A good cheap light for looking at prints?

[sully75]

Just setting up my office now. There's basically no light in here at all. I'm looking for something good to look at prints with. Any suggestions?

My budget: as very cheap as I can get away with. Not much left after I bought this big printer...

[John Kasaian]

Look for a daylight corrected lamp at someplace like IKEA, Michaels, Dick Blick or Aaron Bros.

[Mark Woods]

There are color temperature correct fluorescent tubes that are both cheap and easily mounted. I have a 3200*K and a 5600*K in the same fixture and have it over a bulletin board to look at my prints. I've attached a fuzzy iPhone image with my wife modeling in the space. ;-)

[tgtaylor]

Although not exactly "cheap," this is what I use:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/458880-REG/GTI_PDV_1E_Desktop_Print_Viewer_PDV_1E.html

Thomas

[chassis]

In the darkroom I use a hanging 4' shop type two tube fluorescent fixture from Home Depot/Lowe's etc. Out of the darkroom I view prints on the kitchen table. It has a 300W tungsten hanging fixture during evening hours, and a large bank of windows facing northeast during daylight. It works.

[aduncanson]

I use these (http://www.amazon.com/Trademark-Home-Collection-Sunlight-inches/dp/B001M5CUL4)in the darkroom.

[Daniel Stone]

If you're selling prints, or with the intention to sell them, OR just want the best "viewing conditions", you might want to look at getting some quality lights to view/check your prints with.

If you are planning to frame and hang them for display, I'd recommend viewing thema nd profiling your printer, for the proper color balance under those chosen lighting conditions. Many photographers(including myself) who have framed and hung their work for display/show, balance their printing for HALOGEN(3200K). "Daylight" lightsources, IMO, can usually be too blue. And using flourescent lights(or CFLS's) gives weird color crossover issues, especially with color prints.

-Dan

[Peter De Smidt]

Get a couple of Solux bulbs, either SoLux 3500K or SoLux 4700K. You can use them in any spot fixture with a standard base.

[Bill Burk]

I used a GATF/RHEM light indicator to check my light source, a simple 60W GE Reveal frosted incandescent. It's not 5,000K.

But GE also makes a 60W equivalent Reveal CFL, and I tried them both.

Together, they seem to satisfy the light indicator. So for cheap, you could buy one of each and use them together -- and get "close" to 5,000K.

Even if it doesn't work for you, you can always put the bulbs to use somewhere else...

[Valdecus]

Get a couple of Solux bulbs, either SoLux 3500K or SoLux 4700K. You can use them in any spot fixture with a standard base.

SoLux bulbs are really great for color critical work.

As they are hard to come by in Europe, I've chosen bulbs from Philips ("Philips Diamondline"), which are licensed versions of the SoLux bulbs. The also come in 3500K, 4100K, and 4700K, and have a Color Rendering Index of 100 Ra8.

I am using these bulbs (mostly 4700K) in a low voltage monorail rail fixture, as well as in a desk lamp.

Cheers,
Andreas

[Robbie Shymanski]

Go to Home Depot or any box home improvement center and walk back and forth down the lighting isles. You will be shocked at how many "full spectrum" (5000k) light sources are available in CFL, LED, florescent tube, and old fashioned incandescent formats. They are also less expensive than you'd think.

[Jim Noel]

Look for Ott Lite. They make it in several configurations for desktop or free standing. They are full spectrum fluorescents. I have them everywhere because I need the good contrast they provide for reading and looking at prints. I believe that Office Depot is one retailer. Or you can google Ott lights and get a list of dealers in your area.

[Jerry Bodine]

+1 Ott lights. I get mine at Office Depot.

[mandoman7]

Another Ott lite fan here. I use it primarily when I"m dealing with sensitive color balance challenges when printing at night, where it serves as a kind of standard. Otherwise, I will use both daylight and incandescent, to view a print in both settings, as a case can be made that primary consideration should be given for the kind of light in which the print will be displayed.

[Peter De Smidt]

Solux are what most museums and galleries use. They aren't expensive, and so why mess around? CFLs, LEDs and so on have quite spikey outputs. Plus, a Solux turns on right away, and it's not full of mercury.