Notes from the bench
Desk lamps, ring lights and LED panels for miniature painting
Choose a light shape and mounting style around your hands, desk and model rather than the word daylight on the box.
The shape of a light changes where you can place it. Start with your working position and mounting space, then compare specifications. Daylight, ring and panel describe different things: light appearance, shape and construction are not interchangeable measures of quality.
| Style | First question | Layout constraint |
|---|---|---|
| Adjustable desk lamp | Can the head reach above the model? | Base footprint or clamp clearance |
| Ring light | Where will hands and model sit relative to the ring? | Stand, opening and viewing angle |
| LED panel | Can its stand put it where you need it? | Panel size and support footprint |
| Two light sources | Can you adjust each independently? | More mounts, cables and controls |
Try the position with your current light
Sit down with a model and unloaded brush. Move through the angles you use for a face, shield and underside of a cloak. Notice where fingers cast shadows. Move the lamp head and repeat. This gives you a practical reach requirement before buying a new shape of light.
A lamp that can move around your work may be more useful than a brighter fixed head. Conversely, if the arm is always in the way, more joints may add frustration. Make a paper outline of a proposed base or stand and place it on the desk to check its footprint.
Consider painting and photography arrangements
A light used for photographs may occupy the same area in which you need to move your hands while painting. Check both arrangements before buying one light for both jobs. Phone photographs also depend on exposure and white balance; a photograph is not a reliable measurement of CRI or illuminance.
If a product has colour effects, first check whether it also provides published specifications for the white-light setting you intend to use. Do not substitute an RGB feature list for colour-rendering information.
Compare evidence, then fit
Read colour temperature, the reported colour-rendering index and lux measurement with its distance. Keep missing information visible. A photography panel should meet the same evidence standard as a hobby-branded lamp in your shortlist.
Our lighting terminology guide explains the measurements. The lamp comparer shows maker-stated data without ranking products or predicting output at another distance.
Before ordering, check UK electrical compatibility, included mount, return terms and cable length. A specification table helps you choose what to investigate; it cannot confirm how a stand fits around your desk.
Sources & further reading
- Redgrass: R9 desk lamp — checked 2026-10-25
- Zumtobel: how to measure light — checked 2026-10-25