How do you compare 2 lights??

kb0rrg

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When you say Light A is Brighter than Light B, what are you basing that on? If I am trying to compare two lights I will shine one, then the other and go back and forth.

I look for two abilities of the light:

1. The ability to fill a room with light. This is good for getting the big picture.

2. The ability to identify objects at long distances.

It can be very difficult to say which is brighter if the beam shapes are totally different.

What tricks or criteria do you use for comparing?
 

lightlover

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kbOrrg, we are discussing something along these lines in the topic - Candlepower, Lumens and lightvalue.

As I will only be buying a few lights, this is a subject close to my heart.

People are coming up with ideas as to how we could usefully compare / assess different lights.

Lite-lover
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Observations from my flashlights;

1. Bright and even beam of light. Lightbeam has an even brightness from center to edge (looking for this flashlight).
2. Bright center beam with even and smooth less bright outer beam (SureFire 9Z, Scorpion)
3. Bright center beam with smooth imperceptible less bright and dark rings (UK4AA, UK2L).
4. Bright center beam with rough less bright outer beam (Bison 2C).
5. Bright center beam with narrow rings of less bright and dark circles of light (Streamlight 4AA).
6. Bright center beam with wide rings[/] of less bright and dark circles of light (Tec 40, Maglite).
7. Bright web-like or flower-like center beam with same dimmer to the edge (Streamlight Syclone).

Objects within the range of lightbeam can be seen easily and instantly with bright even beam of light.
 

Alan

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 2d_edge:
Observations from my flashlights;

1. Bright and even beam of light. Lightbeam has an even brightness from center to edge (looking for this flashlight).
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Try this http://www3.supremeco.com.hk/flashlights/droptics/DrOptic.htm

This light was created by a German comapny that is specialized in optical len.

For info, check http://www.docteroptics.com/home_english.htm

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>3. Bright center beam with smooth imperceptible less bright and dark rings (UK4AA, UK2L).<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Although most smooth-reflectored lights have rings, UKE 2L is one of the few exceptions.I have 2 UKE 2L, none of them have rings. I just tried to put in a new spare lamp to see if any rings, none again. I guess the one you got might be defective.

In fact, I am going to get a UKE4AA tomorrow.

I tried SL 4AA, although I love its tail cap switch, its look, its brightness (a tiny bit brighter than UKE 4AA) and lower cost on spare bulb, I gave up eventually due to its rings.

Alan Chan
 
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Alan... do you have other info (rating of bulb, runtime, dimensions, waterproof, price) on this Docter aspherilux? Searched "google" but can't find other info.

Picture shows neat circle beam of light. Cannot really see from picture if brightness is evenly distributed throughout the circle of beam.

I like the small Mini 100 Halogen 3AA model.

aspherium_300.jpg
mini_100_300.jpg
 

Alan

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 2d_edge:
Alan... do you have other info (rating of bulb, runtime, dimensions, waterproof, price) on this Docter aspherilux? Searched "google" but can't find other info.

Picture shows neat circle beam of light. Cannot really see from picture if brightness is evenly distributed throughout the circle of beam.

I like the small Mini 100 Halogen 3AA model.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I couldn't make the time to visit their office to see the actual light. I believe (only guessing) the light quality might look like something you could expect from a projector. I mean the light quality, not the brightness. You can't compare brightness with projector with 200W bulb.

However, don't expect cheap. Good optical len is very expensive.

Alan
 

vcal

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Originally posted by 2d_edge:
[qb]Alan... do you have other info (rating of bulb, runtime, dimensions, waterproof, price) on this Docter aspherilux?

Picture shows neat circle beam of light. Cannot really see from picture if brightness is evenly distributed throughout the circle of beam.

Hello, I have a Docter "midi-125" (4xAA batts.) and the beam looks exactly like that in picture u have..Not a waterproof light, though...
FYI-it cost me $40.! from www.shoplifestyle.com about 18 months ago-don't know if they still sell it.....
-one of my favorite incandescent lights -for sheer Quality.
 

Chris M.

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Great looking lights! Does anyone know of a current distributor for them (who will ship to the UK), as shoplifestyle.com doesn`t appear to stock them anymore...


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vcal

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Alan:
$40 is cheap. Is the optical len glass or plastic? I think I should pay a visit to our local distributor.

Did you run it with NiMH batteries (I know you like rechargables)? If you do, how much it suffer its brightness? What type of bulb it uses, T1 type bi-pin or PR type? Does it have a reflector?

Sorry for so many questions. I want to change its bulb and rechargable, it might make it brighter without risking melted len/reflector.

TIA.

Alan Chan
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Alan/Chris
The Midi 125 is running just fine on 4 NimH, and it uses a thick glass lens with a plastic reflector, and a PR (500ma) bulb

Fyi- I have run an 800ma halogen bulb in it with no heat problem, but I didn't like what it did to the quality of the beam (made it a little uneven), so even with the 500ma. lamp it's still VERY bright.
 

Alan

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by videocal:

Hello, I have a Docter "midi-125" (4xAA batts.) and the beam looks exactly like that in picture u have..Not a waterproof light, though...
FYI-it cost me $40.! from www.shoplifestyle.com about 18 months ago-don't know if they still sell it.....
-one of my favorite incandescent lights -for sheer Quality.[/QB]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

$40 is cheap. Is the optical len glass or plastic? I think I should pay a visit to our local distributor.

Did you run it with NiMH batteries (I know you like rechargables)? If you do, how much it suffer its brightness? What type of bulb it uses, T1 type bi-pin or PR type? Does it have a reflector?

Sorry for so many questions. I want to change its bulb and rechargable, it might make it brighter without risking melted len/reflector.

TIA.

Alan Chan
 

Alan

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Thanks for the good info. I have to have this and will try different branded bulbs to see if any better result.

Alan Chan
 
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Gotta have this Docter Aspherilux too. Anybody know online stores with stock of this light?

DougS... how big is its beam at 12 inches, 10 & 20 feet from target wall? Does it show different beam quality at different distance? Maximum useable beam range?
 

vcal

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 2d_edge:
Gotta have this Docter Aspherilux too. Anybody know online stores with stock of this light?

DougS... how big is its beam at 12 inches, 10 & 20 feet from target wall? Does it show different beam quality at different distance? Maximum useable beam range?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

-Guys, these measurements are close but approximate:
@ 12">4" Spot
@ 10' >3' diam.beam
@ 20' >6' diam.beam
(the beam is Very uniform except
for the outermost 20% of the spot-with a cheap bulb).
-hope that helps..
 
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An minor FYI about the asperilux: it was mentioned several times in a recent book (fiction), The Business by Iain Banks. (Banks is a Scottish writer, and I gather the book sold quite well in Britain a year or so ago; it didn't make it into the States until this year.)

The protagonist is a fairly wealthy business woman who flies around the world, and one of the few things she always has with her is this flashlight (model not mentioned). I was going to post a question about it here, but before I got around to it...

The book is pretty good, BTW.
 
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