@LPowell - did you ever test the BlueMax bulbs? I am about to purchase 20 or so CFL's and trying to figure out the best ones to buy. I'll be using them in 4-bulb heads, and am trying to decide between:
42w Maxlite CFL (84 CRI, 5000K
and
50w BlueMax CFL (93 CRI, 5500K)
On the surface, it would seem that the BlueMax is the way to go, with its color temperature for mixing with daylight and CRI, but since I'll be mixing these with fresnels as well, it would be beneficial to not correct as much (more light) and CRI measurements don't say very much about the quality of light that is produced. Has anyone used both?
Update on compact daylight fluorescents. I've been using 23W MaxLite SKR423FLDL floodlights, rated at 1300 lumens with a 5000K color temperature:
http://www.greenelectricalsupply.com/23-watt-cfl-r40-flood-daylight-5000k.aspx
At each shoot, I'd assemble four lamps on a four-socket head with a pair of staggered socket extenders:
http://www.elightup.com/photography-product/1-x-4-socket-50-x-70cm-softbox-photo-video-light-head
http://www.amazon.com/Medium-Porcelain-Extender-Extension-Adapter/dp/B0076NZWBQ
While you can use the included softbox, I typically just insert a simple umbrella into the center hole of the head. The only drawback I've found to this setup has been the time it takes to assemble and break down the four bulbs.
I recently found a smaller fluorescent floodlight that's almost as bright as the MaxLites, the 20W LongStar FE-RSF-20W, rated at 1100 lumens with the same 5000k color temperature:
These fluorescent bulbs are small enough to keep them pre-assembled on the head, stored in a padded 8x8x10-inch box. The compact dimensions of the four-bulb assembly is more durable and easier to wrangle on-set than the MaxLites. At less than $75 per assembly, this is the cheapest low-wattage AC-powered lighting solution I've found.
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