{"id":328,"date":"2009-03-04T04:44:05","date_gmt":"2009-03-04T08:44:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.johnpaulcaponigro.com\/wordpress\/?p=328"},"modified":"2009-03-04T04:44:05","modified_gmt":"2009-03-04T08:44:05","slug":"solux-lighting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.johnpaulcaponigro.com\/blog\/328\/solux-lighting\/","title":{"rendered":"Solux Lighting"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nFor the photographer light is important from start to finish – capture, editing, printing, and display. Solux offers products designed to give you the highest quality viewing light at surprisingly affordable rates. How much does high quality viewing light affect the way you see things? Dramatically! Recently, the Mus\u00e9e d’Orsay in Paris France joined the list of SoLux users that include the National Gallery of Art, the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, the Gugenheim and many other museums, galleries and homes. In every case they had to see it to believe it. Once they did, they\u2019ve never looked back (or in any other light). The same thing happened to me; now I only use Solux lighting. See it and you\u2019ll believe it too. (Check out my review and their website for more information.)
\nPhil Bradfield, PHD, VP-Tailored Lighting Inc. (Solux), provides a number of insightful answers about light and Solux products.
\nJP\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So, there\u00a0 are three things that are critical in evaluating light. Amount (lux), temperature (Kelvin degrees), and spectral distribution (smooth or spikey).\u00a0 Solux offers a variety of choices. Help us understand what they are and how to choose between them.
\nPB\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Excellent question JP.\u00a0 These are very common lighting terms that are important to understand … .
\nWith respect to color perception, the most important aspect of light is the “spectral (power) distribution” (SPD) since it has the most influence on the colors we perceive. The SPD is simply a careful measurement of the amount of each of the different colors (wavelengths) that make up the light in question.\u00a0\u00a0 It is typically shown on a graph of Intensity vs wavelength.\u00a0\u00a0 The SPD of daylight is relatively smooth and does not have large spikes or gaps in its spectrum.
\nColor temperature (in degrees Kelvin) is simply a way of quantifying how “warm” or “cool” in appearance a light is.\u00a0 The higher the Kelvin, the “cooler” the light will appear.\u00a0 The lower, the “warmer” it will appear. There are a couple of important things to remember about color temperature.
\n1.\u00a0 Color temperature has nothing to do with intensity – a higher Kelvin is not necessary “brighter” than a lower Kelvin.\u00a0\u00a0 If you have five lights with the same color temperature, it doesn’t change the color temperature, you just have more of that color temperature.
\n2.\u00a0 The color temperature tells you nothing at all about its SPD of the light or how well the light renders color.\u00a0\u00a0 You need to see the SPD for that.
\n3.\u00a0 Just because you have the same color temperature as “daylight” does NOT mean that you have the same spectrum as daylight.\u00a0\u00a0 Many lighting companies deliberately mislead customers by stating that their bulb has a color temperature the same as “daylight”\u00a0 therefore implying (or stating) it is a daylight light.\u00a0\u00a0 Do not believe them unless they show you a high resolution SPD of their light as compared with an actual daylight spectrum.\u00a0 I underline “high resolution” because I know of one lighting company that markets a “full spectrum” light that grossly averages their spectral plot to hide the spikes exhibited by their lights.
\nThe intensity (lux) of light has a secondary influence on color perception after the SPD and as long as the light isn’t very dim or very bright, your color perception is not changed very much.
\nJP\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You use the phrase full-spectrum light. What does that term mean?
\nPB\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What is implied by that phrase is that the bulb in question provides the user with a spectrum of light that simulates daylight. However, the term “full spectrum lighting” is a marketing phrase. There is no official scientific definition for that phrase.\u00a0 As a result, that phrase is used by many lighting companies to sell lights that do not accurately simulate the spectrum of daylight. SoLux lights provide a very close simulation of the daylight spectrum so I could honestly say that SoLux is a “full-spectrum” light. However, I rarely say that since it might paint SoLux with the same brush as those that misuse that phrase.
\nJP\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What does Solux\u00a0 offer than others don\u2019t?
\nPB\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SoLux bulbs provide a smooth spectrum (SPD).\u00a0\u00a0 As a result SoLux provides superior color rendering.\u00a0 The resulting visual difference can be quite remarkable.
\nJP\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Remarkable?”\u00a0 Can you explain a little more what you mean by that?
\nPB\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I’ll do my best but it is a visual affect that you have to see to really “get.”\u00a0 Some years ago we did research on finding the “best” light for lighting artwork.\u00a0\u00a0 That work led us to make the 3500K SoLux bulbs and its spectrum really makes color in art and photos\u00a0 “pop.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There is youtube.com video that does give you some idea of the effect.\u00a0\u00a0 http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CLSxyCgyq3E <http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CLSxyCgyq3E>
\nJP\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How many types of Solux bulbs are offered?
\nPB\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We offer SoLux in following color temperatures – 3500K, 4100K, 4700K\u00a0 in both 35 and 50 watt bulbs.\u00a0\u00a0 All of those color temperatures and wattages are offered in four different beam spreads (narrow spot, spot, narrow flood and flood).\u00a0 We also offer a 5000K bulb but it is only available as a 36 degree beamspread and 50 watts.
\nThe 3500K SoLux is primarily a light for color, art, homes and stores when you want to improve their presentation.\u00a0\u00a0 The 4100K is popular with diamond stores and is just a tiny bit better than the 3500K SoLux for illuminating black and white photos – it increases contrast.\u00a0\u00a0 The 4700K is used by those that want a very accurate simulation of D50 for doing color matching.\u00a0\u00a0 One common user of the 4700K are autobody shops for checking paint jobs.\u00a0\u00a0 Many photographers use the 4700K for color proofing\/color management although some use the 3500K SoLux for that since that is the light source they will use for displaying the (color) photo on the wall.
\nThe SPD of all SoLux bulbs is smooth and has no spikes or large gaps.\u00a0 The 3500K and 4100K SoLux bulbs have ultra-low UV and greatly reduced IR output and are therefore very art-friendly.
\nJP\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What accessories are offered?
\nPB\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In addition to the SoLux bulbs we offer track lighting, recessed lighting, desk and floor task lamps as well as lights for closets and 10 bulb arrays to light up large areas.
\nJP
\nAny plans for the future you\u2019d like to reveal now?
\nPB\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We are working on screw-in PAR bulbs and are making progress on that front. Only the 3500K and 3250K will be available at first.\u00a0\u00a0 Later, we want to offer 4100K PARs.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I know that you are wanting to know “WHEN?”\u00a0\u00a0 but every time I have said “We will have them later this year.” I have been proven wrong.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I will say that as soon as they are available, we will notify you so that you can, (ahem), illuminate your readers as to their availability.
\nI frequently get asked about LEDs.\u00a0 LEDs do show some promise but their spectrum still isn’t right and it is something we are working on.\u00a0\u00a0 Don’t get me wrong.\u00a0\u00a0 There some applications where LEDs are awesome.\u00a0 For example, tail lights in cars, stop and go lights, EXIT signs, emergency lighting and anywhere you don’t care about how it makes something look.\u00a0\u00a0 But when you are trying to makes something look likes it is worth what you paid for it – art, your home, etc. then don’t settle for poor lighting.
\nOne guy who was using LEDs to light some art said to me “My LEDs are rated for 100,000 hours which is basically forever.”\u00a0 My response was, “True, but you have bad looking art for the rest of your life.”
\nIt is kind of like that old saying:\u00a0 Buy quality – cry once.\u00a0 Buy low quality – cry all the time.
\nJP\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You love light and optics as much or more than I do. Tell me what fuels your passion for light?
\nPB\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I am fortunate to have a job that I still get a “kick” out of.\u00a0\u00a0 The kick I get is seeing the reaction to our lights from someone who sees it for the first time or who calls me after they have received our lights to say that they “LOVE!” our lights.\u00a0\u00a0 In today’s world it is fun to surprise people with something so simple that makes such a big difference.
\nCheck out Solux products here.<\/a>
\nSee them in action in my workshops here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the photographer light is important from start to finish – capture, editing, printing, and display. Solux offers products designed to give you the highest quality viewing light at surprisingly affordable rates. 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