The Doll Forum

I tried to order some led lighting on Amazon but for some reason said they couldn't be delivered to Spain.
So went down to local camera shop and cheapest kit was €500!
Shock horror!

So while wandering back to car saw a pro tool shop, they do LED lights 20 watts and 10 for 18€, they work in my small studio nicely ,anybody else tried them?

What you pay for in the lights, is the Colour Accuracy.

Most 'consumer' grade LED lights, inc LED panels and work lights, normally don't have decent output accross the entire spectrum, usually with peaks in the blues and green and not enough red.

But, here's the thing, All video cameras and pretty much all Digital stills cameras, have a 'White balance' function. Instead of using the presets for colour temp, use the white balance to match the cameras setting of white, to the light reflected off a white card under the work lights, and then you will get reasonable colour from the budget friendly lights.

A lot of the more expensive LED 'globes' will now list a CRI rating on the side of the box, look for anything with 95% or higher, and try to make sure all your lights are identical.

If they're all matched, They'll all produce the same light, and reasonable results.

I've used the consumer and tradie spec lights on film shoots and photo sessions, usually through a diffuser or bounced, and gotten good results.

I have these for renovation work and painting around the house.
They were inexpensive and on sale. $49 CDN

I use them now and then for doll photography when the natural light is not enough.
I shine one directly on the subject and bounce the other one off the ceiling or wall.
As doll-o-grapher mentioned the colour balance is terrible but easily corrected either in the camera or via post editing. Thanks,
scooter

I've been using a pair of 5000K florescent grow bulbs for years to shoot both vids and stills. They're pretty cheap. Got mine on eBay.

Be very very careful with those fluro's - some of them, the glass can be very fragile, and when they shatter, it's a nasty experience cleaning them up.

Been using them since 2005! No issues to date. Never had a CFL shatter. When they go bad, typically they just smoke and smell like crap.

Problem I have now, the wife discovered what they're actually for and is currently using one of them to keep her plants alive in the basement!

Never thought of using my grow lamps for photography purposes...
Now before we make assumptions based on my name, I only grow root veg and fruit that doesn’t need trees. Non-Fun fact: it is damn near impossible to grow a pineapple where they aren’t native. Tomatoes will grow in anything which is nice, as long as you keep them under control at least. I can tell you that my neighbors absolutely love getting a basket of fresh tomatoes in the middle of a MN winter.

I didn't think those Fluro's would make the right colour light to aid in hydroponics.

I've dropped a couple, they smash easier then incandescent, and the dust goes, every-where,..!

Thinking I should do a tutorial on home building multi-light rigs using LED globes - I have a 3x3 array I made using consumer LED's that's about as bright as a 1000w tungsten.

doll-o-grapher wrote:I didn't think those Fluro's would make the right colour light to aid in hydroponics.

I've dropped a couple, they smash easier then incandescent, and the dust goes, every-where,..!

Plus, in the case of CFL's like the pic posted by Mr Franz they contain mercury vapour, which is bad anywhere in your home but you really wouldn't want it being released into the air where you are growing plants for food (or anything else ). LED's may not be perfect because the technology is still developing, but they are easy and safe to use.

When I bought my CFLs in 2005, LEDs weren't widely in use yet. The very same bulbs I still use to this day, were packaged as video lighting at 3 times the price I paid for the grow bulbs! These produce a much brighter and whiter light than standard CFLs BTW. The wife's plants are just doing fine.

Anyway, should these ever wear out, no sign of that happening anytime soon, I'll switch to LEDs.

I use LEDs and get the camera to correct colour balance. The older Nikon D70 seems easier to correct than the D90 and more modern.

Best wishes

Harem

Getting the colour balance right is half the skill - some DSLR manufacturers don't make the job easy.
If it's a difficult camera to get right, shoot in Raw and set the colour balance in Lightroom or Capture One.
I think, not sure, it can be done with raw tools in GIMP too.

LED ring lights on Amazon.

Cheapest alternative? If you can, shoot outside! It guarantees the best light, but it's best when it's overcast or in early morning. It's not always possible, or even a good idea depending where you live. I sometimes shoot outside and I really enjoy it, as you get great light and backdrops.

I have Aputure Amaran F1 and it's quite good for $100. This is mounted on the camera.

For a more studio experience I have Godox SL 60W for $120 and Godox SL 100W for $190. Amazing studio lights, good quality and affordable price.

And these are professional lighting equipment, but good on the price.