Best way to convert CFL lights to Tungsten?

[grantw]

For anyone with the CFL softbox's. Whats the best way to match these to tungsten lights? Gels or bright white cfl bulbs which look like they come in 3500? And if I do go with a bulb is 3000 or 3500 better when trying to match?

 

[Jon Starr]

It's what you prefer and what you need for the scene. 3500 and 3000 is no more than 100 kelvin difference from the 3200 of tungsten. Keep in mind though that not all tungsten lights are always going to be a perfect 3200 either. I also wouldn't trust manufacturers to be giving you an exact color temp of their bulb, as they're not making the bulbs for photographers. If I had to choose, I would get a 3000, so that if I balance for 3200, and if the 3000 shows as different, it will only be slightly orange which can sometimes be aesthetically pleasing.

As for getting a correct bulb color vs gels, gels stop down your light. So the obvious choice would be to get a color correct bulb to get as much out of your light as possible.

 

[RyanT]

Whats the max wattage of the socket inside the softbox?

Why don't you just put a tungsten bulb in there. Maybe a 212 or 213 photo flood.

 

[David G. Smith]

The CFL color temp is kind of a tricky thing. Currently, the higher color temp bulbs, approaching daylight at 5500K or so, are the only ones that seem to have CRI numbers that I would trust to shoot with. The lower color temp bulbs seem to be made for the consumer market and have CRI ratings that are, IMHO, too low for film and video work. I have shot with lower color temp CFLs, and have NOT been pleased with the results. The lower K bulbs really seem to have a horrible red spike, which funks up skin tones. White balance adjustments do not help either. My advice is, if you have lights that are made for CFL lights, and have regular E-26 Edison sockets, is to only use them with daylight rated, high CRI (90 or higher) CFLs. If you want to a lower K light from them, then I would suggest using regular household incandescent, which should be about 2600K, or with photoflood bulbs, rated at 3200K. What you have to watch for is that you only switch out bulbs that do not exceed the maximum wattage rating of the fixture that you are using. You will also need to keep in mind that incandescent bulbs generate more heat, so factor that in.

Of course, you could keep the daylight CFL bulbs in the soft boxes you have and go a whole different route for other lights:

http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2011/11/05/lighting-basics-going-with-what-is-available/

http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2011/11/11/building-the-perfect-key-light/