Like everything else in life you get what you pay for. Lighting systems
can be built from apple juice cans and incandescent fixtures for almost
nothing, or the latest and greatest in aquarium HID lighting can be
ordered from Germany.
For most people, fluorescent light will be the reasonable compromise
between cost and quality of light. For a little bit of effort, the specialized
fluorescent tubes can be sought out with only a little bit of time and a
bit more money than the ubiquitous cool whites hanging over the
workbench.