dealing with regular fluorescents
- Thread starter powerdog
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Walter_Graff
Bronze Member
Re: dealing with regular fluorescents
The question is, do they look all that bad on camera or are you assuming they will look bad. Perhaps they look a little white compared to your lights? You could try a 1/4 CTB on your lights then white balance and you will have a nice looking light coming from the lights above. Anything you can do prior to post is better than having to do in post.
The question is, do they look all that bad on camera or are you assuming they will look bad. Perhaps they look a little white compared to your lights? You could try a 1/4 CTB on your lights then white balance and you will have a nice looking light coming from the lights above. Anything you can do prior to post is better than having to do in post.
j
New member
Re: dealing with regular fluorescents
You can time out anything in post, the only thing I would worry about is mixed lighting. If you are using your lights incombination, you might want to add some CTB or CTO and/or some plus green to match the fluorescents... play with it on location and see what you can do to match it.
-j
You can time out anything in post, the only thing I would worry about is mixed lighting. If you are using your lights incombination, you might want to add some CTB or CTO and/or some plus green to match the fluorescents... play with it on location and see what you can do to match it.
-j
Re: dealing with regular fluorescents
A lot depends on the type of bulbs in the fixtures, but you should be able to get workable results regardless. Be sure to do a manual white balance, the presets will probably not work too well. If you're shooting film, then replacing bulbs or gelling is almost mandatory, but a video white balance can get you pretty close and some post production color correction should get you the rest of the way. If you do a white balance and things are still a bit green, you can add a little magenta by increasing the setting on Chroma Phase in your scene file. Negative Chroma Phase settings shift the color balance to green and positive settings shift it to magenta. The range of control is fairly narrow, but its enough to do some tweaking if you have a calibrated field monitor.
A lot depends on the type of bulbs in the fixtures, but you should be able to get workable results regardless. Be sure to do a manual white balance, the presets will probably not work too well. If you're shooting film, then replacing bulbs or gelling is almost mandatory, but a video white balance can get you pretty close and some post production color correction should get you the rest of the way. If you do a white balance and things are still a bit green, you can add a little magenta by increasing the setting on Chroma Phase in your scene file. Negative Chroma Phase settings shift the color balance to green and positive settings shift it to magenta. The range of control is fairly narrow, but its enough to do some tweaking if you have a calibrated field monitor.
Walter_Graff
Bronze Member
Re: dealing with regular fluorescents
Barry, I think you said it best. Let me reiterate what I tell folks. You can make all the assumptions about fluorescent lights that you want but until you see what they do with your camera, you can't imagine. I don't think I have corrected for using incandescent with existing fluorescents with video other than maybe a 1/4 blue added to my lights since I can remember. In todays world it simply isn't a factor for me. But if it is, the only way I will know is to look at a monitor.
Barry, I think you said it best. Let me reiterate what I tell folks. You can make all the assumptions about fluorescent lights that you want but until you see what they do with your camera, you can't imagine. I don't think I have corrected for using incandescent with existing fluorescents with video other than maybe a 1/4 blue added to my lights since I can remember. In todays world it simply isn't a factor for me. But if it is, the only way I will know is to look at a monitor.
Jim Brennan
VHS Member Old Skool
Re: dealing with regular fluorescents
Walter, you mention on your site that you use a 1/8 minus green on your Grafflights to get 100 CRI (up from 85?). Would changes the chroma levels as Barry recommends above be enough to do that if you are in a pinch?
Walter, you mention on your site that you use a 1/8 minus green on your Grafflights to get 100 CRI (up from 85?). Would changes the chroma levels as Barry recommends above be enough to do that if you are in a pinch?
Walter_Graff
Bronze Member
Re: dealing with regular fluorescents
85 CRi tubes produce a relatively good range of light but usually have a bit more greenish yellow to them. Adding the 1/8th minus green is usually enough to make them look as good as a 95 CRI lamp.
85 CRi tubes produce a relatively good range of light but usually have a bit more greenish yellow to them. Adding the 1/8th minus green is usually enough to make them look as good as a 95 CRI lamp.
Jim Brennan
VHS Member Old Skool
Re: dealing with regular fluorescents
I found this chart decribing both the CRI and color temp of a lot of consumer fluoro bulbs. I know it has been helpful to me. The only thing I can't figure is what the first 2 columns mean. I think the first one is the bulb length. Is the second one some other measurement of size?
Anyway, it's good info for the DIYer
http://www.thekrib.com/Lights/fluorescent-table.html
I found this chart decribing both the CRI and color temp of a lot of consumer fluoro bulbs. I know it has been helpful to me. The only thing I can't figure is what the first 2 columns mean. I think the first one is the bulb length. Is the second one some other measurement of size?
Anyway, it's good info for the DIYer
http://www.thekrib.com/Lights/fluorescent-table.html
Walter_Graff
Bronze Member
Re: dealing with regular fluorescents
Length and wattage
Length and wattage
Jim Brennan
VHS Member Old Skool
Re: dealing with regular fluorescents
See, that's why you are Walter Graff! Thanks
See, that's why you are Walter Graff! Thanks