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BlueTech
{Make Your Own Home Studio} Studio Photography Lighting Table Top Square Tent Kit Includes: 16" Tent + 2 Tabletop Lights + Blue & Grey Color Backdrop + Tripod - BlueTech
CowboyStudio
CowboyStudio 2275 Watt Digital Video Continuous Softbox Lighting Kit with Boom and Carrying Case - CowboyStudio

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BlueTech http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Sd2CnLCrL._SL160_.jpg
{Make Your Own Home Studio} Studio Photography Lighting Table Top Square Tent Kit Includes: 16" Tent + 2 Tabletop Lights + Blue & Grey Color Backdrop + Tripod - BlueTech
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CowboyStudio http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/414lQtUEMtL._SL160_.jpg
CowboyStudio 2275 Watt Digital Video Continuous Softbox Lighting Kit with Boom and Carrying Case - CowboyStudio
Rating info
eComparisons Score
eComparisons ScoreThe "Comparison Score" Is calculated based on the average number of times this item was compared with other items in this category by our users
7.2
5.8
User Rating (Amazon)
User Rating (Amazon)

Five Star Reviews:

36%
Five Stars
February 28, 2017
Awesome product for the price
Amazing!
December 28, 2016
My wife give me the studio as a christmas present and i really enjoy everything about it! It helped my photos to come great!
very easy setup and storage
November 9, 2016
Bought this to use for food photos for blog and it works perfectly, very easy setup and storage....originally received setup with a broken light, I contacted seller and received replacement within the week so great seller great product
Great product
June 3, 2016
This is a great little home studio. Perfect for taking photos needed on my blog. Super easy to set up.
Five Stars
December 31, 2015
Very happy fast shipping daughter loved it thanks
25%
Quick delivery and exactly as described
October 19, 2012
I read the reviews for this product (CowboyStudio 2275 Watt Digital Video Continuous Softbox Lighting Kit/Boom Set) and similar products from other manufacturers,and decided that this was the one for me. It arrived amazingly quickly - only 2 days after ordering, even with Amazon Super-saver free shipping. The packaging was excellent and all the components arrived in perfect condition. I don't know why some buyers seem to have problems assembling the softboxes - I was able to completely assemble all three units in about 35 minutes, even without written instructions. If I had needed any further instructions, I would have gone directly to the CowboyStudio YouTube channel as suggested on the enclosed card.So far, I've only had the lighting set for 2 days, but I've already found it to be extremely easy to use and it performs exactly as I expected. Sure, it's not as heavy duty as its more expensive counterparts, but it is perfectly adequate for my needs, and likely will meet the needs of all but the most demanding professionals. While I plan to upgrade my lighting set up to more ruggedly built professional-grade equipment as my budget allows, I feel confident that I can expect these units to last for many years. Thanks, CowboyStudio!
Just ordered a second one!
October 17, 2012
I do quite a bit of video/DVD work for marketing and communicating with my customer base. I just moved my company into a very large industrial facility. We have a media room where we'll film various programs and other things. So we're having fun getting it all set up with everything we need.We ordered this COWBOY light box set, and it is FANTASTIC. The quality of the lights, and the huge range of adjustability of the amount of light could not be more perfect for us. And the best part...I have oily skin, and normally when I'm on camera the makup person has to keep patting me dry (especially on top of my bald head!) every few minutes.But with THESE lights, I get ZERO reflection off my skin. It's amazing, and I have no idea why that is. We like this so much that we just ordered a second set of these lights.
For the money this light kit is well worth it.
July 17, 2012
I just got done filming a 3 light setup in a green-screened car in the garage and the lights worked great--a lot cooler and dimmer so don't be afraid to get in close with these lights. My tungsten 3 light setup I used on the green screen, these lights filmed just at perfectly at 5200K (cloudy day, white balance to that, my tungstens were at 3200K daylight dimmed them out a lot). Shot with a Canon 5D Mark II.Durability! I leave these lights setup in my movie studio/living room and my nine year old knocked over a five-light softbox and the one light hair-light with no damage! Wow!Also, I stupidly tried to use the hair-light as a reading light and put a halogen light inside which melted the halogen to the bulb mount and was smoking like it was going to catch fire, luckily I did not put the diffuser on or it would have really heated up.I wrote to Amazon admitting my failure to read the directions and my desire to purchase just the hair-light (could not find it online). They treated it as a defective return and sent me a brand new kit which I just swapped the hair-light and sent it back with their pre-paid postage label. Wow, THAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE!!
Huge Upgrade!
July 1, 2012
From what some of the reviews said, you would think that this was the cheapest set of lights on earth. This is far from the truth. I've been shooting products for my company for 3 months now, and these lights have made my life so easy. The level and quality of light makes shots close to flawless with almost no post editing. The stands are also way stronger than the negative reviews give it credit for. With both sand bags filled I can securely hang a video camera off the end of the third stand using a Joby flexible tripod. This is great for overhead videos which I could never do before.The bottom line is that for the price, you simply can't do any better. The light is really good, the stands are tough enough for a static setup, and the shots possible will make your life a lot easier than using the junk that you can get from a local photo store.
Great lights at a GREAT price!
August 3, 2010
I've been around expensive kits for years...Arri, Kinoflo, Rifa...so I really wasn't expecting much for my money. Believe me, I was pleasantly surprised!First, I got the kit in an amazingly short period of time, which was nice. It came double-boxed, with a soft case inside the double box. Inside the soft case were carefully packaged all the various boxes...the CFL lamps, the stands, the soft boxes themselves, and all the power cords and accessories. Also included was an instruction sheet...more on that in a moment.Everything was quite intuitive to set up. It helped that I had gone onto the Cowboy Studio website ([...]) and watched the assembly video. It's a bit tricky to build these soft boxes, but no trickier than any other brand. The very nature of the beast makes all of them a bit of a pain. The backlight is an umbrella arrangement that opens quickly and locks into place..so it's not bad at all. But I experienced none of the poor quality that another reviewer mentioned. Everything assembled quickly and easily, and all the parts were included. One thing I noticed was that great attention to detail was given to things like individual sleeves for the umbrellas...there's a place for everything. And all the CFLs are individually-boxed for shipping...sadly, in styrofoam that will be unusable. But I had planned to buy a pick-n-pluck foam case for the lamps anyway, so that's not a huge deal.The boom stand is sturdy...make sure all the heads lock into place on all the stands. They're a bit of a firmer fit than you usually find, so make sure everything's firmly seated. I was a bit disappointed with the stands for the two soft boxes...their bases don't spread out much, so when you have the head at the upper limits of the stand, it's a bit wobbly...you'll want to be sure to bag the bottom of the light stands (which you would probably do, anyway).I love the heads on these lights...each of the five CFLs per head, has its own toggle switch. This will make it SO easy to dial in the amount of light you need. Plus, as soon as you plug in the head, a pilot lamp on the back lets you know you have power, without turning on any of the CFLs. That's a nice touch. The back light has just one socket, so its power switch is an in-line switch. The switch feels like it might be a little flimsy, but again, at this price you accept a few shortcomings here and there.The coolest thing? I fired up all the lights (10-45 watt CFLs and the backlight, a single 65-watt CFL) and the entire setup draws only 253 watts! That's amazing! Your whole light kit on one extension cord's worth of power, with tons of amps to spare (253 watts is less than 3 amps out of the 20 you usually have to work with).One thing that could use a bit of help is the instruction sheet. I've never understood why companies don't re-do the Chinese-written instructions that go into their products. There's one photo that's even wrong (it illustrates the right way to screw in the CFLs [using only the base, not the tubes themselves], but labels it the WRONG way.) But as I mentioned, watch the video on the Cowboy Studio site, and you'll know what you're doing before the product arrives.I was considering trying some of the "build your own" softbox things on YouTube and such. My recommendation? Don't bother. Spend the money and get something that's well-thought out and professional looking. It'll make a difference to your clients, and you'll walk a little taller at the shoot.All in all, for the price, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better value than these lights (and no, I don't work for the company!). I was looking for something to add some "production value" to my shoots (I've been using daylight CFLs in hardware store clamp-on lights), and these will certainly do the trick. Don't be fooled by the off-brand ones on eBay...they have only four CFL sockets per light, and don't have the individual power switches. If you're looking for a compact, inexpensive way to get into 3-point lighting, don't hesitate for a moment to buy these lights. I'm even considering getting a second set to have around...they're that good a value.Thanks for reading!
Very Nice Lights!
June 14, 2009
When i saw the price i wasn't sure if this set is as good as $1200 ones... but because of my budget i decided to give it a try anyway. Is set is perfect! very good quality, i actually expected to see something like "a baby toy made in china that would break in a day" :) but i was totally wrong! it feels solid, materials seem to be good quality and it is simply very good light. the lights produce very even beautiful diffused white light - actually the very first day i took couple test pictures and i couldn't believe that my non professional camera actually can take very professional pictures! quality of the pictures are UNBELIEVABLE! if you have no lights like this there's no way you can light up your subject or object to make it look perfect. seriously, i saw VERY notable difference. Now i cannot live without this set - whatever picture i take at home - i use this set. I love the thought that these lights have 5 switches for each lamp so you can adjust the amount of light - PERFECT!I originally bought this set for my green screen (home) production and it looked really really good. but now as i already said before i use these lights for everything else - Photo, Video, i even use this set to light myself when i have webcam conferences at work and everyone amazed how great i look (duh! LOL) they have no idea i use this set. anyway, i totally love it. Also, i had to contact the seller with a question i had so i emailed (i thought calling them would be difficult) but the guys responded back shortly after and asked me to call them so they can explain details since it would be easier to explain over the phone rather than by using email, i was actually pleased by their response and timing! they sound like very great guys to deal with. thanks for that as well.

Four Star Reviews:

31%
Cozy little setup
August 7, 2017
Got this for my father and he loved it. Neat little set up and he appreciated how it came with the two little lights. Great for photographing collectibles.
I love it. I dropped a star because there was ...
April 10, 2017
I love it. I dropped a star because there was a patchy dust all over the outside cover. Possibly mold, but the box showed no evidence of being water damaged and it was on the case. It wiped off with a disinfectant cloth. No-biggie for the price. I used mine for a little chroma key studio so Lego Ghost Rider and Lego Darth Vader could ride through the flames!
Four Stars
October 16, 2016
i like it, just used it for one job, just wish the lights could have been a little brighter
Four Stars
February 17, 2016
Easy setup and take-down. Now I just need to figure out how to use my camera!!
Four Stars
January 11, 2016
Great but one of the bulbs came burnt out :(
33%
I've kept the kit pretty much in one location without too much movement
March 25, 2015
I knew what I was getting into when I made this purchase in regards to price/value/quality which is why I am able to give it 4 stars. If you're looking for pro-grade lights or portable lights you can travel with, this isn't for you. So please keep in mind that this is a VERY inexpensive (read: cheap) lighting kit, but for the price, in a relatively static studio space, I'd say it's worth it. While, I've kept the kit pretty much in one location without too much movement, the soft box covers started fraying shortly after purchase, and the plastic that the tightening-joints are made of are quite fragile and a couple have broken. The actual bulbs themselves have held up well and haven't burned out at all. If you make this purchase, bear in mind that you need to handle these lights with extreme care, and DO NOT transport them from set to set. You WILL NOT be able to break these lights down and set them up over and over again. They're simply too fragile. I have have been pretty satisfied with the kit except for it being even more flimsy/fragile than I expected.
Good lights overall, really terrible stands
January 28, 2014
These are not lights you're going to want to take down very often. The soft boxes are not that hard to put together, there's a video out there and basically the jist of it is, you have to be willing to use a little force while being careful not to puncture anything. Not really as bad as some say it is, I can do it in about 3 minutes now that I've done it.The softboxes are quite nice. The bulbs are hit and miss, I've had a lot of Cowboy's bulbs and I can tell you the failure rate is pretty bad. About 1/15 or so have been noisy, flickery, or just didn't work. With this kit, I had one bulb that buzzed and Cowboy studio customer service is NON EXISTENT. But remember, this is CHEAP stuff so what do you expect I guess?The boom softbox and stand is actually pretty good here. The sandbag sucks.The big softboxes are very kind to your talent's skin and complexion. I really enjoyed them once they were setup. However, I was always annoyed with the stands because they're about as thin as possible and they're very flimsy. I recommend upgrading to PBL's stands or at very least putting sand bags on the base of these stands. Unless of course you want to have 5 or 6 CFLs break on your head.Overall, they're GOOD, not great, lights. If you're just starting out, they ARE all you need and frankly, if you can get a great deal on them (especially through warehouse deals sometimes) then they're worth the money. Just make sure you check pricing with a amazon price trend tool first and don't pay too much or you might be disappointed.Also, again, NOT portable.
Actual Lighting test included with metering readings
November 28, 2012
I've been doing a lot of webinars lately and saw a review on something similar to these and thought I would try these out. Heck, if they didn't work for photography, I can still use them in my barn as they do throw a lot of light, but is it good enough for photography? I assembled these without the instructions as there wasn't any and I didn't want to go on the internet and watch the videos. My recommendation is to go watch the video as they did give me a few fits getting them together!! Overall the light stands are weak, but what do you expect. I used my test model with the following settings. My camera settings were 1/125 second with an aperture of F8 as that is what my light meter said I needed. I set my ISO at 800 as well because these lights don't really put out much light for photography. I did not use the internal baffle as I knew it would cut my output further. The two main light boxes were at a 45% angle to the model and 24" away. The key light was set at F8 with all the lights on. For those not familiar with these lights, the two main light boxes have 5 bulbs each and each light can be turned on individually which is nice. For the fill light, I turned off three of the bulbs to get a nice lighting ratio. For the first set of pictures I placed the model 3 feet from the background and did not use a background light. For the second set of pictures I moved the model back two feet so she was only 1 foot away from the backdrop as these lights didn't put out enough light to cast shadows on the backdrop. Moving the model closer to the backdrop and moving the lights closer also makes the background brighter. I used the hair light which is pretty weak and it could use a brighter bulb as it uses a single bulb. Overall the pictures turned out pretty nice and exposed well. I did a custom white balance before the shots and the RAW file show a white balance temperature of 5150K. Just remember to put these light very close to your subject to get enough bright light. Here were some light meter readings I recorded for testing purposes. When all the lights were on in the light box, I was getting a light meter reading of F2.0 and 6/10th @ 100 ISO and a shutter speed of 125. With four lights on my reading dropped to F2.0 and 3/10th. With three lights on my reading dropped to F2.0 and 1/10th. With two lights on my reading dropped to F1.4 and 5/10th. With one one light on my reading dropped to F1.0 and 6/10th. When both lights were on and positioned 24" away and at a 45% angle, my combined meter reading was F2.8 at 100 ISO @ 1/125th. See the uploaded pictures from these light tests in the user photo area for light quality. They are the ones with the model with shoulder pads on. So far I think these lights will have a place in my studio for certain lighting conditions. The advantage to these lights is that they are always on and you have the what you see is what you get factor for lighting. These light wouldn't work for a large group of people as they do not generate enough light, but for two or three people they should work fine. I will be doing further testing and will post updates as time allows.
Good for beginners.
July 31, 2012
I bought these constant lights and, in a small studio setting, these are the best bang for your buck. Since it's constant lighting, you don't need a light meter because you can meter with your camera, or triggers, because it's constant light. It's not difficult at all to put the soft boxes together, but it won't be quick, and it's kind of a pain (like most soft boxes). When I shot on location close to home, I didn't disassemble the soft boxes and just carried them constructed in my the back seat of my car, ready to use. It took me an extra trip for my gear, but I didn't have to worry about sticking poles in holes to get ready to shoot. Plus, I read some reviews that said the screw that mounts these to the light stands cracks. Well they must have heard the feedback because mine were reinforced so you can screw it tight enough to hold it securely without worrying about cracking it.I really liked this set and got good pictures out of them, however, as my work scaled, these lights had a hard time keeping up in larger, more demanding settings, with less controllable ambient light. At home, I control the ambient lights. On a shoot, the ambient lights are less controllable and the spaces can be larger.On my last shoot with these, in a wide open space, I couldn't get out of the f/3.5-4.5 range and keep a decent shutter speed for moving models. F/4.5 is pretty good in my small studio for portraits of one person, but a fashion shoot with two or three people and f/3.5'ish doesn't give me the DoF that I need to get the shots I want. In addition to my new strobes, I also bought the EZ Pro umbrella-type soft boxes which literally set up in less than 30 seconds. Now, once I get on location, I'm up and running in no time. Of course, with strobes come more expenses (light meter, modifiers, light stands, triggers, etc.) but for my professional work, it's what I need. If you don't absolutely NEED strobes, these are great. On one shoot, I used these and got better pictures than two other photogs using flashes and strobes, but we had small spaces, where these lights really shine (no pun intended).If you're not shooting professionally for clients off-site, get these. If you have an occasional off-site in a pretty small space (client's home, client's small office), get these. If you just want much better lighting to take pictures of family and friends, get these. You'll love 'em. They give great light, stay cool, and look nice. Plus, you get everything you need including the carrying bag. If you need to overpower unpredictable ambient light or will be working in larger spaces or with multiple people and/or fast action, get strobes, or much more powerful constant lights. These are very good at what they do, but don't expect them to do more than that.
2000 W of light using only 450W of AC power - how they do it
May 6, 2011
I purchased the cowboy studio 2000W lightbox set from amazon for soft, controlled temperature illumination. In trying it out, I found that the 10 ea 45w CFL 5500K tubes used in the lightboxes are not what we were accustomed to with tungsten. I also found that cowboystudio's design and consturuction differ by quite a bit - the design is good, but the construction fails in a few areas, like overzealous stitching in some areas and none in others.Altogether, realize that this IS NOT a $2000 lightbox set. It cost me $177. It came with all the parts, and included 20' power cords for each lamp head (standard IEC connector - but by far the longest cords I've worked with).POWER:10 ea 45W bulbs draw 450W of AC power and are spec'ed go give 2000W equivalent light output. That's a little better than 4:1 ratio, and CFL's are often specified at higher numbers, so I'll take the calculations, however there are 2 diffusers between the bright cfl lights and you.Positives:Ceramic light sockets for strengthIndividual switches (5 on each head) for variable power20 foot power cords (amazing)Strong tripodsNegatives:Stitching in the lightbox itself is a bit weakSome items that should have been stitched were notHeavy reliance on velcro to hold it togetherDoes it work - very well. Watch the video. If you have questions, my email is in my profile. Pleae don't ask comments here as I only check comments on my reviews on an irregular basis.
Hard to beat for the money.
July 26, 2010
If you've ever seriously looked at professional lighting kits, you know they get expensive really quickly.Unfortunately, I had no budget and the studio lighting I had built myself was a little cumbersome to say the least. I found this kit on Amazon and figured it was a gamble but decided to give it a shot anyway.As other reviewers have stated, it's not the highest quality - but, seriously, what did they expect. To go from paying $1,200 for just a light to under $300 for lights, stands, diffusers, bulbs and the whole works, you'd expect to have some drop in quality. Having said that, this kit is really solid for the price. It includes diffusers for the soft boxes and creates nice continuous lighting that works pretty well in both video and photo applications.My one caveat is that the kit is definitely meant to be set up in a studio - so if you're traveling to different locations, it can be a pain to break it down and put it back up again - but after a few tries, you'll be surprised at how fast you get at it. The bulbs are also a point of frustration because you pretty much have to keep them in their packing boxes - there isn't a foam mould or anything to hold them and keep them from breaking, and you definitely cant just throw them in the bag with the stands, etc. - but like I said, still a killer deal for the money.Here's a little test video I put together right after set up: [...]If you guys pick this one up, I hope you enjoy it - just don't expect the most durable studio quality for such a low price.

Three Star Reviews:

11%
Three Stars
January 22, 2017
Not bad to start. But one of my light is not working. I believe it's the lightbulb.
Three Stars
February 21, 2016
good for beginner ( maybe)
It would of been nice if they included a white backdrop
February 1, 2016
It would of been nice if they included a white backdrop... There is only the gray and the blue one.
15%
Decent
May 26, 2016
We bought these to use for my wife's video auditions. We were always having issues with lighting and bought this kit because of its portability. While the lights work great and make her videos top quality, it lacks in the portability department.After an hour of trying to setup the lights (the poles in the light boxes are nearly impossible to attach) we discovered two of the attatchment pieces for the poles were ripped. Unfortunately we missed the window to report this so we have had to live with it. The pole for the overhead light is very fragile, when you extend it all the way up the inner pole bends a bit. While it provides great lighting for the auditions the overhead light is a pain to balance out without the pole breaking.As for the portability (it does come with a travel bag), that is something that is near impossible. After having to move cross country we didn't even bother to break down all the lights as the setup and tear down takes forever.Pros:Price is reasonableComes with bulbsLighting when properly set up is perfectCons:A pain to setup and tear downFlimsy stand for overhead light
Excellent if you are on a restricted budget
February 27, 2016
Excellent if you are on a restricted budget. The soft boxes are difficult to set up and I had to use duct tape on some areas. I wish they were easy to set up and take down like I thought they would be. The stands are easy to set up and take down. They are a little light so be very careful the lights are set up away from foot traffic. Accidentally bumping into the light will knock it over. This has happened to me a few times because my studio space is so small, but they light bulbs and fixtures have never been damaged.The carrying case is really sturdy. Since I can't easily take down my lights I use the case for other things. Once I stuffed it full of laundry. It made that so much easier to carry down to my car and toss in the trunk.
they looked fine, although the 2 stands were kind of cheap
October 7, 2015
Everything arrived in a sealed box. When I unpacked the two light boxes, they looked fine, although the 2 stands were kind of cheap. I thought I was getting more rugged stands, airlift, like the one for the overhead boom support. When I unpacked the light box for the overhead boom it was covered in Mildew (mildew all over the black material and it smelled really bad. It looked used. I cleaned it with X-14 as I did not want the mildew spores spreading inside my house. It looks much better, but to go through that trouble.... what the heck did they ship? The plastic connections on the light boxes are flimsy. I think I will have to replace one already. I think they could do a bit better to improve the value without increasing the price too much. Makes me think twice about ordering anything else from Cowboy Studio.
Not bad considering price but as of now I am super frustrated
October 17, 2012
I am giving this product 3 stars for the follwing reasons:Pros~Cheap Everything works Fits my budget nicely Is portable and good for me for what I want to use it for (occasional studio lighting, I do most of my work outside)Cons~ Cheap You get what you pay for, quality is not wonderful but its not as godawfuul as a lot of these reviews say. Go through amazon and do a search for continuous light kits in this price range....they're all about the same quality, and all have the same issues or similar ones. whoopty doo. My kit is missing one set of support rods for one of the softboxes. Amazon, who fulfilled my order, not cowboystudio, will not just ship me a set of rods. They will replace the whole thing...but that's not what I freakin need. My kit also arrived with one of the softboxes missing the 2 insert tabs. WTF. Well, seeing as how Amazon wont ship that either, I reckon I'll jusr sew me some on unless Cowboy Studio decides to send me a replacement box.I contacted Cowboy Studio first. They requested that I fill out an RMA form. I did so. They then told me that since my order was fulfilled directly from an amazon warehouse they couldn't help me to contact Amazon. ok. I contacted Amazon. As I mentioned above, amazon then told me they could not ship me 4 tiny rods that were missing or just a replacement softbox.... that I have to return the whole dang thing and let them send me another. Yeah, I don't wanna do that cause the effed it up the first time I wanna keep the parts I haave that I already know work! So maybe I'll get this resolved, maybe not. In the meantime, I do have one working softbox, it puts out light and that's all i wanted it to do in the first place so I'm not too unhappy. The individual switches are great, the stands themselves arent too bad, and the brackets for the bulbs are sturdy porcelain. Really the bulbs and heads are the best part of this product.Don't expect magic for the price. And if you're a pro, well, this will be nowhere near what you want. Suits my needs just fine though.
Fantastic Bargain!!!
September 27, 2012
I just received my kit today and I am pleasantly surprised. I too have done quite a bit of research on this kit and others and have read many reviews. One of things I was anticipating was the fact that many people said there kit came in broken or missing peices. In my case this did not happen and everythnig works great.In all honesty, I have found some people trashed the product because of this and one video on Youtube showed that the clamps broke when he tightened them down too tight. Be gentle with this equipment. It is not really designed for constant breakdown and setup. If you want rugged pro quality then I am sure the $1200 and up kits will fill that need. Otherwise just be careful and treat the kit with common sense and for a couple of hundred dollars you'll get three lights with abundant power to light just about anything with decent control over the 11 bulbs that come with it.As far as the instructions go there were none, but I was able to put the entire kit together in a little over an hour while watching TV and taking my time. The real test will come with extensive use over time. If you think about it though, one or two paying sessions will pay for it. I may even do a Youtube video myself to demonstrate set up and use in the future. I am like many, many other people out there that love photo and video and need quality products at a fair price and I truly think this product fits the bill. Enjoy!
Great lights...adequate softboxes.....throw the rest away.
November 4, 2011
I knew that for the money I shouldn't expect much. That being said, the lights were much better than I expected. The ability to turn each one off individually is really cool and speaking of cool its nice to work with continuous lights that are "cool" like these. No worry about anything getting too hot.The softboxes are a royal pain to put together. Go to the Cowboy Studio website and take a look at their video on how to put the softboxes together and then take a look at some videos on YouTube. One new feature is that two of the rod holders (not just one as seen in the video) are actually adjustable so you can adjust the tension easier and run less of a chance of poking the spokes through the fabric. The fabric is quite well made for the price, the silver interior is great and the inside and outside diffuser work very well to soften the light and fit the softbox well. The inner diffuser does have a tendency to rest on the bulbs but since they really don't get hot, this is not a problem. These are the kind of softboxes you want to put together and then leave together in a corner somewhere. To try to put these together on a daily basis would definitely be a deal breaker. If you don't have to do this, they are fine and do the job quite well at less than 1/4 the price of other continuous light sources.The stands are junk.....absolute junk. First they are very small, feel like lightweight plastic and actually start to bend under the weight of the softboxes. The boom stand is a joke...Not only will it not hold the boom in place tightly but when you extend the boom arm, it actually bends under the weight of the hairlight softbox. If you have some other stands, you will end up using those as I did. If you can buy the softboxes at a discount without the stands, seriously consider it because the stands that come with it are really more of a safety hazard than anything else.The case is adequate although I can tell the zippers are only going to last a few "zips".....cheaply made but workable.Final synopsis: Great Lights for the money...Good softboxes for most needs that direct the light and soften well without spillage. Everything else needs to go into the disposal bin and back to China.

Two Star Reviews:

11%
Used or kept in a dirty place?
January 30, 2017
Just recieved this. So far it looks like it was used or stored in a dirty place. Makes me wonder why it was so affordable
Sorry, it wasn't what I thought. It states ...
January 9, 2017
Sorry, it wasn't what I thought. It states there is a top for the frame and there actually is not...
otherwise it's a good
December 17, 2016
One light is not working ,otherwise it's a good buy
11%
Very Disappointed
January 16, 2016
Open the box.Unzipped the storage bag.Inventoried the contents.Assembled the boom light and attempted to tighten the leg clamp but the carriage bolt turns in the plastic clamp and I am unable to tighten enough to hold the leg clamp and the center shaft settles to the floor. Very unstable.Put everything back into the storage bag, and the zipper pilled loose from the seam, leaving a frayed edge.Very Disappointed with the quality out of the box. What else is going to fail when I actually put it to use?
Lemons that I won't resell here due to my belief in Karma (and the Golden Rule)
January 4, 2016
Well, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.I was so unhappy with my purchase, but didn't meet the deadline to return this product so just ate the cost as a learning experience. First off, the cheap plastic knobs on the stands broke after light use, and the soft boxes never did line up. I feel about as ripped-off as one can be, however it's on me for not returning this product.I have read some reviews that state people are happy, and wonder if they got an upgraded kit, because for the life of me, I cannot get those soft boxes to stay, and the holes aren't even in the right places. Fortunately I did have some other stands that I could use, as I have been shooting professionally for many years and sold off my ProFoto Strobes but kept the stands. Once you've shot with a real set of lights -- professional ones -- it's really difficult to adapt to these. The output is fine and I like the switches on the units, as they do offer some flexibility, however those stands and the soft boxes just killed this deal for me. I gave two stars for the switches and flexibility of the lights themselves, as well as for the carrying bag. I docked 3 stars for the stands, and those ever important soft boxes. Really, folks, if those don't operate as intended, it makes the kit useless.I won't even resell mine here on Amazon because I don't want to pass a lemon onto someone else -- I believe in Karma....Keep looking, and if you are on a budget, save up for the better units out there like Westcott. I have a set that was perhaps twice the price of these, but so much better that there is simply no comparison.
Not Impressed With Quality
November 27, 2013
I take product photos so the light units were assembled, placed in one location, and used 5-6 days a week for approximately an hour at a time. They were never moved or disassembled. At first they worked great, were easy to adjust, and the added light was wonderful.My 2 stars come from 2 issues:1. The lightbulbs the company sent with the units had bases that were too big to fit side by side in the unit. I had to use lightbulbs I already had on hand. No big deal if you have photography lightbulbs on hand, a big issue if you don't!2. After 2 months, I turned on one of the units and was greeted with a loud electrical zapping noise, the smell of smoke, and the unit was fried. They do have a fuse, but that is not the issue here. Of course, it is too late to return. Waaaayyyyyy too much money for 2 months of use.I'm thankful I still have one that I will use with some other lights I have on hand but will always wonder if the next time I flip the on switches if it will be the last for the remaining unit.Will definitely look elsewhere for a higher quality.
Might've been ok...
October 7, 2013
To start with Amazon sent me a wheelchair ramp instead of the light kit.When I finally got the kit in, one bulb was shattered. So straight out of the box I didn't have the full product. It took well over an hour setting up the softboxes. There are NO instruction and I had to find a YouTube video to finally understand how it went together.After my second 1-hour session with the lights, we noticed a terrible smell. The soft boxes smell funny as they start heating up but this was much stronger. After pulling back a corner of one of the worst smelling softbox, a plume of smoke came out. One of the provided bulbs had melted the plastic casing around the base of the light tube.Over all, quality is very poor. However, it def works and puts out tons of nice light.I have returned mine and purchased Wescott lighting instead.If you can't afford anything better, this will do the job but be prepared for the speedbumps you'll run into with it. And you may need to invest in higher quality bulbs.I'd also recommend NOT using the soft box covers and only using the diffuser screens so the lights can't overheat.
poorly made
August 23, 2013
Our expectations were not high on this item for the price, but it was what we could afford at the time - and because it would be a fixed lighting system in our studio, we were not too concerned about the durability that would be needed in a set which you take on location. However, we were still very dissappointed overall.Our first dissappointment was one bulb and one head for the softboxes were damaged/broken - but the outside of the box was not damaged, so I question if this happened during shipping..The stands are crappy, and terribly fragile. The assembly is impossible solo, you must have another pair of hands. There are no assembly instructions.The boom kit is total and complete junk. It bows under it's own weight, and cannot even fully extend or it appears it will break every second. All the places you would tighten down are plastic, and it cannot be tightened fully. We will have to somehow anchor this to the wall - just in case it breaks apart, it won't hurt someone by falling.My only good thing to say about this, is that calling Amazon to relate these issues was so pleasant. They were so helpful, and so kind - it made up for the crappy item. They immediately suggested sending out replacement parts, at no additional expense to us. Amazon, you get 5 stars for Service!CowboyStudio - I can't figure how you are still in business.
Quality completely unacceptable. Returns to Amazon.
August 11, 2013
When I opened the package, there is a sheet of paper that says that Cowboy studio will offer a 15% discount on my next order from them if my review on Amazon is either 4 or 5 stars. This does not instill confidence, and I guess I won't be getting the discount. I had watched the helpful installation videos on their website and had followed their instructions step-by-step, but the quality of the product is so poor that the fabric for the lightbox tore without any application of force during installation. Everything is made of CHEAP plastic. There is good plastic and bad plastic, and this is BAD plastic. Nothing feels secure. Even the power cord (which is long, a plus) is of such low quality that you feel like you're holding a fake toy cord. I know that this is really, really cheap, but boy is this thing poorly made. I think anyone ordering this needs to have very low expectations for what they are getting.

One Star Reviews:

11%
Moldy product
April 28, 2017
When product arrived, the cube was covered in mildew and mold. It
immediately went back in the box and returned.
Moldy and damagef
February 5, 2017
When i received the product it was covered in white mold. What the hell guys?
... looked used the case to carry everything in was dirty. Very flimsy
February 1, 2017
Product looked used the case to carry everything in was dirty. Very flimsy.
Fire Hazard!
February 6, 2016
I bought this as a gift for my sister. She used it last week for the first time and both bulbs blew with in 5 minutes of being turned on. They were so hot she almost burnt herself. Dangerous and junk.
16%
No instructions. Bulbs don't fit. Good luck.
December 18, 2015
I will change review rating when I locate instructions on how to put it together. Seriously, this should be in the package but nothing. I sell products in Amazon myself and this is ridiculous.UPDATE: the lights included with this package DO NOT fit into the assembly. 5 lights are supposed to fit in the unit and only 4 do. See photo. This is not only a huge hassle but also dangerous. I wonder if this is even legal to sell like this...After unpacking all of this mess it would be impossible to package up again to send back.Seriously, if my product was this poor I would not be selling on Amazon very long. I wonder if anyone from the company will read this and help...
This was the worst purchase I have ever made on Amazon
December 2, 2015
This was the worst purchase I have ever made on Amazon. Do not wast your money on these. They are so cheaply made its just ridicules. The assembly instructions are for a different kit and the reflectors are also from a different design light kit. They give you an kind of adaptor to shove the whole light assembly through the bottom where they have located a slot. you cannot even get to the switches on the housing to adjust the brightness. The whole thing is so flimsy and weak it stands crooked and uneven and is just a embarrassment to allow a client to see.. I didn't even attempt to return the junk I was so mad. I can only imagine that experience will be equally disappointing.. DO NOT BUY THIS AWFUL PRODUCT
Not what I ordered.
April 26, 2014
The softbox I received isn't "quick open" by any means. You have to install rods which take a long time. Mine doesn't have that horizontal bar that appears to hold up the soft box. And, there aren't zippers on the box like on reviewer described. It also doesn't have the black "straps" that I see attached to the silver softbox inside.I called Amazon and now, because it wasn't sold by them, I have to wait for an answer from CowboyStudio.What a royal pain.UPDATE:I just went to their website and I see what happened. Their inventory for this show "out of stock." And, from the "how to video" [...] , I see that there is indeed a newer model of this. So, what happened? CowboyStudio decided to just ship me the outdated version that doesn't match the description. Since it's such a pain to deal with them and returning an item, I'm sure they figure that most customers will just use what they were shipped.
Borderline Worthless At Any Price
October 28, 2012
Before I proceed further, first I recommend that anyone considering this product go directly to Cowboy Studio's website and watch their "how to" video. When you see just how much their own installer struggles to assemble the soft box that should illustrate to you just how miserable of an experience you are in for. Now exercise a large amount of common sense and a small amount of cynicism to ascertain that if the endorsed manufacturers video reflects such amounts of difficulty while attempting to exercise an "effortless installation" under the greatest of quality control and environment, you have pretty much no chance...Now for the details. I was initially lured like most people to the prospect of high wattage lighting with likely diminished build quality. Since I'm an amateur videographer who could probably stand to never need to re-assemble again, I thought, "hey, it's 1/10th of the price as the 3 light Wescott Spiderlite setup so who cares about the "build quality". I just need "light" and I'm not going to be moving this all over town on any aggressive basis. So "light" is just "light" and who cares.Upon opening the package you'll find that you receive no actual instruction manual. As marginally irritated by the notion as I was, I figured there was some online manual to be found and this really couldn't be "that difficult" to figure out anyhow. Well, I was correct on both accounts.Frankly, the build quality is absolute crap. In my conclusion, I'll come back to this but for now let me simply say that if you have any background in production and pro-sumer products from companies like "manfrotto" you will be in for a disappointment. The tripod supports are made out of what feels like tin foil gaged aluminum. As amusing as I found the quality to be, I still wasn't disappointed because "what do you expect for $200". And again, I just need this set up once... As you continue to unwrap the product you'll see that all of the products look very professional, yet feel like plastic toy versions. Again, didn't care...Finally, once I began to attempt to assemble the soft box I found that it was borderline impossible to install without feeling like something would tear, rip, or break. Essentially, you have a completely cheap soft box made of crappy material with amazingly fragile stitching, an actual light assembly, bulbs and the tripod. The first step I to assemble the light box to the light assembly. (This is where I recommend you watch the video on Cowboy Studios website before dismissing my opinion). Much like the video, this engineering design is laughable at best. From the laughable drilled into plastic holes that the rods are supposed to stay in, to the crappy soft box itself one can't help but take mental wages on which part will break first. Well, suffice to say, after carefully watching the video and replicating, the moment I got to the Velcro strap the stitching ripped on the right side. GAME OVER!!!! Unless you feel like learning how to stitch, you have NO LIGHTBOX anymore...Seriously, that's the entire story... My expectations were remarkably low and somehow this product managed to still disappoint. I was very much hoping for a "dirtbag version" of the real thing that would be too fragile to use "on location" but render adequate for affixed studio situations. What I received is utterly worthless.All I can conclude is that the lighting worked, and if your budget is "this or nothing" than simply realize that you are buying a lamp without a shade. If you know how to sew and don't mind putting in some "elbow grease' to recessitate the components, then it's marginally better than a $100 workshop rig from Home Depot. But if you are like me and were hoping for relatively comparable lighting with simply a less resilient build quality, just don't waste your time.
The case is good quality, the important parts lack quality
August 25, 2012
The best part of this kit is the case. If Cowboy Studio made the soft boxes with the same quality as the case, then this kit would be a great buy. First, the stands are flimsy and do not always hold position. Second, the softboxes are very flimsy and difficult to assemble (no instructions were provided, but I found a video by another individual on YouTube). Third, the first box had one very loose Velcro tab for securing a metal stay that made it useless. Second, the second box separated the silver lining from the backing when I attached to the light head. In addition, this second box looks more like trapezoid rather than a rectangle which creates a large wrinkle on the front. It is best to place the light head on a flat surface to do the assembly. Third, one of the bulbs was broken on arrival.I like the ability to turn on individual lights rather than having all five on at once making it easy to control the lighting. If you decide to purchase this kit, remember the price. You get what you pay for. I have Westcott softboxes for my strobes. I could assemble five of the Westcott softboxes in the time took me to assemble one of the Cowboy Studio softboxes, but there is a significant price difference. I hope Amazon will accept the return as I plan to search for a better alternative.I have some other Cowboy Studio products and found them to be very good. However, this light kit is not a good quality kit. The case is very nice, but the important equipment is not.
Product needs to be thought out better
July 20, 2012
I was really excited for this product and ordered 2 sets. Unfortunately, of the 4 total soft boxes: One soft box was missing a rod holder in the corner; all 4 lights had holes too shallow and wide for the rods to hold effectively; and all of the rods were missing end caps. I knew when I bought these that they were meant to be an inexpensive alternative to very pricey sets. I can deal with lesser quality, but these were a complete fail right out of the box. I can't comment on the stands, as they never made it out of the box. I sent these back right away.I also want to comment on the design of these particular soft boxes. All of the instructions and videos out there are for soft boxes with elastic ends to go around the lights. These had four velcro strips along where the rods create tension. This is a major problem. The velcro will not hold around the light during assembly. Period. I really wanted to like these and now I have to look elsewhere for something that will actually work.
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Pricing info
Old Price
Old Price
Price
Price
$37.79updated: Mar 12, 2020
$169.69updated: Mar 12, 2020
from 2 sellers
Features
Article Number
Article Number
0638370175358
0837654127445
Binding
Binding
Electronics
Electronics
Brand
Brand
BlueTech
CowboyStudio
Currency
Currency
USD
USD
Formatted Price
Formatted Price
$99.99
$220.00
Height
Height
137.8 in
464.6 in
Length
Length
673.2 in
1299.2 in
Manufacturer
Manufacturer
BlueTech
Cowboy Studio
MPN
MPN
358
2000wboomkit
Number of Parts
Number of Parts
358
2000wboomkit
Product Group
Product Group
Photography
Photography
Product Type
Product Type
CAMERA_OTHER_ACCESSORIES
CAMERA_OTHER_ACCESSORIES
Publisher
Publisher
BlueTech
Cowboy Studio
Quantity
Quantity
1
1
Reviews
Reviews
Studio
Studio
BlueTech
Cowboy Studio
Weight
Weight
17.6 oz
89.6 oz
Width
Width
653.5 in
649.6 in
Feature
Feature

Almost Everything You Need To Take Professional Studio-Quality Images At your Own Table.

Softens and reflects lights for a perfect shot... Eliminate glare and spots.

Includes: 16" Tent + Tabletop Lights + Tripod + Blue & Grey non reflective fabric background + Carrying Case

This kit is the perfect set up for web retailers or anyone wants to get high-quality shots without lots of hassle. This set includes almost everything you need to photography small products, with all the equipment inside one carry case, it is very easy to carry out and set up.

Two (2) Top Quality Light Stands, One (1) Support Boom Stand

Two (2) 20" x 28" Softbox, Two (2) Premium Light Socket, Two (2) Power Cord

Ten (10) 45 Watt 5000k Compact Fluorescent Daylight Balanced Photo Bulbs, One (1) 65 Watt 5000k Compact Flurescent Daylight Balanced Photo Bulb

One (1) Quick-Setup Softbox with AC Socket, Three (3) Carrying Pouches for Softbox

One (1) 2 Section Boom Kit with Grip Head,One (1) Sandbag,One (1) Carrying Case

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