Help me understand CFL watts

[Derrel]

Again, there **is no standard** commonly used...the customer is at the mercy of the people selling the stuff...there is not much information available, which makes almost every purchase decision a blind crapshoot. There are tons of products being sold without anything more than wattage numbers and a price tag.

 

[480sparky]

It just brings me back to the same question. How does a LED light kit measure in light output to an 85 "watt" CFL? How is one supposed to know what is what?..........

Most CLFs and LEDs are marked with lumens now.

 

[Derrel]

Here's an example: Genaray SpectroLED Studio 500 Bi-Color LED Two Light Kit B H

3,400 lumens at 3.3 feet distance, beam angle of 60 degrees.

And here's a different way to "specify" (term used loosely...no beam angle styated) output:
CN-1200SA
Light intensity: 1m :9500 lux, 2m :3300 lux 3m :1600 lux

And here's a third, a manufacturer's site with no output given, a 50-degree beam spread reflectors, and the wattage of the bulbs that come with it...
Two Head 500 Watt Tungsten Kit LL LR8030 - RayD8 C3200 Tungsten Lastolite

The last way, with no real output numbers, is fairly common. Pretty clear, right?

Anyway, lux to lumens calculator: Lux to lumens lm conversion calculator
Footcandles to lux calculator:Footcandles to lux lx conversion calculator
millicandella to lumens calculator: Millicandela mcd to lumens lm conversion calculator