High CRI PAR Bulb Recommendations

P

Paul F

Veteran
I need a couple of high CRI PAR bulbs and I'd like some recommendations. I want it somewhere between 2700 and 3200K, 20-25 watts should do, but no more than 50w, PAR 38 or smaller (except PAR 36).

Thanks.
 
Unless you're talking about LED PAR lamps, then you're looking at tungsten or halogen lamps, which are CRI 100 by definition. Halogen and tungsten also have a color temperature of between 2800k-3000k, so the answer you're looking for is: any halogen or tungsten 50PAR38. Like this one from Bulbtronics.
 
Paul F said:
I am talking about LED PARS. I want to get some that have a decent color rendition.
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I'm looking for LED Par38s myself. So far, not much luck. I'd like a higher temperature, ideally 4000-5000K and a very high CRI as they'll be lighting artwork. If you find anything, please post it here. I'll do the same.
 
Paul F said:
I need a couple of high CRI PAR bulbs and I'd like some recommendations. I want it somewhere between 2700 and 3200K, 20-25 watts should do, but no more than 50w, PAR 38 or smaller (except PAR 36).
Click to expand...

I found, bought, and installed a Philips ExpertColor Par30. It is rated at 4000K, 95 CRI, 12W LED, putting out 950 lumens (that's just under 80 lumens/watt, which is nicely efficient). Comes in 2700K and 3000K versions also. Also a variety of beam spreads, this one is a 40 degree flood. The only downside to this thing is that it's expensive and hard to get -- I bought out Home Depot's entire stock, which was exactly one. This one was like $17.50 at HD, but with free shipping since it wasn't in stock at any of my local stores.

I'm actually using it to light a painting. It's giving me excellent light quality. The face of the bulb is actually a Fresnel lens (one reason it's so expensive probably) so the light pattern is butter smooth yet nicely focused and with a nice even spread (no visible hot spot). And it looks like it's spot on 4000K, and I don't doubt it's 95 CRI rating -- the oil paint colors are nicely vivid and balanced. I couldn't ask for better quality of light.

Turns out that Philips makes an whole lot of bulbs in their ExpertColor line. I think there's a PAR38, and all the way down to MR16s, and lots in between including the normal A19 base classic "light bulb" also (if I read the brochure correctly). If any of the rest of them work as well as this one does, they are probably well worth looking at for color corrected practical lights that won't give you much trouble in post.

Finally some LED practicals that have decent color!

EDIT: to find this Par30 I bought, search for "Philips 470948", where 470948 is the Philips SKU for that particular unit. That search will turn up both the Philips webpages and bunches of retailers too. Sadly I haven't turned up any wholesalers. Anyone finds a wholesaler for these bulbs, please post.
 
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