Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Colour Management => Topic started by: Fred Salamon on September 27, 2017, 07:48:28 pm
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I have searched the forums and read the various threads on a light source for viewing prints.
The consensus seems to be Solux, unfortunately I have not been able to find a desk lamp that will work with a Solux bulb.
Track lighting systems are not an option.
Among the newer LED options such as Sorra and Lumicrest is there a recommended/preferred option?
I am looking for a bulb that will fit into a standard desk lamp, something like a Par20 with an E26 base.
Can the folks who have tried some of the LED's offer any advice?
Currently the largest prints I make are 17x22, recommendations for light source to print distance, beam angle etc would be welcome.
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Tailored Lighting in Rochester NY has lamps that accommodate Solux bulbs. You can also use an Ott Light. They should be available at local hardware stores.
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Tailored Lighting in Rochester NY has lamps that accommodate Solux bulbs. You can also use an Ott Light. They should be available at local hardware stores.
In the USA, Jo-Ann Fabrics has many varieties on Ottlite, often on sale..
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You also asked about viewing distance and angle. It's hard to say in abstract or statistically. But think of it this way. Suppose you had a group of people in your living room and you wanted to show them your prints. You set up the desk light, bring in the prints, and you'd want them to be viewed at a distance from the lamp whereby they are fully lit, but not too bright and not to dim - comfortable on the eyes. Whatever that distance, it is the correct distance. For beam angle, it matters more for gloss and luster papers. You don't want them viewing hot spots and glare, so the correct viewing angle is the one that shows the image to its fullest, absent as much of this spurious reflectance as possible. Whatever viewing angle that requires is the correct one.
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If you examine the SPD of both an Ottlite and a Solux, you'll never put the two in the same sentence again. ;D
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If you examine the SPD of both an Ottlite and a Solux, you'll never put the two in the same sentence again. ;D
I use Solux, a track of them; but I also have an Ottlite as it comes in handy periodically. Are you suggesting an Ottlite should not be used for critical print viewing? Not SPD for a moment, but OTT claims their bulbs produce 5000K lighting. Solux has bulbs in the 4700-5000K range. I couldn't find any SPD data for OTT; the SPD page for Solux isn't very intelligible. Regardless, do you not think either of them would be preferred over other kinds of lighting in terms of providing simulated daylight viewing conditions?
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Are you suggesting an Ottlite should not be used for critical print viewing?
With some workflows, papers (with OBA's) yes.
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With some workflows, papers (with OBA's) yes.
Explain?
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Explain?
You know the effects of OBA's and the illuminant used.
http://digitaldog.net/files/15TheRightLightpart1.pdf
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You know the effects of OBA's and the illuminant used.
http://digitaldog.net/files/15TheRightLightpart1.pdf
Yes I know what OBAs do and your article is relevant, but it doesn't explain how an OTT light reacts badly with papers containing these fluorescing agents. Do you know the SPD for OTT lights and what aspects of that data cause the problem for viewing papers with OBAs?
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Yes I know what OBAs do and your article is relevant, but it doesn't explain how an OTT light reacts badly with papers containing these fluorescing agents. Do you know the SPD for OTT lights and what aspects of that data cause the problem for viewing papers with OBAs?
YES!
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http://www.solux.net/cgi-bin/tlistore/infopages/Ott-lite.html
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http://www.solux.net/cgi-bin/tlistore/infopages/Ott-lite.html
I concur re Ott-lite. I bought a desktop one years ago and was surprised the spectrum was so spikey. There are much better fluorescent or LED lamps these days that better approaches Solux which is the gold standard.
Do you know what the uV levels of Ott-lites are these days?
I don't recall my old Ott-lite uV levels. Most other "daylight," non-Solux lamps I've checked in the last few years have almost no uV, ranging from 25% of M1 (D50 uV levels) to well under 10%. That's one of the reasons my default profiles are M2 (uV cut).
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For over a year I'm using high CRI Yuji E27 light bulbs (6 and 10W) - they're decent, convenient, robust, stable and power efficient. Much better than OTT CCFL, less problematic than Solux.
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+1 on the high CRI Yuji LED lamps. They are the best LED bulbs I've found anywhere. The R9 value is around 95, and the overall SPD is incredibly even. It's all due to their interesting remote phospher design. My only complaint is that there is a very slight delay at turn-on before it lights (and some delay in obtaining them since they have to come from Yuji directly in China).
Dave
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Here are some measurements of 6W E27 Yuji:
size:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/loggz4x4se2mgr8/Spectrino.jpg?dl=0
used for surround lightning of workspace:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/asc18o12b63294i/Spectrino2.jpg?dl=0
SPD curve:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/38dbtfwyk5s45si/Spectrino3.png?dl=0
CRI:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bhu05lesxvmjujo/Spectrino4.png?dl=0
CC SG photographed in daylight vs Yuji:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6m3a2zof6vf2dsq/Spectrino5.jpg?dl=0
CC SG photographed in daylight vs low CRI LED:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/v9gsbtlxgxntpn4/Spectrino6.jpg?dl=0
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http://www.solux.net/cgi-bin/tlistore/infopages/Ott-lite.html
Thanks Andrew; this would indicate that OTT advertising may be somewhat lacking in specifics or misleading. I didn't find anything on their website rebutting these comments from Solux, except for the rather general claim that their bulb simulates daylight. Good to know.
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On a related note, is anyone aware of any desk lamps that take an MR16 bulb, so could thereby be retrofitted with a Solux?
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Tailored Lighting in Rochester NY has lamps that accommodate Solux bulbs. You can also use an Ott Light. They should be available at local hardware stores.
Tailored Lighting offer a Color-proofing kit with 4 light beams. I'm also planning to use almost the same size prints, but in addition I might have Panos at 48x16 max. 4 seems like a lot of beams, but I have no experience in this at all, so do I get 2 for example ?
planning to use their 36 degree MR-16 50W bulbs on track fixtures to be able to move each further/closer to the print. thinking of dropping 2 4-inch tracks from ceiling. Do you think that could work out fine ?
Thanks
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2 should be good enough to fully illuminate a 17*22 inch print from about 4 or 5 feet away. Larger than that, more bulbs. I have a track with six on it, but seldom make effective use of more than two for print viewing.
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Would this work as a print viewing lamp?
https://www.pegasuslighting.com/arm-lights/mr16-halogen-19-inch-flexible-arm-display-light.html?optid=2221 (https://www.pegasuslighting.com/arm-lights/mr16-halogen-19-inch-flexible-arm-display-light.html?optid=2221)
I would use a Solux Black Back bulb 3500K.
Not sure about 35 or 50 watt nor about beamspread ?
Maximum print size would generally be 17x22.
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At 19 inches, the beam spread will not be sufficient to illuminate a 17x22 inch print. It will be suitable for a 8x10 inch print. In general, Solux lamps are best suited to track fittings, as you need a distance of about 4ft to get sufficient beam spread. I use three Solux lamps, on a track, with diffusers, to illuminate a 17x22 inch print.