Lumens, Lux, and Candela EXPLAINED | Diode Dynamics

Check out LED upgrades for your ride here: www.diodedynamics.com/
How do we test and measure products? Learn more here: www.diodedynamics.com/product...
In this video, we highlight the differences in the three main automotive measurements of light output: lumens, lux, and candela. We explain how these values are measured and which measurements determine the true output of an automotive LED bulb or lamp.
Many automotive companies use lumen values to determine their light's output because these measurements are accessible. This can be misleading because it doesn't determine how much focused light output is being shined in a specific direction.
Here at Diode Dynamics, we use our goniometer and light tunnel to measure candela. Candela is determined by measuring thousands of points of output in order to see exactly how much light is being projected in a focused beam pattern.
If you have any questions about any of these light values, please email us at [e-mail], or give us a call at 314-205-3033 M-F 9am-5pm CST. Thanks for watching!

[@vers1fier]

As a photographer, this information is more applicable to explaining light than most professional photographers! Haha, automotive lighting tutorial for leveling up studio photography. Fantastic video!

[@diodedynamics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Britishbaptist]

I just started my role as an engineer and was thrown into light despite never doing it before , this was the most fantasatic and easy to understand explanation i have seen . thank you and i hope you get the credit deserved for this ,

[@diodedynamics]

We're glad to help! Good luck!

[@rajasekhar9840]

I’m a proud customer of Diode Dynamics SS3’s. I work in automotive electronics and design for global OEM’s. When I saw the way you explained the relation between lumens, candela and lux, any person will understand clearly. I really appreciate Team Diode dynamics for going into great details while designing and producing awesome lighting products which improve visibility to the driver without effecting the oncoming traffic. Keep going guys,👍 Would like see more products coming from you.

[@diodedynamics]

Thank you for your support, Raja! Stay tuned!

[@kusumainc2349]

Thank you for your explanation, it's easy to understand because I'm looking for a flashlight and i stumbled upon lumens and cd rating and your explanation is on point.

[@geddagripp3164]

Thank you for being informative and helping customers understand what it is they're really getting! Wish more manufacturers would follow your example of transparency with their products.

[@teligon]

Thank you, as usual, Paul, for the very simple explanations - in the hope that consumers get it. Its disturbing to see retrofitters and consumers give in to the hype about lumens, yet have no feedback when the light output is worse than what they had before because of poor the bulbs are not within the specifications that will be optimised within a suitable housing. I'm quite thankful that you and others take the time to provide FACTS and demonstrations.

[@seann2769]

Thank you for this explanation! I’m just a flashlight dork, but this is a great explanation and physics review of how these units of measure work. The overview of the laws governing headlights is very informative too, thanks you!

[@diodedynamics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thenatureofnurture6336]

Good video. Thanks for taking the time to educate 🙏

[@braydenbledsoe3252]

Wow I was just wondering about this yesterday.

[@anetasuns5107]

Simple and great explanation! Thanks a lot :)

[@IanRamon]

great information for everyone. it is much more clear now. thank you!

[@jimjjewett]

The gif in the email answered the question so well I almost didn't bother watching an entire video. But I'm glad I did. Thank you for the clear explanations.

[@diodedynamics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MN76.]

Very useful. Thank You.

[@diodedynamics]

You're welcome!

[@mohamadzbib]

grate explenation, now it all clear

[@Liam-zo5lm]

now THAT is an explaining video... great job.

[@diodedynamics]

Thank you, Liam!

[@uzairashfaq804]

This is really helpful bro ❤

[@diodedynamics]

We're glad it helped!

[@haczyk84]

Good vid!

[@QuantumAlchemyst]

Thank you, very good video tutorial! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😷👍🏻

[@diodedynamics]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching.

[@TiagoHieroglifo]

Thanks for this vídeo. From Brazil.

[@diodedynamics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@samkitize]

best explanation!

[@diodedynamics]

We're glad you found it helpful!

[@MR_BAWAAL]

thankyou so much sir

[@mondavou9408]

Just stumbled on you folks. Very clear and understandable explanation. I wish I had know this information before spending decades buying overpriced (but well marketed) junk because I didn't know better.

[@diodedynamics]

Well we'd like to welcome you to a brighter nighttime! Feel free to contact us on any of our platforms if you have any questions at all about our product or lighting in general!

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

Manufacturers like Cree and Osram, Luminus, Samsung, Nichia will also list the viewing angle, or beam width. A good light company will match the led emitter to the task and put, for example a 15-30 degree beam angle in a spot light and one with say a 150 degree emitter in a flood. You can also ask what amperage they got the lumen count from. Also an important number is the candela per lumen ratio. For a headlight, higher is better.

[@meyargaranjahan5714]

Measuring the light intensity of car lighting at a distance of one steradian of Olbrecht sphere and converting it to candela per square meter. Please share your experiences. B.R Kavei

[@Alen-nf5cg]

Nice video! Something triggered me to understand the connection between candela and lumen. As a matter of fact... I will use this knowledge next time, when a customer ambushes me in the "lighting department" and asks something about lumen (FFS... I am in logistics) :D! I will go on a tangent, nuclear style! ;D

[@diodedynamics]

We're glad we can teach you guys! Take it easy on 'em, Alen haha

[@kylepetersen1915]

This is awesome information. I have a few questions based on the video. Since there is a minimum candela requirement for each degree plotted in the beam pattern, this made me wonder, are there maximums to this as well? For example the 15,000 candela converts to about 245m or 800ft. Is there a point where regulations would say something like "can't have candela over 30,000 anywhere in the beam"? I'm wondering if the limit to how bright a light can get is based on the technology available at the time or regulations themselves? I have your fog lights for my WRX and love them, the quality is amazing and they are so good, I delayed getting new headlights for my car. I'm hoping Diode Dynamics comes out with a full Headlight Housing for that purpose soon :) Also would be interested in a video on CRI and CCT and the possibilities this brings to headlights for automotive uses. I'm a huge car guy that recently has been learning about flashlights so it would be cool to see how the two blend together haha

[@diodedynamics]

Hello - yes, depending on the type of lamp, there are overall maximums that exist as well as specific maximums at certain points. This is most commonly implemented to ensure there is no glare shining towards other drivers. The limit to how bright a light can be is based on the regulations, however, you can always shine more light into specific areas where there is no maximum. So, the goal becomes careful focus to deliver as much lights as possible in the right areas. For more information, please see our newest video on LED Optics!

[@RobertNetzer]

How do i compare upgrading my fog bulbs with your H11 SL1 1630 lumens vs SS3 SAE/DOT Fog sport lamps with 9050 candela in terms of brightness in that application? Its a 2023 mercedes sprinter. Thanks!!!

[@DDankenstein]

You want another 40 thousand subscribers? Start putting flashlights in your Goneometer thingy.

[@saitsaatcigil9830]

Sir, I want to ask something? When calculating candela, shall we consider the brightest point on the hot spot in the headlamp beam pattern? Otherwise, when we buy lux from a few places, a lot of candela values will emerge! Could you please give some more information? Thanks

[@diodedynamics]

Great question! Most companies describe a pattern in terms of maximum candela - the point where candela is the highest. You could also describe the candela at the exact vertical/horizontal center. From there, specific points can be referenced in degrees. For example, (-4, 2) would mean four degrees left, and two degrees up. You are correct that every point will be different in candela value.

[@saitsaatcigil9830]

Nice to meet you! I did not study a university on this subject, but I very love automotive science. I'm happy to learn something thanks to you and youtube. Thanks

[@montasirpurab]

Thanks from a student

[@diodedynamics]

Happy to help!

[@jonmanilenio]

Okay, wait, I'm still a bit confused... So if Candela is the most important metric of how effective a lighting system is, if we have the distance, and the lux measurement from a lux meter, we can determine the candela, correct? So given the example: Distance: 10m Lux measured at 10m: 1000 lux Then Candela is: 1000 x (10)^2 = 1000 x 100 = 100,000 Is this correct?

[@diodedynamics]

You got it!

[@brettglover7461]

I'm sure this is going to be one of those moments I look back and shake my head at myself, but. I am having trouble with your equation values. 251000 Candela equals 0.25 Lux at 1001 meters. To make it work I need to convert the .25 into 250? Am I missing something? Do I need to move the decimal 3 places on all Lux values to get Candela? as in 1 Lux would become 1000. Or convert meters to milimeters. Great info though and thx

[@diodedynamics]

Sure! Candela = lux * meters squared Or, lux = candela / meters squared

[@itsjustmichael136]

What is the amber backlight mean

[@diodedynamics]

This is simply an additional accent light feature that is optional to wire up, however the backlight feature can elevate your ride above the rest of the crowd and really stand out!

[@jonmanilenio]

Your example of 15,000 Candela is based on what distance?

[@diodedynamics]

This is the standard for current headlight models, we are unsure how far the standard is for stock headlights. Sorry about that!

[@jonmanilenio]

@@diodedynamics Please confirm, I watched another video that explained candela vs lux vs lumens and they said it's 10 meters.

[@diodedynamics]

@@jonmanilenio After speaking with our engineers, yes that is correct.

[@ashrafelmansori8886]

Thank u for teaching me I have an exam😅

[@diodedynamics]

🤘🤘 Glad we could help!

[@240sxdriver]

Now if other manufacturers would get past being "scientists of light" that'd be great

[@shoogledonk]

"The Marketeers of light" 😂

[@240sxdriver]

@@shoogledonk "naw we like our methods Crash" L O L

[@shoogledonk]

@@240sxdriver "a Navy SEAL once told us our lights kick ass and that's why you should buy our piss-poor fog lights for $400"

[@240sxdriver]

@@shoogledonkI don't have anywhere enough beer to drown out the words written by the "person"

[@Trinn03]

How abt ‘candlepower’ ? Another word for any of these 3 measurements?

[@diodedynamics]

Good question! Candela is the same as candlepower. Just the modern "more scientific" term.