H9004SB2 2400 Watt Large Photography Softbox Continuous Photo Lighting Kit 16" x 24" + Boom Arm Hairlight with Sandbag H9004SB2 by Kaezi

I bought this lighting kit for for teaching online classes and instructional videos for my business. The lighting system exceeds my expectations for both brightness and quality. The tripod bases on this kit aren't heavy duty and if set up in a multitude of locations or on uneven ground, I can imagine they wouldn't last a long time. For my needs and uses this isn't a huge issue. The boom arm of the overhead light is especially tricky and seems fragile due to both hand cranks and gears moving when I'm trying to adjust one side. I have to hold the boom arm with one hand so it doesn't fall and steady one hand crank in place with my chin, then tighten or loosen the other hand crank. It's awkward and cumbersome and I can imagine I will need to replace the tripod if I adjust the angle of the overhead light often. While recording videos from a distance, I tend to use the full brightness of the lighting kit. While seated at a desk recording online classes, I use half the brightness on each light to produce a crisp and professional video. Set up took a little more time than anticipated. The directions are not entirely helpful and seem to skip over important details that would make set up a breeze. It was helpful to read past reviews, which clearly explain how to set these light boxes up with ease. During the set up process, I discovered one light bulb was damaged and not functional. I emailed customer service right away and was pleasantly surprised by their swift response, willingness to trouble shoot, and expedited delivery of a replacement bulb. In my experience, customer service is top notch. It feels good to know that if I run into problems in the future, I can rely on them to trouble shoot and assist me with acquiring replacement parts if needed. Overall I highly recommend this lighting kit for amateur or professional use in an indoor set up.

You're on a budget. You're looking to spend the minimum amount of money, for the maximum amount of performance. Enter StudioFX. No silly logos, all function. I'll admit, the clasping mechanisms are considerably cheap. The stands are cheap feeling, but hear me out: It'll do exactly what you want. It'll deliver light exactly where you want it and keep it there. My rating is a combination of the fact that it does exactly what I want it to do, and includes compromises I'm willing to take when shopping in this extremely low budget realm of shoddy chinese stands and equipment. I'm willing to deal with a boom light that I have to sandbag multiple times to ensure it doesn't topple over. I'm willing to deal with the annoying assembly process. I'm willing to put up with a bag that I'll never be able to fit everything back into (But it did fit!), because it's so ridiculously inexpensive. What it does do very well is deliver light. It delivers light exactly where I want it and it works without a hitch. If you're looking for a full three-point lighting system for pennies on the dollar, this is a valid and valuable choice. For the price, you have next to nothing to lose. The results will be as professional as someone who spent ten times as much, and that's the killer value that can't be ignored.

So these are fantastic lights... The two power settings make it really easy to use a 3 light set up. There are some great videos on youtube for anyone who isn't completely sure how to set up and use studio lighting. Its honestly pretty incredible how much drama these lights can add to your photos. I would suggest buying a muslin for a back drop as well. I shot a hand full of interviews as well as some awesome new profile pics for some friends. My only complaint is with the boom light: The stand that holds the hair light cant really hang any higher than 6ft or its starts to strain heavily on the base and starts to bend the vertical portion of the stand. It also cant be turned to hang off axis at all, it only wants to hang straight up and down... It is still largely functional but not what I think it could have been. In all they are great lights and these will make a huge difference for anyone who properly implements them. 4 stars because they are functional, but lack some of the build quality I would have liked to see. Great lights... Great price... Not prefect... Best bang for your buck.

I am a sculptor and need to take clear photos of my work. This set of lights is excellent for my purposes. It is durable enough for my studio usage (perhaps if used for daily traveling, constant set up and take down, it might be too lightweight; I don't know, just speculating, but at this price...). It comes with 2 sandbags for the boom light, one as a counterweight and another to wrap around the base. The sandbags are plastic lined and double zippered to prevent sand from escaping (but as a sculptor, I always have some heavy scrap around, so I didn't use sand). The setup makes gorgeous, clear, diffused light. The boom light is especially appreciated. It is fully adjustable, and the two sandbags make it possible to use with the arm fully extended. Each light uses 4 bulbs and has 2 switches so that you can use all four bulbs at once, or only two. The lights do not dim, if that is important to you. There is an inner diffuser and an outer diffuser for each light. Setup was easy after doing the first one, following the instructions. At first I didn't see how it would work, but it does--just follow the instructions carefully. I recommend saving the bulb boxes if you plan to do setup and take down. Just throw the boxes in the carry bag. The carry bag is ample in size. In fact, it comes packaged in the bag, so you know it will hold everything. Each light has its own individual bag, too. Unfortunately one of the florescent bulbs did not work. This was not the fault of the company--after all, they don't make the bulbs--but with one quick email, their support sent me a replacement with no questions. And they followed up with me to make sure that I got the bulb and that all is well. Excellent support which is what one hopes for when buying "blind". Highly recommended.