2009-08-18T21:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
Excellent quality and value
I use the Allure C1000 in my home studio mostly for still life and macro work. Although most of my photography is done with strobes, there are many situations where hot lights are more suitable. The Allure C1000 is an excellent hot light for a very reasonable price. The unit is simply designed and appears very solid and well made. Although solidly made, it is still light enough to be securely attached to an overhead support via a super clamp without causing the clamp to rotate even on a very smooth pipe. The instructions are very clear and you can have the unit running on a lightstand within 5 minutes of unpacking. All you need to do is install the two bulbs (not included), attach the dome and reflector, and plug it in. The two bulb system to maintain a constant color temperature at three power levels makes things a lot easier.
I have only two very minor criticisms of the Allure C1000n neither of which would prevent me from purchasing another unit. The glass diffuser dome is held in place by three spring steel clips that grip the dome by inserting their tips into three holes in the dome. Even when inserted properly in the holes, the dome still is a bit loose. The clips do not extend very far into the holes and it does not take very much force to pull a clip out of its hole. Although it has not happened to me yet, the dome is wiggly enough to give me concern that a clip will pop out of a hole and the dome will fall to the floor. Bending the steel clips in a bit helps, but it is really not the answer. The other minor criticism is with the cooling fan. The fan is on whenever the unit is plugged into the mains. You cannot turn it off without unplugging it. I realize this is probably a safety feature to prevent one from accidentally forgetting to turn on the fan when using the lights, but the constant noise from multiple units can be annoying. Having the fan turn on whenever the lights are switched on or when the unit is hot would seem a better solution. I simply plug the Allure C1000 units into a switched power center which resolves the problem.
I am very pleased with the two units I have and will probably purchase another. While the dome and fan issues mentioned above could be improved upon, I did not think them serious enough to prevent giving this product 5 stars - not perfect, but very close. Norman also sells a set of barn doors that can be used with the Allure C1000.
Alien R.
