Lumens vs candela
Lumens is all the light a flashlight puts out, in every direction. Candela is how intense the beam is at its brightest point. For reaching a coyote or hog far off, candela is the number that matters.
What it means
- Lumens measure the total light leaving the light, the whole beam plus the spill around it.
- Candela (cd) measures the intensity of the beam at its hottest spot, straight down the middle.
A wide floodlight and a tight spotlight can put out the same lumens. The spotlight packs them into a narrow beam, so its candela is far higher and it reaches farther.
What it changes in the field
How far a light reaches depends on candela, not lumens. Light falls off with the square of distance, so four times the candela is needed to reach twice as far. That is why a 1,000-lumen hunting light with a deep reflector or a big lens can outreach a 3,000-lumen work light.
Lumens matter up close: for scanning a field edge or tracking, a wider beam with more total light shows more ground at once.
What to look for
- A published candela figure for each color you plan to use. Few hunting-light makers publish one.
- Lumens and candela taken at the same setting (usually full power, spot beam).
- With colored LEDs, the figures for that color. A red or green LED is not the white LED’s lumens through a filter.
How we use it on this site
Each light page shows the maker’s lumens and candela for every color, where published. From candela we calculate the ANSI FL1 throw, labeled calculated. We do not convert lumens to distance: without the beam shape, lumens say nothing about reach.