Jump to content

Best replacement for 60 W incandescent bulbs?


Recommended Posts

<p>For the last decade or so I've used mostly G.E. Reveal 60 W incandescent bulbs in my house. Available bulb technologies have been changing fairly rapidly, so I'm not sure what's the best replacement. The goal is something with a continuous-spectrum light output of 650+ lumens, hopefully with a color temperature of at least 3200 K or so, but really I think I'd prefer 4000 K or maybe even slightly higher (the stuff around 6000 K is too blue). Insofar as some types diffuse the light more / better / make it somewhat softer than others, softer is preferable. These lights are for general household use--so nothing very expensive--but part of the point is to be available light photography-friendly. They must be readily available in the U.S., either from major retail outlets (like Home Depot and Lowe's) or reputable mail-order places. I'd welcome your suggestions, both on what to buy and where to buy it. Thanks!</p>
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 62
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

<p>Whatever you do, buy just one to try first! The quality of CFL bulbs varies very widely, some give feeble glow on switch-in and take 3 to 4 minutes to warm up, and some do not last anything like as long as claimed. In general, go one size bigger than the equivalents table – an 11 W CFL is supposed to be the equivalent of a 60 W incandescent, a 20 W is about right. As far as I know, all CFLs have a CT of at least 5000 K. Having worked my way through several brands, I now (in the UK) have Philips Tornado ESaver blubs around the house – 20 W is fine, they start quickly and seem to last. I am sure GE or another quality brand would be fine, too.</p>
Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>I think it is great that the US Government is consigning incandescent bulbs to history as a huge waste of power ... I have been buying almost nothing but long life flourescent bulbs as replacements as my old lamps burn out for some years now ... I just buy what is on the shelf. The equivalent is normally to be found on the box.</p>
Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>I liked the GE Reveal bulbs for reading and general lighting in the most frequently used rooms, but I happily gave 'em up a couple of years ago when CFLs improved. For the past year or so I've been using very affordable "Home Brite" CFLs from Walgreens and other retailers, and they're very satisfactory replacements.</p>

<p>I was initially reluctant about CFLs several years ago for a few reasons, but most of those issues have long since been addressed:</p>

<ul>

<li>Price - CFLs are no longer particularly expensive.</li>

<li>Reliability - CFLs used to burn out quickly in extreme conditions, including non-air conditioned barns and storage areas, or sheltered car parks. But now they generally last well.</li>

<li>Radio Frequency Interference - I'm a longtime radio listener, especially international shortwave radio. CFLs used to emit so much RFI it wiped out radio reception. But the Chinese-made Home Brite CFLs I've been using emit less RFI than halogen lamps, and less RFI than most other cheap Chinese made electronics that don't meet FCC standards. I still have one older CFL - several years old - that wipes out my radio reception. But the darned thing won't burn out. I just use it when I'm not listening to the radio.</li>

<li>Flickering - I've experienced migraines my whole life and some flickering lamps would aggravate the problem. The current crop of CFLs don't seem to have that problem, at least not perceptible enough to annoy me.</li>

<li>Color temperature - the Home Brite CFLs are pretty neutral. There's a bit of variation that requires some custom white balance tweaking but not enough to complain about for casual indoor snapshots. If I need consistent neutral lighting I'll use flash instead.</li>

</ul>

<p>Personally I don't want to see all incandescent lamps banned. Especially if it makes old style enlargers completely unusable without modification to accept LEDs or other light source. If an alternative product - such as CFLs - are genuinely superior, the market will decide. But for most purposes I have no problem with using CFLs where I used to prefer good quality reading bulbs like the GE Reveal. And I definitely do not miss the heat in close quarters from reading and utility work lights.</p>

<p>On the flip side, incandescent lamps are still a relatively cheap way to heat small spaces for some kinds of pets, light and heat for winter-sensitive plants, or dry boxes for storing electronics and cameras in humid environments. When I lived in a rural home we used 100w or brighter flood lights in utility lamp holders to keep our well pump plumbing from freezing - it was cheaper and safer than running a heater in a dusty environment, and easy to check at night just by peeking out the kitchen window at the pump house and barn. Another reason why they shouldn't be completely banned. It's one of those situations the market would resolve well enough simply because the CFLs do such a good job for most home lighting needs.</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<blockquote>

<p>... I have been buying almost nothing but long life flourescent bulbs as replacements as my old lamps burn out for some years now ...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Whenever a CFL burns out now - I will now replace it with an LED. The last incandescent bulb was replaced last year - actually 10 of them in my living room chandelier; they were a long-time hold out since there wasn't anything available that didn't look butt-ugly. But 200W was a high price to pay for the looks - the 10 LED bulbs use some 45W now. I buy the lowest temperature LEDs I can find - usually between 2700K and 3000K; 3500K at most.</p>

<p>Prices of LED bulbs have come down a bit - but they still are an expensive alternative to CFLs. But the flood light CFLs that I had used in the bathrooms didn't last all that long - and their light output had inconsistent color and dropped significantly over the lifetime of the bulb.<br /> <br />One thing to look out for in LED bulbs is that some take a little time to turn on - my recessed lighting in the kitchen turns on instantly, the bathroom lights take just fraction of a second before they come on. The replacement LEDs in the living room recessed lighting take the longest - there's a noticeable delay between flipping the switch and the light coming on. Just something to watch out for.</p>

<p>Another issue is the CRI (color rendering index) - go for the highest number possible (>90).</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>I use halogen spots and bulbs for home lighting. They're give a continuous spectrum and a nice color balance for living, lighting displayed prints, and photography. They're not as excessively warm colored (low K temp) as tungsten. The drawback is that they're not that long-lasting.</p>

<p>By contrast, I find CFL:s ghastly in terms of their photographic effect, but they do last a very long time and produce a lot of light for the energy consumed. I just don't like them for photography or for lighting displayed prints; the colors are not as nicely reproduced as with halogen lights.</p>

<p>I also have a set of LEDs in my living room; they're expensive for the power that they output, and they have their own characteristic color as well, though maybe a bit nicer than CFL but if they ever stop working I'll be replacing them with halogens though it means a different type of lamp shade as well as the halogens do run fairly hot.</p>

<p>Anyway, I don't know what is on sale in the US and how the situation will change, but while tungsten lamps haven't been available in my country for a while, halogens are easily found, and they do give a nicer coloured alternative for various purposes, especially photography. Try some of the lights out before buying a lot of them; you want to be sure you like the ones that you get. ;-)</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>I actually really like the light CFLs produce, and I think they're a perfectly good replacement for the old-fashioned, energy-wasting, heat-producing, 60-Watt incandescent bulb. But, David's right--buy a bit more output than the "equivalent" rating suggests. When they first became available, I replaced every incandescent source wherever I lived with CFLs. I try to match color temperatures of all sources in the house to 6,500° Kelvin (I prefer "cool," modern tones).</p>

<p>Our entire house is now a mix of 6,500°K CFLs, 6,500°K T5 high-output, fluorescent strip-lights, and LED desk lamps, with the bulk of the room lighting being T5 strips bounced into white ceilings. My next lighting project is to replace all of the T5 strips with LEDs, and eventually convert the entire house to 100% LED (even including the refrigerator and cooktop hood lighting), primarily for their energy-efficiency, claimed long bulb life, and to achieve a consistent color temperature throughout the house.</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>We switched all our bulbs to CFLs years ago, when lower electric rates were offered, in our area, to single family houses with low usage. Reducing our consumption, and getting lower rates for what we did use, lowered our electric bills nearly 50%. At first, it was hard to find CFL bulbs that didn't give us and the art on our walls a greenish tint, but now we can get decent household color out of bulbs from the local hardware.</p>

<p>The market didn't work to bring about lower consumption because people continued to buy the cheaper ordinary incandescent bulbs even if it cost them more in the long run. For many people, the only way to bring about the reduction in energy consumption was to prohibit inefficient lamps. (And that is the prohibition--halogens, which are more efficient incandescents, are still permitted.)</p>

<p>Yes, it would be nice to still have ordinary incandescents to use for some heating applications. (It's ironic, actually; the reason incandescents are so inefficient is that they're really heaters--most of their energy goes out as heat.) And yes, it would be nice for old enlargers to still function. My wife and I could argue that we should be allowed to use whatever lights we want--we put in solar panels a couple of months ago, so our house produces at least as much electricity as it uses. But the effects of burning carbon are so bad for the planet that having everyone switch to more efficient lighting is necessary.</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>I agree with David (1st post) about CFL's, the light and color output varies, and I haven't found one brand that lasts the hours claimed, which for the price becomes more expensive than ordinary incandescent bulbs. And I agree to buy one size up with equivalent power output as CFL's are overrated for output. When you find a brand/model you like, buy a lot of them as stores swithch brands and model regularly so you'll be hard pressed to find the same one again, especially if it's one of a set (eg. bathroom fixture) and you want to match the light and color output.</p>
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having used CFL bulbs as replacements for 25, 40 and 60 watt tungsten bulbs for the past few years I have been

switching over to LED lamps now as the rest of the tungsten bulbs burn out and the CFLs die. I did research before

starting the switch to LEDs and decided to try the Cree brand. Among other things Cree offers both daylight balance and

"soft white" versions.Since I started the switch the price at Home Depot has dropped a couple of dollars per 40 and 60 watt equivalent.

 

I read a lot and find the light from these much easier on my 55 year old eyes than the CFLs were. My wife likes them too.

 

Just as there are differences between makes of CFLs, there are differences between LEDs so do your research.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>I've just picked up a few Cree 60-watt-ish replacements in the LED style. Cheap at Home Depot for about $8 each. These have a surprisingly good warm-like-tungsten look to them. I haven't done any sort of real life spectral lookyloo yet, but they really do feel like a viable replacement for basic illumination. Instant on, no chilly/green CFL feel, and running one for several hours a day, every day, will cost under $2/year.<br /><br />So far, every new bulb replacement here is now an LED. The CFLs we've purchased are all (predictably) failing years shy of the predicted dates, even in basic climate controlled household use. I loathe the things, and don't relish the fact that I have to personally deliver them to the county HAZMAT drop off and show a driver's license when they fail. I've got a box of 15 or so ready for the next run. Maybe I can find some old paint thinner and some expired wasp spray to make it worth my time showing ID to the gubmint! No good careful disposal deed goes unpunished. <br /><br />I do have a hoard of standard incandescents for use when they're photographically useful, and I'm not going to part with those. Um, unless I can find a real sucker on eBay. "Rare vintage 60w bulbs made with REAL TUNGSTEN! You'll never see these again! PayPal only! A++++ quality for your terrarium lizard! Made in USA or at least sold in USA!"</p>
Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>Apart from halogens, most of our household lights are still tungsten (the future may be LEDs?). Our approach to saving energy is in the use and not in the type of lamp. By restraining our use we can save even more than the common consumer initiative of maintaining current use and replacing incandescent bulbs with the visibly ugly neon tube appearing energy saving bulbs. However, locally at least, the government decision to remove all 75 and 100 watt tungsten bulbs from sale this month, and all the 40 and 60 watt bulbs next January, will no doubt force a change in practice, probably preceded by a large stocking campaign to keep the bulbs we have been using for a bit longer.</p>

<p>Electricity use and not the type of technology seems for us the better option at present. The illumination of rarely visited places in the house or over illuminating of frequently used spaces makes little sense. I hope that the newer energy efficient lights will be improved in regard to their odd or discontinuous light spectrum which can often be visually aggressive. A fairly close neighbour whose barn was replaced after a fire recently has mounted new technology lights (sentinels) on the front and side of his new barn. They do more than light his property, they project light into neighbouring properties, creating a form of light pollution. Thankfully, he has shut off the major powerful sentinel light down during the winter period, as even with its very efficient watt input/lumens output, it is not necessary at this time of year. I hope I can convince him to reduce power in the spring, when his outdoor seeding activities start up.</p>

<p> </p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>While I'm considering finding an LED option for it, I have heard that enlarger bulbs (being specialty use bulbs) are still being made and are available. I also stocked up. </p>

<p>We moved into this house in August and most of the bulbs in it were CFLs. Several have blown out, at least two leaving puddles of mercury to deal with as they burst instead of just not lighting. I'm replacing with halogen and all the older incandescent ones I can find. I hate how the CFLs start out dim when first lit - when I turn on the lights, I want to see right away, not in 10 minutes.<br>

What I really like are three-way bulbs (light, medium, and bright) - is there a new replacement for those? I have several lamps that take those and I like the option of having them dim or bright depending on the current use of the room. </p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>From what I can tell, the weakest link in LED bulbs are those electrolytic capacitors used for AC-DC converter filtering. The LEDs might last a long time in theory, but the possible high probability of the controller failure renders it moot.</p>

<p>I've replaced enough capacitors in everything from broken modern monitors, TVs and other common electronics to completely distrust them unless they are from reputable manufacturers like Nichicon. Given many of these LED bulbs are made in China competing on cost, I wouldn't be surprised to see a flood of premature failures long before their anticipated expiration date. </p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<blockquote>

<p>[ilkka] By contrast, I find CFL:s ghastly in terms of their photographic effect, but they do last a very long time and produce a lot of light for the energy consumed. I just don't like them for photography or for lighting displayed prints; the colors are not as nicely reproduced as with halogen lights.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Ilkka, I agree. Something I found years ago, though, was that traditional color paper (RA-4) is more forgiving under a variety of light sources than are many inkjets. The tradeoff for high color gamuts, where narrower peak dyes are used, seems to be more metameric color shift. The RA-4 papers seem to have generally broader peaks, and are thus more forgiving.</p>

<p>Regarding CFLs, and fluorescent in general, the way to have high light output, and thus high energy efficiency, is to NOT have broad spectral output. Rather, the output is concentrated in zones where the human eye is sensitive. The result is that the most efficient light producers give the worst performance for color photos. Unfortunately, the CFLs seem to only come in the peaky energy-efficient versions. If you want something with broad spectral output, like the old standby GE Chroma 50, you have to get the straight tubes. When we ran tests, where I used to work, a color-correction booth equipped with Chroma-50 looked so dim next to an "energy-efficient" booth (same CCT) that you would almost guess a tube or two had gone out.</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Forget about CFLs. Thankfully, they will soon be on the ash heap of history. CFLs contain highly toxic elemental mercury,

are unreliable, produce unflattering light, and regular ones are not dimmable. Unless hidden in an outer shell, a spiral CFL

is hideously ugly. Often, they do not fit existing fixtures or extend beyond the top of wall sconce and chandelier shades.

 

The future is in LEDs, but they still cost too much.

 

However, there's a transition lamp: the halogen incandescent bulb. It looks like a now-banned standard incandescent

bulb, is dimmable, contains no toxic material, and has a regular screw base.

 

A 43 watt halogen incandescent has the same output intensity as a 60 watt standard incandescent.

 

Until LEDs reach maturity and cost less to buy, halogen incandescents are the practical solution.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>Matt said:</p>

<blockquote>

<p><em>Rare vintage 60w bulbs made with REAL TUNGSTEN</em>!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I think you're on to something, there, Matt! Those are sure to be in high demand for Lomographers looking for "vintage" practical lighting.</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>As an aside, we still have a ton of old-school, 500-Watt, 3,200°K photo flood bulbs at work that I purchased for a practical lighting rig years ago (talk about heat-generating, energy-hogs!). I should grab those and make a huge continuous softbox out of 'em, just for fun (however, at their four-hour rated lamp life, it'll only be useful for a single shoot!):</p>

<p>http://www.filmtools.com/ect50tunphot.html</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>My problem with the current bulbs , whatever they are, is that they are often much longer and I need different lampshades, or turned one upside down in one case.<br>

One would hope that is a sane world regulations would be relaxed once the object of moving the conservative public is achieved .... but do we live in a sane world?</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>Ellis, are the Cree LED bulbs you bought at Home Depot clearly labeled as Cree or are they under another name brand? Matt mentions purchasing them for $8 which is really cheap for LED bulbs.</p>

<p>Also do these bulbs when left on for a while get hot to the touch? The GE brand LED I tried out from Lowe's two years ago got way too hot for such an energy efficient device and I wasn't all that impressed with the amount of light output so I returned it for a refund. Was hoping the Cree's will be an improvement.</p>

<p>Regarding CFL's I'm surprised by so many mentioning having them go out on them after short usage. That has not been my experience with GE soft white 100 watt output CFL's I have in frosted glass globes to light my open front porch and back patio all night going on 1 1/2 years now.</p>

<p>For some quick macro photography and to read by in my living room I have installed in two tall pole stand lamps on opposite corners of my living room a 100 watt output 5500K CFL Ottlite (from Lowe's) and a 150watt output Alzo 5500K (Amazon). See below the amount of light output and color rendering differences between available window light vs the two CFL's.</p><div>00cHhx-544653784.jpg.4b0081cb40d1592316c1183126fdb3d3.jpg</div>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>Both CFLs and LEDs are spectrally unstable, and their spectra are not nearly so smooth and rich as tungsten; therefore color photography will suffer. Halogen lamps (which are modified tungsten lamps) are the only "good" substitute, as they will give you the same rich color as conventional incandescent. All CFLs and LEDs are a bit worse, and how much worse depends on the types of phosphors used, as well as quality of manufacture.</p>

<p>It's also worth mentioning that both fluorescent (including CFL) and LED lights are rich in UV, so they will fade fabrics and artwork faster than tungsten or halogen.</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



×
×
  • Create New...