Westcott 1800-watt Spiderlite TD5 2-Light Perfect Portrait Kit, - FREE!! 40" 5-in-1 Collapsible Reflector with Case.

2012-07-01T21:00:00

I only recommend this kit for one reason: if you plan to move it around a lot. It folds up smaller and better than most other light kits, if you get the optional bulb covers. And, the shallow softboxes are nice. The bag it comes with is poorly designed and flimsy, but gets the job done. The stands weren't very good either so I switched them out with some much better Flashpoint stands. There are some irritating corner-cutting design flaws. For example, the power cords cannot be removed. If you don't need to move it around much, anything made by Interfit is a much better deal.

Jeff P.

2010-12-15T19:00:00

I love these lights and the quality of light they provide. However, don't underestimate the learning curve if you've been using strobes or flashes. It's perfect for one subject or two. Three and four are a challenge and for groups forget about it, that is not what they are for. The case does NOT have wheels, that would have been nice.

Jorge R.

2010-12-08T19:00:00

I bought this set because the softboxes have a shallow profile, and the light assembly has (optional) caps which can be used to protect it for easier transporting, with the bulbs inside. It also sets up fairly quickly. Those three features are its saving grace, because otherwise I would have bought much cheaper devices from Interfit, which have several superior design features. The mounting brackets for the TD5 are simple and sturdy, but should have been better designed. The bracket cannot be easily adjusted with one hand, which is lame. I have to set my camera down to adjust the bracket. Better-designed lighting units don't make me do that. The TD5 fixture has power cords that cannot be detached. Most professional electronic equipment now includes this simple and basic feature. I had to cut the cords off and install male-female plugs on them so that the cords can be packed more easily. Why couldn't they have done that at the factory? The "Location Carry Kit" which comes included with this set is a flimsy joke, and it will not hold the TD5 units with the travel caps attached, unless you just dump everything in the open bag together, and even then it doesn't fit very well. There is a 2nd case which nests inside, but it practically useless and can't be used at all with the cover caps on, unless you want to remove all of the bulbs and pack them in their little cardboard boxes every time you want to pack up. I don't. The case they give you is a very poor match for the equipment it is supposed to hold. Oh, and the stands aren't very good, either. They are larger, bulkier and heavier than necessary, and they don't even have air-cushioning! They also wobble and creak alarmingly when extending and holding your expensive new light fixtures. I replaced the stands with Flashpoint stands that are cheaper, smaller, lighter, sturdier, and air-cushioned. One other thing: when you rotate the TD5 unit the way it is designed to be rotated, the device scratches itself, marring its own finish. I've only used it a few times and it already has a circular scratch around the back of it where the mounting bracket scrapes against the body of the unit. All I can say to summarize that is: "What the?????" The whole thing has the look and feel of something that was made on a whim out of parts off the shelf at the hardware store. The units I received seem more like prototypes than finished products. I called Westcott to point all of this out to them, and all they had to say was "just start using it, and you will like it." I think what I should do is start my own lighting company, and build stuff the way it should be built.

Jeff P.