Laser pointers are originally used to point out or highlight some objects across a long distance. With their increased proliferation and power, laser pointers are widely spread and used in astronomy, construction, light shows, camping and entertainment, etc.
Laser pointers can be divided into different types according to colors: red laser, green laser, blue laser and purple laser. And the green lasers are the most popular ones because of its high visibility. People always complain about the fact that a green laser is so much brighter than a red one with the same mw. So, let’s see some comparison here.
Wavelength
The wavelength of a red laser is approximately 620nm to 750nm (red spectral region). A red laser with 635nm wavelength would look a typical ruby red, while 650nm would look much lighter or orange. On the other hand, the wavelength of green laser is from 495nm to 570nm (green spectral region). And 532nm is the typical wavelength for green laser which would look emerald green.
Beam visibility
This is one of the most obvious differences between red laser and green laser. Human eyes are more sensitive to yellow and green light, that’s why green lasers can appear to be roughly 50 times brighter than red ones. So your red laser looks dim doesn’t mean you are cheated by your seller or something is wrong with the laser. It’s just a normal situation.
Construction Complexity
Normally, the construction of a red laser is simpler than a green laser. A red laser consists of a circuit board, red laser diode and a focusing lens. Green lasers on the other hand are much more complex because there are no green laser diodes that can be used. Instead an infrared (808nm) diode is used with a combination of special crystals and a filter to produce green laser light.
