Need layman's explanation of Cree vs. Luxeon

[jboydjr]

Could someone please explain (in layman's terms) the difference between the luxeon and the Cree? I am a serious collector, meaning I am a true flashaholic with a U2 plus an assortment of Inovas, ARCs, etc (and all in between). I have been away from the forum for a while, and all of a sudden, all I see is Cree this and Cree that.
This is a serious question; I don't want to be left in the dark (no pun intended).

Jim

 

[johnny13oi]

I cant remember but the Cree is about 2-3 times as efficient as Luxeon's meaning better battery life or brighter flashlights for the same runtime. The Cree's can output about 100 lumens at 350ma with one of the higher bins which I would say is really really good as I don't believe the Lux 3 even outputs at 1000ma?or was it 700ma. Either way Cree's are the way to go.

 

[LEDninja]

Luxeons max out at 42 lumens/watt or so.
Cree 7090-XREs start out at 80 lumens/watt (P3 bin) and the latest versions are minimum 100 lm/w (Q4 bin) and 107 lm/w (Q5 bin)
EDIT
OOPS forgot 350mA=~1.25W. But the brightness ratio is the same.

Luxeons have a wide viewing angle and works well with reflectors.
Crees have a narrow viewing angle and have a different focal point so need special optics or reflectors.

luxeons have a round base.
Crees have a rectangular base.

The different shape and optical charateristics make it difficult to swap a Cree into a luxeon flashlight. A new head/reflector has to be designed.

See this thread for lots of info on the Cree:
Production CREE XR-E Testing (SLOW lots of pictures!)
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=138503

 

[wintermute]

Luxeons max out at 42 lumens/watt or so.
Cree 7090-XREs start out at 80 lumens/watt (P3 bin) and the latest versions are minimum 100 lm/w (Q4 bin) and 107 lm/w (Q5 bin)

Not trying to split hairs here, but that's not lumens per watt, that's lumens @350mA (and 3.3v) = which translates to 1.15W. 100 lumens/watt is on the horizon, just not here yet.

Cree R2 bin will hit 100lm/w, R3 bin will be 107lm/w, and R4 bin 115lm/w - those can be expected starting Q4 2007

 

[Gunner12]

Don't forget the Seoul P4 and Edison Opto K series, Both use the Cree EZ1000 die and have similar efficiency as the Cree(Twice the efficiency of a Luxeon or more depending on Bin).

The Seoul has a positive base and a slightly bigger base(the black plastic part) the the Luxeon. It also has a dust attracting gummy dome. It needs a 0.030 inch lift to focus correctly in a Luxeon reflector. It is also more susceptible to temperature changes then the Cree and Luxeon, which means it can't be too overdriven.

The Edison has almost the same emitting pattern as a Luxeon and it can be a direct replacement for a Luxeon LED. It will create a yellow corona around the hot-spot if used with a reflector.

If you want a place to start with Cree/Seoul lights, look at Dealextreme. Most light are less then $50 including the batteries and charger(for the 18650, RCR123, 14500, and 17670 powered lights) and most are well built for the price.

Cree is about to release even more efficient LED(Q4, Q5) so unless Luxeon releases their GenX LEDs soon, they might be left behind.

 

[Lighthouse one]

May I drift off post a bit? To clean the seoul emitter..which are gummy..use Spit! Amazing- but it works perfect.