What type lights and how much watt power is needed for light box (tent)?

[no1texan]

I am making a light box/tent out of 20 x 30" white foam boards. The dimensions are:
Height 30”
Width 20”
Depth 20”

On each side the openings are 9” wide and 18” tall covered withwhite muslin fabric.
The opening on top about 12 x 12” also covered with white muslinfabric.

At the moment for lighting I am using Philips 23-Watt(100-Watt) Energy Saver Compact Fluorescent Warm White (3500K) Light Bulb (E*) fromHome Depot in a 60 watt desk lamp with a flexible neck. Does not appear to be puttingout much inside the box.

What kind of lighting should I be using for this size box/tent?

Most of my objects will not be this tall, mostly12” and under. But I have one item that is 24” tall therefore I made the box 30”tall.

Should I cover the front with the muslin fabric with just enough room for my camera?

Camera: Canon PowerShot A40

 

[iolair]

If you're photographing stationary objects and have your camera on a tripod, in a sense the amount of light available doesn't matter, because it doesn't matter how long it takes the camera to take the exposure.

For comfortable hand-holding I've previously used 5 x 100 W flourescent bulbs which was definitely enough. (but that was through a homemade softbox, not into a light tent)

You're only using a single light? Where are you positioning it?

 

[tirediron]

You're going to want at least three lights, not so much for the "quantity" of illumination, but rather for the quality or eveness of it. The normal use for a light tent is to provide soft, even lighting for small product photography, and one light just isn't going to cut it.

 

[no1texan]

I am using 3 of the Philips 23-Watt(100-Watt) Energy Saver Compact Fluorescent Warm White (3500K) Light Bulb (E*) 60 watt desk lamp with a flexible neck. There will be one lamp on each side where there is a cut out covered with white muslin fabric and one on the top with another opening. The box is almost finished and has all the sides. I placed the lamps on the sides and I could see that the box is filled with a soft even light with no shadows. For a novice it look pretty good.

I am using a Canon PowerShot A40 and wondering if I should use Automatic or Manual and set the speed differently. I really don't know anything about it and will have to find an article on the internet that talks me through it. I will just take several pictures from each and see which is the best.

I am using a tripod.

 

[tirediron]

Auto should be fine for this.

 

[keith foster]

Auto will do the job since you are using constant lights. I bet you'll need a tripod though because the shutter speeds are going to be down to 1/30. Unless you are a VERY steady holder you are doing to introduce motion blur from the slight movements you will make in that time.
i am a very unsteady holder and try not to hand hold under 1/100 or 1/80 for sure.