Anyone have experience with the ultra-cheap Neewer strobes?

I saw this on their site, and have ordered one to see if I can use these instead of speedlites for when I just need a few extra lights for accents and things. The advantage here is that these have a bowens mount and can share modifiers with my Rovelight.

http://neewer.com …-speedlites/10084477.ht​ml

Just wondering if anyone has used these, particularly with any kind of DC supply (like a PCB Vagabond Mini or similar). The lower power of these makes me think they would probably last quite a while on a DC inverter supply.

I hate these poorly written descriptioms. 200w meams what? 200ws or is the modeling lamp 200w. Listing a gn for studio strobe is misleading.

gonzogolf wrote in post #17899405
I hate these poorly written descriptioms. 200w meams what? 200ws or is the modeling lamp 200w. Listing a gn for studio strobe is misleading.

The modeling light is given as 75W, so I think we can assume that it means the strobe is 200 Ws, and that could easily be a generous approximation, considering the $46 price tag.

GN of 48 I think we need to assume is in meters (since everything they give is metric) and with the supplied reflector mounted. What the exact coverage angle is is anyone's guess, but reflectors like this are typically 60°, approximately the view angle of a 35mm lens on FF. By comparison, a 600ex-rt at the 35mm zoom setting has a GN of about 30m.

absplastic wrote in post #17899450
The modeling light is given as 75W, so I think we can assume that it means the strobe is 200 Ws, and that could easily be a generous approximation, considering the $46 price tag.

GN of 48 I think we need to assume is in meters (since everything they give is metric) and with the supplied reflector mounted. What the exact coverage angle is is anyone's guess, but reflectors like this are typically 60°, approximately the view angle of a 35mm lens on FF. By comparison, a 600ex-rt at the 35mm zoom setting has a GN of about 30m.

I don't think you can assume anything with the GN as without any other info its a meaningless number.

gonzogolf wrote in post #17899457
I don't think you can assume anything with the GN as without any other info its a meaningless number.

I agree that GN is not a useful measure for studio strobes in general, because you normally use them with modifiers, but the purpose is to give people some way to compare the output to an off-camera speedlite. It's a super crude comparison to be sure, but without a GN, you have no comparison at all. Strobes this size and price range will be competing with off-camera speedlites for the same applications, so it makes sense to have something to go by.

What the GN48 of this strobe is intended to tell us is that if you take it as shown (with supplied reflector), point it directly at a light meter from 3 meters distance on axis, you should meter about f/16 @ ISO 100. I doubt it actually achieves this, I mentally derate all such claims by at least a stop. This isn't a terribly useful number to know on its own, but then again GN is not that useful for a speedlite either, except to compare two models at the same zoom setting. Most photographers put modifiers on speedlites too, especially if used off camera.

Where do you get 3 meters from?

gonzogolf wrote in post #17899527
Where do you get 3 meters from?

Completely arbitrary example. I could have just as easily said 6 meters and f/8, or 48 meters and f/1.0, or any other two numbers whose product is 48. My only point was the that the number itself isn't meaningless, per se, it's well defined by the industry, it's just not super useful in a real-world scenario with modifiers, only as a guide for comparing this thing to speedlites.

But guide numbers, to be useful, need the distance to be listed.

"Stuido Flash"

gonzogolf wrote in post #17899565
But guide numbers, to be useful, need the distance to be listed.

The distance is determined by the aperture used ,as absplastic showed in the examples in his previous post....

gonzogolf wrote in post #17899565
But guide numbers, to be useful, need the distance to be listed.

The guide number is a distance. It's the distance at which the light (on axis) will meter f/1.0 @ ISO 100.

I made the mistake of purchasing their 750w set (3 X 250w strobes)...

Granted they were fine for messing around with at home, but I took them out for a job and was left embarrassed when all the bulbs blew...

My partner has picked up a slightly more expensive kit (probably by £100-£200) but still similar in design, has been more than suited for her wedding work/photo booth etc.

If you want some cheapy plug and play lighting, purchase at your own risk and do not depend on them! Lol

So, the Neewer T-200B arrived today. In a nutshell, it didn't come with the reflector pictured on it, and it meters like a 50Ws strobe, not 200Ws.

I put a 5" 60° reflector on it, and set it up right next to a 600ex-rt speedlite set to 35mm zoom (approx 60° coverage). At 3 meters on axis, the speedlite meters f/9.52 and this strobe only manages f/8.0. That equates to a GN of 24, not 48, a full 2-stops less powerful than advertised. Pathetic. I already printed the UPS return label, it shall be returning whence it came, upon the morrow.