What Watt ?

[Celt40]

Can someone tell me what is the best lighting set up when using a light tent. Is it better to have 2, 3 or 4 lights. And should i light from above, side straight on. I have a grey card and would like to know how many lights to use, and what size of bulbs to use. Should daylight bulbs be used, instead of ordinary household bulbs.
If using daylight bulbs what do i look for.

 

[gketell]

"Best" is such a big word.

What you are looking for is even lighting without any harsh shadows. I use two main lights, one from each side through the tent walls, for the overall lighting and then I use a smaller light from just above the camera coming in through the opening for the "shine highlight light".

If you have a grey card and your camera can do custom white balance then it doesn't matter what kind of bulbs you use as long as they are all the same (*). If you can't do a custom white balance then the daylight bulbs make it more likely that you will have a camera setting to match the bulbs you have. I use 30w 5000 Kelvin bulbs for the sides and a 13w 5000K bulb for the highlight light. And I will be buying brighter bulbs next time I need some so my shutter speed will be quicker.

(*) "The same" is tough to do if you buy "cool white" or "incandescent" bulbs because there is no specific color temperature for those "definitions". You need to buy bulbs that state their color in Kelvin. The higher the Kelvin number the bluer the light. 4000K is "pee yellow"; 5000K is "sunlight"; 6000K is "cloudy day"; 10,000K is "shadow". You really want your bulbs in the 5000-5500K range if you are trying to match your camera's "sun" setting.

GK

 

[jskeen]

If you can't find bulbs labeled in kelvin at your local big box or wallyworld, and like me don't wanna go to a camera shop and shell out $7.50 per bulb, the "GE Reveal" bulbs are the next best thing I've found. I use a 100w on each side through the tent wall, and another on an adjustable arm type lamp on top, that I can move around to get the shine line if I want it. Those and my homemade white pillowcase light box match the daylight white balance setting on my konica pretty much right on, and the whole setup cost less than $10 not counting the black granite tile I use for the floor. I disassembled an outdoor flood light and mounted the two receptacles on some scrap wood bases and wired it all together. Such is having a hobby on a nonexistant budget.

 

[Celt40]

Thanks Greg & Jimmy you have given me some useful information. The price of your bulbs are pritty good. A 5000 bulb here in the UK is around $20, £10 each bulb. Prices in UK are going through the roof.
My tent has 4 colour backgrounds to pick from. What is the best colour to use for a pen. Or am i better looking for a less stark colour, like cream or a slight but not too busy pattern. I will keep looking for bulbs at a better price. Ebay sell some around the £10 per bulb price.

 

[gketell]

You want your background to be about the same "brightness" as your pen. Subdued color either muted "same" (cream for brown pen) or contrasting (light blue for brown pen) or a neutral color like light grey.

The main thing is you don't want the pen lost in the background and you don't want the background screwing up the eye by being either too bright or too dark.

If you look through my photo album you will see too dark, too bright blue, ok beige and (imho) nice medium grey. TO ME, and everyone is different, the grey background is the best.

GK


GK

 

[Celt40]

Thanks Greg. Looked at your album, great looking pens well done.