Cowboystudio 1200 Watt Photography Continuous Lighting

      Recently I purchased Cowboystudio 1200 Watt Photography, Video, and Portrait Studio Umbrella Continuous Lighting Kit With Four 85 Watt, 5500K Day Light Balanced CFL bulbs, Black and White Reflective Umbrellas, Stands, and Carrying Case. To be honest my expectations were quite low for this item. Selling for only $100 it seemed as though it would be quite cheap and prone to breaking easily.  Still eager to find out, when the box arrived from Amazon I quickly rushed it home to assemble it. The hardest part of the assembly process was taking everything out of the packaging (Cowboy Studios makes sure it wont break). I read on a review that the umbrellas that come with the set are'nt that great and dont reflect light too well. So I also purchased a seperate set of black  umbrellas with a silver reflective lining along the inside (2 of CowboyStudio 33in Black & Silver Photo Studio Reflective Umbrella). Im glad I purchased them because the difference in light reflection is remarkable! Now since this kit is continuous lighting it needs light bulbs. I was unpreparred for the imense bulbs that come with this kit.

On the top is the bulb that Cowboy Studio sent me ( four all together) and the bottom is the size of a normal bulb of the same type. WHAT A HUGE DIFFERENCE!

Overall the setup is great for the price. Its perfect for beginners; just be careful of the not so sturdy light stands.  But I would definetly recommend this to anyone who is just getting started in flash/studio lighting.