Photo Studio Kit Lighting kit 800 Watt Video Photography Portrait Lighting Kit, Backdrop Support System and 10' x 20'Ft White Muslin Backdrop Umbrella Softbox Kit by Fancier U15 10x20 White

Part 1I wanted to preface this by saying that this is a preliminary review based on some quick test shots. I plan on doing another review once I take some more shots in a more controlled environment. I'll post some pictures as well. I'm still new to photography (it's a hobby) and brand new to "studio" photography. For background info, I got the kit mainly to take pictures of my daughter and my soon to arrive second daughter, as my wife and I are disappointed in the mall photography pictures. I figured for the price I couldn't go too far wrong, and it may be good for learning. For background, I set the kit up in my living room, and was using a 50mm f/1.4 on a Canon 40D. The blinds were closed to prevent shadows from the incoming sunlight showing up on the backdrop. The only light was that from the umbrellas. Most of the shooting was done between 2.0 and 2.8 aperture. I post the numbers with the pictures.Arrival and packing.The kit arrived in great condition in the timeframe that had been noted by Amazon. Nothing was broken and I appreciated the care in packaging the seller took. The carry all bag is great for storing everything when not in use. Set up was a breeze. I glanced at the instructions, but it's pretty common sense. Word of caution, be careful when securing the umbrella not to over tighten the thumb screw. You'll crush the umbrella handle if you do. It doesn't take much to secure the umbrella. The umbrellas look like shoot through umbrellas (and maybe they are), but if you turn them around so that the concave end is facing the subject you'll get more light. More on that in a moment.Setup.As stated setup was a breeze. The tripod legs did tend to slide open a bit with a little bit of pressure. I have hard wood floors so I may have to put some grips on the bottom. It wasn't really a problem as this only happened when I was putting the kit together. Just wondering if over time will they loosen more. The muslin stand raises to about 8'. There are four poles that you just connect together and run the pole through the muslin like hanging a curtain, then the pole ends just sit on the top of the stands. There are some wing nuts to keep the pole in place. I only used three of the poles because I didn't need the fourth, nor would the width of my living room allow for it. I did notice a slight sag in the middle. Nothing that would cause a problem, but I wondered if it would be worse if I added the fourth pole. My comments about the muslin is it is way to long for my needs. I didn't think about it at the time of purchase, but 20' is way to long. A 10'x10' would probably be fine, or a 10'x15' at the most. I ended up bunching the excess up. You do need to iron out the folds in the muslin before using. I ended up mounting the muslin and lowering the standing to their shortest height and then just ironing it on the floor. When I raised the backdrop, the part I couldn't get was high enough to be hidden. I hand held steamer may do a better job. Just give yourself enough time to get the folds out before picture time.Lighting.The whole point in getting this was to try to simulate professional pictures by controlling the lighting. It was definitely more light than I thought based on reviews, (it certainly lit up my living room) but it seems that you have to get the umbrellas very close to the subject. Trying to take pictures of an 18 month old, all she wanted to do was play with the umbrellas which were just around arms reach. I don't know if this is because of the wattage of the bulbs or if the umbrellas aren't reflecting enough light. I may invest in some umbrellas with a silver lining to try and enhance the reflection. Or it simply could be I didn't have the umbrellas placed properly. Which as I've stated I'm new to "studio" photography and will write a second review once I've taken more photos in a more controlled environment.I'm on the fence about returning the kit and investing in something a little more high end or a similar kit with a third light. My reason is that although it'll be used occasionally, I wanted something that would provide enough light for professional looking or professional-like photos. I'll know more after my second session.Part 2 3/5/12This really isn't a part two as I never did a second session. The more I looked at the test shots the more disappointed I was in the setup. It simply wasn't enough light. Plus the thought of having to unfold the muslin again, and iron it again was enough for me to say this is going to be a hassle each time I want to take "studio" photos. To that end I returned it. Afterwards, I spoke with a photographer to get his thoughts, and although he liked the idea of it, but said I really needed to get a flash. He said continuous light doesn't render the true color like flash does and for the backdrop he recommended paper instead of cloth. Paper, he said, is seamless, smooth and inexpensive.In short, I plan on speaking with more photographers and renting so equipment to find out what works for me with the budget I have.Overall it was a good learning experience, but I would pass on the kit, just for the hassle of having to iron the muslin every time. If you like it, or the budget is really tight, I'd buy the lights separately (at least three) and buy paper for the backdrop. At least it's already on a roll and no ironing needed.On a side note, I ended up speaking with one of the customer service people at a lens rental shop concerning what I would like to do in photographing my soon to arrive newborn. He's also a photographer and having experience photographing newborns, said his method is to use a softbox above the baby to create a nice soft light with soft shadows. Just an fyi.Hope this helps.

I received my product very quickly. Everything that was listed was included and in great shape after shipment.The backdrop is about as thick as a table cloth. I shot with my camera and am happy you cannot see through to the other side in the shot. So I think it will be great for portraits. The lights are great but the stands are a little flimsy. You just have to adjust them so the base is wider and won't topple. The frame sides are great but with it being 10 feet wide. It tends to sag a bit in the center. Not a huge deal but something others may want to know. The bag is very nice and everything fits easily inside. I have only played with it so far. But I am really looking forward to using it with customers soon.

Okay I have just set everything up and must say I am impressed so far. everything is in one piece nothing broken or damaged. The lights are Great! Very bright. My only complaint is the tripods for the backdrop stand and umbrella stands. They are very cheaply made and I have bricks in front of the legs <on backdrop> to keep it in place. But For the money I'll use the bricks and am happy. I now have a bonified studio and am very pleased with the setup. Long as I can use it, I'm good. For the amount of money this costs I feel its a bargain. Just be prepared to deal with the tripod legs as they will not stay in place without help. Otherwise AAA product so far. I will revise if that changes. Happy shooting!

Not a heavy duty set-up, but you get what you pay for. It will work great for my amateur studio to take portraits of my children. Mine came on time, but the case was ripped down the length of the bottom side as if someone opened the box previously with box cutters and cut through, AND one of the bulbs was broken. It seems this is common place with this product if you read the reviews. I would recommend ordering early enough to expect needing to get a replacement -- Amazon only fulfills this product and is having me ship it back for a return item.

Before i placed my order for this set i researched and scoured through all the reviews of sets here on Amazon for about 2 months.. I finally found this set and felt like for the price how bad could it be for a beginner such as myself. Everything arrived in working order and in good condition. Quick setup instructions were included so that i could get my lights assembled properly.. As far as my photo results, they were good enough for what i'm attempting to accomplish at this stage in my photography career. I'll share an image of my cousin who allowed me to experiment on him so that you all can see the results.. I would recommend this for any beginner who doesn't want to spend too much money out the gate but desire to get an understanding of lighting and having something that will allow you to make money to get something better.. Though the backdrop is thin it didn't effect my shots and the wrinkles can b edited out if you don't have a steamer or feel like ironing lol.Sincerely,Kookie Berry

I bought this kit for a family Christmas picture I was taking. The package arrived and it was okay - one of the stands came cracked and they are definitely cheaper stands. And one of the bulbs cracked within 2 minutes of turning it on - which may have occurred because of shipping issues, but that didn't help the fact that I needed to run out and find replacement bulbs (the bulbs are florescent and local photo shops didn't carry bulbs at this temperature.But you know what? At the end of the day, it worked and was okay for the price.

I'm not in country right now so I haven't seen this yet but I bought this for my wife back in the states. She said when it arrived a few small parts were broken (such as the light bulb) but the manufacturer quickly replaced the broken parts. The biggest problem is that she says that when she raises the set, the screws can't tighten enough to hold it up so it slowly slides back down in height... could be an easy fix, we will see when I get home.