What the box says:
A complete desktop kit with fold up light box, 2 lights, mini tripod and two-pocket nylon carrying case for portability. Backdrop provides clean backgrounds and optimal lighting which can provide you with studio quality pictures. Convenient carrying case features a built in handle to easily transport the studio around.
The cost:
Initially, the $30 threw a DIY-er like myself… for $30 I could most certainly build a box myself. However, my current semi-nomadic existence and lack of any real workshop space prompted me to buy it. And, if nothing else, I was getting a semi-decent tripod.
The carrying case:
The ’studio’ comes packaged in a carrying case, like the box says. I was pleasantly surprised that everything fits inside, and it truly is easy to carry and move. On one side, there are three pockets for the two lights and the tripod. On another, a velcro’d flap opens up to reveal three white-covered solid sides and a loose piece of fabric, to be used as the backdrop and floor. This last piece is reversible, with white on one side and blue on the other. My instructions said the other side was gray… but… um… it’s definitely blue.
The box:
The box uses part of the case structure, and assembling it isn’t hard -as long as you checked the instructions first… (!) It worked fine for all the pictures I took but possible negative points: the loose piece of fabric can come with fold marks or get wrinkled. Also, where the loose piece of fabric meets the solid side the joint will not be stick straight.
The lights:
With this, I was disappointed. They have HUGE “Caution: Hot” stickers on the sides and I thought they would have been brighter. They are yellow-toned and pretty weak. The test pictures I took came out OK after a retouching in the computer and because my camera compensated on the white balance, but I was not blown away. One cool thing they DID have was the ability to store the three-pronged base within itself.
The tripod:
The tripod comes in two parts: the vertical one and the horizontal one. The horizontal base has two swiveling supports that can be adjusted in order to not interfere with the picture. The vertical part has a swivel pivot near the base, the ability to be extended and another swivel pivot at the top. I didn’t use it to take my pictures, since I like lots of different angles and putting it on and taking it off would take too much time. However, it’s definitely a GOOD tripod.
The bottom line:
While I would have liked for it to have brighter lights, I’m OK with taking it outside and putting it in the sunlight. My main thing was the elimination of shadows. Plus, I could always substitute my own lights, and I still have a nice, sturdy box. I will probably never shoot anything inside the box with the tripod, but there have been times when I found myself lacking one (and can definitely use it for filming how-to’s and walkthroughs).
No comments:
Post a Comment