Flashpoint 1820A Monolight, 900 Watt Second Fan Cooled Strobe, 120 volt.

2013-07-31T21:00:00

Since my initial review I have good news and bad news. The bad - all of my original three units have failed. All have failed at what seems to be either the power supply or the power switch itself. All failures came without warning and with no obvious cause. The last two both failed when I switched them off, moved them less than 20 feet, and tried to turn them back on. One failed after less than a year, another failed after about 18 months. The good news - Adorama stands behind them 100% and replaced all three of them no problems. That two year warranty is important. I keep the original boxes and ship the dead units back in that same box. USPS costs about $15. I'd prefer this not to happen at all, but then I've had all makes of monolights fail. By way of example, Paul Buff will repair a Bee or Lightning for around 50 bucks, plus shipping. Not a bad deal at all, but that's not as good as Adorama sending you a new strobe every 18 months for the cost of shipping. If the warranty reduces to one year, then all bets are off on the 1820A. Just as a note, I picked up one of the brand new 2420A units and it's back panel is very different than the 1820A, so maybe there's been a re-design. I'll let you know in a year!

HARLEY S.

2013-02-11T19:00:00

I have been a commercial photographer for over twenty five years. I've used every type of professional strobe and continuous light source there is, in all price ranges. The only other monolights I've used however are White Lightnings and they drove me back to separate power packs and heads because of their quirkiness. I recently found myself unemployed and entering the freelance game again and needed inexpensive lights. I was considering going back to White Lightnings because of price but came across these Flashpoints in an internet search and decided to give them a try. They are less expensive than the White Lightnings and so far seem to be much better made. They don't have some of the remote features that you can set up with the White Lightnings, but then I always had problems getting that to work with the White Lightnings anyway. I would like to have gone back to Dynalites, but three lights and two power packs to equal the power of three of these would have been thousands of dollars I just don't have right now. The housings of these lights are a little large but those capacitors have to go somewhere. So far I'm very happy and impressed with these lights and plan on getting more. Probably the 1200 watt second versions.

Terry D.

2013-02-11T19:00:00

These 1820A lights are exactly what I was after for automotive shoots. They easily chased away shadows even in the harsh noon sunlight. I could see every detail on a black car with this light. I can also verify the 1820A is powerful enough to light an entire aircraft hanger at night. If you are looking for the biggest bang for the buck for large object or architectural photography, the 1820A is a solid choice

Jesse A.

2012-05-27T21:00:00

Used as a fill on photos for our retail lingerie site. Recently purchased, so I can't speak for durability, but so far it's been great.

Marty

2012-02-19T19:00:00

This light is seriously powerful paired with a flashpoint 42in silver umbrella you can really light up a models features.

XS

2011-12-16T19:00:00

This light works well and holds its color balance at all settings. I expect those who posted comments about it not holding at low power settings where mislead by some ambient light entering into the picture at low power settings. I use this professionally and the only problem I have had is that if the light is ran at high power and fired as fast as it will charge then the unit will eventually experience a thermal shutdown. Once the light cools off it will start working again.

FRED G.

2011-11-14T19:00:00

I've only had these for a month or two, I can't speak to durability. I can speak to some details that may be important to a prospective buyer. 1) These are Flashpoint Series II monolights, even though the web page does not specifically state it. So use Flashpoint II attachments. 2) These babies are huge. About the same length as a White Lightning, but with a larger diameter. Also about the same weight as a White Lightning - heavy. 3) The attachment ring is beefy, overbuilt even. It uses four locking lugs with a spring loaded pin retainer. Probably the most secure locking system I've seen. However it's also rough, it feels a bit like dragging a brick over concrete. I ended up using a dremel tool to grind off a tiny bit of the lugs on the softbox adapters to make them fit easier. Both barndoors and reflector lugs were good to go as is. They have smoothed out a bit after some use. 4) Recycle time is great. Don't expect to run off six FPS and get a proper flash each time. One shot per second seems about right up to 1/2 power and then three to four seconds at full power. Pretty darn good - equal to most other monolights I've used. 5)The audible indicator is nice, a subtle beep that's not too loud nor annoying. I like it a lot. 6) The included power cord is about 15 feet long, a very nice addition. I've never understood why some manufacturers ship an 8' cord that won't even reach to full height on light stand. 7) The rear controls are well laid out and won't take any time to get used to. The panel is black with silver-ish lettering. I would prefer a light colored panel with black letters, but my eyes are bad and old. 8) The light stand/tilt adapter is plastic and on the small side. It seems beefy enough, but with the weight of this unit you must tighten down the locking lever pretty good - if you leave the lever a bit loose the weight of the strobe will definitely rotate itself to a vertical orientation. This also means that the light stand adapter is not on line with the center of gravity, so the strobe has most of it's weight behind the adapter. Not a huge deal, but I do like to leave the adapter lever a bit loose so I can just grab the light and change it's tilt without loosening the lever. But I can live with it. 9) The color is a vaguely metallic grey. I find the finish to be unpleasant for some reason, enough so that I am strongly considering painting the housings, I'll live with it for a while and see if I still feel this way in six months. 10) I have not used the slave capability, but they do work perfectly with a radio trigger, as you'd expect. 11) Finally, I love the variety of well priced accessories that you can get with the Flashpoint lights. This was a major selling point for me.

HARLEY S.

2011-09-11T21:00:00

Excellent light! I used it with a large Octo soft box and I usually have to turn it all the way down for the correct exposure! If you have a solid power source this thing works great outdoors as well! I use mine for fashion shoots outdoors and in studio...very reliable color and average recycle times.

ED F.

2011-09-03T21:00:00

Use it in my studio with a 3x4 soft box. Had it 2 years with no problems. Consistent output, great power.

LYNDON J.

2011-07-04T21:00:00

Have used two of these for a couple of years - great light output and control. But the best part is the service - I had one go belly-up just after warranty ran out, but Adorama took the defective unit back and shipped me a brand new one for less than 1/3 original cost. And it was OUT OF WARRANTY! These folks have made a believer out of me - I'm here to stay!

GLEN E.

2011-04-05T21:00:00

I have used Alien Bees for a couple of years but have found that the color consistancy varies considerably with them. I also wanted a unit with more power output [...] Well after 6 months of daily use I am here to purchase another one. Color balance and light output exceeds the AB's and the 900ws is great. I use a 84" Umbrella with this and the results are amazing.

Kenneth M.

2011-03-28T21:00:00

I use 2 of these with 64" & 86" parabolic silver umbrellas to light a very large area for groups or teams etc.

Kenneth M.

2011-03-12T19:00:00

I have used this light for approximately 1 year and WOW! This thing packs a serious punch! Most times I use it in studio and have to turn it to minimal setting and still have to move the stand/light back because it is too powerful. Light output is constant temp and unit works great in all other regards. I have used it once outdoors to beat the sun and the light has more than enough power however at full power on battery power source the unit can take a few seconds 3-5 to recycle which can get a little annoying.

ED F.

2011-03-09T19:00:00

Have used the two 1820A's that I got as a kit several times now for individual and group photos at my in home studio and on location. Very reliable and consistent. The case that came with the kit is perfect, housing both lights, stands, umbrellas, and still has room for accessories. Highly recommend!

Hikerhayes

2010-05-08T21:00:00

I bought two of these units in a kit. They are good quality and powerfull enough for most uses. Best thing is that they cost about half of other units with similar power. Only trouble is the umbrella attachment and thats why I have given it 4 stars instead of 5.

zippy

2010-04-11T21:00:00

I bought this strobe light for my studio because it's powerful and reasonably priced so far so good. [...]

MEHDI R.

2010-01-09T19:00:00

I purchased 1 of these lights to check it out. I normally use White Lightning 1600's and this light has greatly exceeded my expectations, so I purchased a second 1280 and two 320's. Very fast recycle times since you will rarely use it at full Power. It has more power then the WL, but I don't like that there is no umbrella screw to secure the umbrella. I use a clamp. If it had a way to tighten I would have given this 5 stars. I have used it over 10 times in Client shots since I purchased and I am very happy with the results. I have taken them on Location and used them in Studio.

FRED B.

2009-10-06T21:00:00

These heads do not compare favorably with any of the newer electronic technologies. Inconsistent light output both in color and intensity.

DAN

2009-05-04T21:00:00

I now have four of the Flashpoint Monolights. I have used them in my studio, carried them to weddings, and proms, with no trouble what so ever. They are durable, powerful,and for the money I haven't found a better deal.

D L.

2008-12-08T19:00:00

I shoot architecture and often need high light output. The price/power was attractive to me. I bought two 1820s and was initially pleased but one unit's pivot handle broke within the first couple months (cheap, flimsy plastic) and the same unit began having slow recycling times until finally burning out the flashtube (in less than a year of moderate use and gentle handling). [...] Oddly, the other unit has performed flawlessly!

Master B.