# Are 6400k bulbs good for softbox.



## lonerunner

Im preparing to make one DIY softbox and i have been to all shops that i know in my city to find bulbs for it, but everywhere i i found 2700k bulbs, and only 2 places have 6400k bulbs. Now on tutorial it say to use 5000k bulbs and searching around many people say that 5000k bulbs are best for softbox and on light chart 5000k is clear daylight color while 6400k is going toward cloudy daylight.

So is 6400k bulbs ok to use for daylight portraits, picturing things, stock photography, products, since i can't find 5000k bulbs anywhere. Can anyone show me example image if have some?


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## tirediron

They're fine to use; your images will have a warmer tone to them, but just include a white or grey card in a test shot, and you'll be able to correct the WB in post or set a custom WB before hand.


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## Don Kondra

Full Spectrum Lighting from ALZO Digital

Cheers, Don


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## KmH

Sunlight is about 5500K. Lower color temperatures are warmer - like a setting Sun. Higher color temperatures are cooler than even mid-day sunlight. Color temperature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Constant lighting doesn't work so good for people shots, because for people shots shutter speeds need to be 1/100 or faster. Portraiture can be shot using constant lighting but the lights need to be pretty powerful, like 200 W each or more, to provide enough light at 1/100.

Constant light works for inanimate objects, because your shutter speed can be 1 second or longer.


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## lonerunner

tirediron said:


> They're fine to use; your images will have a warmer tone to them, but just include a white or grey card in a test shot, and you'll be able to correct the WB in post or set a custom WB before hand.



Isn't 6500k cooler tone than 5000k ? Stupid question: when i include white card, in post processing i should select color correct and drop (i thing it's called pipette) on white card and based on white card color lightroom will correct color of image?



KmH said:


> Sunlight is about 5500K. Lower color temperatures are warmer - like a setting Sun. Higher color temperatures are cooler than even mid-day sunlight. Color temperature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Constant lighting doesn't work so good for people shots, because for people shots shutter speeds need to be 1/100 or faster. Portraiture can be shot using constant lighting but the lights need to be pretty powerful, like 200 W each or more, to provide enough light at 1/100.
> 
> Constant light works for inanimate objects, because your shutter speed can be 1 second or longer.



I know, but softbox that im planing to do will have about 600w power, plus i have one reflector of 500w power but it generates alot of heat. I will get set of 2 speedlights with umbrelas once when i save money(im currently saving for 70-300mm lens) until than this is something to work with and it doesn't cost much to make. Just a question out of this topic, how much power speedlight generates?


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## hirejn

In cameras and in LR, the higher the K the warmer the tone. In LR, you press "W" and then click on the white target. You can then sync the WB to every photo shot in the same lighting.


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## andrewkurcan

hirejn said:


> In cameras and in LR, the higher the K the warmer the tone. In LR, you press "W" and then click on the white target. You can then sync the WB to every photo shot in the same lighting.



Almost. The higher the K, the warmer the tones from light sources BELOW that K setting. Higher kelvin output means a cooler light. When you white balance higher than what the scene was shot in, you're tricking the camera/file into warming up the scene.


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## andrewkurcan

Speedlights will vary in output. Look for the guide number, which gives you the number of effective feet you be away from your subject while shooting at ISO 100. 

As for the scene being warmer with 6400k lighting... If you shoot a subject with a source that is cooler than the rest of the scene, you are left with two choices in post or while shooting - either your subject or background will be in proper balance. Balancing to 6400k will result in 6400k looking bright white, and 5600k looking like an incandescent lamp in daylight. Make sense? Alternatively, balancing to 5600k when using a 6400k source will make the subject look like the second coming.


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