Hi TiGeo, quick answer:
LEDs are at least 3-4 times as power efficient as halogen bulbs. That says it all ;-)
Some other goodies:
LEDs are smaller than halogen bulbs.
LED optics can be built much stronger than halogens (= pretty much indestructible).
Light emitted by LEDs can have a varying color temp, halogens are usually quite low, which means they look dimmer/yellower unless you overvolt them.
LEDs have a longer lifetime (>10000 hrs), compared to halogens.
LEDs (the diodes) are suprisingly cheap, usually they are responsible for a small fraction of the cost of a LED lighting system.
LEDs can be dimmed almost infinitely, and they get more efficient. Halogens can be dimmed but efficiency gets worse.
These are the most important things I could think of.
Of course there are some other things that come to my mind when comparing an older lighting system with today's technology, mostly battery technology: LiIon is getting used extensively, it is a bit pricey compared to older techs (such as NiCd, or especially lead-acid), but much, much smaller cells are capable of holding the same amount of energy.
If you want to try out what's changed in the past 10 years or so then buy a Magicshine (<$100) and a single-LED torch (~$20 from DX), and compare it to your existing system. It will be brighter, much, much smaller (with less weight) and will run for longer than your halogens.
Or borrow a dual-P7 light from someone (Niterider 1200, Darkstar), or perhaps the Lupine Betty XPG to make you want to have more ;-)))
LEDs are at least 3-4 times as power efficient as halogen bulbs. That says it all ;-)
Some other goodies:
LEDs are smaller than halogen bulbs.
LED optics can be built much stronger than halogens (= pretty much indestructible).
Light emitted by LEDs can have a varying color temp, halogens are usually quite low, which means they look dimmer/yellower unless you overvolt them.
LEDs have a longer lifetime (>10000 hrs), compared to halogens.
LEDs (the diodes) are suprisingly cheap, usually they are responsible for a small fraction of the cost of a LED lighting system.
LEDs can be dimmed almost infinitely, and they get more efficient. Halogens can be dimmed but efficiency gets worse.
These are the most important things I could think of.
Of course there are some other things that come to my mind when comparing an older lighting system with today's technology, mostly battery technology: LiIon is getting used extensively, it is a bit pricey compared to older techs (such as NiCd, or especially lead-acid), but much, much smaller cells are capable of holding the same amount of energy.
If you want to try out what's changed in the past 10 years or so then buy a Magicshine (<$100) and a single-LED torch (~$20 from DX), and compare it to your existing system. It will be brighter, much, much smaller (with less weight) and will run for longer than your halogens.
Or borrow a dual-P7 light from someone (Niterider 1200, Darkstar), or perhaps the Lupine Betty XPG to make you want to have more ;-)))
