Have you ever used one of those new LED light bulbs?

I like them for certain applications, but they are not yet ready to replace all my bulbs. The light they give off just isn’t usually bright enough, or it is too odd of a color.

I use them. They are great for photography as they have a colour temperature close to daylight. You need to get the newer high power ones – the old type lack brightness and power.

I would definitely replace all my lights with them. If you know where to buy, they’re great quality. (I haven’t actually bought any, but I’ve done comparison shopping.)

they’re bright as [Expletive Deleted]

Finally! an energy-efficient improvement on a 40+ year old technology!

I haven’t, but can’t wait to try them out. I tried making the switch to compact florescents a while back, but really hated them in certain applications. I have high hopes that the LEDs will address the problems I had with the CFs.

I really wanted them because they’re dimmable and not hot… but they were super expensive.

Do they come in warmer tints?

@andrew Do they come in warmer tints?

I don’t know about the US, but here they are white (Daylight) and “warm” a softer more yellow tone. They are mostly Chinese in origin.

@DarkScribe Hrm. I’m thinking mostly about the LED christmas lights vs incandescent chrsitmas lights—and how the LED ones are much cooler, almost blinding. I don’t know if I could handle that.

@andrew _and how the LED ones are much cooler, almost blinding. _

The same LEDs (Cree Q5–7) are sold in “Police/Military” tactical torches with “Guaranteed to cause temporary blindness” as a part of the description. They are all over eBay. See I have some AC mains voltage ones that contain up to sixteen of these Cree LEDS. They are like a searchlight. They also have the same thing with a yellow filter on to soften and warm the light. The “warmed” versions are similar to conventional high wattage “soft” incandescent lights. (Most of the household – as against studio – versions have five or seven LEDs.)

I’ve used a few of the smaller, affordable variety and was very satisfied. I really like to lust after these though.

LED light bulbs are starting to show up in Wal-Marts. A sign that public acceptance is gaining for LED bulbs, and they are getting more affordable. Still pretty dim and expensive for the lighting you get, but they are improving.
Just by a couple to try for some of your low level lighting applications. They will get better in time, and yes about 99% of them are “Made in China”. One company called Lights of America, appears to assemble some of their product in the US.