Differentiating between these distinctive light units is a game-changer—so you better be well-versed in these three critical light evaluation parameters. Although our blog’s intro gives you a small idea about the concept—it’s just a glimpse. To get the whole picture, reading the detailed overviews for Candela, Lux, and Lumens below clarifies more. Read on!

• What is Candela?

Focus on Candela to measure the light’s intensity while overshadowing your light source’s other elements. You may ask what total amount of light emission has to be calculated. Well, it’s when a single unit of Candela falls on one steradian from the source. The latter must be a monochromatic radiation spectrum centered at 540 1012 Hz with 1/683 watt as its total radiant intensity. Please note that these lighting parameters comply with the rigorous standards (SI).

How Candela differs from Lux and Lumen

Candela’s particularity in the lighting field gives in a particular distinction above the rest. This is why it’s widely recognized—and used in various fields of study. For instance, it helps interior designers fine-tune the brightness of light fixtures like LED bulbs, ambient lighting, decorative, and more. Candela’s source intensity range comes in handy in photography and cinematography—with exposure control and stabilizing image quality. Astronomy (in measuring the total light from stars), manufacturing, QC (quality control), healthcare, stage/theatre lighting, and the automotive industry are other worthy mentions.

Not to mention that Candela also assists IT/Big Data professionals in determining the light output of optical fiber cables. No doubt this is a multipurpose light source unit you should definitely get a good grasp on. On top of that, seeing astronomers using Candela to measure the star’s accurate light spectrum is indicative of its preciseness.

• What is Lux?

Based on the International System of Units (SI), Lux is the golden standard when measuring the luminous range per square meter. So, now you know that this particular light unit reckons the total light range falling in a given area—with a specific range. But that’s not it! Do you know that the Lumen—the third gives you a better perspective? Picture this: Lumens lets you calculate the total light emitted by a source. Within this light spectrum, the particular light falling in between is the point of ‘Lux.’

Here, (the source of light)that emits the total lighting on the surface is luminous flux, while Lux is the illuminance range measured for a particular area (per sq./m range). So, what tool or material can you use to measure this exact unit? Well, it’s the ‘Lux Scale.’ – It helps you quantify the total illuminance required for lighting a specific area.

How Lux differs from Candela and Lumen

Take an office setting and a warehouse as examples here. We know that workplaces aren’t a huge area to demarcate. The reason is the cornered rooms and squared cubicles, with each requiring varied lux variables (light settings). And when it comes to a warehouse or a factory, we know the place is huge. These zones indicate a single vacant part/floor of the building—in all the vastness. So, if office settings require 300 lux, 500, or 700 lux units to control lighting, a warehouse would require 1000 or more lux ranges to cover the illuminance range. With this being said, you must be familiar with how lux rage works over time, right? The more the area—the more lighting rage—the higher the lux “illumination” range.

Before you dive in to see how Lux guides us in various fields—its benefits to human happiness and health are irreplaceable. Rightly so, as proper lighting exposure affects our daily routines—from day till night. Proper lux ranges can help you manage your daily routines. Plus, this particular light range keeps eye strain off the cards and even betters your sleep cycles. So, if your moods, feelings, and emotions are the three biggest factors that drive your life—fine-tuning Lux is no exception—it’s mandatory! Lux ranges are regularly tried and tweaked at office spaces, retail stores, movie theatres, sports/education venues, industrial sites, and warehouses.

• What is Lumen?

Do you know that the overall luminosity produced by an emitting source is termed Lumens? It might be the third unit in our discussion, but it’s the key factor in determining Candela and Lux ranges. The SI Unit you will be using here is the luminous flux. To give you a clear picture, imagine a candle. You get one Lumen if the latter exudes light at a solid angle of one steradian. In other words, the light source’s visible range is directly proportional to the light’s intensity (brightness) measured in the unit Lumens.

You can also take the human eye as an example here. Your fovea is where the light directly falls; it’s the center of your retina. Here, the total amount of light getting absorbed inside your eye’s focal point is measured in Lumen. It was the German scientist named Wilhelm Eduard Weber who discovered this unit of light. He paved the way for regulating particular areas and “spotlights” with lighting. 

How Lumen differs from Candela and Lux

Lumen has become a widely recognized unit of light alongside Candela and Lux. Lumen’s significance is huge due to many a number of factors. First, it has been serving different industries since 1948. Take the incandescent bulb, for instance; it produces 800 Lumens. Whereas an 8-10 watt LED bulb uses 800-1000 Lumens and can help put the public’s attention on the performer’s center stage. Halogen bulbs with 75-watt capacity hit above a 1000-lumen—to 1200 max.

Understand this: The higher the intensity of light on a single steradian, the brighter the source—the more the Lumens. But it can vary for different sources, objects, and light settings—fluctuation, dimming, and output intensity aren’t out of the question. Just keep in mind that various factors come into play when determining Lumen.

LX (Lumens) is generally prevalent in house settings—where indoor and outdoor lighting strike balance or contrast. As you may know, interior designers and landscape architects work together—while handling different lighting sources to enhance the overall aesthetic appeal. Commercial lighting works the same way—and even better. In-house modeling rooms, product marketing zones, and office projection rooms are classic examples of keynote lumen-oriented light settings. Even roads and highways also apply Lumen to determine overall lighting conditions. Did you notice the potential is huge? Yes, sure, it is. Be it photography/videography, auto production plant lighting, movie theatres, hospitals, or government sectors; Lumens dominate luminosity.