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tbh, flashlights are getting boring for me now, and sometimes i wonder why i go on flashlight forums every day.

ZLs are just too good, and nothing else really interests me. i think i could only be interested in something new from another manufacturer that:
  • builds on their winning formula (aluminum unibody with good anodization, compact size, high efficiency driver, good thermal mgmt, moonlight, LVP) and innovates in UI... maybe with a new single-button concept, but tbh between ZL and anduril, i don't know if there is much room for innovation... or better yet a two-button (180° apart) or rocker design
  • something that goes in a completely different direction that we've never seen before
but for me personally, nothing else offered is that enticing. nothing matches ZL for me, and certainly not for ~$100. not really interested in fancy titanium lights (e.g. overready) because of its inferior thermal conductivity.

i'm not a collector. i only have a couple of spare lights (incl an aluminum D4V2) and no spare headlamps. maybe i have reached peak hobby for my needs.
 
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If you don't want to collect, then probably so. Unless you decide that you have to have custom lights for aesthetic needs; in which case you can sell all you have, plus your house, and get a few ;)

I put in an order for two (why two...) of the SC65 lights, plus (why not) the matching batteries. I don't expect it to out _perform_ in any big way, and the beam might even be worse than the 64 LE, but that's OK. I'll get joy just out of carrying something that has a bigger inductor in it.

Maybe I should just buy some big inductors and put belt clips on them.
 
SYZYGY said:
tbh, flashlights are getting boring for me now, and sometimes i wonder why i go on flashlight forums every day.

ZLs are just too good, and nothing else really interests me. i think i could only be interested in something new from another manufacturer that:
  • builds on their winning formula (aluminum unibody with good anodization, compact size, high efficiency driver, good thermal mgmt, moonlight, LVP) and innovates in UI... maybe with a new single-button concept, but tbh between ZL and anduril, i don't know if there is much room for innovation... or better yet a two-button (180° apart) or rocker design
  • something that goes in a completely different direction that we've never seen before
but for me personally, nothing else offered is that enticing. nothing matches ZL for me, and certainly not for ~$100. not really interested in fancy titanium lights (e.g. overready) because of its inferior thermal conductivity.

i'm not a collector. i only have a couple of spare lights (incl an aluminum D4V2) and no spare headlamps. maybe i have reached peak hobby for my needs.
Click to expand...
Before this current update to ZL I was a fanboy for OLight. Mostly only their small 90* lights. I really like them and still rotate them into my EDC….

The usually have a ”neutral” color option, decent runtimes, the moonlight was kind of bright at 2LMs, interesting Ano colors, pretty basic UI (press to power on and press hold to cycle levels, press hold to lockout)

If i had to nit pick, I wasn’t a fan of their mag charging. Although it has gotten better. I once shorted out a light hitting keys in my pocket. Thankfully overcurrent protection kicked in. They used to give the option of a mag charging end cap or regular. My old H1 Nova with standard cap isn’t much longer than the CR123 that powers it.

The newer Perun are insane.. 1000 Lumens!! I don’t have a way to confirm that output, nor do I ever need a floody light that powerful. I guess Id rather “have than not need, then need and not have”
 
SYZYGY said:
tbh, flashlights are getting boring for me now, and sometimes i wonder why i go on flashlight forums every day.

ZLs are just too good, and nothing else really interests me. i think i could only be interested in something new from another manufacturer that:
  • builds on their winning formula (aluminum unibody with good anodization, compact size, high efficiency driver, good thermal mgmt, moonlight, LVP) and innovates in UI... maybe with a new single-button concept, but tbh between ZL and anduril, i don't know if there is much room for innovation... or better yet a two-button (180° apart) or rocker design
  • something that goes in a completely different direction that we've never seen before
but for me personally, nothing else offered is that enticing. nothing matches ZL for me, and certainly not for ~$100. not really interested in fancy titanium lights (e.g. overready) because of its inferior thermal conductivity.

i'm not a collector. i only have a couple of spare lights (incl an aluminum D4V2) and no spare headlamps. maybe i have reached peak hobby for my needs.
Click to expand...
I was getting bored too, even after having more than 20 Zebralights… so I started with one HDS and now I have 3 with a fourth in the mail… and now I’m broke. But at least I’m excited again and they’re the first light that made me use Zebralight less, but I still carry one everyday.
 
I get about 350 lumens at turn on. It drops to around 200 lumens after a few minutes. It will hold between 150-200 lumens after that.

Edit: That is with a 14500 cell.
IMG_7909.jpeg
 
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Why can't I find any information about ZL on their website?
Is it a US or Chinese company?
Just curious ...
 
radellaf said:
I think I've noticed that. There seems to be a jump in relative brightness between two steps in the middle. I forget if it's M1 to H4 or M2 to M1, somewhere around there. I don't see this (as badly) on previous models. Not a huge thing, but noticeable.

M2 is 21h estimated and M1 is 8.5, so they are spec'-ing a 3x jump vs the usual 2x. Their lumens are 65 and 30, specified, though, so not sure what's going on there. I don't think there's a big efficiency drop. Something doesn't add up. Visually, I buy the runtime/watts more than the lumen spec.

The other difference is that I see no, or nearly no, difference between H1 and H2, sometimes even H3. My c and w models get like that with a lower charge level (50%? eneloop) but these start out that way, or do it at like 90%. Feels like we get 10 levels instead of 12, and there's one missing in the middle.

I'm still happy with it, and usually run the G5 mode with H1, H4 ; M1, M2 ; L1 , (not sure, L3?).
Might make sense to do H2, H4, as my tailcap measurements show a pretty big jump in current between H1 and H2, for no visible gain.
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Where did you find the output and runtime specs for the H53c Nichia version? I don't see those on the Zebralight webpage yet, but that info would be useful to me.
 
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