Friday, June 20, 2008
question: Adam Frank’s Reveal light
Have you seen Adam Frank's Reveal light in person? I want to know if it's worth it.
Every now and then I'm tempted to buy the Reveal light, especially in the middle of the dark, dreary Seattle winters where the illusion of sunshine would be welcome. The light is just expensive enough that I have not gone for it yet, but not so expensive that I have stopped thinking about it. I'd really like to see how it looks in person, or at least a good video of how it looks in a room. The only video I've found (it's on the Adam Frank site) is grainy and loops before I get a good impression. Is the motion is realistic enough to trick the corner of your eye? Does the fan inside it makes a significant amount of noise in an otherwise quiet room?
So, have you seen it? Is it worth the price? Be brutally honest, I'll appreciate it. Leave a comment or email me (notmartha AT gmail DOT com) if you'd rather. My thanks.
update: I got to see one of these at Greener Lifestyles in Ballard. Up close it was still very cool, but I decided the fan was loud enough that it wouldn't work in my tiny living room. My thanks to everybody who responded and to Properly Salted for finding it locally.
I haven't seen the reveal light in person, but I have one of Adam Frank's Lumen products (the little trees with the flame that create the shadow), and I have to say that the photos used for advertising it are deceptive, IMO. The photos show a shadow that is impossible to create in reality, considering the size and clarity of the shadow and the distance that the candle is from the wall. So... though I have no idea how well the projector thing work in person, I wouldn't be surprised if the photos were highly enhanced.
Comment by Kerri — June 20, 2008 @ 8:31 am
Kerri - I have seen the Lumen at work and it's not quite as good as one might expect. Thanks so much for weighing in.
Comment by megan — June 20, 2008 @ 9:43 am
If these are selling as quickly as the website indicates, you might wait for the first edition of 1,000 to sell out. If it's a good product, there may be a 2nd edition that is both better and less expensive.
Comment by Amy — June 20, 2008 @ 7:43 pm
I have not seen this fixture in person, either. However, I am a lighting designer and can tell you that from the specs noted on his website, it looks to be nothing more than a theatrical image projector. (Though it is relatively inexpensive in comparison to typical theatrical equipment.) I really don't think you will actually get the feeling of "sunlight reflected through a window" on your wall. The lamp (light bulb) is a standard halogen lamp that is typically used in any type of projector and is NOT a substitute for the "multi-spectrum light of the sun". If you are looking for a supplemental light source to help boost your mood and physical energy during the winter, there are many other ways to do so and pretty much all of them utilize fluorescent light sources, which are closer to sunlight than any other source. A thorough Google search will produce a good number of options (just be wary of anything touting "full-spectrum" light. It's just a way of marketing good quality fluorescent lights so they can charge much more than they are worth.)
Sorry for the long post, but I didn't want to just say "this won't live up to your expectations" without an explanation.
Comment by Tara — June 20, 2008 @ 7:45 pm
Tara - Thanks, I studied theater in college and know it's a pretty standard light. But if you read carefully it's cleverly designed. The branches are individual layers and a small fan blows them, so they seem to be moving in the breeze independently of each other. I don't think of this as light therapy by any means, but it would be a neat decoration when it's been overcast here for months on end.
Comment by megan — June 20, 2008 @ 7:59 pm
Hi, this is off topic, but a bride sent me your blog entry on tiny pies in a jar. I loved it and will be using it as shower favors for my wedding! I recently tried to send your blog entry to my friend but it's no longer on your site. Can you please repost it? Thanks. :)
Comment by R — June 21, 2008 @ 8:07 pm
Totally OT, but this is where I don't get trademark law. How can he use Reveal when GE has the registered trademark?
Comment by jennie — June 23, 2008 @ 12:42 pm
This was part of a museum exhibit I was at over the weekend. It wasn't as clear of an image as I would have expected, but maybe that was because it was projected onto a more textured wall. It might work better if it were done against just a white or very plain wall. It was neat, but would get old quickly for me, and not that amazing in person. The noise of the fan for one would drive me batty at times!
Comment by Rebekah — June 23, 2008 @ 3:58 pm
Thanks so much Rebekah, I think I've decided to leave it. I appreciate that you took the time to write in!
Comment by megan — June 23, 2008 @ 4:15 pm
I was interested in buying the Adam Frank light for my somewhat dark living room. I think the concept is great. I saw one at a store in L.A. and passed on it. The area of wall that is lit is small if you want the brightness to simulate outdoor light through a window. The fan wasn't that loud, but it was definitely there.
Comment by lg — June 24, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
lg - Good to know, thanks so much.
Comment by megan — June 24, 2008 @ 7:21 pm