So my wife is a high school choir director, and they weren't at all happy with the group that came in to do her student's photos a couple of years ago, so I stepped in and took over. I've been shooting with a pair of Sigma EF-500 DG Supers with umbrellas and a radio slave.

I'm looking to go to something that I can plug into a wall so I don't burn through batteries quite so quickly during a day of shooting.

I've worked some with Photogenic lights in the past, so I know I like how they light things up. Anybody have ideas on what kind of kit/setup I need to look into? I've found a couple of StudioMax kits on BHPhoto that are tempting, but I'd like some input from folks who've "been there, done that."

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

What is your budget?

Currently looking in the "under $1K" price range.

If you don't mind the size, adorama flashpoint lights will give you the best bang for the dollar. If you want something smaller, go with the alienbees.

Studiomax III has a nice kit with umbrellas case and stands for under $1K.

Allynb wrote: Studiomax III has a nice kit with umbrellas case and stands for under $1K.

+1

They're the "other" Made-in-America, constant-color, entry-level strobes. Photogenic has been in business for more than a century, so there's no worry that you're buying into some Chinese-made junk from a company that's going to change names ten times in the next year, rendering your warranty useless.

Look for a Speedotron Brownline kit. You can expect 20-30 years out of those things. A bit heavy, a bit slow to recycle, but cheap and reliable.

Mr645 wrote: Look for a Speedotron Brownline kit.

Interestingly, Speedotron and Photogenic are both divisions of the same company, headquartered in Illinois.