Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Low noise CFL lights for Studio Use

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Low noise CFL lights for Studio Use

    Recently, I purchased some CFL (Compact Fluorescent) Lights for studio use. Because I am picky about the audio quality of my work, I wanted something that made little or no noise. I knew that silent bulbs were possible because I had purchased a completely silent fixture from Home depot for the garage. However, this light was not good enough for video.
    Before starting out, I contacted a number of suppliers and asked if they had any silent bulbs. Half did not respond, and a few honest merchants (thank you, by the way) owned up that their bulbs made the dreaded 60 Hz hum. I wound up ordering a set from three: Steve Kaeser, Britek and BlueMax.
    The first bulbs to arrive were the Britek. I had ordered a softbox as well, since I was curious and the price was right. The fixture from Britek did not fit the softbox (odd), but I was able to plug the 50 watt bulbs in. Instant hum, despite the salespersons assurances. How annoying--you could have saved me time and money. They took the whole box back, no problem, however. The 50 watt bulb did have a nice light, but noisy.
    Next up, Steve Kaeser. The salesperson assured me that I would have absolutely no issues with noise from the bulbs, so I ordered four. When they arrived, I was surprised and also really bummed at the loud buzz that came out of them when I plugged them in. Hey guys, would it have killed you to plug one in BEFORE you mailed them??? Just asking.
    Because they misled me about the product, I asked for a full refund. Politely. No luck on the full refund. Guess I won't EVER shop there again.
    When the box came from BlueMax (Full Spectrum website), I really did not want to open it. Another trip to UPS loomed ominously if they had to be returned. Plugged in the 42 watt, CRI 93 5500K, and viola, blissful silence. Holding my ear up to the light, I could make out only the tiniest, slightest hum which was not audible even one foot awat, or less. No problem using this light in a recording studio. The light, obviously a bit on the blue side at 5500K, was very good quality. 42 is the max for the standard, screw-in bulb I found on their website. So these are highly recommended. They have a binder in the bulb for any any nasty stuff that might leak out if they break, which seems to be unique. This is nice for both studio and location work where the chances of breaking a bulb are greater.
    Not tested: CoolLights. These were on my list, but a bit too pricey, although the lamps are brighter, so the cost per lumen might be OK.
    I hope the above will help anyone who is looking for some very quiet CFL bulbs.
    HD Video: GH5, G85, ax700
    Microphones: Sennheiser MKH 80 MKH20 MKH40
    Neumann 11-pattern dual capsule main pair by Rens Heijnis
    Schoeps MK2, MK2H, MK21, MK41
    own design ribbon mics



    #2
    Seems kind of strange. I have off the shelf CFL's from Home Depot, both name brands like Sylvania and some cheap Chinese ones throughout my house. None of them make any audible noise at all, even up close. Are you trying to dim them? Because Triac type dimmers will definitely cause noise.

    We have a couple of very large ones, 105 watts I think, in Chinese lanterns in Suzy's art studio. No noise there either.

    Comment


      #3
      Some buzz, some don't. The question is which ones give off high CRI light with a usable color temp and don't buzz. Stangely enough, some of the really low proced bulbs I looked at had no buzz (Home Depot), but the color temp was not great. I'm pretty satisfied with the high CRI BlueMax for $15 a bulb.
      HD Video: GH5, G85, ax700
      Microphones: Sennheiser MKH 80 MKH20 MKH40
      Neumann 11-pattern dual capsule main pair by Rens Heijnis
      Schoeps MK2, MK2H, MK21, MK41
      own design ribbon mics


      Comment


        #4
        Thank you for the info. I'll try some of the Bluemax globes.

        Comment


          #5
          http://www.osram.com/osram_com/Profe...mps/index.html
          w: Noel Evans TV

          e: noel@noelevans.tv
          p: +61 (0) 408 455 374

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by DrDave View Post
            [...] BlueMax (Full Spectrum website) [...] Plugged in the 42 watt, CRI 93 5500K, and viola, blissful silence
            I too have been struggling to find quiet lamps, and so having found this thread, bought some lamps that I thought were these (July 2016). I'm not sure if I missed the model but they were designated BlueMax™ 26w CFL [#BLDS269055L] from bluemaxlighting.com. I had tried to chat with them to determine if they were quiet, but they offered no comment other than having a 30 day return policy (although I will have to pay for return shipping).

            Unfortunately, what arrived were actually the noisiest lamps (by far!) that I've ever come across. They would have annoyed me in a simple household application, and for the greenscreen head-and-shoulders application I have, they're hopelessly unusable.

            So, it would seem that I must start my search over again, and in the meantime, I offer a word of caution that it appears these lamps might have changed their model or manufacturing in some way.

            Anyway, if anyone knows of other lamps that are currently available, preferably not wildly expensive, and are quiet, I'd be very pleased to hear about it.

            Comment


              #7
              I have not has issues with Fluorescent lights making noise in many many years.

              Does you location power have a proper ground?

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by SimonHGR View Post
                Unfortunately, what arrived were actually the noisiest lamps (by far!) that I've ever come across. They would have annoyed me in a simple household application, and for the greenscreen head-and-shoulders application I have, they're hopelessly unusable.
                How odd. I've got Blumax bulbs all over the house; they sit next to my head when I'm reading. Not even a whisper. Maybe some things changed since I installed mine four of five years ago. IDK.

                Comment

                Working...
                X