In order to help people find good white LEDs, I've decided to create a thread to rate the white LEDs which I own.
There are already other threads which discuss LEDs in a very objective way, so I'll rank the threads very subjectively according to my personal taste, which may or may not match yours. You may or may not agree with me, and you're certainly entitled to your own opinion! but this is my thread, so these are my ratings! Hopefully they won't be too controversial.
So without further ado, here's the system I will use:
Tint (Ti)
The tint of the beam. A Luxeon SWOH will be considered "white", and the color will be compared relative to the SWOH.
Hotspot Type (HT)
The type of hotspot emitted by the LED. This measures the transition from the hotspot to the spill. The abbreviations used will be:
SS: Soft spot. Spot with an edge that fades very gradually
MS: Medium spot. Spot with an edge drops off fairly rapidly, but not a hard edge.
HS: Hard spot. Spot with very sharply defined edges
Tint Consistency (TC)
This category subjectively measures the color consistency of the LED on a ten point scale.
The LED will lose points if the tint is not consistent across the hotspot, or the hotspot has yellow/brown edges, or the side of the LED emits yellow/brown light.
The scale will be normalized with a Nichia NSPW500CS a rating of "5". Lower means less consistent tint than a NSPW500CS, and vice versa.
Beam consistency (BC)
This category subjectively measures the consistency of the beam intensity on a ten point scale.
The LED will lose points if the hotspot has rings or a hole, and also if the spill has rings.
Bond Wires (BW)
Number of bond wires visible above the die. This one isn't a subjective rating, obviously. A value like "4x2" means "4 groups of double wires".
Overall score (OS)
The overall impression of the LED's personality on a ten point scale. A :twothumbs indicates it's one of my favorites.
I'll try to update this thread as I purchase new LEDs.
Also, see jtr1962's lumen testing thread. It also has lots of good info.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/89607
-------------------------------------------
3mm LED ratings - sorted from best to worst
-------------------------------------------
Light of Victory 10k mcd 20 degree 20ma
Ti: very slightly blueish
HT: SS
TC: 10
BC: 9
OS: 9.5 :twothumbs
Notes: two very faint dots outside hotspot, barely noticeable
-------------------------------------------------------------------
5mm 15-30 degree view angle LED ratings - sorted from best to worst
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SMJLED ? mcd 30 degree 4-die 80 ma
Ti: very slightly blueish
HT: SS
TC: 10
BC: 10
BW: 4x2
OS: 10 :twothumbs :bow:
Notes: expensive, but excellent
SuperBrightLeds 18K mcd 15 degree 20ma
Ti: very slightly blueish
HT: SS
TC: 10
BC: 9
BW: 2x1
OS: 9 :twothumbs
Notes: very faint ring around HS
SuperBrightLeds 18K mcd 30 degree 20ma
Ti: very slightly blueish
HT: MS
TC: 10
BC: 9
BW: 2x1
OS: 9 :twothumbs
Notes: very faint ring around HS
ISP 22K mcd 25 degree 100ma
Ti: varies
HT: SS
TC: 9
BC: 9
BW: 2x1
OS: 9 :twothumbs
Notes: very faint yellow ring around HS
LSDiodes THC3 22K mcd 30 degree 80ma
Ti: varies
HT: SS
TC: 9
BC: 9
BW: 2x1
OS: 9 :twothumbs
Notes: very faint yellow ring around HS, identical frame design to ISP 100ma
Quickar Electronics 5m100w 22K mcd 25 degree 4-die 100ma
Ti: varies
HT: SS
TC: 9
BC: 9
BW: 4x1
OS: 9 :twothumbs
Notes: very faint yellow ring around HS
LCK 5mm 40K mcd 15 degree 20 ma
Ti: bluish
HT: SS
TC: 7
BC: 8
BW: 2x1
OS: 8 :twothumbs
Notes: very slight brown edge on hotspot, but still very good
LCK 5mm 35K mcd 30 degree 40ma
Ti: warm white
HT: MS
TC: 8
BC: 8
BW: 4x1
OS: 7
Notes: slightly oval hotspot, very consistent beam
Light of Victory 55K mcd 20 degree 25 ma
Ti: blueish
HT: MS
TC: 6
BC: 8
BW: 2
OS: 6
Notes: very similar to Nichia NPSW500CS, but slightly nicer beam
Nichia NSPW500CS B1U 18K mcd 15 degree 20ma
Ti: blueish
HT: SS
TC: 5
BC: 5
BW: 2
OS: 5
Notes: wide brownish edge on hotspot
LSDiodes 5mm 8K mcd 25 degree 20ma
Ti: blueish
HT: MS
TC: 5
BC: 5
BW: 2
OS: 5
Notes: wide brownish edge on hotspot, very long leads
JELED 5mm 50K mcd 25 degree 20ma
Ti: Slightly bluish
HT: MS
TC: 3
BC: 5
BW: 2
OS: 3
Notes: very ugly hotspot!
BestHongKong 5mm 35K mcd 20 degree 20ma
Ti: blueish
HT: MS
TC: 3
BC: 3
BW: 2
OS: 3
Notes: browish edge on hotspot, very faint rings in spill
LCK 5mm 55K mcd 15 degree 20ma
Ti: blueish and orange
HT: MS
TC: 2
BC: 2
OS: 2 :green:
Notes: most of hotspot is an ugly orange ring
----------------------------------------------------------
5mm 90+ view angle LED ratings - sorted from best to worst
----------------------------------------------------------
Wah Wang 4-die low 120 degree 80ma
Ti: slightly blueish
HT: diffuse
TC: 10
BC: N/A
BW: 4x2
OS: 10 :twothumbs
Notes: excellent
BestHongKong 4K mcd 100 degree 20? ma
Ti: slightly blueish
HT: diffuse
TC: 8.5
BC: N/A
OS: 8.5
Notes: nice, but dim, which limits usefulness
SpectrumLEDS 3K mcd 180 degree 20? ma
Ti: slightly blueish
HT: diffuse
TC: 8
BC: N/A
OS: 8 :twothumbs
Notes: faint bright yellow light at sides
----------------------------------------------
8-10mm LED ratings - sorted from best to worst
----------------------------------------------
Light of Victory 8mm 65K mcd 40 degree 20ma
Ti: blueish
HT: MS
TC: 9
BC: 5
OS: 8 :twothumbs
Notes: darker hole in center of beam but very consistent tint
Light of Victory 10mm 140K mcd 12 degree 20ma
Ti: blueish
HT: HS
TC: 5
BC: 6
OS: 5
Notes: wide brownish edge on hotspot
BestHongKong 8mm 135K mcd 12 degree 20? ma
Ti: blueish and yellow
HT: MS
TC: 2
BC: 2
OS: 2 :green:
Notes: blue and yellow patches in both hotspot and spill, can see two lead shadows in hotspot
There are already other threads which discuss LEDs in a very objective way, so I'll rank the threads very subjectively according to my personal taste, which may or may not match yours. You may or may not agree with me, and you're certainly entitled to your own opinion! but this is my thread, so these are my ratings! Hopefully they won't be too controversial.
So without further ado, here's the system I will use:
Tint (Ti)
The tint of the beam. A Luxeon SWOH will be considered "white", and the color will be compared relative to the SWOH.
Hotspot Type (HT)
The type of hotspot emitted by the LED. This measures the transition from the hotspot to the spill. The abbreviations used will be:
SS: Soft spot. Spot with an edge that fades very gradually
MS: Medium spot. Spot with an edge drops off fairly rapidly, but not a hard edge.
HS: Hard spot. Spot with very sharply defined edges
Tint Consistency (TC)
This category subjectively measures the color consistency of the LED on a ten point scale.
The LED will lose points if the tint is not consistent across the hotspot, or the hotspot has yellow/brown edges, or the side of the LED emits yellow/brown light.
The scale will be normalized with a Nichia NSPW500CS a rating of "5". Lower means less consistent tint than a NSPW500CS, and vice versa.
Beam consistency (BC)
This category subjectively measures the consistency of the beam intensity on a ten point scale.
The LED will lose points if the hotspot has rings or a hole, and also if the spill has rings.
Bond Wires (BW)
Number of bond wires visible above the die. This one isn't a subjective rating, obviously. A value like "4x2" means "4 groups of double wires".
Overall score (OS)
The overall impression of the LED's personality on a ten point scale. A :twothumbs indicates it's one of my favorites.
I'll try to update this thread as I purchase new LEDs.
Also, see jtr1962's lumen testing thread. It also has lots of good info.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/89607
-------------------------------------------
3mm LED ratings - sorted from best to worst
-------------------------------------------
Light of Victory 10k mcd 20 degree 20ma
Ti: very slightly blueish
HT: SS
TC: 10
BC: 9
OS: 9.5 :twothumbs
Notes: two very faint dots outside hotspot, barely noticeable
-------------------------------------------------------------------
5mm 15-30 degree view angle LED ratings - sorted from best to worst
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SMJLED ? mcd 30 degree 4-die 80 ma
Ti: very slightly blueish
HT: SS
TC: 10
BC: 10
BW: 4x2
OS: 10 :twothumbs :bow:
Notes: expensive, but excellent
SuperBrightLeds 18K mcd 15 degree 20ma
Ti: very slightly blueish
HT: SS
TC: 10
BC: 9
BW: 2x1
OS: 9 :twothumbs
Notes: very faint ring around HS
SuperBrightLeds 18K mcd 30 degree 20ma
Ti: very slightly blueish
HT: MS
TC: 10
BC: 9
BW: 2x1
OS: 9 :twothumbs
Notes: very faint ring around HS
ISP 22K mcd 25 degree 100ma
Ti: varies
HT: SS
TC: 9
BC: 9
BW: 2x1
OS: 9 :twothumbs
Notes: very faint yellow ring around HS
LSDiodes THC3 22K mcd 30 degree 80ma
Ti: varies
HT: SS
TC: 9
BC: 9
BW: 2x1
OS: 9 :twothumbs
Notes: very faint yellow ring around HS, identical frame design to ISP 100ma
Quickar Electronics 5m100w 22K mcd 25 degree 4-die 100ma
Ti: varies
HT: SS
TC: 9
BC: 9
BW: 4x1
OS: 9 :twothumbs
Notes: very faint yellow ring around HS
LCK 5mm 40K mcd 15 degree 20 ma
Ti: bluish
HT: SS
TC: 7
BC: 8
BW: 2x1
OS: 8 :twothumbs
Notes: very slight brown edge on hotspot, but still very good
LCK 5mm 35K mcd 30 degree 40ma
Ti: warm white
HT: MS
TC: 8
BC: 8
BW: 4x1
OS: 7
Notes: slightly oval hotspot, very consistent beam
Light of Victory 55K mcd 20 degree 25 ma
Ti: blueish
HT: MS
TC: 6
BC: 8
BW: 2
OS: 6
Notes: very similar to Nichia NPSW500CS, but slightly nicer beam
Nichia NSPW500CS B1U 18K mcd 15 degree 20ma
Ti: blueish
HT: SS
TC: 5
BC: 5
BW: 2
OS: 5
Notes: wide brownish edge on hotspot
LSDiodes 5mm 8K mcd 25 degree 20ma
Ti: blueish
HT: MS
TC: 5
BC: 5
BW: 2
OS: 5
Notes: wide brownish edge on hotspot, very long leads
JELED 5mm 50K mcd 25 degree 20ma
Ti: Slightly bluish
HT: MS
TC: 3
BC: 5
BW: 2
OS: 3
Notes: very ugly hotspot!
BestHongKong 5mm 35K mcd 20 degree 20ma
Ti: blueish
HT: MS
TC: 3
BC: 3
BW: 2
OS: 3
Notes: browish edge on hotspot, very faint rings in spill
LCK 5mm 55K mcd 15 degree 20ma
Ti: blueish and orange
HT: MS
TC: 2
BC: 2
OS: 2 :green:
Notes: most of hotspot is an ugly orange ring
----------------------------------------------------------
5mm 90+ view angle LED ratings - sorted from best to worst
----------------------------------------------------------
Wah Wang 4-die low 120 degree 80ma
Ti: slightly blueish
HT: diffuse
TC: 10
BC: N/A
BW: 4x2
OS: 10 :twothumbs
Notes: excellent
BestHongKong 4K mcd 100 degree 20? ma
Ti: slightly blueish
HT: diffuse
TC: 8.5
BC: N/A
OS: 8.5
Notes: nice, but dim, which limits usefulness
SpectrumLEDS 3K mcd 180 degree 20? ma
Ti: slightly blueish
HT: diffuse
TC: 8
BC: N/A
OS: 8 :twothumbs
Notes: faint bright yellow light at sides
----------------------------------------------
8-10mm LED ratings - sorted from best to worst
----------------------------------------------
Light of Victory 8mm 65K mcd 40 degree 20ma
Ti: blueish
HT: MS
TC: 9
BC: 5
OS: 8 :twothumbs
Notes: darker hole in center of beam but very consistent tint
Light of Victory 10mm 140K mcd 12 degree 20ma
Ti: blueish
HT: HS
TC: 5
BC: 6
OS: 5
Notes: wide brownish edge on hotspot
BestHongKong 8mm 135K mcd 12 degree 20? ma
Ti: blueish and yellow
HT: MS
TC: 2
BC: 2
OS: 2 :green:
Notes: blue and yellow patches in both hotspot and spill, can see two lead shadows in hotspot
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