Fluorescent Lamp Color Tests

[Fluesheet]

Fascinating. I think I like #6 and #8 in your photos best. It's totally a goldilocks decision - too blue, too yellow, ah, just right!! By that I mean it's a pretty subjective choice based on your lived experience in the setting.
Galen

Exactly (subjective)! My initial reaction was that I like the 5K lamps better, but I'll leave the 3.5K lamps in for a month or so to see if that opinion changes. This test may be flawed as the other side of my basement, and a temporary work area for the shelf layout are lit with fluorescent lamps that, on average, are 5K or whiter. My eye will probably always see the workbench lighting as relatively orange.

Since my original posting, I received some additional information the gentleman I referred to in the first post. I'm reproducing it here (lighting is his day job):

Color Temperature is the color appearance (whiteness) of the light source measured in Kelvin (K). The lower the number, the ‘yellower’ or warmer the light appears. A typical 60W household light bulb is about 2,700 K. A typical ‘Cool White’ old style fluorescent lamp is 4,100 K. Generally, lamps at the extreme values (3,000 K or less and 4,100 K or more), tend to be deficient in the opposite end of the spectrum. That means a 3,000 K fluorescent will not render blues very well, for example. That’s why I like 3,500 K fluorescent lamps because they do a reasonable job of both red and blues.
Color rendering is a measure of the color accuracy of a light source. An incandescent halogen lamp has a CRI (Color Rendering Index) of about 98. An F32T8/835 fluorescent lamp is about 85. A screw-in compact fluorescent lamp is about 82. The number has no units attached to it and it is not a percent. It also has no relationship to daylight or natural light. Finally, there is no meaning to light source CRI values that have different Color Temperature ratings. There is no valid CRI comparison between two fluorescent lamps, one of 3,500 K and the other 4,100 K. It’s kind of like saying this box car is Box Car Red and this other box car is Pennsy.
The comment from one of the fellows about GE fluorescent SP and SPX lamps is true, the GE SPX lamps have higher CRI. All the lamp manufacturers have different lines of lamps. Generally, the more expensive lamps have more lumen output and better color. Also, the better CRI lamps are not often available at the Big Box stores, you need a good electrical supplier.
The best strategy for modelers is to buy one of each and test them, or check what other modelers are using. Color perception is subjective.
Oh yes, the higher quality T8 lamps (also called tri-phosphor) have the lowest UV output. This reduces fading.