Hey gang,
Many of us do photography and video of our model railroads and everybody knows that lighting is a key element in getting good shots. I recently purchased the PBL Photo Video Studio Light Kit for the bargain price of $59.00 and have been testing it out. You can read about the product at:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D1KHW6/ref=oh_o06_s00_i00_details
Now it's been said that there is no way that something at this price can be any good, but you'd be surprised.
Here's the information from Amazon.com on the product:
Technical Details
- TWO PBL 6'6" LIGHT STANDS,3 SECTIONS, METAL TUBE CONSTRUCTION,NON SLIP TIPS ON LEGS TO PREVENT MOVEMENT,5/8" UNIVERSAL ADAPTER WITH 1/4" 20 THREAD ON TOP
- TWO UMBRELLA LIGHT HOLDERS WITH ON OFF SWITCHS
- TWO 33" BLACK WHITE UMBRELLAS
- TWO HIGH OUTPUT 50 WATT BULBS EQUIVALENT TO 150 WATTS OF INCANDESCENT LIGHT, FLICKER FREE PHOTO FLUORESCENT BULBS 5100K COLOR TEMPERATURE FOR NATURAL SKIN TONES
- CARRY BAGS FOR STANDS
Product Details - Item Weight: 10 pounds
- Shipping Weight: 10 pounds
- ASIN: B001D1KHW6
- Item model number: PBL600
- Average Customer Review:
- Date first available at Amazon.com: February 16, 2010
|
Product Description
Daylight balanced bulbs: These high-output daylight balanced compact fluorescent bulbs are ideally suited for digital photography. They also have very low heat so they don't get hot like the more common photo bulb choices. Light socket (AC adapter): It mounts on standard light stands. It is very easy to adjust the umbrella and lights in different angle. The light stands are professional photo lights stands that are adjustable in height up to 6'6". These are 32" professional umbrellas with white reflective fabric and black backing. White umbrellas produce a lower contrast light and cover a large area evenly, and can be used to improve diffusion. The back of the umbrella is made of a black material that will not allow light through. These are pro umbrellas made to last.
It took 2 days after ordering to get this BIG box and I did have to pay $14.00 shipping
I unpacked the box which was well cushioned and took a look at the components.
Sorry for the blurry pictures. The stands are all metal construction and are easy to set up.
One of the main failure points on equipment like this are the clamps. I was pleasantly surprised to find that these clamps are all metal construction and adjustable for tightness. If the clamps do fail it will be off to my auto supply store to get some worm gear hose clamps!
The leg clamp is also metal and has a knob to tighten the legs in place.
The bottom leg mount is metal and fixed in place by a pin.
O.K. - I guess we had to have some plastic and the lamp socket / umbrella holder is made of plastic that seems rigid enough.
The lamp power switch is a rocker style mounted on the back of the socket. I really like the 9 foot long power cord!
Both of the shafts in the telescoping unit have springs in them - a surprise when I first released the clamp! There is a universal 1/4" threaded shaft at the top (under the protective cover) that you could use to mount other equipment instead of the socket assembly.
The socket assembly is slipped over the shaft and tightened with the knob on the right.
Oh Moma! You certainly can't call that a "Compact" bulb! I'll store the bulbs in the plastic holder in the box when not in use.
My Son who knows a great deal about photography said that the umbrella isn't the best quality, but with care should last a long time.
Lots-O-Light out of this baby!
I wanted to show the without & with pictures side by side. There is quite a bit of difference in the colors! By the way, the colors on the right are "correct" when seen with the naked eye.
What's my opinion? Well, I believe that the lights are a bargain when considering my limited use and that I won't be moving them around a great deal. If you price the two bulbs alone they are almost as much as the entire kit. The tripods will come in handy for other uses so I'm happy with my purchase.
Rick
