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The RGB spikes of output from high-color fluorescent light closely match the receptive RGB spikes of a CCD imaging chip. A CCD is least sensitive in its blue channel and tungsten light has the least output in the blue, and when combined with the effect of infrared output (mostly heat) it can overcome the chip's entire spectral response. What about CMOS? It's difficult to generalize a head-to-head comparison between CMOS and CCD image sensors, but assuming competent engineering and optimum settings for white balance, exposure, and light levels, image quality from CCD sensors should be similar to image quality from CMOS sensors, at least in terms of color accuracy.

Comparing fluorescent continuous light sources to tungsten lighting is a lot easier. Fluorescent easily comes out the winner when compared to tungsten, which is 93 percent heat and 7 percent red light. Techies who want to delve deeper into light and color should visit Osram's Encyclopedia of Light (www.osram.com/service_corner/glossary/index.html).

What does this mean for digital photographers? It's simple: The light you used to hate, you can now love. Making all of this easy for us and wrapping these fluorescent lights in a useful package are a trio of digital lighting kits from three different manufacturers that can change the way you make portraits.

Lowel Ego light.

Itsy-Bitsy Spider
Westcott's Spiderlite TD5 is designed for still and video image-makers and works with either halogen or fluorescent lamps. The halogen lamps produce a consistent but hot 3200Þ Kelvin and the fluorescent lamps are rated at 5100Þ Kelvin, although that varies as the lights warm up. After using a color meter to set the exposure, I found my Canon EOS 20D produced better results in Auto White Balance mode. Your chip may vary...

The all-metal Spiderlite TD5 has a built-in speed ring for attaching a light bank and three separate switches that let you use multiple combinations of the lamps. A handle allows quick and easy rotation. The fluorescent lamps provide smooth, continuous light so that all of my exposures in this session were made in (gasp!) Program mode. I used the digital SLR's Exposure Compensation feature to increase exposure in 1/3 stop increments by looking at each image file's histogram on the camera's preview screen to make sure exposure was balanced.

Using Lowel's Ego light to make photographs couldn't be easier. I set the product on a Sharpics D-Flector (see "Product Photographs Made Easier") and used it along with the folding reflector Lowel provides (you can see it in the right-hand corner) to photograph this model boxcar. © 2005, Joe Farace, All Rights Reserved

Check Your Ego At The Door
From the mind of Gary Regester comes the Lowel Ego, a tabletop fluorescent soft light. Setup is a breeze: plug it in, place it on the table or light stand, and turn it on. The Ego comes with two 27w screw-in compact daylight fluorescent lamps that have a 5000-10,000 hour rating. Their Color Rendering Index (CRI) provides a more natural and realistic color balance than standard (color-me-green) fluorescent lamps. Lowel includes a hinge-folded white bounce card for reflected fill. It can be used for portraits but is also useful for making tabletop shots by eBayers, archivists, and desktop publishers. The Ego can also be used for webcam desktop video conferencing.

When using the Ego light as a main light for portraits, be sure to place the light as close as possible without getting it in the shot. Because of its small size, the Ego light is probably best suited to headshots and that's a good thing. I used to hate setting up lights for headshots; it took too much time fiddling to get the light looking like I wanted. The Ego sets up quickly and when used with a reflector, such as Westcott's Illuminator placed close to the subject on the other side of their face, makes an ideal headshot setup. I like doing headshots again and never thought that would happen!

The Lowel Ego's compact size makes it ideal for small product photography. This commemorative Lionel boxcar was photographed sitting on a Sharpics D-Flector folding background with the Ego as the main source. Lowel's hinge-folded white bounce card provides some fill. I used a Canon EOS 20D with EF-S 60mm Macro lens attached at ISO 400 to make this shot. Exposure in Aperture Priority mode was 1.3 seconds at f/29 to maximize depth of field. © 2005, Joe Farace, All Rights Reserved

Sunpak Lights
I do a lot of shoots with new and inexperienced models. Big, complex light banks attached to electronic flash units distract from the mood I try to establish, so the Sunpak digitLITE 600, which is basically a cold "hot light," is a great setup for these kinds of portraits. The light is solidly built and easy to move around if your light stand has casters, and creates the kind of working environment that helps the model relax and be at her best. The digitLITE 600 uses cool fluorescent tubes that are balanced for daylight and do a good job of emulating the real thing.

I use a digitLITE 600 as a main light or as a beauty light placed below the model's face, in ways I formerly used a reflector back in the old film days to create the kind of look that requires the least amount of gear possible. There are photographers, like my wife Mary, who shoot with available light, but what she really means is "every light we have available." If we had 20 lights in the studio, she would use them all. The work would be perfectly gorgeous but I hate to schlep all that stuff. That's why the Sunpak works so well for my "shoot-and-scoot" style of photography.

The slim profile and daylight color balance of the Sunpak digitLITE 600 make it ideal for use as a main light for location photography. Here I photographed Kellie Alexander using the digitLITE 600 as a main light with window light as fill. © 2005, Vinnie Arinello, All Rights Reserved

Product Photographs Made Easier
The Sharpics D-Flector is a unique reflective background that activates when photographed with a flash. The result is a picture with a clean white background with the object appearing to be floating on air. Used with these fluorescent lights, the D-Flector is a literal "background in a briefcase" that is perfect for professional photographers, web designers, or anybody who wants to document inventory or personal possessions. It's also ideal for making photographs when selling merchandise on eBay.

Westcott Spiderlite TD5.

Manufacturers/Distributors
Adorama Camera, Inc.
42 W 18th St.
New York, NY 10011
(800) 223-2500
(212) 741-0052
www.adorama.com

Lowel-Light Manufacturing, Inc.
140 58th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11220
(800) 334-3426
(718) 921-0600
www.lowel.com

Sharpics Inc.
9921 Carmel Mountain Rd. #322
San Diego, CA 92129
(858) 780-0072
www.sharpics.com

ToCAD America Inc. (Sunpak)
300 Webro Rd.
Parsippany, NJ 07054
(973) 428-9800
www.tocad.com

Westcott (The F.J. Westcott Company)
1447 N Summit St.
Toledo, OH 43604
(800) 886-1689
www.fjwestcott.com