Zebralight and neutral tint fans, rejoice!

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

The neutral version of the SC52 is here!   

Gotta move this one up the list! 

http://www.zebralight.com/SC52w-AA-Flashlight-Neutral-White_p_109.html

[captain spaulding]

Your tempting me. I have been looking for a light this size.   

[enki_ck]

Took them a while.

I'm relatively happy with my SC51 so my next zebra will probably be of a headlamp variety.    

[Syph007]

Thanks for the heads up, Ive been waiting for one!  Ordered.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Your tempting me. I have been looking for a light this size.   

 

I'm going to have to wait another month before I can get one myself.  I already have six Zebras as it is...     Simon has a D10 with an HCRI XPG in it he's holding for me until I can pay him for it at the beginning of next month.  I'll order one of these for myself come July, although I honestly don't need one, so I might get another Spark headlamp instead, as I actually could make use of another.

[JAfromMn]

Guess what I am going to ask my wife for my birthday.

 

[captain spaulding]

Yea I need a headlamp as well. I have a Energizer one I bought a Target a few years ago that has served me well for my limited headlamp needs, but I just wan't something with a bit higher performance and the capability to detach it and use as a regular light.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Yea I need a headlamp as well. I have a Energizer one I bought a Target a few years ago that has served me well for my limited headlamp needs, but I just wan't something with a bit higher performance and the capability to detach it and use as a regular light.

Then one of the H51's is what you want.  You can use them in the headband they come with as a regular headlamp, or take it out of the band, put the clip on, and use it like a regular 1xAA torch.  One of the nice things about the ZL headlamps, is you can clip them on your collar, a shirt pocket, a pack strap, or the like, and still have them work as a good task light without having to use the headband.

There is a new 502w out too, that has a max output of something like 260 lumens on the highest setting, and a nicely warmer tint (around 4,300K).  It's got one of the new XM-L2's in it, so it's just as bright as the original model with the first generation cool tint XML. 

At first the beam pattern of my 502d kind of bugged me because of its wide (120º) beam profile; it lit up the front of my shirt, created some glare in my glasses, and was bothersome to others around me.  However, I've gotten more used to it and it's kind of grown on me...  Lately I'm finding I like it more than the center weighted beam of my H51Fw.

The headlamp I use most, though, is my Spark ST5-190nw.  I keep it in a drawer near my desk, and use it nearly every day.  It has a t-shaped body design, where the emitter extends forward on the leg of the T.  The extra 3/4" or so of forward extension means I don't get any glare in my glasses, and I don't have to fiddle with it as much as with one of my ZL's to get the beam looking perfectly centered.  It also comes with a true frosted lens rather than just a regular lens with a diffuser on it, like with the ZL "F" models.  It gives a much more evenly spread beam that closely mimics the pure flood beam of a bare emitter with no reflector.  And if you want a regular torch style beam, all you have to do is unscrew the bezel and put the regular clear lens in instead.

There are some other advantages of the Sparks over the Zebras too; namely the T shaped body design, and the fact most Sparks can also use RCR lithium ion cells as well as nimhs or alkies.  As a pure, dedicated headlamp, I actually think the Sparks are better than the Zebras, although the Zebras are more versatile, have a better UI (IMHO), and have a more efficient driver so they give you more run time out of a cell than an equivalent Spark.  Sparks are better if you want to wear a headlamp over a hat, or under a hood, because of the body design.  Zebras don't work well in those situations because of the bezel and lens being basically flush with the rest of the body, so there's a lot of umbrage on the beam from the bill of a hat or a hood that overhangs the light.

My next headlamp is actually going to be another Spark, the SX5-320nw.  It has an external battery pack that can hold either 3xAA or 1x26650 and gives really long run times.  They make an optional extension cord too, so if you don't want the battery pack on the back of your head, you can use the extension cord and put the battery pack on your belt or in a pocket.  I want to get one because I find that my ST5 just doesn't give me enough run time when doing things like working on my bike, or at my workbench in the garage; it only gives about 45 min. of burn on max, so I have to keep a spare cell in my pocket.  The SX5 solves that problem easily, and I wouldn't be using it as an outdoors/camping light, so the external battery pack wouldn't be an issue; I only use my ZL's for camping and the like, because of their small size, light weight, and great versatility.  They're great for reading too, because there's no hardware like a buckle or external battery pack on the back of the headstrap to dig into your skin when laying down.

It really depends on what your needs are.  Sit down and write up a list of your usages for a headlamp, and what kind of tint you want, and I'll give you some more specific suggestions about which model Zebra or Spark to get that would best meet your needs.

[Travis Autry]

The new Zebra's are still in the preorder stage.  They aren't slated to begin shipping for a few weeks yet.

Although the MTO Store is currently closed, I am still an authorized dealer for ZebraLight and am available via PM or email to work with members on purchases.  Naturally, profits from any sales through Mutltitool.org contacts will go to support MTO.

In short, send requests and I'll see what I can find out on pricing and delivery ETA.

[Syph007]

Hey what gives, it was for sale on the zebra site before and I was able to order it fine.  No money was refunded, but its for sure not for sale now...   

[Travis Autry]

It may be that they have run into a shipping delayfrom China.  Back when the SC52's were slated to come out, they were delayed by around 6 weeks.  I placed a preorder in October and did not receive product until December, too late to sell before Christmas.

Not to rag on Chinese manufacturing, but stuff happens during a production run sometimes.  If the production run is across the street, that is one thing.  On the other side of the planet is something quite different!

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

It may be that they have run into a shipping delayfrom China.  Back when the SC52's were slated to come out, they were delayed by around 6 weeks.  I placed a preorder in October and did not receive product until December, too late to sell before Christmas.

Not to rag on Chinese manufacturing, but stuff happens during a production run sometimes.  If the production run is across the street, that is one thing.  On the other side of the planet is something quite different!

ZL is a pretty small company, too, compared to some of the other big-name torch manufacturers out there, like Fenix, Jetbeam/NiteCore, and so on.  Their production runs are probably smaller, which means they most likely get bumped down the priority list by factories/manufacturers, and they're also very picky about the tints of their emitters, so they often have to wait longer than other companies to get just the tint they want for their lights.  (I was told this by their sales-rep, Lillian, in a response to an email I sent them a couple years ago.)  So both these factors are high risks for production delays with their products.  Right now though, I'm saving my pennies for an SC52w!  (I'll let you know when I'm ready to get one, Travis, and order it directly from you.     )

[Syph007]

My SC52w arrived today!!! 

Pics compared to my SC51fw.  Love these lights, and the extra brightness is a blessing in this nice neutral tint.

[enki_ck]

Congrats.

[16VGTIDave]

Drool...

Congrats on the new addition to the family!


Sent from my iPhone 4S

[theonew]

I just received the SC52w and I have to say WOW!!! I'm not a flashlight snob, only have a Fenix LD20 that I bought 4 years ago and has served we well. But when I saw the specs on this light and its size I had to check it out. I can see now now why people prefer a neutral tint, it does seem to make it easier to read and do finer tasks. The user interface is a bit complicated but for a computer programmer it didn't take me long to figure it out and get it customized. Only had it one day but I have to say I'm impressed. It's also a lot smaller than I imagined it would be. 

[David]

The SC52w came today and I like it. When it get dark in a couple hours it will be time to play.   

[captain spaulding]

Im  definitely getting the SC52W when I can save some money.

[David]

The SC52w I recieved is not a neutral tint. It is quite warm with a yellow and some green tint. Mine is not as bad as some on CPF are reporting but far from neutral. If you are a tint snob you might want to look else where or find a dealer who will check the tint before they ship. Other wise I really like the light so far.

[JAfromMn]

Sc52Warm

[captain spaulding]

The SC52w I recieved is not a neutral tint. It is quite warm with a yellow and some green tint. Mine is not as bad as some on CPF are reporting but far from neutral. If you are a tint snob you might want to look else where or find a dealer who will check the tint before they ship. Other wise I really like the light so far.

I'm no tint snob, but this does make me think a bit.  I will probably still buy a SC52W though. 

[David]

The SC52w I recieved is not a neutral tint. It is quite warm with a yellow and some green tint. Mine is not as bad as some on CPF are reporting but far from neutral. If you are a tint snob you might want to look else where or find a dealer who will check the tint before they ship. Other wise I really like the light so far.

I'm no tint snob, but this does make me think a bit.  I will probably still buy a SC52W though. 

I'm a little bit of a tint snob. My real issue with this is when a light is being marketed and sold as a neutral it should be neutral. I really considered sending it back but it is such a nice light I decided to keep it and see if Zebra Light resolves this issue and get another later. Actually I've never had a light with a tint quite like this one which another reason I decided to keep it. Using it outside in the real world it is not very noticeble. As the battery loses power or at lower settings is where it becomes more noticeble. It is also being reported that there is pulseing at the lower settings. I have not noticed any pulsing with the light I have.     

[JAfromMn]

Anyone compare the tint of the sc52w with a sc51w .

I'm hoping they are very similar.

[theonew]

I know very little about flashlights and white temperature and tints. I bought a Fenix LD20 about four years ago. It is definitely a cool white and has served me well over the time I've had it. When the switch got wonky and I was emailing Fenix about it, I decided to check out other lights. The Zebralight SC52 seemed amazing to me. But I wasn't in any rush as Fenix did me a solid and sent a new tailswitch, so I figured I'd wait till the SC52w came out just to see what a warmer white was like. It is definitely warmer than my LD20 but does have a slightly greenish tint at the lower settings, which I noticed but wasn't bothered by. I saw some beamshots on CPF that look extremely green but mine definitely doesn't seem like that (though maybe the image isn't color corrected and I know that my monitor is). The cool white of my Fenix did always seem a bit barbaric especially around other people and also seemed to bleach out colors, so all in all I am happy to have a warmer white and whatever greenish tint is visible doesn't bother me. I also have absolutely no pulsing which is something that would bother me. Pretty amazing little flashlight I must say 

[Syph007]

Anyone compare the tint of the sc52w with a sc51w .

I'm hoping they are very similar.

I compared mine in the dark and they look the same to me.  Now they say the tints change on the 52 as battery drops though?  I havent used up one whole charge yet to notice if it changes.  I'm still happy with the light though.

[gustophersmob]

Got my sc52w a few days ago.  VERY nice light!  I have been using an sc50w+ for the last 3 years, so I have already been a Zebra fan.  This light just raises the bar.

I was initially concerned of the many reports of green tinted w's on CPF, but to my eyes my tint is pretty close to identical to my sc50w+, which is to say very warm and very nice!  That being said, I personally would not consider this light "neutral" tinted, but warm.  Almost an incandescent tint.

Fit and finish is spot on, and the additional modes are nice to play with.  The only quark I've noticed is that after only a little playing with it, mostly on lower modes, the battery indicator dropped to only 1 flash on a freshly charged eneloop.  I removed the battery for 30 seconds and put it back in and it is back on 4 flashes.  I'm waiting to see if it will do it again.  I really don't care, as long as it doesn't make the light step down to lower modes before the battery is truly drained.  Anyone else seen this issue? I also want to try it with an Enregizer lithium and see if it repeats on that.

Now a couple pics.