CFL bulbs vs. LEDs- Which one is the winner?

[Deerefan8420]

I've heard several members here talk about using LED lights for their photography. I am always curious to try new methods and new techniques so I finally bought a couple of Jansjo LED lamps from Amazon since we do not have an IKEA around here. I was in the process of photographing some MS coins without toning when my camera battery died. I've got these 3 comparison images so far though. What are your thoughts? Stay with the CFLs or see what else I can get out of the LEDs? I haven't had much time to experiment with them and I am open to suggestions or things I could try. As always, Thanks for the input!

 

The images on the left are the CFLs. The images on the right are the LEDs.

[morganguru]

The LED examples seem to have more pop. I'm a CFL user and have considered making the switch. Do you do any post editing? Nice job overall on all the images.

[Deerefan8420]

The only post editing I do is for cropping. Sometimes I will make a slight sharpness adjustment or contrast adjustment, but nothing too wild and crazy! I kind of hurried through these images so they are not as sharp as they normally are. I think the CFLs bring out a little more color than the LEDs but the LEDs show the luster much better. I am still playing around with them though.

[brg5658]

Are you using 2 or 3 of the LED Jansjos? For silver larger than a quarter I always use three. Also, you may want to diffuse the LEDs just a bit with a Kleenex or something. I use homemade deflectors that sort of spread out the LED light, but you'll need to experiment a bit to get more light on the coin. Particularly the first Morgan has too many shadows. Just my opinion.

 

Which images are better is a personal preference to an extent. The CFLs do make the coin look "flatter" and less lustrous, but if you have too much luster such that you have spots that are blown out, then that's a neg also. Mark Goodman has done all kinds of light comparisons, so this topic has been addressed many times over. Just something else that kind of looks like it could be improved -- the middle Morgan seems as though her face is being lit from below. Her forehead is a shadow...try to place the light at around 10 o-clock to light up her face, the same you would a portrait.

 

Both methods are nice images, and far better than most of those you will see for coins posted for sale on eBay or elsewhere. Nice work.

 

-Brandon

[Deerefan8420]

Thanks for the input Brandon! To answer your question- I used 3 Jansjo LED lamps for these images. I did not change the position of the lights much when I photographed each coin. I thought about some diffusion but haven't quite made it that far yet. I like the LEDs because I can get the light at a much higher angle and they are very easy to adjust!

[Backroad Junkie]

I've heard several members here talk about using LED lights for their photography. I am always curious to try new methods and new techniques so I finally bought a couple of Jansjo LED lamps from Amazon since we do not have an IKEA around here. I was in the process of photographing some MS coins without toning when my camera battery died. I've got these 3 comparison images so far though. What are your thoughts? Stay with the CFLs or see what else I can get out of the LEDs? I haven't had much time to experiment with them and I am open to suggestions or things I could try. As always, Thanks for the input!

 

From a photography standpoint, I would *ALWAYS* choose LED over CFL. CFL as a light source sucks. You will almost always get a more consistant temperature (color) and intensity from LED.

 

[jom]

Which photo looks closer to the coin in hand? That is clearly a question only you can answer.

 

Also, a side question: What is CFL? Isn't that the football league in Canada?

 

BTW, I use OTT bulbs.

 

jom

[Coindude]

I will say that I've tried many forms of lighting. From cfl to led to halogen. I have never had such a difference in the way the picture shows. I'm thinking there is more of a difference in the white balance setting. Make sure your white balance is right. It just seems strange to have such a difference in appearance.

[Backroad Junkie]

Also, a side question: What is CFL? Isn't that the football league in Canada?

 

jom

Compact Fluorescent Light.

 

One of the travesties the administration has forced upon the people.

 

Just don't tell anyone if you break one.

 

[VDB Coins]

Slightly OT but I tried the old CFLs for lighting my home office -- I have an overhead ceiling fan/light combo with five bulbs, plus one on my desk and one on the side table -- and hated them.I switched back to regular old-fashioned incandescent bulbs. And at shows I had always used incandescent bulbs as well to light my showcases.

 

But the guy next to me was using something called Daylight CFLs (Sylvania), and I noticed how much brighter his lights were compared to mine. I bought some on the way home and actually love the light, which seems much more white compared to the incandescent bulbs which have a greenish cast. They also last much longer, use less energy and put out very little heat. The seven incandescent bulbs I had got quite hot after being on for a while (hence the ceiling fan).

[mikew148]

Overall, I like the LED lit images better. (for these coins )

 

Take the first coin, although both images look nice, the LED lit coin shows me nice luster and I can clearly see what shade of blue toning is present towards the rim. The CFL's show the brown toning turning to blue towards the rim, but the LED lit coin shows me the "relationship" of the the luster and the toning.

 

I agree with Brandon that the LED's need a little diffusing. Just enough to give you a wider spread on luster bands and a little more light on the coin.

 

 

Brandon - What are you using to diffuse your lights? I've been using tissue paper, which does a good job, but it's not the sturdiest product in the world!

[rmpsrpms]

Most folks don't know this, but in reality almost all so-called "white" LED lights are really fluorescents in disguise. A fluorescent light (like a CFL or long tube) is a tube with a UV emitter inside and the inner surface of the tube coated with a phosphor. The UV light hits the phosphor and the phosphor then emits visible light. "White" LEDs (like the Jansjos) use a UV or near-UV LED as the emitter, and the LED is coated with a phosphor that emits visible light when the LED is on. So the technology is not all that different.

 

What you're seeing in the difference between these images is the "size" of the light. The Jansjo LEDs are focused, pinpoint sources, and this is emphasizing the luster on your coins. CFLs emit from a much bigger area, and are not focused like the Jansjos, so they look very "big" and thus light is hitting the coin from a wider angle. Adding diffusion like Brandon describes will make the LED look "bigger" and result in a more similar illumination on the coin.

 

Ray