What color compensating filter for LED lights?

Paul Howell · Dec 26, 2021

More theory than practice, have not used daylight film indoors in a very long time, decades, but got to thinking about what filters for daylight film under LED lights. I think it would depend on the temp of the LEDs in question. My Sony and Sigma DSLRs both seem to work fine with LEDs in both auto and tungsten. So a wild leap, maybe an 80A?

John Koehrer · Dec 26, 2021

https://www.google.com/search?q=led...57j0i512l8.12254j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Geez^^^ It's like reading an encyclopedia.

A lot of the common light bulb shaped ones are available in the 5000K variety but the packaging needs a bit of checking it out Lowe's & Home Depot usually
keep them in stock. Most of the home use tend to be around 3400K

Paul Howell · Dec 26, 2021

I have a variety of LEDs that I use with my Omega enlarger, the higher the K the more contrast can be obtained with VC filters, so 5000k makes sense.

jtk · Dec 29, 2021

LED are adjustable so you'd need a color meter .

RalphLambrecht · Dec 30, 2021

Paul Howell said:
More theory than practice, have not used daylight film indoors in a very long time, decades, but got to thinking about what filters for daylight film under LED lights. I think it would depend on the temp of the LEDs in question. My Sony and Sigma DSLRs both seem to work fine with LEDs in both auto and tungsten. So a wild leap, maybe an 80A?

If you have or can borrow a color meter, such as the Gossen Color-Pro3F, You could take a reading and get a filter compensation read-out, otherwise, You can only guess.

AgX · Dec 30, 2021

White LEDs are basically fluorescent lamps. And basically same considerations are to be taken as with gas discharge fluorescent lamps.

What should give an idea is the the RI value of fluorescent lamps. At about 90 these lamps behave as incandescent lamps of same colour temperature.

Household LEDs though have a lesser value.

Kilgallb · Jan 3, 2022

AgX said:
White LEDs are basically fluorescent lamps. And basically same considerations are to be taken as with gas discharge fluorescent lamps.

What should give an idea is the the RI value of fluorescent lamps. At about 90 these lamps behave as incandescent lamps of same colour temperature.

Household LEDs though have a lesser value.

White LEDs and Fluorescent have completely different spectral content. I think getting a colour film to white balance with a filter will work on traditional tungsten lamps and some fluorescent lamps, but LEDs, unless a whole lot more people shoot film I doubt a colour compensating filter will ever be made for LEDs.

wiltw · Jan 3, 2022

Just as color correction filter value with different for every different fluorescent tube, LEDs are each different...there is a K value declared by the bulb maker but the continuity of light across the full spectrum is questionable.
In shooting under two different LED bulbs, both rated to be 4000K, one had to be corrected to 3750K while the other was corrected to 4100K, and Tint needed to be shifted in the Magenta direction by +17 for the first and +26 for the second source.

you can see that individual hues do not necessarily reproduce 'the same' even both are corrected to Neutral 18% gray patch

AgX · Jan 3, 2022

Kilgallb said:
White LEDs and Fluorescent have completely different spectral content. I think getting a colour film to white balance with a filter will work on traditional tungsten lamps and some fluorescent lamps, but LEDs, unless a whole lot more people shoot film I doubt a colour compensating filter will ever be made for LEDs.

White LEDs are based on fluorescence technology and thus share the same inherent problems as other such lamps.

What color compensating filter for LED lights?

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