Flashpoint 180 Monolight Battery Powered, guide no 150

2016-12-05T20:02:17

I bought this in 2014 and used it a couple of times for location shoots and it was good as a fill light. Went to use it last week and I found that the batteries (which I regularly charged because they work in other video cameras and lights) die as soon as the monolight was turned on. Put batteries in SONY charger and they test OK, fully charged. Went and bought two new batteries, charged them, and found they too went dead when the monolight was turned on. Found an AC adapter and tested the monolight with that and it flashed. Apparently, the battery box that holds the two Sony batteries has some kind of short. I can see why this is "No Longer Available" .

Joel B.

2015-02-24T19:00:00

I hate to be "that guy" but it needs to be said. Yes this is a cheap light and yes you get what you pay for, however, there are better options out there at this price point. The part that attaches to the light stand is made of very cheap plastic and the piece that tightens it down scratches the light stand every single time. If that were the only issue, I wouldn't be giving it such a low rating. What REALLY bothers me is that once the power output is pushed anywhere over the halfway mark, the light seems to short out and continuously trigger itself. The only way I've found to temporarily stop it, is to hit the test button just after one of it's spastic flashes occurs and that only SOMETIMES works. It really drives me crazy and it drains the battery pretty quickly when the light starts shorting out at full power. I also wish that the cord that attaches the battery unit to the actual strobe was a little longer. With all of that said, I LOVE how light and portable it is, the fact that it has a very common front mount, and that the battery lasts a very good amount of time. If they would just work out the constant self-triggering, I'd be in love with it.

BLAKE G.

2014-07-22T21:00:00

Only one problem bad battery but they sent me new right away

Douglas B.

2014-07-21T21:00:00

I needed a battery powered light that was more powerful than my speedlights, but I couldn't afford the quantum, ranger or other lights of this type. There were not problems with the light, the batteries or the chargers. It puts out way more light than my speedlights and is light and portable. My only negative comment is that there are absolutely no instructions included, only a small sheet which tells what each button, switch or dial is. Even contacted Flashpoint and they have no instructions printed or on line. Since anyone wanting to use this light probably already has a grasp of lighting and lighting equipment basics, it is easy enough to figure out. But would be nice to have a basic instruction sheet that would tell you, for instance, that the batteries are already charged or not. The indicator light on the charger just shows red or green with no way to tell the level of charge. For a light duty battery powered moonlight, this one is well worth the low price.

Lane

2014-07-21T21:00:00

fledgling pro photographer ,i have used the modeling light alone during day shoots with a fantastic result

all p.

2014-07-21T21:00:00

Easy to set up and use. Good quality and nice battery life. Works as a modeling light or a flash.

KENNETH N.

2014-06-13T21:00:00

I am using this product primarily as a fill flash for outdoor portraits. So far it is performing as advertised and meeting my needs.

SCOTT Y.

2014-05-26T21:00:00

I love this moonlight. It is much more powerful than a flash, yet very portable. It is easy to use because it does what you'd expect... lights up your scene. I like that it comes with the battery pack that will flash 700 times on a single charge. It was recommended to me by 2 of my friends.

RON V.

2014-02-12T19:00:00

This is a compact, great solution for on-the-go, location or studio work. However, I can not keep the modeling lamp from going out on me (after 2 brand new units)! This is something I need for low-key shooting.

Brent A.

2014-02-10T19:00:00

Bought my first one, plan on buying a coupel more, as a replacement for my Quantum Qs. Primarily for "grip n grins" and location groups where I didnt want cord running. So far it performs as advertise. High number of shots per charge. Light weight. Compact. Even took it on a outdoor fashion shoot during a recent snow storm.

Troy T.

2014-01-20T19:00:00

Handy light for location use and works very well for a remote fill in a situation where no power is available in a building or is too far for power cords. More than enough power for use with todays digital cameras. Color balance is very slightly warm, great for portraits as a single source with a reflector for fill. With care in use should have a long service life.

FRED C.

2014-01-20T19:00:00

I ordered two Flashpoint 180 Monolights and amazingly both are defected.and i am returning it. No, I would not recommend this to a friend...

ANWAR A.

2014-01-18T19:00:00

I used this 3 times. After some trouble shooting, I found 1 of the 2 batteries isn't charging. I have owned this light for about 6 months and unfortunately I discarded the packaging, otherwise I would attempt to get a replacement. The light itself is decent, build quality is a bit flimsy. I will be replacing the defective battery since its a common Sony style lithium battery. I noticed the female terminals on the batteries are easily detached when disconnecting from the charger which is probably the culprit.

Jason L.

2014-01-01T19:00:00

A very nice upgrade from my speedlight. I do with there was more instructions on how to use it, but after about 30 mins I figured out what settings I should use for my D600. It looks like if I use my Speedlight with Auto FP the highest Shutterspeed on this is 800. --Still very nice and portable.

rmblnboy

2013-12-30T19:00:00

Pros - Easy to use, battery charges fast, easy to set-up Negative - Should have a stand, no indicator on unit or battery when charge running low, no direct plug in available when battery out. Would purchase again.

RAJEEB D.

2013-12-16T19:00:00

Use for portrait, outdoor fashion

Johnny

2013-12-02T19:00:00

Great for on location portraits. Very powerful for the size and with over 500 flashes per battery charge, it is always ready for you.

Santa J.

2013-11-28T19:00:00

The Flashpoint 180 is a great portable lighting solution. It came with a bag that will carry the light, the reflector, the umbrella, the battery and some cables. It could even fit a light lunch if you pack it right. The battery charge pretty fast and it's quite light for location photography. The cable from the battery to the monolight could use an extension or longer cable. Now let's see how it performs. First of all I'm using a radio trigger for triggering the monolight. The quality of light is awesome for it's price and it's weight. The metering result for the light is GN 130 at iso 100 at maximum power. My metering distance is 10 feet away with reflector using Sekonic L-358 light meter. I uses iso 100 speed 100 at f/13 and it was spot on. at minimum power, the meter is f/4 with the same iso and speed. This light price to weight to quality of light is simply awesome. It won't cause your Voice Activated Light Stand to fuzz !!

Thomas P.

2013-11-25T19:00:00

Portability and plenty of pop! Love this mini mono kit. I own four of them and I use them for all kinds of shoots. I can't believe the battery output. You never have to worry about having enough power that's for sure. With the variable output you can dial into just the right amount of fill. Great price. Great product.

Joe S.

2013-10-28T21:00:00

Use this in portraiture photography. Easy to use and transport No complaints

MARCUS D.

2013-09-23T21:00:00

Great go to device when on a remote location as the battery pack is small and light weight. As a light weight concentrated diffused light source I attach a cheep shower cap over the front of the reflector bowl. The included umbrella and a translucent dome-shaped tube protector I feel scatters the light to much is my main reason for using the shower cap. If you're wanting an inexpensive monolight to take with you everywhere, this'll do nicely. If you're looking to use in a studio with heavy modifiers, look to a AC powered monolights.

HENRY M.

2013-09-09T21:00:00

I was looking for an inexpensive, manually-controlled, battery-powered, light-weight monolight with an LED modeling light and this thing just rocks. I've owned a lot of very-expensive flash gear in my career and I just don't get how the big guys justify what they charge for a capacitor and a flash-tube. Granted, this lightweight little powerhouse is not the thing you are going to drag around on an airplane everyday, but it does what good flashes do, it goes pop... and it has a ready-beep, a slave and a variator... you don't need anything else, except maybe a radio trigger, and I already had one. It weighs nothing, comes with a case and you're ready to go. (I did get the beauty dish and the diaper to go over it.) The hardware is just okay, but if you are careful, I'm sure that it will perform just fine over time. For the price, it's pretty-much a no-brainer. If you are worried about durability buy 2, or 10 because that's what you'll pay for the big boys. This is not for the photographer that needs a rough and tough, travel rig or is going to shoot high-speed sports, but if you are occasionally shooting people or interiors and need a lightweight inexpensive system, this is hard to beat. I never understood why "strobists" like putting hot-shoe speedlights on stands with the mickey-mouse hardware. Now there's no reason. This thing is less-expensive than most speedlights, because it just does what you need it to do... go pop.

PETER D.

2013-09-09T21:00:00

The first Flashpoint 180 I received had a problem with self-triggering; as soon as it's plugged in, it fires the flash continuously. Contacted Adorama and they sent me another Flashpoint 180. It's working fine so far.

TONY V.

2013-08-30T21:00:00

I used it last night for the first time and loved it. I was on a location shoot and used it with one of my silver umbrellas and man how it delivered! It has plenty of pop and just performed so well. All the features check out great. The only downside is the mount to the stand issue......I make it work. The cord is a bit short to the power pack, but I make that work as well with a Velcro strap to my stand knob. I love this thing! I bought two. One for my studio location use and one for my personal gear. I'm gonna buy two more. Great value!! If you're looking for a very affordable high quality light source, there's nothing like this unit. That explained why I had to wait a month and a half due to this kit being on backorder! Worth the wait for sure. Oh by the way, I am a pro. Standing member of the cinematographers guild local 600. I cant wait to use this on my next project at some remote location somewhere. This will help be out big when it comes to my gallery shoots with the talent.

Joey M.

2013-07-16T21:00:00

I'm moonlighting as a portrait photographer, and nothing beats an 'outdoor studio', so I picked up on of these lights for on-location work. When you're in a national forest at 4700', it's just the ticket. It's a lightweight unit that packs a punch (GN 150' w/ reflector) that you can take anywhere. It has a basic modeling light, a 1/8" sync jack, a strobe slave, and a combination 5/8" female bracket and umbrella holder. The kit itself comes with a double-folding umbrella, a soft case, and the foam-covered handle you see in one of the pictures, along with a reflector (no grid) and your usual 1/8"-to-PC cord. This unit has one really big drawback: that 5/8" bracket it's on is rather flimsy. It's a tight 5/8" and doesn't like to mount on some of my stands. It's also unable to hold up more than a reflector and an umbrella ~ my 95cm octo is way too heavy, but I can coerce it into holding a beauty dish by threading a ball bungie through the back handle. The power cord could also be a little longer ~ be ready to ball bungie that as well, though the belt clip on the power pack catches that bungie pretty easy. So if you're wanting an inexpensive monolight with kick to take with you everywhere, this'll do nicely. If you're looking for a studio lamp, or to use heavy modifiers, try the AC powered monolights.

MATT H.

2013-07-15T21:00:00

Picked this up to provide a key light when traveling light. This gives me the power I need without having to double or triple up speedlights. It also comes at the same price as the new Lumipro speedlights so that's an added bonus. It won't replace my larger monoblocks but is an excellent choice for when I want to travel light. The kit comes with every thing you need except for a light stand. I would also suggest picking up a better umbrella the one that comes in the kit is a bit flimsy but I was surprised that it had one at all.

KENNETH B.

2013-07-01T21:00:00

I would classify this monolight as a consumer product and considering that, I gave it 4 stars. This monolight runs off batteries only. It can be used in studio and for outdoor photography. It recycles in 1 to 3.6 seconds and has a flash duration of 1/400 to 1/1100 second and the two-battery power pack will give 700 full-power flashes, all according to the instructions. I mention this because my flash did not come with instructions. Upon request, customer service sent me a copy quickly. Since this product was developed for outdoor photography, the power cable is only 4.9 feet long. That is too short for resting on the ground if mounted on a tripod at most extensions. I solved this with a Velcro tie to secure the belt loop on the battery pack to the tripod. The manual states that using the included reflector will "greatly improve the guide number". When fully discharged, the two provided charges will take a long while to charge. If that is a concern to you, consider purchasing two extra batteries.

Scott K.

2013-06-24T21:00:00

I shoot both in the studio and in the field. I have been using flash and got these to try. I bought one and then added a second. I may add a third too. For less than the cost of a flash, you get a powerful, adjustable light source. The Bowens mount light modifiers are easy to find and fit well. I couldn't be too much happier with these. They aren't up to the quality of my Norman Studio strobes, but then again, they are about 10% of the cost. If value is your primary concern, these are great. If you are a working pro and need the absolute dead dependable best, look around.

JEFF K.

2013-06-17T21:00:00

I use the monolight in and out of studio. I like the portability it gives me the flexibility to have more options when I am on a shoot. The battery pack and chargers that came with the unit are poorly built with inferior materials.

Walter m.

2013-06-17T21:00:00

I wanted a battery-powered studio flash to use in dance studios, on stages, and other locations where AC outlets may be unavailable or hard to reach. I bought this one because it was the only affordably-priced option that accepts the S-mount (Bowens type) accessories I already own, such as soft boxes and beauty dishes. Because it's designed like a normal studio flash, with an exposed flash tube, it does a much better job of filling modifiers and umbrellas than a "speedlight" type flash with a reflector and lens over the tube. It comes with a translucent dome-shaped tube protector that also doubles as a diffuser and works well for bare-bulb effects. The fact that it's much less expensive than many camera-maker speedlights makes it a better choice for studio-type photography. The unit is very basic in terms of features, but its construction and finish are decent and it does the job. The main body section is metal and seems sturdy, and all the accessories I tried attach securely on the S-mount. I like the fact that it uses a standard type of camcorder battery, so it won't be hard to buy spares when I need them. (In my tests, though, I'm getting more than 500 flashes per charge, so I may not need spares any time soon!) The biggest downside is the modeling light -- it's a 1-watt LED that's too dim to be useful in predicting lighting effects, especially with an umbrella or modifier. In fact, the LED on mine burned out the first time I used it, but I didn't bother to have it replaced because I don't think it would be of any use. There are a few irritating signs of cost-cutting, too. The umbrella mount doesn't have a retaining screw for the umbrella shaft, only a tension spring. It works okay with a small umbrella, but it's not confidence-inspiring when I use my 7-foot parabolic. The stand mount's locking handle rubs against the side of the unit when you turn it upward. And the flash-ready LED is hard to see from any angle other than directly behind the unit (so I usually rely on the beeper instead.) Overall, though, it's good for a budget unit. I'm not sure it would stand up to heavy studio use every day -- but I need a battery-powered unit only for occasional shoots, so I expect it will work out fine for me.

JAMES W.