Zebralight SC600 MK3

ONLY WORKS WITH UNPROTECTED CELLS 65-65.2mm..... so the orbtronic protected batteries I already had for my h600 mk2 don't fit... and neither do the UNPROTECTED orbtronic batteries I just bought for this light....

Super bright! But overheats very quickly then just turns off. Also requires very specific batteries.

One week ago, I ordered the Zebralight SC600 III from a different vendor. I've had the warm and cool versions of the SC600 II and liked the cool version a little better since it appeared to have a brighter beam that I sometimes found to be necessary. I had used the cool version of the SC600 II, (designated as SC600 II as opposed to SC600w II) as my everyday flashlight around the home and RV due to it's compact size and low weight, it's use of the powerful, long-lasting, and rechargeable 18650 lithium-ion battery, and the ability to program different light levels. Different light levels are beneficial since being able to set the appropriate light level conserves battery use compared to using an unnecessarily brighter, fixed light level or suffering the use of insufficient light levels. However, the light-level programming involves some button pushing which might take some adaptation for some users. I'm generally a button-pusher so I don't find this a significant issue although I sometimes do get to the wrong light level and have to make another attempt.I had dropped my SC600II a couple months ago from the roof of an RV onto gravel and it continued to work but I didn't notice that the outer o-ring and lens had fallen out. Many weeks later I used it in the battery compartment of the RV and decided to rinse it off. Water, unknowingly, entered the head of the flashlight and even after it appeared to be dry, the flashlight failed to function. So, I decided to order the SC600 III version as a replacement. Had I noticed the missing lens before rinsing off the flashlight, I could have replaced the lens and o-ring and avoided destroying my flashlight.The SC600 III is very similar to the SC600 II, but there are a few differences. The highest light level on the SC600 III is 1300 lumens compared to 1100 lumens on the SC600 II. Incidentally, both versions of the SC600 have a minimum light level setting of 0.01 lumens (yes, a total range of 0.01 - 1300 lumens). The SC600 III has a beacon mode in addition to the strobe mode of the SC600 II. The SC600 III is 3.8 inches (96 mm) long and weighs 2.26 oz (64 grams) without the battery compared to 4.0 inches (101.6 mm) long and 2.75 oz (78 grams) without the battery for the SC600 II. These changes are all welcome. I noticed that the SC6000 III no longer uses springs at each end of the battery compartment to maintain battery contact but instead uses three gold contacts at each end. I don't know how this change could affect flashlight operation in rugged conditions where battery contact may be lost (which would result in the flashlight turning itself off). The elimination of the springs probably helped reduce the overall length of the SC600 III. HOWEVER, the shorter length results, in my opinion, a slight flaw. The shorter length NO LONGER allows the use of PROTECTED 18650 lithium-ion batteries. I have always used protected 18650 lithium-ion batteries in all (about 12) of my 18650-flashlights due to their improved safety. AND, indeed, the online literature and printed literature supplied with the flashlight does state that the SC600 III must use UNPROTECTED 18650 batteries. I would have preferred a flashlight 0.2 inches (about 5.6 mm) longer and still be able to used protected 18650 batteries. I have found that I could use two CR123A (non-rechargeable) lithium batteries which I often use as emergency back-up batteries for most of my 18650-flashlights. But the use of two CR123A batteries places the total voltage at the very upper end of the voltage specification of 6.0 volts for the SC600 III. Interestingly, the upper end of the voltage specification for the SC600 II was 4.2 volts (the upper voltage limit of the 18650 battery). However, it is still a GREAT flashlight and I I will probably continue to use the SC600 III as my everyday flashlight but will have to order unprotected 18650 batteries.

Bright as hell....blinding actually. Only reason I give it 4 stars is because it eats up a battery on high in about 2 hours. Light itself is great though.