Hello everyone! Welcome back to Tangibleday.com for another product review. Andrew did a review of the Redgrass R9 lamp before it came out on Kickstarter. It is because of his review that I backed the Red Grass Lamp for creative individuals.
I have been using this lamp exclusively since it arrived in September 2023, so I thought I would share my thoughts about it. You can buy the R9 desk lamp now on the Redgrass Games website.
Why Review now?
I normally paint in my garage, where my game table and all my paints and models are located. Living in Kentucky, my winters are not as harsh as they were in Ohio growing up or in mid-Michigan. However, painting in an unheated garage does get chilly. Therefore, I moved my painting into the spare bedroom temporarily.
I’m not entirely certain how, but something happened where the desk clamp for my Red Grass Lamp broke. I’m unsure if something fell on it in a weird way, but I tried to fix it to no avail. Because of that, I had to revert back to what I did before and used a standard rechargeable headlight.
My Thoughts on a Dedicated Lamp for Painting Miniatures
Using a dedicated piece of equipment versus something that functions but isn’t designed for the exact purpose is like comparing night and day. The Red Grass Lamp, designed to provide natural light colors, enables users to perceive true colors accurately.
Under the harsh light of a headlamp, my colors appeared washed out and challenging to discern. Having to go back to what I used when I started painting made me appreciate my lamp that much more.
Using a headlamp gets rather uncomfortable as you are wearing an elastic strap around your head for your painting session. It is something that you can get past but, I did enjoy it when I did not have to have the lamp on my head any longer.
Praises for the Redgrass Games Light
The lamp has a very wide range where you can position your light source. The length of the light bars is much longer than I ever thought I would need, but I am very grateful for the distance that they cover. It ensures an even amount of light over a large area, helping to avoid shadows that you don’t want when you’re trying to find places to put your paint.
The brightness of the light bars are adjustable up to a brightness of 1800 lumens. The color temperature of the light is set at Pure White Daylight – 5000K. This being the optimum temperature of light to bring the most out of the color on your models.
The light bars are adjustable; they rotate on an axis, allowing you to personalize where you would like the light of those bars to go. The light bars also rotate on a swivel, giving you the ability to take up less space, allowing the light bars to fold in on the extension arm and helping reduce the overall amount of space that this piece of equipment takes up.
An interesting thing that is unexpected with this light is that the two light bars are about 2 inches apart. I am unsure why this was done in the first place. However, it does have a really cool application, allowing you to see what you’re painting between the light bars. This means you could set your light very look and look above the bars get no shadows while painting.
Critiques
Like I said above, I don’t know how or why the top portion of the clamp broke, but it would be nice to have a little more support on the upper portion of that clamp. The replacement clamp arrived within about 10 days from placing the order. Considering its reasonable price, about $20 USD, it wasn’t the worst outcome imaginable. The key critique is the cost, as I’ll get to next.
Cost
Having price tag of approximately $260, this lamp is definitely on the high end of light sources for miniature painting. There are numerous other lamps that come in at a significantly cheaper price.
Some of those are what I used prior to purchasing this lamp. I have also gifted several lamps to friends who are getting into the hobby when they have asked for recommendations.
Now that we are moving into warmer weather, my painting station has reestablished where it belongs. My lamp is safe and sound in its natural habitat.
Final Verdict
Overall, I really love this lamp! I think it is worth every penny that I spent on it. That being said. This light does come in at a pretty high price point.
Many products in our hobby, such as high-end brushes, designer airbrushes, or the most expensive types of paints, do miniature painters need this light?
The answer is no, but if you have the budget and the desire to change your current lighting situation, I highly recommend the Red Grass Lamp for Miniture Painting and Creative People.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexander Foust is a loving husband, father of twins, and committed Emergency Room Nurse. Balancing his personal and professional life, he finds strength in his faith and enjoys fitness, miniature painting, and tabletop gaming. You can reach Alex who is open to miniature painting commissions via email ([email protected]) and his MARLevel Painting Facebook page.
Tangible Day on YouTube (Miniatures and More!)
Pingback: Redgrass Games Lamp R9 Review for Miniature Painters and Creatives - Tangible Day