Change in Color Temperature

[Bart Wierzbicki]

I have bought some lights that are giving around 5500 K on full power.
I also bought a dimmer so now I can control the power of the lights.
Is it normal that when I go from full power (white lighting) to a very orange-yellow lighting
when I dim those lights ? It seems they go to a 3200 K but I'm not sure.
The lights were quite cheap so maybe that is the reason of its change in Color temperature ?
Does it happen also with the more expensive lights ?

[Brian Drysdale]

What type of lights are we talking about?

[Bart Wierzbicki]

Those redheads look-a-like from China I guess. ;)
I have used them a lot and they have helped me out big time, but
it's just when dimming them they will change in color.
I haven't worked with other expensive lights, so I don't know if it happens
aswell.

[Adam Gold]

Yes, incandescents always warm up when dimmed to lower output.

[David W. Jones]

I agree with Adam here.
A possible solution is to scrim the lights rather than dimming them.


Al the Best!

[Jim Andrada]

Any way to avoid dimming - ie ND filters/gels on the lights, lower wattage bulbs, different F-stop/shutter speed, etc etc.

[Bart Wierzbicki]

Originally Posted by David W. Jones

I agree with Adam here.
A possible solution is to scrim the lights rather than dimming them.
Al the Best!

So you mean, I just have to use them full power so I have the correct color temperature, but then instead of shining directly onto the subject (what is way too bright), I would have to put something in between ? for example a large bedsheet, or shine to the other side and try to reflect that light.
Right ?

[David W. Jones]

You could do that, or as I suggested you could use scrims.

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Bart Wierzbicki

So you mean, I just have to use them full power so I have the correct color temperature, but then instead of shining directly onto the subject (what is way too bright), I would have to put something in between ? for example a large bedsheet, or shine to the other side and try to reflect that light.
Right ?

It depends what you want to do with the light. If you want hard light, you use scrim or use ND gels on a direct light. If you want softer light you bounce it off a white surface or through a diffusion filter eg 216 or a diffusion frame ( you can hang your white bed sheet for this).