Flashpoint 180 Monolight + battery kit: $200!

Stumbled across this Adorama kit. Seems pretty sweet for the price. What are your thoughts?

http://m.adorama.com …tData=201306071​60402404mh

Seems like a good deal to me considering a used 430 EX sells for the same amount!

I'd question the quality of the product. Looks more like quantity rather than quality. I'd be hard pressed to have something fail when you really need it.

AlanU wrote in post #16010266
I'd question the quality of the product. Looks more like quantity rather than quality. I'd be hard pressed to have something fail when you really need it.

Flashpoint is owned by Adorama. That's their brand. I can't imagine Adorama producing a pile of crap. Just saying. Who knows though. You may very well be right.

Aressem wrote in post #16010270
Flashpoint is owned my Adorama. That's their brand. I can't imagine Adorama producing a pile of crap. Just saying. Who knows though. You may very well be right.

200 street price for that entire kit????? hmmmmmmm if Adorama sells it for 200 the cost is substantially less on their end.......

Have you ever bought "tools" from our local dollar stores? Wouldn't do that.....

I wouldn't rely on that for a gig.

Its a Falcon Eyes flash, which are not far from a steaming pile of..

No I think it looks really interesting particularly the Lithium battery pack.

A few reviews put it at 1/3rd of a stop over a speedlite though. So one of Adoramas previous Flashpoint lights with the bigger NiMH pack is likely to give you more light for similar dollars.

I wouldn't buy one if it wasn't for Adorama standing behind them, but considering they are its a really interesting little flash.
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We used to have a big (for us) chain of retailers in the UK who also had their 'own' brand of all sorts of things, including at one time small studio flashes. These were pitched at the very bottom of the market, priced accordingly and with design & QC in accordance with that price point. The best which could be said for them was that they were "sort of OK for the price". Nothing actually wrong with them but nothing especially right.

Sort of what you'd expect for budget anything really. I suspect that these Flashpoint units are much the same - on the basis that if something seems too good to be true then it usually is. Certainly worth investigating but bearing in mind Elv's first sentence!!

Phil, I should say a number of those Adorama Flashpoint AC/DC lights are re-branded Mettle flashes which have a very good reputation for the low price. I think there's a few long threads about them here.

That Falcon Eyes model is only fairly new so its hard to really say, but you would expect Adorama would have at least taken a good look at them as they wouldn't want to take too much of gamble.

I like the way they use Sony style Lithium video batteries in the pack. I've seen the pack separate but it appears to just be low voltage, so no use for a speedlight HV port.
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When I was considering which brand of AC/DC studio strobe to go with, it came down to the Mettle/Flashpoint brands. I went with the Mettle due to faster recycle times using the battery packs and the overall build was better on the Mettle units.

elv wrote in post #16010927
I like the way they use Sony style Lithium video batteries in the pack. I've seen the pack separate but it appears to just be low voltage, so no use for a speedlight HV port.

Elv,

The power port on the flash head where the cord from the power supply connects is labeled "DC 15V", so it looks like a very simple power supply pack housing design that just holds the two rechargeable 7.4 Volt lithium cells and connects them in series to serve up something close to 15 Volts DC (2 X 7.4V or 14.8 Volts or so).

12 NiMH cells (14.4 V) in series would also likely work, as would 10 alkaline cells in series (15 V).

But aftermarket Sony lithium batteries of this design are very reasonably priced, readily available, and make an interesting choice.

Enjoy! Lon

Aressem wrote in post #16010270
Flashpoint is owned by Adorama. That's their brand. I can't imagine Adorama producing a pile of crap. Just saying......

I think any company is capable of producing something shoddy, eg on POETS Day - http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/POETS_day


But all Adorama own-branded items come with a warranty, so you CAN order with confidence!

FlashZebra wrote in post #16011782
Elv,

The power port on the flash head where the cord from the power supply connects is labeled "DC 15V", so it looks like a very simple power supply pack housing design that just holds the two rechargeable 7.4 Volt lithium cells and connects them in series to serve up something close to 15 Volts DC (2 X 7.4V or 14.8 Volts or so).

12 NiMH cells (14.4 V) in series would also likely work, as would 10 alkaline cells in series (15 V).

But aftermarket Sony lithium batteries of this design are very reasonably priced, readily available, and make an interesting choice.

Enjoy! Lon

Thanks Lon,

I think you're right, as the separate pack I found has a switch to choose 7.4-9 V or 14.8-18 V. It also has a cartridge to hold 12 AA instead of the 2 Sony Lithium batteries if you prefer.
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