Quality over Quantity

A few days ago, I pulled my socket set off the shelf in the garage, not checking that the clips were closed and promptly scattered the entire set over my garage floor. Found everything but the one socket, and try as I might, even with an 800 lumen Nitecore MH2C, I couldn't find it, which really annoyed me :mecry:

However, I was in the garage yesterday, didn't have my MH2C on me, but did have my Lummi Raw Ti with neutral-white emitter. I decided to have another look under the racking, and with a mere 170 lumens, I found the missing socket easily. I learned an important lesson that sometimes the quality of the emitter matters more than the absolute output

Also, I bought my wife a Fenix E05, and it looks like that was a tint lottery winner too. This is making me very curious about the Hi-CRI emitters now, since this is even more important to emitter quality than tint :thinking:

Good point. I might have experienced the same thing once. I first tried a light with around 1000 lumens and missed it, then tried one that was more like 130 lumens and found it. I think the first light was so powerful the back scatter was partially blinding me and I couldn't pick up the small object.

Glad you found that socket.

In general I carry a 10 lumen 1aaa Streamlight in my pocket. If you're familiar with their C4 spot you know it's pretty bright for a 10 lumen emitter. I also carry a Coast HP1 in the other pocket. It's (stated) 220 lumens can be diffused by sliding it from spot to flood whenever I just need some light...not a lot.

Quality is a whole nother topic...it seems extra is the norm...extra horsepower, extra thirst quencher, extra flavor...extra lumens. Well extra isn't always a good thing.

I've been saying for a long time that you can actually see more with a warm, high CRI emitter than you can with cool white.

To my eye, the depth of field is much better with warmer tints. Cool tints seam to look flat, like two dimensional. I can see texture of objects better with warm tints. This is especially so in natural, forested scenes.

I think just having a light or other gear item when actually needed and it working trumps all other issues.

+

maybe merge threads

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?326636-Quality-over-Quantity

If there are multiple output levels, it's up to the operator to select one appropriate for the task at hand.

^^ the reason multi level lights are so popular.

I prefer 1 setting lights myself, but do own and use multi level lights often.

Multiple output levels is easy to achieve in a light. Multiple tints... not so much. I've pretty much sworn off of cool white in any light I intend to actually use regularly. 4000-4500k is about perfect to my eyes so those are the lights I like to buy at the moment. Or, if I love the light and its too cool, I'm more than willing to crack it open for an emitter swap.

emarkd said:

Multiple output levels is easy to achieve in a light. Multiple tints... not so much. I've pretty much sworn off of cool white in any light I intend to actually use regularly. 4000-4500k is about perfect to my eyes so those are the lights I like to buy at the moment. Or, if I love the light and its too cool, I'm more than willing to crack it open for an emitter swap.

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Variable tint could be achieved with multiple emitters. We have some professional television lights at work that have an alternating grid of warm white and cool white LEDs that creates an adjustable tint by cross-fading between the two types of emitters. This would certainly be possible in a flashlight, but whether or not there is a market for it is another matter.

the.Mtn.Man said:

Variable tint could be achieved with multiple emitters.... This would certainly be possible in a flashlight, but whether or not there is a market for it is another matter.

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If it has a light bulb in it, there's a market for it here on CPF! 😀

LOL

Very true.

the.Mtn.Man said:

Variable tint could be achieved with multiple emitters. We have some professional television lights at work that have an alternating grid of warm white and cool white LEDs that creates an adjustable tint by cross-fading between the two types of emitters. This would certainly be possible in a flashlight, but whether or not there is a market for it is another matter.

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Streamlight does one called dual task with an inan bulb and an LED emitter.

But yeah differing tints with the same emitter is no easy thing.

I'll say this though...my Alpha and MD2 both appear much warmer on low than high.

the.Mtn.Man said:

I've been saying for a long time that you can actually see more with a warm, high CRI emitter than you can with cool white.

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My thoughts as well, this is especially true in natural environments.

bykfixer said:

I'll say this though...my Alpha and MD2 both appear much warmer on low than high.

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LEDs can change color temperature depending on brightness. To maintain a consistent color temperature across a range of brightness requires some engineering tricks.

magellan said:

Good point. I might have experienced the same thing once. I first tried a light with around 1000 lumens and missed it, then tried one that was more like 130 lumens and found it. I think the first light was so powerful the back scatter was partially blinding me and I couldn't pick up the small object.

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Yeah, yesterday I cranked up my 620 lumen Sunwayman to look at a serial number on the back of some test equipment .... way too bright! I would have been better having it cranked down to the 20 lumen mode.

the.Mtn.Man said:

Variable tint could be achieved with multiple emitters. We have some professional television lights at work that have an alternating grid of warm white and cool white LEDs that creates an adjustable tint by cross-fading between the two types of emitters. This would certainly be possible in a flashlight, but whether or not there is a market for it is another matter.

Click to expand...

That's exactly what the iPhone 5s and newer do with their dual LED flashes to get the best skintones and color renditions for the camera. They have the normal cool white LED on top of an amber-looking one; by using both and varying their outputs, the proper color temp light is produced. Actually fairly cool idea.

When I lose some small item in my workshop my hand automatically reaches for an older incandescent light. There's something about the light output that makes finding things very easy.

Here's a simple way to curb one's impulse for more brightness (lux) for no reason: when you're around the office or at home, look at objects around you that are adequately lit by the lights in the room. Now light them up with your flashlight at the usual brightness level you pick. Notice how much more light you're putting on them, and realize that you see them just fine moments ago under the lower intensity of the ambient lighting.