I have been evaluating the amount of lighting I have on my layout, mainly for picture quality and to reduce shadows. Right now I have 4 CFL bulbs which claim to have an effective output of 75W. They are R30 flood lights. The layout is approximately 11' x 12'. I am thinking of adding an additional 4 lights. These are all track lights and can be adjusted. Does anyone have any rules for how much lighting per area is needed for proper lighting on a layout ? I am planning to put them on separate switches so I can have normal lighting (4) and picture lighting (8).
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
Jeff, I have a layout measuring 13.75' X 9'. It is in a box bench configuration so that I can operate in a central pit that occupies roughly 1/3 of the resultant footprint sq ftage. Over each of the two longer benches is a 10' track, each with 5 50W GA10 mini-halogens. I can operate the layout just fine with that much light, and the main bugbear for me has been how easily I can re-rail items. It is tough with steamers and not enough light when you are sliding downhill from 55.
However, in terms of photography, I often will slide and aim another two of those lights onto a scene, even from across to the other track. Even then, I will take several images and find that there just isn't the detail showing up. So, I'll run upstairs and unplug either a daylight reading lamp (designed for those who suffer from SAD this time of year) or a bright halogen 40W reading lamp and set that close to the scene. I use a Canon Powershot 710is, and sometimes it wants more light in order to have the image look like sunlight...otherwise, if I get lazy or am in a hurry, the images that I end up posting are decidedly yellowish.
So, if you have, or are considering track lighting, by all means do so. However it may be a lot cheaper to just have a couple of $15 lamps with flexi-stems for the sunlit effect.
I have a 6 x 11 x 10 trapezoid. I have 15 60 watts on track lighting. I think you can't really get too much.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
Yup, the more, the better. It needs to be evenly distributed, though.
When you shoot with more light, you can use a smaller aperture. If you've got a point-and-shoot and don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry, because the camera will do it for you. When you use a smaller aperture, you get greater depth of focus, which generally results in a better picture since less of it is blurry. Also, you can shoot faster, which reduces the effect of hand motion when holding the camera.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
You can never have too much.
My layout is much the same size as yours. I light mine with 8 100w equivalent CFLs. It's quite bright. I can also move the fixtures around to bring even more light into scenes, if need be.
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
nbrodar wrote:You can never have too much.
The correct answer is above. Especially if you work on the layout at the layout. For things like track laying, trouble-shooting, soldering, lots of light is needed to do good work. Especially once you pass about 45.
The amount of light needed to operate may vary from what you need to work on the layout. But all too typically, we go cheap on the lighting for operations, and then you struggle with reading car numbers to match waybills or car cards, rerailing a derailment, seeing what you are doing with a coupler pick, and so on.
For working on the layout, you want the surface to be significantly better lit than a page in a book you are reading due to the reduced contrast at the layout. A camera with manual settings can be used to "read" light levels.
For operations, you want enough light to be able to operations-related tasks (some were already mentioned), and enough light to enjoy the fine detail of your scenery and models. This light level should be at least what you use to read comfortably, but doesn't need to be as bright as for working on the layout.
IMHO, those who use rope lights or Christmas lights (unless they use multiple strings in the same area) usually do not have a bright enough "scene" to suit my tastes. It may be plenty to watch a train go by, but it won't due for the other operating tasks.
as always, these are my thoughts and your choices
Fred W
fwright wrote: nbrodar wrote: You can never have too much.The correct answer is above.
nbrodar wrote: You can never have too much.
The correct answer is above.
Of course, if your layout lighting is better than your workbench lighting...you may disagree!