should lumen testing be standardized??

as in, wouldnt it be better if there was one "gadget" that every company used to measure lumens, so that you can actually compare them without worrying about inflated lumen measuring??

also, i noticed something... surefire rates the A2s high at 50 lumens, and the U2's high at 100... and, according to flashlight reviews, the A2 actually has more output... just thought i'd throw that out there

-David

There is, it's call the Integrating Sphere. But most manufacturers don't want an accurate number, they just want a big number. So they use bulb lumens and ignore the reflector and lens losses, or the Luxeon bin lumens and ignore the fact that the die isn't at 25 degrees Celsius, the reflector and lens losses.

If it gets to be a big problem maybe the FTC will mandate a standard test like they did with audio amplifiers a long time ago when power claims got ridiculous.

Greg

If it gets to be a big problem maybe the FTC will mandate a standard test like they did with audio amplifiers a long time ago when power claims got ridiculous.

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Don't hold your breath. Another subject I am interested in are FRS/GMRS 2-way radios. The range and output power claims that you see on these bubblepack radios have become pure flights of fantasy. The FCC, as part of the licensing process requires independent testing of various things including power output. If you check the power values registered with the FCC versus the claims in the advertising you will see the advertising claims getting bigger and bigger while the actual power levels decrease. It is as if the marketing people keep embellisihing their previous outrageous claims to see if the FTC will slap their hand but the FTC doesn't so the next marketing claim is even more fanciful.

I dont pay much attention to the lumens advertised. Even a high lumen rated flashlight can have a hideous beam. I mostly try to search for different beamshots of the light. And theres usually alot of beamshots lingering around on the net. But, that doesnt mean I dont take the lumen measurement into account.

Anyway, I say yes to your question Cheapo. But the only problem is that companies may have to jack up the prices of there lights. Becasue a I.S. is quite expensive to get.

cheapo said:

also, i noticed something... surefire rates the A2s high at 50 lumens, and the U2's high at 100... and, according to flashlight reviews, the A2 actually has more output...

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There's a simple explanation for that: The A2 is an incandescent, which means that it produces a lot of IR-Radiation. This radiation is also registered by a normal light meter, leading to higher value.

Most Light meters are designed to give correct readings if they are lit with the radiation of a certain color temperature. Mine (The Meterman LM631) works only with a light source that burns at 2856K, all other sources give false readings.

That's why you can never compare LED to incan with just a normal light meter. Even if they would both produce exactly the same amount of lumens, the incan would always give a higher reading. You would need to measure every single wavelength by itself and multiply every wavelength with a certain factor, that results from how sensitive your eye is to that special wavelength.