General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K
This General Brand BCA 250 Watt/120 Volt frosted blue "Daylight" 4800°K lamp is crucial for use with daylight balanced films, or when mixing available daylight with floodlights. It has a 4- hour lifespan, constant burn. Brand may vary due to availablity.
If G-E brand is required: GEBCA
For a 500 watt version of this bulb, click here.
For a 3200°K version of this bulb, click here.
| Code | BCA |
| Application | Floodlight, enlarger, movie light |
| Watts | 250 |
| Volts | 120 |
| Color Temperature | 4800°K |
| Average Life Hours | 4 |
| Approx. Lumens | 6000 |
| Base Type | E26 Medium screw |
| Filament Type | C9 |
| Length | 4.94" (125mm) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 16 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
92%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Good color value (13)
- Durable (5)
- Good power output (5)
- Attach securely (4)
Cons
- Runs hot (5)
- Flimsy (3)
Best Uses
- Indoors (12)
- Low light (6)
- General purpose (4)
- Night time (3)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Semi-pro photographer (5), Pro photographer (4), Casual photographer (3)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (8)
Most Liked Positive Review
Perfect Color Balance
I use this to photograph high shine and oxidized sterling silver jewelery pieces and they couldn't be more perfect.
Have only used them twice, and can't yet speak to their durability or last...Read complete review
I use this to photograph high shine and oxidized sterling silver jewelery pieces and they couldn't be more perfect.
Have only used them twice, and can't yet speak to their durability or lasting nature, but they fit tightly into the light sockets and seem durable. Definitely powerful.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Make sure you have safety glass in front
The colors are good initially, but they do tend to warm up towards the end of bulb life. I use these in my copy stand. The initial aim was to use daylight film, ...Read complete review
The colors are good initially, but they do tend to warm up towards the end of bulb life. I use these in my copy stand. The initial aim was to use daylight film, but the 4800K is different enough from the daylight film balance that you will see a pink tinge, especially from white documents onto slide film. With digital, you can do a custom white balance to resolve the problem.
During one session, I noticed the filament burn out. The red hot metal touched the glass envelope, which shattered and cast hot glass everywhere. Luckily, I was wearing glasses to protect my eyes. Not so lucky was my Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 lens, which happened to be sitting almost underneath the lamp. It had its rubber lens hood deployed, and it was capped with the plastic Nikon lens cap. The hot glass fragments burned little pits into the surface of the lens cap and hood. So be warned - towards the end of life, this thing can turn into a potential bomb that could blind you. Make sure that there is a safety glass or wire screen in front of your lamp enclosure.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 16 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-16
Pros
- Good Color Value
Cons
- Short life span
Best Uses
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
Doesn't last forever, but that is the kind of bulb it is.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
Lights don't seem to get too hot.- for amateur use
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Attach Securely
- Good Color Value
Cons
- Flimsy
Best Uses
- Indoors
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
I used these for a two-day interview shoot. Because of the amount of daylight at the location, it was easier to use these than to gel all the windows and go with tungsten bulbs.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Attach Securely
- Durable
Cons
- Runs Hot
- Weak
Best Uses
- General Use
- Indoors
- Low Light
- Night Time
- Outdoors
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
Not as bright as I thought, but still good. A tad on the blue side...
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Attach Securely
- Durable
- Good Color Value
- Long-Lasting
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
I use this to photograph high shine and oxidized sterling silver jewelery pieces and they couldn't be more perfect.
Have only used them twice, and can't yet speak to their durability or lasting nature, but they fit tightly into the light sockets and seem durable. Definitely powerful.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Good Color Value
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Portraits
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
Great price for a daylight balanced light bulb, have tried others that cost more and there was not any difference that I could tell in power or color balance.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Good Color Value
- Long-Lasting
Cons
Best Uses
- General Use
- Indoors
- Low Light
- Night Time
- Special Events
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
Bright and brilliant lighting
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Attach Securely
- Good Color Value
- Powerful
Cons
- Runs Hot
Best Uses
- General Use
- Indoors
- Low Light
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
Am using this with light box for picturing jewelry and other accessories. Picks up colors well.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Good Color Value
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
This puts out a lot of power despite the color correction going on. I found that it rates closer to 4200 degrees K, but, between friends, who's counting. This is a good consistent color temp, too. None of the weird-o consumer-grade "natural light" or "full spectrum" stuff.
Pros
- Good Color Value
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors
- Low Light
- Night Time
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
I have used this lamp in studio portrait photography. The 4800 K is a great color temperature for a continuous incandescent.
Pros
- Good Color Value
Cons
- Runs Hot
Best Uses
- Indoors
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
So far so good, great results and price!
Pros
- Durable
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors
- Low Light
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
My pictures came out great!
I used a white bulb with this daylight bulb and the pictures still came out Ok, but I wouldn't recommend it.
I would recommend two 500 watts for very dark objects inside.
Pros
- Consistant
- Good Color Value
Cons
- Runs Hot
- Short life
Best Uses
- Copy work
- Portraits
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
This is an ideal choice for copy work using film. Unfortunately these bulbs have a short life relative to florescents, but knowing that they perform well and consistantly give me the result that I am used to.
Pros
- Good Color Value
Cons
- Flimsy
- Runs Hot
Best Uses
- Indoors
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
The colors are good initially, but they do tend to warm up towards the end of bulb life. I use these in my copy stand. The initial aim was to use daylight film, but the 4800K is different enough from the daylight film balance that you will see a pink tinge, especially from white documents onto slide film. With digital, you can do a custom white balance to resolve the problem.
During one session, I noticed the filament burn out. The red hot metal touched the glass envelope, which shattered and cast hot glass everywhere. Luckily, I was wearing glasses to protect my eyes. Not so lucky was my Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 lens, which happened to be sitting almost underneath the lamp. It had its rubber lens hood deployed, and it was capped with the plastic Nikon lens cap. The hot glass fragments burned little pits into the surface of the lens cap and hood. So be warned - towards the end of life, this thing can turn into a potential bomb that could blind you. Make sure that there is a safety glass or wire screen in front of your lamp enclosure.
Pros
- Good Color Value
Cons
Best Uses
- General Use
- Indoors
- Low Light
- Outdoors
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
This lamp gives a cool bright tone. I use it with my Westcott video light softbox kit and so far it seems to work well.
Pros
- Good Color Value
Cons
- Flimsy
Best Uses
- Indoors
Comments about General Brand BCA Lamp - 250 Watts/120 Volts - 4800 Degrees K:
The light quality is good, but the bulbs are fairly fragile and can blow out pretty easily, so handle with extreme care.
Displaying reviews 1-16
Gloves
- Price: $16.95
This item is backordered by the manufacturer.
Bags & Cases
- Price: $14.99
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