Get Ready to Turn on the Tube Lights
Quasar Science tube lights have been my favorite lately. I didn’t think I would use them as often as I do.
They were first introduced to me by the Q-LED tube lights powered by batteries from Quasar Science. These suckers are bright, bi-colour and very bright. You can read my review here
A promo shoot was required for our investigative unit. The look the producers were looking for wasn’t feasible in our space, so I came up with something else. I have seen many music videos recently that used Quasar Science X Cross-fades and T8’s in different lengths. This was something I thought might be a great way to add a unique lighting element to the background. They are very affordable at $75 each so I bought four 4′ daylight T8s. IKEA also had a few tungsten LED bulbs that I wanted to test. They worked great to break up the background pattern. These tubes can be a little tricky to mount if you don’t know how to use them, but that’s what makes it fun entry level computer science jobs.
Total Cost
Quasar Science sold me four 4′ QLED T8’s for $300. For the 4′, the dimmable model costs $75. Although it is a bit more expensive than the other models, I believe it is worth the value and versatility. It produces a decent amount of light for such a small tube. It is important to note that they can be dimmed. I set them to the lowest setting I could before they turned off in the background scene.
Quasar Science Qu-LED Dimmable 5600K X8 Photometric Results
- Average CRI 98.5
- Extended CRI 97
- 476 LUX at 1 Meter
- 44.2 footcandles
This is what I Learned about Tube Lighting from my Productions
Tube lighting has been a constant part of my experimentation since this shoot. I use them not only as background lighting, but also for product photography and lighting talent.
These clips are made to fit larger T12 tube lights such as the Quasar Science Xcross-fades. I ordered some T8 clips from Amazon. These mounts are lightweight and sturdy so I can mount any type of tube light. They fit easily into either a grip head, or a C stand with an arm thanks to the 5/8″ pin. This is a great way to get the lights above your subject.