Color Temperature vs performance

I like my high output lights to me candela is king but I wish I could get the candela I want for a light with a lower color template 3-5k as instead of 5-6.5k that is all that seems to be made in the high output category. Hell I’ll take a 20% hit in performance for what I want but it feels looking at spec sheets I’m taking a 50% hit.

Am I missing something?

Warmer ccts might compensate the performance hit with less absorbtion by very small particles like fog.

Warmer colours also push the sodium street lights much better than cool colours.

I’m not sure where you are looking that, most high throw LEDs are only available in cool white, so you can’t compare. SST20 has a high throw to lumen ratio but the offerings at 4000K and below are all 95CRI so you can’t compare either, the FC40 is only available as high CRI. Maybe a L21A with 4000K XHP35 HI or wait for the XHP35.2 HI version?

you are not missing anything, the warmer the tint is the less output it yields. if you look at the die warmer leds have darker phosphorus, that is how i tell apart my warm xml2s from cool\neutral.

What are some of the lights you have been looking at?

If all else is equal (emitter family, CRI, driver, optic), 20% loss should be about right. I’m not sure what your ideal is though.

theoretically you should not even notice 20% in reduction, but with different tints1 i’m thinking there is another factor, your eyes, they may not be as sensitive to warm tints as they are to cool. we had a thread about it, human eye’s lens gets yellower as a person ages. so take 20% of lower output, add your eyes factor, and half the brightness visually is about right.

both are possible depending if the math is markup or discount, and the LEDs CRI capability, and warmth

but, what output do you really need?
what size battery light are you interested in?

an AAA can do 110 lumens of Low CRI or 80 lumens of High CRI
110 is 38% more than 80… to me, not significant enough to give up High CRI

If I need more than 80 lumens, I move up in battery size
a 16340 can reach 200 lumens comfortably

want more lumens?
step up to bigger batteries

I Never compromise on quality, just to get more lumens…

I always use High CRI,
and if the lumens are not enough, I go to a bigger battery type light.

the light on the right is Low CRI (more “performance”), I refuse to use it, except as a demo of what I avoid:

.
the light on the left is a Lumintop FWAA that uses a 14500 battery, the LED is High CRI and Neutral White. It can achieve over 1000 lumens, for about 3 seconds…

Im not a high lumen user, I like using it at 100 lumens or less for most of my indoor applications… while knowing I can briefly use it to see outside on my way to the mailbox, with 2-400 lumens being plenty…

the FWAA is new to me… Im really enjoying it.

Ideally I’d love anything CSLNM1.tg but in 3-4000k not 6000k
I’m after pocket throwers have a KR1 but looking at a S21 a or b.