If you’re familiar with lighting, there’s a good chance that you have thought about how Kelvin, or color temperature, can affect the outcome of a lighting project. Certain Kelvin temperatures are generally used for certain applications and not for others. In the world of film and cinematography, it is important to be able to create different worlds and moods using lighting, and much of this comes down to Kelvin.

Types of Cinematography Lighting

In the film world, there are four main types of light sources used and each comes with its own unique Kelvin range — Tungsten, HMI, fluorescent, and LED. LED lighting has the widest possible Kelvin range of all typical film lighting, available in 2200K all the way up to 10,000K+. LED is also the most efficient type of cinematography lighting there is, lasting for hundreds of thousands of hours. A common issue with LED lighting is that it often isn’t bright enough to light film sets well enough, but higher wattage fixtures solve this issue easily.

Why 5700K?

When shooting a film scene, it is important to be able to recreate lighting as it would naturally appear in real life. This is done through several different methods including different light sources, using colored gels, and making use of dimming and white balance. Access Fixtures can provide the light sources for a variety of cinematography applications and effects.

Traditionally, the standard Kelvin temperate for what is known in the cinematography world as “indoor lighting” is 3200K, and the standard Kelvin for what is known in the cinematography world as “outdoor lighting” is 5600K. 5600K is also known as “daylight white” and makes scenes appear crisp, bright, and energetic. This Kelvin can also be naturally observed on a bright and sunny day. Access Fixtures carries LED luminaires that are available with 5700K, which is within the range of what is acceptably labeled as “outdoor lighting.” 5700K LED integrated fixtures are sometimes hard to come by and lamps do not provide the same lumen output as a larger fixture would. 

APTA and APTI fixtures are available in 5700K and also come in higher wattages for maximum lumen output, which can be a challenge for film lighting fixtures. EPTA fixtures are available as well for more specific applications.

All Access Fixtures cinematography lighting fixtures are available with multiple mounting options, wattages, finishes, dimming, and more. If you would like a quote for your cinematography lighting project, call 800-468-9925 or email [email protected] today.