IMO 5000 Kelvin are somewhat on the harsh end. I prefer T8 bulbs around 3500.
Edit. Checked my T8 tubes. I have 4100 cool white fluorescent lights. 2850 lumens.
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Flourescent or incadescent lighting
- Thread starter yankee817299
- Start date
IMO 5000 Kelvin are somewhat on the harsh end. I prefer T8 bulbs around 3500.
Edit. Checked my T8 tubes. I have 4100 cool white fluorescent lights. 2850 lumens.
I think that I am going to go with the LED's. Their long life and efficiency seem pretty good. My can lights in the ceiling have been converted over to LED's and they have done a pretty good job for the room as a whole. Thinking maybe 3 or 4 four inch LED's over the 9 footer should do it.
Be careful which LED's you buy. It is a wild west out there in terms of quality. The better products have an energy star rating (for lamps) or DLC listing (for fixtures). The better quality LED's which meet these ratings will not color shift over time and will keep their lumen output more consistently over time. LED's do not traditionally burn out but get dimmer very gradually over time. The better ones have an L70 (70% of rated life) over 100,000 hours of operation.
Fluorescent is a really good bang for the buck right now. There are longer life T8 tubes out there (84,000 hours B50 - which means half the lamps are burned out at 84,000 hours - still many years). I think as the other poster mentioned color temperature seems to be what people are having issues adjusting to. An incandescent lamp has a color temp of 2700K. Your normal office lighting usually has 4100K (cool white) or in some retail environments is 3500K (a little warmer and brings out yellows and reds) . As the number for kelvin temperature gets higher the lamps get cooler (more white and blue). It all depends on the individual as to what looks best to them.
Let me know if any other questions. I work for a lighting manufacturer.
Fluorescent is a really good bang for the buck right now. There are longer life T8 tubes out there (84,000 hours B50 - which means half the lamps are burned out at 84,000 hours - still many years). I think as the other poster mentioned color temperature seems to be what people are having issues adjusting to. An incandescent lamp has a color temp of 2700K. Your normal office lighting usually has 4100K (cool white) or in some retail environments is 3500K (a little warmer and brings out yellows and reds) . As the number for kelvin temperature gets higher the lamps get cooler (more white and blue). It all depends on the individual as to what looks best to them.
Let me know if any other questions. I work for a lighting manufacturer.
5000-5500 is the neutral part of the color spectrum. It's what your eyes and the cameras have the least amount of adjusting to get true colors. Best for long sessions too. Eyes work less, play longer.
Ray
I have six fluorescent floods over my table, one on each corner and two down
the middle. I have a low ceiling so I really don't want to have a fixture hanging down. Works great, most of time I only need the middle two for more than enough light.
the middle. I have a low ceiling so I really don't want to have a fixture hanging down. Works great, most of time I only need the middle two for more than enough light.
Another factor to consider is the shade or reflector. I play in one room where there is a lot of direct glare from the lights when you are down on a shot from the end rail.
agree with t8 daylight or natural light fluorescent tubes cfl not enough light in my opinion
IMO also. The T8 tubes are much brighter than cfl.
Are the t8 tubes the thin ones? And the t12 tubes the thick ones that have been around for decades?
I have the thick ones. The t8 thin ones are really a lot brighter? Do they use a different technology?
I have the thick ones. The t8 thin ones are really a lot brighter? Do they use a different technology?
T8's use an electronic ballast, they have a much better lamp life with a depreciation
of about 10% output at 90% of their rated life. They also use less energy than T12's.
In multiple lamp fixtures if a single T8 fails all the other lamps continue to operate
in a standard T12 fixture the standard ballast operate 2 lamps and if one fails both fail.
Ballasts for T8's are available that can operate 4 lamps. Existing fixtures can be converted to T8 by replacing the ballast with an electronic T8 ballast. One possible problem with T8 fixtures is if they are close to a TV the frequency can sometimes imitate a remote control, ballast cycle at 25,000 per second. Very unlikely but I've seen it happen.
lighting
You want soft lighting...........Just like on a cloudy day..................
If you want to make sure you don't have excessive reflection or glare then build your lights so you can hang linear polarized film under the lights.
One last problem almost all lighting creates heat, so if you are going to design your own table lights try not to burn your house down.
LED lighting is bright or hard lighting Constant florescent daylight bulbs would be my first choice . What watt of bulb would depend on design of the light and how many bulbs you plan on using.
I play around with photography and have some constant florescent studio lights with soft boxes that I think would make some great table lighting, the soft boxes would look very ugly . But the defuse light and being able adjust how bright or dim and glare or reflection control would be nice for a change.
Ps linear polarized film is 15 bucks per 12 in x17 inches so if you entertain the thought of making your own light and might use the polarized film remember it only comes 17 inches wide .
Here are some studio lighting kits. I am only posting this link so hopefully you will understand soft lighting better .
http://www.cowboystudio.com/product_p/2000wkit.htm
MMike
You want soft lighting...........Just like on a cloudy day..................
If you want to make sure you don't have excessive reflection or glare then build your lights so you can hang linear polarized film under the lights.
One last problem almost all lighting creates heat, so if you are going to design your own table lights try not to burn your house down.
LED lighting is bright or hard lighting Constant florescent daylight bulbs would be my first choice . What watt of bulb would depend on design of the light and how many bulbs you plan on using.
I play around with photography and have some constant florescent studio lights with soft boxes that I think would make some great table lighting, the soft boxes would look very ugly . But the defuse light and being able adjust how bright or dim and glare or reflection control would be nice for a change.
Ps linear polarized film is 15 bucks per 12 in x17 inches so if you entertain the thought of making your own light and might use the polarized film remember it only comes 17 inches wide .
Here are some studio lighting kits. I am only posting this link so hopefully you will understand soft lighting better .
http://www.cowboystudio.com/product_p/2000wkit.htm
MMike
I have a 4' 2 bulb flourescent pool table light that was given to me by the owner of the bar/pool hall where I play most. It didn't work - so I fixed it. I had to replace the ballast. I have it over my 7 foot table at home. Good lights with a good ballast don't flicker. The cheaper lights with a solid state ballast do flicker some (more when it's colder). The light is a Miller MGD light. I don't like Miller beer - but hey it was a free light!
Also, the felt color may have a bearing on the type or shade of light. Recently all the 9' tables where I play were recovered with light blue felt (they were green). I have no idea why blue was the choice. However, the blue appears shiny when the light reflects off the cloth. It's most noticeable on a low angle shot. I guess I'll have to get used to it.
Also, the felt color may have a bearing on the type or shade of light. Recently all the 9' tables where I play were recovered with light blue felt (they were green). I have no idea why blue was the choice. However, the blue appears shiny when the light reflects off the cloth. It's most noticeable on a low angle shot. I guess I'll have to get used to it.
I have a 4' 2 bulb flourescent pool table light that was given to me by the owner of the bar/pool hall where I play most. It didn't work - so I fixed it. I had to replace the ballast. I have it over my 7 foot table at home. Good lights with a good ballast don't flicker. The cheaper lights with a solid state ballast do flicker some (more when it's colder). The light is a Miller MGD light. I don't like Miller beer - but hey it was a free light!
Also, the felt color may have a bearing on the type or shade of light. Recently all the 9' tables where I play were recovered with light blue felt (they were green). I have no idea why blue was the choice. However, the blue appears shiny when the light reflects off the cloth. It's most noticeable on a low angle shot. I guess I'll have to get used to it.
Also, the felt color may have a bearing on the type or shade of light. Recently all the 9' tables where I play were recovered with light blue felt (they were green). I have no idea why blue was the choice. However, the blue appears shiny when the light reflects off the cloth. It's most noticeable on a low angle shot. I guess I'll have to get used to it.
How would a 4' t-8 fixture light up a 9' table? Do you think that would be enough light? Also, does the t-8 fixtures come in a 4 bulb, or only a 2 or 3 bulb fixture?
I use cfl's so I can direct them individually.
Here is 16 for the table and 18 for the perimeter.
Ray
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Hi Ray. How high does a camera have to be over a table on order to get a directly overhead shot showing the whole surface?
What about with a wide angle lens?
Thank you.
What about with a wide angle lens?
Thank you.
I would use two 2 lamp 4' fixtures with T8's end to end should do a good job.
I agree, fluorescent lighting is best, although I've never had anything else over my table.
Has anyone tried the LED light panels that are nearly flat? At less than an inch thick they ought to be good for low ceilings.
My dilemma is that I went from a traditional 8' ceiling to a vaulted ceiling. I am installing 6 or 8 led recessed can lights to light the room, but can't seem to settle on what to do to light the table's playing surface. I currently have a rectangle "beer" table light now. I was thinking of putting a t-8 fixture inside that. Any ideas of what might look fairly decent hanging 6 to 7 feet from the ceiling?