Is this Interfit system good in performance and value?

[young_y]

I am an amateur enthusiast and have been thinking about setting up a quality

portrait kit. I have recently run across an advertisement:

 

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/pho/404423473.html

 

It is a list of full studio equipment. Most items are Interfit. I do not have

enough cash to purchase all of them since this guy wants cash only. Even if I

have cash, I do not need all of them. But, I am interested in a few items.

 

My questions are:

 

1. Are Interfit equipments as reliable for a small home studio? Since I am

not trying to run a professional studio, they may do. But, need some opinions

about it.

2. Is the whole system listed above a good deal at $2500? I do not need all

of them. So, I may have to get rid of a few things such as the 600w and one

300w. I am not sure if I can recuperate enough money by selling them.

 

Since I am not knowledgeble about lighting equipments (been using a few cheap

stuffs as needed at home), I welcome and appreciate any opinions.

 

Thanks.

[young_y]

Oops.. Just to clarify... I cannot spend more than $1400. So, I was trying to say that I could buy the whole set if and only if I could recuperate enough money by selling the 600w, a 300w, two reflectors, and the 104 inch light stand, etc., such that I can perhaps limit my investment to $1200~$1400.

[garry edwards]

Unfortunately, Interfit doesn't seem to have a good reputation for reliability, longevity or consistency.

 

Alien Bees seems to be a very popular budget choice in The States.

 

You might like to take a look at the various Lighting Themes, archived here, http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a?topic_id=1824&category=Lighting+Themes which may give you a better understanding of your own needs. You'll see that the first item on that page is an article on lighting equipment.

 

Hope this helps

[wojtek_kalinowski]

I've used a couple of Stellar 300s for two years now.One broke down and was promptly exchanged for a new one by the supplier.Apart from that I'm quite happy.They seem pretty consistent and thanks to the fans don't overheat.If I had more money I would have bought something better, but for the price they are OK. W

[randmcnatt]

I have to echo Garry's thoughts. $1400 will buy a whole lot of AlienBees. Googling interfit problem got 246,000 hits vs 16000 for AB. <p>This was on the top of the list:<blockquote>

"One of my Digitflash 1000 units blew when it did not auto-dump. Then one of my Stellar 1000 lights blew after I had used it for about 7 shots. Tonight the other Digitflash 1000 made a very loud stinking pop..." <a href=http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00J2un>Photo.net Lighting Equipment</a></blockquote>

[young_y]

I thank all of you guys for putting things in perspective. Gary, I am going through the archive. Quite helpful. Thank you so much for that. Kudos to all of you. Have a great evening..

[frolickingbits]

Interfit is crap, and that listing is a rip off, and an unabashed one at that. You could get that list from Alien Bees for under $1500, and have much better quality gear. Some of the stuff that guy has listed separately (reflectors, carry bags), comes with the alien bee strobes.