I see all these posts of multi-hundred/thousand lumen flashlights. I was wondering how much the base of 1-lumen would be. Is that bright enough to read by? What is a comparable source? Would the light from one star be around a lumen? How many lumens is a full moon from a person's POV?
Is 1 lumen detectable?
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scottaw
Enlightened
If im setting up my 120P correctly, then .08 lumens is plenty to walk around, read, etc. It's like a full moon brightness, just a little more focused.
1 lumen = 1 lux*m^2
So a 1 lumen light source, can illuminate a sphere with a surface area of 1m^2 with 1 lux of illumination.
To give you an idea of how much light you need to read, it would be on the order of 100-500 lux in order to be "good lighting"... but you could read at 1-10lux as well... which would probably tire your eyes terribly if you did it for long, but for short periods is fine.
Direct sunlight
100,000 - 130,000 lux
Full daylight, indirect sunlight
10,000 - 20,000 lux
Overcast day
1,000 lux
Indoor office
200 - 400 lux
Very dark day
100 lux
Twilight
10 lux
Deep twilight
1 lux
Full moon
0.1 lux
Quarter moon
0.01 lux
Moonless clear night sky
0.001 lux
Moonless overcast night sky
0.0001 lux
When your eyes are night vision adjusted, 1 lumen is enough to move around a house etc, not enough for woodsy areas outside IMO. Probably not enough to read by for very long. I like meuge's comparison, maybe that would be a good sticky or something. I along with many others here like a light that can go very low at night, brightness isn't the only factor as many lights for me are too bright at night.
Brozneo
Enlightened
The SF L1 Gen2 has a 1.1 lumen low, which I thought would be very low. However I was surprised that I found it to be quite bright! But SF probably under rated the lumens (as usual) on this one maybe??
joema
Flashlight Enthusiast
Yes 1 lumen (from a flashlight) is easily bright enough to read by, if the light is positioned near the page.
Human vision has an incredible dynamic range of 100 million -- from 100,000 lux of bright sunlight to 0.001 lux of starlight (that's the reflected intensity from average terrain based on all the stars in a clear night sky).
Vision is also logarithmically sensitive, not linearly. So 2 lumens doesn't appear twice as bright as 1 lumen, only a little brighter.
Moving in the dimmer direction, that helps us. Therefore 0.5 lumen doesn't appear 1/2 as bright as 1 lumen, only slightly less bright.
On the low end of the scale, this means (with fully dark adapted eyes) you can see and move around a small room with a flashlight producing 0.08 lumens. I've done that with my HDS U60 on the lowest level many times.
Rowrbazzle
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2006
- Messages
- 49
The 2-lumen low setting on my HDS B42 is very usable for reading. The 0.3 lumen low low setting is too low for reading - for my old eyes at least - but is fine for making sure I don't step on the dog toys if I get up in the middle of the night, and it doesn't trash my night vision. If I tailstand the light that low low level also makes a very nice hotel-room night light. (Ever had a fire alarm go off your first night in an unfamiliar hotel room?)
Cheers
Cheers
I may have to look into either the Mag Solitaire or SF L1 Gen2 for a 1 lumen all-nighter, if it will stand on it's end.
BTW, what is your sig referring to with the CREE 1000 lumen LED?
BTW, what is your sig referring to with the CREE 1000 lumen LED?
Last edited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cree
Just kidding...
http://www.cree.com/press/press_detail.asp?i=1189169857943
you should take note thought that
http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/12/seoul-semiconductor-squeezes-240-lumens-into-brightest-led/
and cree is running at 4x the amps ssc is...so....do the math...
Crenshaw
Just kidding...
http://www.cree.com/press/press_detail.asp?i=1189169857943
you should take note thought that
http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/12/seoul-semiconductor-squeezes-240-lumens-into-brightest-led/
and cree is running at 4x the amps ssc is...so....do the math...
Crenshaw
Bullzeyebill
Flashaholic
It is really all about lux and post 3 illustrates that very well. A very focused 1 lumen might be too much light to read by with ease, but a diffused 1 lumen might be comfortable. My CR2 Ion puts out about 2 1/2 lumens on low in a very diffused spread out beam, and it lights up a room at night with night adapted eyes. Heck, it lights up a room at night with eyes that are not night adapted. For nighttime use outside we do not need a lot of "lumens", and can get by with low lumen lights putting out a lot of lux.
Bill
Bill
KenAnderson
Enlightened
I shot this image with a 2 meg Canon Elph while holding my Novatac at 24 inches and using 1 lumen to iluminate this book title. I find that 1 lumen is more than enough to navigate well at night and more than enough light to read without problem. Not bad considering the Novatac probably runs 100+ hours on a single 123 producing this 1 lumen.
65535
Flashlight Enthusiast
Sometimes I wish my U2 went to <1 lumen.
lctorana
Flashlight Enthusiast
If I lit a standard candle, would that emit 1 lumen?
CRESCENDOPOWER
Banned
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2006
- Messages
- 247
I don't know the exact output of a candle, but I would much rather use that than a Mag Solitaire.
It would probably depend on the type of candle...
but hey, id rather a solitaire then a candle in the wind...or rain for that matter...:nana:
anyway thats why they say that a ARC AAA emitting 5lumens is sometihing you can survive by
Crenshaw
mbely2
Enlightened
Just to give an idea: 1 lumen is just about right amount of light for those night trips to the bathroom. Enough to be done with the business safely without irritating your eyes
Mark
Mark
LEDninja
Flashlight Enthusiast
FLR measured the Mag Solitaire at just under 1-1/2 lumens when the battery is fresh. Drops to 3/4 lumens in 15 minutes.
So 1 lumen is dim but usable.
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/mag_sol.htm
So 1 lumen is dim but usable.
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/mag_sol.htm
That was very helpful. I mainly needed an example so I could see a reference. Last night after I posted, I realized again my alarm clock has big bright blue LEDs, and actually fills up the room. Though I live in the country, it seems the LED's in my stereo, celphone, and Ionic Breezes do produce enough light together to see. I usually have kept the stove light on at night. I don't remember the last time I had to get up in the middle of the night for a bathroom run, but at least I'm covered.
I shot this image with a 2 meg Canon Elph while holding my Novatac at 24 inches and using 1 lumen to iluminate this book title. I find that 1 lumen is more than enough to navigate well at night and more than enough light to read without problem. Not bad considering the Novatac probably runs 100+ hours on a single 123 producing this 1 lumen.
StainlessSteel
Enlightened
For all my pitch black, low light, navigation needs, including trips to the bathroom, and moving around my house at night, i do NOT Like a white light.
I have been using the Inova X5 red LED for a few years, and i like it more than anything else. Although it isnt the brightest light, it is my most used light.
Plus, It runs for free and only uses ONE 123a battery.
I use it as my night light in hotel rooms, i use it to light the bathroom when i have visitors, i use it solely when it gets dark to move around the house. I use it to read at night. It will run for hours on batteries that won't light other lights.
I understand having <1 lumen setting on a white light you carry around, just so you dont have to carry two lights. BUT! I would rather use a red light than a white light for anything where i need small amounts of lumination at night. Plus, you can use more red light than white light, and still not lose your night vision.
My red X5, is my most used, favorite light, and on my short list of "things i will NEVER sell."
I have been using the Inova X5 red LED for a few years, and i like it more than anything else. Although it isnt the brightest light, it is my most used light.
Plus, It runs for free and only uses ONE 123a battery.
I use it as my night light in hotel rooms, i use it to light the bathroom when i have visitors, i use it solely when it gets dark to move around the house. I use it to read at night. It will run for hours on batteries that won't light other lights.
I understand having <1 lumen setting on a white light you carry around, just so you dont have to carry two lights. BUT! I would rather use a red light than a white light for anything where i need small amounts of lumination at night. Plus, you can use more red light than white light, and still not lose your night vision.
My red X5, is my most used, favorite light, and on my short list of "things i will NEVER sell."
