Bowens BW-4717US Gemini 400 2-Light Kit

Comments about Bowens BW-4717US Gemini 400 2-Light Kit:

I use this product in my professional studio. It is an excellent complement to the ones I have already. I love it!

Comments about Bowens BW-4717US Gemini 400 2-Light Kit:

I'm a photography student in the cal state system and recently bought the 400 w light kit to begin to build my portfolio. So farI have only used them for indoor portraits and they have work flawlessly. I must say that couldn't be more pleased with the quality of the bowens monolights and accessories . Build is rugged, sturdy, and the the bowens light bracket is a magnificent feature. The only con that i have encountered so far is that the flash tube and modeling light are completely exposed so you must be very cautious when adding and taking off light modifiers.

Comments about Bowens BW-4717US Gemini 400 2-Light Kit:

Overall,an excellent basic studio lighting kit. Professional throughout. I looked long and hard for which studio lighting system to begin with and I chose Bowens and B&H for the best overall solution and value. Working with speed lights, I knew there were going to be situations where more light, much more was going to be needed. Batteries can only get you so far. To better understand flash lighting, I branched out of the speed light mold and purchased an old style Vivitar 285HV and began experimenting with manual mode flash and exposure. The Vivatar's mechanical, easy to read settings made it simple to use. No LCD panels or menus! . It took a while, but I finally got the hang of it. Lighting basics now understood, I borrowed a couple of old flash heads and quickly learned what I was looking for. I wanted continuously variable lighting that could be setup and adjusted easily. Bowens offered the ideal solution in this package. Graduating from the Vivitar to these flash heads was a large jump, but made easy. As you adjust the Bowens units, it is quite natural and reflexive (simplicity!). There are no confusing aspects to it. And the results quite phenomenal. Flash and modeling lights are controlled by a large, single dial. Power up, power down, the setting is reflected in how bright the modeling lamp is. Bowens' large dials and modeling lamps make it easy to read your lighting across two flash heads. The fit and finish of everything in this kit are satisfying. All switches are mechanical and easy to use. A sturdy carry bag is supplied. I expect to use after market inexpensive triggers with 5V outputs. In my experience, if you want it to look good, use studio lighting for brilliant and correct color. And if you want surety in flash lighting, use monolights when possible. Leave the speed lights for on-site locations where they are more appropriate. This Bowens kit puts it all together in a well crafted basic package that can grow with you as you expand on capabilities over time. The only complaint I have [...] lack of axial umbrella mounting supports. [...] That said, Bowens has a clear winner in my selection. The 400ws Gemini lights are terrific and quite an improvement over speed lights (which will still be a part of my kit bag, but no longer a constraint). Recycle times between flashes seem almost instantaneous and the power (at minimum setting) with only one head, provides ample, color perfect, fill flash indoors. Compared to natural light, the Bowens light was color perfect (using AWB). The naturally-lit shot needed color balance adjustment! The kit also includes two very good quality 35-in umbrellas and light stands. A minor complaint is that Bowens does not offer a speed ring for on-axis mounting of umbrella reflectors. This is needed mostly to use with larger parabolic light modifiers, but all umbrella use would be improved as well. I suspect that were one available, there would be much less need for soft boxes, especially when using parabolic light modifiers! So, look no more, get Bowens. And a note to Bowens[...] design an on-axis umbrella mount for the Gemini 200 and 400 WS units (ASAP). [...]

Comments about Bowens BW-4717US Gemini 400 2-Light Kit:

These monolights are of excellent quality. The quality and consistency of light is excellent. After lugging around a Brown line Spedo pack and heads for years, this kit is like heaven to travel with.
If there was anything not to love about this kit, it's the stands. They are adequate for the heads, but probably won't last as long as the heads.

Comments about Bowens BW-4717US Gemini 400 2-Light Kit:

We are very satisfied with the Gemini 400 light kit. We are traveling photographers and wanted a light kit that is portable, able to have a battery pack (with affordability), stays cool and for the body/casing to be strong. The Gemini 400 provides all of this!

Comments about Bowens BW-4717US Gemini 400 2-Light Kit:

I purchased this set as I wanted/needed more power than what my 580 speedlights could put out and my local store did not carry individual flash heads.

I plan on using the kit where I don't need to be all that portable and lighting groups of 6-12 people.

This kit comes with everything, even a sync cord! I was impressed with the generously long AC power cords and optional use with +12V power packs. Setup was a breeze, I had a head out, installed on a stand with reflector and umbrella attached within 5min (including unpacking) of getting it home. Unless I was attempting to shoot rapid fire, these units recycle within 1sec between pops.

I really did not have much use for a 'kit' as I already have a handful of light stands and umbrellas.

The included stands are not 'air dampened' and the umbrellas are pretty cheap 3'ers, they do have a removable back so they can be used for shoot throws. Everything fits in a decent (included) bag. There's 1 'snoot' looking item that I'm not sure is intended to be such or is a packing item.

I gave it three stars instead of more because of the 'auto dump' feature appears to not work. I thought I could turn the lights output down and they would ether pop or internally dump the extra energy. While they might eventually 'dump', the lights won't fire (even though they indicate that they are ready!)

I figure that if I have to reach up to turn the power knob, I might as well hit the fire button as well, no big deal.

I liked that they included a sync cord but only included 1 of them. As shipped the second light needs to used as a optical slave. (fairly standard I suppose)

Had I attempted to get the lights one at a time and not in kit form, I'm not sure I'd get the carry case and extra packing to keep the flash tube/modeling light safe.

Comments about Bowens BW-4717US Gemini 400 2-Light Kit:

I just bought it and only used once but I am quite happy. Light was good, very fast recycle, controls are user friendly. The kit is quite portable and feels solid without being too heavy.

Comments about Bowens BW-4717US Gemini 400 2-Light Kit:

Quick to setup, easy to use, though somewhat bulky. Light stands could be sturdier and air-cushioned. Provides plenty of power for all types of lighting situations, though lacks fine controls.Only rated 3 stars because modeling lamp did not work and had to return [...]