Continuous Lighting - What NOT to buy.

[michaelz]

After many years of wedding and portrait work (using flash/strobe units) I decided to invest in a continuous lighting kit -- a Westcott Spiderlight kit to be exact. I purchased the 3-light "Window Light" kit from B&H. (Thank goodness I bought from B&H -- at least I had a no-hassle return)

The Spiderlight kit was a huge disappointment. Cheaply made and waaaay overpriced at $1900. The stands that came with the kit were listed as "heavy duty" and were anything but. The light units themselves were so poorly made that stuff rattled around and fell out when I took it out of the box. The protective case was little more than vinyl-wrapped cardboard with little plastic wheels (which were already broken when I received it). Needless to say, after taking one look at this kit, I sent it back.

If you're looking to get into continuous lighting, stay away from Westcott.

[Asylum Steve]

If you're looking to get into continuous lighting, stay away from Westcott...

Well, I'm not sure this is the right place to trash a well-respected and long-standing lighting manufacturer such as Westcott, but I know where you're coming from, and sometimes you just need to vent...

I'd suggest you write up a review to voice your displeasure, but it doesn't look like you actually used the gear, so it's probably a moot point.

Considering Westcott's rep, plus the fact that I've used Spiderlites and have never had any problems, I'd have to chalk your experience up to simply a bad unit. It's not really fair to form an opinion about an entire product line and company based on this single situation.

As for the complaint about the "kit", I'd think someone who has longtime experience shooting weddings would know better than to buy one. Of course the stands and other accessories are going to be cheap stuff in a lower priced kit.

If you're going to be doing a lot of studio work, investing in good solid light stands is just about as important as the lighting fixtures themselves. Buying these items seperately is the way to go, and it's worth the extra money.