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Original poster

Help - please find me a 100W desk lamp - for use in photography

16 replies

RubberDuckWithCranberrySauce · 31/12/2006 15:05

I need a desk lamp as a cheap mini studio for photography - the plan is to switch the bulb to a daylight one and use that to illuminate a light cube (which I already have) - with me so far?

The lamp needs to be able to be angled, and not too expensive (otherwise I'd be buying "proper" photographic equipment in the first place!). All the ones I've found are either halogen or low wattage (around 40W) or over £100 (which made me gasp a bit! I was thinking nearer £20...)

I don't really know the best places online to look for lamps - can anyone help please? Or does anyone use a similar set up for photographs can advise what's the most cost effective thing to buy.

Ta

OP posts:
JackieNo · 31/12/2006 15:18

Found this - is that the sort of thing you mean? Still not down to £20, but less than £100.

Original poster
RubberDuckWithCranberrySauce · 31/12/2006 15:21

It didn't go to the page Jackie - did you mean the one at £59.57?

That's very close to what I need, yes - thank you Would prefer cheaper and not clamped if possible (simply because I would be worried about marking our dining room table... well... more than the kids already have )

OP posts:
JackieNo · 31/12/2006 15:22

I did - sorry, it worked for me, for some reason. OK - will keep looking...

JackieNo · 31/12/2006 15:26

DH is into photography, so I asked him. He couldn't think of anywhere to buy a lamp, but did suggest also using an 80A filter for your camera rather than buying a daylight bulb.

Original poster
RubberDuckWithCranberrySauce · 31/12/2006 15:32

Unfortunately I have only a compact at the moment (although saving for a DSLR!) which makes filters more complicated to use but I will make a note of that.

Can you ask him if the 80A would still be effective using a light cube (for the backdrops more than anything else) for macro work?

OP posts:
Original poster
RubberDuckWithCranberrySauce · 31/12/2006 15:34

Doh, sorry - realise now the filter is for correcting tungsten lighting - so use a normal lamp without daylight bulb he means... so would I get away with a 40W or 60W in that instance or is brighter still better?

OP posts:
JackieNo · 31/12/2006 15:35

He reckons it would be fine - and if you could figure out some way of fixing it to your existing camera (or even just holding it in front of it) it would work with that too.

The only lamps I'm finding are clamp-on ones like that first link - is there anything other than the table that you could clamp it onto (no idea what a light cube looks like, but could it be clamped to the edge of that?). Still looking...

Original poster
RubberDuckWithCranberrySauce · 31/12/2006 15:37

You know those pop up tents that kids play in? Fabric and frame is similar to that. It's a pure white cube (mine is 50cm x 50cm x 50cm) with a hole to put objects inside and to put the camera in. Light is placed outside the cube so it travels through the fabric and diffuses it evenly.

OP posts:
JackieNo · 31/12/2006 15:38

Sorry, cross post - that reply was to your first message - he says that using the filter effectively takes the light down, so using the 80A with a 100w bulb would take the usable light down to 60w, so more light would still be better.

Original poster
RubberDuckWithCranberrySauce · 31/12/2006 15:41

Ah right The daylight bit (fortunately) is the easy bit as daylight bulbs I can find It's just the lamp to put them in...

... it's really annoying because I used to own a standard lamp that would have worked, only I've looked up in the loft and I can't find the wretched thing!

OP posts:
JackieNo · 31/12/2006 15:50

I'm not coming up with anything else, I'm afraid, sorry. Maybe ask on the Arts and Crafts section - it's the sort of thing they might use for detailed work.

RubberDuckInLeftoverCurry · 31/12/2006 15:56

Oooo good idea - hadn't thought of that.

Am glad that at least I'm not the only one struggling to find them - sometimes you do just wonder if you're looking in the wrong places! Thank you for looking, Jackie

andaSOAPBOXinapeartree · 31/12/2006 16:03

Maplin do an angled day light lamp which you fit onto your desk with a clamp. I use it for crafting and it is fabulous.

here it is

It is far better than the very expensive daylight lamp I bought!

RubberDuckInLeftoverCurry · 31/12/2006 16:29

That looks good Soapbox, but I'm a bit concerned about the clamp on our dining room table. Also I have NO idea how fluorescent wattages work - is that really bright? (compared to a 100W "normal" lamp, say)

Presumably the magnifying bit doesn't affect the way the light itself is thrown out from the lamp?

RubberDuckInLeftoverCurry · 31/12/2006 16:30

(Sorry, I sound really pernickety - I'm not being deliberately awkward, I promise )

RubberDuck · 07/01/2007 21:32

Just thought I'd say thanks and give you guys an update.

After a lot of searching, I managed to find a 30W energy saver daylight bulb (150W equivalent) from BLT Direct (one of the cheapest places for bulbs I've found on the net) that fit an old lower powered standard lamp I had - nice and bright and the height is just perfect for the table I'm using!

Not only that, but it only cost me £9

Thank you so much for all your help - wanted to post though in case anyone else is searching for a nice bright lamp that isn't going to break the bank.

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