The 3-light kit (1500 total w/s) was too expensive and the two light kit (1000 total w/s) was under five hundred bucks. In fact, I could have purchased two 2-light kits for less than the advertised price for the 3-light kit.
Anyway, I wanted a third light as a background light, but I'm wondering if I purchased an "underperforming light" (i.e., the 100 w/s monolight).
I'll be using my Nikon D200 w/50mm 1.8 (1.5 factor = 75mm), or my 80-200 f/2.8 with my D700.
I'd like to take portraits of family members and possibly engagement photos for my clients.
My question is, should I return the 100 w/s strobe and buy two more 500w/s strobes? I can't buy one separately...the smallest kit is 2, and I'm nervous about buying another name brand/manufacturer. Any advice from anybody?
I'd like to have a softbox 45d from the subject's face, an umbrella in front for fill, and a strobe behind the subject to light up the background. If I do keep the 100 w/s light, where should I use it?
p.1 #3 · Did I make a bad studio lighting purchase?
For $488, I got the following (Impact brand) lights from B&H:
2 x VC-500 Monolights, each with Reflector, Flashtube, Modeling Light, Power Cord
2 x Light Stands with Removable Studs
2 x White Reflective Umbrellas, Permanent Black Backing
24x36" Softbox with Mounting Ring
Mono to PC Sync Cord
Wheeled Kit Case
One Year Manufacturer's Warranty
For $140, I got:
One Monolight Kit - 100 Total Watt/Seconds (120VAC)
Air Cushioned Black Stand
One Year Manufacturer's Warranty
Last week, my wife and I took a day trip to NY. I begged her to let me stop by the B&H Superstore. I've ordered a ton of stuff from them in the past, but never took a step inside! All I can say is...B&H is the Mecca of photography stuff! After speaking with a salesman, he recommended the VC-500 3 light kit (as a starter kit for someone that wanted strobe lights). The price is approx. $1100.
The 2 light kit was $780. But for some odd reason, it appears to be reduced to $488 online. Like I said in my previous post, I could buy two 2-light kits for $976 and have a total of 4 500w/s lights. But I didn't want 4 lights, I only wanted three. So I bought the 1 100w/s light (which arrived to my house today) as the third strobe. I haven't opened it up yet.
The $488 purchase was "pending" for two days...making my stomach churn. I thought I'd get that "sorry, we made a pricing error" phone call, but alas, the item shipped today and according to UPS, the 2 light kit will arrive tomorrow.
If I did but a second kit with 2 500w/s strobes, one could be a hair light and the second could be my backlight. Hmm.
p.1 #4 · Did I make a bad studio lighting purchase?
If you're gonna use those any more than once or twice a month, I'd return them. Impact stands are junk, and I doubt their umbrellas or SBs are any better. So you're paying roughly $200 per light. I'll admit that the specs are good, but then again, so are Dell's craptastic $600 laptops. From looking at your profile, I'd expect you to outgrow these within a couple months. And if these were on eBay, I wouldn't pay more than $300 for the kit because I wasn't even aware that Impact made lights. Stick to Alien Bees if you want lights that you'll only want to upgrade for cosmetic purposes, not because of bad performance.
p.1 #5 · Did I make a bad studio lighting purchase?
I would say that ABs are definitely a good choice for dependable quality lighting on a reasonable budget. Since I go for months and months at a time w/o using my lights if I had to do it all over again I would get ABs myself.
p.1 #6 · Did I make a bad studio lighting purchase?
Thank you all for your replies.
I'll keep the 100ws light and possibly use it as a hair light. To add to my studio, I'll buy another lightstand that allows me to have it hang above the subject's head, a sekonic light meter, a 5-in-1 reflector, and some barn-doors and honeycomb kit.
The AB's are nice, but I'd want 3 B800's with umbrellas, softboxes, and lightstands...out of my budget. The Impact brand appears to do everything the AB's do. I guess time will tell. I also think the AB's are compatablel with Bowen monolight accessories. Now let me say this, if the Impact 500ws 2 light kit was $780 (as advertised in B&H's catalog and the online price 2 weeks ago), I wouldn't buy it. But for $488, I think it's a bargain. and when I do grow out of them (if ever), there's always eBay and Craigslist.
Thanks everybody. Now the fun begins...mastering the light.
