# EOS lighting?



## Taleman (Jul 30, 2008)

Has anyone heard of EOS Lighting? Is there product any good? I like the prices but I've never heard any mention of them before. Anyway here is the website: 

http://www.eoslightingllc.com/index.html


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## reg (Jul 30, 2008)

Never heard of them...


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## Bifurcator (Jul 31, 2008)

They're using DayFlo fluorescent lights in their systems. At least according to their website. Fluorescent lighting is kinda limited. It runs cool and cheap but if you need the light IN the shot or need to put the subject within a few inches (3 feet??) of the panel it causes lots of problems with some (or maybe all?) digital cameras. The problem is that they pulse (flicker) at pretty low speeds which can cause any of several problems. Also if you light one portion of your model with fluorescent and use another type of light on a different portion you'll have two different white balances on the different parts of the subject which can be difficult or maybe impossible in some cases to edit.

That doesn't mean they aren't good though.  If you can work within whatever real limitations there actually are in your environment with your equipment they might be just the thing. <shrug>


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## Garbz (Jul 31, 2008)

If you light one portion of your model with fluros and the other portion of your model with fluros you're not guaranteed the same white balance either. They vary quite wildly, much more so than different powered incandescents.

That said save your money. For $70 you can go to the local hardware store, buy a few ceiling fluros with mounting bracket, mount them sideways on a stand, cover the front with a sheet and have an identical result. Saw a guy do this on youtube, worked quite well. Just be sure to get the same brand and type of fluros, and when one goes it may pay to replace them all.


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## Village Idiot (Jul 31, 2008)

If you're using multiple different light sources, you should be using gels on the flashes so that you do get the correct WB.


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## Taleman (Jul 31, 2008)

Garbz said:


> That said save your money. For $70 you can go to the local hardware store, buy a few ceiling fluros with mounting bracket, mount them sideways on a stand, cover the front with a sheet and have an identical result. Saw a guy do this on youtube, worked quite well. Just be sure to get the same brand and type of fluros, and when one goes it may pay to replace them all.


 
You don't happen to have a link to that video... do you?


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## Bifurcator (Jul 31, 2008)

Lots of good stuff at these sites too:



http://www.diyphotography.net/
http://prophotolife.com/2008/06/26/quick-video-3-studio-setup-for-a-large-white-background/
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/digital-cameras/diy-photo-lighting-system-164079.php
http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/light_box_light_tent
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hp_cameras_equipment/article/0,2033,DIY_13955_2649651,00.html
http://www.sackmesser.de/tutorials/?action=shownews&news_id=4
http://www.instructables.com/id/Budget-photographic-lighting-"tent"./
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=v_UcoCjAcik  -->  http://jp.youtube.com/user/prophotolife
Etc. There are literally thousands on the net.

DIY is usually the way to go for lighting and seasoned pros will more often than not recommend DIY rigs over buying stuff when it can be done.


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## Taleman (Jul 31, 2008)

Bifurcator said:


> Lots of good stuff at these sites too:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Nice, thanks


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## Bifurcator (Jul 31, 2008)

NP!



Garbz said:


> If you light one portion of your model with fluros and the other portion of your model with fluros you're not guaranteed the same white balance either. They vary quite wildly, much more so than different powered incandescents.



Yep.  

When I was looking for links for Taleman I came across this guy.  Pretty good common sense stuff. This one video here shows just how different the colors can be. I guess we all already knew it but it's fun to watch. His youtube videos are pretty extensive and cover with nice demo and explanation, just about every piece of studio and DIY lighting rig you're likely to encounter commonly.  The presentation is pleasant and straight forward too. All these together are kind of a rare combination so I thought I'd promo it a little. 

I'm almost done watching all of them.   Poor guys in the "I spy" thread are probably getting anxious.


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## Garbz (Aug 1, 2008)

I think it may have been this one. I can't confirm because I'm running a system without flash on it so I can't see the video, but I remember it was at diyphotography.net and used fluros.

http://www.diyphotography.net/the-strip-light-that-wont-strip-you


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## Bifurcator (Aug 2, 2008)

Ha ha!  I love that S. E. Grin he flashes at the end of the vid.  

I rather think it's because of the model however and not the $35 lighting rig.


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## blacksheepfoto (Aug 6, 2008)

Hi, I wanted to chime in as I was researching EOS Lighting LLC/Dayflo FX Lights as well. The kits look amazingly cheap for a lot of light output. Alas...these are apparently the next generation of Britek lights which supposedly are built better, but who knows. They often showed love/hate remarks in previous incarnations.

In any case, I would be VERY cautious at buying from Eoslighting.com, dayflolighting.com, or anyone else selling these exact lights. Apparently these are all different sites/domains/LLCs for the same guy who has had a lot of complaints as they operated under numerous names...the last I could find the most info on being Pacific Coast Lighting. If you did a little research, you would notice the contact info is the same for both.

http://dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=109736
(many other discussions about them as well elsewhere, just google Pacific Coast Lighting)

Complaints of outright fraud, not shipping orders, broken products with no customer service, etc. Sadly no real reviews of these newer "Cheapo-Flos". 

If I ever tried them, I would definitely demand COD delivery...and if they didn't want to do it, good luck lasting in the market place with those business practices.

I use home depot bought ballasts and 4' T5 Daylight balanced bulbs...and they do work wonderfully for certain things (like photographing artwork). I personally found them really hard to work with when trying them for full length portrait though and never could quite replicate that DIY video in terms of pulling out his fstops and shutter speeds. (which is what sparked the interest).


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## Bifurcator (Aug 7, 2008)

Do you have a link to the video you mentioned at the end there?


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## nadine (Mar 20, 2009)

I bought a big kit of lights from EOS Lighting, but the order went missing, then they sent only the bulbs, then they sent the wrong unit, then they sent a light box that was incomplete. It took over 8 months to get all the pieces I ordered. They were unhelpful and obviously didn't care about their customer. They had their money, and apparently that was all that mattered to them. The lights work well, but the experience of trying to get my order was a nightmare. Be very careful about buying anything from them.


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## Stan Snyder (Apr 12, 2009)

Taleman said:


> Has anyone heard of EOS Lighting? Is there product any good? I like the prices but I've never heard any mention of them before. Anyway here is the website:
> 
> Studio Lighting, Video and Photography Lighting- Eos Lighting LLC


 
EOS lighting appears to formerly be pclightingsystems, a company in Neenah WI. Three major on-line suppliers offer pretty much the same items in both fluorescent and halogen lighting systems. To keep the costs down, all three deal in primarly imported products, mainly from China.

These are all good lights, nicely complimented with stands (usually shock absorbing), booms and light modifiers such as soft boxes and barn doors. Steve Kaeser and Image West are both located in the west, Ventura County CA and Las Vegas NV respectively, and EOS is in the east. That can be a consideration in shipping costs. Prices will vary a bit between the three vendors  All three vendors have been around for several years.

Hopefully this will help in your decision making process. Here are some links:

Studio Lighting, Video and Photography Lighting- Eos Lighting LLC

www.stevekaieser.com

www.imageWest.TV

The third is my site - give us a visit sometime.

Stan - Image West


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## inTempus (Apr 12, 2009)

If you Google EOS lighting you will find many unhappy customers.  

I ordered a backdrop from them before Googling them.  I did check them out on resellerratings.com before placing an order and they had no comments - positive or negative.

While I was waiting for my order I Googled them and freaked myself out.  Lots of horror stories going back several years.

In the end, my order arrived on time and for the most part is what I expected.  I expected a higher quality product but what I got was functional.  It will be replaced by a custom backdrop here shortly.  The muslins are not worth the $60 they ask for them either.  Very cheap.


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## Nossilla (Apr 25, 2009)

Beware!!! Scam!!! Will sell you items they do not have, then send you the following message. "This message was sent to you at the request of Fotodiox Inc. to notify you that the electronic shipment information below has been transmitted to UPS. The physical package(s) may or may not have actually been tendered to UPS for shipment. To verify the actual transit status of your shipment, click on the tracking link below or contact Fotodiox Inc. directly." I conacted UPS and they have only the elecronic information sent by EOS Lighting/Fotodiox but no record of a package pick-up. I called EOS lightings customer service which is their shipping department. They are cordial but with no results. I have no Idea how Fotodiox Inc. got involed in my purchase. Beware... Scam Artist...


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## pjguitar (Jun 6, 2009)

I placed an online order with EOS Lighting for a lighting kit in early Mar-2009.  I was told the item was on backorder with expected delivery in 2-3 weeks.  Instead of charging my credit card on shipment of merchandise, they charged my card on placement of order, which has never happened to me before in a similar circumstance.

2-3 weeks went by, then week followed week, but no merchandise was shipped.  I cancelled my order for the lighting kit.  Two weeks after the cancellation when I had received no credit card refund, I sent them an email reminder.  I received no reply.  A month after the cancellation, I still had received no refund.  I sent them another reminder along with a threat to take action against the company to get my money back.  Again no reply.

I have followed up on my threat by contacting my credit card issuer.  They have been very cooperative, have credited my account for the refund owed me by EOS Lighting and are pursuing action against the company.


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## IWFP (Aug 22, 2009)

Taleman said:


> Has anyone heard of EOS Lighting? Is there product any good? I like the prices but I've never heard any mention of them before. Anyway here is the website:
> 
> Studio Lighting, Video and Photography Lighting


 I purchased a studio kit from this company and I have had nothing but problems with them and their product!
1. It took months to get my order because everything was on back order
2. When I called to them to find out when I could expect my order they had no idea because everything was still on back order. However, they did offer to send me another lighting kit that they had for an additional $400+
3. When I did recieve my order months later it was not correct...they substituted a short backdrop because the one I had ordered was not in stock and they did not send the carring case because that was also on back order and I am still waiting for it since I last spoke to them in January, 2009
4. The product is poor quality and I have 2 light boxes that have broken frames and are now useless

As an additional note: They have a sister company with the same products but use a different name but when you call them you get the same people.

It is just my opinion but I would not advise anyone to do business with this company


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## 31avas (Oct 12, 2009)

They actually told me the entire service department was out with the swine flu. And that the item I ordered was on back order (which I was never told in the first place, and only found out after about 6 attempts to get a hold of them 3 weeks after the order was place). They also clearly screened my calls because right after my call was ignored, my coworker called on a personal line with a different area code and they picked right up.


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## eoslightingllcsucks (Dec 7, 2009)

I ordered a 12 x 24 chroma key green screen from EOS Lighting (part of a larger order totaling $1,700) and they said it was not in stock and would take two weeks to ship. I was not in a hurry so said the wait would be okay. It ended up taking MONTHS for the screen to arrive. By the time I received it I no longer needed it so put it on a shelf in my office.  
Being the forgiving type, a few months later I placed another order for some grey, black and white 12 x 24 cloth backdrops some lighting and other items totaling more than $1,200. I placed this order AFTER calling to confirm what was in stock, which (they said) was everything except the white 12 x 24 backdrop. I told them I didn't mind waiting for the white backdrop, and placed the order. That was Nov. 12, 2009. I was supposed to receive an email containing shipping information within a day or so of placing the order. On Nov. 16, when I had not received any shipping info I sent an email asking the status and was told to be patient.  
On Nov. 20 I sent another email asking about the shipping status of my order. They just ignored that email. By Nov. 30 I had decided that if the order had not yet shipped I would cancel it and order the items elsewhere. I had my assistant call and she was transferred to a man who was supposed to be in charge of shipping. She asked why items that were supposed to be in stock on Nov. 12 had not yet shipped, and he tried to place the blame on us, as if we controlled their shipping. Then he said it was shipping that day and would arrive by Thursday, Dec. 3. I ordered the items for an event occurring at 9:00 am on Dec. 4, so this would BARELY be acceptable so she took him at his word on the arrival date.  
After FINALLY receiving some shipping information, I checked the shipping details on Dec. 1 and discovered that the items were not scheduled to arrive until DEC. 4TH. I tried calling EOS Lighting, LLC. but no one answered the phone, so I sent an email detailing my frustration. I explained that the LEAST that they could have done was provide expedited shipping for an order that was neglected for such a long time, despite the two status check emails sent. I also said that lying about the arrival date merely to keep me from cancelling the order was underhanded at best.  
I received a call from the same girl that I talked to the day of the order. She was no help, simply suggesting that I use the green screen from the previous order.  
I decided later that evening that my only prospect was to use the chroma key backdrop, so I opened the package and unfolded the 12 x 24 green screen. The chroma key screen looked like a bad pair of panty hose, with thread pulls throughout the face of the fabric, and some strange black dots that I suspect are mold.  
EOS Lighting, LLC. SUCKS. Their operation is unprofessional and their products are substandard. There are FAR too many companies that sell photography and video lighting equipment to risk dealing with EOS Lighting. My advice would be to buy from ANYONE ELSE than EOS Lighting.  
I have since discovered that the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau has 16 (SIXTEEN) complaints about EOS Lighting, LLC. for similar reasons, AND that they changed names from Pacific Coast Lighting Systems which has 11 complaints on the Wisconsin BBB website.


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## inTempus (Dec 7, 2009)

Wow, this thread still brings out the one post wonders.  Someone must have been seriously wronged by them to sit and scour the internet for discussions about the company, then register one or more accounts just to post a horror story or two.


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## spotduster (Jan 19, 2010)

BUYER BEWARE!
Based on BBB files, EOS Lighting has a BBB Rating of F on a scale from A+ to F. Reasons for this F rating include:

    * Length of time business has been operating
    * 16 complaints filed against business
    * 2 complaints filed against business that were not resolved
    * BBB does not have sufficient background information on this business

BBB Reviews for EOS Lighting
Eos Lighting LLC Review - LIGHTING FIXTURES SUPPLIES AND PARTS in Neenah, WI - BBB Reliability Report - BBB serving Wisconsin

Google Reviews for EOS Lighting
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?c...=6034238072824282064,1&geocode=Fc9RogIdmkm6-g

The only way to get your money back is to report the charge as fraud!


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## Garbz (Jan 20, 2010)

inTempus said:


> Wow, this thread still brings out the one post wonders.



:lmao: you don't say.


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## cat.tiger2000 (Oct 26, 2010)

EOS is cheater and liar, do not buy anything from this company!!!


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