Light output...give me some perspective please!

How does an LED like a Longbow or Arc LS compare to a Sf E1? I am not into modding these lights and am VERY new at this whole light thing, so PLEASE talk to me like you would explain it to your wife (no offense ladies!) I am simply looking for the brightest light I can afford (HA!) that is NO bigger than me E1 (which I would like to replace b/c of size and battery life)

please advise. I can already tell you that I cannot afford an Arc4, and that the SF L1 is too big...so, please give me some perspective (comparison pics if possible) of my E1 v. other LEDs. AND which LED is the best size/output value. LOADED QUESTION I know...

David

http://flashlightreviews.home.att.net/index1.html

Check out this site, it will give you all the information you need. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

After doing a ton of research, before building my own major LED mod... I had determined that unless I needed a fog-piercing beam, there is no point in an incandescent light any more.... the smooth beam of the LED is worth it's weight in californium (look it up)... check out the beamshots at my site for my mod to see a direct comparison between comparably powered LED v incandescent...

Oh, and the prev. mention of flashlightreviews.com is priceless for comparing LED v incandescent.. or any other type of comparison.

-awr

Just to reference a light not yet on flashlightreviews.com, check out the Fire~Fly II over in DSpeck's Forum. Smaller than any of the mentioned lights and runs a Lux3 at 650 mA. Also available with a two-stage switch. Only drawback is that it is a bit more expensive...

More is better but sometimes too many lumens up close is to much. The LED & HID lights just seam to be more illuminating due to color tempature. 5 watt LED lights are plenty bright unless you want a real LONG throw light. HID are better then but costs $$$$$$. Cheapest are the lead acid hand held Vector type spots but they are poor quality beam pattern be it as it may they are bright.
A)Size matters (bigger-brighter-smaller more useful)
B)Price matters (more $$$= better light)
C)purpose matters (What do you want)

My best recommendation is: Check all the review sites of the moderators on CPF. Get a bunch of different cool lights. 1 is not better than another I have found. Just different quality and purpose. Worse it gets. They keep coming out with better cooler neater lights so it never ends. The bottom line is the bottom line: More $$$$ spent.

NikolaTesla
An Arc lamp is the Spark that takes away the Dark--

My Lights: /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

http://www.tjtech.org/gallery/NikolaTesla

Hi Sproles

I don't know if it will help but you are more then welcome to check out my LSH-P or SF-L4. I'm right down the road from you, Antioch. I will be moving very soon so it would need to be done Thursday night, Actually you could help me load some furniture. LOL call my cell if interested 423-7702 and welcome to the CPF

The lights you asked about are not as bright as the E1, but they are bright enough to approach the E1 and be as useful as it in most real-life situations. The LS is probably the best output for size package (especially with the non-clickie battery pack). If you are interested in the Arc4 but not the price, check out the "factory seconds" at the Arc website, which are much less expensive.

Re: Light output...give me some perspective please

David,

The question you asked is not really a simple one. The output of a light is measured in several ways; The total light output is measured in lumens. The brightest point in the beam is measured in LUX or CP.

The LUX is greatly affected by the optics or reflector. A deep, well designed reflector can project a very small bright spot with almost no illumination around it. These lights are great for looking at things that are far off. This is a light with great "Throw".

The LUMENS depend on how efficient the light source is and how much power can be delivered to it. Lumens are difficult to measure, as it requires a device that can gather and measure all the light. One of the problems with LEDs is that two units with the same rating are allowed to have vastly different output levels. Incandescent bulbs are usually pretty consistant.

You'll find that, for its size and price the ARC LSH-P is a great deal. It has a moderate throw (NX05 optics) with about 22 lumens of light. It's easily pocketable. The longbow micra should be close to the same output as it's rated at about 21 lumens with a beam angle of 12 degrees.

When you look at the lights that you might buy you should also consider the power source (some batteries are expensive or rare) and whether it's regulated. In general, regulated lights will provide consistant light for most of the life of the batteries. Unregulated lights frequently start out brighter but within 15 minutes are below the level of teh regulated lights.

Welcome to CPF!

Daniel

Re: Light output...give me some perspective please

You consider popping a KL1 head onto your E1? Too big?

I finally did this to my E2 and I love it. Much longer battery life, 4.5-5 hours (with the 2 cells of the E2) and plenty of light to work with. Surefire rocks (I've tried some of the others /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

Lukejt