Desktop Closeup Lighting 2 - Color Temperature
theimage.com © 2007
PREV NEXT

Color Temperature is the KEY!
Source Material
°K
Typical summer light (sun + sky)
6500
Some Daylight fluorescent
6300
Xenon short-arc
6400
Overcast sky
6000
Clear mercury lamp
5900
Sunlight (noon, summer, mid-latitudes)
5400
Design white fluorescent
5200
Special fluorescents used for color evaluation
5000
Daylight photoflood
4800 - 5000
Sunlight (early morning and late afternoon)
4300
Brite White Deluxe Mercury lamp
4000
Sunlight (1 hour after dawn)
3500
Cool white fluorescent (
3400
Photoflood
3400
Professional tungsten photographic lights
3200
100-watt tungsten halogen
3000
Deluxe Warm White fluorescent
2950
100-watt incandescent
2870
40-watt incandescent
2500
High-pressure sodium light
2100
Candle flame
1850 - 1900
Match flame
1700
Compare:
LUMENS for
"light power"
(more lumens = more brightness)

Compare:
TEMPERATURE for
"light color" (hue/tint)
(high temp = whiter out put)

These screw-in fluorescent bulbs all have color temps of 5000  K. Thre are now many styles from which to choose.