[UnknownVT]

On the surface this may seem simple enough -
most CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) have a color temperature clearly marked on their packaging


However in the June/2012 issue of Popular Photography there was this article:


It would appear according to their measurements all the CFL bulbs they had,
seem to have a higher color temperature than marked - by quite a significant margin.

I have been using CFL for lighting of my photography and I had been seduced by this:

The CIE positions D65 as the standard daylight illuminant:

[D65] is intended to represent average daylight and has a correlated colour temperature of approximately 6500 K. CIE standard illuminant D65 should be used in all colorimetric calculations requiring representative daylight, unless there are specific reasons for using a different illuminant. Variations in the relative spectral power distribution of daylight are known to occur, particularly in the ultraviolet spectral region, as a function of season, time of day, and geographic location.
—ISO 10526:1999/CIE S005/E-1998, CIE Standard Illuminants for Colorimetry

from Wikipedia on Illuminant D65

So even though the 5000K CFLs seem to look better to me -
I use 6500K GE CFLs for photo illumination -
I think for fixed Daylight balance seem a bit blue'ish
(although I am very aware of it, I don't seem to see any green cast alluded to in the PopPhoto article)

Using AWB (Auto White Balance) the photos seem just fine
and in pp (post processing) I can use white point selection to correct for any color casts -

I just figured that a bit more blue may make it easier for the camera anyway.....

Still it was interesting reading that Popular Photography article -
and that could explain why the 6500K CFLs seem blue'ish and the 5000K CFL seem so pleasing to me.

I did a whole bunch of "color balance" test photos in the thread:

GE sunshine 5000K CF

[UnknownVT]

I am not by any stretch of the imagination a critical color user - so may well miss some of the finer nuances in color rendition - but here are some Macbeth panel photos:

[UnknownVT]

I did a google for CFL & photography,
and found these threads that might be interesting:

Shooting with Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs)

CFL 5000k vs 6500K

these were old from DVInfo.net (Digital Video Information Network)
the posts are obviously, like here, not definitive but from enthusiasts in digital video
as stated in Post #7 - it seems there are people who like using them with digital video.

Then I stumbled on a National Geographic article on CFLs

Sunshine CFL Vs. Daylight CFL | National Geographic

Sunshine CFLs
The sunshine color temperature typically ranges from 5,000 to 5,400 K (see Reference 1). This color temperature range reproduces the effect of direct sunshine. The light produced by a CFL that's rated for sunshine is generally white with hues of blue that increase with the temperature scale. Sunshine CFLs are typically marked with the word "sunshine" on the bulb packaging and include the specific color temperature. Use sunshine CFLs in rooms where you want a slightly tinted light that is softer than a daylight bulb.

Daylight CFLs
The typical daylight color temperature is 5,500 K, but most CFL bulbs that produce this type of color temperature range from 5,500 to 6,500 K (see Reference 1). This spectrum produces a clear, bright white light. Daylight temperature CFLs reproduce the effect of direct sun with lightly tinted blue sky on an average day. This makes daylight bulbs useful for lighting areas where you want to see clear colors on walls or furniture without interference from a tinted bulb. Daylight CFLs are stamped on the packaging with the word "daylight" and the specific color temperature they produce.

Then this:

Compact Fluorescent Photography Light Bulbs

it is from a commercial/vending site -
so I don't know what credence one can put on it.

However it is interesting that this "article" makes distinction between film and digital photography - citing film photography balances at 5600K - but digital balances at 6500K.