18650 Headlamp: Zebralight vs. Fenix

3 things of note you wont generally hear …

• the HL60R is quite efficient … the run times they list is for a 2600 mAh bat … a 3500 mAh (current top of the line) would give significantly higher runtime
• because of the flatness of the fenix lamp … you can use a piece of frosted scotch tape to give it a better flood if you desire, this also protects the lens … in fact even if you dont want the flood i would put a piece of clear scotch tape to protect the lens, ive dropped my lamp enough times on rocks and  the tape has saved the lens more than once
• buy the fenix locally (or at least online from a big retailer) to take advantage of the warranty … you dont want to have to ship it to china if anything goes wrong like some other lamps … get it from an authorized dealer

unless you are running theres no need to use the top strap either

the liitokalla 100 is currently the best value … it weights 45g, but can basically charge any bat from AAA to 26650, easily charged protected… helll at 4$ a pop just order 2 of em

one thing which may seem heretical is to not worry overly about the claims of some folks that a tiny bit of “efficiency” is everything … a li-on bat will degrade over time even if unused … after 500 or so cycles it will drop to ~70% of the original capacity anyways … even unused the capacity will drop by ~10% or so every 1-2 years

so unless yr changing out your bat every year, youre never going to be as “efficient” as one claims …. this is especially true for folks who also use the same 18650 bats for charging other devices

anyone who owns an iphone or other has experienced this as their iphone gets to ~ 2 years old

also because of the advances in LED and driver efficiency … next years model will be even more efficient (and brighter), so unless you constantly buy the new model its a fools game for practical use

i own and use HL55s and the li-100

;)

I’d get the Zebralight H600w Mk II if it was my choice. My reasoning is that the Zebra has better mode spacing in the low modes where I use the light most of the time and also a lower white light ‘moon’ mode that I find useful. The red light is nice to have but IMO the ‘moon’ mode serves the purpose and the red LEDs used don’t generally have long enough wavelength for true night vision maintenance. I also really like to be able to turn the light on in low mode and to do this on the Fenix you have to remember to cycle through to the low mode before switching in off (i.e. starts in last used mode) wheras the Zebra can always be started in either the high or low modes. The Zebra is also lighter.

On the other hand I’m sure both great lights and are well made and efficient.

I’d go with the regular reflector model rather than the frosted glass ‘f’ model on the Zebralights because you can easily diffuse the beam with frosted scotch tape, it’s much harder to focus a diffused beam. I find it the best balance for me for general use but I know many prefer the more diffused beam. I prefer the neutral white but it’s up to personal preference really.

Thanks for the feedback. I’m leaning towards the Zebralight, but I’m still mulling over which model. What are the pros/cons of the H600w MK2 vs. the H600Fc III or H600Fd III?

Really depends on what you want the torch for and what you prefer Sean

In my opinion the floody versions (F prefix) of the H600 make great lights for round the camp, it’s really wide and well diffused beam so anything within arm distance is lit up well with a good spread of light.

For me the F versions are a little too diffused for me for hiking/running with, there is no doubt you can get enough light to run/hike with even on the darkest night BUT if given a choice i much prefer the non floody version for running/hiking at night.

Should say that a friend i run with uses a H502, he complains that my H600w is far too bright, i have some H502’s and can’t imagine ever picking one up to use for running at night with, so it really comes down to personal choice.

With the tint again personally i much prefer a lower tint, i find it makes a noticeable difference in colour rendering, on the trail i find this makes a massive difference in differentiating between roots and rocks, it also gives a more pleasing colour to the trees and fauna and again personally i find it slightly less strain on the eyes.

At a rough guess i’d say i have at least 50 torches, i have and have had torches from pretty much every well know manufacturer through to custom flashlights, i’ve got various battery formats and outputs over 10,000 lumens, i’ve got floody lights and lightsaber thin beamed throwers.

Out of all the torches i own and have passed through my hands the one i select everytime for nightime hiking and running is my H600w, for me it’s the best headtorch i’ve used so far.

Cheers Mark

Once you decide on a beam shape, it probably doesnt matter one whit in real live usage which one u pick

To be blunt, most of those top level climbers and other such use name brand headlamps, and it doesnt stop em from doing things crazier than anyone on here

when u get to the slight difference between flashaholic models … Thats when u really come down to nitpicking (like any other gear, except for packs and shoes which must fit)

whichever one you pick …. Its not going to limit what u do one bit

;)

Don’t really see how what another person doing an entirely different sport has to do with the recommendations given here though Eric.

It’s a fair bit of financial investment to buy a decent torch, if we start adding batteries and chargers to that, even more so.
So i don’t see it as “nitpicking”, the op wants the best bang for his $

I disagree that it makes no real world difference to what torches we choose, i have had torches that had terrible beam patterns, with artefacts or dark areas in the beam, these from well known manufacturers as well, it made running very tricky.
I’ve also had torches with terrible tints, you’d struggle to differentiate a brown from a grey.

A good torch will let you see far enough in front to pick a route, it will illuminate the ground as you approach it as well, ideally it will have a nice tint that allows your eyes to pick out different colours, i’ve also found it useful to have a few extra lumens, it can make scouting out paths in the distance a LOT easier.

Were talking for the most part walking on nice trails here

as a reference when ueli steck dis the first solo ascent of annapurna …. Including significant part of the approaches in the dark he used a petzl tikka RXP

when tommy caldewell and alex honnold did the first traverse of the fitzroy range including significant night climbing into the unknown, they used BD storms

the tint didnt matter one bit

both of the above feats were awarded the piolet d’or …

when yr talking about differences between good 18650 headlamps … Other than beamshape, one is really nitpicking …. Like arguing between mids (any good one will work)

most folks who dod significant activities at night dont use zebralight or fenix

and im not talking about walking around nice trails

;)

I only like walking nice trails and sitting in nice camps at night.  For that, all of these flashlights are overkill, and I use mine on low mostly.  But I do like to check out that noise in the piney woods using the highest beam I have.  When something is lost in the woods or even in the crevices of your car, the higher beam strength can make a difference.

I started my good flashlight collection with an 18650 Thru-nite TH10 (CW) that was a bargain, but it only whetted my whistle for a Zebralight.  A year later I got a H52w (AA version) that I really like for short trips.  That was after reading a lot of posts and checking out a lot of pics and videos on candlepowerforums.  I would have gotten the H600w, but it was out of stock in the more natural white.  I’m  sure I’ll pick up one of those too eventually.  It’s widespread consensus on many threads that the scotch tape makes the H600w as good or better than the frosted lenses.

Maybe the more natural white it doesn’t matter.  my pilot friend likes the bright white for looking around the jet at night – he says it’s easier to spot metal on the tarmac, but he agrees with me that the warmer natural white is more pleasing when you are camping.

If you pick up an H600w (especially for a good price) – let us know where?

Again i’m struggling to see your point Eric, why should i care what some sponsored individual uses for some activity that has absolutely nothing to compare to what i’m doing??????????????

I don’t base my opinions or advice on what sponsored individuals recommend, i base my opinions and advice on my own experiences, experience gained doing what i enjoy doing.

Night climbing and trail running at night are 2 entirely different activities, for climbing i would want a floody light as it’s all close work, for trail running even at my plodding speed i really need the ability to look ahead at the terrain to plan my path.

I don’t use my MTB lights for running as they’re overkill, too heavy and i don’t fancy bolting them to my head.

So as i say i’m struggling to see your point in comparing hardware used for completely different activities.

As i say i’ve used or owned (paid for out of my own pocket) hundreds of torches, i’ve probably owned 50 headtorches or had a good use of over 50 headtorches over the last 5 years, from cheap Chinese torches through to expensive custom ones.

In MY experiences i’ve not found anything else that works better than my H600w’s, this is for what i do, from a person that’s not sponsored by any company.

You can argue and be as pedantic as you want, doesn’t change my own personal experiences and my opinion based upon my own experiences.

Actually i dont think the OP mentioned trail running

however in previous posts hes said hes interested in climbing

and no you dont always want a pure flood climbing as then youll have issues with routefinding, especially on the descent …. If you do get a floody lamp then get a really powerful one … Or get one with dual mode

the simple point is that ANY decent 18650 lamp (or even brand name non 18650 one) will work for the purposes of this forum …. Which is really walking along trails

99% of folks out there doing stuff dont worry too much what flashaholics do

walked up some easy “trail” (really just a walk) just now and there were folks passing me left right and centre with retail store lamps

;)

If you can’t decide between floody or spot light, give the Spark SG6 a look. It has interchangeable lenses that let it go from spot to flood.

There’s also the SG3 (cr123) and SG5 (14500/AA). They all use the same interchangeable lens.

Going Gear sells the lights, and you can find the lenses on eBay.

Zebralight’s H600w mk2 has already been replaced, you can find the mk3 on ebay and other places without a back order. I have a red light on my keychain and it’s useful when I want to not find anything because it all looks red.

Eric,

I mentioned trail running as it’s what i have have experience using my torches with, it’s also a good indication of a torches capabilities for night hiking.

The any “torch will do” theory is over simplified, i’ve tried cheaper 18650 torches and have them fail, i’ve tried others with terrible beam patterns, some are ok but being a flashlight snob i didn’t like the tint.

As i have said, i use my own experiences to form my opinions, opinions from which i give advice.

If something different works for you and the activities you do then that’s great, i don’t see how belittling other peoples advice and choices furthers your posts though.

Think i posted this the last time you tried to belittle my torch choices, but nice pic with a cute little torch, maybe when you grow up parents will let you use a proper torch

:p

Why mark …

were not talking “cheap” 18650 headlamps here but fenix and zebralights

once you decide on a beamshape… Everything else doesnt nake much difference in the real world usage

thats a nice flat well grooomed trail u got there mark … Not sure why one NEEDS a 18650 zebralight for that …. A petz e-lite for such a nice trail is enough

heres a few uses where a more powerful lamp may be useful … Though many folks use retail store lamps ;)

And heres one where its absolutely useless …. The yr in the clouds and rain (pretty normal in the PNW) and theres a sheer drop somewhere around you …. More lumens just means you get blinded more

Oh and no one is “belittleing” yr headlamp

simply pointing out that one doesnt need 30 different lamps to actually go outside and do activities at night

nor does one absolutely need a specific light or tint to go out and do things crazier than anyone here would do

its the same as pointing out that anything one can do in a HMG mid, one can also do with a MLD mid … Or use a feathered friends bag rather than a WM one (or any other good brand)

Honestly i cant think of a single night hike/climb once cant do with a good fenix/nitecore 18650 lamp that one can do with a zebralight … Can u?

;)

“once you decide on a beamshape… Everything else doesnt nake much difference in the real world usage”

That’s your opinion and you are welcome it, unless something has changed since we last talked about this it’s an opinion that’s not really not much use to anyone except you.

Reason being that you don’t have enough experience of the headlamps available to make that call.

If you’ve only tried 3 or 4 headlamps then of course you are not going to think there is much difference, it’s only when you try enough of the available torches that you can really start to see exactly what you prefer.

We had a guy at work that thought hid maglite was the best torch in the world, he’d been using it for years and wouldn’t hear anything negative against it.

I ended up showing him my SC600 and lending it to him, he bought one straight after.

You say your Fenix headlamp does all you want it to do, i say well done, i’m chuffed you like it.

As i’ve had that headlamp i found i preferred the H600w for my uses.

It’s not really rocket science, you can’t say your opinion is worth more than anyone elses simply because you don’t have the experience to compare.

What you are doing is saying your Chilli is better than mine, but as you’ve not tried my chilli your opinion is pretty pointless and mute.

So you then move onto “my chilli is good enough” it might be for you, but some of us prefer to experiment to find a chilli that suits or tastes better.

For some of us “good enough” isn’t enough for some things ;)

Mark

if by “experience” you mean walking along nice flat well groomed trails (like the one u have a pic above) needing a 1000 lumen  18650 headlamp of a very specific tint or itll be inadequate …

then i defers to yr “experience” in this regard

if you mean “experience” by using headlamps for night approaches and decents, as well as night climbing … And in fog/white out situations at night on steep terrain where if you fall you tumble downwards and might no live …

well only BPLers can decide whats important

its kinda like the “reviews” where one sets up a whole bunch of tents in their yard and “reviews” then vs someone who takes a tent and actually uses it in rainy/windy conditions

as ive said … With any good quality 18650 lamp once youve decided on a beamshape, everything else is nitpicking

rather ask yourself what dont you have that all these other folks who are doing more and crazier things than you do have with their retail headlamps

and yr absolutrly right about “good enough” not being enough for some …. Theres plenty of folks who make spreadsheets and gear list and spends tons of money trying to cut a few grams with no real world benefit

they spend more time on their lists than going out … And more money on a shiny piece of gear that then goes on gear swap when the marginally better newer model comes out

fortunately on BPL this is much less common than it used to be a few years ago

its not how “perfect” yr gear is but what u do with it that matters

;)

Eric,

I’m sorry to say that i find your last post very elitist, condescending and arrogant.

Do you really believe you are the only person on this forum that hikes on Gnarly trails?

I run or hike these trails at night on a fairly regular basis

its kinda like the “reviews” where one sets up a whole bunch of tents in their yard and “reviews” then vs someone who takes a tent and actually uses it in rainy/windy conditions

That’s a pretty good analogy actually, because even the backyard reviews have actual hands on the products they’re reviewing, in your case your talking about something you have absolutely no experience with and have never seen.
You’re armchair reviewing and comparing torches you’ve never used.

I’m not a backyard review fan, but i do find them more useful than armchair reviews ;)

rather ask yourself what dont you have that all these other folks who are doing more and crazier things than you do have with their retail headlamps

Mate, instead of using other peoples experiences and choices it would be farrrrrrrrrrrrrrr better to form opinions on things you’ve tried yourself.

You keep bringing this up, but like i’ve said why would i care what some sponsored person is using.
They use what their sponsor provides NOT what they prefer, it’s a really terrible point that doers little to further your argument.

If “good enough” for a headtorch works for you then i’m chuffed you’ve found a compromise that works for you.
For me personally i find a decent headtorch with a good beam and tint makes a difference to my enjoyment and safety when running at night.

As i’ve explained i’ve tried many many many headtorches and the one i keep coming back to is my H600w.

If something different works for you, or you don’t have the curiosity or energy to try out different headtorches then that’s your choice and i’m happy for you to makes those choices.
But please do not sit there belittling other peoples choices, especially when they have more experience in this bit of hardware than you, it doesn’t do you any favours and is getting to the point of trolling.

mark …

those are really great dry DAYTIME pics on mild terrain … its great that youve found something that works for you on such pleasant trails !!!

and no there is nothing “elitist” about pointing out that you there is effectively little practical difference between good 18650 headlamps of similar beamshape in practical usage … no more than pointing out that any good high quality sleeping bag will work just fine …

youre the one who is bring up up “trolling”, “elitist”, “get out of your moms house”, “belitteling” for a simple statement that ANY good 18650 headlamp will work ….

perhaps ive offended you by bringing up real life examples of what the top folks use, and actual night usage on less than moderate terrain … or by pointing out that having 30 headlamps yet not using them very much or hard doesnt matter … if so i do apologize !!!

as i said if you NEED a 1000 lumen headlamp for chugging up mild terrain while most other folks else easily outpaces you with cheap retain store one … perhaps its time to correct other flaws rather than focusing on that particular piece of gear !!!

perhaps you should ask the OP about what he intents to use the headlamp for before making a recommendation …. that usually helps

;)

and just to be clear when i say “moderate”, its not “belitteling”, in the BC that would be considered quite moderate … perhaps its different in the UK … but this is considered a well groomed and maintained easy “trail” (more of a walk) here, which schoolkids run up all the time in the rain …. to give you a reference point …

Sorry Eric, i’ve tried to be reasonable, i’ve tried to make sense of your rant and go through your points section by section, but you’re now not putting any new points forward, you’re just belittling my choices, the trails i use and the type of activities i do.

Really disappointing as NON of it puts your case forward at all, you don’t even have my location right, i’m in Greece.

I purchase my equipment to do what i want it to do, i don’t care what sponsored athletes are using, i don’t care what bloggers are using and i don’t care what other hikers are using, these peoples opinions may sway my choices initially but once i’ve purchased something and compared it with my other gear i make my own decision based upon my own experiences.

You have NOT used a good selection of quality headlamps, so how on earth can you know if they make a noticeable difference.

You have NOT hiked on the trails in Greece, so have absolutely no idea how easy they are

You have NOT hiked with me, so have absolutely no idea of my “pace”

You have absolutely NO IDEA how hard i use my headlamps, what i use them for or how often.

You’ve changed your tune throughout our “discussion” to suit, first it was any 18650 headlamp, now it’s any 18650 headlamp “of similar beamshape”
Now although we have never met, talked or hiked together you seem to also know my flaws.

I will no longer respond to your crazy rantings in this thread, if you can’t have a discussion like a logical grown up then i refuse to stoop to your level.

Sean,

Truly sorry the thread has gone off track, it’s something that Eric seems to have serious problems about as he doesn’t miss a single chance to derail any torch thread as soon as someone dares to mention “Zebralight”

Hopefully you have enough info to make a choice now.

I will be ignoring Eric but will still be checking the thread, if you need any info, pics or advice on Zebralights please let me know and i’ll try my best to answer them.

I bought a H600 & H52 a couple years ago to see which I liked better.    I returned the H600 because it was too much light for hiking.   You lose all your night vision with that intensity of light and it just isn’t needed for hiking.    If you cave or something like that maybe it has value.

I kept the H52 because I can use recharbeble AA batteries.    Lost it last year and now I’m using a cheap $15 Coast headlamp that uses two AAAs.     It is more than sufficient for hiking fairly steep rocky trails and I can carry a couple extra AAAs from my recharging cradle (although I’ve never needed to swap them during a hike).    I hike the same trail every weekend leaving in the early A.M. so this time of year I use it weekly.

mark …

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/18650-headlamp-zebralight-vs-fenix/#post-3436024

im really sorry you feel “belittled” when someone says that once one has decided on a beamshape, any good functional 18650 lamp will work just fine …

its amazing how you try to play victim yet your the one who goes off about

“but nice pic with a cute little torch, maybe when you grow up parents will let you use a proper torch”

anyways …. one point to mentioned about zebralights is that they might not fit a few PROTECTED 18650 bats which sean mentioned in his first post … perhaps the new models take up to 70mm?

if this is an issue fenix and nitecores have less issues fitting protected

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?421736-Zebralight-H602w-vs-H603w-H600Fw-vs-H600-Fc&p=4950662&viewfull=1#post4950662

one other thing is that with ANY new model from any manufacturer … there may well be issues

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?420132-NEW-Zebralight-H603d-H603c-H603w-shoot-out/page3

also zebralight seems to have a bit of a “tint lottery” when new models come out

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?423871-Zebralight-SC600Fd-Mk-III-Plus-first-impression-(pic-heavy)

so as i first said in my first post about warranty service …

;)

Thanks again for all the feedback. Looking over the labyrinthine Zebralight website, I found an H600w Mk II in Nuetral White. Mark, is that the one you recommend? I see there is also now an H600w Mk III, available in Nuetral White or Cool White. Plus there is an H600 (without the “w”) and an H603w and H603 (without the “w”). What is the difference between an H600w and an H603w?

Is the Zebralight branded Panasonic 18650 rechargeable protected battery a good buy at $13.99 or is there a better source for these?

http://www.zebralight.com/H600w-Mk-II-18650-XM-L2-Headlamp-Neutral-White_p_117.html

http://www.zebralight.com/H600w-Mk-III-XHP35-Neutral-White-18650-Headlamp_p_186.html

http://www.zebralight.com/H600-Mk-II-18650-XM-L2-Headlamp-Cool-White_p_130.html

http://www.zebralight.com/H600-Mk-III-XHP35-Cool-White-18650-Headlamp_p_187.html

http://www.zebralight.com/H603w-18650-XHP35-Headlamp-Neutral-White_p_182.html

http://www.zebralight.com/H603-18650-XHP35-Headlamp-Cool-White_p_183.html

Sean,

It’s not a very good site is it, they should at least put it in a layout where we are able to sort the selection by newest or price.

For me personally i prefer as low a tint as possible, something around 4400k gives great colour rendition, so the H600w Mk II or the H600w Mk III XHP35 would be my recommendation.

There is very little difference between the 2 versions so i would go for whichever one you can find easiest/cheapest.

I have not used any of the ZL batteries as they don’t deliver to Europe, they should be a safe buy though and they seem reasonably well priced.

If you wanted to go unprotected then there are cheaper alternatives, plus it also opens up the selection as i’ve not yet found a unprotected 18650 that doesn’t fit.

If you decide to go unprotected i would look for Samsung INR18650-30Q (3000mAh) or Sanyo NCR18650GA (3500mAh) both cells fit and supply more than enough juice to power the current crop of torches.
There is also the Panasonic NCR18650B which is pretty much an industrial standard with torches now.

I would strongly recommend buying batteries from a known quality supplier, there are many many cases of unscrupulous sellers copying good battery wrapping and wrapping cheaper dangerous batteries with higher quality stickers.

I use both protected and unprotected cells, sorry if i’m teaching a chicken to lay eggs here, but if you go unprotected i would take a few precautions.

1/ Good quality charger

2/ Keep any spare batteries you carry secured well so there is zero chance of a short circuit from any metallic object in your rucksack, i use the usual cheapo 2 x 18650 cases but have cut a piece of my MTB innertube to wrap around the case as the hinges have a tendency to break.

No matter if you go protected or unprotected, lithium or any other chemistry i would strongly recommend charging outside, and never leave a charger unattended.

Halfway down this thread someone posts some very helpful GIFs showing those lights.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?378161-Zebralight-H600-MK-II-(Spot-and-Fill)-vs-H600F-(Floody)-vs-H602-(no-reflector)-beams/page5

The mk3 are advertised as improvements over mk2 lights, not sure it’s true but lumens and runtime specs are better.