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What color is that light?

Tungsten film lamps are made to 3200 K, and HMIs and daylight LEDs to 5600 K. A household bulb sits near 2700 K, a candle near 1900 K and an overcast sky around 6500 K. Mired is a million divided by the kelvin, and it is the unit gels are sold in.

Dated October 2026Download CSVCC BY 4.0

The ladder

Each photo shows the kind of light, not a reading of that photo.

  1. Candle1900 K · 526 mired
  2. Sodium streetlight2000 K · 500 mired
  3. Household bulb2700 K · 370 mired
  4. Warm LED or tube3000 K · 333 mired
  5. Tungsten film lamp3200 K · 313 mired
  6. Low sun3500 K · 286 mired
  7. Daylight, HMI, daylight LED5600 K · 179 mired
  8. Overcast6500 K · 154 mired
  9. Blue sky, open shade7500 K · 133 mired

Cutvey Meter · Color temperature chartDated October 2026 · CC BY 4.0

The chart

Download CSV (CC BY 4.0)
Typical color temperatures of film and everyday light sources, in kelvin and mired, with the LEE gels that bring each to 5600 K and to 3200 K
SourceWhat the crew calls itTypical KMiredGel to 5600 KGel to 3200 KNote
Candle flameCandle practical1900526Full CTB + Full CTB, −74 leftFull CTB + 1/2 CTB, +1 leftFlickers, so a meter stays at MEDIUM
Sodium streetlightSodium vapor2000500not a gel jobnot a gel jobVery spiky, the kind of light a camera cannot pin down
Household bulbWarm practical2700370Full CTB + 1/4 CTB, −20 left1/4 CTB + 1/8 CTB, −5 left
Warm white LED or tubePractical tube3000333Full CTB + 1/8 CTB, 0 left1/8 CTB, −3 leftOften green on camera
Tungsten film lampTungsten3200313Full CTB, +3 leftnoneRated at 3200 K by its maker
Low sunGolden hour3500, moving by the minute2861/2 CTB + 1/4 CTB, +6 left1/8 CTO, +1 left
Daylight, HMI, daylight LEDDaylight5600179none1/2 CTO + 1/8 CTO, −1 left
Overcast skyOvercast65001541/8 CTO, −1 leftFull CTO, 0 left
Blue sky, open shadeBlue sky7500 and up1331/8 CTO + 1/8 CTO, −7 leftFull CTO + 1/8 CTO, −6 left

Lamp ratings come from their makers' published specs; daylight and sky values are typical published figures and move with weather, time and place. Gel columns use the same LEE table as the app.