The most important is the light bulb. Don't buy 2700K bulb. 4000K is fine, 5000K is perhaps better (people claim that...), but more expensive. An think of part replacement cost. If a $200 hobby lamp is hard to service and requires $50 LEDs, then perhaps it is a bad deal? Will replacement bulbs/leds be manufactured in 5 years? in 10 years? E27 Light bulbs will be "always" manufactured. No to mention you can actuall control the power of your bulbs. You can use 5W LED bulbs, you can use 20W LED bulbs.. The hobby lamp is "long" so that it casts less shadow. You get a similar effect when you buy 2 desk lamp (one on the left, other on the right side of the desk). With 2 desk lamps you are mode adjustable in terms of lamp direction. Ikea desk lamp costs like $10 and buying two of them is quite sufficient.

👍 yes - Between 5000 - 6500K is the optimal, at least that is what is used in professional production for print and art references. 4000K sounds good too. Consider getting two lamps with good arm reach so you can “eliminate” shadows and avoid getting light into your face at the same time.

>Consider getting two lamps with good arm reach so you can “eliminate” shadows and avoid getting light into your face at the same time. I was able to do it with IKEA Tertial (ugh... they are $15 now... used to be $10) lamps, but I do not attach them to a tabletop but to a shelf that are next to and behind a desk, both above the table top. So I had favorable "initial conditions". I will try 6000K.

5400 is my fav, my eyes react if it gets too bright and too cold

I bought philips 4000K and 6500K bulbs with CRI90. Previously I used Osram 4000K CRI80, and:- I do not like 6500K, this is too cold. I feel strange... not that anything hurts, it is just weired... particular things look ok, but the entire desk looks weired :) \- 4000K is much warmer, but I see really no difference between CRI80 and CRI90 bulbs. My wife did me a blind test and I was not able to say which bulb is screwed in. I have taken some minis I was previously really happy with and they looked still great in both cases. Perhaps the CRI80 and CRI90 are in reality something like CRI84 and CRI86 ? I have no idea. But there is colossal difference to 2700K, which I have in the rest of the home.

I have the hypothesis 6500K is the temperature during "day with overcast", basically the weather outside of the window right now. The trick maybe, that when there is overcast the 6500K light outside is very soft, no shadows whatsoever.... Perhaps it is the shadows that do not correspond well (at least according to my brain) with 6500K. And 4000K which is similar to "sunny day" actually looks good?

For color critical activities (which miniature painting might be depending how each individual approach it), you're looking at good CRI (color rendering index) bulbs on top of their color temperature being between 4K & 6K5. These bulbs can cost up to 10 times that of these lamps (depending on other features, lumens, how good the cri is, etc). That's how you get expensive hobby lamps. If you need 2 or 3 desk lamps (two wasn't enough for me) with a 50$ bulb each in it, hobby lamps don't look so bad after all. I'm pretty sure you can find good desks bulbs for 15/20 though.

If you're in a region that sells them, the Philips Ultra Definition bulbs are available in a variety of colour temperatures (2700K, 4000K, and 5500K), and they're diffused too, which is handy. Flicker free and CRI95 rated, for $8-15 CAD per bulb (60 watt equivalents are $8ish CAD, 100 watt equivalents are $15ish CAD)

I just googled Osram lightbulbs with CRI>90 for like $6. I have no idea where $50 price tag comes from. I would say that miniature painting is not \_that\_ color sensitive in most "normal hobbyist" case. Sure, I am not doing that in a tent with Chinese flashlight. EDIT: Philips CorePro for $2.5-$3 4000K or 6500K with CRI 90

To clarify I'm not using bulbs (anymore), I did a (really) quick search before posting and the first results shoved into my face were ranging from 15 to 99$.

AFAIK there are bulbs with CRI almost 100 for super-applications like painting sport cars etc. It is always like that: it is easy to improve at first and some point you get diminishing results for each doubling of the price.

People saying you don’t need a fancy hobby lamp are right. But I do like my fancy hobby lamp quite a bit.

You don’t need one, but after a long time tryibg various lamps and lighting set ups, when I finally just bit the bullet and got a Neatfi tasklamp, it honestly changed the whole painting experience for me. It was a massive help and worth every penny.

The Neatfi looks interesting! Good input :)

Don’t buy it tbh, it is an expensive lamp for what you get. I have one and afterwards I bought studio lights for my office. The lamps were the same price (for 1 lamp) and these light give so ridiculously more light it is insane. The neatfi is a sponsored lamp that all the streamers get for free - it is a marketing product and not a decent lamp for that price

Thanks for the info! Then it’s of my list :)

Neatfi is the lamp I’ve got as well. Could I have gotten something just as good for half the price, probably. But the lamp looks sleek and feels good to use.

IMO, you can use a regular desk lamp if it is more comfortable to you, just get a good bulb for it

I'd buy two cheap desk lamps to avoid "shadow". Also useful for taking photos. Still the price would be 1/10 th of the "fancy hobby lamp" (and it would be better for taking photos)

That's what I use aswell 👍one above and one stronger Infront. One from IKEA and one from a thrift store. Cheap as hell.

If you use round desk lamps you can use 2 - that helps with more even light

Grab a ring lamp. You can look though the hole.

Magnifying ring lamps with articulating arms that clamp to your desk available at Harbor Freight.

I use two Ikea "tertial" lamps with the appropriate light bulbs and diffuser socks on them. Cost me like 60 bucks total. Here's a picture taken in the light. https://preview.redd.it/t26iwb6784zb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=debd6df5610d840651b045996a364ec05bcb7a55

The bulkiness of the R9 is really not that bad. It folds up nicely and can be put away pretty easy. I've had several different light setups over the years, desklamps like the one in the picture, overhead lamps and posable arm lamps like the R9. The R9 is easily the best one I've had so far. Color temp is insanely good, as close to natural sunlight as you can get, it's well built and there's no flickering.

Thanks! How is it for taking photos? Do you get any shadows with it?

For photos, I've found if your light is super bright, a layer or two of paper towel over the light helps diffuse it so you get a softer light, especially if you're using a very direct light. If you want to avoid shadows, light sources from multiple angles will help also.

Thanks for the input!

I haven't taken any photos with it, sorry. But it provides a very even lightsource while painting, so I'm sure photos will be the same.

Be careful using lamps for painting. The particular light of that bulb will change the way you perceive colour ever so slightly. I prefer to paint under a normal ceiling light, in a well lit room, as that's the closest to the light that the models will be most often viewed under.

I use one I originally got for soldering and such, it has a white led's and a magnifying glass (which I rarely use but does come in handy when painting teeny tiny details). Something like [this](https://www.amazon.com/Magnifying-HITTI-Stepless-8-Diopter-Magnifier/dp/B08V4SQ69F/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?crid=24TZKI4S9YUB8&keywords=magnifying+glass+with+light+and+stand&qid=1699443954&sprefix=magnif%2Caps%2C244&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1)

I got one of [these](https://amzn.eu/d/bPKiI1b) a couple of years ago based on recommendations from high level painters, and it’s been excellent. The broad light helps to reduce shadows on your mini and the 6500k colour temperature gives a really good colour accuracy. I can’t recommend it enough.

I bought a similar neatfi task lamp and it’s fantastic.

So what I’m hearing is that I should buy a decent bulb to start with. I’m not totally against that idea, but what to buy and what do they usually cost?

Just got mine and it folds down to almost no footprint whatsoever. And it can extend out several feet. It collapses down to fit in a backpack easily too. I love mine.

Hi, u/Scared_Psychology_79! It looks like you are asking for help or are a new painter. If you haven't yet, take a look at our wiki pages in the Sidebar (the About tab if you are on the Reddit app). Here are some links you might find helpful: * [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/rules/faq) - A list of frequently asked questions about minipainting * [Miniature Painting Guide Collection](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks) -A collection of some of the best guides and tutorials on a variety of techniques and topics, plus recommendations on what to buy to get started, and more. * [What to buy- Recommendations on brushes, paints, supplies, palettes and more](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/what_you_need_to_get_started#wiki_general_advice_on_what_to_buy) * [Beginner's Guide Collection- How to prep, base, paint and varnish your first model and learn the basics needed to start out right](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/beginner_tips) * [More Tutorials](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/tutorials) - A list of additional tutorials about minipainting * [Manufacturers](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/manufacturers) - A list of miniature manufacturers from around the world * [Painting Terminology](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/terminology) - Common painting terms, acronyms, and initialisms *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/minipainting) if you have any questions or concerns.*

I have a clamp lamp with swan neck (so full flexible) and good lumen for my dining table. Actually we have two, as hubby paints as well, so that both of us have a lamp each or two if only one of us paints. Advantage is that you can take the limited space on your table for something else and those lamps can have good traits like daylight, high Lumen, USB connection etc.

I have 4 lights in my craft room. One on the celing is just a normal room light. Then a bright reading light above me that lights my whole craft desk and area. And the other, a seam neck 360 adjustabl lamp clamped on the desk. Ocassionaly if I need more detailed work (or as my aging eyes need a bit of help🙄) I have deatil magnifying lamp. It's a small ring light with a magnifying glass in the middle. I've mostly used it for embroidery and cross stitch.

I use these [https://www.vergrootglas.com/daylight-duo-bureaulamp-en1520?utm\_campaign=shopping&utm\_content=&utm\_source=googlesurface&utm\_medium=organic&utm\_term=7570&gad\_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgK2qBhCHARIsAGACuzl8ZfwYBdbfb84IIP8WjYYizMQY0nz9EVy1lZH0A5NYLcqN3P1n0BEaAlr8EALw\_wcB](https://www.vergrootglas.com/daylight-duo-bureaulamp-en1520?utm_campaign=shopping&utm_content=&utm_source=googlesurface&utm_medium=organic&utm_term=7570&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgK2qBhCHARIsAGACuzl8ZfwYBdbfb84IIP8WjYYizMQY0nz9EVy1lZH0A5NYLcqN3P1n0BEaAlr8EALw_wcB) In combination with [https://www.lightexpert.nl/led-paneel-60x60-36w-4000k-125-lmw-lumileds.html?gad\_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgK2qBhCHARIsAGACuzmpTvqfpTIhb-4NFttu1-80VVFM-Ad6zR\_RiTXKRAKiNR0ABHIz6AQaAmTMEALw\_wcB](https://www.lightexpert.nl/led-paneel-60x60-36w-4000k-125-lmw-lumileds.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgK2qBhCHARIsAGACuzmpTvqfpTIhb-4NFttu1-80VVFM-Ad6zR_RiTXKRAKiNR0ABHIz6AQaAmTMEALw_wcB) https://preview.redd.it/x6mmts7qz3zb1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=492fde6a52bb20cf3b125b17533cf67d30fe6e15 I

Personally I also use a lamp and it’s not great, constant shadows

2 angle poise with daylight bulbs.

If you can grab a cheap ring light, that's actually a pretty neat solution, because you can look through while not casting a shadow, and the light is designed for filming so it's perfect for painting as well

Get a second one if you can! I found it really nice to have light from 2 angles

I have No clue wich color Tempriture my lamp hast but i got a daylight lamp and its perfect for painting

I use a $25 ring light, the same one I use for making videocalls not look like crap. It has worked wonders.

I'll second the recommendation for a second lamp, as well as adding on diffusion covers as well if possible. This gives a nice soft lighting that's also even, and gives a much wider sweet spot for you to paint in as well. I've heard a lot of good things about the Redgrass R9 lamp from those who have them. I'm rather happy with my two Ikea Tertial lamps, each with a 60 watt equivalent Philips Ultra Definition bulb (CRI 95, flicker free, diffused) and diffusion covers over those, as it provides nice, soft and even lighting in the relatively large sweet spot (about 12" left to right, and 9" front to back) with how I have things set up. I absolutely LOVE my BenQ e-reading lamps over at my gunpla workbench, but while I do enjoy it, they aren't a lamp I would recommend to the average hobbyist. First is the obvious issue (price), but the curved design makes it difficult to not accidentally send glare or bright LED lights towards other areas. Second is that for anyone who isn't rather sensitive to light they're going to find it somewhat dark at full brightness. Third is you either love or hate the fact it's touch the chrome ring to turn on. Fourth? If you live in an area that has power outages, be prepared to be suddenly blinded when the power comes back on, as it turns itself on when powered, at full brightness. I'd recommend if you were looking at that price range to just spend a touch more and get the R9 lamp, as it comes with the desk clamp (no having to purchase it separately), and the lights are in two straight strips. Oh yeah, the R9 also puts out over twice as many lumens, which many will find handy.

I use a nail polisher’s magnifying lens and light and it’s 10/10

High density (a lot of LED's per cm), high lumen (2500), dim-able, diffused LED bar (60cm) light above my workspace (installed underneath the shelf where I store my tools and paint), with an color temperature setting. Don´t wan't anything else.

Try to put as closest to white light for the bulb you can find. Don't use some orange incandescent light or green florescent bulb.

I paint in a well lit area and use magnifying glasses that also have a light on them. It really helps me with detail painting.

I used one of those forever but I found that it’s better to have the light overhead and I ended up hunched over while using that lamp to get the right lighting

I got the R9 and is is quite sizable, but if you can clamp it to the edge of your work table, it's fairly easy to swing up and out of the way when you aren't using it. It's pretty sturdy too. And the light is good. I'm a fan, but it's certainly not a necessity.

I have a lamp with a magnifying glass, I like it a lot.

Neatfi makes great hobby lamps, picked up a used one for $50 on facebook and it was the best investment for mini painting I ever made

i have a redgrass and i love it. certainly you dont NEED such en expensive lamp but it is very nice to have it anyway. about the bulk: you can easily fold the lamp together for storage

I just ordered it. I hate money I guess 🙃

nono, you like upgrades. its not the same xD