Red acetate to cover lantern

[RikM]

Which shade of red acetate should I use to cover my white LED lantern?

I have a couple of red LED head torches and I painted a clip-on LED reading lamp with red nail varnish to use while sketching, but I need to get some Lee filter for my camping lantern before SGL5.

Rik

[acey]

There are 2 Lee gels you should consider:

#106 Lee Filters Primary Red

#787 Lee Filters Marius Red

I use Marius Red for dark-site situations where I want to preserve my dark-adaptation to the full - but at first when I'm setting up, the light is simply too dim for me to see, so Primary Red is better for that, and probably what you're looking for. However Marius Red is the best way I have ever found of filtering white lights for use with dark-adapted vision, giving results better than using red LEDs, nail varnish etc, all of which gives a red light that is either not truly red (allowing through wavelengths well below 600nm) or else not red enough. To preserve dark adaptation you want to block anything below 650nm, and red LEDs emit light down to about 600nm or even less (my Energizer head torch looks distinctly orange once my eyes are adapted, and way too bright). You can see from the link that Marius blocks everything below 600nm, and nearly everything below 650nm.

Rubylith, commonly used on computer screens, appears to have much the same transmission characteristics as Lee Primary Red. I've never used it but I understand it's self adhesive, which might be of benefit to you. I find taping Lee filters over my lights good enough.

I got mine here for about £7 (inc p&p) for a 4-foot roll:

http://www.hi-lights.tv/shop/

Andrew

[brianb]

Wratten #29 will preserve dark adaptation ... this is the same as B+W 091. Wratten 25A (B+W 090) lets through too much short wave light. Rubylith works but you need about 6 layers which leaves you with a very dim light.