Compact Fluorescent Tube Daylight

I am looking at doing a little portrait shooting of some friends. I

don't want to invest a lot of $ in a lighting set up until I know if

I enjoy this type of photography.

 

I understand that tradition fluorescent lights produce weird colors

on the film as does tungsten.

 

I see Compact Fluorescent Tubes can range from 2100 to 5000K

depending on the model.

 

5000K seems pretty close to daylight to me, so does anyone use these

with reflectors or umbrellas?

 

What about using a dimmer switch on each light to control ratios?

 

I am pretty new at this formal lighting stuff, so I appreciate

everyone's response.

 

Thanks

I've had great luck with Sensia shot with a mix of 5000K and 6500K fluorescent tubes. I haven't tried any of the compact fluorscent bulbs, I only learned that they were available in full-spectrum models a week or so ago. Most of them are not dimmable, but I would expect that the problem will be getting enough light out of them, not turning them down. (Move them further back and hang a sheet in front of them.)

 

Here's a source for the highest power CFLs I've seen so far:

http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/compact_fluorescent.shtml

 

Van

Dimmer switches are a no-no with such lamps, unless the tubes are specially marked as safe for dimmers. They're typically unsafe even if used in full off / full on only. My guess is that even when full off, there's some current provided, and the lamp is trying to switch on, and wearing itself out in the process. The guess doesn't matter -- it's a know issue that's warned against.

check out the following quote regarding dimmers with CFTs...

 

http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/homeandwork/homes/inside/lighting/bulbs.html

 

"One on the biggest consumer complaints in the past has been that compact fluorescent lights couldn't be used with dimmers. That problem is being solved now that there are dimmable compact fluorescent lights on the market and energy-efficient torchieres being sold today that feature either fully dimmable compact fluorescent bulbs or three stages of brightness."

I tried this very same thing with CFLs and cheap shop lamps on color film. My results

showed me that as the subject was illuminated at the periphery of the lamp coverage, the

light color changed. This could be just as much the clip lamp reflector as it was the bulb.

Regardless, I wanted to take something like off-axis color-shifts out of the loop so I spent

~US$350 and bought the "Beginner Bee" from Alien Bees. Just one 320 wattsecond lamp,

but it works.

 

To get similar light output (to the ~320 wattseconds) I think you'd need something like

6 23-watt CFLs (my mind's fuzzy as I did these calculations a year and a half ago or more).

When I was looking, a 23 watt CFL was something like US$15. And the color still wasn't

that good. And you had to make some reflectors (foam core works great) as well as some

diffusion material. Not to mention some way of mounting the lights as one cohesive

source. I decided it was just more sensible to suck it up and buy the light kit.

 

The long and short is that yes, it can be done with limitations. And dimmable CFLs, while

they do exist, tend to be much more expensive than standard CFLs (if memory serves me).

If you think you're going to be using this more than once, it might be worth it to look into

some inexpensive strobes.

The biggest drawback to Alien Bees and other cheap neo-studios is that their wimpy modeling lights (100w) are totally inadequate for previewing and lighting adjustments unless you're in a very dark apace in the first place...you'll wind up tripping on things in the dark. Not realistic.