Zebralight SC50+

del

Well, I'd *prefer* a headlamp, but was figuring on the SC51 being able to double as a headlamp. How awkward is it to use non-angled lights?

THe one thing I like about the SC50 and 51 is that they can run nicely off AA batteries. Very cheap and easily found.

del

What about the Sanyo Eneloop? These are supposed to perform very well in cold temps. (at least thats what my very minimal research told me)

del

I would prefer the Zebralight 501 because of it's use of AA batteries and because the light is mounted on the side of the light body which gives me more options for wearing it as a headlight, wearing it on a necklace or using it on the clip.

silly question, but do the actual heads turn on these headlamps or does the entire flashlight rotate within the hbeadlamp casing??

del

Rick, thanks for your help. The spec that I don't really see anywhere on the Zebralights is their "throw." So you get a good 50m out of the 32 lumens it puts out on medium. That'll be a good reference for me.

Now, I'm not a light techie, but am I correct to assume that there's not necessarily a direct correlation between lumens and throw?

For instance: your H31w puts out 32 lumens on medium and 161 on high. Thats about a 500% increase in output. I somehow doubt that the throw on high will be 500% more than medium.

"For instance: your H31w puts out 32 lumens on medium and 161 on high. Thats about a 500% increase in output. I somehow doubt that the throw on high will be 500% more than medium."

Your math is wrong. That is closer to a 400% increase. If you check the physics of light, that increase might get a 200% increase in effective distance.

–B.G.–

I would guess that throw describes how the reflector spreads out what ever lumens your light can put out. Zebralights calls it "Beam Type" Maglights had an adjustable throw that could change the hotspot by twisting the head of the flashlight.

Zebralight Examples

H51:
Beam Type
80° spill beam spread
11° (3.8 feet at 20 feet) hot spot

H501:
Beam Type: 80 degree flood, with no hotspot

H50-Q5:
Beam Type: 120 degree flood

I'm not sure that the lumen is the right unit of measurement to be using, since the size of the target is undefined. For example, you could have a laser beam with very high intensity, but its beam width is too narrow to be useful for trail hiking. Some people want a tight beam flashlight, and others want a broad beam flashlight.

The candela might be a better measurement unit.

–B.G.–

Whoops, yeah, I simply took 160/32. Whereas I should have done (160-32)/32.
400%.

Travis, rather than thinking about increase in intensity, it works better to think about the intensity. But then, like I said, "laser intensity" is not practical for a backpacker, so you might have to define a light target size, like how much light will fall on a one-square-meter sheet at a distance of ten meters.

–B.G.–

Bob, yeah, as with other gear you can't try before you buy, its hard to tell if I'd like it based on specs.

What it all boils down to is that I'm trying to figure out how it compares to my Princeton Tec Remix (the updated 70 lumens version).

del

One more measurement unit that is unclear is Watts. That is a power measurement unit, but it can refer to the battery power that is going into the LED, not the amount of light that is coming out the front. Some old LED devices were notoriously inefficient with power, and the newest ones are getting good.

I have an ancient Princeton that must be 15 years old, but it still keeps on ticking. It doesn't even have an On/Off switch. You have to twist the front bezel to turn it on. That's how simple it is. I have one even older.

Then I have some newer ones with fancy multi-level switches and features. Almost half of those develop some problem within six months. Considering how important a flashlight or headlamp can be… no thank you.

I even go back into the carbide headlamp era (more than 40 years ago). I was once a caver, but I think that was during the Wilson Administration.

–B.G.–

Recommendation between the cool white and warm white on the H31 or H51?
I think I may have found my new headlamp…thanks

del

I prefer brighter white. Is the choice merely preference, no performance difference between the two?

Thanks

del

Thanks Rick.
now I am going to have to order one

I prefer the warmer tones in lights. I might wait for the H51 to come out in a neutral light.

However, I'm still debating on lights…. I think my hangup over the H51 vs the SC51 is aesthetics. I like the traditional flashlight shape better than the angled head, but I'm realizing the versatility of the angled head.

I also want a light that will outperform my Princeton Tec Remix.

Well, I ended up ordering an H51, and have tested it against my PT Remix and EOS. The H51 blows the other two away. It's a fantastic little light.