Important Information About Photo Fluorescents

This post is especially directed to those who have been following my coin photo teaching. The bulbs I have been recommending from Wal-Marts are no longer being carried by my local store and I assume that is true of all stores. The bulb I speak of is the "Lights of America" Sunlight fluorescent bulb. I have gotten very good results with the bulb but again it is no longer available where I live.

Wal-Mart now carries a GE fluorescent that plays havoc with the color balance on my Fuji S5000 and I assume that would be true of other digital cameras. I could not find a GE daylight bulb at Wal-Mart. However, I bought one of the bulbs and found I had wasted my five bucks! I have busied myself looking for an alternative source and I have found a bulb I like very much. After trying Lowe's and other stores I finally found a bulb at Home Depot.

The name and nomenclature of the bulb at Home Depot is as follows: N:VISION Daylight bulb. Be sure you buy the daylight bulb. I like the 14 watt bulb. I won't get into the numbers but suffice it to say the daylight bulb is as color balanced as any bulb I have bought off the shelf. The bulbs sells for around five dollars. I am now using two lights and I love the lower wattage. I don't get as much glare from my silver coins.

I am still working with my coin photography and I think things improve each day. I Have built a few photo tents but I like placing my white material right on the heads of my aluminum reflector lights. Please take a look at the accompanying photo. I am still not where I would like to be with photographs of my silver. If you find balanced daylight bulbs elsewhere please share with us. The pro photo bulbs are pricey and I think when you have balance you have balance. I think these N:VISION bulbs could very well be called photo balanced.

One other thing. I set up the new bulbs and set my camera to a daylight setting and got the same results I would have gotten from shooting outdoors on a nice clear day. I plan to talk with the people at Wal-Mart in Arkansas and see if they will be stocking the daylight bulbs. I can't imagine GE not making a balanced fluorescent.. thanks for reading and I hope this information helps.. God Bless.. Jerry.. PS: I need help with attributing the posted coin..