The Best Spotlight for Long Distance
Top 12 Rankings & Application-wise Top Picks
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Updated: 17-September-2023
Are you looking for the best spotlight for long distance applications? With so many models and brands available in the market, it often becomes confusing to decide which is the best spotlight for long distance use in your specific application.
With a variety of applications come a variety of requirements making the choice even harder. Therefore, today’s post is based on ranking the 12 best spotlights for long range applications on their overall performance attributes.
Their suitability for particular long range applications is also emphasized for each spotlight because you may not need the overall best.
At the end of the rankings, we have also explained an important spotlight concept i.e., beam spread vs. beam tightness. Moreover, we have also discussed at length what to look for when buying a spotlight, some common buyer's guide questions as well as a piece on explaining the science of lumens rating in spotlights.
Ranking the 12 Best Spotlights for Long Distance Use
Let us present our rankings now. These rankings are based on the performance, ergonomics, features and durability. So without further due, let's begin.
12
Stanley SL5HS
Under $30 | 100 Yards Range | Holds Charge for a Year
Our Rating: 8.2 / 10
Breaking the ice on our list is the Stanley SL5HS pistol grip spotlight. Powered by a Li-ion rechargeable battery, it produces 1,200 lumens of light from its 5 watt LED at its highest brightness making objects a 100 yards away. You can easily watch your dogs across your property with this light.
(Throws 1,200 lumens at a distance of a little less than the length of a football field. It is a fairly good lumen throw).
While most spotlights have just two levels of brightness, the Stanley SL5HS has three plus a bonus mode. It can give you around 10 hours of runtime at full charge on an average usage in which all three modes are used interchangeably.
The bonus mode is the halo mode in which the outer ring of 8 lights turn on to provide good ambient lighting for inside the house use during a power outage.
It is made of hard plastic and is not the sturdiest but also not the flimsiest. Given a price tag of under $30 (at the time of this review), there is nothing to complaint about and plenty to gain.
Pros
Compromises
11
Stanley FATMAX SL10LEDS
100 Yards Range | Good Value for Money | Red Lens Included
Our Rating: 8.3 / 10
At 11th on our list is another Stanley, this time the FATMAX SL10LEDS. It is powered by a rechargeable Li-ion battery that takes around 6 hours for first charge and gives a backup of around 1 hour on highest brightness setting and around 7 hours on low brightness.
(Throws 2,200 lumens at a distance of a little less than the length of a football field. It is a good lumen throw).
From using it to inspect your yard spread accross several acres (maybe for a wild bear) to using it as a distress signal in emergency (especially with its red color lens), this is a great long range spotlight.
Distract racoons off your yard using its floodlight mode or find your lost kittens using it low brightness mode, this spotlight gets majority of common jobs done. It is also a suitable choice for night shift construction workers.
Its charge can up to 12 months if left unused making it a great choice for people looking to buy a spotlight for contingencies only.
Pros
Compromises
Tidbit
We just used the term ABS Plastic above. ABS stands for "Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene". It is a type of thermoplastic. It is commonly used in LEGO blocks and computer keyboards. It is also used in power tools. It is a relatively inexpensive type of thermoplastic.
10
Streamlight 88047 ProTac HL 3
+400 Yards Range | Great for Tactical Use | Compact+Lightweight
Our Rating: 8.5 / 10
10th on our list is another Streamlight, this time the 88047 ProTax HL 3. It throws 1,100 lumens at a distance of 413 yards (379 meters rated). It has the reputable CREE LED at its core.
(Throws 1,100 lumens at a distance of more than the length of 3 football fields. It is a good lumen throw).
It is powered by three Li-Metal CR123A batteries (not a rechargeable spotlight). The added flexibility of using AA size batteries (apart from the standard CR batteries) is a big plus also.
This light has received positive feedback in tactical applications such as security and police. It can be used by police officers as their pocket spotlight or even as surefire light for a shotgun. It is also a good addition to your mobile toolkit and survival bag. However, it does not mean that you can't use it for inspection purposes on your ranch or keep it in your radio strap as a firefighter to be used in emergencies.
Pros
Compromises
Tidbit
We just used the term CREE LED above. CREE Inc. was an American company now acquired by Wolfspeed Inc. The company deals in production of semiconductor products. Their LEDs have developed a reputation for their high quality and long life. Therefore, spotlight brands boast if they have a CREE LED inside their product.
9
Energizer PRO600
+300 Yards Range | Under $50 | Very Compact | Lightweight
Our Rating: 8.6 / 10
The 9th position on our list is taken by the spotlight model PRO600 from one of the world's largest manufacturer of batteries from Missouri in United States i.e., Energizer.
(Throws 600 lumens at a distance of nearly the length of 3 football fields. It is a good lumen throw).
Throwing a rated 600 lumens 1017 feet away (339 yards), it keeps going at full brightness for 4 hours before you need to recharge its Li-ion battery. However, beware that it does not have an indicator to show it has low battery so you'd have to time your charges.
From being used as camp security light and reaching far tree tops to lighting up your horses 200 yards away in the pasture, this spotlight finds its use in a variety of long range applications.
Energizer has included a very unique and rare little feature. The charging cord of the spotlight is stored inside the spotlight in a small rear compartment. Its warranty terms are not readily traceable which is a minus given the big brandname but overall it is a good spotlight.
Pros
Compromises
8
Buysight B743-G
+750 Yards Range | Highest Lumens | Under $50 | Great Battery Runtime
Our Rating: 8.8 / 10
At 8th on our list is the Buysight B743-G handheld pistol grip spotlight. At its heart is the reputable CREE XHP-70.2 LED. Buysight has claimed the highest rated light emitting capacity on our list at 10,000 lumens. However, the manufacturer has overpromised here.
(Throws 4,000 actual lumens at a distance of more than the length of 6 football fields. It is a the best lumen throw).
The actual light feels around 4,000 lumens at best which is further validated from the XHP70.2 data available from CREE stating maximum luminosity of 4,124 lumens for the referred LED model.
It is powered by three rechargeable Li-polymer batteries having a combined capacity of 9,000 mAh. They give the spotlight a battery runtime of 8 hours at full brightness which is really impressive as some spotlights wouldn't give that runtime even on lower brightness levels.
The build quality however is not as impressive as the battery runtime. It is somewhat flimsy as compared to other spotlights you'd see towards the top of our list. However, we wouldn't complaint considering the price point of under $50 (at the time of this review).
What's more? Buysight has added a great side feature - the side lamp (check the second image). It serves as a floodlight as well as alarm light with flash Function switching the light between red and blue colors.
Conclusively, Buysight has packed a lot of punch under $50 for this spotlight.
Pros
Compromises
7
Streamlight 44904 Waypoint
+680 Yards Range | Great for Boating | Good Battery Runtime
Our Rating: 8.9 / 10
At 7th on our list is the 44904 Waypoint from Streamlight - the Pennsylvanian spotlights and flashlights brand. Its lumen rating (550 lumens) may look modest but how far it throws the light is a whole another story with a range of 625 meters (equivalent to 683 yards).
(Throws 600 lumens at a distance of more than the length of 5 football fields. It is a very good lumen throw).
It is powered by four C-Sized alkaline batteries (not rechargeable). With fresh batteries, it lasts an impressive 10 hours at full brightness. Alternatively, you can also run it directly from a 12VDC cord (that comes with the spotlight).
It is the best spotlight for long distance boating where you may want to survey the docks, spot the channel markers across the lake or maybe light up your local lighthouse with it. It's a suitable choice for spotting wildlife whether you are on a hunting adventure spotting deer or red lighting predators. Or maybe spotting the creatures making noises in the woods around your house.
Pros
Compromises
6
Dewalt DCL043
+100 Yards Range | Great for Rural areas | Red Light Mode | Great Warranty
Our Rating: 9.0 / 10
Making 6th on our list is the Dewalt DCL043 throwing 1,500 lumens of light 100 yards away. It can be powered by any of the Dewalt's 20V Max line of batteries.
(Throws 1,500 lumens at a distance of nearly the length of a football field. It is a fairly good lumen throw).
Typical runtime is up to 4 hours on high setting and 13.5 hours on red beam setting with the DCB201 1.5 amp hour 20V Max battery. You'd get a much better runtime if you use a higher amp hour rated battery which is an added flexibility.
If you have two Dewalt batteries, you can even eliminate any charging time by simply switching the used up battery with freshly charged battery.
It is a good choice for rural areas where you may want to spot your dogs cattle or maybe an owl sitting some 100 yards away on a pole. You may take it in your RV camping trip to survey the wilderness. It is important to highlight that it is too bright for any indoor work even on low brightness mode. Therefore, don't buy this if you also want to use it for working under the hood of your car or fixing a backyard pump.
Pros
Compromises
Tidbit
Red color light is the preferred choice for people using their spotlights in game viewing (wildlife viewing) in a Safari park because of an interesting reason. Red light does not interfere with animal behavior because most mammals are color blind to the red color. Therefore, with a red light, you observe natural animal behavior without dazzling, alerting or disturbing them.
5
NEBO Redline 6K
+200 Yards Range - Highest Rated Lumens - Best Battery Performance - Best Water & Dust Resistance
Our Rating: 9.1 / 10
Opening the top 5 rankings on our list is the NEBO Redline 6k. It produces an impressive 6,000 lumens and converts it into a beam reaching 239 yards.
(Throws an impressive 6,000 lumens at a distance of the length of 2 football fields. It is one of the best lumen throw out there).
The Li-ion battery performance and attributes are ahead of competition in this spotlight. It runs for 2 hours at 6,000 lumens before requiring a recharge (which takes 5 hours on a fast micro-USB charger). Turned at a lower brightness level of 1,200 lumens, the spotlight will last for 5 hours.
Furthermore, left uncharged, it holds the charge for months making it suitable for keeping as a contingency. From being used as a good game tracker to using it for defense to blind an offender, this light has variety of utilities.
It also has the highest combined water and dust resistance rating (IP67). Therefore, you don’t need to worry whether you’re in a hurricane with this spotlight or a dust storm.
Pros
Compromises
4
Streamlight 77551 Ultrastinger
+550 Yards Range | Great for Police & Self-defense | Most Durable Construction
Our Rating: 9.2 / 10
Taking the 4th spot on our list is the Streamlight 77551 Ultrastinger. It throws 1,100 lumens of light at a distance of 510 meters (556 yards).
(Throws an 1,100 lumens at a distance of more than the length of 4 football fields. It is an extraordinary lumen throw).
Whether you are a nightshift policeman or any other law enforcement officer, this light is a great choice. It has startling brightness to blind an offender or a charging dog.
The 5-cell 6V Ni-MH sub-C battery pack runs for 1.5 hours at full brightness before needing a recharge (which takes 10 hours). Furthermore, its charger snaps in and mounts in any position which is a useful little feature.
Its sturdy aluminum body (3 meters impact tested) has the added advantage of being used in self-defense due to its heavy weight that gives you confidence of having a weapon at hand.
Based on above attributes, we found to be the best spotlight for police officers and self-defense.
Pros
Compromises
3
ThruNite Catapult V6
+750 Yards Range | Great for Camping | Great for Deer Hunting | Best Water Resistance
Our Rating: 9.3 / 10
The third best spotlight for long distance on our list is the ThruNite Catapult V6. Whoever came up with the name "Catapult" was certainly spot-on.
(Throws an impressive 2,836 lumens at a distance of more than the length of 6 football fields. It is the best lumen throw out there).
This spotlight throws 2,836 lumens of light 692 meters away (equivalent to 754 yards) on its Turbo mode which is the greatest range on our list along with the Buysight B743-G.
Its sturdy aluminum body is IPX8 rated - the highest water resistance rating in competition. It means that rain, storm, hail and snow is not an issue for this spotlight.
The compactness and small size of the light is also commendable. In a fistful, it feels like producing more light than your car's high beams. It has been appreciated as having a lighthouse in your pocket.
From patroling the parameter in a security situation to scaring off coyotes from your pets on a hike, this spotlight is versatile. It can be used for deer hunting as well as for surveying the dessert (or the forest) in your camping trip.
Pros
Compromises
2
Streamlight 78101 Stinger 2020
+300 Yards Range | Great for Police & Law Enforcement | Good for Camping & Biking
Our Rating: 9.4 / 10
The second best spotlight for long distance on our list is the 78101 Stinger from Streamight. It throws 2,000 lumens of light at a distance of 315 meters (equivalent to 343 yards).
(Throws an 2,200 lumens at a distance of nearly the length of 3 football fields. It is an extraordinary lumen throw).
The two SL-B26 Li-ion batteries rated at 2,600 mAh provide 2 hours of runtime at full brightness and fully charge overnight in 6-8 hours. The build quality is great with aluminum alloy body and an impressive IPX7 water resistance rating.
The light is a great fit for tactical and security applications. For example, it may be used for patrolling by security personnel, as an emergency light by first responders or surveying a shady house by an investigator.
However, it doesn't mean a diesel technician or a mechanic can't use it in automotive work. It can also be used in camping and biking as well or something like inspecting homes for crawl spaces and attics by a contractor.
It is Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program compliant meaning that your purchase also contributes towards a social goal of helping jobs in the United States.
Pros
Compromises
1
Coast XP11R
+200 Yards Range | Most Durable Construction | Most Compact | The Best Warranty | Best Value for Money
Our Rating: 9.5 / 10
The best spotlight for long distance based on overall performance and attributes is the Coast XP11R. It throws 2,100 lumens of light at a distance of 220 meters (240 yards).
(Throws an 2,100 lumens at a distance of the length of 2 football fields. It is a great lumen throw).
It also has Zoom feature through a sliding focusing lens allowing you to convert a relatively spread beam into a much tighter one.
A salient features of this spotlight is its battery flexibility. The light is powered by rechargeable batteries trademarked as ZITHION-X by Coast. However, the spotlight can also run on AAA size batteries easily available from the market.
It runs for an impressive 5 hours at full brightness and 37 hours at low brightness. What imparts authenticity to the runtimes is that Coast runtimes are tested to ANSI/FL1 standards.
It is the only spotlight in competition to have stainless steel construction rated to withstand 3 meters fall. It is the most compact and the most lightweight spotlight in all competition.
To give some random examples of its utility, you may gift it to your grandma in Florida so she is able to shine red eyes of alligators a few hundred yards away from her property. Or maybe gift it to your aircraft mechanic friend who inspects aircraft body including the 50 feet high tail to identify defects. It can have other uses from hunting rabbits at night to walking your dogs in dark autumn mornings. Or it can be used for personal protection to blind an offender.
All of the above is offered at a price point of around $60 (at the time of this review) which makes it the best bang for the buck. Its durability, versatility, longevity and value for money are the attributes that have made it the best spotlight for long distance applications.
Pros
Compromises
Tidbit
We just used the term ANSI/FL1 Standards above. ANSI refers to the American National Standards Institute and FL1 refers to a Flash Light performance standard developed by ANSI. Compliance to ANSI FL1 standard is voluntary and conformance to the standard expresses high quality and authenticity of performance specifications.
Not All Lumens are Equal - Understanding Beam Spread vs. Beam Tightness
An important catch that needs to be understood by anyone willing to buy a spotlight for long range use is that not all lumens are the same. Two spotlights can have the same lumen rating but one could have a greater range than the other. How does this happen?
It happens due to the concept of beam spread vs. beam tightness. Check the illustration below,
The design of the reflectors of the spotlight determines the tightness of the beam. While lumens remain the same, their spread determines the range of the spotlight. In fact, the main difference between spotlights and flashlights is due to the same concept. Flashlights are designed to spread all the lumens in a short distance while spotlights are designed to focus them on a distant spot (hence the same spotlight).
Therefore, you should not interpret a higher lumen rating as greater range. You must always look for the specified range of the spotlight to know how farther away will it focus its lumens.
What to Look for in a Spotlight?
Look for the Desired Range & Don't Confuse More Lumens with Greater Range
Long distance is a subjective term. You must always have a number in mind when it comes to the range of the spotlight. For one person long distance may mean 100 yards but for another person it may mean 400 yards. Therefore, whenever you are buying a spotlight, always look for what's the distance specified by the manufacturer (or expressed in product reviews).
Secondly, it is very important to understand that more lumens don't necessarily mean greater range. How those lumens are focused decides the range of the spotlight. For instance, in the spotlights that we have reviewed, rankings based on range are given below.
Observe that many lights with a lower lumen rating have greater range. Therefore, you must always put range as your first priority when buying a long range spotlight.
- Buysight B743-G: 10,000 Lumens rated (but actual around 4,000) / 850m (872 Yards)
- ThruNite Catapult V6: 2,836 Lumens / 692m (754 yards)
- Streamlight 44904 Waypoint: 550 Lumens / 625m (683 yard)
- Streamlight 77551 Ultrastinger: 1,100 Lumens / 510m (556 yards)
- Streamlight 88047 ProTac HL 3: 1,100 Lumens / 379m (413 yards)
- Streamlight 78101 Stinger 2020: 2,000 Lumens / 315m (343 yards)
- Energizer PRO600: 600 Lumens / 1017 feet (339 yards)
- NEBO Redline 6K: 6,000 Lumens / 219m (239 yards)
- Coast XP11R: 2,100 Lumens / 220m (240 yards)
- Stanley FATMAX SL10LEDS: 2,200 Lumens / 100 yards
- Dewalt DCL043: 1,500 Lumens / 100 yards
- Stanley SL5HS: 1,200 Lumens / Around 300 ft. (100 yards)
Check Overall Battery Attributes & Not Just Battery Runtime
Don't go straight ahead for a battery runtime figure and base your decision on that. Instead, ponder a little on what are your specific requirements from the spotlight battery?
Are you looking to buy a spotlight for keeping in your house as contingency in case of a power outage?
In that case, you should be concerned about the battery charge hold time i.e., once you charge the battery and put the spotlight away, will that charge hold when a power outage occurs after several months? This is an important batter attribute.
For instance, in the spotlights that we have reviewed, Stanley SL5HS and Stanley FATMAX SL10LEDS hold their charge for 12 months.
Maybe you are a police officer looking to buy a spotlight for keeping with you all the time? and the last thing you'd want is the spotlight battery dying on you. In that case, you may find the battery options flexibility useful.
For instance, Coast XP11R has a rechargeable battery with a good runtime of around 5 hours at highest brightness setting, however, the golden nugget is that it also has the provision to run on the standard AAA sized batteries. If you run into an emergency where recharging your spotlight is not an option, you can easily buy any AAA sized batteries from the nearest shop and get going.
Another important attribute you may need to check (if needed) is whether dead battery bypass is available or not?
Dead battery bypass refers to the ability of the spotlight to run from its charging cord if its batteries are dead. It is so because not all spotlights have this feature i.e., you can't run them directly off the charging cord.
For instance, in the spotlights that we have reviewed, Stanley FATMAX SL10LEDS and Streamlight 44904 Waypoint have the dead battery bypass functionality. They can be run from the charging cord if their battery dies.
Some other battery attributes include whether car charging is possible or not? Whether spotlight supports charging with the commonly used Type-C USB or not? If the battery charges with AC outlet only or supports both AC and DC charging?
The point here is simple. Look for a good battery runtime but also consider other useful battery attributes.
Look for Compactness & Portability - You Can't Carry a Pistol Grip Spotlight in your Pocket!
Are you going to carry your spotlight with you all the time? Ae you going to carry it in your pocket, on your belt or in a bag?
These are important questions you need to ask yourself.
For instance, Coast XP11R can fit in your pocket at a length of less than 6 inches and a weight of less than 6 ounces (0.375 lbs.).
On the other hand, the Dewalt DCL043 is a large pistol grip spotlight that weighs 2 lbs. (with its battery) and you can place it standing on a surface while you get busy with your work.
It all depends on what type of usage are you looking for.
Look for Durability
The body of the spotlight must be durable. In this regard, it is important to check the construction of the product.
For instance, in the spotlights we compared, Coast XP11R has the best construction. It is made out of stainless steel and is 3-meter impact resistance rated (which means it can fall from 3 meters and no damage would occur). Streamlight 77551 Ultrastinger is constructed out of aluminum and has the same 3-meter impact resistance rating.
Buysight B743-G has great range and lumen rating, however, its construction is not as sturdy and it has no impact resistance rating from the manufacturer. Therefore, you may want to skip it if your application is of rough nature.
Check the Spotlight Modes - Do you need Strobe Light Mode?
Another important consideration is whether you need strobe light mode or not. Strobe light mode flickers very bright light on and off in a repeated pattern.
Strobe light mode is used for emergency and distress signaling. It is also used for self defense where you may want to blind an offender charging towards you. However, not all lights have strobe light mode.
Therefore, if you don't intend to use your spotlight for the above purpose, its fine. But if you need the above functionality, always check if strobe light mode is available or not.
Is Your Spotlight Going to Get Dirty & Wet?
This is an important one. You need to consider in what type of environment will you be using your spotlight.
Maybe you are going to carry it with you in rain? If that's the case, you should check for water resistance rating. Not all spotlights are water resistant. And those that are, they are not equally good.
For instance, ThruNite Catapult V6 is IPX8 rated for water resistance - the highest water resistance rating in the spotlights we compared. It can withstand being submerged in over 1 meter of water. So, it can get wet with you without giving up on you. But it is not dust resistant.
If you are in a dusty environment, you will need dust resistance too. For instance NEBO Redline 6K is IP67 rated for water and dust resistance. It means it is resistant to not only being submerged in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes but is also fully dust tight.
In short, if your application involves facing harsh environment, do check the dust and water resistance rating of the spotlight you are buying.
A Good Warranty is a Good Insurance Policy - If You Read the Terms Wisely!
Warranty in spotlights is tricky.
Dewalt offers 03 years warranty, 01 year free service and 90 day money back guarantee for its Dewalt DCL043 spotlight. They don't exclude any spotlight component.
Similarly, ThruNite offers 30 days money back guarantee and 2-Years free replacement of whole light if it gives up on you for whatever reason (except for misuse or accidental damage ofcourse).
On the other hand, Streamlight offers a LIFETIME WARRANTY for its spotlights and markets it everywhere. However, when you go and check the warranty terms, you find that battery and bulb is not included in that warranty. It means that if after let's say 3-years your spotlight bulb gives up on you, it is not covered under Streamlight's warranty. Similarly, Stanley's 1-year warranty that also excludes batteries and bulb.
Don't Forget to Check Side Features - Everyone Loves Goodies!
In the end, never forget to check what side features the light is offering. For example, does it have a shoulder strap, or a belt clip, or a red lens, or maybe a power bank feature. Does it come with a cover (or holster)? It is always good to give a check to what additional features the spotlight is offering.
Buyer's Guide Questions
What is the most powerful spotlight you can buy?
When it comes to long distance, the most powerful spotlight would be the one with the highest lumens combined with a very distant throw. In this regard, the Buysight 743-G and ThruNite Catapult V6 are the two most powerful long distance spotlights on our list. Both have the ability to throw light over a distance of +750 yards which is more than the length of 6 football fields.
How many lumens is a good spotlight?
If you are looking to buy a spotlight for long distance use, we'd recommend to look for at least 500 lumens rating. The rest would depend on the design of the spotlight with regards to how it concentrates light into a tight beam. There are spotlights that would throw smaller lumens at farther distance and spotlights that would throw greater lumens at smaller distance. It's all about the spread vs. tightness of the beam.
For example, in our list, ThruNite Catapult V6 throws 2,836 lumens at a distance of over 750 yards whereas NEBO Redline 6k throws 6,000 lumens over 239 yards. Both are long distance spotlights but the Catapult produces a tighter beam to give ultra long range as compared to the NEBO.
A Peek into the Science of Quantifying Light in Lumen
The most important specification of any spotlight is its lumen rating. It is the number that appears on the brochure, flyer and datasheet of any spotlight. The layman understanding of lumens is simple – it is a unit that represents the brightness of light offered by the spotlight.
However, if we take a look at the International System of Units (SI) we find that the term “brightness” is not used for quantifying light. There are two quantities associated with light in the SI system. First is “luminous intensity” and the second is “luminous flux”.
The unit of luminous intensity is Candela (denoted by ‘cd’) and the unit of luminous flux is Lux (denoted by ‘lx’). Haven’t heard spotlights referring to how many Candelas or how much Lux are they offering, right?
The problem is that ‘brightness’ is the sensation felt by us when we look at light. However, that sensation is subjective. If you look at your phone in a dark phone, it appears much brighter than if you look at it in a normally lit room despite the fact that the screen of your phone is throwing the same light towards your eyes.
Therefore, when science tries to quantify light, it does not refer to brightness.
Coming back towards measuring light, Candelas come from candlepower, another unit that had been used historically to measure light but is used no more. As per Wikipedia:
“The term candlepower was originally defined in the United Kingdom, by the Metropolitan Gas Act 1860, as the light produced by a pure spermaceti candle that weighs 1⁄6 pound (76 grams) and burns at a rate of 120 grains per hour (7.8 grams per hour). Spermaceti is a material from the heads of sperm whales, and was once used to make high-quality candles.”
Nonetheless, 1 candlepower = 0.98 candelas i.e., candela is almost same as candlepower due to which both units are often regarded as synonyms of each other. Therefore, we can say that Candela is a quantification of light that tries to express how many candles would produce the same light.
Scientifically, Lumen is the unit of “luminous flux”. In simple words, it is the power output (energy per time) of light adjusted to give more weightage to those wavelengths of light to which human eye is more sensitive.
Lumen is the product of “Candela” and “Steradian”.
1 Lumen = 1 Candela x 1 Steradian
What is steradian? It is the unit of 3D angle depicted below.
Graphical Illustration of 1 Steradian
Image Credit: Andy Anderson via Wikimedia Commons
So, when we say that a spotlight is rated at 500 lumens, you can consider it as the light thrown by 500 candles in 1 steradian solid angle direction each second.
Since as the light spreads, its intensity decreases per unit area, a spotlight rated at 1,000 lumens will be able to better illuminate an object 100 feet away than a 500 lumens rated light because the directional light emitted from the source will be same.
If you like our post and the information we have presented, please do give your valuable feedback and share this article with your friends.
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