Hey, BLF! A month or two back I decided to buy the new Zebralight SC600w MK III HI, because I needed at least one Zebralight in the collection, and I had lost my 600w MK II. I went for the HI with the de-domed emitter because I wanted the additional throw.
Anyway, this is probably my longest review for a light yet- I go over a lot and have been working on it for over a month now. I tried to keep it short, but the UI and my revamped beamshot section added extra time to the review. So there’s runtime tests, a big beamshot section, complete UI and programming demonstrations, and general outdoor use shots.
Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!
EDIT: I misspoke on runtime test 2… I forgot to subtract and hour… Just watch the clock and ignore what I say.
Cool, hmm, natural review. I always wanted an sc600 mk whatever, so it really helps. Not convinced about the UI, exactly the same problems with it that you mentioned, accessing high. Otherwise it’s close to the meteor’s ui2 that I use the most and like.
Beamshot order 1-2-1-3-1-4 and so on is a great idea it helps a lot and saves a couple of rewind then ff.
Thanks again!
Thanks for the feedback. It also gives me a bit of time to help explain the numbers to people who aren’t familiar with candela and lumens. Yeah… I love the light, but the UI is different than a lot of other lights I own, that make high harder to access. It just my option though, because I know a lot of people find it really intuitive.
Great review as always. I liked the expanded beamshot section. I personally skipped the UI section though, but then again I’m very familiar with Zebralight’s UI. Speaking of, I do like it quite a bit. Its fine once you get used to it. I had my share of accidental strobes and inappropriate mode selections at first though. It does make these lights hard to loan to others, but then maybe that’s a good thing.
Oh, and I’ve already got one of these 600w mk3 HI lights. I think its easily the best Zebralight of this generation, maybe the best ever. I do wish its head was just a bit thinner because I find it slightly uncomfortable for pocket carry, but its much better than some of its “competition” like the MH20GT.
I’m impressed man. The XHP35 HI is a nice addition, and it gives it a lot more utility. Nearly 20kcd is impressive for a light this tiny and with the OP reflector. Yeah, I won’t be loaning this light, as I have plenty of others for that. Yeah, I do the accidental stuff when I’m not thinking about it. I’ve had so many other lights before a Zebralight, that don’t have that quick press to high, that it’s hard to unlearn it. As long as I think before I press the button I’m fine. I’m training myself to just do the hold and press mostly.
Another great review Mhanlen. I am still not convinced about the ZL’s though. I like the idea of them, but have a hard time getting that much money into one… I think the UI will do, it seems all my E-switch lights are different anyway, so you end up learning them if you do not carry them for a bit.
I really liked the upgraded beam shot section. The primary light being between the others is a great way to do this and does keep one from going back and forth in the video.
I think the NW options (and warm on some of their models) is a great thing and have found the more warm tints, or at least neutral tints to be my most liked for actually doing work, especially up close. I will have to give ZL the credit on having the NW option in a new light like this.
Yep… Eswitch lights do have a learning curve, especially if you have a few different brands like I do. As far as I’m concerned a light should offer a NW option in any model they release… I prefer warm to neutral tints too, but I know others prefer cool.
Thanks for the feedback on the beamshot section. It really isn’t much extra work to do it that way, I’ve just always thought about the videos being too long. Looks like I’ll just implement it in all future reviews.
Solid review… ZL makes nice things. I enjoy the wandering around everyday style mixed with the technical—it has a cool feel to it. What sort of sound processing do you use to give the background that lo-fi/hollow sort of quality?
I love your reviews. Very informative, thorough, and not boring at all.
So when I watched your MH20GT review, I was wondering: is this guy gonna tell which one he recommends, MH20GT or SC600 III HI? Well, you did not in this review. Would you like to comment here?
I like the Zebralight UI, but it does take some training to know how to use it. Once you’re familiar with it, it’s a great feature.
But, it’s not for the novice. My wife only understands “click on”, “click off”. So, the Zebralight works for her, but it’s a single-mode (high) light in her hands. Some of my other brands of lights are completely useless to her, as they require a long-press, or come on in moonlight (with no mode memory).
No one has ever noticed that before! It’s the onboard crappy mic of the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera. While it wouldn’t be good to use for dialog, it works perfectly as a backing track, because it’s muted, and not distracting. It sort of adds to the whole, slightly grainy, natural/low light look of my videos… at least that’s what I tell myself. I’m a big fan of B-Movies, and old horror movies, so hopefully it comes through in my shooting style.
If size is an issue… go with the Zebralight. If you prefer a more straight forward UI, don’t mind a larger light, and need that extra throw, go with the Nitecore. The reason why I prefer Zebralights and Armyteks over Nitecores, is compactness and a wider variety of lower modes than the moonlight on the Nitecore. Not everyone likes those things though. The Nitecores are definitely more user friendly though, which is why they’re so popular.
I have not hopped aboard the U11 train yet… but that sounds cool! Maybe if I can get a good deal on one, one of these days.
Thanks!
Yes, this. The Zebralight is for people who don’t mind understanding how to use a flashlight. If that last sentence sounds weird or annoying to you, then a Zebralight is probably not for you. I don’t mind them though!
You have low, medium and high. There are instant shortcuts to each mode:
Low - long press
medium - either a double-click or a very long press
high - short press
Once the light is on in any mode, you can either hold the button down (to cycle up modes) or quick click to turn off.
Each of the 3 modes is also configurable. When the light is on in any mode double-click to get to an alternate version of the same mode. There is also a more complicated UI to get additional modes beyond just the one alternate.
The light will remember which alternate version of high, medium or low you last used and will return to that mode the next time you activate that mode. Beyond that there is no mode memory.
In practice this UI works VERY well and allows very quick access to any mode. The main downside is sometimes it is difficult getting the timing right for low mode. Don’t hold the button down long enough and you get high, too long and you end up in medium. This is especially difficult if you wake up in the middle of the night groggy and are trying to get moonlight but accidentally blast yourself with 1100 lumen high.
Yeah, that’s my issue with the UI as well. I’d rather a short-click went to low by default. Or ideally, allow customization of each mode to any of the dozen output levels, so that I could choose my “high” mode (short-click) to be 0.1 lumens. But I suppose that would make the complexity of the light even greater, and Zebralight probably thinks it’s already complex enough.
I like this idea too. You can basically do this with the Armytek Predator Pro v2.5. That is my favorite UI ever. There’s never any question what mode I’ve left it on… and you can hand it to anyone and they’d never know the hour you spent programming it… or even that it was anything more advanced than a single mode flashlight.
Can’t use zebralights at night because they will inevitably blind you when you are trying to start it in moonlight mode and you dont hold the button precisely long enough.
I like Zebralights but they are kind of expensive and they are a bit boring because there’s no reason to open them up because there’s nothing to improve about them.
That’s an experience problem. I admit any light with a learning curve is probably too complicated, but I can assure you that with a bit of practice the Zebralight UI becomes very intuitive and not prone to such issues. At least, for some of us…
I always wanted an sc600 mk whatever, so it really helps. Not convinced about the UI, exactly the same problems with it that you mentioned, accessing high. Otherwise it’s close to the meteor’s ui2 that I use the most and like.