Print evaluating light

[robbiemcclaran]

For several years I've used a 4' fluorescent shop lite fitted with proper Macbeth / Xrite (can't remember which, xrite probably) color correct tubes for evaluating my prints. Not as accurate as a proper Macbeth / Xrite viewing booth but close enough for my needs. Sadly the shop light died and it seems fluorescent fixtures are pretty much a thing of the past, with everything going to LED. So is there a good color correct LED solution out there. I'm sure I could go grab something cheap off the shelf at Lowes but wanted to ask the collected wisdom here for ideas, options. Preferably something that doesn't cost thousands of dollars.
Thanks

[Tin Can]

Menards has more lamps than most

Nothing will make some happy

https://www.menards.com/main/electrical/light-bulbs/led-light-bulbs/sylvania-natural-series-truwave-48-32w-equivalent-t8-led-light-bulb-2-pack/41092/p-1841405560339013.htm

[Tin Can]

and the high end

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1473267-REG/chroma_q_chsf2v48_studio_force_ii_48.html

[Pieter]

You might try https://www.gtilite.com/products/color-viewing-lamps/graphiclite-led-lamps/

[Drew Wiley]

Menards? Lowes? Get real. And you did ..., but down the wrong path. Forget not only big box store cheapo LED's, but fancy LED strips too. There are other sources for the same kind of pro strip at a tenth that price (but still expensive). But very high-end 5000K, CRI 98 fluorescent tubes are still available, and not only more affordable than serious LED strips, but probably still superior with respect to evaluating color too. Even B&H themselves carry a selection of Just Normlicht replacement tubes specially made for this very kind of purpose. No... NOT everything is going LED by any means, at least not on a specialty level, or even in commercial lighting.

Home centers are more a rubble pile. And I've got a rubble pile of my own. I've been literally given cases of LED and CFL "full spectrum" bulbs as samples to test and presumably make me happy. Well, I'm not happy. Sure, some of them end up as random shop lights or for emergency darkroom or home use, but they don't last more than a couple months (despite the BS claims on the packaging), and the output color of every one of them is mediocre, and likewise way out of synch with labeling claims. That's routine until you get up into true architectural LED lighting quality or upper-end filming tweaks. You get what you pay for. My own retouching and critical color evaluation station, as well as how I equipped pro color matching stations where I previously worked, were all top-end German fluorescent-tube equipped. Just Normlicht will do the trick. The only thing better is softly-diffused white foggy daylight, likewise easy to find right around my lab here.

[robbiemcclaran]

You might try https://www.gtilite.com/products/color-viewing-lamps/graphiclite-led-lamps/

To clarify, my light fixture died, not my tubes. I either need a new flourescent fixture, OR a LED option. I have the GTI tubes.

[Drew Wiley]

I happen to use a swing-arm overhead lamp taking the smaller diameter tubes. But full sized overhead fluorescent fixtures can be found all kinds of serious lighting places, or through a common industrial supply chain like Grainger. Maybe you just need a new ballast - a routine issue sooner or later (likewise Grainger).

[robbiemcclaran]

I happen to use a swing-arm overhead lamp taking the smaller diameter tubes. But full sized overhead fluorescent fixtures can be found all kinds of serious lighting places, or through a common industrial supply chain like Grainger. Maybe you just need a new ballast - a routine issue sooner or later (likewise Grainger).

I've searched Grainger. There are very few options available for replacement 4' 2 bulb fluorescent fixtures, all of them are way too expensive. I'm trying to find an inexpensive option. These things were ubiquitous a few years ago, available in your neighborhood hardware store for 15 bucks.

[Drew Wiley]

They have all kinds of ballasts. Simple enough if you want to go that way. I can't use electronic solid state ballasts due to them EMI interfering with certain solid state darkroom controllers. If you're near any big city, there should be some kind of architectural surplus yard with heaps of old fluorescent fixtures. Still plenty of new ones around here, but not for fifteen bucks.

[esearing]

Find a kitchen remodeling company near you. Ask them for a fixture they remove or dumpster dive. Homes built in the 1990s will usually have 1 or 2 large florescent fixtures and smaller under-cabinet fixtures.

[Tin Can]

Check Menards, they have a very good array of bulbs and fixtures

Far more than the other 2 biggies

Take your time and look at it all, the staff knows nothing

I buy and test for myself

Free advice is not worth...

[Jim Noel]

The best viewing light for color images depends upon the lighting available where the finished print will be hung.
Thus my choice would be a typically well lit room in the home.

[Pieter]

All this discussion about the lighting in the room where the print will be hung leads me to the question: what if the print is moved to another room, or sold? All of a sudden it no longer looks as intended, especially if it was printed for dimly lit conditions. That's why I print to an industry standard light.

[Drew Wiley]

Every serious pro lighting store once had a whole row or set of booths holding different common light sources so one could test their fabric samples or whatever under them. Probably not any more; but one can nevertheless set up something similar for their own use, at least with respect to lighting extremes likely to be frequently encountered. For example, typical tungsten light was quite warm or yellowish around 3500K, and daylight often quite cool up to around 6000K. A simple walk out the door to shaded sunlight sufficed for the latter. But in the lab I had warm tungsten, 4000K as a compromise, and 5000K representing the industry standard for critical batch to batch evaluation, retouching etc. All of these were very high CRI sources. But once in awhile there was a specific display installation illumination I could match my color prints to, taking a color temp meter and lumen meter with me in advance, prior to actual printing. Otherwise, I was relatively safe either direction, warmer or cooler, simply standardizing on 4000K. But I don't trust any kind of current LED or CFL substitute.

[Pieter]

You might want to look into these: https://store.waveformlighting.com/collections/br30-bulbs/products/northlux-95-cri-br30-led-bulb-for-artwork-painting