The stands are lightweight, easy to adjust, and more sturdy than I expected. The umbrellas are good quality, the lights are bright, and the carrying case is well constructed so everything fits nicely.

It really is a great kit for those just starting out, like myself.

You get everything pictured (and more) and the pictures make the product seem less-impressive than it is. The florescent bulbs are quite large and powerful, about the size of pineapple and lit up my living room brighter than I ever thought possible. When fully assembled and extended, the umbrellas reached the top of my ceiling, easily ten feet, and were still perfectly stable on carpet.

My main concern was how to lug these lamps around, but rest assured they come in a very nice carrying case that leaves everything quite secure and in place.

The only drawback to this product is the lack of an assembly manual, but a few moments of patience and you should be able to assemble the product easily.

Backdrop stands – Pros: Sturdy, easy to assemble and adjust, supports weight well, expands to a large 10′-13′ size, comes with quality carrying bag. Cons: need to be weighted to avoid being tipped over if the backdrop is stepped on in the back.

Backdrop fabric – Pros: Large size for the price, includes black and white colors, very smooth. Cons: I wouldn’t consider this a muslin, it is more like a thick cotton which is lightly translucent.

Light stands – Pros: Sturdy, easy to assemble and adjust, supports light and umbrellas well. Cons: should be weighted to avoid being knocked over.

Umbrellas – Standard quality, good craftsmanship.

Lights – The sockets are of good quality and easy to attach, the light bulbs included are 30w CFLs which are equivalent to a 125w bulb. They put out a nice daylight glow. I found them not to be bright enough for my needs so I plan on buying a higher wattage CFL. The socket supports up to 105w (which if you use a CFL = 400w!).

Overall I would highly recommend this kit to a beginner, who wants to get a feel for a studio setup before investing big bucks in a pro setup. This kit will definitely increase the level of your portrait photography, and depending on your needs, may be all you need.

The box arrived quite quickly, and the set-up was super easy to assemble. After a bit of tinkering I got the frame pretty sturdy (considering the design) and found all the tripod stands (lights as well) very sturdy for their size. The backdrops were a bit thin I guess, but photographed they had great opacity (even with a slatted wood wall behind them!)

I agree that the lights could be brighter, but I will just go get brighter lights, no skin off my nose.

For the very low price of $215, you can’t expect a professional studio quality set up, you just can’t. But I was still very pleasantly surprised at the quality and usability this set-up has for the price.

I love it and will use it!!