monte zucker westcott lighting kit

i've been using studio flash for portraits and was just wondering what is the

attraction of fluoresecent lighting vs. studio flash. I like the monte zucker

kit which includes 2 td5's and accesories. They consider it similair to window

light. Does it really have that effect? What do you think of fluorescent

lighting? I've read previous responses and most seem to point out the power

differential, but I can compensate for that and prefer shooting a portrait at a

wide aperture. Higher ISO's too compensate if needed and I don't think it will

be needed with two soft lights. Appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks

David

I've often wondered what the attraction is too. I can see a lot of disadvantages but no benefits.

Yes, you can shoot at wide apertures. In fact you'll have to. And yes, you can increase the ISO, although with an obvious loss of quality.

That doesn't resolve the colour issues, nor does it resolve the problem that flat panel lights have of them being impossible to modify or shape the light in any way - there's far more to portrait lighting than soft lights. Nor does it resolve the problem of limited power adjustment.

I think it might be a mistake to assume that something must be good because someone else uses them (or uses them to demonstrate with).

One advantage would be that you can see how the shadows would fall in the actual light that you will be shooting in, as opposed to modeling lights which are not always that great on certain strobes.

I went to the recent seminar he did in Dallas, I was one of the lucky people he choose to shoot from the audience. He was using the fluorescnet lights then I do believe.

I say lucky mainly because I got some free stuff out of the deal.(:

thank you Garry and Jake, flourescent lighting intrigues me but the Monte Zucker kit may become another light that I eventually find in my basement gathering dust. I recently been using a Mola Setti reflector and it does an adequate job with portraits. Wish there was a place one could just go and try out different lighting set ups.

David