What are "Cree" lights?

[NickR]

I've seen stuff like Cree vs. Luxeon. Are these two different technologies? What exactly is Cree and what does it offer over other lights.

Can anyone go into differences (both positive and negative) about Cree vs. Luxeon vs. Incandescent? Is the Cree versions cooler to the touch?

Thanks

 

[Kilovolt]

NickR, what you're asking is a question that has kept more than one flashaholic awake for hours and hours. Briefly:

- CREE is a South Carolina based company that makes LED's: http://www.cree.com/

- Lumileds is a California based company (owned by Dutch Philips) that among other products makes LED's named Luxeon: http://www.lumileds.com/


Between the respective products there is a difference in performance, efficiency, etc. Both are available in different types. Every few months each company comes out with a new type.

To get an idea of the main differences may I suggest that you go to the Google Search box on top of the page and type "CREE Luxeon". You will find some 2,000 results. Enjoy the reading......

 

[elgarak]

Additionally:

There is a certain language problem here: Luxeon is a series of LEDs made by Philips Lumileds. People usually refer to Luxeon lights when they mean a light equipped with Lumileds LEDs; which is sometimes annoying, since the Luxeon V is a very different beast than the Luxeon I and III. Sometimes even the newer K2 and the improved (as compared to Lux I/III with regards to efficiency) Rebel are sometimes referred to with Luxeon.

However, Cree is a company name, but is pretty much always used to refer to Cree's LEDs. The actual LED name is XR-E. So a Cree light is a light that features an XR-E LED made by Cree.

 

[LaVaDog]

I believe Cree is from North Carolina.

 

[NickR]

Are there any established differences? for example, does one version burn less hot than another? Is one generally more bright, the other less bright but more efficient? Any core traits that separate the two or is there nothing definite?

I'd really like to know if one burns less hot to the touch than the other.

 

[KeyGrip]

When the Cree XR-E and Seoul Semiconductors P4 LEDs came out, they were roughly twice as efficient as the standard Luxeon III. That means twice as bright with the same runtime, or same brightness with double the runtime. Compared to the Lux V, which does get hot, most Cree lights are able to stay cool because of how efficient they are. However, heatsinking is more a property of individual lights, so one maker could have a cool running Cree light and one could have a super-hot running Cree light.

 

[Gunner12]

The main similarity is they are both Blue die yellow phosphor coated LEDs.

The main differnece is the Cree XR-E P4 bin and up, Seoul P4 U bin(and up when they come out) and Rebel 100(also by Luxeon) LEDs are twice as efficient as the Luxeon I, III, V and K2 LEDs. That means for the same amount of power, the newer LEDs will produce twice or more light(depends on Bin code, for example, the Cree Q5 is more efficient then the Cree P4) then the previous generation LEDs.

The newer LEDs produce less heat then the previous generation of LEDs.

The Edison Opto LED also uses the same die as the Cree XR-E so efficiency is also similar. But it creates a yellow corona around the hotspot.

The Rebel LED has a footprint about the quarter the size of the Cree but similar sized die(about 1mm x 1mm).

I think the Rebel 100 LEDs have warmer tint then the Cree LEDs.