White LEDS....Best at night?

DimBeam

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 21, 2004
Messages
220
Location
CT
I have always used just white leds for my nightly dog walks but I wonder if I am missing something by not using perhaps green or red or? I walk in a fairly dark area and often will use just a Inova X5 and carry a Surefire E2E if I need to spot something far off. Any insight into different colored leds at night would be appreciated.
 

UnknownVT

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 27, 2002
Messages
3,671
[ QUOTE ]
DimBeam said: I have always used just white leds for my nightly dog walks but I wonder if I am missing something by not using perhaps green or red or?

[/ QUOTE ]

Colors for most general "civilian" use are really down to personal preference and how our eyes are adapted/use to.

Now Red (>650nm) will preserve true scotopic human night vision.
But a lot of people (including me) have problems seeing well/clearly under red light.

Green is used for compatibility with night vision equipment (NOT eyes!)
But green IMHO gives the wrong type of contrast for the countryside greenery - one might be better off with Blue-Green/turquoise/cyan - which will excite/use the green and blue cones of the eyes.

White generally is the most useful "color" - since there are no problems with color rendition/recognition.

However a point missed by many is the intensity and amount of light needed.

Often a seemingly dim white light may be better for outdoors because the light itself does not give too much difference/contrast - which still allows our eyes to see into the surrounding unlit areas.

You've probably well aware of this using an Inova X5 flood type beam instead of the much brighter Xenon light.

Another problem I see for mono-colors other than the sheer color rendition is that they often will be noticed/attract attention - just because they are unusual. Probably the only exception is Yellow/Amber - since that kind of resembles normal flashlights.

I actually EDC a yellow Photon 2 on my keyring - mainly because it has such a long runtime (advertized as 120 hours - and I've had a yellow Photon 1 last me well over 8 years EDC, and the battery still gives respectable power even now....). I seem to see better at lower light levels with yellow - better definition and contrast - and I have walked outdoors in the unlit countryside with just a yellow Photon...... not really recommended but I have done it - it was definitely a lot better than no light.

Because of the lower light levels I use the yellow Photon for close tasks - whereas the Dorcy 1AAA which I also EDC is used for assisting others and finding stuff in the dark (ie: for longer range)

Please take a look at this thread on LED colors and vision -

LED Colors and Vision (pics)
 

Sub_Umbra

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 6, 2004
Messages
4,748
Location
la bonne vie en Amérique
I tend to use green or turq for everything that doesn't require color recognition. I like the output/runtime ratio. I have no experience with green out in the country, however.
 

chmsam

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 26, 2004
Messages
2,241
Location
3rd Stone
When you're walking in a rural area at night you want to see where you're walking, what's up ahead, and what's over there in the dark and making that weird noise... Light it up with white.

Any color or color combination light (multiple filters and/or colored light with filter) is going to cause a problem with one or more areas in which you want definition.

Since walking the dog in a rural area makes you prone to other critters and on coming traffic that doesn't expect you to be there (as much as in populated areas), white would be my choice.

Other questions would be how much throw, spread, and intensity?
 

greenLED

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
13,263
Location
La Tiquicia
White or yellow LED's are the best for all-around, non-specialized applications. My wife has trouble judging distances when we use red LED's, and I get headaches from the blue LEDs. Green is not a problem, but you loose color rendition.
 

beezaur

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 15, 2003
Messages
1,234
Question: What about the new A2 yellow-green for color rendition?

Ok, I realize white is better for general use. I am thinking of getting this light just for fun. I am intrigued by the yellow-green color. But all the same I like my toys to have utilitarian value.

I am thinking that this light would be a nice, soft color for dim lighting that would have a lot more definition and apparent brightness than my red A2.

Scott
 

The_virus

Enlightened
Joined
May 13, 2004
Messages
252
Location
Ottawa, ON, Canada
If you're just walking the dog, don't worry about a coloured light. You don't need to conserve your nightvision since your trip won't last that long, and realistically you probably won't have enough time to get fully dark-adapted anyway.

Simple solution for a simple problem; keep the light you already use! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Top