What do you think

[DozerLYP]

what do you think about these strobes? (http://cgi.ebay.com/400W-Monolight-110v-Studio-Strobe-Flash-Mono-Light-New_W0QQitemZ320283733209QQihZ011QQcategoryZ30087Q QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262)

I sure like the price on them.

[tim]

You get what you pay for.

[DozerLYP]

can you explain that, will they fall apart or the lights will burn faster or what else can happen?

I'm new to this, and I have a limited budget.

[ueb0258]

I would be highly suspect to that light putting out 400w/s. I have had some cheap ebay strobes that were supposed to be 160 that were probably closer to 90.

[DozerLYP]

should I go with these (http://cgi.ebay.com/INTERFIT-PATERSON-STELLAR-300-MONOLIGHT-UMBRELLA-KIT_W0QQitemZ300253595094QQihZ020QQcategoryZ30087Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) then.

[ueb0258]

I dont know anything about the interfits, but you might want to check out Alienbees and the calumet genesis kits. Do a search here and you will see lots of people reviewing both and being happy with the results. I think you can get a two light genesis kit for around the price of that second link you put up.

[DozerLYP]

one more question, what's the brightness of the genesis 200 compare to a canon 430ex?

[RPCrowe]

Adorama carries two lines of reasonably priced monolight studio strobes. The house brand from Adorama is called Flashpoint and they also carry a line of monolight studio strobes manufactured by the well-known company Sunpak.

I would think seriously about a Sunpak Platinum 150 Monolight Outfit with Stand & Umbrella which runs $159.95. A 150 watt second strobe is not terribly powerful but can get you started. There are more powerful units in the Sunpak platinum line.

http://www.adorama.com/SUMP150K.html?searchinfo=sunpak%20platinum&item_no=9

By the time you need a more powerful strobe, you can use your 150 WS units for background and hair-lights.

Another unit you might consider is the Flashpoint Model II 320A Monolight, 150 Watt Second Strobe which runs $129.95.

http://www.adorama.com/FP320.html?searchinfo=flashpoint%20monolight&item_no=20

I am not claiming that the eBay light you refer to is no good. I simply state that it probably doesn't have back-up customer service.

I would tend to select one of these units because Adorama will stand behind their product, because there is a line of accessories for the Flashpoint and the Sunpak strobes and because you will be able to obtain replacement parts for these units. The availability of replacement parts is a very important factor. I recently broke a flashtube for one of my Multiblitz monolights. If a replacement was not available, the light would be useless to me.

Another possibility is purchasing a used name brand light or lights. White Lightning, Alien Bee, Multiblitz and other monolights are often found at a reasonable price. I was able to get a set of three German-Made Multiblitz monolights, complete with barndoors, snoot, honeycomb, filter-holder and four colored glass filters. These were in mint shape and came in a fitted fiberglass suitcase for just $200 plus a few bucks shipping.

Another solid buy in used lighting can often be powerpack setups by Norman, Speedotron and other makers. These are not a popular as monolight setups so they can often be had really cheap. These are professional quality lights and have spare part backup by their manufacturers.

[Technician X]

should I go with these (http://cgi.ebay.com/INTERFIT-PATERSON-STELLAR-300-MONOLIGHT-UMBRELLA-KIT_W0QQitemZ300253595094QQihZ020QQcategoryZ30087Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) then.

I agree w/ ueb0258. I recommend you look into Alienbees or the Calumet Genesis. The Genesis 200 kit is only $170. The strobes on eBay may work well, but you will probably not get the support, should something break. Also, you don't know if they really have the w/s they claim. Go with a reputable company. I love the support that Alienbees has.

-TX