Thought I’d post a review of the OTT-LITE I bought a week ago at Michael’s with a 50% off coupon. It cost $70 with the discount and I would gladly have paid the full pop $140 retail or more for this light. It’s a floor lamp with a special fluorescent bulb. In using it I’m able to model longer with no eye strain. It casts a bright light, yet it’s diffused and not harsh. It doesn’t radiate heat either, important for working with plastics. Construction is top notch and I wish I had bought one of these things years ago. If you model a lot and take it seriously the OTT-LITE is a tool you need.
The imitation with a generic fluorescent bulb hit the trash pile about 2 hours after I started using the OTT-LITE. There is just no comparison and it’s hard to put into words just how phenomenal this light really is. It’s like building cheap models and then springing for an expensive well engineered kit from Japan. The difference is just epic.
I don’t work for OTT-LITE and stand to gain nothing for putting up this review.
Why not just buy a compact, flourescent, daylight, color-balanced bulb for a regular lamp? I have one that is equivelent to 100 Watts for my overhead lamp and it gives a close approximation of the spectrum of daylight. The bulb only cost me $10.00 with shipping. I bought 2 Ott-Lites years ago and they are nice, but I see no appreciable difference between my Otts and my daylight bulb. From now on I’ll stick with a regular lamp and have a daylight bulb. BIG savings.
The Ott Light uses a different bulb in it, and is absolutly the best color correct bulb out there. Guys that tie flies have known this for many years now. They also make one that has a fold down magnifier built into it, and Hobby Lobby carries them. I couldn’t live without one, and because of that I have two. Might add here that an Ott Lite is aloso a must for avid readers as they reduce eye strain drasticly.
A few years ago, I found a portable folding Ott-Lite at a garage sale. It was my regular workbench light until I found a perfectly good fluorescent desk lamp in the dumpster. I fit the desk lamp with a daylight-spectrum tube and the Ott-Lite went into my road toolbox. That little Ott-Lite is great in those inadequately-lit motel rooms. One of the best three bucks I ever spent.
Thanks for that tip! WIth a coupon, you could get it on the cheap!
Speaking of"eye strain", any chance you could change out that video signature you’ve got going there? Man, it makes it hard to read your posts; it’s so distracting…?
I’ve posted two photos. The first is my workbench lighted by a 24W (100W equivalent) compact flourescent daylight color-balanced bulb. The second is the same workbench lighted by a fold-out OttLite. I’ll let you guys decide which is better.
Some people buy a Mercedes because they know it’s the finest car available. Others are content with a Lexus knock off. That’s the wonderful thing about a free market economy. Choices.
I do see your original post/point MT, and if I coudl get a Mercedes at 50% off like you did the OTT I’d be willing to buy it. For now I’ll keep my magnifier light with natural light bulb.
Very true indeed. I’m just sticking up for the guys who don’t want to spend a lot of money on lighting when you can get decent lighting for cheap from another source. My foldout Otts are nice and I will keep them for doing miniatures but on the level of modeling I’m doing I’m more than happy with the color balanced daylight bulb.
