Zebralight SC600 MkII L2 First Impressions

[NutSAK]

After the first night with my ZL SC600 MkII L2 (what a mouthful), I still have nothing but positive things to say.  Most of us already know that the ZL has one of the most versatile UI's out there.  What I think is difficult to impart upon people is just how small this 18650 cell, 1100 lumen light is.

Here it is with some well-known AA and CR123 EDC lights:



Nitecore Smart PD D10 - 1xAA/14500 - 130 lumens
Zebralight SC600 II L2 - 1x18650 - 1100 lumens
HDS Systems EDC170 Tactical - 1xCR123/16340 170 lumens
Surefire L1 Lumamax (Gen 6) - 1xCR123/16340 230 lumens


And here we have it with a couple of my most-used 18650 lights.  It's hard to believe that all three of these lights use the same cell.  Granted, the Quark and Peak are fairly large 18650 lights.



Quark Tactical XP-E neutral w/18650 body - 200 lumens
Peak First Responder (3xSeoul P4) - 400 lumens


Prior to receiving the SC600 MkII L2, the Fenix TK30 (2x18650, MC-E emitter) was the brightest light I owned @ 630 lumens.  The TK30 out-throws the Zebralight by a good margin and runtimes are impressive, but the Zebralight clearly has more overall output.





In summary, it is a fantastic light.  It's well built and finished, small enough to EDC in a jacket or even cargo pants/shorts and has incredible output with great efficiency/runtime.  The beam is perfect for the majority of my uses and I prefer a floody beam in a carry light.  The UI is great, and only bested by the HDS.  The HDS is simpler to operate while still offering more customization.  However, the HDS also costs twice as much...

[enki_ck]

Wow, some really cool lights you have there.

Thanks for the write up.

[NutSAK]

Wow, some really cool lights you have there.

Thanks for the write up.

Thanks, and you're welcome. 

I'll tell you what though...  These new XM-L emitters are putting my old stuff to shame, performance & efficiency-wise.  The amount of light that comes out of the end of that little Zebralight is nothing short of amazing, especially considering the runtimes.

I've been meaning to do some outdoor beamshots of a number of my lights for some time.  I'm hoping that if I can get some free time over the next few weeks, that time will come.

[enki_ck]

Beam shots in some wide open spaces would be great.

I don't have anything as high powered. Mine top out at about 350 and that's mostly spill. I've been thinking of getting something wit ha bit more throw.

[Cupboard]

After deciding I wanted a bright, 18650 light with more throw than an SC600 I went for the Eagletac T200C2. It isn't as technically good as the Zebralight but it's relatively cheap and is spot on for what I wanted.

NutSAK: 

[NutSAK]

Yeah, if you want a thrower, this is not the light for you.  It has more of what I consider an "all purpose" beam.  I grab the Fenix TK30, Surefire L1 or a Jetbeam Jet-III M on the rare occasion that I need to throw some light.  Another option, of course, is to carry a "thrower" with a removable diffuser, such as the Surefire L1 w/F04, for the best of both worlds.