Light shootout

[aviator8]

The settings are something I'm going to have to play with a little bit. I think the limit will be making sure the can lights are not over exposed, but as far to the right as I can get. I highly doubt that my VL6000P is actually outputting 6000 lumens, and anyway it's a "120 degree" beam angle so the lux at the target end isn't going to be that great anyway, but technically that's the highest output light in the test. As long as the 3 LED can lights at tight focus aren't blown out, I think it will be ok. After all, it's a comparison. If the cans look like this, the DRIS Shorty is gonna look like this, etc. It's either normalize the exposure to what I see and get people to try and decipher the exposure differences, or deal with it being representative in comparison to other lights, as opposed to being 100% true to what your eye would see absent any comparative light next to it. I think having a fixed target that everyone is familiar seeing in-water is going to help with this a little.

As for the multiple outputs, that shouldn't be too hard to test so I might just do it anyway. As for the non-constant driver stuff, I may just leave them burning for half an hour or so off camera and then throw them in as "also, here's this,:" in a more random fashion. "VL6000P @ max output after 20 minutes" or something like that.

I should note that some outputs probably won't be visible. 25 lumen is the Light Monkey 32wVF's lowest output. I doubt you're gonna be able to see anything, so any photos that don't come out at all I won't even bother posting.

The conclusion I came to was to normalize everything to the brightest light when I was testing some. I just placed my camera on a tripod and my aperture around 6.5-8, I cant remember, enough to not get a really shallow depth of field, then worked my shutter speed and ISO so that my SS wasn't so slow to create blur when i press the shutter button since I do not have a remote trigger for my camera. set to manual focus as well because in the dark on a blank wall you AF will probably hunt all over trying to lock in contrasty lines.

 

[taimen]

This is a great idea. I'd be interested to see a Dive Rite EX35 in this comparison if you can get a loaner somewhere. I don't have one (yet...) and live too faw anyway,

 

[JohnnyC]

The conclusion I came to was to normalize everything to the brightest light when I was testing some. I just placed my camera on a tripod and my aperture around 6.5-8, I cant remember, enough to not get a really shallow depth of field, then worked my shutter speed and ISO so that my SS wasn't so slow to create blur when i press the shutter button since I do not have a remote trigger for my camera. set to manual focus as well because in the dark on a blank wall you AF will probably hunt all over trying to lock in contrasty lines.

Yep, this is the plan. Biggest difference is that all of the settings across the board will be the same for every light so that it is an even comparison. Camera and lights will be bagged and reasonable settings should keep the images usable throughout. I fully understand that looking at a small backup light in the water is going to look different from a big HID, but it should help with understanding how they compare visually, and hopefully dispel some of the myth of the lumen race.

The reason I'm doing this in this manner is really so that people can take a look at how each other modern lights compares on an even playing field. Nobody is really interested in how a UWLD stacks up to a Halcyon Scout backup light, but people want to know how an UWLD LD35 compares to a LM 32wVF to a Focus 2.0 to legacy HID's. Being able to see them side-by-side should be pretty interesting, and if nothing else, actually be somewhat of a really unscientific database.

 

[aviator8]

hopefully dispel some of the myth of the lumen race.

agree totally

 

[Fyffer]

Is the lm 12w Version 1 or 2 I have the version 2 with canister for 5 hr burn time. Just wanted see how it does. U have the handheld but should be same output just shorter burn time. I asked which version since version one 750 lumens version two 1200. Look forward to following.

 

[JohnnyC]

Is the lm 12w Version 1 or 2 I have the version 2 with canister for 5 hr burn time. Just wanted see how it does. U have the handheld but should be same output just shorter burn time. I asked which version since version one 750 lumens version two 1200. Look forward to following.

Version 2, but not the newest handheld. It's the same light head as the 12w canister light, just lower battery life. It was originally a 9w handheld upgraded a couple years ago when I sent it in. I'm not sure how the newest handy compares.

 

[Fyffer]

There was two canister versions. 750 lumen 12w. And 1200 lumen 12watt. The newest version 2 is the same as the newest handheld take a picture of the led module as I just had mine upgraded from old version to the new one. The led are very different so easy to tell.

 

[JohnnyC]

There was two canister versions. 750 lumen 12w. And 1200 lumen 12watt. The newest version 2 is the same as the newest handheld take a picture of the led module as I just had mine upgraded from old version to the new one. The led are very different so easy to tell.

So I understand what you are saying, there are two version 2's, a 750lm and a 1200lm, both called version 2? Are you sure you're not thinking of the 9w lights which pre-dated both the 12w can, 12w handheld and the new 12w handy?

The 9w lights were supposed to be 750lm. There were handhelds and can lights. Then they upgraded to the 12w's, which maintained the same visual styling. The 9w to 12w conversion was a simple swap of the electronics in the head, everything else remained the same.

 

[Fyffer]

So I understand what you are saying, there are two version 2's, a 750lm and a 1200lm, both called version 2? Are you sure you're not thinking of the 9w lights which pre-dated both the 12w can, 12w handheld and the new 12w handy?

The 9w lights were supposed to be 750lm. There were handhelds and can lights. Then they upgraded to the 12w's, which maintained the same visual styling. The 9w to 12w conversion was a simple swap of the electronics in the head, everything else remained the same.

There was a 9w version. Yes. Then 12w version 1 and 12w version 2. Newer led tec to my knowledge so same burn time for light. I think the version two is only few years old. I had a 12 w version 1 I just got upgraded to version. 2.

 

[stuartv]

Awesome, @JohnnyC!

I have a couple of thoughts. I'm sure you are shocked. LOL

- Why are you going to do it underwater? I don't see how that contributes anything to the purpose of the test. If one is brighter and tighter than another, when pointed at a wall, in air, it's going to be brighter and tighter in the water, right?

- Because so many lights are not constant output, to me, the test is almost (but, not totally) useless unless you do some photos with the lights having been on for, say 1 hour, or 2. I mean, a test like this could really help me in deciding what light I might want to buy. But, I would feel foolish choosing a light that is going to dim steadily based on how it looks compared to a constant output light, when I have only compared them when they are both fully charged.

- If you did the test in air, and put a tub of water nearby to keep the lights in, and turned on, only pulling them out to shine on the wall and take a photo, I would think you could cycle through photos of all the lights pretty quickly. Thus, doing a 0 hour, 1 hour, 2 hour set of photos might not be TOO onerous.

- Personally, what they look like at lower Brightness levels is of no importance to me (for purposes of a comparison like this). I would only care about how they compare at full brightness.

- Will you put a sign in the photograph with the model of each light, so each photo will show what light was being used?

- I will send you a DGX600, Xtar D26 Whale, Xtar D26 1600, and possibly an Xtar D36 5800 to include. I'll PM you.