I'm done with Cool White!

[jon_slider]

Try this at night: take out each of a black, a dark navy blue, a dark brown and/or a very dark green sock, and place them side by side. Now using different tints, which light works best to differentiate the colors? For me many years ago, the cool white LED worked best...but I did not (still do not) have CRI lights...

I like your suggestion, please dont take the following comments as criticism

Low CRI LEDs are good at showing blues and greens and they make red things look brown
High CRI LEDs are good at also showing Reds, Pinks and Oranges

what Low CRI LEDs have the biggest disadvantage with, is Red. Here is what a Low CRI Neutral White LED looks like, focus on the R9 bar:

here is a Low CRI Cool White LED:
again, focus on the Red, R9 bar

the Red content of an LED is the biggest difference in the overall CRI. Not all High CRI LEDs have the same amount of Red output:
the LED on the left has a very green tint in real life, the one on the right has a very pink tint. I prefer Pink over Green, when looking at food with reds in it, and people's skin.

In the above color bar charts, the white bar is what is commonly reported as the CRI of a light. It is an average of the first 8 other bars (R-1 to R8). So, a light can technically be called "High CRI" and still have relatively poor Red Rendering.


An easy test to compare low cri and high cri, is to shine each light on the palm of my hand.. the low CRI looks green, lifeless, like a zombie... The high CRI will show the reds, pinks, flesh tones, and life, in my hand, or food

 

[staticx57]

Just to prove jon's point that Color Temp and CRI are independant here is a test of the 6500k Nichia E21A R9080

Colors are better than most neutral and warm white LEDs.

 

[bykfixer]

Bring on the charts and graphs...

The computer says your eyes are wrong....

Much depends on preference. Such as some people like cool weather, others like warm. Neither is wrong. But if I put my mind to it I'm certain I could find analisys to point out my preference is better.

 

[jon_slider]

preference

charts and graphs are very useful, they save thousands of words

some people, including me, tend to dislike Cool White because it is Low CRI, not because it is cool

and some people like cool white, not because it is Low CRI, but because it is brighter, AND more closely matches the ambient light their brain has set its white balance to


cool or warm preferences are based mostly on the white balance of the brain at the time

I prefer cool when my brain is adapted to cool (during sunlight or metal halide adaptations, for example)

I prefer warmer when my brain is adapted to warmer (at night in full darkness, or when adapted to warm white incandescent, for example)


Now there are Cool White options that are ALSO high CRI, so for someone that likes, wants, or needs Cool White, they can now also have High CRI

win win

I plan to add a Cool White High CRI option, to my collection
this is an outstanding example:

Just to prove jon's point that Color Temp and CRI are independant here is a test of the 6500k Nichia E21A R9080

Colors are better than most neutral and warm white LEDs.

@bykfixer, I think you would like Cool White in High CRI too

 

[bigburly912]

I just want to be the guy to say. I have high cri lights, I have never been in a real life situation that I've needed a high cri light. As long as I can tell what something is I'm good. I can differentiate colors well enough with any light. I do enjoy the high cri though just no real need for it.

 

[idleprocess]

Bring on the charts and graphs...

The computer says your eyes are wrong....

Much depends on preference. Such as some people like cool weather, others like warm. Neither is wrong. But if I put my mind to it I'm certain I could find analisys to point out my preference is better.

The human brain is a marvelous image processor. Working with partial inputs from the eyes it can construct a complete image based on past experience. And we can adapt to new experiences; I'm presently struggling with slightly different key spacing on a new keyboard and committing constant errors typing this but I expect to overcome with time and effort.

However, preference is just that and short of demonstrable performance deficiency as a result of preference, I see no benefit to my dog is better than your dog tint arguments.

I just want to be the guy to say. I have high cri lights, I have never been in a real life situation that I've needed a high cri light. As long as I can tell what something is I'm good. I can differentiate colors well enough with any light. I do enjoy the high cri though just no real need for it.

Yeah, I doubt many are using their flashlights for color separations, auto body paint matching, surgery, or many other color-accuracy critical applications. Myself I'm just glad we've left the days of angry Nichia blue and Luxeon tint lottery with unspecified CRI figures long behind us.

 

[bigburly912]

] Myself I'm just glad we've left the days of angry Nichia blue and Luxeon tint lottery with unspecified CRI figures long behind us.

Amen and that's what it's really all about. Moving forward and lights getting better and better. This time next year everything will be 150 cri .05-250000 Lumen auto ramping to computer aided Suggested Lumen needs. [emoji16]

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

Now there are Cool White options that are ALSO high CRI, so for someone that likes, wants, or needs Cool White, they can now also have High CRI

Yeah, I'm not a cool white fan, but a high CRI cool white is a huge improvement over regular cool white. It makes things look sharp and vibrant, and has an "awake" mid-day look.

I still prefer a regular 80CRI neutral or warm white, though. High CRI neutral or warm, definitely better!

 

[markr6]

Instead of picking a side I just prefer a middle of the road neutral with the least tint as possible (no green or yellow for sure).

High CRI is always nice. I can get by in life with a neon glow stick if I had to, but it's nice to have something you really enjoy regardless of what a chart or analyzer says.

I love that part from The Abyss when he's disabling the nuke.

All right, Bud, you have to cut the ground wire, not the lead wire. It's the blue wire with the white stripe. Not...I repeat...not the black wire with the yellow stripe.

 

[LGT]

I totally prefer CW in the winter while there is snow on the ground. Just about all other applications, give me a NW.

 

[Modernflame]

I love that part from The Abyss when he's disabling the nuke.

All right, Bud, you have to cut the ground wire, not the lead wire. It's the blue wire with the white stripe. Not...I repeat...not the black wire with the yellow stripe.

OMG, that's brilliant. From the depths of the mental archives.

 

[markr6]

OMG, that's brilliant. From the depths of the mental archives.

Great movie! It can get a little lengthy but that's what makes it even better if you do it right. They certainly did it right.