Laser power explained - Beamburst laser show projectors from Lumalaser

	LASER POWER RECOMMENDATIONS AND SAMPLES
	HOW MUCH POWER IS NEEDED?
Can a 4.9 mW laser make effects like the the one above? Nope, it is simply too weak. The photo is a time-exposure taken over many seconds. A 50 mW laser would look more like the photo. For more details, see the 4.9 mW Explained page, and the Laser Power Explained page.	One of the most common questions we are asked is "How much power do I need?". We'll answer this for a typical disco or nightclub type of environment -- a compact, already-smoky, dim room. Minimum: 20 milliwatts (20 mW) of green, such as our Emerald 20. Green is more visible than other colors, so in darker environments, 20 mW of green will show up OK. Suggested: 50 mW, such as Emerald 50, Amber 50, Fuchsia 50 and Ruby 50. The beam will be bright enough to be impressive. If you choose the green Emerald 50, you'll have extra brightness to cut through strobes and bright theatrical lighting. 4.9 mW: Too dim for public use You may see projectors with as little as 4.9 mW being sold. Often the sales material features a photo that makes the laser beams look spectacular. Unfortunately, such photos are highly unrealistic time-exposures. 4.9 mW is essentially a laser pointer, and thus its beam is very dim. At Lumalaser, we do sell 4.9 mW laser projectors such as our Amber 5, Emerald 5, and Ruby 5. However, we usually do not recommend such a low power for professional or public use. It is sufficient for small-scale applications such as having one in your living room or bedroom. Find out more online To find out more about why we don't normally recommend 4.9 mW projectors, see the 4.9 mW Explained page. For a discussion of laser power and other brightness factors, see the Laser Power Explained page. Call or write to get the best info To get the best results, simply call or write to us. We'll find out what your location is like, and we can recommend the best laser for your particular application.
	SAMPLES OF VARIOUS LASER POWERS The photo-illustrations below give you an idea of what various laser powers look like in real life, in a dark room with some smoke. (Click on any of the photos to see a larger image.)
5 mW Too weak for most public displays. Beam will not be noticed or will be "wimpy" at best
20 mW 4 times more powerful than 5 mW. Beam can be seen in a typical disco/nightclub
50 mW 10 times more powerful than 5 mW. Beam is impressive in a typical disco/nightclub.
100 mW 20 times more powerful than 5 mW. Beam is very impressive in a typical disco/nightclub, and can be seen in brighter environments with less smoke and fog.
	Technical notes These photo-illustrations combine a flash photo of the projector, with a taken-in-the-dark time exposure of the beams. In Photoshop, the beams are then superimposed on the projector. By setting the density of the beam layer, we can vary how bright the beams appear. We have used our best judgment, based on experience, to demonstrate the various power levels. Also note that normally, all beams are not shooting out at the same time. At any one instant, only one or two beams are visible. The closest you would come to the above photos is when the beams are quickly sequencing through each position. Finally, we do not guarantee that every photo of a Lumalaser projector represents its real-life beam visibility. Visibility depends on many factors outside our control, such as the amount of smoke or fog in the air. What we DO guarantee is that a 4.9 mW laser is simply not bright enough to create the beam effects seen at some other companies' brochures and websites.

	< PREVIOUS Laser power explained	NEXT > 4.9 mW explained

LASER POWER RECOMMENDATIONS AND SAMPLES