ABSTRACT
The use of high-frequency fluorescent lights has become a viable option both in studios and on location. The merits of such lights compared to tungsten are:
greater efficiency, or more correctly efficacy, producing 3 to 4 times more light than tungsten sources. Tungsten halogen produces 25 lumens/watt, whereas fluorescent lamps, depending on type, can produce up to 100 lumens/watt.
no radiant heat in the light beam, unlike tungsten sources which radiate typically 55% of lamp power in the beam. This means the artistes are more comfortable under cold light sources.
fluorescent luminaires usually use several lamps to produce a practical light source, hence they are soft sources, i.e. not point sources. This results in less glare for the artistes, again, adding to their comfort. Control of the light beam shape is either by a fine structured ‘egg-crate’ or ‘honeycomb’ fitment.
