Tint, Binning, and CRI Explained (For XM-L LEDs)

They list the tint - ie 3000K, 4000K, 5000K. Just not the tint bin - ie 7A vs 7B, 5A vs 5C, 3D vs 3C, etc.

My limited general understanding of this subject is that daylight is broad spectrum light but LEDs are binned based on the dominant wavelength and also has other peaks as well as missing wavelengths. Does hi-cri mean that the led has a better broad spectrum output(fewer gaps) with the penalty being lower overall output?

Thanks! :slight_smile:

Yes, it contains a much broader spectrum. If you look at the spectrum of the Nichia 219 (H1) it is much broader than the one of a XP-G. (See Below)

As you can tell, the Nichia 219 is superior in that way. Also one can see why the 2600k XP-G is higher CRI than the 5000k XP-G.

talking to Craig Shih from Illumination Supply about it and he said it’s just a roll of the die which tint you’ll get within a given kit no. One of the downsides of ordering bare LEDs from Mouser/ Digikey. Still, from what I’ve heard, all of the 3* tints are pretty nice.

Great information here! Thanks a lot for compiling and sharing it. Sticky’d.

+1

Thanks Scaru.

I bought 2 of this type from mouser, they are out. The do have the XM-L2 U2 6000K CW:

http://ca.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?qs=5YqktSXERipfLuRE%252bJbsug%3D%3D

Links to U3? At least I found some before.
XM-L2s are very rare and hard to get :confused:

U3 or equivalent or better XM-L2 neutral white anywhere?

Illuminationsupply has some XM-L2s.

https://illuminationsupply.com/cree-xml2-bare-u2-1c-tint-6500k-p-279.html?zenid=3db3e477c32cc83c951dc100ca0ae5d1

Relative noobie but digging deeply, it has come to my attention that the CRI of any light is commonly misquoted. The typical way of measuring CRI in the first place is comparative, and there’s simply not a standard. Did you know, for example, that a single candle has a CRI of 100? So it’s a good point to consider that the emitter bin tint of choice is going to be compared to a “true” value of it’s primary output and given a CRI rating to match. The LED is usually low in the CRI comparison here because of what’s already been said…it has a narrow spectrum.

I’m a photographer, looking for the tint bin that will best suit photography purposes in the 5700Kelvin range, and the CRI quest got me confused! I’m sure there are those here that understand it far better than I, but the reading I’ve done lately points to having to consider ALL the pertinent data, not just a bin code or CRI factor.

So, anyone know the proper XM-L or XM-L2 to assist in photography? Of course I’d like colors to be as accurate as possible, but I don’t think I’ll be using a candle for macro photography! :slight_smile:

Thanks for any help and all corrections

I made a little visual overview of LEDs on 16mm base from fasttech. Double checked with others and their prices seem to be the best…

Personally, I really like warm white at this point, 7B/7C tints… They are like incandescent lights… I think they are just as awesome indoors as outdoors. Everyone who has seen my T3 7B vs regular T6 (1A?) prefer the warm classic light. Colors and everything just look better in my opinion. Ill might try something on the more neutral side soon…
Not a fan of cool blue. Especially if the beam have some “green-ish” or purple looking tint…

Anyone have some sort of overview for XM-L2 bin/tint combinations?

For a short time intl-outdoor had these in stock:
XM-L2:
T2, E8 (8B, 8C, 8A, 8D) (2700k)
T6 , E3 (3B, 3C, 3A, 3D) (5000K)

What else could we expect to see? Will the XM-L2 bin/tints combos basically be the exactly the same as XM-L bin/tints combinations?

Mouser, DigiKey, I-O and IlluminationSupply are the only ones who have/had them - I ordered and got T6 E3's from Mouser, and U2 1C's from IlluminationSupply. IS still has the U2's, it seems like, and Digikey has some T6's again for 1 piece qty, and I think Mouser has the U2's

thanks, what is the lowest and highest Kelvin rating the 219’s go at ?.
looking for a 219, but something which my eyes work well too with it?.

3700 - 4300 ?.

suggest?.

thanks.

XM-L T6 4C available at FastTech.
16mm base:
https://www.fasttech.com/products/1/10001903/1224000-cree-xm-l-t6-4c-4300-4500k-943-lumen-white-led-emi

20mm star:
https://www.fasttech.com/products/1/10001903/1224001-cree-xm-l-t6-4c-4300-4500k-943-lumen-white-led-emi

They all range from around 3700-4500, most of the ones coming from IS are on the lower side of that scale though. (around 4200)

thanks so would say 4200 be better for eyes than 4500 Nichia ?.
what’s the best with the nichia ?.

thank you.

Just buy a Nichia from IS and you will be fine. Easy on the eyes.. anything below 5000K is easy for almost anyone. Cool white LEDs are around 6500K and some people like that.

I mean you are not gonna stare right into it.. :D

219 H1 range from sw27 to sw45 - 2700K to 4500K.

Ledrise sells sw27. LINK Kokopelli posted some beamshots of the sw27. LINK

Oops, didn't know they went down to sw27 in H1. Thanks.