What impresses you more. A bright cool-white light or a bright neutral-warm light?

Everything else being equal. Forget CRI. In general do you also get the impression that ultra-bright LED lights in the halogen to incandescent like color temperature range just appear to look more extraordinary as tools compared to their cool-white counterparts?

So I got to thinking, cool white LEDs have been around long enough in their various forms to have a reputation. Since cool white LEDs are the most efficiently bright with regards to primary cells, its basically been standard affair for over a decade. From the numerous keychain lights hanging in the cashier lanes to all the ordinary stuff in the store's flashlights section. Cool-white was all that most of us knew. Happen upon a windowed box on the shelf with the words "LED" and "Flashlight" and an assumption of the type of output it exhibits would come mind. Something white, purplish and sterile, right? We may even recall the white with blueish tinged lights used on TV and films. So it's no surprise that it's what we've come to expect as being normal. "Yeah it lights stuff up, looks slightly blue, it's another flashlight, so what?"

After being here and now the wiser we can compare our stock and make a new assumption. I don't know, but to me a compact high performance LED flashlight that looks totally different from cools (like it might be filament based) appears very uncommon, even exotic. It's even more impressive in the sense that neutral-warm lights are more relaxing and natural to observe and be around with. This lends it to being distinctive and striking in its own right, especially when it's high-powered.

Likely a correct observation? or a classic symptom of elitist tint snobbery?

Case and point:




^^^ I love Carclo array optics. The shiny streamers effect is always a nice plus.

I don't really follow the "Impressed by" stuff. To me, the lights are tools and they have a niche they fill, with more light being more useful than the light having a pretty color per se. IE: If the light REACHES what it needs to, sure, good color rendition is gravy....but if the light doesn't reach the target, it doesn't matter how true the colors would have been if I had been able to see them.



As for tint, I don't really like the yellow lights...I prefer the light to look more white. I'm not obsessed with pretending I have incans or whatever, I just want to see what's out there.

All of that said, in your pic, I prefer the 10621 shot on the right.

I'll sacrifice some lumnes for a nice tint. People can call me a tint snob all they want, that's fine. It just means I know a good tint when I see it.

Same as being a coffee snob. I brew the good stuff at work every morning that I bring from home while everyone else drinks the vac-packed garbage that's been sitting on a shelf for god knows how many months. Do they both satisfy your caffiene craving and give you a quick boost? Yes, but I'm still not drinking that crap. Even if the crap coffee gave me a better boost (more lumens), I'm still not drinking it because I want quality over quantity.

The usual blue tinted lights you talk about make me sick. It's unnatural, it's wrong, it's a marketing directors deam (now xxx lumens!). On that note, a bad tint NW is just as bad (my Zebralight SC52g).

If a neutral emitter is not lighting something up in the distance properly, then it's probably a reflector/design issue for me. I simply chose the wrong tool for the job. For example, my EA4 vs EA4W - they both give the same noticable performance. I would never say "well, I can't make out that object over there with my EA4W so hand me that EA4."

I'm with TEEJ on this one - I'm not willing to sacrifice a ton of lumens just to change the beam color. I'm not comparing color wheels at night - I just want to see where I am going. I almost always prefer cool white, for that reason.

True neutrals are OK, if the efficiency hit isn't too large (I love my PD32UE). But any warmer, and I view that as a strong negative...I don't like yellowish lights either, would much prefer a blue tint over a yellow one.

I also think the claims about it being inherently more pleasing to the eye are simply a matter of preference...I've read for hours using cool white, and had no problems with eyestrain or anything else. To each his own - luckily there are enough emitter options so that everyone can have what they want!

markr6 said:

I'll sacrifice some lumnes for a nice tint. People can call me a tint snob all they want, that's fine. It just means I know a good tint when I see it.

Same as being a coffee snob. I brew the good stuff at work every morning that I bring from home while everyone else drinks the vac-packed garbage that's been sitting on a shelf for god knows how many months. Do they both satisfy your caffiene craving and give you a quick boost? Yes, but I'm still not drinking that crap. Even if the crap coffee gave me a better boost (more lumens), I'm still not drinking it because I want quality over quantity.

The usual blue tinted lights you talk about make me sick. It's unnatural, it's wrong, it's a marketing directors deam (now xxx lumens!). On that note, a bad tint NW is just as bad (my Zebralight SC52g).

If a neutral emitter is not lighting something up in the distance properly, then it's probably a reflector/design issue for me. I simply chose the wrong tool for the job. For example, my EA4 vs EA4W - they both give the same noticable performance. I would never say "well, I can't make out that object over there with my EA4W so hand me that EA4."

Click to expand...

LOL

True, as carrying both would be inefficient....and I'm sure both of us would simply reach for a light with a higher cd to start with.

@ thedoc: Actually if you look at the photo, I've only sacrificed 100 lumens or so with the warmer R4-5C on the right.

ledmitter_nli said:

@ thedoc: Actually if you look at the photo, I've only sacrificed 100 lumens or so with the warmer R4-5C on the right.

Click to expand...

I did see that, and I smiled as I typed that it was preferred.

ledmitter_nli said:

@ thedoc: Actually if you look at the photo, I've only sacrificed 100 lumens or so with the warmer R4-5C on the right.

Click to expand...

I did look at the photo, and noted the modest 7% drop. Sometimes the sacrifice is MUCH larger, a lot of people rave about Nichia 219s, but the hit you take for that high CRI is massive. Just making a general point about tints...

TEEJ said:

I did see that, and I smiled as I typed that it was preferred.

Click to expand...

Yeah I read ya. Bye-the-way the R4-5C isn't yellow by far. Thank gawd for that. That's why I refer to it as being halogen like.



"Yeah I have one of these installed in my C2"

I think the high CRI Nichia 219 is perfect for 1-200 lumen indoor flood lights. Outside the best Cree neutrals give out great light and tints. The Prometheus Alpha gives as close as you can get to both worlds IMO.

If I have to put light on a subject, I typically prefer a "whiter" light to a "warmer" light. Does that make me a tint snob?

If I am using the light because I actually have to DO something, then, if I gave it a thought, I would typically grab a whiter light. There are times however that I prefer a warmer light. For example, I have two lanterns, one a 12w spiral florescent (Northwest Territory Rechargeable Lantern ) and a Coleman with two 6watt 9 inch florescent tubes.

The NW territory gives a bright white light, that is good for doing work in the kitchen, or when I really want to SEE what I am doing; but may get annoying for sitting and chatting.

The Coleman on the other hand, has a warmer soft white light, not quite as good for doing kitchen work, but it does give more of that "campfire" feel; certainly more comfortable for sitting around chatting.

I have two lamps in the family room, where I spend much of my time. One has a warm bulb, the other a bright white. If I want to read something, I'll sit by the bright white lamp. If I just want some light on in the room, then it's a toss up, which lamp will be lit.

TEEJ said:

LOL

True, as carrying both would be inefficient....and I'm sure both of us would simply reach for a light with a higher cd to start with.

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Nope. "they both give the same noticable performance"

I prefer bright Neutral White. It looks more natural and is easier on the eyes.

A bright cool-white light or a bright neutral-warm light?

Interesting discussion here .... For me, as long as there are enough lumens for the needed task, I would prefer those lumens to be of the best quality possible

Not that long ago, it was technologically challenging to get, say, 50-100 lumens in a small handheld torch, with reasonable runtime, and no excessive heat. And if it took angry purple LEDs in screaming overdrive to do it, well, there ya go.

If you now have a task that requires 2000-3000 lumens, or 1000 meters of throw, yeah, maybe you still have to tolerate cool bluish LED tints, I guess (although warm tint HIDs might provide options even there).

Thing is, the vast majority of (at least my own) use of a flashlight demands maybe only 2-20 lumens. Even call it 1-100 (or 200! lumen), and modern LEDs can now still efficiently provide that in a wide range of CCT and CRI.

So, get what you like. Some do prefer cool-white, and they get a bit more lumens and efficiency as a free bonus. But if you prefer high CRI, neutral and/or even :devil: warm-tinted light ... why not take advantage of that vast progress which has been accomplished in LED tech ?

Re: A bright cool-white light or a bright neutral-warm light?

archimedes said:

Interesting discussion here .... For me, as long as there are enough lumens for the needed task, I would prefer those lumens to be of the best quality possible

Not that long ago, it was technologically challenging to get, say, 50-100 lumens in a small handheld torch, with reasonable runtime, and no excessive heat. And if it took angry purple LEDs in screaming overdrive to do it, well, there ya go.

If you now have a task that requires 2000-3000 lumens, or 1000 meters of throw, yeah, maybe you still have to tolerate cool bluish LED tints, I guess (although warm tint HIDs might provide options even there).

Thing is, the vast majority of (at least my own) use of a flashlight demands maybe only 2-20 lumens. Even call it 1-100 (or 200! lumen), and modern LEDs can now still efficiently provide that in a wide range of CCT and CRI.

So, get what you like. Some do prefer cool-white, and they get a bit more lumens and efficiency as a free bonus. But if you prefer high CRI, neutral and/or even :devil: warm-tinted light ... why not take advantage of that vast progress which has been accomplished in LED tech ?

Click to expand...

+1! PERFECT!

Re: A bright cool-white light or a bright neutral-warm light?

I always get a neutral version if that's an option. And nowadays neutral often is only ~10% dimmer than a cool(bluish in comparison) so that's no question: very close to the same brightness but with a much more natural and pleasant tint. I actually don't understand why neutral isn't the standard, and cool tint an option!

Re: A bright cool-white light or a bright neutral-warm light?

Started with cool white lights, but have moved to NW lights. Prefer the better color rendition. Cool white washes out the colors. But if I was in a lifeboat in the middle of the Atlantic, trying to attract the attention of a search and rescue plane, then I would take the cool white. . .

Re: A bright cool-white light or a bright neutral-warm light?

The topic was what impressed us...but its now sort of just a what do you prefer?

I prefer ~ T6 looking beams overall if that's the new topic.

I used to chase lumens, but once I got my hands on a Malkoff 219 drop in, that changed my mind. I rarely use any other lights now unless the need is strictly for throw/reach.

Moved to LED Flashlights - Norm

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