Best Lighting Controls & Modifiers
33" Translucent White Umbrella Reflector. - Made of high quality nylon construction. - Works well to diffuse the light from any. flash/strobe light or continuous light. - Reflects and spreads light stream evenly. - Eliminates glare and spots. Contents: [3 pcs] 45W CFL Bulb / [3 pcs] Bulb Socket / [2 pcs] 33-inch Umbrella Reflector / [2 pcs] 86-inch Light Stand.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The bulbs have their own night case and Styrofoam to keep them safe and the stands and umbrellas also have their own bag."
"I did also buy a separate light that attaches to the top of the camera as well, to help further light up my face specifically, but that is just a personal preference...certainly not a necessity! Excuse my pajamas, messy hair, and complete lack of makeup (I didn't realize I'd want to share these with anybody!"
"I am an amateur photographer and needed a basic light kit to take yearbook photos for our homeschooling co-op. I changed the white balance settings on my Sony DSLR to compensate for the blue lighting in the flourescent light bulbs."
"For the price and for someone trying to start out small in building a studio these things are amazing!"
"These photos were shot with the light kit set up (key light, fill light, hair/highlight light) and an overhead light on in the room. It was near a window, however the day I shot these photos it was dark and gray and pouring down buckets of rain, so natural light wasn't really a factor at all for these shots."
"My thoughts: - Items arrived beautifully packaged with care. - Everything seems to be of high quality. - You get a carrying case (bag) and two plastic sleeves for the umbrellas. - The light bulbs are very bright and very white. - Absolutely perfect for someone that does YouTube videos. - For $40 this is an absolute steal!"
"I am brand new to photography lighting like this, but the instructions were very easy to follow and the design is intuitive."
"The bag that holds the three tripods has enough extra room in it that I'm also able to store my camera tripod in it without straining the fabric."
Product Packaging: Standard Packaging. This reflector fits any standard reflector holders.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As one commenter helpfully pointed out, "the reflector folds up into a 16" diameter carrying case that is roughly 3.5" (but can be compressed to about one half that)". The versatility of this little reflector is excellent - you can use it for almost any situation, and I find myself switching from silver to gold to translucent within the same shoot, because we all know that changing an angle outdoors can completely change your lighting! OVERALL. Would I buy this again? Out of all of my photog friends, not one can pick this out as a budget reflector, and several have been converted. You can either order from Papa John's this week or get an excellent Reflector...your choice."
"This reflector worked great on my senior photo shoots!"
"I am outdoor photographer and these shades are perfect to help me on a sunny day, they work brilliant under bright sun, i never thought as this could actually make my life this easy. The material is really fine and the stitching is very neat, it has a small bag in which the 45" frame can be folded and kept, the wires around are very flexible can be twisted making it small in size and easy to carry, very rough and tough, i have travelled with it to my photoshoots and each time i open it , use it in sand, muds and otherwise leave it down on the mud, i have to just dust it and its as good as new. You can easily switch from gold, to sliver to translucent as you need it and its right there handy for you. Its definitely a steel deal for the money the quality is impeccable and i intend to recommend it to my photographer friends around. Rare to get such good performing light reflector of such fine material at such low cost! Cons: Honestly non for now i could find and share as quality and performance wise this is beyond my expectations, my photos are really coming out very good i am happy with it."
"love it."
"To put it away into it's pouch, just hold opposite sides in both hands and twist one hand in one direction, the other hand in the other."
"Unzipping/zipping can take a minute or two, but you just need to be patient .... except when you are quickly trying to get that perfect shot and realize you need a different reflector."
The light stand is constructed from aluminum alloy,giving it exceptional strength for heavy duty work. Made of high impact plastic and aluminum.Support heavy weight and hold up against tough working conditions. Insert fluorescent spiral bulb and umbrella and adjust your mount so it is at an optimum angle for getting great photographic results. Ultimate soften light stream and remove shadow to make perfect shooting. It is comprised of two tripod stands and four cross bar sections and includes a heavy duty carry bag. The kit includes:(4)79"(7 Feet)/200cm Light Stand+(2)Single Head Light Holder+(4)45W CFL Daylight Bulb +(2)33"/84cm Umbrella+(2)24"x24"/60x60cm Softbox+(1)1.8 x 2.8M/6 x 9 ft Musline Backdrop(Black,White and Green)+(6)Backdrop Clamps+(1)2.6M x 3M/8.5ft x 10ft Background Stand Support System+(1)Carry Bag for Background Support System+(1)Carry bag for Continuous Lighting Kit.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The actual backdrop stand is flimsy and doesn't hold the weight of the backdrop that well ( I invested in wall hooks and pvc pipes that I was able to slide through the backdrop and hang on the wall using wall hooks."
"The stands are light metal, so I wouldn't use them outside on a windy day. I had 9 backdrops at one time on my bar & it held nicely with the clips. They do have pockets for pole, but I find it easier to use clips to remove faster."
"I will be keeping this kit (mostly because I have a client shoot, and I am taking this with me), but after a spending little more time with the equipment, I think it might be worth investing a little more in each item individually from a better brand (LimoStudio, Neewer, and Cowboy are all pretty cheap). That being said, I am still a novice, and having even this basic equipment is a great thing, and its hard to beat the price. To maximize the quality of this kit, I'd suggest a few additions: > The Softbox lights are great, but too dim. Consider a more reflective version ( LimoStudio 2 x 33" Double Layer Black/Silver Photo Studio Reflector Umbrella, AGG127 ). > The included clips are plastic and too small for this kit (for the most part)."
"The background cloth is a little wrinkled, but the items I have photographed so far are away from it enough for me to easily edit the faint lines. Oh, and I bought an extra set of light bulb holders, for the umbrella stands, after I read the reviews."
"Anything that is folded will have creases people - if you don't have a steamer, than iron it but stop writing poor reviews because you couldn't take the time to iron it."
"Lights and stands are easy to set up and tear down and the lighting is bright and clean."
"Only bad thing is its very delicate flimsy and could break at any moment so Im very gentle with it."
Best Lighting Diffusers
The relief stone line on the silver mirror is reflected to the light diffuser while continuing to soften the light. ♦2 x 20"*28" softbox Light Holder with 110" cable Integrated umbrella with 5070 Nylon white screen，great for photography lighting.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I read a some of the reviews on this kit and a few people mentioned that it wasn't a more heavy duty type of photography gear like what professionals use, but that's perfectly understandable to me. I took a picture of a couple stuffed animals sitting in a chair, just to see what kind of a difference the softbox lighting would make. I'll be able to take some great pictures of my grandchildren to send to family and save money on going to portrait studios. Adjustable Softbox heads. Tripod reaches up to 80 inches. Excellent Starter Kit. Greatly Improves Lighting for Photos and Videos. Cons: Stability Issue - Tripods are a little too light weight. This product was provided at a discounted price in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising."
"Since we are doing this in our living room (right now) I also wanted something light and flexible, easy to strike and set up. There is an inner ring inside the softbox that you push back in to the light socket, to open it up (kind of like an umbrella). The inside of the softbox has silver reflective material, to maximize light output. Power is your standard cable, with the switch located near the top of the softbox, which is nice. Close to daylight, which is great cause you can pair them nicely with window light. -easy to move around. -easy to set up. -they come with a nice canvass bag, so you can pack em up and travel with em. -light output: This is a PRO for interviews, but read carefully, these may not be powerful enough for wider shots and greater distances: at approximately 4 ft from subject I am getting a 2.8 on my light meter shooting at ISO 400 @ 24fps. Great for a seated position. -These are NOT high end professional lights. I know it seems strange to write this here, but sometimes I think people expect perfection for basement prices. -the lightbulbs are so big they push against the softening material at the end, so you see hotspots in the middle. If you're doing a dramatic scene with close ups in a small room, these could work really nice. COMPARISON: I started with two knock off kinoflow units that I bought on amazon for about 200 bucks each. Side note, I purchased two of these units and the light bulbs are slightly different temperatures in each! I have a nice LED panel, too, that can dim and switch color temperatures... but I have found that this light is also a little too hard, and also not that bright. But I would need to invest about 400+ bucks to get LED panels that rival these softboxes as my main lights. PRO TIPS: -When you open the bags with the white soft material, you need to flip the edges inside out to properly affix them to the softbox. This is an old grip trick we do in TV whenever we shoot on location in peoples houses - keeps from scratching the floor!"
"I had been relentlessly looking for a good quality soft box that wouldn't break my bank (considering I'm a broke college student) but then I found this product. Overally I would say if you want a soft box that will give you a nice finish on both picture and video I would definitely recommend this product. I will post an updated review with pictures and videos once I'm able to play around with this product more!"
Best Lighting Filters
Each kit includes 14 color effects gels, 5 color correction gels, and 1 diffusion gel. Filter size: flash head area, 3" x 2.5" (76mm x 63mm), total length with tabs, 6" (152mm).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I purchased this product because I didn't fancy gluing Velcro pads to my expensive flash. I was initially disappointed because the included rubber band wasn't shaped the same way as the one I saw in the product picture here on Amazon. And there are identification cards inside the pouch which list the name, color and light loss of each gel. In addition, each gel has all that same information printed right on it, so it's easy to keep things organized and get exactly what you need without any guessing."
"The gel completely fills the light source, so there's no worry about multiple shades leaking into the light output from the flash if the head is slightly larger than the gel or the wind is blowing around."
"Having a daughter who has worked in technical theatre for nearly 10 years, and having worked in theatre myself for a few years, I was acquainted with lighting gels already and have always been fascinated by the endless creative possibilities that lighting gels have to offer. Needless to say, I'm enjoying just playing around with the new gels and learning what the correction gels can do by watching the tutorial videos online."
"These gel sets are an indispensable tool for the strobe/small flash user. The ability to add a little bit of color here and there takes an already good or great image to the next level!"
"Spendy for what they really are...gels are gels...until you need a precision cut set to fit the RogueGrid2."
Best Lighting Flags
Once the fabric screen is stretched on the frame, it can be attached to any support, such as a C-Stand, to create contrast, change light ratios, add diffused light or block light completely in specific areas. The Flag Kit Pro contains 5 larger 24" x 36" frames, 5 fabrics (black single -net scrim, black double-net scrim, black block, single-stop white silk & double-stop white silk), 2 dots (6" solid black block, 6" black single-net) & 2 fingers (4" x 14" solid black block, 4" x 14" black single-net). Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Comes with 4 frames so you can make a lot of flags."
Best Lighting Gobos
Features of each reflector - The silver side is very reflective and brightens both shadows and highlights, but does not change the color of the available light. Specifications Shape: Round. Size open: 24 (60cm). Size Collasped: 8in (20cm). Color: silver, gold, white, black; translucent. Fits any standard reflector holder. 1 year warranty included by Etekcity. Package Contents 1 x Reversible Multicolor Slipcover(black, gold, sliver and white side). 1 x Translucent Internal Disc(used as a diffuser, 24inch in diameter). 1 x Carrying Pouch. 5-in-1 Lightweight Kit: Gold, Silver, White, Black and Translucent.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Etekcity 24” reflector comes packed in a 9” diameter pouch, thus easy to carry along and tri folds in a spiral manner which isn’t too hard after a few try and opens to full size 23” diameter."
"The white is a little translucent so it needs to be held out, like at arms length rather than in front of someones face. You really should be doing a white balance, particularly if you are putting together pictures or video of the same person from different sets, otherwise their skin tone could change from shot to shot."
"I love my reflectors / diffusers, and have gotten to use them a few times with nothing but good comments."
"Just open it up and let the reflector do it's job, after a couple of days it's beginning to get smooth."
"Very handy and love the versatility of the different colors and tones the different covers provide."
"Etekcity 24" 5-in-1 Portable Round Collapsible Photo Reflector/Diffuser Multi-Disc Kit is awesome to fit in my bag and go."
"It definitely helped me improve some of my portraits and folds up so small I can just clip it on the outside of my backpack and it's no bother."
"Very happy with these, I bought two."
Best Lighting Reflectors
Product Packaging: Standard Packaging. This reflector fits any standard reflector holders.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As one commenter helpfully pointed out, "the reflector folds up into a 16" diameter carrying case that is roughly 3.5" (but can be compressed to about one half that)". The versatility of this little reflector is excellent - you can use it for almost any situation, and I find myself switching from silver to gold to translucent within the same shoot, because we all know that changing an angle outdoors can completely change your lighting! OVERALL. Would I buy this again? Out of all of my photog friends, not one can pick this out as a budget reflector, and several have been converted. You can either order from Papa John's this week or get an excellent Reflector...your choice."
"This reflector worked great on my senior photo shoots!"
"I am outdoor photographer and these shades are perfect to help me on a sunny day, they work brilliant under bright sun, i never thought as this could actually make my life this easy. The material is really fine and the stitching is very neat, it has a small bag in which the 45" frame can be folded and kept, the wires around are very flexible can be twisted making it small in size and easy to carry, very rough and tough, i have travelled with it to my photoshoots and each time i open it , use it in sand, muds and otherwise leave it down on the mud, i have to just dust it and its as good as new. You can easily switch from gold, to sliver to translucent as you need it and its right there handy for you. Its definitely a steel deal for the money the quality is impeccable and i intend to recommend it to my photographer friends around. Rare to get such good performing light reflector of such fine material at such low cost! Cons: Honestly non for now i could find and share as quality and performance wise this is beyond my expectations, my photos are really coming out very good i am happy with it."
"I used the golden one for one of the attached portraits as a creative backdrop."
"I should have realized this from the pictures but it's important to realize you can only use one of these reflectors at a time as the filter is the only frame and the reflectors are just covers that zip over the frame."
"love it."
Best Lighting Soft Boxes
- Industrial Standard Mounting Stud. - 1/4" Screw Thread Tip. - Height adjustable Min 50" - Max 86". - Solid Safety 3 Legs Stages. Contents: [2 pcs] Soft Box with Bulb Socket / [2 pcs] 86-inch Tall Light Stand / [2 pcs] 85W 6500K Photo Bulb / [1 pc] Carry Bag.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"BEST FOR YOUR MONEY I WISH I COULD GET ALL FOUR BUT I DONT WANT TO BE GREEDY HAHA LOVE IT!!"
"The main reason why I purchased this light was because my pervious filming light broke from another company."
"This is an amazing affordable lighting kit that provides nice soft even light for videos or photography. (If you can't see the video I attached, You can also see the product in action by doing a web search: stewievill vlogs cheap lighting) You get 2 light stands, two 85W bulbs, two softboxes, two softbox covers, and 2 carry bags for your equipment. If you don't have a power strip or extension cords at home you will have to purchase some extra ones, because the cord will not reach the floor when lightstand is extended."
"I've TRIED to knock this thing over and it's nearly impossible by pushing it with a good amount of force. Initially, I had not done this,a and I sat their thinking, ok I can understand why people said I should probably weight it down, but I wasn't really worried about it. in fact, I expected them to be top heavy after reading all the reviews here."
"I opened the box and what a shock: softboxes are made well with heavy duty nylon, highly reflective interior, steel ribs and bright white diffusion panel. Install the bulb and, finally, slip the white diffusion velcro secured panel on the front. The E27 socket is better quality than average: plastic housing with ceramic sleeve and steel insert. However, I did the math and the two 24 x 24 softboxes and 85W CFLs, if bought ala carte, cost the same as the kit, so the light stands and carry bags are deal sweeteners."
Best Photographic Lighting Umbrellas
33" Translucent White Umbrella Reflector. - Made of high quality nylon construction. - Works well to diffuse the light from any. flash/strobe light or continuous light. - Reflects and spreads light stream evenly. - Eliminates glare and spots. Contents: [3 pcs] 45W CFL Bulb / [3 pcs] Bulb Socket / [2 pcs] 33-inch Umbrella Reflector / [2 pcs] 86-inch Light Stand.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The bulbs have their own night case and Styrofoam to keep them safe and the stands and umbrellas also have their own bag."
"I did also buy a separate light that attaches to the top of the camera as well, to help further light up my face specifically, but that is just a personal preference...certainly not a necessity! Excuse my pajamas, messy hair, and complete lack of makeup (I didn't realize I'd want to share these with anybody!"
"I am an amateur photographer and needed a basic light kit to take yearbook photos for our homeschooling co-op. I changed the white balance settings on my Sony DSLR to compensate for the blue lighting in the flourescent light bulbs."
"For the price and for someone trying to start out small in building a studio these things are amazing!"
"These photos were shot with the light kit set up (key light, fill light, hair/highlight light) and an overhead light on in the room. It was near a window, however the day I shot these photos it was dark and gray and pouring down buckets of rain, so natural light wasn't really a factor at all for these shots."
"My thoughts: - Items arrived beautifully packaged with care. - Everything seems to be of high quality. - You get a carrying case (bag) and two plastic sleeves for the umbrellas. - The light bulbs are very bright and very white. - Absolutely perfect for someone that does YouTube videos. - For $40 this is an absolute steal!"
"The bag that holds the three tripods has enough extra room in it that I'm also able to store my camera tripod in it without straining the fabric."
"I also highly recommend buying two of the silver reflector umbrellas from the same seller, they've added a lot of variety to my photos."
Best Lighting Gobos
Features of each reflector - The silver side is very reflective and brightens both shadows and highlights, but does not change the color of the available light. Specifications Shape: Round. Size open: 24 (60cm). Size Collasped: 8in (20cm). Color: silver, gold, white, black; translucent. Fits any standard reflector holder. 1 year warranty included by Etekcity. Package Contents 1 x Reversible Multicolor Slipcover(black, gold, sliver and white side). 1 x Translucent Internal Disc(used as a diffuser, 24inch in diameter). 1 x Carrying Pouch. 5-in-1 Lightweight Kit: Gold, Silver, White, Black and Translucent.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Etekcity 24” reflector comes packed in a 9” diameter pouch, thus easy to carry along and tri folds in a spiral manner which isn’t too hard after a few try and opens to full size 23” diameter."
"I love my reflectors / diffusers, and have gotten to use them a few times with nothing but good comments."
"Just open it up and let the reflector do it's job, after a couple of days it's beginning to get smooth."
"Very handy and love the versatility of the different colors and tones the different covers provide."
"Etekcity 24" 5-in-1 Portable Round Collapsible Photo Reflector/Diffuser Multi-Disc Kit is awesome to fit in my bag and go."
"It definitely helped me improve some of my portraits and folds up so small I can just clip it on the outside of my backpack and it's no bother."
"Very happy with these, I bought two."
"To take advantage of natural light, I set up on the table on my back screened porch (live in Florida) which has a roof, and light coming in from two sides."