I was looking for a portable softbox light kit for the field. The latest trend seems to be using the new compact fluorescent bulbs to draw low voltage and emit less light.  I bought a set of those (I will review them later) CFL softbox lights and they did not meet my needs. So I scoured many sources and found a set of 1000W tungsten lights that had built-in dimmers.

The seller had  a rating over 20,000 on ebay and the price was $349 shipped to my door. It seemed there was little to lose with a kit at such a low price. I already owned stands, so if the stands were junk I could use my own. I already owned many carrying bags and cases, so if the case was junk I would use one I already have. If the dimmers worked poorly I could always use my own light controller… well, you get the picture. Here’s the description from the seller on ebay:

“This is a  new professional (SIC)  PBL VL-1000 halogen quartz continuous  2000 watt 2 light kit with variable output. This lighting kit is designed to give professional results.  Each PBL VL-1000 light has variable output from 50 watts to a full 1000 watts of power, just turn the knob. Now you can have just the right amount of light when you need it. This kit will add new dimension to your photography. Perfect for independent video productions, digital and chromakey studios. These lights can do it all.  Leave them on all day, since they are cooled by a whisper soft fan. The fan increases the life of the bulb. You will be amazed at the difference this light will make in your images. When used with the included 32″x 32″ softboxes you will get shadowless light that will wrap around your subject. No more hot spots. You will be amazed at the difference these lights will make in your images.  They will add magic to every shot. Also included are  reflectors and barndoors so that you can get variation in your lighting set-up. Use the barndoor for direct, hard lighting effects, and the softbox for soft lighting. The possibilities are only up to you. Compatible with all video and digital cameras. Nikon, Canon, Hitachi, Panasonic and JVC.”  

That last part about compatibility was just too cool! To think that there would be some light that would not work with a specific camera was just crazy. I should have told the seller I was using a Sony camera and the listing did not include Sony as being compatible.  But, dispite the temptation, I did not ask. The pictures from the seller showed a lot of promise. There were three bulbs included, which was really nice. The set even had barn doors just in case you wanted to use them as open face lights. I hardly ever use open face lights, but in a pinch they are better than nothing. The dimmer was a clincher. Built-in dimming? That was way cool.

 So I looked through the sellers feedback for hints that the light kit was acceptable to buyers. A few buyers wrote that the kit was very good and well made. Now that sold me. Somebody bought them, used the lights and said they were good. I was happy. I paid the $349 and eagerly awaited the delivery. About a week later the kit arrived. I like getting stuff in the mail or by UPS. It’s like a surprise gift. The UPS guy walks in and for just a minute or so, I forget what I ordered. I sign the UPS-O-Meter and look at the label. Cool! It’s my light kit! I rip off the tape and peer into the large box. There are several boxes and bags wrapped in  plastic and everything looks nice and new. I hate it when people send me items that  were returned by a previous purchaser. It’s always obvious and casts aspersions on the item since it was unwanted by the last buyer. These boxes and bags were sealed and new. 

At first glance it struck me that there were way too many carrying bags. Each stand had a bag, each softbox had a bag and they all fit into yet another bag. But what the heck, no harm. The stands were a bit cheap (as expected) and the lights were plastic, but I had another set of soft lights from JTL that were similarly constructed and lasted for years. It took a few minutes to set up one light. Soft boxes all have their own way of assembling and these were slightly different than Chimera and the JTL lights.  

Once I got a light set up I hit the power button. The light was very even and soft. The dimmer was smooth from about 100 watts up to 1000W. but wait. What was that sound? The lights were equipped with “whisper quiet” fans. Well, if someone was whispering in your ear maybe…  or if they whispered real real loud. So I set up the second light. Together the two lights sounded like a small microwave oven whirring in an adjoining room.

There is no way that you could record audio on camera in an enclosed room with these lights. They are not “whisper quiet” or even close. You should not use the word “quiet” in any description of these lights. So, if you need soft lights (softboxes) for a video shoot where you will not record audio, these are perfect. But if you demand more than one type of use from your lights like I do, then avoid the PBL VL-1000 soft light kit.