New ePhoto Pro Studio Lighting Kit
Almost every Oliviatech video shot in studio are using these affordable lighting kits
Keep in mind that we don’t travel with these lights. They are great for in studio use, but are tedious to break down and setup with all of the pieces involved. They are also not battery powered which makes them less suitable to be used when traveling to remote locations. There are similar sets which you might find like the ones from CowboyStudio (seen here)
The kit comes with 5 bulbs for each head unit, softboxes with double diffuser panels, 3 light stands, and a carry case. The light stands that come with the kit can support the light, but you may want to upgrade if you need more than 6ft of height. If you’re looking for a basic starter set of studio lights for videos like what Oliviatech offers, this is a great kit. The price is on sale currently, and you can find them at Amazon (Click Here).
ePhoto Pro Studio 3 Softbox Lighting Kit
Olivia, I must have bad luck. I JUST purchased the ephoto light kit you recommended last year (it arrives today). I bought two-3 light kits for 200.00 each. Is this newer kit worth returning my order? This is what I bought: HERE
Please help…thanks!
@Sheldon My best suggestion to you would be to contact ePhoto directly and see what they have to say to you.
Unfortunately for me this doesn’t ship internationally.
Are there any international sellers for this Lighting Kit or something similar?
I found a very similar kit on eBay, judging from the pics and specs I would say it’s the same OEM as this kit, slightly more expensive (thats what we get for being in the EU). Just go on eBay and search for “Continuous Lighting Kit” or “Soft Box Kit” etc. Just look around and compare and you should find the 3 soft box kit that ships within the EU.
It is hard to believe that lights that cheap can work well enough to light the videos on here… but hey if they really can then I want in. Lights ordered.
does it work with 240V
Great timing, we were just discussing which soft box to get. good video and thanks for the updated info. Keep up the great work as I find your videos to be extremely helpful.
Hi Olivia,
Just a little note on Cowboystudio kit;
I have a Cowboystudio 4500w kit that I received a little while ago, but did not install fully yet (I checked the bulbs, and the lamps do have ceramic sockets at least). If you do a search for Cowboystudio 4500w on Amazon, you’ll find it for $185 w/free shipping (on prime at least). Oddly, in the details of the ephoto it says 15×60w, while on the cowboystudio it says 15×85w (which it is)
Hey Olivia.
Does this light kit includes 3 (three) light units total… or just 1 (one)
Thanks for all your help
The kit includes all three light kits, light stands, carrying case and all of the large CFL bulbs. The description of what is included can also be found within the product link.
I see they come with a carrying bag, but how difficult is it to take them apart and re-assemble them?
@Mike The newer version of these lights are easier to break down and setup, however they still are not dedicated for travel. They can be broken down and set back up though!
Hi, thank you for your reply, I found a Youtube video by ePhoto that shows a woman assembling the softbox and it doesn’t look too difficult. Two other questions:
The room that I shoot video in is very small and there probably isn’t enough space to get the tripod stands where they need to be. Are there any attachments available that would allow me to clamp the softboxes onto the top of a door for example, or the side of a bookcase edge?
How close do these softboxes have to be to the subject you’re filming?
One suggestion for your awesome website – Implement a “be notified of replies to my comment” feature so your readers don’t have to constantly check back for your informative replies
Your site is WordPress, so there are numerous free plugins available to do this.
Mike
@Mike The softbox attaches to the light stand so you would need something with a similar end to secure to a door or bookshelf. The light itself has the locking feature, so again, you would just need to find a sturdy and compatible mount. Each CFL light can be powered off individually so you can have your lights pretty close and “dim” your lights this way or turn them away as much as needed.
Well, I just placed my order on Amazon thanks to your review! I’ll investigate the clamping issue after I receive the lights.
Just wanted to provide an update to anyone reading Olivia’s review of the ePhoto product. While assembling all the pieces, I discovered that one of the sleeves that tightens via a wingnut for the vertical section of one of the tripod stands was defective. So I was not able to raise and secure one of those stands.
I wrote to Richard directly at ePhoto, described the problem and sent a small video demonstrating the problem. After confirming my Amazon order number with him, two days later, I had two replacement sleeves in my mailbox – that’s great customer service!
@Mike That is so awesome! I know Richard and I also think he does a fabulous job on the customer care side of his business. Very professional, thank you for sharing this experience!
Yep it’s me again; I’m getting ready to use the lights for the first time and came up with a question. How do I know how much light/how many bulbs to turn on? I’m going to use two of the three softboxes, shooting in a very small space. I just know that turning on all 10 bulbs will be too much for sure, so how does one determine when there’s “enough” light?
@Mike I would lock in my shutter speed, then decide what f stop you want to be at then begin playing with the amount of light you want to introduce or cut out in the studio. This will or can also drive your ISO settings. It’s difficult to answer that without being in the situation. My best advice is to begin playing with the look of your video and what results you like best. Keep me posted. Don’t forget to lock in the correct white balance setting as well!
Anyone use these for green screen work?
We’re looking at buying two sets of these for simple talking head setup for church announcements.
I’m hoping these would free up our small arri kit for field work.
@Adam Two of these kits can produce sufficient lighting for your green screen work, however it really depends. What is the size of the green screen space?
Olivia,
Pretty small surface area – Typically one person and from knees to head – Rarely head to toe.
Very much like your seamless white background video.
I think our screen is 6x10ish.
@Adam Green screen requires a LOT of light to properly key out the subject without the end result looking very tacky. I personally wouldn’t recommend these lights for green screen, it might be difficult or not work out very well at all.
Olivia, the lights are great, but the stands are absolutely terrible. When you have them all the way up, they’re top heavy, and the screw hole at the top where the light fits onto the stand has bent and the metal essentially ripped. I NEED to find good replacement stands for these lights. Any suggestions?
@Mike Are the stands actually broken or can you sand bag them to keep them down? If they’re broken, as you say, “ripped” can an adaptor be a quick fix or do you need to replace the entire stand? If you’re looking to invest in stands that will not break, I’d check out Westcott 750 Photo Basics
or PBL Light Stands w/Sand Bags
. Check lengths, etc to best suit your needs.
Hi Olivia,
If this light kit isn’t ideal for green screen work. Which one do you recommend?
Best.
@Alex You actually might be able to get away with keying out using the softbox kit, I haven’t tried it yet. I’ve seen it done though. ePhoto even sells a kit for it: ePhoto Three Softbox 2700 Watt Photography Video Hair Boom Light Lighting Kit 10×12 Chromakey GREEN Muslin Background Support Stand Case Kit
Hi Olivia,
I am trying to find a CFL setup with a roughly 3ft softbox. I need these lights in the field and thus need a solution that is quick to setup and breakdown.
I would love an umbrella style softbox that mates with multiple cfl’s. Have you used/seen anything like this? Thanks!
@Brian Is there a reason you want CFL softbox lights for your outdoor setup? From my experience, using LEDs for portability, mobile shooting (DC power) and sufficient light while outdoors has worked best. I don’t think you’ll maximize on your setup with the softboxes and they’re really not ideal in terms of portability. I’d check out F&V, Fotodiox and ePhoto for their LED Light options. Let me know if you have any other questions!
First off, Olivia, I want to compliment you on your work. I’m so impressed with your professionalism and intellect…you have put together an amazing info platform. I am in the process of starting a project with web videos, and you have truly inspired me. Thank you!
I have a few questions:
1. I’m in Madrid. Will these work with a power adapter?
2. In your infinite white space video, you use four of these behind you and “two fluorescent light panels” in front. Are those two different units, or the same, and if they are different units, would these work in front instead? It seems perfect: buy two sets and use the six that way.
3. Any hints or recommendations for similar units here in Europe? Things are so expensive here, I may have to have a friend ship me these from the States.
Thank you again, Olivia!
Best,
Bill
@Bill Hello and thank you for the compliments. Very cool that you’ll be doing video production out there in Madrid. To answer your questions:
1. I’ve asked ePhoto and they said that the lights will not work with an adaptor.
2. For all 6 lights we’re using the exact same ePhoto Pro Studio Video 4500W Digital Photography Studio Softbox Lights.
3. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with similar products that I can point you to in Europe. I wouldn’t want to make a suggestion for you to purchase without knowing for sure.
Hi Olivia, I wanted to thank you for the fine work you do in this community.
I’ll be shooting a lot of infinite white videos. Can we use these ePhoto kits here in Morocco, where we rely on 220-240v?
Will they work with a Step Down Converter like this: 5000 Watts Step Down Voltage Converter 220v to 110v
Is there any way I can get in touch with someone (Robert?) from ePhoto about this?
If these kits wont work, what do you think is a good alternative for infinite white? Have you tried these: ePhoto 3300w Photography Video Studio Fluorescent Light Stand
BTW you got me sold on 3x F&V R300s and a bunch of other good stuff. So thanks for the advice. I will order everything from Amazon U.S, and I’ll gladly use your links whenever possible.
Stay Frosty!
@S.M First off, thank you! A rep from ePhoto informed me that you can’t use a converter for the softbox lights. I wouldn’t chance it. I have not used the 3300w Florescent lights so I’m not sure how they perform. I read the reviews and they seemed to have gotten decent feedback. For an infinite white you’ll need at least four of these to blow out the back. You could always light your subject with the R-300′s. You won’t get the same look of the catch lights from softboxes though. Something to keep in mind.
Thanks Olivia, It’s very kind of you to help during such a busy time. We’ll be on the lookout for some European kits instead. I’ll fill you in on our progress.
@S.M Please do! I know many folks out there in your parts looking for something like these ePhoto lights. Thanks for possibly giving them an alternative!