Welcome to Laser Pointer Forums - discuss green laser pointers, blue laser pointers, and all types of lasers

LPF Donation via Stripe | LPF Donation - Other Methods

Links below open in new window

ArcticMyst Security by Avery

593nm vs 473nm visibility

Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
207
Points
28
Hi!

I'm buying a 50mw 593.5nm and I would like to know how the visibility of the beam at dark conditions will compare to a >100mw 473nm. I love my 473nm beam and I hope the 593nm will have at least the same beam visibility.

Thanks
 





Kohaku

0
Joined
Sep 26, 2010
Messages
55
Points
0
Around 565nm wave length is the most visible to eye.

So the yellow should be more visible than blue. but considering the 50mw and 100mw they should be the same
 
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
Messages
1,866
Points
48
I think that the orange laser should be just as visible as the blue one.
 
Joined
Sep 12, 2007
Messages
9,399
Points
113
In THEORY according to the CIE tables...

The blue would be 7 lumens, and the amber would be 25 lumens. According to the root of the ratio, the amber DOT would be almost twice as bright assuming the sizes were the same. But since blue is more affected by Raleigh Scattering, the blue BEAM might appear brighter.
 
Joined
Dec 24, 2007
Messages
1,000
Points
63
In THEORY according to the CIE tables...

The blue would be 7 lumens, and the amber would be 25 lumens. According to the root of the ratio, the amber DOT would be almost twice as bright assuming the sizes were the same. But since blue is more affected by Raleigh Scattering, the blue BEAM might appear brighter.

This.

My old 5mw 594nm laser's dot was roughly the same as my 17 mw 473nm blue laser's dot. However, if the air was clear, my 594's beam would be practically invisible no matter the lighting. However, the 473's beam is fairly well visible in even dim lighting, and is strikingly visible in total darkness. I've found a 473's BEAM to be about as bright as the BEAM of a 532nm green whose DOT is twice as bright as the 473's DOT.
 
Joined
Jun 3, 2007
Messages
2,560
Points
113
Hi!

I'm buying a 50mw 593.5nm and I would like to know how the visibility of the beam at dark conditions will compare to a >100mw 473nm. I love my 473nm beam and I hope the 593nm will have at least the same beam visibility.

Thanks

Relative Visibility of Light at Various Wavelengths
Link Sam's Laser FAQ - Items of Interest
473 nm .104 Blue Blue frequency doubled Nd:YAG
555 nm 1.000 Yellow-Green Reference (peak) wavelength
594.1 nm .706 Orange-yellow Yellow HeNe laser

I've color code the text so you can detect a difference in apparent brightness.
 
Joined
Aug 4, 2010
Messages
1,249
Points
0
I wonder how many people will say that 555nm is the peak sensitivity to the Eye. Lol

555nm is also the peak for your cones, 515nm is best for your rods. Just measure the + or - from 555 or 515. Its a bell curve (Or close to one) So you should be good. Whatever one is closer, you SHOULD be able to see better.

I THINK that lower wavelengths are a little more visible because of Scattering, but I am not sure. Dont quote me on this :)
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 4, 2010
Messages
1,249
Points
0
Wikipedia. Psh lol damn I cant remember where I heard 515nm.. Other sources says 507.
 
Joined
Jun 3, 2007
Messages
2,560
Points
113
@Quadcam That would be because that 473 is a lower wavelength which has more energy per unit. This causes the beam to have more energy, while the dot still has the SAME amount of energy.
@Steve001 Color coding will not help as the LCD compensates for the change in apparent brightness. Nice try though :beer:
@reginak the 473 will be brightest overall.

Though the monitor may average brightness apparent brightness is what the brain does when it perceives different colors. There's no actual difference if all things are equal.

All things being equal. If you were to compare these two wavelenghts of light under dark conditions projected upon a surface the green light of 555nm would appear brighter. But looking at the two wavelengths side by side [ the beam] blue would be the most noticeable as long as your eyes have had time to become dark adapted.
:beer:
 
Joined
Jun 28, 2007
Messages
3,443
Points
63
As one would think from quadcam's remarks, the dark adapted eye has it's sensitivity peak shift towards blue, and air scatters more in shorter wl's so, the blue is more easily seen per mW in sighting the beam in the dark. ;) -GH
 
Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
207
Points
28
I got the 45mW 594.5nm laser and the beam from the 100mW 473nm is MUCH more visible.

Cheers
 
Joined
Jun 3, 2007
Messages
2,560
Points
113
@steve001 The colors have no difference....the apparent brightness is accounted fpr and so they all appear the same although more energy is in the pixels for the orange and blue to compensate.

Apparent brightness means a subjective interpretation performed by your brain based upon the eyes response to various wavelengths of light under normally lit viewing condition. That's what the table listed on SAMS LASER FAQ shows. Under dark conditions with only natural ambient light that peak then shifts to the blue. However, if you where to introduce light that is photopically closer to the peak and of the same luminosity as the ambient light then that introduced light would appear brighter.

As I'm writing this on my monitor there appears this in the upper right: Logged in as steve001. A portion of that text is in white. My screen name is in green. Both are balanced to have the same luminosity, but to my eye the my screen name appears to be apparently brighter.
 
Joined
Sep 12, 2007
Messages
9,399
Points
113
473 is a lower wavelength which has more energy per unit.

And that unit is photon. It has more energy per photon. Energy is power times time, and has no relevance to the beam as a whole. Power on the other hand is often measured in watts, and a 5mW 473nm beam will inherently have the same power as a 5mW 593nm beam. The 593nm beam will have more photons, but less power per photon.
 
Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
207
Points
28
I waiting for a 589nm 140mW from CNI, I hope it has a much more visible beam than 594 45mW.

Cheers!
 





Top