Would the Konig KN-STUDIO70 kit be a good starting place for an amateur photographer?

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Hiekel Essterol

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Paul
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I have been asked to take portrait, prom style, photos at a charity event by the organiser, who knows I am just starting out.

I've done some research on 400w flash kits but the costs are beyond me at present.

However I have found this kit from Konig
http://www.konigelectronic.com/en_us/55907447

Each Flash is 200w. The recycling time is a little slow but I think I can work with that, and at under £200 is within my budget. However, I'm struggling to find reviews for it anywhere.

I'm hoping that someone can take a look for me and let me know if they are value for money, or am I looking at Poundland cast offs here.

Thanks in advance.

Paul
 
No, frankly it's one of the worst that money can buy.

My advice is either to save up and get a better kit, or spend even less and buy a single better head.

You won't find many reviews because this is one of those heads that are sold under multiple names.
 
Thanks for your response Garry. Could you possibly expand on it to tell me why it's bad so I know what to look for while I continue looking?
 
I don't know who actually makes it, it's one of those generic plastic toolings that are hired out to various manufacturers.
However, on the various ones I've tested, none have actually had the claimed 3 stops of adjustment, or come within a country mile of the claimed colour temperature, or had anywhere near the flash consistency needed. And I very much doubt whether any of them meet EU safety standards, regardless of whether or not they have a pretty sticker on them saying that they do.

And they have fixed reflectors, which means that they don't work well in softboxes and can't take the normal range of light shapers.
 
If price is a real hurdle then buy second hand, you can at almost any time find an Interfit kit second hand for £100 or less. Don't take that as a recommendation to buy Interfit but that would be my starting point, with a little patience you can even find some of the nicer brands at insanely good prices as studio lighting is too niche a subject to hold its value with the general public.

Another thing I'd suggest is a kit that provides you with some modifiers other than just umbrellas (softboxes etc), there's nothing wrong with just an umbrella and you absolutely should start small but not even having a softbox I would consider a limitation. You can make some real savings when you buy a kit, for example if you know you're going to need a bag (for storage or transport) you can get it for next to nothing as part of a kit but buying it later separately will probably add £40-60 to the cost and this is true of most accessories.
 
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