CowboyStudio 220 Watt Photo Studio Monolight Strobe Flash Umbrella Lighting Kits - 2 Studio Flash/Strobe, 2 Umbrellas

Ive been using this product for about a year. I had the fixed output lights and was ready for more versatility and these fit the bill perfectly, they were adjustable and gave me extra umbrellas to play with. Cowboy isnt known for their quality, but rather for gentle use in the hands of someone who knows their limits! For my small home studio, these did the job nicely. the stands are firm, the lights are solid, and it even came with extra fuses and camera connections. Good bonuses!

I purchased this set only due to the fact that I do little studio work and wanted an entry level set up for now.... What I received was a set without the transmitter and receiver as shown and after one strobe blew 2 fuses after being on for less than 10 minutes, it then literally melted internally and I am awaiting the OK to send it all back for a refund.

I'm not going to spend a lot of time writing a review - but here are the highlights. Easy setup, cheap quality, light power is okay, wouldn't buy again. Would rather not waste the money and would invest in better flash kit.

So-So. Flashes work nicely, but I wish I had spent more money on a better system. I think I would have been better off buying a high quality one light system, plus using my external flash. It's okay, but barely.

This lighting setup works pretty well for a first setup. The entry cost is just right, so you can see if you are going to stick with it. The stands are sturdy enough, but you will want some weight on them if you are outside in case of wind. For some reason one of my stands came without an adjustment thumb screw. It still stands up fine without it because of the tight fit. The lights are pretty good. Once I got used to the pretty slow recycle time, they fired every time. I had one on a radio trigger (the inexpensive Studiohut one) and the other was a slave. They will fire even if they aren't fully recycled, but the flash will be much weaker than you are set for. They were bright enough to freeze action at 1/250, f3.5 ISO100 for martial arts photography. However, the umbrellas were not quite big enough to cast the light evenly across a large group of several adults. Also, the umbrella holder part of the light is not very tight and there is no provision for thumb screws to tighten them down. One caveat: be careful with the lights, especially when the modeling light is on. I had one light stand tip part way over and when it stopped, the modeling light filament burnt out. The strobe still works great.

This set is just wonderful. I actually thought it was sort of a "cheap working equipment" BUT they're PRETTY PRETTY GOOD! I bet a person that knows how to work with a camera like almost semi- pro do, would love this set as well. If you're looking for a decent on a budget starter set, don't think about it. Just buy this item and you'll be probably happy as I am on it. Nice one Cowboys Studio.

I purchased these ligths because I had a week long head shot gig coming up and until this point I had been a natural light photographer. When I first opened them and tested them I was concerened that they didn't have enough punch. But they worked great all week long, and several clients mentioned that they were not too hard on their eyes. They tend to get hot and cold sometimes, but nothing that can not be fixed in photoshop, and usually not noticable to the client upon initial viewing.

these strobes are definitely for beginners. They are spotty at best. Don't fire all the time, and are very sensitive to location. I'm a little disappointed. Light output and ease of use is good though.