@dkel 155669 wrote:
You’re not over 40, I guess. Since I turned 40, my vision has been getting worse and worse, not in distance vision, but close up and also in low light. When I started riding at night a few years ago, 350 lumens was plenty, now that I’m 44, that’s just not enough. I just got 800 this fall, and it’s probably brighter than I need, but man, it’s awfully nice to be able to see again. I also cover my light for oncoming trail users who are also using lights, whether or not they cover theirs.
As other’s have stated, beam shape is more important than the number of lumens. That’s why you can see at much farther distances with a small low power flashlight than you can with a stronger floodlight.
Lumens – The measure of the total amount of light from a given source. Not the actual brightness since the total light output is unfocused.
Candela – The power emitted by a light source in a particular direction. 1 candela = 1 “standard candle”
Candela is more important than lumens in a flashlight, lantern, etc. because candela is the actual measure of brightness in a focused beam. The lumen is a term referring to total light output, and is not a measure of the light when it is focused in one direction.
Comparing Lights Using Candela and Lumens – To compare candela versus lumens, it is always useful to understand that these are terms for entirely different properties of light. They do not mean the same thing. So when shopping for a flashlight or lantern, you should consider the job the light will perform.
If the light’s job is to illuminate a room, a field, or other wide areas, or if power/battery use is a concern, a higher lumen rating is what you want. If the light’s job is to produce a beam that will penetrate fog or smoke, or if you want to illuminate the length of an alley, see what’s in the tree tops and power lines or look at people/objects at a great distance, a higher candela rating is what you want.
From: https://www.flashlightdistributor.com/streamlight-flashlight-faqs/candela-vs-lumens.aspx
The problem is most all bike & flashlight makers now push lumens instead of candela. My guess is due to battery life concerns however a bright light is worthless if your moving at speed if it doesn’t focus the light in a specific direction.
To my knowledge Maglite is the only company that emphasized their light’s beam distance, but not sure if they still do since their competitors have conditioned the market to only pay attention to lumens.
Btw, I’m also over 40 and I have the opposite problem; my eyes are sensitive to bright lights. Still, I’d prefer you not cover your light so you don’t hit the ninja jogger/cyclist/dog/whatever behind me.
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