For someone that stocks over 100 flashlight models (soon to be 300+), I am bad about using the latest and greatest lights on a daily basis.Ãâ My constant companion has been a $30 iTP A3 EOS SS for several months, and I only carry the stainless version over the aluminum because I needed the gift tin that the stainless one came in for a customer.Ãâ Customers ask which big and bad light I use, and I sheepishly pull out a tiny little light that maxes out at 80 lumens.Ãâ Granted, it is an awesome tiny little light that I absolutely love.
With (literally) thousands flashlights in cases and displays around me, I am becoming harder and harder to impress.Ãâ I admit that I do still get giddy when a shipment of new models arrives, and I doubt that will ever fade, but I need a special light to widen my eyes.
Enter the ZebraLight SC30.Ãâ ZebraLight has created a very solid reputation as a small, light, and bright headlamp manufacturer, so creating flashlights was the next logical step for them.Ãâ The SC30 bucks the “tactical” trend that the majority of manufacturers are following by having a switch on the side of the light instead of the rear.
The switch isn’t the usual simple clicky switch, but instead a slick Panasonic switch that gives you instant access to all three modes.Ãâ When it is off, lightly tap it for high, press and hold for low, and double click for medium.Ãâ When it is on, hold the switch down to cycle through the modes.Ãâ You can even double click it in each mode to give you another brightness level, for a total of six brightnesses ranging from a max of 193 lumens (out the front of the light) all the way down to 0.4 lumens.Ãâ Each mode remembers the brightness you last had it on, so you can set your favorite levels for quick access.
I have found that having instant access to three brightnesses without having to cycle through modes is incredibly useful.Ãâ At night, I can use the 0.4 lumens to keep from killing myself while trying to navigate our bedroom without waking my wife.Ãâ The middle set to 21 lumens is perfect for poking through bins or boxes of merchandise.Ãâ The high at 193 lumens works great for lighting up the backyard to locate my goofy dog while he barks at an imaginary squirrel during his 2 AM pee break.
The SC30 is also available in a warm tint version, the SC30w.Ãâ A warm tint is closer to what you would see with an incandescent flashlight like a MagLite.