I'd go another way for $200; I would buy one, or two Speedotron Brown Line model MW3U light heads for as little as $35 off of
eBay. Here's one selling Buy It Now for $49.95 from a reputable vendor
Speedotron MW3U Brown Line - 400 Watt/Second Lamphead - eBay (item 270437889828 end time Aug-10-09 17:00:39 PDT)
And then I would look for a Speedotron Brown Line D202 two-outlet power supply for somewhere between $75 and $100, or better yet, a D402 model power supply for $85 to $125,also from
eBay. Both the MW3U and the D402 have been made, virtually unchanged, since the early 1980's...I have owned three, D402's which are 4-outlet 400 watt-second units, and they are a virtual "commodity". The D202 is very small,portable AC-powered 200-watt power supply, and has two outlets, but a third head can be used with the addition of a Y-cord (splitter cable, $35 or so off eBay).
A few months ago, I got a MINT condition D202 and a mint MW3U light head for $145 from eBay. The MW3U lights are small,lightweight,rugged, and use 150 watt quartz modeling lights that give off a lot of light, and have a built-in umbrella mounting system,and use 400 watt-second flash tubes that cost only $27 to replace, and there are also 1200-watt-second capable tubes for around $59 or so if you ever need to pump 1200 watt-seconds of power through a single flash head.
Speedotron Brown Line light units like the MW3U and M90 are set up for umbrella use,and are very simple, rugged, and share the same flash tube, and have been made for so,so long that they are plentiful on the US market, and thus sell for very low prices on eBay. I've bought both models for as little as $33 within the past year, to as high as $49 for a particularly clean model of the M90, which is also a capable background/area/main light with its 8.5 inch reflector, which can also be fitted barn doors and/or a snap-on diffuser. A flash tube is $27; an entire light unit,with tube and modeling light for $35-$49 is therefore a veritable "steal",and MW3U's are on eBay every week.
You live in Chicago...Speedotron has been made in Chicago since 1939....head down to Helix Camera at 310 South Racine Avenue to look at the full line of Speedotron stuff....the Speedotron factory is in the same building as Helix Camera is located in. Helix is a huge camera store!
I think beginners can learn to light much better with studio lights with modeling lamps in them than with speedlights. Speedo's modeling lights show you a reasonable facsimile of what you will get AS you move the lights around, allowing you to preview lighting effects as you set your lights. AFTER you learn how to light, then speedlights make more sense, but learning without benefit of modeling lights makes it harder to see the subtle differences which appear to your eyes AS you set the height and position of your main light. To my way of thinking, you'll progress faster and farther with real studio lighting gear, AND have the benefit of 150 watt quart lamps for better rapport with your subject and for better focusing, rather than shooting in the dark and having two or three speedlights blasting a subject whose pupils are wide-open and giving that racoon-like look that comes from sitting in a dimmed room with no modeling lights.
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/41/41923-ddfdc5596c5073ae69761e32124481cf.jpg?1734176284)
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/40/40286-86401b94de8b01bea8bb4ea154aaea0a.jpg?1734174701)
