Colour Temperature Reference
A visual guide to light sources and their Kelvin values. Use this to understand colour casts and choose appropriate film or filtration.
Colour temperature scale
Visual reference from warm (1800K) to cool (12000K). Colours are approximations — actual appearance varies with intensity and adaptation.
Film stock white balance
Colour films are balanced for specific light sources
| Film Type | Balanced For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Daylight film | 5500K | Standard colour negative and slide films |
| Tungsten film | 3200K | Balanced for tungsten studio lamps |
| Type A film | 3400K | Photoflood balanced (largely discontinued) |
Colour correction filters
Filters to convert between colour temperatures
| Filter | Converts | Shift | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80A | 3200K light → daylight film (5500K) | -131 mired | Blue, strong cooling; daylight film under tungsten |
| 80B | 3400K light → daylight film (5500K) | -112 mired | Blue, for 3400K photoflood |
| 80C | 3800K light → daylight film (5500K) | -81 mired | Blue, light cooling |
| 80D | 4200K light → daylight film (5500K) | -56 mired | Blue, slight cooling |
| 85 | Daylight (5500K) → 3400K film | +112 mired | Amber; Type A film in daylight |
| 85B | Daylight (5500K) → 3200K film | +131 mired | Amber; tungsten film in daylight |
| 85C | Daylight (5500K) → 3800K film | +81 mired | Amber, light warming |
Understanding colour temperature
Colour temperature describes the hue of a light source, measured in Kelvin (K). The scale is based on the colour a theoretical "black body" would emit when heated to that temperature.
Counter-intuitively, lower Kelvin values appear warmer (orange/red) and higher values appear cooler (blue). This is because:
- A cooler physical temperature produces warm-coloured light (like a candle)
- A hotter physical temperature produces cool-coloured light (like a blue star)
For film photography, matching your film's white balance to the ambient light produces neutral colours. Mismatches create colour casts — sometimes deliberately for creative effect.
Log your lighting conditions with Silverlog
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