LED Lighting Opinion 3K, 4Km or 5K?

Personally, I like the look of incandescent lights for normal house lighting (because that's what I'm used to), so in a living room I'd go with 3000K. The 4000K looks more like daylight, and out of your pictures is the one I like best for a train room.

Ron, a 3,000k LED will have lower lumen output because the manufacturers just use a yellow filter on a 4,000K emitter. I think  the CRI (color rendition index) is as important as the color temperature. The CRI for LED's illuminating a layout should be above 90. Manufacturers make bulbs not sold at big box stores. I worked with a professional lighting supplier to custom order 3,200k LED bulbs that have a CRI of 92. They make the layout look fantastic. These bulbs were standard production but only available by special order. Many bulbs sold in big box stores  have CRI's in the low to mid 80's. These will not look as good in photographs as the better bulbs.

Over time, the eye and brain will adapt to the color temperature and accept it as "normal", so either 3,000k or 4,000k will be ok. The eye and the camera will never adapt to a low CRI. Just my thoughts.

Ron,

If you are building a layout that mimics real life,  then I think you would want a light with the highest lumen rating so that it looks like daylight. Personally I like the 4K or 5K lights.

@AmFlyer posted:

I think  the CRI (color rendition index) is as important as the color temperature. The CRI for LED's illuminating a layout should be above 90. Manufacturers make bulbs not sold at big box stores. I worked with a professional lighting supplier to custom order 3,200k LED bulbs that have a CRI of 92.

Well that is a spec I did not pay attention to.  These happen to be 90 CRI.

These are supposed to be "equivalent" to 100 Watt incandescents.   I have 9 installed now and the room is darker than when I had my two 300 watt bulbs.  Maybe because these are down lights and the bulbs could spread light 360 degrees?

In this pic you can only see 7 and they are all set to 3000K right now.  I think I will continue with three more along the wall, one in the alcove near the window and another next to those closet doors in the back of the room.

I'd continue with a set up the middle in-between the two existing rows, but there is a duct right there.

Keep the comments coming.  If Lumens is the key, then 4000K should be the answer with 1190 Lumens.

Ron

4k in my opinion

Color temp is a matter of personal preference.  I like 3000K as it is closer to the warm glow of incandescent.  As was stated, the CRI is more important and your lights have a good value.   Based on your pictures, your brightness level looks good at any of the color temps.  

I used Cree LEDs when I finished my basement.  They are 3000K, CRI >90, but I don't recall the lumen value.  I spaced the lights in a 6'X6' grid for general lighting in my basement, but over the layout they are in a 4'X6' grid.  While I am happy with the overall brightness, I did find an issue with having all the lighting projected directly from above.  Details are better seen when lighting is projected horizontally on the trains and structures.  This is most apparent in the large mountain under construction (2nd picture).  There are 180 conifers on the mountain, but it only looks like a dark green blob.  I have purchased some track lighting to project lighting downward at a 45 degree angle to bring out more detail.

Bob

Color temp is a matter of personal preference. Personally I use the warmer colors 3K+ for the house. The CEO doesn't like the higher temps. As you go higher and more toward the blue spectrum the colors on your layout will look cooler as well. Since daylight is around 4-5K that is what will look most natural but not necessarily the best for the layout.

I attended a full day seminar many years ago (early days of LED's), at Phillips North America Headquarters on lighting efficacy, a big word that means how our brains interpret light and color. I learned some cool stuff that day. Amazing how a color can look different when hit with different color temperature light.  As @RRDOC mentioned, down light alone does cast shadows. Track lighting is much better for lighting a layout for viewing. The tracks should be placed a couple of feet from the layout edge to reduce shadows from standing people.

Many of the lamps on the market today are smartphone enabled and you can pick and choose the color you want. Some even will do full spectrum and can simulate day, night, sunrise, etc., pretty cool IMHO.

Here's a interesting comparison that I did by accident. This is an Ameritown building I was working on. My overhead light at my bench is 3.5K, I also had my task lamp on which is 5K. The wall on the right is below the task light. In the second photo the task light is off.

Of the bunch I also prefer the incandescents.  Of the three LEDs my least favorite is the 5000K.  It seems to wash things out.  That might be appropriate for desert areas and beaches.  For areas known for more vibrant colors though you'd want something letting those color contrasts stand out.   However I am trying to judge based off a picture and off of how my computer is interpreting that picture.

@Bill N posted:

However I am trying to judge based off a picture and off of how my computer is interpreting that picture.

You are right.... The pics and the way computers interpret is very different form real life.  Standing there, it's easy to see the difference between the three settings.

But looking at the pics I posted, they all seem similar to me.

Ron

The pictures look almost the same because all smartphone cameras and most SLR style cameras have color correction software turned on by default. To use a smartphone in full manual mode a 3rd party app is usually required to gain control of all settings. With the SLR style cameras those features can be controlled from the menu but it is not always easy to find.