What cheap lighting options are availiable for Macro?

Flashharry

Flashharry

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What cheap lighting options are availiable for Macro photography of small objects like watches etc with a light tent? Specialist table top lighting seems to cost around £150~250 for a pair of laps.

Can I just use a daylight bulb in a standard desktop lamp ? Any other suggestions would be very welcome? Could I use a LED lamp?:thinking:
 
A couple of desktop lamps and a homemade light tent would do the job nicely.

You can make a light tent out of a large cardboard box and some ripstop nylon, or even a couple of sheets of white A4 paper....

3280001392_ab7472a39e.jpg
 
Flash is better all round
If you prefer to use continuous lighting, make sure that you exclude all other lighting (room lights, daylight) to avoid unwanted colour casts.
If you're going to use fluorescent, make sure you use bulbs designed specifically for photography and only but the expensive ones that state the Colour Rendition Index which must be a minimum of 90 (higher is better) because otherwise some colours will photograph badly. For example, ones designed for household use will render reds as orange.
 
something like this They got a good write up in one of the mags recently as a good budget ring flash option
 
I was thinking of continuous lighting, as flashes tend to reflect of the watch crystal...but I'm a total novice.
 
Flashharry said:
I was thinking of continuous lighting, as flashes tend to reflect of the watch crystal...but I'm a total novice.
Click to expand...
All lights, regardless of type, reflect in exactly the same way assuming that all other things are equal. See this thread on another site for an explanation
 
I think keeping to one kind of bulb is the most important and then the angles you light from. Not that I'm an expert
 
Yes, that one will do fine.
If you have a screw fitting though, this one costs just a little extra and has twice the power.
 
I shot this:




with this:




It was my first attempt so please don't critique the watch as the DOF is very shallow.

My next lighting project is to use 55W 5400k 954 bulbs like these, which have a CRI of 95.
 
mhuk said:
I shot this:




with this:




It was my first attempt so please don't critique the watch as the DOF is very shallow.

My next lighting project is to use 55W 5400k 954 bulbs like these, which have a CRI of 95.
Click to expand...


Daylight bulbs turned up and they are the dogs:clap:
 
Flashharry said:
Any recommendations on suitable light bulbs?
Click to expand...

These new low energy lamps are getting very popular now. They have a much higher colour temperature than the old filament lamps. There are a few made up into a 5 lamp display on the market.
 
Marks and Spencers basic spring up laundry basket works great as a fold up light tent.
 
Please ignore the crap , I do not have a clue how to put an image with a post.
 
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