Want Affordable and Portable Studio Lighting? You Got It!

With FJ Westcott‘s new two-light LED kit, you get everything you need for studio or location lighting for a mere $150. Yes, it sounds too good to be true, but this is the real deal. Continuous lighting is making a comeback and with good reason—LED lights like these can be used for still and video shoots without changing light sources.

Each kit comes with two light stands, two light fixtures, two LED bulbs, two snap-on tungsten gel caps, two clear gel caps, two diffusion umbrellas and a carrying case. I’m a big fan of carrying cases since I can store equipment in my little home studio when I’m not shooting, can bring the set-up on location and can bring my own lighting when I’m renting a studio rather than paying the often exorbitant fees for rental gear.

The light stands extend to 6.5 feet, high enough for most shooting conditions, weigh about 3 pounds and can hold up to 5.5 pounds. The light fixture has a cool looking wooden handle, an in-line cord switch and can be adjusted to a variety of angles thanks to its built-in tilt bracket.

While the kit comes with two LED lamps (each with 64 daylight balanced LEDs), the light fixtures can handle several different types of bulbs—standard fluorescent, photoflood and LED bulbs—up to 500 watts. The LEDs in the bundled light are rated for more than 20,000 hours and have a CRI of 95 for even and accurate exposures. To top it off, the kits comes with a 33-inch, 1-stop diffusion umbrella. Set up is quick and easy, so the whole kit is really no-muss, no-fuss from start to finish.

Each component, when purchased separately, is really affordable. The umbrellas, for example, are about $15 each, so if you happen to have a mishap on set, it’s inexpensive to replace one of the pieces. While you may have more expensive lighting gear in your studio, the cost of the kit makes it an excellent option when you’re going on location—especially if the weather is going to be less than ideal. Better to lose a $15 umbrella to the wind than one that costs a whole lot more. And if you’re just starting out, you really can’t beat the kit price.

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