Cheap 3 light studio - is this just junk ?

mikeyw

mikeyw

Messages
1,438
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi,

I've been taking portraits for friends / family etc with a backdrop and 2 SB-800's shooting through umbrella's - the results are ok but want to get a bit more creative with some studio lights.

For starters was just planning on something cheap like this, is it junk though? :-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/540W-Stud...uipment_RL&hash=item2ebac30696#ht_4741wt_1039

Been offered it for £90 from a friend who's only used it twice.....waste of money or ok for learning with ?

tia,
Mike.
 
Short-term probably ok. Long-term, no.

The fact your mate is happy to sell it on to you for £90 after so little use speaks volumes.

Garry or Jonathan will be along shortly to put you right.....;)
 
PS, plenty of similar threads on this, just do a quick search and put the kettle on.
 
mikeyw said:
Been offered it for £90 from a friend who's only used it twice.....
Click to expand...

That probably says a lot.....

There's somebody on here who uses kit like that and says it's alright (can't remember who). Looks very much like junk though.

Take a look in the lighting section - people often ask about similar kit.
 
A lot of people will come in and say don't get it. But if you don't want to spend a lot more money for better quality kit then this will do to start you off.

I have used this same kit for lighting a lot of the portrait stuff on my Flickr, I probably don't do the lights justice, but they work, and the same 3 light plus modifiers set up would cost you at least 4 x more with Lencarta, Bowens etc...

You've just got to bear in mind that it's not the same quality as the above brands, they are massively better in terms of build quality and reliability than the eBay jobs.

If this set up is just for home use and that kind of thing go for it, it will teach you the basics without you having to spend out money which could be spent on glass :)
 
Took a punt at £85 - it's got to be better than using no studio lights.

Will report on progress, can always sell on if no use to me.
 
mikeyw said:
Took a punt at £85 - it's got to be better than using no studio lights.

Will report on progress, can always sell on if no use to me.
Click to expand...

You'll enjoy them. Pretty sure you could resell for more than that on the bay too.
 
Yes, they're junk.
But it isn't just about the build quality, the light quality or the longevity (or otherwise) - what about the safety?

These things may or may not have 'CE' written on them, but even if they do it's extremely unlikely that they actually comply. I know of several that have caught fire or blown up.

As for cost, you could probably buy a known brand second hand and then re-sell it without losing much or even any money.
 
CAVEAT EMPTOR! If it looks cheap it usually is and you get what you pay for!
 
Thanks Garry - if you spot any good deals on studio lighting please alert me.

Everythings relative, i'm not expecting much....anything more is a bonus.

Just like a newbie to DSLR doesn't need a D800 i reckon i'll get by with this cheap setup to learn with.
 
mikeyw said:
Thanks Garry - if you spot any good deals on studio lighting please alert me.

Everythings relative, i'm not expecting much....anything more is a bonus.

Just like a newbie to DSLR doesn't need a D800 i reckon i'll get by with this cheap setup to learn with.
Click to expand...

Yeh the money saved would be much better put towards glass :) get a lot more use out of glass
 
As promised one of the 1st shots of my wife with the lights - pretty pleased to be honest, pretty reasonable for £85 (not her !)

DSC_9310.jpg
 
To be honest, at the price you bought it all for you can't really go wrong. I have no room at home to use as a studio but the amount of use they'd get I'd get a set straight away.

I'm no pro and I've no intention to become one, but a set of lights and a portable backdrop would be great once one of the kids has grown up and left home. The pic above has turned out pretty well considering how much you paid for the lights, its a nice even light and no shadows, what more could you ask for as a beginner.

Might just have to look into a 50 1.4 for the future to go with my 5D2 to get some decent portraits. With those lights I could get by with my 50 1.8 or even my 24-105 f4 L with a nice background.
 
modchild said:
its a nice even light and no shadows, what more could you ask for as a beginner.
Click to expand...

Should've gotten a light tent instead of my studio lights.. the more I use them the more I'm getting pics full of wonderful shadows and contrast :D

The shot itself is "made" by the highlight on the nose, hair and lips - not by the even flatness of the lighting tbh...
 
They are excellent Combat - that's plenty good enough for me so very pleased if these lights can achieve that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top