Retroflective tape comparison (prismatic vs. glass bead)

Thomas Hood said:

Bought a couple of metres of white 3M Diamond Grade tape (http://tinyurl.com/2btshb) to trim my bike with. Thought I'd take a
picture with standard 3M Scotchlite tape (couldn't find the tech spec)
alongside:

http://tinyurl.com/yus73t
(click on the magnifying glass in top right to see full-size image)

The Diamond tape on left is applied to a 1/4 circumference of a rim.
The photo was taken with facing down into my cellar with camera set at
400mm f8.0 1/1000s ISO 80 (i.e. the least exposure possible).

The improved brightness of the Diamond tape is very apparent
(highlights are clipped despite the exposure) both in the picture and
in 'real-life'.

Tom

P.S. I believehttp://www.reflexite.co.uk/make something similar (and
claim to have invented it), but I was unable to acquire a sensible
quantity of it to test.

I have this Reflexite V92 reflective tape on my brevet bike frame
tubes. White/silver color. All frame tubes and fork blades about
100% encircled with the tape.
http://www.identi-tape.com/hi-intensity.htm

I have 3M Scotchlite 8850 reflective tape on my rims, pedal, cranks.
Silver gray color. Invisible on Mavic Open Pro silver rims in the
daytime. Between every rim eyelet.
http://www.rusa.org/Download/rusa-scotchlite.pdf
http://www.beseenonabike.com/shopuk/product_info.php?products_id=88

Both reflective tapes are the same brightness when light shines on
them. The diamond Reflexite stuff is no more reflective than the 3M
tape. But the Reflexite V92 stuff does not blend in with anything.
If I could do it again, I'd use only the silver/gray 3M tape to coat
the frame tubes. It would not look as different in the daytime.

Thomas Hood said:

Bought a couple of metres of white 3M Diamond Grade tape (
http://tinyurl.com/2btshb ) to trim my bike with. Thought I'd take a
picture with standard 3M Scotchlite tape (couldn't find the tech spec)
alongside:

http://tinyurl.com/yus73t
(click on the magnifying glass in top right to see full-size image)

The Diamond tape on left is applied to a 1/4 circumference of a rim.
The photo was taken with facing down into my cellar with camera set at
400mm f8.0 1/1000s ISO 80 (i.e. the least exposure possible).

The improved brightness of the Diamond tape is very apparent
(highlights are clipped despite the exposure) both in the picture and
in 'real-life'.

Tom

P.S. I believe http://www.reflexite.co.uk/ make something similar (and
claim to have invented it), but I was unable to acquire a sensible
quantity of it to test.

that's a great post - thanks.