Alright. So here we go....I didn't want to write a bad review but I have to be honest.

Overall the quality is okay. Good for a beginner.

HOWEVER, the instructions are so bad and not clear at all! I had to Youtube them to figure it out. The boom arm was a huge pain to figure out. It's not lot many other standard boom arms out there and the grip that comes with it was damaged and scratched.

Also one of the screws that attaches the softboxes is loose. So now the lightbox won't stay up on the stand. What do I do? Are they going to send me a replacement? Where do I get a new one that will fit? I know it's the screw because I tried the screw from the other lightbox and it fits tightly.

:(

Alright. So here we go....I didn't want to write a bad review but I have to be honest.

Overall the quality is okay. Good for a beginner.

HOWEVER, the instructions are so bad and not clear at all! I had to Youtube them to figure it out. The boom arm was a huge pain to figure out. It's not lot many other standard boom arms out there and the grip that comes with it was damaged and scratched.

Also one of the screws that attaches the softboxes is loose. So now the lightbox won't stay up on the stand. What do I do? Are they going to send me a replacement? Where do I get a new one that will fit? I know it's the screw because I tried the screw from the other lightbox and it fits tightly.

:(

I am a novice, but I found these lights to work well for my purposes which is to take photos of small objects. The included directions don't help at all but there are several youtube videos that helped me out with getting everything set up. The stands are metal although the parts which allow you to adjust them are plastic. I really liked that these lights had both an interior panel to diffuse light as well as the exterior one it gives me much softer light. The background panels are ridiculously thin and next to useless, but if you are able to double them up they work alright. Another plus is that the two regular box lights have two switches, allowing you to have each light at full or half intensity (The boom light has a single, large bulb, so it has only one switch). Yes, like other reviewers have noted it would be nice to have even more intense light but for what you pay for this set it is fantastic! Each of the two regular box lights takes 4 bulbs which is more light than many of the other budget sets available. This set only gets a 4 out of 5 instead of the full 5 because the backdrops were next to useless but the backdrop stand is functional.

I am a novice, but I found these lights to work well for my purposes which is to take photos of small objects. The included directions don't help at all but there are several youtube videos that helped me out with getting everything set up. The stands are metal although the parts which allow you to adjust them are plastic. I really liked that these lights had both an interior panel to diffuse light as well as the exterior one it gives me much softer light. The background panels are ridiculously thin and next to useless, but if you are able to double them up they work alright. Another plus is that the two regular box lights have two switches, allowing you to have each light at full or half intensity (The boom light has a single, large bulb, so it has only one switch). Yes, like other reviewers have noted it would be nice to have even more intense light but for what you pay for this set it is fantastic! Each of the two regular box lights takes 4 bulbs which is more light than many of the other budget sets available. This set only gets a 4 out of 5 instead of the full 5 because the backdrops were next to useless but the backdrop stand is functional.

I bought this kit after seeing a friends set, and mind you after he set it up meaning I didn't see how the sausage was made. His also didn't include the backdrops, but at this price point it didn't really matter. My primary use for this kit is to produce interviews and promotional spots for social media use. I've owned lights in the past where a single soft box, not including the bulb or a stand was priced north of $600 so believe you me my expectations were low. I received my order in a timely manner, everything was in the box, and most importantly everything worked. In full disclosure, set-up is rather time consuming with two of the lights in that they require literally assembling the soft box itself. The third light opened like the more expensive lights (or like an umbrella) I'm accustomed to and was a snap. The backdrops are a little thin, but work okay as long as they are not placed in front of a door or window. And lastly, the boom elbow is less than stellar. I Jerry-rigged mine with grip tape to position it, and used about 8 D batteries as counter weights when all was said in done. For $150 bucks or thereabouts this kit is an excellent value for the money. I say this because I don't plan on using them outside my home studio and feel like if they last a year or two, I'm ahead given my current economic situation. If you looking for a road worthy set-up, save your money until you can afford a Lowell or even an Arri kit. I've owned both in the past and they served me well for years and I even recouped some money selling them when I moved.