I knkw that there has been much made here about the difference beteen 200 and 280 lumens. But what light actually produces 200 lumens on 1xAA? That’s REALLY the poiint of this thread: is there a decent light out there that has output between the SK68 and SC52 that is perhaps cheaper. And it doesn’t seem like there are any. Although some lights state high outputs, the fine print always reveals that you need a 14500 to get it. But with NiMH, you are basically at SK68 levels of brightbess.
As RedForest UK mentions, that 40% sounds like a lot to a meter, but to the human eye it’s nothing. You’d notice it if you were rapidly switching from one to the other, but your eyes would soon adjust and the difference would seem lost.
The EagleTac D25A will give you 200 lm, as will the Nitecore EA1 with the XP-G2 if you’re looking for an outdoor light with more throw than the Eagtac or Zebra, but less than the Sipik.
Apart from the battery format they are about as different as it gets.
Apart from price and output they also aren’t that different. 
Features …. SK68 Clone ……. SC52 (if only there was a clone)
Size ………… Pocket …………… Pocket small
Output ……. Good ……………. Very good, best in 1x AA
Price ………. Dirt cheap $5 …. Not Bad about $60
Quality …… Not bad, varies … Very good, occasional issues.
User Interf. Good ……………… Very good
Mods ……. Potential good …. Already there.
Resale …… Not worth post … Very Good, maybe 80 to 90% less shipping.
Bragging … LOL ………………… Distinct envy from lesser light owners.
I’m not certain what ‘already there’ means with regard to the modding capabilities of the SC52, but according to most who try, modding the SC52 is really a no-go. If you can even pry the bezel ring out without cracking the lens, the LED is mounted to the main electronics PCB. The SC52 is really not a good modding platform at all.
Yup, I don’t see what is left to mod on the SC52 without repurposing it.
I think what he means is that the performance of this light is at a point where you are not going to make it any better by modding it - at least with NiMH. Let’s face it. You don’t exactly see people modding 1xAA lights like the SK68 and getting, say, 400 lumens from a single Eneloop. That’s because the SC52 REALLY pushes the envelope when it comes to what is possible from a single AA NiMH battery. I think alot of it is the driver. Simply put, you’re not going to find an off the shelf 1xAA driver at Deal Extreme or Kaidomain (or anywhere else) that comes close to what you get in the SC52. So unless there is someone out there who is an electrical engineering wizard who happens to design their own driver that can, say, kick out 1.5A to an XM-L2 from a single Eneloop, you’re not going to do better than an ‘off the shelf’ SC52.
Hi,
I scanned but didn’t read through this entire thread, but are you limiting to 14500 only?
If not, take a look at take a look at the UF-K21:
http://www.fasttech.com/search?uf-k21
They’re 123/16340 lights, but VERY bright and cheap.
I do have an SC52, and the 5-mode UF-K21 I have is, to me, quite close to the SC52 in brightness.
For a step up (in price at least), there’s the Xtar WK21. md-lightsource has it.
http://md-lightsource.com/searchquick-submit.sc?keywords=wk21
I don’t have that yet, but it’s specs are not bad for a small 16340 light.
Well, its a CR123 light?
sc52 is clearly the winner!!
FT’s spec says “CR123A”, but I’ve only used that once (a TF CR123A, it’s a primary/non-rechargeable), and then have been using it with 16340s since then.
Their specs also say:
EDIT: One thing to note is that both the UF-K21 and the Xtar WK-21 are twisties.
Armytek has 300 lumens but with no low modes is horrible. No low mode is a no go!
Probably not much in between that puts out 250+ lumens..
just wait a few months, and more lights will reach that point I think.
options are: Lumintop ED15, Olight S15, Thrunite Neutron 1A
Olight should be in the $40 range..
XP-G is 300 lumens and XM-L is 250 lumens?
i am doubting the table.
Now you're doubting Herr kreisl, but you want to prove the ZL is 290 by it ... nice try ;)
This isn’t really what I was trying to say. People mod lights for all sorts of reasons, increasing output is just one of many reasons.
Personally I’d like to be able to get the SC52 apart to do an emitter swap for tint and CRI purposes, and I know others who want to turn it into an all-flood light by modifying the reflector. For specific purposes, these kinds of mods would make this light “better” in one way or another, and to me that’s the whole point of modifying a light. Taking something off the shelf and customizing it to fit a certain purpose.
My point was simply that this light does NOT lend itself well to modifications. I’m not as concerned with peoples opinions as to whether or not this light NEEDS modifications, I’d rather leave that to be decided by the individual ’modders on a case by case basis. Everyone’s needs are different. 
Maybe the concentrated beam of xp-g vs the floodier xm-l makes the measurement a bit skewed towards the former. Or, it could be a typo and the other way around.
I have three SK68’s made by different manufacturers. There is a marginal difference in light output between them and the size of the beam shot varies a bit, but they are all reasonably close to each other… with the same type battery, but…
IN EVERY CASE, the 14500 battery puts out noticeably more light than the AA battery.
When I switch the batteries from one flashlight to the other and turn them on so I can compare side by side, in every case, the 14500 battery is noticeably brighter. As in instantly and obviously brighter. (One of the clones is a bit brighter than the others with the 14500.)
I use the Trustfire Flames. You can use any good 14500 battery. They’ll last for years. It’s a lot cheaper to buy 14500 batteries and an decent charger than to pay $50 for a AA flashlight.
I don’t understand the hesitancy to go to 14500 batteries. Buy good protected 14500 batteries, buy a good charger (Nitecore, for example). Put the charger in a safe place. Charge batteries. Remove batteries. Use batteries. Repeat 500 times. This is a no-brainer.
EDITED: Oh, by the way, the SK68’s were $7, $6, and $3. The charger was $20-ish and the 2 14500 batteries were $9-ish, as I recall. A total cost for THREE lights of $45… still less than the $50 light. (I had lots of AA rechargeables already.)
thanks 
( krisl phail hh )
OK, my off the shelf SK68 clone* pulling 1.7A from a 1.34v Eneloop with its XPG2 makes some guy in China a wizard. He’s probably underpaid …
EDIT:
1.7A translates to ~ 760mA on the Cree table which is ~302 lumens for that emitter
- - TMart 3-mode clone from Black Friday promo cost me ~$1 shipped to the house.