Whether you are looking for the perfect lighting source to look at your coins at your desk or take pictures of your coins, I think I may have found the perfect lighting source. In a fit of frustration, I went to Lowe's to look for new lights for my coin desk. I originally had a 300w halogen that pointed up. Although it did great for illuminating the room, it did not for me while looking down at a coin. I tried several desk lamps with regular bulbs, but those were horrible. The lighting was never good enough to take pics and was usually not good I found at highlighting the whole coin. I usually resorted to taking my pics in the kitchen with two fluorescent lights above. The pics you see in my album were all taken this way. The lights I found at Lowe's are manufactured by a company called Tensor - a division of Catalina Lighting. The line that I am looking at is called Vision Max and they are fluorescent lights. They boast Truer colors, brighter and whiter light, clearer, sharper contrast - Experience the Benefits of Natural Light. So far I am not disappointed. I began experimenting with the camera, but probably wont have results until later on this weekend. I still use my halogen light for overall brightness of the room, but the florescent lighting is perfect at my desk for examining coins close up. you can find more of there stuff at www.catalinalighting.com. Looks like they are out of Canada. You could also probably go onto your local Lowe's web site and see what they have. You will not be disappointed. Thoughts, comments and reviews are welcomed.
Lots of the craft stores around where I live sell the Tensor, as well as plenty of other full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs. I have used a Tensor Vision Max myself for quite some time. There's nothing comparable to a full-spectrum bulb.
Thanks for the tip. I'll be looking for one of these lights this weekend. I've see Borgovan's coin photography and I can tell you there is none better.
BTW - I don't know the price of the one in the OP but I've been told this one is also awesome: http://cgi.ebay.com/OTT-LITE-R-True...ryZ20700QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem And they sell on Ebay for around 20 bucks. :thumb: Ribbit
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're on a budget, you can go to walmart and get the "Plant growth" fluorescent bulbs that cost just a little more than regular ones. I believe they are supposed to give the full sprectrum of light, but don't have the fancy brand names.
Sorry, should have mentioned price. The one I bought was priced a buck or two under $50. I bought the tall one so it wouldn't take up prime real estate on my desk. The light is attached to a flexible arm that bends so this is perfect for my situation. The light remains high enough off my desk so I don't bump into it, but can be lowered when I need more light to look at something. All the other models ranged in price from about $23-50. They had some really nice desk top ones that would be almost half the price, if price is an issue. I went there to buy a replacement bulb for my halogen lamp and ended walking out of there with a whole new lamp. I had been frustrated for some time about my lack of light... now no more complaints.
Thanks for the info...I have been a bit frustrated with my own light set-up for sometime, I will give this a try and report back.
Is the problem you are having with general viewing or for just the pics? Haven't gone as far as needing specialized light yet:smile
Take a look here.. http://www.catalinalighting.com/fullspectrum.htm I really liked the one in the picture all the way to the right. I don't think their website contains the full product line, because I didn't see the one I purchased. Also, I went to the Lowes website and I was extremely disappointed that I could not find this product line. I don't know if this is a regional thing and that is why it isn't showing up on Lowes.com or it is a new product line and they just haven't been able to put the new products up? Anyway, I was hoping to post some links to the one I bought, but no luck. Maybe I will take pics this weekend and get them up.
BTW Jac, do you realize that just before you started this thread, Stainless was . . . . ahhhhhh . . . . buzy? :goofer: http://www.cointalk.org/showthread.php?t=43187 I hope you realize the damage you've done? Ribbit
Now I know how he got the way he iz! :rolling: With friends like you, who needs meds. :goofer: Ribbit
I'm a little surprised at the choice of fluorescent light. I'm never happy with it and if I work under fluroencent for a long time I get headaches.
It is definitely a different type of light to get used to. I have not had a chance to spend any real time using it so I can't say if I will get headaches, but from the little that I have used it, it has been a much improved light source compared to what I was using before.
Im attaching a link to GE that gives spectral distribution verses radiant power for their lamps. http://www.gelighting.com/na/business_lighting/education_resources/learn_about_light/distribution_curves.htm Incandescents are shifted to the red and weak toward the blue, but they do put out a continuous spectrum similar to the sun, while fluorescents put out more discete light in the red, blue green wavelengths of light. What Im trying to say is that you'll see colors differently using different light sources. Coin shows are the worst, because the are usually lit with fluorescent diffused light sources, also diffused light is not the best for picking up hairlines as the light is not directional, but scattered. I have an older friend who has overhead older cool white fluorescents. I showed him a beautiful toned Franklin half, but you couldnt see the colorful toning. I told him to turn off the overheads and turn on his desk incandescent, boy was he surprised. For my photographs, Ill use incandescent or halogen. However, I think I will buy some of the new fluorescents to see how they render the coin. Caveat, if your lights work, use them....
