# NEW Zebralight H603d, H603c, H603w shoot out



## Collins (Jun 17, 2016)

Looking forward for reviews and a shoot out on these three new Zebralight Flood headlamps H603d, H603c, and H603w.


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## saypat (Jun 18, 2016)

are these out? I always wanted the H602W, it is my dream light. Now an H603W?


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## geokite (Jun 18, 2016)

Pre-ordered the H603d, can't wait. My H602 is my most used headlight, so the better tint will be nice.


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## LimuHead (Jun 19, 2016)

Collins said:


> Looking forward for reviews and a shoot out on these three new Zebralight Flood headlamps H603d, H603c, and H603w.


Any idea how the H603's differ from the H602's? More lumens? Longer run times?

I really like my H602w. It's wide beam with no hot-spot makes it perfect for reading and close-up work. It's also great for lighting up a room (like a 100 watt bulb!) with ceiling bounce.

I like it so much that I really want to be tempted by the latest/greatest ZL H603.

Anyone with information please let us know!


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## Collins (Jun 19, 2016)

I'm back to deciding between flood and floody. I like the idea of full flood no hotspot as I mostly do close up work like working on computers and working on car. And since the Zebralight sits off-center, I didn't want to have an off-center hotspot or the bouncing ball effect.

But with pure flood, I've seen some comparison videos and at times looks like the center can be a little dark when looking at something that is further away in the middle than things that are to the left and right. And that got me to thinking if I was working on my car and dropped a bolt 2 feet down a gap in the engine bay. If looking at that 2 foot deep gap with pure flood would mean looking at a black hole compared to using a floody headlamp?


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## LimuHead (Jun 19, 2016)

Collins said:


> .
> 
> But with pure flood, I've seen some comparison videos and at times looks like the center can be a little dark when looking at something that is further away in the middle than things that are to the left and right. And that got me to thinking if I was working on my car and dropped a bolt 2 feet down a gap in the engine bay. If looking at that 2 foot deep gap with pure flood would mean looking at a black hole compared to using a floody headlamp?



2 feet should be no problem. 

You can always go to a higher output if you need to. That's one of the things I love best about the H602 - lower lumens when needed and a big bang of light when necessary.


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## Tre_Asay (Jun 19, 2016)

I agree, I preordered the h603c already. The h502c is still one of my favorite lights and perfect for close up work. I take the hi cri over 200 more lumens any day because I always use lower outputs anyways and the difference in a few hours of runtime / 20% lumens will not be noticable in a flashlight that gets a change of batteries once or twice a month.

Our eyes are much better than all but the super high end cameras at dealing with brightness differences. Our eyes can see brighter and dimmer areas at the same time very well.

The reason I checked ZL today was because my friends are planning to bike the hiawatha trail which runs through train tunnels that are very dark. I thought that a high output ZL headlamp would be nice seeing as most of the others wont have anything better than the 50 lumen 3AAA LED headlamps. 
Sadly I have a family reunion planned for the same weekend so I will not be able to attend the biking trip.


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## davidt1 (Jun 19, 2016)

Collins said:


> I'm back to deciding between flood and floody. I like the idea of full flood no hotspot as I mostly do close up work like working on computers and working on car. And since the Zebralight sits off-center, I didn't want to have an off-center hotspot or the bouncing ball effect.
> 
> But with pure flood, I've seen some comparison videos and at times looks like the center can be a little dark when looking at something that is further away in the middle than things that are to the left and right. And that got me to thinking if I was working on my car and dropped a bolt 2 feet down a gap in the engine bay. If looking at that 2 foot deep gap with pure flood would mean looking at a black hole compared to using a floody headlamp?



I was thinking about that same black hole effect that you spoke of. 120 degree flood is way too diffused and result in a lot wasted lumens. Man, I miss the H501 with the 80 degree beam. My H502w is good out to about 3 ft on high. The problem with close-up work is my eyes are often distracted by all that wasted peripheral lumens. Yep, the objects and surface closer to you will reflect all that light at your eyes while the thing you are trying to look at further away will appear super dim.


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## insanefred (Jun 20, 2016)

Collins said:


> I'm back to deciding between flood and floody. I like the idea of full flood no hotspot as I mostly do close up work like working on computers and working on car. And since the Zebralight sits off-center, I didn't want to have an off-center hotspot or the bouncing ball effect.
> 
> But with pure flood, I've seen some comparison videos and at times looks like the center can be a little dark when looking at something that is further away in the middle than things that are to the left and right. And that got me to thinking if I was working on my car and dropped a bolt 2 feet down a gap in the engine bay. If looking at that 2 foot deep gap with pure flood would mean looking at a black hole compared to using a floody headlamp?




That's why you have to get two, one flood for most of the close up tasks and one with a spot when you drop your bolt. :kiss:


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## markr6 (Jun 20, 2016)

Shipping pushed from 6/30 to 7/15


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## Tre_Asay (Jun 21, 2016)

Where did you hear that?

Anyways it looks like these headlamps don't have a pocket clip. I will probably keep the h603c in the headband and edc the h502c with a pocket clip.


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## Glock27 (Jun 21, 2016)

603's on 2nd page of Headlight section state 7/15 expected ship date. 603's on first page still show 6/30. Either some models will be here 2 weeks earlier then the rest or date wasn't updated on some.

G27


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## markr6 (Jun 21, 2016)

I'm seeing *Pre-order. Shipping starts on 7/15/2016 *on every page.


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## Tre_Asay (Jun 21, 2016)

I am seeing 6/30 on the h603 and 7/15 on h600 mk III as well.


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## Collins (Jun 22, 2016)

davidt1 said:


> I was thinking about that same black hole effect that you spoke of. 120 degree flood is way too diffused and result in a lot wasted lumens. Man, I miss the H501 with the 80 degree beam. My H502w is good out to about 3 ft on high. The problem with close-up work is my eyes are often distracted by all that wasted peripheral lumens. Yep, the objects and surface closer to you will reflect all that light at your eyes while the thing you are trying to look at further away will appear super dim.



I work on cars sometimes that you have to look like crevices, etc. and wondered if the all flood to leave the crevices too dark. Or when looking around the room and the peripherals are brighter than the center of what you are looking at.

I wish Zebralight did their headlamps with the lens in the center. I know they put the lend on the end so some could use it like a flashlight and headlamp. But I say most people use their headlamp on their head all of the time. And I wouldn't mind a line of neutral white flood and floody with the lens in the center.

I figured full flood wouldn't be a problem with it off-centered sense there isn't a hotspot in the middle. But with the Floody, does the hot spot look off-centered? Like when looking at a wall, does the hot spot look like it's sitting off to the side?

That was the reason I had looked at going full flood so that I didn't have to worry about an off-centered hot spot being annoying.


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## davidt1 (Jun 22, 2016)

Don't worry about the light not being right between the eyes. If that was a big problem, nobody would be buying these angle headlamps. But if you are still worried, there are plenty traditional headlamps to buy from. As for which beam profile works best for you, only you can decide that. What I did was I bought the H52w which is not floody. Then I put on a diffuser to get that floody beam, kind of like the ZL frosted lens.


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## tech25 (Jun 22, 2016)

I never had an issue with the H51fw hotspot off to the side, not sure about the H600 series being that they are longer. I don't think they will cause an issue, though.


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## Collins (Jun 23, 2016)

tech25 said:


> I never had an issue with the H51fw hotspot off to the side, not sure about the H600 series being that they are longer. I don't think they will cause an issue, though.



Are you saying you don't notice an off-center hotspot?

I've got a cheap AAA headlamp that is pretty much just spot. It's the crappy kind from the local stores. And I moved it slightly off center and it was pretty annoying. Hopefully it's not noticeable with the 600 series floody.


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## mico (Jun 23, 2016)

Okay, I'm in:


H603c High CRI Flood Neutral White 18650 Headlamp
I adore the spotless.


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## tech25 (Jun 23, 2016)

Collins said:


> Are you saying you don't notice an off-center hotspot?
> 
> I've got a cheap AAA headlamp that is pretty much just spot. It's the crappy kind from the local stores. And I moved it slightly off center and it was pretty annoying. Hopefully it's not noticeable with the 600 series floody.



The H51fw has an XPG. Since its the floody version, there is a blended hotspot nothing like the defined cutoff of the spot on my energizer headlamp. When I move my head around with the light on, there is a hotspot that moves but for most people its so well blended with the spill that they won't notice/be bothered by it. 

The H600F series have either the XML or XHP35 both of which has a bigger hotspot combined with a diffused lens- this combination should really spread out the hotspot so as not to have a sharp cutoff like a spot beam much better then my headlamp and having the beam a few inches off center should not be noticeable at all.


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## Tre_Asay (Jun 23, 2016)

The only issue I would see with the hotspot off center would be when trying to look down a small hole, but now that I think of it you could just position the light directly above an eye to get rid of that problem. In that case the angle headlamps may actually be better than a centered one.

It looks like these new lamps do have a slot on both ends for a pocket clip but it is not very deep carry from what I can tell (unless a custom clip is made).


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## davidt1 (Jun 23, 2016)

Don't even get me started on the lack of a clip on a $90 light. Their competition, Armytek and Spark, include a clip. Speaking of Spark, are they still in business? Anyway, they say or somebody did that the H52 clip will work on the H600 lights. I would never use clip-on clips with the light outside the pocket. In fact, I don't use the clips on my H52w and H02w for clipping to clothes at all.

I only use them to hold some magnets and keyrings.







A clip slot should be flat like this:
http://i.imgur.com/MO3tWK7.jpg


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## Koam (Jun 23, 2016)

When I pre ordered my H600w MKIII a few days ago the shipping date was 6/30. I wonder if all pre orders are pushed back or if just the ones buying now are. I guess I'll find out soon enough.


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## flybird (Jun 23, 2016)

What are the advantages of new model over the old version ?


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## Tre_Asay (Jun 24, 2016)

flybird said:


> What are the advantages of new model over the old version ?


More output or runtimes or better LED etc.

I would trust the clip on the h502, it seems very sturdy. IMO of your clothes experienced enough shock for the clip to fail you would probably be dead. One exception would be the light got caught on something while clipped outside of your clothes, but then again it would take a bit of force to come undone. I would trust screw on clips less unless they had been thread locked in place.


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## Glock27 (Jun 30, 2016)

The Status of my pre-ordered H603c just changed to "Processing"! 

G27


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## Collins (Jun 30, 2016)

I'm going to wait on reviews of these new lights.


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## Newguy2012 (Jul 1, 2016)

Glock27 said:


> The Status of my pre-ordered H603c just changed to "Processing"!
> 
> G27



The website can't find my account. How do you check the status?


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## Koam (Jul 1, 2016)

Glock27 said:


> The Status of my pre-ordered H603c just changed to "Processing"!
> 
> G27



My H600w MkIII also shows "Processing".


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## markr6 (Jul 1, 2016)

Don't they always say "processing" the minute you place the order? I honestly don't remember. Maybe it says "order received" or something before that?

Looking forward to some feedback on these. I'm sticking with my H600w II for now.


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## Sulik (Jul 2, 2016)

Mine has _"New (Shipping From China)"_ status & no emails with track number since 06/30.


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## Tre_Asay (Jul 3, 2016)

I have not checked my order yet but it looks like the stats on the h603c took a ping, it used to be 900 for about 2.2 hours. Now it is showing 830 for 2 hours and all levels down to low 1 have been taken down by a small fraction.


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## davidt1 (Jul 3, 2016)

markr6 said:


> ....
> 
> Looking forward to some feedback on these. I'm sticking with my H600w II for now.



The sale price of the H600 XM-L2 makes it a tempting offer. That's just a few bucks more than what I paid for my H52w. 

As for the latest version of the H600, except for the new emitter everything looks the same. They basically put the new emitter in the same exact body -- even the hot spot and spill are the same. The 12 degree hot spot is a bit small for close-up work. Something like 16-20 degree would be awesome. 

Yes, I can put DC-fix on, or buy the F version if I want more flood. But I don't want to.

Just have to say it before someone tells me all that.


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## Sulik (Jul 4, 2016)

Tre_Asay, that's weel known ZL-copypaste. I write'em email & they change mistakes. Also I doubt 39gramms weight of H603. H602 is heavier for 4 gramms others H600, so do H603, I think.


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## Glock27 (Jul 5, 2016)

H603 XM-L Easywhite HCRI lights changed from "Pre-Order" to "Back Order". Shipment to TX should be here this week. Hopefully less than a week till I get one!

XHP35's still say "Pre Order".

G27


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## Tre_Asay (Jul 6, 2016)

Glock27 said:


> H603 XM-L Easywhite HCRI lights changed from "Pre-Order" to "Back Order". Shipment to TX should be here this week. Hopefully less than a week till I get one!
> 
> XHP35's still say "Pre Order".
> 
> G27



I am out on vacation for a while so hopefully it is in the mailbox.


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## Newguy2012 (Jul 7, 2016)

Glock27 said:


> H603 XM-L Easywhite HCRI lights changed from "Pre-Order" to "Back Order". Shipment to TX should be here this week. Hopefully less than a week till I get one!
> "
> 
> G27


Is that what Zebralight's rep told you?


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## lizongyu (Jul 7, 2016)

Newguy2012 said:


> Is that what Zebralight's rep told you?



My H603 was shipped yesterday.


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## Tre_Asay (Jul 13, 2016)

My h603c was shipped 7/12


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## Tre_Asay (Jul 14, 2016)

I got my h603c in the mail today :twothumbs
It is looking great, the only problem I had was the ring around the front of the light worked as a small reflector and made an artifact in the center of the beam so I used a sharpie to fix it.

I think this light will make a great serious headlamp for whatever adventures I have.


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## insanefred (Jul 14, 2016)

Tre_Asay said:


> I got my h603c in the mail today :twothumbs
> It is looking great, the only problem I had was the ring around the front of the light worked as a small reflector and made an artifact in the center of the beam so I used a sharpie to fix it.
> 
> I think this light will make a great serious headlamp for whatever adventures I have.




Weird, it doesn't have lens in the front like the photos on Zebralights website?


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## Tre_Asay (Jul 14, 2016)

It must be the picture, The glass lens is very clear.


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## Newguy2012 (Jul 14, 2016)

Tre_Asay said:


> I got my h603c in the mail today :twothumbs
> It is looking great, the only problem I had was the ring around the front of the light worked as a small reflector and made an artifact in the center of the beam so I used a sharpie to fix it. I think this light will make a great serious headlamp for whatever adventures I have.



The artifact is in the center? My light is coming soon. I hate to deface the light so soon. They should have anodize it black or something. Is artifact very noticeable on surface that's non white? I've seen a lot of the 602w beamshots from Stefano and I haven't notice anything like that. Did you post a picture? I can't seem to see it.


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## Tre_Asay (Jul 15, 2016)

Newguy2012 said:


> The artifact is in the center? My light is coming soon. I hate to deface the light so soon. They should have anodize it black or something. Is artifact very noticeable on surface that's non white? I've seen a lot of the 602w beamshots from Stefano and I haven't notice anything like that. Did you post a picture? I can't seem to see it.


I did post a picture, I am not sure why you can't see it.

I did not take a picture of the beam before marking it but it was not too noticeable, it was 4 squares shaped like the LED probably 10% brighter then the rest. Also it looks like the bezel is SS so anodizing is not an option, they could just adjust the angle of their chamfer to fix it.


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## Newguy2012 (Jul 15, 2016)

I only see an x mark. Is the picture still up? Send Zebralight a feedback.


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## Andrey (Jul 15, 2016)

Tre_Asay said:


> not sure why you can't see it.


You linked a private picture stored in Google. I can't see it either. Due to some permission issues Google is not allowing access to it for either my account or not logged in anonymous session. Try uploading photo to a free public service such as Imgur. It works perfectly for me.


I received two H603c's and see the artifact too. Will try a diffusion film as an alternative to marker.




Newguy2012 said:


> Is artifact very noticeable on surface that's non white?


Not at all. Even on a white textured wall it took me some effort to see it. You need to move the beam side to side to recognize an uneven lighting. Artefact is almost invisible during normal headlamp use.


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## Tre_Asay (Jul 15, 2016)

Andrey said:


> You linked a private picture stored in Google. I can't see it either. Due to some permission issues Google is not allowing access to it for either my account or not logged in anonymous session. Try uploading photo to a free public service such as Imgur. It works perfectly for me.
> 
> 
> I received two H603c's and see the artifact too. Will try a diffusion film as an alternative to marker.
> ...


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## Newguy2012 (Jul 15, 2016)

Andrey said:


> I received two H603c's and see the artifact too. Will try a diffusion film as an alternative to marker.
> 
> Not at all. Even on a white textured wall it took me some effort to see it. You need to move the beam side to side to recognize an uneven lighting. Artefact is almost invisible during normal headlamp use.


I think the artifact is because the Led is a quad die. It's not too bad. One issue I notice with my light is the single press Hi mode don't always work when I turn it off. I think the light might have a problem standing by. I press it at 1sec interval but it doesn't turn on. Double click will switch sub Hi mode is instead of going to med. The hold press cycle works like it should. I have wait 5sec for it to reset. Anyone of you notice this? The battery indicator flashes twice. My Cottonpicker mini volt meter say 3.59v.
4.2V = 100%
4.1V = 90%
4.0V = 80%
3.9V = 60%
3.8V = 35%
3.7V = 10% (Recharge before this level to prolong battery life!)
3.5V = EMPTY 


Does anyone know exactly what Zebralight's battery indicator level represent? I assume 2 flashes means 50% but apparently not if my meter is accurate. When I first got it was 3flashes. Does zebralight ship battery close to empty?


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## Tre_Asay (Jul 16, 2016)

I believe that 2 flashes is 25-50%


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## geokite (Jul 16, 2016)

Got my H603d today. Yes, the artifact is due to the quad die. I find it distracting; every movement of the head I notice it. Tonight I will do the DC fix, and take before and after shots, and post them.

Other than that, perfect. No issues with the button, brightness, battery rattle, anodizing, or modes. Performs exactly like my H602 that it should replace. I'll include a shot of my H602 also in my follow up.

Steve


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## Newguy2012 (Jul 16, 2016)

geokite said:


> Got my H603d today. Yes, the artifact is due to the quad die. I find it distracting; every movement of the head I notice it. Tonight I will do the DC fix, and take before and after shots, and post them.
> 
> Other than that, perfect. No issues with the button, brightness, battery rattle, anodizing, or modes. Performs exactly like my H602 that it should replace. I'll include a shot of my H602 also in my follow up.
> Steve


What is this DC fix?


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## tech25 (Jul 16, 2016)

DC fix is a diffusing film- smooths out the beams. You can buy it on CPF here: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...lm-CPF-Service-amp-Int-l-Shipping-Avail/page4


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## Andrey (Jul 17, 2016)

To confirm that lining the H603c's eyes with a black marker totally removes the artifact. In this case, I believe, it leaves the nice H603c's beam more 'pure'.
DC-Fix, however, has an advantage of correcting the 'tunnel vision' effect if it is something that bothers you. I have and enjoy DC-Fix on two of my other Zebra headlamps: H32w and H52w.


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## geokite (Jul 18, 2016)

Comments for the images/videos are above the inserted image.

H602, wb of 5000K, 0.5sec, f/3.5, 350lm, seven feet away






H603d, wb of 5000K, 0.5sec, f/3.5, 263lm, seven feet away






Moving H603d showing the artifact. Light was about seven feet away from wall.


Moving H603d showing the artifact. Light was about three feet away from wall.



Moving H603d with DC fix, still three feet away from wall.



I find the artifact very noticeable when the light moves. It is clearly from the quad die (you can see the shape of the LED in the artifact!). DC fix does not help, I feel it makes it worse with many more artifacts. This wouldn't normally be an issue, but this type of light is specifically used for up close work. Don't know what I'm going to do with the H603d 

Steve


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## insanefred (Jul 18, 2016)

geokite said:


> Comments for the images/videos are above the inserted image.
> 
> H602, wb of 5000K, 0.5sec, f/3.5, 350lm, seven feet away
> 
> ...





Thanks for posting those.

Yikes, yeah, that is bad, IMO. Ummm... maybe I won't be getting a 603d/c after all.


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## Newguy2012 (Jul 18, 2016)

geokite said:


> Don't know what I'm going to do with the H603d
> 
> Steve


Return it? I guess the frosted version will hide the artifact. One thing you could try is use Magic tape. I found the tape hides the artifact better but you'll have to center the tape otherwise the edge of the tape will show in the beam.
https://youtu.be/jOzLxDnXYN0?t=17s 
I put the tape on at 27s. As you can tell it's an improvement. The light is a H603c


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## geokite (Jul 18, 2016)

Newguy2012 said:


> Return it? I guess the frosted version will hide the artifact. One thing you could try is use Magic tape. I found the tape hides the artifact better but you'll have to center the tape otherwise the edge of the tape will show in the beam.
> https://youtu.be/jOzLxDnXYN0?t=17s
> I put the tape on at 27s. As you can tell it's an improvement.



What ZL was the tape being applied to in that video?

Steve


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## Newguy2012 (Jul 18, 2016)

H603c 4000K 
Same beam angle as yours just warmer CCT.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004YTJF/?tag=cpf0b6-20


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## geokite (Jul 18, 2016)

Wow, magic tape is much better than the tape from phaserburn (at least for this application). Artifact gone, completely. Now to make the tape look nice on the light...

Steve


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## davidt1 (Jul 18, 2016)

Good news! I hear Zebralight will include a Sharpie and some magic tape with each H603d purchase in the future.

Sorry, I can't help myself.


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## skater1on1 (Jul 20, 2016)

Received my H603W two days ago. Used a H602W for two years before this. 

Pros of 603w:
-Slightly brighter than 602
-Tint is slightly more pleasing despite higher kelvin 

Cons:
-Defective upon arrival. Will randomly turn off during use, checked with several known good cells. Also will blink randomly at highest output level
-Artifact is noticeable and distracting. Time will tell if it's a deal breaker. 
-Beam edge doesn't feel as crisp and clean as the 602w.
-Zebralight's crap customer service. Light was shipped out exactly two weeks past promised date without explanation. No customer service for defective unit. I've yet to receive a reply to my ticket. Of course no phone number is provided. 


Summary - I might just switch back to another 602W. I need a light that inspires confidence, due to my heavy usage, and this light already has me nervous. 

If there was another company that made a mule-style headlamp, I'd ditch Zebralight. Their poor customer service doesn't make up for their decent UI.


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## markr6 (Jul 20, 2016)

skater1on1 said:


> -Zebralight's crap customer service. Light was shipped out exactly two weeks past promised date without explanation. No customer service for defective unit. I've yet to receive a reply to my ticket. Of course no phone number is provided.



I hear this quite often and it always surprises me. I've returned several lights in the past. They always responded with an RMA number within 1 day and I ship it out. I get a refund within a couple days after they receive it.


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## Andrey (Jul 20, 2016)

skater1on1 said:


> Will randomly turn off during use, checked with several known good cells. Also will blink randomly at highest output level


Try cleaning the tail contact area and the spring plate inside the cap.




skater1on1 said:


> Artifact is noticeable and distracting.


This is easy to resolve by painting the shiny bezel with a black marker.


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## geokite (Jul 21, 2016)

skater1on1 said:


> -Zebralight's crap customer service. Light was shipped out exactly two weeks past promised date without explanation. No customer service for defective unit. I've yet to receive a reply to my ticket. Of course no phone number is provided.



I emailed them about the artifact in my H603d, possibly looking to exchange it for a H603, and after 2 days got a call from a sales rep. Had a good long conversation about the lights and informed him that the artifact issue was fixed with magic tape.

Yes, my H603d was shipped weeks after being "promised". Nothing unusual for ZL, par for the course. No reply to your ticket does not, IMO, equate to 'no customer service'. I'd give them another 2 days. 

This is my 23rd ZL, and out of all those purchases I have only had one with an issue (I think it was a H32F that had a dark spot in the middle of the beam, got replaced promptly by the vendor I bought it from).

Steve


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## scs (Jul 21, 2016)

geokite said:


> I emailed them about the artifact in my H603d, possibly looking to exchange it for a H603, and after 2 days got a call from a sales rep. Had a good long conversation about the lights and informed him that the artifact issue was fixed with magic tape.
> 
> Yes, my H603d was shipped weeks after being "promised". Nothing unusual for ZL, par for the course. No reply to your ticket does not, IMO, equate to 'no customer service'. I'd give them another 2 days.
> 
> ...



The XHP35 die has a cross as well, but not nearly as thick and prominent as that on the XML EasyWhite. Hope the H603 works out for you. The image of the die in the H603d is horrendous.


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## geokite (Jul 21, 2016)

As of right now, I'll be keeping the H603d and not get the H603. The magic tape fix eliminates the cross image of the LED, and I love the light color.

Steve


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## Andrey (Jul 27, 2016)

Tested the top modes of H603c.


Mode lmCurr ATime h:minTime specif.Switch M1 VM1 TimeNotesH1_8303.503:47~2 h2.840:26No cooling. Current begins to drop after 25 sec. In 8 min stabilizes at 0.8 A.H1_8300:40>3:10In water with ice.H2_5311.603:45~2.5 h2.850:28No cooling. Current begins to drop after 2 min 43 sec. As in H1 mode, stabilizes at 0.8 A in 15 min.H2_5311:342:43In water with ice.
5 h 35 min on L1 after switch from M1.H3_2420.545:363:542.740:084 h 54 min on L1 after switch from M1.H4_1100.2212:2311:002.780:11M1_590.0929:2830:00

All tests performed on fresh NCR18650GA.
In all modes above the driver increases current as battery voltage drops, thus maintaining the constant power.
Switch from M1 to L1 occurs at 2.70 V. On L1 voltage first restores to 2.81 V, then begins dropping again very slowly. Light turns off at 7.69 V.


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## Stefano (Jul 27, 2016)

Thanks for this very accurate test :thumbsup:


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## Tre_Asay (Jul 30, 2016)

I snapped a picture of my h603c in the garden last night.


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## tops2 (Jul 31, 2016)

Thanks for the picture!

Does the H603c really look that warm in person vs what you see on your monitors? I didn't expect it to look so warm unless it's my iPad mini screen.


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## Tre_Asay (Jul 31, 2016)

No, it is my camera. I had it white balanced to shade (7000k) so the cool white LED lamps would look pure white in comparison. Our eyes automatically adjust to color temperature so it will realy only seem warm when compared to cool white lights. It actually looks cooler if your eyes are adjusted to incandescant lighting.
I will edit in a picture of the matching white balance. In reality the color of the light is similar to warmish starlight / full moonlight.


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## tops2 (Jul 31, 2016)

Lol. Thanks for the clarification. I wasn't sure if it was my eyes, or iPad, or my understanding of tints totally off.


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## mico (Aug 1, 2016)

mico said:


> Okay, I'm in:
> 
> 
> H603c High CRI Flood Neutral White 18650 Headlamp
> I adore the spotless.



Finally got mine. Was never really happy with the cloudy/shadowy beam of the 600Fc MkIII and loved the spotless 502, so went for this. Lovely tint.

Now, were's my sharpie?

(Quite surprised ZL would put this out with this artefact. Perhaps I've been spoilt by the 502...)


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## Collins (Aug 2, 2016)

geokite said:


> Got my H603d today. Yes, the artifact is due to the quad die. I find it distracting; every movement of the head I notice it. Tonight I will do the DC fix, and take before and after shots, and post them.
> 
> Other than that, perfect. No issues with the button, brightness, battery rattle, anodizing, or modes. Performs exactly like my H602 that it should replace. I'll include a shot of my H602 also in my follow up.
> 
> Steve



Does the H602 have this "artifact" problem too? I've been looking at getting a full flood headlamp for a while now as I hate having hot spots or other distracting things from the light.


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## Collins (Aug 2, 2016)

davidt1 said:


> Good news! I hear Zebralight will include a Sharpie and some magic tape with each H603d purchase in the future.
> 
> Sorry, I can't help myself.



Is there a certain type of primer and paint that you could paint that ring with matte black paint and will stick well and NOT chip off? I figure that's better than a sharpie marker.


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## geokite (Aug 4, 2016)

Collins said:


> Does the H602 have this "artifact" problem too? I've been looking at getting a full flood headlamp for a while now as I hate having hot spots or other distracting things from the light.


My H602 did not. I got a call from a sales person at ZL and he said the H603 and H603w did not either, but that the H603c would have the artifact from the quad die. 

But like I said, magic tape eliminated the artifact. Been using the light daily and I love it.

This artifact is different from any perceived artifact from the bezel ring reflection. I find that artifact very hard to see, so it is not a concern to me.

Steve


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## Collins (Aug 4, 2016)

geokite said:


> My H602 did not. I got a call from a sales person at ZL and he said the H603 and H603w did not either, but that the H603c would have the artifact from the quad die.
> 
> But like I said, magic tape eliminated the artifact. Been using the light daily and I love it.
> 
> ...



What difference do you notice from the H603c and your old H602?

I may look at the H603W. But will consider the H603C with frosted lens. I wouldn't like the idea of tape on lens, so I'd see if Zebralight would sell a frosted lens that fits the H603 models.

Does the H602 have this "bezel ring reflection" problem? Wonder if a H602 bezel would fit on the H603.


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## Stefano (Aug 9, 2016)

I have two Zebralight on the road, I should get tomorrow (H600Fc + H603w)
I was not willing to buy H603w because I read conflicting reports here.
usually I do not like immediately buy a new product because the first specimens may have problems (or after initial production they are made some improvements)
I had ordered a another H602w to keep as a backup (already own one) because it was on sale at a good price. 
Unfortunately, the seller is forgotten and sold the copy which had reserved for me :-( he offered me H603w at the same price of H602w
I hope not to have problems with the new model, if I have time before the end of this week I can make a photo/video comparison with my old H602w
I will see tomorrow if I am satisfied with this upgrade, I hope not to have problems, until now none of my Zebralight failed.
(Translate with Google)


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## geokite (Aug 9, 2016)

Collins said:


> What difference do you notice from the H603c and your old H602?
> 
> I may look at the H603W. But will consider the H603C with frosted lens. I wouldn't like the idea of tape on lens, so I'd see if Zebralight would sell a frosted lens that fits the H603 models.
> 
> Does the H602 have this "bezel ring reflection" problem? Wonder if a H602 bezel would fit on the H603.


The H603d is a bit dimmer than the H602 for the same setting, but it makes up for that with color rendition. 

ZL doesn't do custom orders AFAIK. If there is a bezel reflection on my H602 it must be very slight, not enough for me to bother with.

Steve


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## Stefano (Aug 9, 2016)

Collins said:


> Does the H602 have this "bezel ring reflection" problem? Wonder if a H602 bezel would fit on the H603.



Concerning the H602 I've never seen anything strange in the beam,, nor any refractive problem.
(This is also using it at home)
In about 12 hours I will have the H603w, I am curious to compare with H602w
I'll do it immediately (at home) without waiting for the darkness
It sounds strange that Zebralight that has always made great lights can fall down with a defect how this.
By reading this page, it seems that it would be very evident on models that use the led Easy withe rather than on those who use XHP35 (I understand correctly?)
If so this is a pain because I would have liked to buy a H603c, use it in association with the H600Fc in the woods
About the frosted lens of H603 I do not think it's a good idea.
It is designed to spread the light on flashlights that have a reflector and I can not give any benefit or better performance on H603

(Translate with Google)


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## Stefano (Aug 10, 2016)

My Zebra arrived.
I have tried in home in a dark room, I was afraid of nasty surprises from H603w however (at least for the moment) everything looks good, I do not see any artifact or refractive problem.
The tint is cold but I was prepared for this, also my old H602w is cold, disappointment however of H600Fc, the tint is beautiful but I would expect warmer.
My Wizard V3 is warm, the H600fc seems a delicate pink, it is not ugly but I would expect more warmer.
Comparing H603w with H600Fc the H603w seems cool withe 
I need the night to give other impressions.
If I have the opportunity tonight I try to realize photos, videos and make comparison H603w vs H602w









This photo shows the beam width difference between the H603w and H600 Fc


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## markr6 (Aug 10, 2016)

Stefano said:


>



That anodizing is the darkest I've seen yet. Pretty much black! Or is it possibly just your camera or lighting?


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## Stefano (Aug 10, 2016)

Hi Markr6
It is really so.
The picture reproduces the truth.
Very different from Fc H600 I purchased with it, and also by fw H600 I bought last month
I do not know if MKIII are all so but maybe this dark color distinguishes the series 3?


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## Stefano (Aug 10, 2016)

I spent about three hours with the new models.
I have brought with me into the woods H602w (XM-L2) - H603w (XHP35) - H600Fw (XM-L2) - H600Fc (Easy Withe led) and Armytek Wizard V3 (XP-L) was an interesting evening
I'm really pleased.
About H603: it is not "snake oil" as someone had written.
I have to admit even I was a little skeptical, the new led "only" 100 lumens of difference.
After trying I must say that the new H603 is much brighter, maybe not justify an upgrade, but it is a visible improvement.
The throw is slightly higher, I estimated three or four meters higher.
I made a lot of photos and video, but it will take about 24-48 hours to make visible
Edit:
I put my experiences on H600Fc and H603w here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...6-Zebralight-H602w-vs-H603w-H600Fw-vs-H600-Fc


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## lampeDépêche (Aug 12, 2016)

I ordered a 603d on Tuesday afternoon; got it today (Friday) in Upstate New York, near the Canadian border. Pretty good delivery time, though I did pay the extra $3.99 for priority shipping.

I am a huge ZL fan--I love my H600w MkII, and hardly ever leave the house without my H52w in my pocket. Love the levels, the form factor, the efficiency. (Some time I'll tell you about the AAA testing I did in my H52w--it beat every other AAA light all silly. Much better run times and outputs on an AAA than any of the purpose-built AAA lights). 

Anyhow--the new one is excellent, too. The emitter artefact is not a big deal to me. If I look for it, I can see it. But if I am looking *for* something else, or looking *at* something else, then I don't see it.

Still, it is a puzzle to me. Here's how I think about it; correct me if I am wrong.

If there is an image of the emitter being projected onto the wall in front of me, then there must be a *lens* or a *reflector* that is projecting that image. There is clearly no reflector, so there must be a lens. But the front glass is simply a piece of plate glass. So it must be the lens on the emitter itself, i.e. the plastic dome that is part of the XML-2 EasyWhite emitter.

But in that case, the fault is not Zebralights, but rather Cree's. How did they design a dome so ineptly that it focuses an image of the die? No other dome that I know of has that property. The fact that it is a quad-die doesn't explain it: it's not as though my Nichia 219b mule projects an image of the single die onto the wall. No; the dome is suppose to spread the light perfectly evenly throughout the entire hemisphere. And most domes do this, without projecting an image.

So I am puzzled--is there anything that ZL could have done, other than using a ground-glass diffuser lens, to avoid this artefact?

But curiosity aside, I don't think it is going to be an issue. When I am in the crawlspace underneath my house, putting up new insulation, I will be very happy to have this light, and I will not notice the artefact at all.


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## Andrey (Aug 13, 2016)

lampeDépêche said:


> If there is an image of the emitter being projected onto the wall in front of me, then there must be a *lens* or a *reflector* that is projecting that image.


A shiny edge of a bezel ring is that reflector. Paint it with a dark marker (or stick a removable tape if you like to experiment) and the artefact disappears.


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## lampeDépêche (Aug 13, 2016)

Andrey said:


> A shiny edge of a bezel ring is that reflector. Paint it with a dark marker (or stick a removable tape if you like to experiment) and the artefact disappears.



Well, I'll be darned. I owe the nice folks at Cree an apology. And I have a few words for the folks at ZL.

I didn't believe you, Andrey, so I tried it with some black tape. It's librarian's book-mending tape: not only black, but also totally matte on the surface, not even the residual shine that duct tape or electrician's tape has. 

I put a crude ring of librarian's tape around the bezel and the artefact was largely gone. Then, while keeping the light trained on the ceiling, I pulled the tape off. Boom, artefact back. 

So now I have just covered over the bezel with some black Sharpie, because it's quick and easy. It reduces the artefact a lot, but not entirely, because the black Sharpie ink on the stainless steel is still somewhat reflective, not totally matte. What I need is some sort of quality black matte paint, plus a tiny paintbrush. And maybe I could buy all that, but then I'd need a steadier hand than I have in order to paint it on the bezel without getting it on the lens.

Hey Zebralight? You really should do something about this. This light is 95% of the way to greatness. And there must be a way to get a bezel in there that does not lead to this side-effect--like use a black anodized ring instead of a stainless ring?

You guys really work hard for excellence in your circuit-design. You are always striving to get your lights to be a millimeter shorter. I know you care about excellence. So why leave this light 5% short of excellence? 

Thanks, Zebralight, in advance, for providing a permanent solution to this problem.

And thanks, Andrey, for answering my question and pointing me to a quick fix.


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## Collins (Aug 19, 2016)

Andrey said:


> Try cleaning the tail contact area and the spring plate inside the cap.
> 
> 
> 
> This is easy to resolve by painting the shiny bezel with a black marker.



Does the 602 have a shiny bezel?


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## Collins (Aug 19, 2016)

Stefano said:


> My Zebra arrived.
> I have tried in home in a dark room, I was afraid of nasty surprises from H603w however (at least for the moment) everything looks good, I do not see any artifact or refractive problem.
> The tint is cold but I was prepared for this, also my old H602w is cold, disappointment however of H600Fc, the tint is beautiful but I would expect warmer.
> My Wizard V3 is warm, the H600fc seems a delicate pink, it is not ugly but I would expect more warmer.
> ...



The 603W has the XHP35 LED. Which I've read some say doesn't have that quad shadow look on the wall like with the 603C XM-L2 Hi Cri LED.

I'm deciding between the H602W and the H603W.


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## Robert Marley (Oct 1, 2016)

After owning h602w and h502w I had high expectations for the mark 3 zebralight. I just got a h600fw mk3 in the mail and am real disappointed. 

Randomly flashes on h1, gets stupid hot in about 2 mins. Also light fades to very, very dim level..

I use my h602w and h502w on h1 with no issues at all.. Sure after some time they will begin to slowly drop lumens because of the heat, but it is hardly noticeable.. 

How long does your zebralight mk3 maintain level h1 before pid kicks in and start to lose brightness?
If it can only maintain h1 for 2 minutes what is the point?

All zebralight could do is rudely blame me for using wrong battery. They reckon you have to use only about 4 brands of battery in the new model.. Problem is I am already using 3500mah panasonics and that is one of the brands that they recommend..

I know I'm not the only person in the world having these problems with brand new mk3 zebralight. Just see page 3 of this thread.

Would have been nice of them to say that a couple of faulty lights had made it past quality control.
Instead of blaming me, their customer, for using wrong battery when I'm not.

Not feeling confident enough to go for a swap in case all the new mk3's are like mine. Zebralight think its a battery issue only.
Please chime in if your mark 3 can maintain h1 like a mark2.

After paying $20 Australian to have it ems shipped direct from zebralight China, I now have to send it back registered mail to China .. I'm guessing I'll be at least $40-$50 negative all for nothing. Thanks zebralight.


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## StandardBattery (Oct 4, 2016)

Robert Marley said:


> After owning h602w and h502w I had high expectations for the mark 3 zebralight. I just got a h600fw mk3 in the mail and am real disappointed.
> ....


Hmmm, I better test mine some more. I was quite happy with mine. I don't often use H1, and only for short times when I do, in my EDC lights, but I have often in my headlamps used it quite long in the dark trying to work on an engine which is so dark it sucks all the light. The H600 series was finally enough light for some of those jobs. I recently got the H600fw mk3 XHP35 and have found it is stellar as a task light, even with the F flood lens it seemed bright enough. I also got a H603c for an indoor task light, I missed that wide beam like I got on my very first zebralight. I'll check the heat situation, it was a bit cool out when I did my initial testing.

I hope you shipping costs are less, seems like they need a better system if it costs you that much, I thought they offered 30day returns free of charge, but if shipping is complicated that ruins it. Maybe just regular registered postal mail would be good enough.


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## Collins (Oct 7, 2016)

StandardBattery said:


> Hmmm, I better test mine some more. I was quite happy with mine. I don't often use H1, and only for short times when I do, in my EDC lights, but I have often in my headlamps used it quite long in the dark trying to work on an engine which is so dark it sucks all the light. The H600 series was finally enough light for some of those jobs. I recently got the H600fw mk3 XHP35 and have found it is stellar as a task light, even with the F flood lens it seemed bright enough. I also got a H603c for an indoor task light, I missed that wide beam like I got on my very first zebralight. I'll check the heat situation, it was a bit cool out when I did my initial testing.
> 
> I hope you shipping costs are less, seems like they need a better system if it costs you that much, I thought they offered 30day returns free of charge, but if shipping is complicated that ruins it. Maybe just regular registered postal mail would be good enough.



Which do you like better for upclose tasks, the floody or flood? I was planning on getting one for doing computer repair, working on engine, working under car, etc.

And I thought floody and flood had the same wide beam?

On flood I figured there might be a darker center when say looking around a room. Just going by pictures of others posted. And figured a floody with a brighter center wouldn't have that dark center effect when looking around.


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## Collins (Oct 9, 2016)

mico said:


> Finally got mine. Was never really happy with the cloudy/shadowy beam of the 600Fc MkIII and loved the spotless 502, so went for this. Lovely tint.
> 
> Now, were's my sharpie?
> 
> (Quite surprised ZL would put this out with this artefact. Perhaps I've been spoilt by the 502...)



What do you mean by "clowdy/shadowy"?

I was looking at going with MkIII Floody vs. the MkIII Pure Flood. As I'd think you'd probably be able to get same brightness at lower level with the Floody. And I've read of the Pure Flood when looking around can have a dark center or "donut" with the sides being brighter than what you are looking at in the middle. Especially if you are looking around a room and so the walls to your side may be brighter than what you are looking at across the room.


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## mico (Oct 11, 2016)

Collins said:


> What do you mean by "clowdy/shadowy"?
> 
> I was looking at going with MkIII Floody vs. the MkIII Pure Flood. As I'd think you'd probably be able to get same brightness at lower level with the Floody. And I've read of the Pure Flood when looking around can have a dark center or "donut" with the sides being brighter than what you are looking at in the middle. Especially if you are looking around a room and so the walls to your side may be brighter than what you are looking at across the room.



The spill... the 'edge' of the diffuse hot spot, isn't particularly clean/even/symmetric. I don't notice outside, but inside my eyes are distracted, when I move the beam around, by unexpected less bright areas...

If a beam has a spot and a perfect spill then pointing it at a wall and jiggling it around should see a spot jiggling around in the middle of what otherwise looks a fairly similar spill. Right? My Fc isn't like this. I'm not convinced I'm not being fooled though. Fooled by the light. *

I think you have to consider your use case as the beams are very different. (Note the floody beam has a soft edge which simply fades out, it's very nice, unlike the mules, or a regular beam, that have an obvious edge, I like this too. Using a floody at lower power for close up means the fade out will get very close to your job.)

And I don't look in the middle of the 603 beam, I look around, anywhere I want - it all looks the same. (Whilst your comment about walls is obvious, it really isn't descriptive of this beam.)

The 603c is my favourite by far. The Fc is slightly warmer, perhaps my favourite tint, has throw too.

If you are not sure get the Floody.
If you know your use case, then you'll know better.

* It occurs to me that I should point out that none of these observations involve having the lamp strapped to my head, but hand held or clipped to my belt.


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## myflashguy (Nov 8, 2016)

Ordered H603 today. After reading some bad reviews about H603c,d,w i hope my regular won't hv problem. I'm still hoping


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## OnlyownEnergizer250lumen (Jan 4, 2017)

How was your light, myflashguy? I also just ordered a Zebralight H603w, wondering what to expect in a few days!


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## tetradog (Sep 21, 2017)

markr6 said:


> I hear this quite often and it always surprises me. I've returned several lights in the past. They always responded with an RMA number within 1 day and I ship it out. I get a refund within a couple days after they receive it.



Same. The messaging interface is a tad clunky, but good service has been consistent.


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