Smith-Victor FlashLite 110I Monolights

Smith-Victor FlashLite 110I Monolights 

DESCRIPTION

100 watt/second variable power monolight with 60-watt quartz halogen modeling lamp.

  • 5600k
  • 60 degree beam spread
  • Full or 1/2 power
  • Recycle: 2-4 seconds
  • Trigger: Slave, PC cord or Test Button

  • USER REVIEWS

    Showing 1-2 of 2  
    [Nov 24, 2009]
    FloppyDog
    Intermediate

    Strength:

    They're inexpensive making it easy for a beginner to get into using strobes. The accessories are also cheap and easy to use.

    Weakness:

    These are VERY cheap, and prone to defects. The model lamp is too dim to use affectively and is an odd size making replacements difficult to get.

    I bought a kit with three of these a little over a year ago from Adorama. This was a very low-cost outfit and it was obvious when I received it, but I didn’t mind as I had little money and realistic expectations. The “gels” that came with it are light metal rings with thin pieces of Mylar glued to the inside. The Mylar on a couple of them was already coming off when I first opened the package. The snoot and honeycomb were fine. It also included the usual stands and umbrellas, all low-end but useable. The light output is useable with umbrellas but not really enough for a soft box though a small one might be fine. The model lamp is a weird size, so if one burns out expect to play search-the-net for a replacement. I’ve never used mine enough to need a replacement.
    After only about 50 flashes or so, one of the strobes started having problems firing and soon crapped out. So, I’ve been using two strobes for most of a year though I seldom used them. To date they’ve seen maybe 300-400 flashes. Then a few weeks ago, one of the remaining two started having problems recycling. Now, I’m strobe shopping again and will retire the remaining one from this set as a hair light.
    The bottom line: They’re cheap garbage.

    Customer Service

    I didn't feel these were worth the money to ship for service, so didn't deal with customer service.

    Similar Products Used:

    Photogenics (which are far superior to these)

    OVERALL
    RATING
    1
    VALUE
    RATING
    3
    [Feb 22, 2003]
    Harvey
    Intermediate

    Strength:

    Inexpensive, light weight, variable power selection, can be triggered from another flash unit.

    Weakness:

    replacement modeling bulbs are difficult to find. Strobe bulb is irreplaceable.

    I use it with my Canon Elan 7E and I have taken some great portraits with it. The modeling lamp extends beyond the protective housing of the monolight. I accidentally broke it and it was very difficult finding a replacement. The problem is that the base of the bulb is for European standard. You will need a base adapter to use an American bulb replacement.

    Customer Service

    Smith-Victor's recently created website is user friendly and it provides useful information.

    OVERALL
    RATING
    3
    VALUE
    RATING
    4
    Showing 1-2 of 2  

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