Am I the only one that likes cool tint better than high CRI?

[1936jdb]

For throwers anyway.. I have a few "high cri" Milwaukee flood lights that I don't mind. But my eyes seem more sensitive to the cooler color temps. It started years ago when I bought a Nitecore Cobra, and a "hotrodded" light that the guy talked me into a high cri emitter. The advertised numbers were very similar. And they both made a similar hotspot at distance. But to my eye, it was easier to see details in the extremely cool light of the Cobra. The hot rod light was stolen, and I forget the make, and even the guy who built it. But he did have a good rep around here at the time. The lights were both 18650, and were similar lens diameter, and both smooth reflector.
And I have seen it to lesser effect on other lights over the years...

 

[jon_slider]

to my eye, it was easier to see details in the extremely cool light

agree cool white stands out more than warmer color temperature, and outdoors low cri works fine, since subtle colors are not very important when looking at outdoor vegetation..

cool white with low cri works fine for outdoor throwers..

where High CRI becomes more important, to me, is at close range, and when looking at things with red pigments, including foods, skin tones, electrical wiring.. and other targets that are not just distant dirt and vegetation..

Cool White Low CRI also works fine for spotting a dog or bear, at a distance, when the color of their fur is not important.

 

[LEDphile]

Note that CRI, tint, and CCT are all mostly independent of each other - you can have high or low CRI, with pink or green tint, and high or low CCT. High CRI, high CCT LEDs became available a few years back (they are used in sports lighting, for example), although most of the high CCT emitters used in portable applications are the low-CRI variants that give marginally higher output.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

In my experience, it depends on the task. I prefer something around 6k for work around aircraft, but I like warm tints for EDC use.

This is not the best picture because there's a lot of ambient light from the ramp lights, but you get the idea.

 

[1936jdb]

I'm an electrician, and even in cabinets full of colored wires, I prefer the cooler tints. When I bought my first Milwaukee flood I almost couldn't use it from the drastic difference in color. Even now when I have one of the floods running and have to spotlight something with my cool tint edc, it bothers me when I turn off the edc..

 

[Dave D]

I prefer the cooler tints, the warmer tints look dirty to my eyes.

 

[1936jdb]

I prefer the cooler tints, the warmer tints look dirty to my eyes.

In a large bundle of wires it almost seems like information overload with a warm tint..

 

[tonkem]

I am also one who prefers cooler tints in all my lights, not just EDC. I currently EDC a Zebralight SC63 which is 5700K, which is acceptable, the lowest color temp I can tolerate to use is my Zebraight SC700d at 5000k. I am not a fan of Zebralight going to 4000k in most of their lights, as they are my favorite light manufacturer, but I have tried using 4000k in a Foursevens MINI MK III, and dare I say it is almost like not having light at all, at least to my eyes, when using the 4000k light and then turn on any of my higher K lights, it is much clearer what I can see, when using the higher Kelvin lights. I have given the 4000k lights a try, at least, as I got the Foursevens for a good price, but they are by far not my user lights, and only grab if I need almost no light, like walking around the house at night, but even then, I would grab my Olight Baton4 or my Zebralight SC52L2 rather than the Foursevens.

 

[1936jdb]

I remember when we used to have to "upgrade" our lights to warm tints after we bought them. I'm afraid some day we'll have to do the same to get a cool tint in a light we like..

 

[jon_slider]

information overload with a warm ..

I dont like Warm White as a work light either

For identifying wiring colors I definitely prefer High CRI, along with a Daylight White color temperature

for example, when modding a flashlight with various colored wires,

I like the cooler 4500K better than the warmer 3400K, even though both are High CRI:

imo cooler lights, which have more blue light content, are better for work lights, as it is more similar to daylight and will prevent sleep hormones from building up.

otoh, in the evening, when relaxing before bed, or when waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, I prefer warmer light, which is more similar to firelight. The low blue light content helps maintain sleep hormones.

 

[1936jdb]

I dont like Warm White as a work light either

For identifying wiring colors I definitely prefer High CRI, along with a Daylight White color temperature

for example, on my magnifying visor, when modding a flashlight with various colored wires, I like the cooler sw45k better than the warmer DD4500K (which becomes 3400K), even though both are High CRI:

View attachment 74435

Interesting. I've been away from this for a few years and either never knew, or plumb forgot that warm doesn't equal "high cri".

 

[dc38]

High CRI in the neutral color temp zone (4000k-5300k) are my go to these days.

Also, as another member mentioned, the color temperature alone is not indicative of high CRI, the misconception comes from incandescents being warm, but also very high CRI. I can name at least one warm white light source that doesn't have very good CRI...a sodium lamp.

 

[1936jdb]

This made me curious so I was looking around the web. Found this..
Milwaukee LED Color Temperature
Milwaukee's TRUEVIEW LED products have a color temperature of 4000K, which is designed to closely match midday sunlight and provide best comfort and clarity to users.
This color temperature is described as falling somewhere in the middle, not as cool as higher color temperatures but not as warm as lower ones.
Some users have reported that Milwaukee flashlights may appear warmer than 4000K when compared to other lights.

 

[dc38]

This made me curious so I was looking around the web. Found this..
Milwaukee LED Color Temperature
Milwaukee's TRUEVIEW LED products have a color temperature of 4000K, which is designed to closely match midday sunlight and provide best comfort and clarity to users.
This color temperature is described as falling somewhere in the middle, not as cool as higher color temperatures but not as warm as lower ones.
Some users have reported that Milwaukee flashlights may appear warmer than 4000K when compared to other lights.

It's totally been on my wish list since the electrician brought his own because his company only gave him a maglite lol. It looks like an Javelin, that's probably what sold me. It's the M18 ROCKET model, there's another brighter model with a 3 panel array.

 

[1936jdb]

It's totally been on my wish list since the electrician brought his own because his company only gave him a maglite lol. It looks like an Javelin, that's probably what sold me. It's the M18 ROCKET model, there's another brighter model with a 3 panel array.

I have 2 of the M12 rockets. One M12 rover. And a few of their 18650 in a proprietary package lights. They're all solid, just a little warm tinted for me..

 

[Dark_Hater]

One place high CRI might be important is a walk-in-closet. I have no need but my wife on the other hand requires it for matching clothing, shoes and purses. 🙄😂

 

[desert.snake]

I had a flashlight with 6500K and high CRI 95-98? Jet-U, a modernized Optisolis I think. A wonderful cold color and does not allow the pale pink to merge with the pale orange wire)) But I dropped it somewhere. Good topic, I'll have to look for these diodes again and upgrade the headlamp for work

 

[1936jdb]

Ahh. After thinking about it all day. The hotrod light was an Eagletac. The button was only on or off. High and low was twist the head fr tight to loose. Loose was low, tight was high. Otherwise from the tint, I really loved the light. The "builder" talked me into that emitter, said everyone loved it. It was the most expensive light I'd ever bought, and I hated the tint. But the guy was so nice, I just told him it was great and lived with it.

 

[Monocrom]

Nope! Definitely not the only one. Everything has its place and purpose. But for throw, I also prefer Cool White emitters.

 

[bykfixer]

I thought I was the last one here to prefer a cool white tint.

A neutral or warm tint is easier on the eyes in the dark when lighting up the area. But for certain earth tones that are somewhere between green, gray and brown for example the so called hi cri LED makes it difficult to distinguish which one it is. A 6000-ish kelvin lamp causes my brain to see it better and decide it's actually a really dark green instead of dark blue or even black.

I think one thing people misunderstand is light intensity matters. Too much or not enough can also add to a confusion in deciding what color something is. We shine a light on something in the dark and don't give the eyeball enough time to adapt in many cases. At work for example you don't really have the time or desire to allow the eyeballs to adjust to the contrast between dark and light.

In daylight the eyes are adapted and can discern details better and faster. But at certain times of the day even the greatest light bulb ever invented, the sun can affect how we see things. Sunrise and sunset can cast a tint onto the world that biases objects to appear a different color than in mid day. And sometimes after a storm when the clouds begin to allow sunlight through the world around you can take on a golden cast that changes how we see colors.