Photoflood
{{short description|Powerful incandescent lamp used for photography}}
Photoflood lamps are a type of incandescent light bulb designed for use as a continuous light source for photographic lighting.[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PhotofloodLighting Photoflood lighting] The filaments of such lamps are operated at much higher temperatures than is the case for standard, general lighting service lamps. The result is a brilliance of light much higher than the lamp's wattage rating would suggest. The trade-off is that the lamp has a very short service life of seldom more than ten hours.
Applications
= Past =
Photoflood lamps were used by photographers and film makers as a continuous lighting source. However for photographers, such use has been overtaken by the use of high power studio flash units many of which also provide a lower power light for modelling purposes.[https://www.ephotozine.com/article/studio-lighting---a-beginners-guide-to-studio-lighting-132 Studio flash] Film makers have turned to longer lasting tungsten halogen lamps which, in their turn, are being overtaken by light-emitting diode (LED) lamps.[https://www.wexphotovideo.com/blog/features/tungsten-halogen-fluorescent-versus-led-lighting-which-should-you-use/ Later products]
= Present =
Photoflood lamps are still used in special cases by the motion picture industry. Where an illuminated lamp is required on set as part of the dressing, the light fall from a normal light bulb would not be visible on film as it would be swamped by the bright studio lighting. The ordinary lamp is replaced by a photoflood bulb whose intense light is easily visible on film (and if so required, is bright enough that it can form the sole illumination for the shot).[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PhotofloodLighting Hollywood photoflood]
Lamp characteristics
Photoflood bulbs are available in a number of sizes. The two most common sizes have these characteristics.[https://www.eiko.com/en/category/download/678 Specifications]
| class="wikitable"
|+ 120 volt lamps ! Type !! Watts !! Lumens !! Lumens per watt !! Colour | ||||||
| 100 watt lamp | 100 | 1630 | 16.3 | 750{{cite web |title=GE Large Lamp Catalog |url=http://www.decadecounter.com/vta/pdf/GELargeLampCatalog.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111003416/http://www.decadecounter.com/vta/pdf/GELargeLampCatalog.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=November 11, 2021 |website=www.decadecounter.com |publisher=GE |accessdate=19 November 2019}} | ||
| No. 1 photoflood | 250 | 6500 | 26 | 3200 | 20{{cite web |title=Traditional Lighting |url=https://cdn.brandfolder.io/OV0JTXIR/as/pviohm-8920kg-1bvmt5/EiKO_Traditional_Catalog_2019.pdf |website=cdn.brandfolder.io |publisher=EiKO |accessdate=25 November 2019}} | ECA |
| No. 2 photoflood | 500 | 17,800 | 35.6 | 3400 | 6{{cite web |title=EBV-LN |url=https://www.eiko.com/sharedassets/staticspecsheets/EBV-LN.pdf |website=www.eiko.com |publisher=EiKO |accessdate=25 November 2019}} | EBV |
| class="wikitable"
|+ 240 volt lamps ! Type !! Watts !! Lumens !! Lumens per watt !! Colour | |||||
| 100 watt lamp | 100 | 1200 | 12 | 2900 | 1000{{cite web |title=satco S4079 |url=https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/54269/SATCO-S4079.html |website=www.1000bulbs.com |accessdate=30 August 2019}} |
| No. 1 photoflood | 275 | 8500 | 30 | 3400[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Photolux-240v-275w-Photoflood-PF207E/dp/B00ADPR302 275W colour temp] | 3 |
| No. 2 photoflood | 500 | 14,400 | 28.8 | 3400 | 6{{cite web |title=Dr Fischer Photo Lamp 500W 3400K Edison |url=https://www.lightonline.com.au/photographic-lights/dr-fischer-photo-lamp-500w-3400k-edison |website=www.lightonline.com.au |accessdate=19 November 2019}} |
Note that in each case an ordinary 100 watt lamp is provided for comparison purposes.
References
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