Flashpoint II 320M Monolight Kit, 150 Watt Second, One Monolight Kit with Stand and Umbrella.

2010-01-14T19:00:00

I am not a pro, but I classify myself as a "rabid enthusiast". I bought this product because I needed more power to light music recitals in churches and for casual use in my home studio and Speedlights are horrifically expensive. I thought I'd try these mono lights and bought one as an experiment to judge the quality. I find these lights (and the stand) an incredible value for the money. Yes there are better lights out there with more features but not at this price point. I am very happy with the product. It recycles faster than advertised and overall performs better than I expected. I will be purchasing more to add to my set-up.

Steve7735

2009-12-16T19:00:00

I'm more an on location portrait photographer. I use portable strobes and travel very light. I got this moonlight because winter doesn't let me shoot outside as much as I wanted. This light will be part of my small home studio until the weather improves. I was very happy with everything I got for the money. I was unhappy that I had to buy a separate cover so I could store the moonlight with the modeling light attached. The controls were easy to understand. The light stand could be better but I have also seen a lot worst. They do the job. The umbrella is the same, it does the job. The light itself recycles fast and has more power (like one more stop) as a decent strobe light (think something like the Vivitar 285hv) but with much better recycle times. The power knob is not 100% accurate. Between ¼ and 1/8 power there is an additional drop in light power of like ½ a stop. This is not a big deal but you should always know what to expect as far as power output from your lights and particular settings. The reflector is good enough and the power cable long enough. The remote cable provided has a ¼ to PC connector. I'm triggering the monolight with Cactus IV remotes with no problems of any kind. I liked the handle on the moonlight and overall I was very happy with what I got. The modeling light worked great. Would buy again.

ALDO P.

2009-08-10T21:00:00

I would recommned this to a friend. I had a problem getting the eye sensor to work, called Adorama and they quickly gave me an RMA. But next day it worked ok, it was probably something I was doing wrong. Assembly instructions are lousy but it was very easy to assemble. Comes with a 10' sync chord and this wasn't explained in the description. Also comes with a very handy lighting booklet with good examples of light positioning and it's effects. Used the monolight last night and lighting was fantastic, love the variable output knob because it lets you dial in the intensity. Take the picture and if it's too bright, dial it down. Too low, dial it up. Easy to move around and position it too. Used it indoors and shadowing was very good. I'm ready to buy a second light and it will be the same one. The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because of the setup instructions.

ARTHUR H.

2009-07-08T21:00:00

I purchased the 320a kit for family photos in a relatively small room and to have some flexibility with light modifiers. For the price and my purpose, the kit cannot be beat! I compared with similar kits from other websites and this one really came up to be the best value. It came with the light, stand, sync cord and a shoot thru umbrella so I was ready to go right out of the box. Sure, the light stand is not professional grade but it works great in my living room and I doubt I'll ever extend it to the full 10'.[...] I'll be buying another one as a background light.

Jerkules

2009-06-13T21:00:00

This is a great setup for the price, and I definately reccomend getting this as a starter system. I have been using it for a few weeks now and I am pleased so far with the Stobe unit itself, it does everything it says it does. Now, to let you know why it's only 4 stars... the lightstands are...not quite up to the task. I find the extending the lightstands all the way out, the top most section will tilt. ALL of the screws had to be tightened. Keep in mind I ordered 3 of these, and each one of the light stands had the same issue. Basically if you use the light stands, just try not to use the top extenstion. Also don't fully extend any one section out all the way, leave about 3 inches in to avoid the tilt. I think the collum connectors are too short.

SCOTT C.

2009-04-17T21:00:00

I've searched around and this is one of the best value around for what you get. It's very hard to beat the kit price. The umbrella is not quite right for this kit, but this is a starter kit, so hard to complain about it. I ended up getting a 43" shoot through soon for my need though. For the three months I've had it, the light has been solid. I use the optical slave most of the time since I use this in my house, but also used the Sync port a few times as well. Has optical and sync, so not sure why you would use optical slave at an event where there are other flashes going off? Simple enough to use the sync cord or get a wireless trigger for the sync port.

don't b.

2009-04-14T21:00:00

I purchased three of these strobe outfits. They work well for the price. The stand is a little cheap but for this price I should have expected it. It will easily scratch floors and the umbrella does not fit into the strobe as nicely as my other strobes (with some maneuvering it does fit). But all in all this is a good value.

sweetsusie

2009-03-27T21:00:00

It trips when other flashes pop because it is designed to. Turn of the slave sensor! When used as directed, this is a great piece of equipment. It's metal, rugged and I have had no issues with it. I just used it to shoot CD cover art for a band, and they loved the results. So did I.

Mike M.

2009-03-20T21:00:00

For the guy saying other flashes trip your light..... TURN THE SENSOR OFF!!!!

michael k.

2009-03-10T21:00:00

I tried to use at a wedding and I had the wedding party all line up and the lights would not flash. Also the lights will flash when anybody else flash their cameras. Don't buy this.

ah

2009-03-03T19:00:00

I have only had this product for 2 days. Assembly is very straight forward. Does everything as advertised. The stand could be a little more secure, I wouldn't trust the stand with a heavier strobe. Keep the kit together and every thing will be fine. I threw away the umbrella because I didn't like the light it gave off. I was impressed with the slave unit. I was 5 feet in front of the strobe light, and using my flash on the camera and it didn't miss a single shot. It has no audible beep when charged, but I knew that before I bought it so I didn't remove a star. Honestly in a small studio this thing is perfect as a backup. My camera had no problem using automatic white balance mode. Very inexpensive, natural color range. Now if it can last a year, this kit is a must buy for any one who wants to learn or is on a budget or needs a non wallet busting backup. Allot of people complain about the weight but I see it as a plus. The strobe itself just seems very sturdy when I hold it.

Drew