Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

2012-07-06: Updated to add detail to light measurement methodology. The results of the test have not changed. Serious photographers and videographers may want to read all this info about multiple CFLs tested. Others can skim it for the CowboyStudio 105 watt specific evaluation. I have been testing CFLs for a couple important projects that need continuous light. The tests include measuring light falling on the subject (measured in LUX with a Lux meter and confirmed with a Sekonic Digital Incident Lightmeter), color temp/quality, and actual power consumption. Since a lot has gone into this, and the results are "interesting" especially in terms of this specific CFL, I decided to share my opinions. Apologies for another long, but fact filled, review :-) The tests were all conducted with bulb warm-up times > 30 minutes, professional digital light metering, test RAW still images of a Kodak Q-60 target, and continuous monitoring of power factors. I also tested 3 100 W incandescent bulbs to see how efficient these CFLs really are. Against incandescent lamps, including one with an encapsulated Halogen source, these CFLs generate 5 to 6 times more illumination per watt consumed! For real! This means having lots of light to work with with far less heat, power consumption and fewer blown circuit breakers on location! The good news is that CFLs come out very serviceable and and efficient . . . but this "105 watt" CowboyStudio CFL is at the back of the pack. Way back. Amazon sourced Full Spectrum/Photo/Video CFLs tested included: CowboyStudio "105w": CowboyStudio Set of Two 105 Watt, 5000 K Fluorescent Daylight Balanced Light Bulb for Photography and Video Lighting ALZO Digital 45 watt CFL: ALZO Digital Full Spectrum Light Bulb - ALZO 45W Photo CFL 5500K 91 CRI, Daylight balanced, pure white light, 2800 Lumens, Case of 4 ALZO Digital 85 watt CFL: Full Spectrum Light Bulb - ALZO 85 watt CFL 5500K - Case of 4 - daylight balanced pure white light - 4250 Lumens KAEZI 85 watt CFL: KAEZI 85 Watt Studio Light Bulb 5500K CFL Day Light The color temp/quality from the CowboyStudio CFL was on a par with other products. However, the light output rating is not at all in line with the 105 watt rating. Also, the bulb is extremely expensive for light output. The CowboyStudio "105w" provides far LESS light on the subject (185 LUX) than the ALZO Digital 45 watt units (212 LUX)!!! Based on how other vendors rate their CFLs, the CowboyStudio should be thought of as a 39 watt lamp. As another reviewer stated, the CowboyStudio 105w is on par with a CFL rated at 40w in terms of both light output and power consumption. EXACTLY! The ALZO Digital 85 watt CFLs provided 424 LUX on the subject target and the KAEZI 85 watt CFLs provided 396 LUX on the subject target. (It is also notable that the KAEZI and ALZO Digital CFLs are nearly identical in size and significantly larger than the CowboyStudio CFL.) The efficiency of the CowboyStudio CFL is almost 20% below other CFLs. The CowboyStudio CFL provides 4.6 LUX on the subject target per watt consumed while the ALZO 45 and the KAEZI 85 provide 5.6 LUX per watt. The ALZO 85w produces 6.1 LUX per watt. In terms of CFL cost vs. light output, the CowboyStudio CFL (as I write this) costs TWICE as much as either ALZO Digital (45 or 85 watt) or the KAEZI 85 watt! The CowboyStudio bulb produces 12 LUX/$ of bulb purchase price. All the other bulbs I have tested are in the range of 24-25 LUX/$. For color temp measurements the photographic subject was a Kodak Q-60 Color calibration and measurement target. Digital images were shot in Raw/NEF format and adjusted for measurably correct color in Camera Raw before bringing into Adobe Photoshop CS 5.5. The tests showed a °K range of 4450 to 4650 for all the CFLs (CowboyStudio's included) and the need for a magenta 'bump' of 10 to 16. (The failure to apply a Magenta correction may be why some users have commented that CFLs exhibit a greenish tinge in their photography.) If my final color tests are OK it looks like CFLs will be a valuable light source. . .until LEDs or the next technology come to market. I hope you found this information useful.