Softbox Lighting Kit

[Color: 2700K-6400K, Set name: 3set softbox]
Easy set up, bright and remote controlled. Used for food photography. Light weight for adjustments and height is perfect

[Color: 2700K-6400K, Set name: 3set softbox]
Very impressed with how sturdy this product is for the price. Quick and easy to put up, high quality and beautiful lighting!

[Color: 2700K-6400K, Set name: 3set softbox, Color: 2700K-6400K, Set name: 3set softbox]
This is the best soft box lighting I’ve ever purchased on Amazon. 10 out of 10

[Color: 2700K-6400K, Set name: 2set octasoftbox]
Perfect addition to my group photo setup!

[Color: 2700K-6400K, Set name: 2set octasoftbox, Color: 2700K-6400K, Set name: 2set octasoftbox]
Perfect for the price! Used these for our podcast recording and it was a big difference. They are big enough for our space. They were easy to put up and assemble. They are really bright and durable because I traveled on a plane with these. Good to adjust and come with everything you need to use it.

[Color: 2700K-6400K, Set name: 1set softbox, Color: 2700K-6400K, Set name: 1set softbox]
This is an excellent softbox in terms of both price and quality. It features a convenient remote control and offers a wide variety of lighting modes. I was particularly impressed by the maximum brightness—the softbox delivers a very powerful light output. It also comes with a stylish and practical carrying bag. The only minor downside is the tripod, which isn't entirely practical: I had to reinforce the top section—where the softbox attaches—with tape to ensure the stand could support the lamp without breaking. And please note that AAA batteries for the remote control are not included.

[Color: 2700K-6400K, Set name: 2set octasoftbox]
I worked for nearly 20 years in the world of professional film and stage lighting, specializing in equipment repair. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I've had my hands on just about every type of lighting and grip gear every made—and have repaired most of it.I specifically bought this Skytex kit to see just how bad (or good) a lighting setup I could get for under $100. Here's what I found:THE BADAs I expected, the quality of the physical hardware is, professionally speaking, atrocious. The stands are constructed of the thinnest metal possible. The knobs are all cheap plastic and, I suspect, will either break or strip out the threads within a year of continuous use. The umbrella material seems sturdy enough, but the physical construction of the umbrella mechanism is incredibly flimsy. The rods are, again, the thinnest metal possible and—perhaps most damning—the main locking ring is made of plastic, which is just begging to crack apart under the slightest pressure.Anyone who has worked on a busy shoot knows that, even when everyone is being careful, it takes nothing for a piece of gear to get knocked over or stepped on. In that kind of scenario, this hardware would be toast. I would never recommend this kit for any kind of serious professional lighting job.HOWEVER, for home use or a very small amateur situation, if you're willing to be VERY delicate with the hardware, you can make this gear work for you. Just be ready to replace the stands sooner than later.The remote control works well enough. But it seems difficult to independently control one fixture at a time with it—a real consideration if you want the two lights operating at different brightnesses. Again, probably not a dealbreaker for a small shoot, but I wouldn't want to rely on this when under pressure.THE GOODThe LED lights themselves look surprisingly nice on-camera, and are actually quite bright. I compared them to my slightly more expensive Neewer 660 setup, and while the color rendering doesn't quite match that of the Neewers, the Skytex fixtures are consistently brighter, particularly at distances over 10 feet.The large LED cluster fixtures do get quite hot (nothing close to an incandescent spot, but you still don't want to handle them with your bare hands after use). I was concerned that this would be an issue, but after having both lights on continuously during a 5-hour shoot, there was no damage to the socket or reflector. (This normally isn't a problem, but with lights this cheap, I half expected them to burst into flame. Which thankfully, they did not.)I really like the larger, octagonal design of the reflectors which, when paired with the sturdy-enough diffusion panels, gives very soft, flattering coverage without any hot spots. This is very useful for creating general "glamour" light on people and, when properly placed, will give much better results than the horrid ring lights that so many people insist on pointing at themselves these days.I also really appreciate the design of the carrying bag, which—despite its cheap construction—is a nice portable size and shape, particularly for those of us who do a lot of mobile work within cities. Again, I wouldn't trust this case to survive the ride on a pro lighting truck... but if you're on a job big enough to use trucks, you're not buying $100 Chinese lights on Amazon.SUMMARYThis kit is the epitome of "you get what you pay for". If you are expecting pro-quality hardware that can survive the rigors of repeated professional film shoots, you are going to be sorely disappointed. But if you want a "good enough" softbox lighting kit that will step up the look of your amateur photos and videos—and if you are committed to the idea of handling the hardware with extreme tender loving care—this package is a great deal for the money.Will it last you forever? Probably not. But again, if that's your mindset, you're probably not on here searching for gear at this price point. If you do buy this and are serious about using it consistently, I would highly recommend upgrading to another, sturdier set of stands. But in general, this kit offers decent quality light in a very flattering softbox setup, for very little money.