smith victor lights: cheap? reliable?

[blooper]

one of my friends ex girlfriends is selling me her smith victor light kit for 200 dollars. wondering if anyone in here has had experience with this kit. the good? the bad?

im also an amatuer photographer looking to do some full figure model shots and some portraiture. im doing this all out of my bedroom which is probably about... 15x10 feet of available space (not too sure). if that helps any.

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AJB80/ref=pd_kar_gw_1/002-7194297-2366444?ie=UTF8[/ame]

its that kit there.

 

[KevinR]

Those aren't strobes, they are continuous lights. So just be aware that they get pretty hot for who ever is in front of them. They also use alot of power. They will work okay though. The price doesn't seem bad to me as long as you get all of the stands and case.

 

[Rob]

It's basically a couple of daylight bulbs in two big lamps. Cheap though - offer her $100 for it!

Rob

 

[markc]

I have a set similar to that. I played around with them, but was never satisfied. My guess is that those lights and the limited space you have to work in will lead to some frustration. It sure did for me. You won't have enough room to be using the focal lengths you should be using for portrait and figure work. (I use "should" loosely there, but wide angles can look really funny.)

I know the desire to work more like a pro by using a light setup, but the more obstacles you have, the more experience you need to overcome them. It's not the best situation to be learning in. If you can get them for a little over $100, then they might be worth experimenting with. I don't regret getting mine, but I didn't spend much on them. I don't use them anymore either, though. I'm much happier with a bright overcast day outdoors or a nice window.