Klod Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 I'm looking for a good lamp for no more than 70€. I've heard mixed reviews about magnifying lamps like this one (https://brightechshop.com/products/lightview-pro-led-desk-lamp). Some people say it's impossible to paint throught the lens, other say you get used to it very quickly. I also quite like the look of this one (https://brightechshop.com/products/sparq). It seems like it should be able to provide a very good light and eliminate any shadow on the miniature. I'd like to hear your advice. What do you think about those lamps? Do you have a particular model that you could recommend? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/358519-looking-for-an-advice-on-a-lamp-purchase/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMDR_Welles Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 Single best purchase I made for my hobby https://www.amazon.com/Daylight-U32500-Triple-Bright-White/dp/B0052OT64K/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1TT1UCII5N8T1&keywords=triple+bright+lamp&qid=1568751832&s=gateway&sprefix=triple+bright%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-3 A lot would balk at the price, but it has been the best light source I have ever had the pleasure of using in my nearly 30 years of the hobby. IMHO anyway. I'm sure you will get a lot of suggestions at some point Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/358519-looking-for-an-advice-on-a-lamp-purchase/#findComment-5391097 Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewarriorhunter Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 I've used a Tao Tronics lamp and really like it. They have tons of options: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=taotronics+led+desk+lamp&crid=16C5PEYARB5NJ&sprefix=tao+tronics+%2Caps%2C201&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_12 Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/358519-looking-for-an-advice-on-a-lamp-purchase/#findComment-5391109 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imren Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 https://daylightcompany.com/luminos-task-lamp/ I have this one, it's expensive, but very good and very bright. The way I see it, I rather have one army less and paint the ones I have better! :) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/358519-looking-for-an-advice-on-a-lamp-purchase/#findComment-5391364 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkhanist Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 https://daylightcompany.com/luminos-task-lamp/ I have this one, it's expensive, but very good and very bright. The way I see it, I rather have one army less and paint the ones I have better! I have the cheaper version which is less wide (20" vs 26"), but it's the same lumens on what I'm painting so very bright and eliminates shadows extremely well. The adjustable arm means i can keep it to the side of my desk when I'm using it for other things (like my computer) and just swing it out when painting, which was something I really needed. Previously I had a standard swing arm anglepoise-style lamp with a very bright daylight bulb in it. That does definitely work, but the wide head of the lumi lamp gives a much more even field of light, so I'm turning the model around a lot less to try and get the bit I'm painting unshadowed. It's also very, very bright. So I'd heartily recommend spending a little more to get one like this with sufficient lumens and the wide field. I picked it up a significant discount over list at amazon. Avoid the magnifier with a light on it, they're a *giant* pain to use. I had one some years ago, and trying to keep the model in magnification, while also getting the brush in there without the back end hitting the magnifier, plus the headaches... If you want magnification - which I did, because I'm getting old - then get a decent head-mounted one; like the optivisor or one of the cheaper knockoffs (lenses are similar and you get multiple, but the construction quality is lower) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/358519-looking-for-an-advice-on-a-lamp-purchase/#findComment-5391370 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bung Posted September 19, 2019 Share Posted September 19, 2019 Single best purchase I made for my hobby https://www.amazon.com/Daylight-U32500-Triple-Bright-White/dp/B0052OT64K/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1TT1UCII5N8T1&keywords=triple+bright+lamp&qid=1568751832&s=gateway&sprefix=triple+bright%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-3 A lot would balk at the price, but it has been the best light source I have ever had the pleasure of using in my nearly 30 years of the hobby. IMHO anyway. I'm sure you will get a lot of suggestions at some point Got the same lamp some years back. Would go for the more modern LED version today https://www.amazon.de/Maul-Arbeitsleuchte-einschaltbar-tageslichtwei%C3%9F-8205202/dp/B00P16Q5DO Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/358519-looking-for-an-advice-on-a-lamp-purchase/#findComment-5392671 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klod Posted September 19, 2019 Author Share Posted September 19, 2019 Well that is double the price compared to what I'm willing to pay. Thanks for the responses though. I guess I'll keep an eye out on amazon and wait for some juicy discount. Not sure how common discounts on those lamps are. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/358519-looking-for-an-advice-on-a-lamp-purchase/#findComment-5392874 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exilyth Posted September 20, 2019 Share Posted September 20, 2019 I like to have light and magnification separate from each other. I've got a really old desk lamp w/movable arm. Just had to replace the bulb for something more modern. If it doesn't have to be the newest of the new, flea markets and/or yard sales can be gold mines. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/358519-looking-for-an-advice-on-a-lamp-purchase/#findComment-5392992 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkhanist Posted September 20, 2019 Share Posted September 20, 2019 Well that is double the price compared to what I'm willing to pay. Thanks for the responses though. I guess I'll keep an eye out on amazon and wait for some juicy discount. Not sure how common discounts on those lamps are. There are three things you need for a good painting light - a good CRI, lumens, and coverage. CRI is basically how well the light reveals the colours of the model in comparison to natural light. Cheap daylight LEDs for example can have an overly green cast, which while fine for say reading a book or drawing a line diagram, causes us issues when you paint your models under it and then they look different than you thought in daylight. As a rule you want a CRI of at least 80, higher being better. Cheap bulbs which don't list their CRI are generally not good. We do want 'daylight' colour, which is usually considered to be in the 5000k to 6000k temperature range. Lumens is how bright the light is, basically. Too dim, and you can't really see what you're doing. More lumens = better, as a rule. If lumens isn't listed, then Watts is a decent approximation, as higher lumens lights need more power. Coverage is how wide an area is lit. A bright, narrow beam of light (such as from a standard swing arm desk lamp with a good bulb) is great when for the part of the model in line with the bulb, but you get harsh shadows to the sides and underneath, which means you need to regularly turn the model so the part you're painting is directly under the bulb. A wide bulb like a strip light means you light the sides of the model too, which means you need to turn the model around much less. In addition, a spring-arm light that allows you to move the bulb around easily also helps when you switch from painting a grot to a dreadnought, how you're sitting etc. I say all this because bluntly you can't get a lamp that does well at all three points for under 70€ - which is why people have been telling you about lamps that they own that cost more. I can't see which EU country you're in, which will probably matter for shipping cost. TaoTronics (as suggested by thewarriorhunter) do a couple of possible lamps, though the coverage is fairly narrow. Theres the TT-DL01 at 530 lumens, supposed CRI of 90, but mostly plastic (33 euro). Or the TL-DL22 with 550 lumens and a CRI of 80, but is a nicer aluminium stand (40 euro). Both stands are a bit inflexible, but if they'd fit with your workspace then they're usable lights. Or there's this KANARS A16S 700 lumens 85 CRI for 52 euro with a much more adjustable stand (importantly, the lamp head can be tilted away from your face horizontally to prevent eye glare) - actually, this one looks pretty good for the price! For reference though, the daylight company lumi I linked above (which is 120 euro ish) is 1320 lumens, so twice as bright with a much wider coverage. Given I'll be using it for probably a decade or so, that's why it was worth the extra for me personally. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/358519-looking-for-an-advice-on-a-lamp-purchase/#findComment-5393194 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klod Posted September 20, 2019 Author Share Posted September 20, 2019 Thank you for the explanation Arkhanist. Well, judging by the criteria that you have given above, this lamp should not be worse than this lamp. So why such price difference? Unless they striaght up lie about the technical details. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/358519-looking-for-an-advice-on-a-lamp-purchase/#findComment-5393363 Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewarriorhunter Posted September 20, 2019 Share Posted September 20, 2019 Sadly in the brand I linked they're all bar lights. When I bought mine several years ago they offered a square 'ring' head so I get really good coverage. It acts like a light ring and is even allows me to take photos from the top down to minimize shadows while on the workbench. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/358519-looking-for-an-advice-on-a-lamp-purchase/#findComment-5393421 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Officer Doofy Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 Hope this isn't necro posting, but I thought anyone else like me that was in the market for a hobby lamp could benefit from all your guy's input and what I've recently found. My hobby desk is in a corner basement spare bedroom with blackout drapes that I'm too lazy to open (the window is under my deck anyways) that I often nap in because I've worked the night shift for over 10 years. I've never invested in a nice hobby lamp but kind of always wanted one. My work gave me a very generous bonus this year and one of the things I wanted to splurge on was a decent lamp. I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on one though because I've been getting away with just a ceiling fan light and an old, cheap crappy desk lamp. Both give off a yellow glow and are not the brightest, but I've made it work for so long I figured anything was better then what I was using at this point. I read through all your guy's comments and pulled the trigger on one finally. I went thewarriorhunter's recommendation of Tao Tronics. Model: TT-DL056. Got it on Amazon for $70 last week (it's back to $90 now). It's the newer model that came out earlier this year. I took Arkhanists advice on what makes a good lamp. The specs on this model are: Operation Voltage: DC 12V USB Output: DC 5V / 2A Power: 12W Macular Temperature: 2700-3000K, 3000-3500K, 4000-4500K, 5000-5500K, 6000-6500K Max Illumination: 1200Lux Night Light Color Temperature: 2700-3000K CRI: >90 The light articulates every which way, has a USB plug built in, has some bells and whistles like sleep timers and different settings, is made of metal and is sturdy (has cloth on two portions). Comes in a nice box and then inside a completely enclosed Styrofoam box. It is slightly narrow but again the bar my previous light set was bottom of the barrel. Long story short, the lamp is amazing. Only had it for a short while and don't have alot of painting with it yet, so I cant promise it will make a Picasso out of anyone, but what it has done in spades is show me how much detail and shading I've missed on models I've recently painted. As long as it last me a while, I'd give it a 5/5. Thank you guys for the information. It certainly gave me a place to start looking around and ultimately made my decision for me. Edit: Grammar. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/358519-looking-for-an-advice-on-a-lamp-purchase/#findComment-5448851 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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