Anyone else try 5000k (full spectrum) lighting at home?

[Walt34]

Recently I bought some 5000k (the "k" is for kelvin, a measure of color temperature) full spectrum CFL lights for the den where I use the computer for photo editing. I found that after color calibrating the screen, colors look different in daylight and incandescent lighting (duh!) so tried the 5000k lights.

DW is okay with the lights but drew the line at painting the room 18% gray to avoid color contamination.

It's interesting. During the day the lighting color pretty much matches daylight but at night the difference is dramatic when going to a different room with incandescent lights. Initially the color shift from red/orange incandescent to the much more blue 5000k is dramatic but one adjusts to it. I definitely think it's a change for the better, DW is fine with them in this room but balks at putting them in the rest of the house.

I just wondered if anyone else had tried them.

 

[brewer12345]

These are the standard bulb types if you have a planted freshwater aquarium. When I first bought one for a sizable planted tank, I was amazed at how much like full daylight they seemed. In the winter (grey) I find myself staring at the tanks more simply because of the all-too-rare "sunlight."

 

[bruce1]

I have two four foot tubes over the kitchen table which doubles as office and sometimes reading area. I can read some stuff without glasses with those lights.

 

[Amethyst]

Walt, I never heard of 5000K lights before (when I saw your title, I thought you were talking about lights that cost 5 million dollars ), but if they are brighter, and possibly enhance one's mood (as Brewer alluded to), they sound like something to try.

Amethyst

 

[Midpack]

I have one that I use for reading, and I've checked out (and confirmed) the color phenomena you mention. But I just have it for reading, especially since I put cheap CFL's throughout the house and that light is not great (but newer CFL's are better).

 

[Redbugdave]

I bought some, (by mistake and not knowing the difference), and tried them out. We did not like them. I returned them and got the incandescent colored ones. For us, the light seemed too "harsh". I would imagine if you had a paint studio or something like that they would be OK, but we prefer the warm type of light still.