tossed it in the pool for the kids to dive and pick up, about 5-6 feet. Proved to be waterproof. Another big item for me was accidental activation in my pocket draining the battery. Which is why this model suits me perfect, it's never happened. Again, thank you for the review.


----------



## selfbuilt

DogCompany said:


> I tossed it in the pool for the kids to dive and pick up, about 5-6 feet. Proved to be waterproof. Another big item for me was accidental activation in my pocket draining the battery. Which is why this model suits me perfect, it's never happened. Again, thank you for the review.


Thanks for sharing, glad it has met your expectations. :wave:


----------



## ThirstyTurtle

I got the neutral version of this light from a fellow CPF member a couple weeks ago after considering it for a long time and pouring over this entire review and thread. I _love_ the light. It is my favorite light I've ever had because, as others have said, it's as close as I've found to a "do it all" light. It's floody enough and has enough low modes that I can use it at very close ranges (i.e. in the house or dodging dog poop in the yard at night) but has high-enough output that it can actually "throw" out a bit of light and I've used it as a nighttime bicycle headlight. This is my fourth ZL and tied for my favorite one (SC51W, SC52W, SC602W, SC600W Mk II L2). I could honestly get rid of all my lights except for the SC602W and this SC600W and be happy. One fantastic headlight and one fantastic standard light.

As to the switch, I was quite nervous about it being either too stiff, or too mushy, or too hard to get to. I was therefore pleasantly surprised as it is my favorite switch of the four ZL's I've had. It is without a doubt the softest switch of the four (the SC602W is the stiffest) but I've personally found all of the others to be too stiff, and too LOUD when clicked. I could never use the other ZL's as my morning "getting ready" light because the clicks bothered my wife. However, I've been using the SC600W since I bought it for just that purpose and it hasn't bothered my wife once, the clicks are completely inaudible in my opinion. Also, and this may be because I have small hands (I'm a small guy!) but the size of the opening and amount of recession for the button has not been an issue for me.

I was concerned the tint would be no good. I got rid of my SC51W and SC52W because of green tints that drove me NUTS, if not for the tint I would _never _have gotten rid of them. I was psyched to find that my SC600W has a nearly perfect tint. On the two highest modes it's perfect and on the lower modes it's fine (although not as great) but on the medium modes it is a bit "yellow". However, it's really just warmer, not an offensive yellow and certainly not a terrible green like the SC51W and SC52W.

My only (very) mild complaint would be the lanyard attachment point. I don't put lanyard on anything but my largest lights (think TN31) and so I hate having a PERMANENT lanyard attachment point that is honestly a bit pointy! I also don't like that you have to use the lanyard attachment point with a split ring (I like a direct connection point, i.e. a bigger hole) and the protrusion is a bit on the pointy side in my opinion.

If I could change anything I would want the spill just a tiny bit wider, a matte black finish, removed the lanyard attachment point, and a fixed clip that's screwed in. Although this is without a doubt the best clip on pocket clip I've ever seen.

Those small complaints aside, my favorite light hands down.


----------



## Charles L.

ThirstyTurtle, it's become my favorite light of all time as well. So small, so powerful, great moonlight modes, great run times. When I first got the warm version I thought the beam was too yellow; however, that perception was when shining the beam against white walls indoors. Outside I much prefer the warm version of this light.

I'm sure the time will come (soon, no doubt) when another 1x18650 light is a superior overall package, but so far I don't see it. I thought the ZL SC62d would supplant this light as my EDC, but no. SC600w MkII L2 remains my favorite.

As you said, this light and a good headlamp (I have the H600F) are all one really needs.


----------



## ThirstyTurtle

Charles L. said:


> Thirstyturtle, it's become my favorite light of all time as well. So small, so powerful, great moonlight modes, great run times. When I first got the warm version I thought the beam was too yellow; however, that perception was when shining the beam against white walls indoors. Outside I much prefer the warm version of this light.
> 
> I thought the newer SC62d would supplant this light as my favorite EDC, but no. SC600w MkII L2 remains my favorite.



Sweet! I considered the SC62d but the output just wasn't enough for me. I wish I could EDC this light but it's just too big for me, I EDC a D25A Ti XM-L2 NW on 14500 and it gets the job done


----------



## markr6

Charles L. said:


> As you said, this light and a good headlamp (I have the H600F) is all one really needs.



And basically all I ever use anymore! I feel guilty leaving all my other lights sit around, but the size, UI, runtime and output of these is just hard to beat. In addition to these I also use my SC62d a lot.


----------



## GehenSienachlinks

I received my sc600.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=518D18A8F942A129%21193


----------



## Stefano

This evening I took some pictures in the house (it's raining outside) 
I tried the new MK SC600w II L2 vs previous SC600 MK II (Cool Withe)
I noticed that the new version has the much larger spot.
Satisfaction for having bought the neutral tint, Cool Withe version is very nice but I must say that I prefer neutral.
All of my new purchases are for neutral colors.

Note: The two torches in their L1 have different power. 
new SC600w MK II L2 = 3.5 lm
old SC600 MK II = 3 lm

Pictures taken at the same distance, with the same settings and camera tripod.

Next: The two torches at minimum level - L1









Next: old SC600 MK II Cool Withe (L1 level = 3 lm)









Next: new SC600w MK II L2 (L1 level= 3,5 lm)









Next: old SC600 MK II Cool Withe (L1= 3 lm)








Next: new SC600w MK II L2









The two torches: 








The old model I like the color of the anodizing and the switch with a click "rigid"


----------



## peartree_423

I just ordered the cool white version and zebralight's 3400 18650 from the Zebralight website. Ill let you all know what I think when it gets here!


----------



## GehenSienachlinks

peartree_423 said:


> I just ordered the cool white version and zebralight's 3400 18650 from the Zebralight website. Ill let you all know what I think when it gets here!



When you get it have a real close look at anodizing on the light .

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=518D18A8F942A129%21193


----------



## RIX TUX

Did you get the light at the zl website too?


----------



## peartree_423

RIX TUX said:


> Did you get the light at the zl website too?



Yea, sorry that was confusing. I got both the light and the battery from the zl website.


----------



## ThirstyTurtle

After a close inspection I've noticed that the anodizing on the head of mine is a bit squirly as well, almost streaky like it was painted on? Strange. Never noticed before though and it doesn't bother me.


----------



## Stefano

Other beamshot,I hope these pictures are helpful to someone.

SC600 MKII Cool Withe vs SC600w MKII L2 (neutral) - Level H2 
H2 = 270 lm (MKII Cool Withe)
H2 = 330 lm (MK II L2 Neutral)









SC600 MKII Cool Withe vs SC600w MKII L2 (neutral) - Level M1
M1 = 90 lm (MKII Cool Withe)
M1 = 65 lm (MK II L2 Neutral)


----------



## Stefano

SC600 MKII Cool withe (H1= 900 lm) vs SC600w MKII L2 Neutral (H1= 1020 lm)


----------



## InspectHerGadget

I ordered one from Zebralight direct. It said backorder so I might have to wait. I got the nitecor i4 charger and 2x protected panasonic 3400mAh 18650 batteries. I already have the P5R.2 rechargeable LED Lenser pocket torch and the M14R.2 LED Lenser head lamp. I guess I got tempted to buy yet another torch. If I go out for my long walks around the swamp at night I need a headlamp. The torch is just there in case. The little P5R.2 has amazing throw at 270Lumens due to the focussing lens and a good flood beam which even in low at 20 Lumens is enough to walk by.

It is interesting technology something which I only became dimly (pun intended) this year and I'm walking in totally dark environments I would not have considered going into at night before so somewhat liberating I guess.

Good forum but expensive.


----------



## domingez

hi guys, i have a question. im using zebra mk2 l2 with protected pansonics 3400mahs. is really hard to screw the tailcap. insie the flashlight its really big tension with those two springs. will it dont damage the pill in head of flashlight ? i thought to remove protections from cells and use it as unprotected..


----------



## markr6

domingez said:


> hi guys, i have a question. im using zebra mk2 l2 with protected pansonics 3400mahs. is really hard to screw the tailcap. insie the flashlight its really big tension with those two springs. will it dont damage the pill in head of flashlight ? i thought to remove protections from cells and use it as unprotected..



That's why I switched to all unprotected cells. My EagleTac 3400 mAh fit, but it just didn't seem right being so tight.


----------



## domingez

Ok so removing the protection will be a good solution? I dont want to buy new one.


Edit:

Ok, i did it. I removed the pcb and now the cell is unprotected. Now its more space inside ~3-4mm. Its my only 18650 flashlight so no worries about protection!


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

Any chance for a SC62 review on the horizon?


----------



## Rick Condon

Just got an email from ZebraLight that my SC600w Mk II L2 is on its way from China. Woot. Looking forward to playing with it. My wife is footing the bill, so it's that much sweeter. LOL.


----------



## Oztorchfreak

I have a "hard to find in stock" Zebralight SC600 MK2 XM-L2 Cool White on the way from "fleabay" because I could not find one anywhere else from my regular dealers.

Most dealers have all of their Zebralights on back order.

Doesn't Zebralight want to make money by expanding their manufacturing facilities to keep up with the demand?

I have the older SC600 and the SC52 both Cool White and they still work well.

I love how easy it is to find the sunken button in the dark to control these lights easily and they virtually never come on accidentally either.



*CHEERS*


----------



## newbie66

Oztorchfreak said:


> I have a "hard to find in stock" Zebralight SC600 MK2 XM-L2 Cool White on the way from "fleabay" because I could not find one anywhere else from my regular dealers.
> 
> Most dealers have all of their Zebralights on back order.
> 
> Doesn't Zebralight want to make money by expanding their manufacturing facilities to keep up with the demand?
> 
> I have the older SC600 and the SC52 both Cool White and they still work well.
> 
> I love how easy it is to find the sunken button in the dark to control these lights easily and they virtually never come on accidentally either.
> 
> 
> 
> *CHEERS*




If you are willing to try, there is a store in Malaysia selling it. They just got the new stock this week. You can try emailing them or checking the site. The store: *Gadgetworld2u* (google the name)

Figured that since Australia is pretty close to Malaysia compared to US/Europe you might want to try. Just a suggestion.

But since you already ordered from "fleabay" I guess there is no need for me to suggest. Just realised you have already ordered after rereading your post.


----------



## peartree_423

My sc600 mkii l2 arrived today- my first impression was "WOW- that's small!" It is really bright for its size! I will post some pictures of it and beam shots on my website in the next few days when I get the chance. This is my second high quality flashlight (my first being the thrunite TN32- which I have tons of pictures of on my website). I am very pleased with this purchase

www.myflashlightcollection.webs.com

— peartree_423


----------



## Oztorchfreak

I am thinking of mixing some glow paint with some appropriate glue and paint it onto the on/off button so that I can find the button at night or I may even glue a bit of something to make the button slightly higher to find easier.


*CHEERS



SORRY GUYS

I was talking about the Klarus RS11 XM-L2

I accidentally posted on the wrong page again. 

STUPID ME!!!!!!!

Sometimes I have 20 or more CPF pages open at a time.
*


----------



## RIX TUX

Oztorchfreak said:


> I am thinking of mixing some glow paint with some appropriate glue and paint it onto the on/off button so that I can find the button at night or I may even glue a bit of something to make the button slightly higher to find easier.
> 
> 
> *CHEERS*


wow.......I never have a problem finding the switch


----------



## Oztorchfreak

RIX TUX said:


> wow.......I never have a problem finding the switch




The on/off button at the front end of this light is virtually flush with the body.

Klarus may think it is better being that way to help prevent accidental activations but it really makes it hard to find in the pitch black darkness especially in a hurry.


*CHEERS


SORRY GUYS

I was talking about the Klarus RS11 XM-L2

I accidentally posted on the wrong page again. 

STUPID ME!!!!!!!

Sometimes I have 20 or more CPF pages open at a time.
*


----------



## Oztorchfreak

RIX TUX said:


> wow.......I never have a problem finding the switch





*SORRY GUYS

I was talking about the Klarus RS11 XM-L2

I accidentally posted on the wrong page again. 

STUPID ME!!!!!!!

Sometimes I have 20 or more CPF pages open at a time.*


----------



## Oztorchfreak

I have a Zebralight SC600 XM-L2 arriving soon and then I can comment in this thread properly.


*CHEERS*


----------



## peartree_423

Ok, I just posted lots of pictures of the light on my website, please have a look-

www.myflashlightcollection.webs.com

I will try to get some beam shots in the very near future (hopefully tonight) and post them as well.

*—peartree_423*


----------



## peartree_423

Alright, I posted some beamshots of my sc600 in the album with the pics of the light itself. Feel free to have a look/use these pics for whatever you want

again-

www.myflashlightcollection.webs.com


thanks,

peartree_423


----------



## TommyGuns

My Zebralight sc600 mkII L2 just arrived last Friday and I have to agree with everyone else, that this torch IS Awesome. My one question is regarding how low to let my AW 18650 3400 mah (protected) to run down to, 3.6v or 3.7v or 3.8v before recharging? I'm still a little new to rechargeable li-ions.

I'd appreciate the help.


----------



## moozooh

Recharge it when you lose High mode, that's it. Both the light and the battery's protection circuit will protect it from overdischarge.


----------



## TommyGuns

moozooh said:


> Recharge it when you lose High mode, that's it. Both the light and the battery's protection circuit will protect it from overdischarge.



Moozoh. So when you loose high mode (~1000 lumens) what charge was left in your battery? Thanks for the help.

I've never run my battery to it's protected limit. I read on BatteryU that it is not recommended go below 30-40% remaining battery charge.

I'm at 3.48 volts and still have high mode.


----------



## moozooh

30-40% for Li-ions in regular use? Their batteries must be made of gold; I don't see a reason to go that far out of one's way to retain duty cycles otherwise. Do they also recommend charging them to only 80% of their max capacity?

Thing is, unless you're using your light literally all day every day, you're unlikely to see any noticeable degradation for _years_. I personally wouldn't care if I had to spend extra 20 bucks on a couple new batteries in 5 years instead of, say, 10. I'll switch to 4000 mAh sometime next year, way before my 3400 mAhs degrade.


----------



## Rick Condon

Ordered my SC600w on May 7 (backordered), shipped from China on May 20 (China Air) and I got it here in Ontario, Canada on June 2. Less than 2 weeks after it shipped, so I'm rather impressed. The light is unbelievably bright. I got neutral because I'm just tired of cool white dulling colours, especially outdoors. Just learning the UI, but this light is my new fave. It kicks my Olight S20-L2 to the ground. Thanks, ZebraLight. Now, perhaps you could make a tri-LED Nichia 219b? LOL. Shut up and take my money !!


----------



## Oztorchfreak

I have just received my SC600 XM-L2.

The on/off button is soft and mushy with virtually no click action at all unless I hold it up to my ear to hear it.

The body colour is darker than my older SC600.

It is noticeably brighter with more throw than the older version.

The button is placed at about the same recessed level.

It is slightly shorter than my old one.

I like this light.

My favourite EDC is my Zebralight SC52 XM-L2 as it is quite smaller in size but the SC600 MK2 XM-L2 will go in my bag and sometimes it will be in my jeans pocket.



*CHEERS*


----------



## carl

moozooh said:


> I'll switch to 4000 mAh sometime next year, way before my 3400 mAhs degrade.



What batts are you talking about? 4000mAh?


----------



## moozooh

Panasonic has been working on silicon alloy-based anode cell since at least 2009. That's supposed to be the next step of high-capacity 18650 evolution, expected to start at 4000 mAh. Here's their NCR18650 series release history:

NCR18650 — 2900 mAh — late 2008;
NCR18650A — 3100 mAh — early 2010;
NCR18650B — 3400 mAh — early 2012;
NCR18650G — 3600 mAh — late 2013.

Easy to see Panasonjic is reliably upping cell capacity every 1.5-2 years. By the end of 2015 we'll definitely have the next update, and I have a strong reason to believe it'll be the promised 4000 mAh. (I don't think they'll settle for 3800; too minuscule an improvement to warrant changing the tech process once again. Not like there's any real competitors to race against.)

Anyway, my point was: I implore everyone to stop worrying too much about ideal conditions. Batteries aren't a precision tool or a well-made car; they aren't made to last more than a few years regardless of their use, and they aren't _that _expensive to replace to begin with. Companies make them better all the time as well, so there's never an incentive to hold out, unlike with some electronics hardware. So use that capacity as much as needed, leaving no potential untapped.


----------



## Rick Condon

Personally, I like the soft switch. Granted, I have no experience with the older type switch, but on this version I don't find it difficult to switch modes and it's very quiet. Regarding the 4000mAh batteries, you can get those on eBay now. Downside is they're made in China and will probably blow your hand off. LOL. The new 3600 mAh have been tested and they're realistically only about 100 mAh more than 3400. Unless you REALLY need to be on the cutting edge, save your money and buy 3100 or 3400 until 4000 mAh Panasonic cells arrive on the scene.


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

Is there a difference between the green tints on the cool vs neutral white versions? Is the neutral as green?


----------



## Rick Condon

ozzie_c_cobblepot said:


> Is there a difference between the green tints on the cool vs neutral white versions? Is the neutral as green?


 No green in mine.


----------



## UnderPar

Me too. Didn't have any issues with my ZL SC600 II L2. Really a great light.


----------



## cynic

Ordered the zebra (wasn't a fan of design) but after reading reviews/specs I'm now a fan! Any idea how many meters this shoots out? I know it seems to be more of a flooder but in terms of range how far can it go?


----------



## domingez

Its enought to use it as edc light. Imo its about 120-150m with.


----------



## cynic

domingez said:


> Its enought to use it as edc light. Imo its about 120-150m with.



Thx for the reply and if i recall correctly I heard this device step down after 9mins on Max setting, can anybody confirm?

Also are you able to bypass the stepdown by resetting it again to turbo? I wonder how warm/hot it gets on turbo for something so small.


----------



## Rick Condon

cynic said:


> Thx for the reply and if i recall correctly I heard this device step down after 9mins on Max setting, can anybody confirm?
> 
> Also are you able to bypass the stepdown by resetting it again to turbo? I wonder how warm/hot it gets on turbo for something so small.


The light is 100% thermally controlled. No step down. If the light gets hot then it starts to GRADUALLY reduce brightness. Turning it off and then back on may get you a split-second back at max brightness, but then the PID thermal regulation will kick it back down quicker than you can say, "I do my best proofreading after I hit send". :laughing:


----------



## Viperbart

cynic said:


> Thx for the reply and if i recall correctly I heard this device step down after 9mins on Max setting, can anybody confirm?
> 
> Also are you able to bypass the stepdown by resetting it again to turbo? I wonder how warm/hot it gets on turbo for something so small.



Also, the approximate temperature ceiling for the thermal regulation seems to be 55 degrees C. 
Read up on it more in the original review from the first post in this thread. Selfbuilt went to great lengths to explain this fully and clearly.


----------



## selfbuilt

cynic said:


> Any idea how many meters this shoots out? I know it seems to be more of a flooder but in terms of range how far can it go?





cynic said:


> Thx for the reply and if i recall correctly I heard this device step down after 9mins on Max setting, can anybody confirm?.


You can see direct beam distance measures in the review, as well as the runtime pattern. The PID circuit works well to keep brightness fairly high across the run.


----------



## chaosdsm

carl said:


> What batts are you talking about? 4000mAh?



The only problems I see with the 4000mAh Panasonic's moozooh's talking about, is the average discharge voltage which is listed as only 3.4V instead of 3.6V.



*Comparison of Newly Developed Products and Previous Panasonic Products*


3.4 Ah Cell
(Newly developed)
4.0 Ah Cell
(Newly developed)
2.9 Ah Cell 
(Current product)
Positive electrode
Nickel base
High-density
Nickel base
High-density
Nickel base
Negative electrode
Carbon
Silicon base
Carbon
Capacity
3.4 Ah
4.0 Ah
2.9 Ah
Average discharge voltage
3.6 V
3.4 V
3.6 V
Mass
Approx. 46 g
Approx. 54 g
Approx. 44 g
Energy
12.2 Wh
13.6 Wh
10.4 Wh
Volumetric energy density
730 Wh/L
800 Wh/L
620 Wh/L
Recharging voltage
4.2 V
4.2 V
4.2 V

From 2009 release http://panasonic.co.jp/corp/news/official.data/data.dir/en091225-3/en091225-3.html
 
The other problem being that Panasonic was supposed to have started mass production of the 4000mAh batteries by March 2013.


----------



## Rick Condon

chaosdsm said:


> The only problems I see with the 4000mAh Panasonic's moozooh's talking about, is the average discharge voltage which is listed as only 3.4V instead of 3.6V.
> 
> 
> 
> *Comparison of Newly Developed Products and Previous Panasonic Products*
> 
> 
> 3.4 Ah Cell
> (Newly developed)
> 4.0 Ah Cell
> (Newly developed)
> 2.9 Ah Cell
> (Current product)
> Positive electrode
> Nickel base
> High-density
> Nickel base
> High-density
> Nickel base
> Negative electrode
> Carbon
> Silicon base
> Carbon
> Capacity
> 3.4 Ah
> 4.0 Ah
> 2.9 Ah
> Average discharge voltage
> 3.6 V
> 3.4 V
> 3.6 V
> Mass
> Approx. 46 g
> Approx. 54 g
> Approx. 44 g
> Energy
> 12.2 Wh
> 13.6 Wh
> 10.4 Wh
> Volumetric energy density
> 730 Wh/L
> 800 Wh/L
> 620 Wh/L
> Recharging voltage
> 4.2 V
> 4.2 V
> 4.2 V
> 
> From 2009 release http://panasonic.co.jp/corp/news/official.data/data.dir/en091225-3/en091225-3.html
> 
> The other problem being that Panasonic was supposed to have started mass production of the 4000mAh batteries by March 2013.


That was 4 1/2 years ago and we still don't have them. WTF? I have a couple EagleTac 3100. 3400 would be nice, but I can wait for 4000. I'm sure by then they'll be 3.6 V.


----------



## carl

Thanks to everyone for your input about the 4000mAh batteries which will eventually come down the pipeline. Looks like 18650 batts will catch up in capacity with the 26650 batts soon. Wow!


----------



## thedoc007

carl said:


> Thanks to everyone for your input about the 4000mAh batteries which will eventually come down the pipeline. Looks like 18650 batts will catch up in capacity with the 26650 batts soon. Wow!



Well, I assume that progress will continue. But looking at that press release, they clearly made an error. If they could actually make a safe, 4Ah cell, without major drawbacks, they would have done so already. There must have been a fatal flaw with the 4Ah design, otherwise they would have released it already. 

Also, 26650s are already up to 5200mAh. So 18650s won't be catching up anytime soon.


----------



## premudriy

I have a question about my newly bought SC600 MKII L2: What are the "default" of "factory" programmed settings for the H2, M2, and L2 for this flashlight? Can anyone help, please?

p.s.: tried to search for 'default' and 'factory' everywhere for this specific flashlight and couldn't find the answer, so sorry if this was already asked.


----------



## rickyro

Oztorchfreak said:


> I have just received my SC600 XM-L2.
> 
> The on/off button is soft and mushy with virtually no click action at all unless I hold it up to my ear to hear it.
> 
> The body colour is darker than my older SC600.
> 
> It is noticeably brighter with more throw than the older version.
> 
> The button is placed at about the same recessed level.
> 
> It is slightly shorter than my old one.
> 
> I like this light.
> 
> My favourite EDC is my Zebralight SC52 XM-L2 as it is quite smaller in size but the SC600 MK2 XM-L2 will go in my bag and sometimes it will be in my jeans pocket.
> 
> 
> 
> *CHEERS*



I also just got my SC600 MKII L2, finding the switch much softer than my SC52w L2 got several weeks ago.

It will be OK to take some time to get used to the softer switch. But when I am using both, I think that will be hard to get used to two much different switches.

I also got a H52w L2 and H502w L2 this time. H52w is similar as SC600, being quite soft. But H502w is similar as SC52w, being actually even harder.

And the anodizes for all four models are a little bit different to each other. This may come from the natural color anodize. But they are not bad by each even they are not same.

The two clips from H52w and H502w are very ugly compared to SC52w's, being badly finished and not polished at sides and back.


----------



## markr6

Anxiously waiting for them to take anodizing back to China, BLACK this time, and a consistent "clickier" switch. Done.


----------



## Mr Floppy

markr6 said:


> Anxiously waiting for them to take anodizing back to China, BLACK this time,



I do wonder if it will be black or that darker anodize like on the earlier Zebralights. I really like the anodizing on my H501w. It wasn't totally black, sort of a darkish granite.


----------



## cynic

Mr Floppy said:


> I do wonder if it will be black or that darker anodize like on the earlier Zebralights. I really like the anodizing on my H501w. It wasn't totally black, sort of a darkish granite.



So you guys mean to tell me each Zebralight or rather this one in particular all comes out different color? Wtf happened to consistency. 
I hope I get a black or at the very least a dark one. Seems mine coming from China. So does that mean I can expect a different tint for flashlight too? :|


----------



## markr6

cynic said:


> So you guys mean to tell me each Zebralight or rather this one in particular all comes out different color? Wtf happened to consistency.
> I hope I get a black or at the very least a dark one. Seems mine coming from China. So does that mean I can expect a different tint for flashlight too? :|



Expect the dark olive-greenish/gray color right now. The black just came up in another thread where ZL mentioned possibly doing anodizing in China and that it would be black. Could just be talk at this time. I always did wish they were the usual black like most other lights (I know, I'm boring)


----------



## thedoc007

markr6 said:


> I always did wish they were the usual black like most other lights (I know, I'm boring)



Well, you have a lot of company there. Although it is nice to have color options (I wouldn't want every light to be offered only in black), I think black or grey is so popular for a reason. It goes with everything, and most people seem to like it. The green color of Zebralights was always a negative in my book - I bought them despite the color, not because of it.


----------



## dofty

the PID speed of my sc600w II L2 is not as quick as I expected.
when I open it, it takes several minutes to gradually step down from the 100% brightness to about 60% brightness
then the light is very hot, I switch it off, and switch it on. At this point, I expect it to be at around 60% brightness, since it's very hot. But it's not, it still opens as 100% brightness and takes several minutes to step down to about 60% brightness.


----------



## Rick Condon

Do you live in Antarctica? If yes, then it's perfectly normal. LOL. How long is it off for? Just a couple seconds? I would contact ZebraLight or the reseller. I haven't really tested the PID. I think it's working fine, but I'll give it a test to see what kind of results I get. I have the SC600w also.



dofty said:


> the PID speed of my sc600w II L2 is not as quick as I expected.
> when I open it, it takes several minutes to gradually step down from the 100% brightness to about 60% brightness
> then the light is very hot, I switch it off, and switch it on. At this point, I expect it to be at around 60% brightness, since it's very hot. But it's not, it still opens as 100% brightness and takes several minutes to step down to about 60% brightness.


----------



## Viperbart

dofty said:


> the PID speed of my sc600w II L2 is not as quick as I expected.
> when I open it, it takes several minutes to gradually step down from the 100% brightness to about 60% brightness
> then the light is very hot, I switch it off, and switch it on. At this point, I expect it to be at around 60% brightness, since it's very hot. But it's not, it still opens as 100% brightness and takes several minutes to step down to about 60% brightness.





Mine does the same too!


----------



## jdonner

Can someone explain to me why some people are excited about this one? Yes, you get a lot of lumens in the beginning, but after 30min it's completely over with the fun. In this chart the overall light output drops to 40, while a P12 for example continues happily at 100 for 2 1/2 hours and that at the expense of having 170 vs 220 for the first 30min, but percentage wise a much smaller difference.


----------



## thedoc007

jdonner said:


> Can someone explain to me why some people are excited about this one, because I don't get it. Yes, you get a lot of lumens in the beginning, but after 30min it's completely over with the fun. In this chart it drops to 40, while a P12 for example continues happily at 100 for 2 1/2 hours, that's 250% more and that at the expense of having 170 vs 220 for the first 30min, percentage wise a much smaller difference.



It drops way down at 30 minutes because the cell cannot sustain turbo any longer. The SC600 has lots of other modes - if you want a few hundred lumens, rather than over 1000, you can greatly extend runtime, AND get higher output than the P12. You can run at 356 lumens for almost four full hours, for example, with no stepdown at all. It can do everything the P12 can, but it can also do several things that the P12 cannot. This light gives you options - and I for one think that is excellent.


----------



## jdonner

Thanks for the clarification! 

I just noticed that they have to be ordered in China and that it can take weeks to arrive. No thanks Zebralight....sigh


----------



## thedoc007

jdonner said:


> I just noticed that they have to be ordered in China and that it can take weeks to arrive. No thanks Zebralight....sigh



I order Zebralights from Illumination Supply (www.illumn.com). USA company, EXCELLENT customer service, and they carry a lot of stuff. Chargers, cells, lights, and accessories. You don't have to order direct...and in this case, I don't think you should. They are out of stock at the moment, but good to be aware of the option.


----------



## cynic

jdonner said:


> Thanks for the clarification!
> 
> I just noticed that they have to be ordered in China and that it can take weeks to arrive. No thanks Zebralight....sigh



I ordered mine a little over 1.5week ago and it was out of stock. Took only couple days for them to ship the order and now about 2 weeks in my flashlight is being delivered today. That's pretty fast if you ask me.


----------



## Overclocker

jdonner said:


> Can someone explain to me why some people are excited about this one? Yes, you get a lot of lumens in the beginning, but after 30min it's completely over with the fun. In this chart the overall light output drops to 40, while a P12 for example continues happily at 100 for 2 1/2 hours and that at the expense of having 170 vs 220 for the first 30min, but percentage wise a much smaller difference.



here's using a more modern cell






the big difference is the fun is over after 3 minutes w/ the P12 due to the timer-based stepdown, while the TN12 just slides down steadily, never maintaining any sort of regulation

the zebralight on the other has a buck/boost circuit that keeps cranking out the lumens (if cooled adequately) and thus stays regulated until such point where it steps down to MED then eventually to LOW. this is to prevent the "sudden off" (thus leaving you in the dark) issue with buck/boost lights (which don't fade in brightness as the cell voltage goes down). yes this is a very desirable feature, the earlier zebras didn't have this feature

so yes your shiny new PD35/TN12/P12 "950 lumens" flashlight is only 950 when the battery is full but with the zebralight you get close to the max advertised lumens throughout the runtime, with no timer-based stepdown. that's a huge advantage


----------



## ragnarok164

thedoc007 said:


> I order Zebralights from Illumination Supply (www.illumn.com). USA company, EXCELLENT customer service, and they carry a lot of stuff. Chargers, cells, lights, and accessories. You don't have to order direct...and in this case, I don't think you should. They are out of stock at the moment, but good to be aware of the option.



I have just ordered my first Zebralight from illumn. the SC600 MarkII was back ordered, so ended up getting a SC62d. Seems like the SC62d does not have PID due to lower output.

Does anyone know how long does it take Zebralight to have some SC600 MarkII back in stock. Was planning to get one if I like the SC62d.


----------



## thedoc007

ragnarok164 said:


> Does anyone know how long does it take Zebralight to have some SC600 MarkII back in stock. Was planning to get one if I like the SC62d.



There is no way to tell for sure. I waited a month and a half, once. That's when I decided to never buy direct again. Other people have seen out of stock lights ship in only a few days. Either way, you are taking a chance...if you don't care when it shows, you can order, forget about it, then be surprised when it finally shows up. Otherwise, go with a more local seller that can give you more precise information.


----------



## ragnarok164

thedoc007 said:


> There is no way to tell for sure. I waited a month and a half, once. That's when I decided to never buy direct again. Other people have seen out of stock lights ship in only a few days. Either way, you are taking a chance...if you don't care when it shows, you can order, forget about it, then be surprised when it finally shows up. Otherwise, go with a more local seller that can give you more precise information.



Thanks, but living in San Francisco I have never seen a flashlight store ever. The only flashlights I ever see being sold are Maglite, incandescent flashlights, and other cheap LED flashlights.

Hope I will like the SC62d, I think the UI should be great to use daily.


----------



## markr6

ragnarok164 said:


> Hope I will like the SC62d, I think the UI should be great to use daily.



I'm sure you will. The UI is #1 but the tint, small size, nice beam and runtime made it my "almost" do-it-all light except when I need a headlamp. SC600wII is nice for more output, but when the SC62w comes out, I'm all over that one!


----------



## thedoc007

ragnarok164 said:


> Thanks, but living in San Francisco I have never seen a flashlight store ever. The only flashlights I ever see being sold are Maglite, incandescent flashlights, and other cheap LED flashlights.



Most stores are "more local" compared to Zebralight, who often ships directly from China. An online store with a presence in your home country, and preferably your home state, is the best option. Illumination Supply, for example, ships from San Jose. I'd imagine you would get their shipments next day. And if you had a problem, they would take care of it for you...the manufacturer need not get involved. No sending a light back to China and waiting weeks for repair or replacement.


----------



## cynic

thedoc007 said:


> I order Zebralights from Illumination Supply (www.illumn.com). USA company, EXCELLENT customer service, and they carry a lot of stuff. Chargers, cells, lights, and accessories. You don't have to order direct...and in this case, I don't think you should. They are out of stock at the moment, but good to be aware of the option.



Did your zebralight came Black? Mine came grey. Not a fan of grey but I can live with that. I prefer my flashlights black.
I just got mine today right now. And WOW! IT IS SO MUCH SMALLER than I anticipated. I have many smaller flashlights but this Zebralight feel so nice and solid in your hand I don't even want to let go.

I think out of 9 flashlights this will be a favorite already. I have some Fenix AA battery flashlights and AAA ones but they don't feel as good in hand or as compact given the power like this Zebra. 
I think I have found my DO IT ALL flashlight. Only thing I don't like so far is that there is no diffuser for it.


----------



## thedoc007

cynic said:


> Did your zebralight came Black?



I've been told it is a dark grey in color - I contacted ILLUMN before I purchased it, to make sure it would be the new color. Just placed the order a couple days ago, so I don't have it in hand yet. Older Zebralights were all an olive green...that's part of the reason I decided to update my collection with a SC600 Mk II L2.


----------



## cynic

thedoc007 said:


> I've been told it is a dark grey in color - I contacted ILLUMN before I purchased it, to make sure it would be the new color. Just placed the order a couple days ago, so I don't have it in hand yet. Older Zebralights were all an olive green...that's part of the reason I decided to update my collection with a SC600 Mk II L2.



Let me know when you get it if it's the same as the first page. Mine came out exactly like page 1 of this thread. I can live with it.

though I was hoping for something like





but got


----------



## markr6

Yeah their website photos were always a bit misleading. I call the two main colors olive (old) and dark gray (current) shown here on my SC52 lights:


----------



## TotalDbag

I don't think their photographer knows how to adjust the white balance. After 6 months of straight carry I can say that the sc600 is an excellent light. It definitely turned heads at my robotics competition. Especially with the PID feature.

This is the coloration of my sample. (don't mind the other stuff. It's the best picture I have)


----------



## jdonner

thedoc007 said:


> I order Zebralights from Illumination Supply (www.illumn.com). USA company, EXCELLENT customer service


Sure.... in the States....


----------



## thedoc007

jdonner said:


> Why do so many people in the USA assume that everyone in the world lives in the USA?



We don't. But a lot of people on CPF do hail from the USA. If you had to pick one country with the most members, I am GUESSING it would be the USA. It applies to more people than say, picking an online store in Zimbabwe. Just an example, you can feel free to select your own source.


----------



## jdonner

You don't get it now do you...sigh. This is not about the USA at all, this is about ordering something abroad in general and having to deal with stores you know very little about, shipping rates/times, issues at the border, warranty, etc.


----------



## ozzy1990

GladI got mine last year.


----------



## thedoc007

jdonner said:


> You don't get it now do you...sigh. This is not about the USA at all, this is about ordering something abroad in general and having to deal with stores you know very little about, shipping rates/times, issues at the border, warranty, etc.



That is precisely why I made my comment. I DO know about the hassles of international shipping, because I learned the hard way. That is why I related my particular method of avoiding it. If that doesn't work for you, my apologies. I never intended it to be a general recommendation for everyone. You seem to be taking my words far beyond what they actually say.


----------



## jdonner

thedoc007 said:


> You seem to be taking my words far beyond what they actually say.


----------



## RedForest UK

From personal experience (ordering to the UK) Craig and Calvin at illumination supply (now illumn) have been great to deal with for international shipping. Shipping is about $13-15 but that is basically at cost for them. Be sure to contact them by email prior to the order or in the order notes to let them know any specific requests you may have.


----------



## Led Astray

Likewise a big + for illumn, this time to Australia. It's always a bit of a gamble over the net, lots of variables. In my case it was the US post, which for reasons unknown sent the light to Sydney instead of Perth, but registered it as being in Perth. It arrived anyway albeit delayed a little thanks to Australia Post inefficiencies delivering from one side of the country to the other.Very impressed with the torch now I've got it, (Selfbuilt's review pushed me over the edge) but I still manage to sear my eyes in the middle of the night by mistiming the length of time to enter moonlight mode, when I take a trip to the bathroom. The wife has expressed her opinion somewhat forcefully also. If there were one change I would like it would be for low to be entered with a long press which did not then cycle through the other modes. No chance of blinding oneself then.I have also been trying to go directly to low by clicking 3 times from off (not too fast, not too slow) as indicated on page 1 under 'Basic Operation', however I think either I misunderstood what is written, or there is a correction required, as I always enter strobe. Page 1 seems to indicate you can press once to go to high, a second time to go to medium (yes) and a third to go to low (not me).


----------



## thedoc007

Led Astray said:


> I have also been trying to go directly to low by clicking 3 times from off (not too fast, not too slow) as indicated on page 1 under 'Basic Operation', however I think either I misunderstood what is written, or there is a correction required, as I always enter strobe. Page 1 seems to indicate you can press once to go to high, a second time to go to medium (yes) and a third to go to low (not me).



Triple clicking used to work just fine to get low - Zebralight updated the interface with the latest iteration, so now it gives you strobe. (Sounds like you may have an old manual.) I too dislike this change...this is not a tactical light, and offering ready access to strobe is far less important than ease of use in the three main modes. The long press is indeed the only way to get low, as far as I know. I personally haven't had any problem with the timing, but I still wish they had left the interface alone - they already had one of the best UIs out there.


----------



## Led Astray

thanks Doc, I didn't realise that the UI had been updated. 
Mine is a grey BTW, which I find a pleasant variation on the Henry Ford 'you can have any colour you like as long as it's black' choices afforded us. Maybe a hint of green.
Anyone find a decent holster? Or lanyard?


----------



## thedoc007

Led Astray said:


> thanks Doc, I didn't realise that the UI had been updated.
> Mine is a grey BTW, which I find a pleasant variation on the Henry Ford 'you can have any colour you like as long as it's black' choices afforded us. Maybe a hint of green.
> Anyone find a decent holster? Or lanyard?



No problem. I too like the grey...I mean, black is great, but I don't want EVERYTHING to be the same. Unless it is the Armytek matte black...that I wouldn't mind. 

I don't use a holster with my SC600. Have lots of other lights with holsters...I like the ready access to the SC600 with just the clip. I did have an issue with it falling off, so I super-glued the clip in place, and now it holds great. Haven't had either the clip or the light detach from my pocket since I made that change.


----------



## UTV2TiVo

I ordered one directly from ZL on Thursday 19th, they said they were on backorder so I assumed it would be a few weeks.
Turns out they shipped it on the 20th and it arrived on Monday the 23rd.
So obviously it wasn't shipped from China. I'm in California.


----------



## UTV2TiVo

thedoc007 said:


> Triple clicking used to work just fine to get low - Zebralight updated the interface with the latest iteration, so now it gives you strobe. (Sounds like you may have an old manual.) I too dislike this change...this is not a tactical light, and offering ready access to strobe is far less important than ease of use in the three main modes. The long press is indeed the only way to get low, as far as I know. I personally haven't had any problem with the timing, but I still wish they had left the interface alone - they already had one of the best UIs out there.



To me, a long press for low is much easier than a triple click. Especially half-asleep in the middle of the night, which is when I use this mode the most.
Actually, truth be told, when camping or sleeping away from home I usually just leave my ZL on Low mode all night since it doesn't deplete the battery much and my wife doesn't have to remember the long-press to check on the baby.


----------



## ragnarok164

markr6 said:


> I'm sure you will. The UI is #1 but the tint, small size, nice beam and runtime made it my "almost" do-it-all light except when I need a headlamp. SC600wII is nice for more output, but when the SC62w comes out, I'm all over that one!



Just checked the tracking number and my SC62d was delivered. I can't wait to get home from work.


----------



## WalkIntoTheLight

UTV2TiVo said:


> To me, a long press for low is much easier than a triple click. Especially half-asleep in the middle of the night, which is when I use this mode the most.
> Actually, truth be told, when camping or sleeping away from home I usually just leave my ZL on Low mode all night since it doesn't deplete the battery much and my wife doesn't have to remember the long-press to check on the baby.



Wives are the Achilles heel of the Zebralight UI. I love the UI, but whenever my wife tries to use it, she can't figure out how to use it _at all_! When I get it back, I have no idea what submodes any of the levels are in. Half the time she can't figure out how to turn it off, because it doesn't have an instant response she's double or triple clicking the thing trying to shut it off.

Awful UI for someone that isn't into flashlights. Great UI when you figure out how to use it.


----------



## markr6

UTV2TiVo said:


> I ordered one directly from ZL on Thursday 19th, they said they were on backorder so I assumed it would be a few weeks.
> Turns out they shipped it on the 20th and it arrived on Monday the 23rd.
> So obviously it wasn't shipped from China. I'm in California.



I'm pretty sure all US customers receive them from *Texas.* At least all mine have (about 8 lights over the past 2 years)


----------



## TotalDbag

Triple click to low doesn't seem that practical. Especially if you get a split second of high and medium modes to blind you before you get there. I however got the timings down perfectly so I usually just hold and cycle to whatever I need.


----------



## cynic

markr6 said:


> I'm pretty sure all US customers receive them from *Texas.* At least all mine have (about 8 lights over the past 2 years)



Can you guys who received yours from Texas tell me if yours is grey or black? Is there even a black one out yet?


----------



## markr6

cynic said:


> Can you guys who received yours from Texas tell me if yours is grey or black? Is there even a black one out yet?



It's been awhile since I received mine but it's the newer grayish-green color. I still think the black (as in Fenix, Olight, etc "black") is speculation. They may switch to that some day, but I would be COMPLETELY shocked if they started making and shipping them that way before updating the website photos. Yes...shocked even for ZL


----------



## Oztorchfreak

markr6 said:


> It's been awhile since I received mine but it's the newer grayish-green color. I still think the black (as in Fenix, Olight, etc "black") is speculation. They may switch to that some day, but I would be COMPLETELY shocked if they started making and shipping them that way before updating the website photos. Yes...shocked even for ZL




I ordered my Zebralight SC600 MKII on Ebay about three weeks ago and it is a dark grey body colour.

The colour looks ok to me.

It is a damn good powerful compact sized light with lots of features.

I would not care if it was the older olive green but I think the darker colour is a bit better looking.

*I much prefer the original button with a more definite click feel to it rather than being mushy in the XM-L2 version.*

Why can't Zebralight leave things alone that already work well or is it different parts suppliers at play here.



*CHEERS*


----------



## cagenuts

E2 Field Gear have both the CW and NW in stock if anyone is interested.


----------



## candini

cagenuts said:


> E2 Field Gear have both the CW and NW in stock if anyone is interested.



Yes they do, I just received mine today from them, $85 shipped with code. I agree with the above, I would have preferred a more definte click for the button. All in all so far so good. I noticed I have to screw the cap on tight to get it to work with my 18650A Panasonic. 

Does anyone know if a Orbtronic Panasonic NCR18650B 3400mAh battery wii fit in this?


----------



## moozooh

Orbtronic is an excellent fit, better than AmpMax and much better than KeepPower.


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

"Wives are the Achilles heel..." Haha this made my day!


----------



## candini

Thanks moozoh! I saw on the review shots an AW Protected 2200mAH was used which is a bit bigger then the 18650As I think. I definitely want to add a protected button top to my collection for other cheaper unprotected lights from China Town. I was a bit concerned about what someone wrote concerning stretching the spring though.

PS: Achilles Heel, yes they are!!!


----------



## bobstay

Has anyone been able to measure or work out what the LED current is - particularly at maximum output, but also perhaps at the lower levels too?


----------



## dealer

3400 Panasonic works great in mine


----------



## funkychateau

*Re: Timing and Current Consumption of Beacon Mode?*



funkychateau said:


> The beacon modes could have the potential to provide an extremely long runtime. This is something I've frequently wished for in a light - a "strobe-like" beacon that could be left on without substantially depleting the battery. Most "strobe" modes, including ZLs, have merely been 50%-duty "blinkers".
> 
> Has anyone measured the duty cycle of the 0.2-Hz beacon modes, as well as the current drain during the interpulse time? I'd like to calculate an average current consumption and runtime. The ZL web site doesn't address any of this.
> 
> thanks!



Asking the question again. Now that there should be a lot more owners, possibly some are technically inclined and can check this out.

thanks!


----------



## candini

*Re: Timing and Current Consumption of Beacon Mode?*

I would like to know this too Funky.


----------



## Overclocker

bobstay said:


> Has anyone been able to measure or work out what the LED current is - particularly at maximum output, but also perhaps at the lower levels too?




LED is mounted on an integrated star/driver board, not on a separate star so it's difficult to do this empirically

but the light does draw ~3.8A from an 18650. this is the highest draw i've seen from a single-emitter 18650 flashlight, most do only ~2.8


----------



## XJ-light

This is a great review!


----------



## TEEJ

Overclocker said:


> LED is mounted on an integrated star/driver board, not on a separate star so it's difficult to do this empirically
> 
> but the light does draw ~3.8A from an 18650. this is the highest draw i've seen from a single-emitter 18650 flashlight, most do only ~2.8



LOL - I guess you haven't seen Vinh's stuff?

I think he's closer to ~ 5-7 amps for a lot of his mods.


----------



## selfbuilt

XJ-light said:


> This is a great review!


Thanks, and :welcome:


----------



## Negroj

I finally bought this light about a month ago from Illumination Supply.

Surprisingly, I found the switch was firm and had a noticeably loud click. MUCH firmer/clickier than my soft SC62d.


Not sure which I prefer, but I would like it better if I knew what I was going to get!


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

Yeah, I demoed both the 62 and 600 at IS (also the 52), and noticed the 62 was much mushier than the others. It was oddly mushy.


----------



## LesSaucier

Thanks for the review! Great Job!​


----------



## cynic

Just wanted to say it's been about 2 months now since I had this flashlight and it is GREAT! I have many fenix flashlights of all sizes but the Zebralight SC600 is the only one I use!
The build quality is amazing, I accidentally dropped it (1meter high on a hard pavement) and not a single scratch at all whereas my fenix one lost the color and had some dents. 

The flood on this is amazing and the distance is Great given the kind of flashlight it is and the compacted size. It's my ALL IN ONE flashlight. I use this over all my other ones. Best purchase.
It feels so nice in my hand that I don't even want to let go of it and so portable but so BRIGHT! The many mode it has certainly helps.


----------



## markr6

After all this time, I just now noticed the cutaway photo on the ZL website. There's a good chance it was posted in a thread here, but I must have missed it. Pretty cool. Look at all that heat sinking potential!


----------



## Mr Floppy

markr6 said:


> After all this time, I just now noticed the cutaway photo on the ZL website. There's a good chance it was posted in a thread here, but I must have missed it. Pretty cool. Look at all that heat sinking potential!



I don't think I've seen that before but yeah, that is pretty cool. Copper sink pad too, nice.


----------



## witness

This question may have already been asked but when I compare the (so called) 1100 lumen setting of the MkII to the 750 lumen setting on my older SC600, I barely see any difference. Furthermore the beam patterns, which are supposed to be the same aren't even close. The MK11 has a significantly smaller hot spot but, paradoxically, seems more floody. I mention that because the specs claim the the beam pattern is identical and I'm starting to think I got a dud. Any one have any thoughts on this?


----------



## cagenuts

Anyone else have a problem with the battery compartment being ever so slightly small? I have a Keeppower 18650 and even when I removed the label the fit is rather tight. To remove the battery you have to band the lip on a ledge to dislodge the battery.


----------



## cagenuts

witness said:


> This question may have already been asked but when I compare the (so called) 1100 lumen setting of the MkII to the 750 lumen setting on my older SC600, I barely see any difference. Furthermore the beam patterns, which are supposed to be the same aren't even close. The MK11 has a significantly smaller hot spot but, paradoxically, seems more floody. I mention that because the specs claim the the beam pattern is identical and I'm starting to think I got a dud.



If you program your H2 to the highest setting (670 lumen), this should be close as dammit to the 750 lumen of your older model. Try this and see. Mine also has less hotspot and more flood and this is what I bought it for.


----------



## offthetrail

I see a substantial difference between my SC600 and MKII SC600 on their highest settings. I really enjoy the H2 setting on the MKII, since it is almost as bright as maximum on the previous light and runs cooler. The beam pattern is a little tighter on the new light, due to the XML2. Everything about the new light is an improvement, other than I slightly prefer the tint of my original SC600.



witness said:


> This question may have already been asked but when I compare the (so called) 1100 lumen setting of the MkII to the 750 lumen setting on my older SC600, I barely see any difference. Furthermore the beam patterns, which are supposed to be the same aren't even close. The MK11 has a significantly smaller hot spot but, paradoxically, seems more floody. I mention that because the specs claim the the beam pattern is identical and I'm starting to think I got a dud. Any one have any thoughts on this?


----------



## selfbuilt

witness said:


> Furthermore the beam patterns, which are supposed to be the same aren't even close. The MK11 has a significantly smaller hot spot but, paradoxically, seems more floody. I mention that because the specs claim the the beam pattern is identical and I'm starting to think I got a dud. Any one have any thoughts on this?


My SC600 MkII in this review definitely has a more focused hotspot than my original SC600 - you can see this in the comparison beamshots. I suspect part of this is due to a reflector change, and part is due to the switch to XM-L2 emitters from XM-L. Don't know if things have progressed further since this review was done. 



cagenuts said:


> Anyone else have a problem with the battery compartment being ever so slightly small? I have a Keeppower 18650 and even when I removed the label the fit is rather tight. To remove the battery you have to band the lip on a ledge to dislodge the battery.


Hmmm, all my recent Keeppower protected 3100mAh fit fine in my MkII (labels on). But again, there may be some variability (in both battery and light) over time.


----------



## UnderPar

cagenuts said:


> Anyone else have a problem with the battery compartment being ever so slightly small? I have a Keeppower 18650 and even when I removed the label the fit is rather tight. To remove the battery you have to band the lip on a ledge to dislodge the battery.



Am using an unprotected Panasonic 18650B. It fits perfectly! :thumbsup:


----------



## CelticCross74

My first Zebra! I never thought light this bright could come out of a torch this small! Neutral white tint is a treat. Boy does it totally devour even my stoutest 3400mah 18650's but it is more than worth it!


----------



## CelticCross74

My copy gets so hot so fast it is unreal...


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

Don't know about you all but I consider H2 to be the "high", with H1 comparable to high beams on a car - use it for short bursts but return quickly to H2.


----------



## brightnorm

For those who wanted more of a "thrower", Zebralight could slightly lengthen the body back to the original 600 size which would accommodate a longer reflector. If that would noticeably increase throw, I would be willing to pay a premium for it, and I suspect some others might feel the same way.

Brightnorm


----------



## AxisDeer

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*

I just got my SC600 Mk2 L2 and found that the Panasonic 18650 3400 mAh battery I wanted to install was an *EXTREMELY* tight fit. So tight in fact that I had to remove the label on the battery and put graphite on the battery!!!
The only way to remove this battery is to forcefully sling the open flashlight and use centrifugal force. Gotta aim at something soft!

Has anyone else experienced this or is this a manufacturing defect of the light? These batteries fit just fine in my other 18650 lights.


----------



## newbie66

brightnorm said:


> For those who wanted more of a "thrower", Zebralight could slightly lengthen the body back to the original 600 size which would accommodate a longer reflector. If that would noticeably increase throw, I would be willing to pay a premium for it, and I suspect some others might feel the same way.
> 
> Brightnorm



It would be nice if Zebralight produced throwers.


----------



## selfbuilt

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*



AxisDeer said:


> Has anyone else experienced this or is this a manufacturing defect of the light? These batteries fit just fine in my other 18650 lights.


Zebralight is often a bit snug for high-output batteries. My Eagletac 3400mAh fit fine, as do all my 3100mAh cells. But ones with separate labels can be a bit of a challenge to get in and out though.


----------



## UnderPar

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*

The unprotected Panasonic 18650B fits just fine with SC600II L2.


----------



## cagenuts

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*



AxisDeer said:


> I just got my SC600 Mk2 L2 and found that the Panasonic 18650 3400 mAh battery I wanted to install was an *EXTREMELY* tight fit.
> 
> Has anyone else experienced this or is this a manufacturing defect of the light? These batteries fit just fine in my other 18650 lights.



I have Keeppower 2600s and the fit is mighty tight. I also have to bash the light on my wife's head to get the cell out.

One of the Sony V5 (I think) that I bought recently fits just fine.

Someone here mentioned filing the inside of the battery compartment.


----------



## bjt3833

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*

Some cells are just wrapped much thicker than others. I have an orbtronic or two that won't go in or CE out easily I'm 18650 or 14500 in quite a few lights of mine, including the L2. It isn't the light problem but a poorly done wrapping imo. Come protected cells even have the bottom out of alignment making it wider. Others just have far thicker wrapping than needed increasing the thickness too much to fit. 



cagenuts said:


> I have Keeppower 2600s and the fit is mighty tight. I also have to bash the light on my wife's head to get the cell out.
> 
> One of the Sony V5 (I think) that I bought recently fits just fine.
> 
> Someone here mentioned filing the inside of the battery compartment.


----------



## oKtosiTe

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*



cagenuts said:


> I also have to bash the light on my wife's head to get the cell out.


That seems, to put it mildly, like a suboptimal method to remove cells. I'm not certain if this is a bad inside joke, an attempt at trolling, or if you really think and act this way.


----------



## cagenuts

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*



oKtosiTe said:


> I'm not certain if this is a bad inside joke, an attempt at trolling, or if you really think and act this way.



Sorry but none of the above. Just me sense of humour.


----------



## CelticCross74

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*

in 90 seconds my copy of this light is to hot to handle. Damn shame to as my new Eagletac TX25C2 just kicked it out of my pocket for small EDC 900+ lumen light


----------



## hnupek

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*

is someone able to advise? I will need RED filter for my SC600W MKII , which is on the way - any red filters that fit this flashlight? :thinking:


----------



## casun

great review. i just ordered one and am looking forward to it but am a little concerned with the battery fit and heat comments.


----------



## InspectHerGadget

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*



cagenuts said:


> I have Keeppower 2600s and the fit is mighty tight. I also have to bash the light on my wife's head to get the cell out.
> 
> One of the Sony V5 (I think) that I bought recently fits just fine.
> 
> Someone here mentioned filing the inside of the battery compartment.



It is pretty common to get issues like this. I bought a Thrunite Catapult V3 and my green Panasonic cells wouldn't fit very well and I probably would have had to borrow your wife and hit her on the head to get them out (mine would hit me back).

I ended up ordering the Thrunite 18650s off their website which are just fine.


----------



## bjt3833

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*

I obviously haven't tried every version but from my experience if the battery has a black wrapper it is almost always substantially thicker than any of my 18650s with clear/other colored wrappers. The black wrapper definitely seems thicker. 
Same with my 14500s, black wrapped ones have fitment issues in some lights while unprotected/other color wraps fit perfectly fine. I wouldn't be surprised if every single black wrapped battery was made at the same place. I am pretty sure keeppower makes them for a lot of brands. 

If you pull the brand label off of them then it can help fit into some. 



InspectHerGadget said:


> It is pretty common to get issues like this. I bought a Thrunite Catapult V3 and my green Panasonic cells wouldn't fit very well and I probably would have had to borrow your wife and hit her on the head to get them out (mine would hit me back).
> 
> I ended up ordering the Thrunite 18650s off their website which are just fine.


----------



## cagenuts

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*



bjt3833 said:


> I obviously haven't tried every version but from my experience if the battery has a black wrapper it is almost always substantially thicker than any of my 18650s with clear/other colored wrappers. The black wrapper definitely seems thicker.



Ah that makes sense as my Keeppowers are black wrapped (what else except if you're Eminem?).


----------



## curlysir

*Re: Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 (XM-L2, 1x18650)*

Placed an order today for the w version of this light (SC600w Mk II L2). Originally was going to get the SC62w but after doing some more research and comparing dimensions of the two I believe I will like the slightly higher output of this one. The small difference is size is not a factor for me. I have a Nebo that is slighty bigger then the SC600w Mk II L2 and it not a problem at all. I am in Texas not to far from their business so I should have the light this week. Did have to pay taxes however. Most expensive and smallest flashlight I will have ever owned. Battery fit is a concern so I went ahead and ordered one of the Zebralight batteries in case the others (Olight and Keeppower) won't fit.

This site can be dangerous to the wallet


----------



## geokite

Just got another SC600 Mk2 L2, this time the neutral white version. Ordered direct from ZL; the page said backordered, but it shipped the next day.

I have 6 other ZLs, all in cool white. Not sure if I prefer the neutral white version or not. No hint of green on H1, but there might be on the lower settings.

The body is a lighter gray than my other. Actually, its lighter grey than all my other ZLs. The button is a bit taller and clickier than my other. 

To distinguish the two from each other at a glace, I wrapped a 1/4" silicone band around the body; neutral white got a glow in the dark white band, while the cool white got a blue glow in the dark band.

Steve


----------



## magnum70383

Mines called Zebralight SC600 II. Without the L2. Are there 2 versions of the II?


----------



## bobstay

Yes, the L2 version uses the Cree XM-L2 emitter, and puts out 1100 lumens; yours uses the slightly less bright XM-L emitter, and puts out 900 lumens.


----------



## selfbuilt

magnum70383 said:


> Mines called Zebralight SC600 II. Without the L2. Are there 2 versions of the II?





bobstay said:


> Yes, the L2 version uses the Cree XM-L2 emitter, and puts out 1100 lumens; yours uses the slightly less bright XM-L emitter, and puts out 900 lumens.


Technically that is true - there was a second version of the SC600 (MkII) that still used the original XM-L emitter. But this version was very short-lived, and quickly replaced by the SC600 MkII L2.

I don't have exact dates but the MkII L2 has been around for well over a year. A quick search tells me the original SC600 (XM-L) was rated at 750 lumens max, the SC600 MkII (XM-L) was rated at 900 lumens max, and the SC600 MkII L2 (XM-L2) is rated at 1100 lumens max.


----------



## RIX TUX

I have two zl's I am mildly thinking about selling.
a sc52 and sc600-900 lm version if there is any interest,
pm me


----------



## RJones

Thanks for such a great review selfbuilt. Been looking at Zebralight headlamps but now I want this light as well. Enjoyed all the comments too. Thanks.

Ron


----------



## selfbuilt

:welcome: Ron


----------



## wcoastjosh

Long time lurker here, after spending way too long reading light reviews (as my wife will attest), I am ordering this one. My first zebralight, hopefully it will be all it is cracked up to be. Thanks for the review!


----------



## selfbuilt

wcoastjosh said:


> Long time lurker here, after spending way too long reading light reviews (as my wife will attest), I am ordering this one. My first zebralight, hopefully it will be all it is cracked up to be. Thanks for the review!


Hope you enjoy it - and :welcome:


----------



## C.M.S

This fine review helped me pull the trigger on one of these :thumbsup:
Received it the other day ( x-mas present to myself ) and so far I'm very impressed with my first real light purchase . Excellent EDC size BTW 
still getting used to the UI , but it is pretty straight forward . I don't understand the programmable 6 click thing but the HI H2 MI M2 LI L2 is easy and the strobe is intense .


----------



## incd

Anyone can tell me how is the build quality compared to Sunway C21C or C20C?

And what is the max usable lumens to run until battery empty and without getting to hot in a normal temparature?

I have C20C, i think, it can continuously run safely on medium mode without holding in hand. This is may be about 150 lumens.

Never try to Run it on high mode without holding in hand, cause i am affraid, it is to hot.


----------



## thedoc007

incd said:


> Anyone can tell me how is the build quality compared to Sunway C21C or C20C?
> 
> And what is the max usable lumens to run until battery empty and without getting to hot in a normal temparature?



Build quality is somewhat subjective, but I think the SC600 has significantly higher build quality. It feels more solid, electronics are potted, threads are much smoother.

The SC600 can run indefinitely at 500 lumens, H2. I have done that many times, up to a couple hours at one time. Tail-standing, with no airflow other than natural air currents in the room, tt does get warm, but definitely not hot. The C20C is significantly smaller, especially the head, which I think is the main reason why the Zebralight can handle a higher output without overheating.


----------



## incd

thedoc007 said:


> Build quality is somewhat subjective, but I think the SC600 has significantly higher build quality. It feels more solid, electronics are potted, threads are much smoother.
> 
> The SC600 can run indefinitely at 500 lumens, H2. I have done that many times, up to a couple hours at one time. Tail-standing, with no airflow other than natural air currents in the room, tt does get warm, but definitely not hot. The C20C is significantly smaller, especially the head, which I think is the main reason why the Zebralight can handle a higher output without overheating.



Thanks for the info. You said it could runs a couple house on 500 lumens, do you know, how many ampere it consume on this lumen and what is the capacity of the battery?


----------



## thedoc007

incd said:


> Thanks for the info. You said it could runs a couple house on 500 lumens, do you know, how many ampere it consume on this lumen and what is the capacity of the battery?



It doesn't come with a battery. So whatever cell you choose to use will determine capacity. You can use a 1500 mAh cell, or you can use a 3600 mAh cell. Obviously one will give better runtime than the other. 

Also, I was thinking of my old version, the non-L2 version. The latest one (which I do have) has thermal regulation, not just a simple stepdown. So no matter what level you choose, overheating should not be a problem. It will automatically dim or brighten as conditions allow, while maintaining a safe temperature.

As for the current draw, I'm not sure. I would guess 1.4 amp draw on one level down from turbo, but that is just a guess. This is NOT a measurement.


----------



## tandem

Haven't been a regular visitor to CPF for a while, so what happens in December when I come looking? I stumble across yet-another thoughtful Selfbuilt review. Call it kismet, call it coincidence, but that very night someone burgled my vehicle and took my smallest light I'd left in there. SC600 Mk II L2 neutral white ordered the next morning.

This is the second Zebralight in the family; I bought an AA powered headlamp for my wife a few years ago and it's been incredibly well received, used for everything from around the house jobs to mountaineering trips to standing guard on the bedpost (wife's side of course) every night. 

The UI wasn't love at first sight for me, I generally prefer all-on or all-off binary lights, but I must say the Zebralight UI has grown on me. 

In this version I really like the battery check feature -- it's simple and is simply brilliant. I can't help but wonder why more lights don't provide this functionality... especially lithium ion powered lights where battery capacity status is relatively easily determined.

Took the SC600IIL2 out for a run tonight with a customized low mode that is just perfect to warn off cyclists approaching me from the rear.

My bored out Surefires are jealous this evening.


----------



## selfbuilt

tandem said:


> Haven't been a regular visitor to CPF for a while, so what happens in December when I come looking? I stumble across yet-another thoughtful Selfbuilt review. Call it kismet, call it coincidence, but that very night someone burgled my vehicle and took my smallest light I'd left in there. SC600 Mk II L2 neutral white ordered the next morning.


Good to see you again Mike, welcome back. Glad you found this review useful, it is a nice light - once you get used to the versatile ZL interface.


----------



## newbie66

tandem said:


> Haven't been a regular visitor to CPF for a while, so what happens in December when I come looking? I stumble across yet-another thoughtful Selfbuilt review. Call it kismet, call it coincidence, but that very night someone burgled my vehicle and took my smallest light I'd left in there. SC600 Mk II L2 neutral white ordered the next morning.
> 
> This is the second Zebralight in the family; I bought an AA powered headlamp for my wife a few years ago and it's been incredibly well received, used for everything from around the house jobs to mountaineering trips to standing guard on the bedpost (wife's side of course) every night.
> 
> The UI wasn't love at first sight for me, I generally prefer all-on or all-off binary lights, but I must say the Zebralight UI has grown on me.
> 
> In this version I really like the battery check feature -- it's simple and is simply brilliant. I can't help but wonder why more lights don't provide this functionality... especially lithium ion powered lights where battery capacity status is relatively easily determined.
> 
> Took the SC600IIL2 out for a run tonight with a customized low mode that is just perfect to warn off cyclists approaching me from the rear.
> 
> My bored out Surefires are jealous this evening.



Indeed, the interface is really a pleasure to use. It becomes really simple after a short while of using it.


----------



## Mqqny

New account here, old user.

Your reviews are always awesome selfbuilt and this one is no different. :thumbsup:

My last light purchase was a Quark 123^2 XML neutral white with AW 17670 when Four Sevens ran a limited run of them a couple years ago around the holidays. I decided to look into getting a new EDC light a few weeks ago with the stipulation that it must have a neutral white emitter (I absolutely detest cool white after owning a couple NW lights). Even though you reviewed the cool white version (knowing that the build quality, UI, and everything else is the same sans the emitter), this review is what did it for me. I read the review a couple times and was sold.

I ordered up the SC600 Mk II L2 neutral white the other day with a pair of Panasonic NCR18650B batteries. Wow! This thing is downright phenomenal. Shorter than my old Quark (albeit larger in diameter), twice the battery capacity, more than twice the lumens, far superior UI (in my opinion at least, YMMV), and a nice deep ride pocket clip than is very easily reversible when I need to go hat+light=headlamp mode (makes oil changes easier). I consider it equally "EDC-able" as my old Quark, but a much better light in every way. Technology moves fast.

My Quark is now on nightstand duty.

Thanks for the review. This may be my first Zebralight, but it certainly won't be my last.


----------



## selfbuilt

Mqqny said:


> New account here, old user.


My usual :welcome: may not be as relevant, but I appreciate you signing up to post in this thread. 

The SC600-II is a nice light - very compact, great range of outputs, fabulous regulation and efficiency. I can see why this thread keep getting bumped back up.


----------



## blackadder911

Awsome review Selfbuilt! Many thanks..
Just got mine this morning. So I right away doing little comparison with my new S30R. And the result is Zebralight make S30R beam lumens like amateur.


----------



## selfbuilt

blackadder911 said:


> Just got mine this morning. So I right away doing little comparison with my new S30R. And the result is Zebralight make S30R beam lumens like amateur.


Really? I'm currently testing the S30R now, and I find my sample is close to the SC600-II in terms of max overall output and peak throw. The SC600-II has a wider spillbeam though, and a less sharply defined hotspot. Together, this does give the SC600-II a "floodier" appearance. 

Or were you referring to the interface? It's true, the S30R has a simplified interface, consistent with the other members of this family from Olight.


----------



## blackadder911

selfbuilt said:


> Really? I'm currently testing the S30R now, and I find my sample is close to the SC600-II in terms of max overall output and peak throw. The SC600-II has a wider spillbeam though, and a less sharply defined hotspot. Together, this does give the SC600-II a "floodier" appearance.
> 
> Or were you referring to the interface? It's true, the S30R has a simplified interface, consistent with the other members of this family from Olight.



I dont know for sure, because I just compare them with my naked eye.
But in my sight, I believe that my S30R have less intensity compare to SC600W II L2. I doing little comparison for ceiling bounce too, and the result.. again, SC600W II L2 is have more brightness to the room.
Agree with the wider spill beam on SC600W II L2 maybe because of its bigger head and yes! this "floodier" appearance is what I like!
IMHO they have same deep reflector.
Smooth hotspot in SC600W II L2 I believe because of its OP reflector, S30R reflector is smooth as silk so it generated more sharply defined hotspot.
Booth have a smooth electronic switch, like mouse click. Altough S30R not covered its switch with rubber, but I prefer the feel of S30R switch, its more soft smooth, compare to SC600W II L2 wich is more "firm click" come on it.
Base UI for S30R, single quick click is last memorized brightness mode, press for mode cycle. Yes, it is very simple.
But I still choose for SC600W II L2 for feel on hand and UI. I always like Zebralight UI even its more "tricky" than other 
Since I had sell all my "last year" SC600 series, I want to ask you, did this new SC600 II L2 knurling is not grippy as its predecessor?

PS: I always like to see your review, and I keep learning from you and this forum. This is my one of kind review about SC600-II in Indonesia Flashlight Forum @KasKus.co.id
http://www.kaskus.co.id/show_post/527a70dfffca17d01d000009/574/zebralight-sc600-mark-ii


-sorry for my bad English


----------



## Swede74

blackadder911 said:


> Since I had sell all my "last year" SC600 series, I want to ask you, did this new SC600 II L2 knurling is not grippy as its predecessor?



I think I can answer that. I have an early SC600 (not one of the very first, mine has the lanyard attachment point) and an SC600w II L2. Both have the same or very similar knurling patterns, but the SC600w II L2 has a "glossier" finish that makes it somewhat less grippy.


----------



## selfbuilt

blackadder911 said:


> IMHO they have same deep reflector.
> Smooth hotspot in SC600W II L2 I believe because of its OP reflector, S30R reflector is smooth as silk so it generated more sharply defined hotspot.


Yes, the texturing on the SC600-II reflector does help to smooth the transition of the hotspot. The wider shape on the SC600-II's reflector also helps with this (as well as explain the wider spill).



> Since I had sell all my "last year" SC600 series, I want to ask you, did this new SC600 II L2 knurling is not grippy as its predecessor?


My impression is that the knurling has become less aggressive over time on this series, but I haven't seen enough specimens to confirm.


----------



## blackadder911

Swede74 said:


> I think I can answer that. I have an early SC600 (not one of the very first, mine has the lanyard attachment point) and an SC600w II L2. Both have the same or very similar knurling patterns, but the SC600w II L2 has a "glossier" finish that makes it somewhat less grippy.



I do agree with glosier finish...
But about knurling you can see below..



selfbuilt said:


> Yes, the texturing on the SC600-II reflector does help to smooth the transition of the hotspot. The wider shape on the SC600-II's reflector also helps with this (as well as explain the wider spill).
> 
> 
> My impression is that the knurling has become less aggressive over time on this series, but I haven't seen enough specimens to confirm.



Yes confirmed, I do take a litle makro shoot for my last year SC600 II and L2 and this is the result:

SC600-II






SC600-II L2





Those knurling image of SC600-II is from my review in Indonesian Flashlight Forum I've made before. And knurling image of SC600W II L2 is photo I've taken this morning.


----------



## Swede74

selfbuilt said:


> My impression is that the knurling has become less aggressive over time on this series, but I haven't seen enough specimens to confirm.





blackadder911 said:


> I do agree with glosier finish...
> But about knurling you can see below..
> 
> Yes confirmed, I do take a litle makro shoot for my last year SC600 II and L2 and this is the result:
> 
> Those knurling image of SC600-II is from my review in Indonesian Flashlight Forum I've made before. And knurling image of SC600W II L2 is photo I've taken this morning.



I stand corrected. Thanks for the photos (and for the excellent close-up of the threads in your review on the Indonesian forum). Your macro shots reveal that the difference between the knurling on the SC600 and the MK II L2 is bigger than I thought. If you look close enough, you can even see small dimples in the knurling on the SC600 that aren't there on the MK II L2.


----------



## blackadder911

Swede74 said:


> I stand corrected. Thanks for the photos (and for the excellent close-up of the threads in your review on the Indonesian forum). Your macro shots reveal that the difference between the knurling on the SC600 and the MK II L2 is bigger than I thought. If you look close enough, you can even see small dimples in the knurling on the SC600 that aren't there on the MK II L2.
> -edited image-



Yes.. those dimple make the knurling of the earlier version more "bite" I think.
And the knurling shape of the earlier version is more like "pyramid" because of their deep ditch, compare to L2 is just flat..
Thank you Swede74, those macro is intended to reveal how the realy knurling should be


----------



## Paully_B

I love this light. Sitting it on its tail and shining the ceiling lights up th whole room. 

Does anyone know where I might be able to get a diffuser for it? I'd love to be able to use it as a lantern when camping.


----------



## Led Astray

Paully_B said:


> I love this light. Sitting it on its tail and shining the ceiling lights up th whole room.
> 
> Does anyone know where I might be able to get a diffuser for it? I'd love to be able to use it as a lantern when camping.



a translucent 35mm film canister (if you can find one) clips on to the end of the light as if it was designed for it. I wandered in to a camera shop and asked for a couple, they were more than happy to oblige. There are a couple of pictures of this arrangement on threads elsewhere, I don't know which ones off the top of my head otherwise I would link to it for you.

I can vouch that it works extremely well.


----------



## KickTheCAN

After reading this review, it is not surprising for me to hear people rave about Zebralights. Might have to add one to my collection soon.


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

Anybody else use this as a bicycle light? I do and am very happy.


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

+1 to the translucent film canister. "As if it was designed for it", I second that! Quite amazing, it reminds me of the lights airport workers use to direct planes. The only thing to worry about would be overheating, because the air inside the canister would heat quickly at the high levels...


----------



## InspectHerGadget

I'm finally getting one of these lights. It looks like a well sorted and quite compact but with a big enough head to give a good beam.

Zebralight even have them in stock. Shock horror.

I have ordered and cancelled twice before due to the long wait when ordered direct from Zebralight.

I always thought Zebra light overcharged and under delivered but they seem well sorted and owners seem to rave about them so I thought 'why not'.


----------



## UnderPar

InspectHerGadget said:


> I'm finally getting one of these lights. It looks like a well sorted and quite compact but with a big enough head to give a good beam.
> 
> Zebralight even have them in stock. Shock horror.
> 
> I have ordered and cancelled twice before due to the long wait when ordered direct from Zebralight.
> 
> I always thought Zebra light overcharged and under delivered but they seem well sorted and owners seem to rave about them so I thought 'why not'.



Great choice. You'll never go wrong with ZL. You might also want their other models........lovecpf


----------



## JB

Does the Zebralight SC600 Mk II L2 use the U2 or U3 LED?


----------



## InspectHerGadget

UnderPar said:


> Great choice. You'll never go wrong with ZL. You might also want their other models........lovecpf



I got it in the mail today and tested it out on a long walk tonight. It is pretty amazing. I mean the light beam itself is great but a lot of lights can match that.

What makes it stand out is the UI and the quality of the switch. Example. I sent back an Armytek C2 Prime Pro. The light build quality was lovely but it must have had a 20 pound or more switch pressure which would make it unusable for my wife who I wanted to use it on our walks. The UI also took a manual to learn how to use and so many clicks to do basic stuff.

The SC600 UI is so well thought out that I just read the instructions once when I ordered it a few weeks ago and that was it. I got the hang right away even with the higher and lower levels.

The quality of the switch is great too, easy to switch on and off and they don't need a 20lb switch pressure as the switch is well recessed.

The head of the light is slightly larger than most lights of its size too which means it can pump lumens out longer distance and time.

It is indeed a lovely light. I can why ZL get a well deserved following of devotees.


----------



## chrisbfu

Just picked up a SC600 W and the pocket clip has a nice blued rainbow color to it.


----------



## markr6

chrisbfu said:


> Just picked up a SC600 W and the pocket clip has a nice blued rainbow color to it.



Yeah for some reason the SC600 lights have that, but the smaller ones are shiny. Who knows why they decided to do that!


----------



## chrisbfu

markr6 said:


> Yeah for some reason the SC600 lights have that, but the smaller ones are shiny. Who knows why they decided to do that!



I think I like it. Hahaha


----------



## CelticCross74

Wow its great to see this thread still going! In the many months that Ive been using this light Ive finally learned how to program it and use the blinky modes etc. Also that on H2 the light doesnt get hot merely a touch warm even after 30 minutes of use. On H1 the head would be near sizzling hot I now only use H1 for short bursts. Also the Orbtronic 3600mah 18650 does indeed fit without having to remove the sticker etc. Its a tight fit but it fits. Running mostly H2 the 3600mah cell holds its charge incredibly well. I read somewhere that ZL will be once again upgrading the 600 somehow and a few of their other products. Im guessing a 2.0 version of their thermal regulation programming and either an XP-L or XM-L2 U3 cant wait!


----------



## markr6

CelticCross74 said:


> Wow its great to see this thread still going! In the many months that Ive been using this light Ive finally learned how to program it and use the blinky modes etc. Also that on H2 the light doesnt get hot merely a touch warm even after 30 minutes of use. On H1 the head would be near sizzling hot I now only use H1 for short bursts. Also the Orbtronic 3600mah 18650 does indeed fit without having to remove the sticker etc. Its a tight fit but it fits. Running mostly H2 the 3600mah cell holds its charge incredibly well. I read somewhere that ZL will be once again upgrading the 600 somehow and a few of their other products. Im guessing a 2.0 version of their thermal regulation programming and either an XP-L or XM-L2 U3 cant wait!



Want hot? Try H1 on the SC62!! Also a great light!

I do like a tighter fit (width, not length) with wrapped batteries in my lights. I can't stand battery rattle. Not like other cells are banging around loose, but you notice it when setting the light down or shaking it.

I asked ZL about plans for any models with an XP-L or MT-G2. "No plans" at the moment


----------



## Mr Floppy

markr6 said:


> I asked ZL about plans for any models with an XP-L or MT-G2. "No plans" at the moment



Mt-g2 would be a different light altogether. New driver for a start. The xp-l though, in particular the high intensity de-domed ones, I'd hit it, even if it came in cool white


----------



## markr6

Mr Floppy said:


> Mt-g2 would be a different light altogether. New driver for a start. The xp-l though, in particular the high intensity de-domed ones, I'd hit it, even if it came in cool white



Yes, that's why I was asking them. I suggested a short, fat 2x18650 to them.


----------



## markr6

I used to carry my SC62w in this holster, but the SC600 works. Very snug, but good enough at least to keep it from getting beat up in a bag with other items.

12cm Jetbeam holster.


----------



## brightnorm

Deleted-duplication


----------



## brightnorm

Selfbuilt,

Which are your preferred thrower/flip]-top lights?

Also, I posted this previously:

_For those who wanted more of a "thrower", Zebralight could slightly lengthen the body back to the original 600 size which would accommodate a longer reflector. If that would noticeably increase throw, I would be willing to pay a premium for it, and I suspect some others might feel the same way.

_Do you think that would improve throw noticeably?

Brightnorm


----------



## thedoc007

brightnorm said:


> Selfbuilt,
> 
> Which are your preferred thrower/flip-top lights?
> 
> I bought my Zebralight because of your review.



Not going to claim I know selfbuilt's preference...but one I like is the Eagletac G25C2 Mk II. 

As to improving throw on the SC600, I very much doubt that three millimeters would make a significant difference. And widening the reflector would do more than making it deeper, in any case. (It is important to match reflector width and depth, but the depth has a greater effect on spill than it does on the hotspot, in my experience. And the hotspot is what matters for throw.) If you want significantly more throw in a given size and output, the best way is to use an XP-L HI or de-dome (or a smaller LED, if you don't mind lower output). The dome increases output, but it has the effect of lowering surface brightness, which has a great impact on throw. I think ZL already has plans for that, though, so you might not need to do anything except wait for it to be released.


----------



## brightnorm

Excellent explanation.

BN


----------



## selfbuilt

brightnorm said:


> Excellent explanation.


Yes, thedoc beat me to it. The earlier SC600 was never a great thrower, due to the reflector shape. Frankly, the physics are such that a small reflector like this is never going to be a great thrower (although it could be improved). Practically, dedoming the emitter would have the greatest effect (i.e., you either need a larger reflector or an effectively smaller emitting source).

And like thedoc, as you mention a flip-top light, I too go back to the Eagletac G25C2-II.  I keep this one by the back door for all evening excursions with the dog.


----------



## weinguter

Hello!I bought (Ebay) the new flashlight SC600w II L2but i'm worried if the flash light is genuine. I noticed different shape on the place around the push button and the name of the model seems to be out of position.
Can enybody confirm my opinion?


----------



## markr6

weinguter said:


> Hello!I bought (Ebay) the new flashlight SC600w II L2but i'm worried if the flash light is genuine. I noticed different shape on the place around the push button and the name of the model seems to be out of position.
> Can enybody confirm my opinion?



That is strange! I've seen very little variation with that recessed button area...never to this extent though. And this is apparently a new "II L2" model. Seems like a lot of work to go thru just to make a counterfeit; seems like it wouldn't be worth the time/profit. So I'm guessing it's genuine, just a fluke from ZL?


----------



## selfbuilt

weinguter said:


> Hello!I bought (Ebay) the new flashlight SC600w II L2but i'm worried if the flash light is genuine. I noticed different shape on the place around the push button and the name of the model seems to be out of position.
> Can enybody confirm my opinion?


There is some variation in the shape of the indentation among various ZL models, so this could just be batch variation for this model. Best to check directly with Zebralight if you are concerned.

And :welcome:


----------



## roach1492

Just got my sc600 ll l2, waiting for dark.It's my 2nd Zebralight addicting.


----------



## ozzie_c_cobblepot

If you haven't tried, attach an old 35mm film canister for a homemade diffuser.


----------



## roach1492

Haven't tried that yet,i'll give it a try thanks.


----------



## markr6

I've always wondered what the grouping of small pinholes was for inside the SC600. If you look in the tube you see them next to the spring on the head end. Could it be some type of vent to blow off the lens instead of the whole thing becoming a pipe bomb?


----------



## Swede74

markr6 said:


> I've always wondered what the grouping of small pinholes was for inside the SC600. If you look in the tube you see them next to the spring on the head end. Could it be some type of vent to blow off the lens instead of the whole thing becoming a pipe bomb?



I have wondered too. When I contacted Zebralight about a H32w that had an issue with the PID regulation, they told me that flashlights and headlamps with the PID feature have to go through a long 'parameter' calibration process before leaving the factory, and that what I described looks like an uncalibrated light. I was also informed that calibration is done through a serial communication port in the H32w so there is no need to take the headlamp apart.

Could that be what the pinholes are for?


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