# Cowboy Studio



## J.Bat

Has anyone ever used this site? If so is it any good?

www.cowboystudio.com


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## Syndac

Considering the "About" link goes to a page about auction/ebay info, I wouldn't take them too seriously.  It seems like they've cut and pasted their site... it just doesn't make sense.


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## tirediron

Mis-spellings, grammatical errors, cut & paste HTML; doesn't exactly say 'professional' or 'reputable' to me....


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## K_Pugh

yeah CowboyStudio?.. sort of says it all


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## chemqueen

I have had terrible experiences with this company, and would not recommend them to anyone. All their equipment is from a company in China, and while this company DOES produce some quality merchandise, CowboyStudio does not carry it. They carry the cheapest equipment I've ever used. The strobes are weak, the ones I used didn't work, and they refused to take them back or replace them. They have a 1 year warrantee but would not honor it, so I had to file a claim with PayPal to get my money back. It was a nightmare of a process. Also, the backgrounds are see through - if you get a black, you will see spot in the final photo and have to doctor them in photoshop.


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## Clawed

Hmm, it's funny you bring them up, I was just considering making a purchase from them today.


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## fast1

just based on the design i wouldn't want to deal with them


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## Sherman Banks

chemqueen said:


> I have had terrible experiences with this company, and would not recommend them to anyone. All their equipment is from a company in China, and while this company DOES produce some quality merchandise, CowboyStudio does not carry it. They carry the cheapest equipment I've ever used. The strobes are weak, the ones I used didn't work, and they refused to take them back or replace them. They have a 1 year warrantee but would not honor it, so I had to file a claim with PayPal to get my money back. It was a nightmare of a process. Also, the backgrounds are see through - if you get a black, you will see spot in the final photo and have to doctor them in photoshop.



I'm sorry but you're an idiot for buying from them in the first place.  As a consumer, the burden of doing your homework and checking the reputation of online sellers is on you.  There are plenty of options for camera equipment online that have years of positive feedback, so you opting for some hole in the wall site and getting screwed is your own fault.  

Your rant is quite hilarious though.  If the strobes you bought never worked, how do you know they are weak?  And your statement about the products they carry makes no sense.  They get their products from a company that makes good stuff, but they don't carry it.  ???  So who do they get their stuff from?


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## Don Kondra

I started off with a Cowboy Studio 2 x 200 w/s strobe kit which included two 2' x 3' softboxes and two 6' light duty stands for $270 plus ~$50 shipping off ebay.

This was around Xmas 08 and they were just updating their site.  I notice they still have some errors on it, ie., the largest head they handle is 200 w/s, it's listed on the item header as 300 w/s 

Basically you get what you pay for.  

Cheers, Don


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## amccolgan

I'm sorry but you're an idiot for buying from them in the first place. As a consumer, the burden of doing your homework and checking the reputation of online sellers is on you. There are plenty of options for camera equipment online that have years of positive feedback, so you opting for some hole in the wall site and getting screwed is your own fault. 


Just wondering why you wasted so much time being so rud,  please tell us what it is like to be so perfect.   Someone did not de enough homework, so  maybe you're correct but was it really nessary to be so rude about it?  what a (d) bick-head


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## Don Kondra

amccolgan said:


> Just wondering why you wasted so much time being so rud, please tell us what it is like to be so perfect. Someone did not de enough homework, so maybe you're correct but was it really nessary to be so rude about it? what a (d) bick-head


 
Now *that* is a first post to be proud of. :lmao:

Chemqueen was obviously frustrated with her buying experience and felt the need to vent. I also had some problems with my first purchase from them but they were all resolved and the lights at this time are working fine.

The rest of the comments offered are simply opinions with no actual experience. 

Two shots for a woodworking tool review I am working on, nothing fancy, just set up and shoot. (All Cowby Studio lighting products) 

This is with one head in a 18" x 18" softbox on a boom.






And this is with one head on a stand with a white/black 36" brolly...






Cheers, Don


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## ANDS!

Grave digger when you dig my grave. . .!


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## bhphotography

Sometimes if it looks too good to be true, it ussually is.


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## inTempus

Sherman Banks said:


> I'm sorry but you're an idiot for buying from them in the first place.


That's a bit harsh, don't you think?


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## inTempus

bhphotography said:


> Sometimes if it looks too good to be true, it ussually is.


That, or it's one banging deal!


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## TJ K

inTempus said:


> bhphotography said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sometimes if it looks too good to be true, it ussually is.
> 
> 
> 
> That, or it's one banging deal!
Click to expand...


Haha. 1d4 only 1100 this week only!


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## inTempus

TJ K said:


> inTempus said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> bhphotography said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sometimes if it looks too good to be true, it ussually is.
> 
> 
> 
> That, or it's one banging deal!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Haha. 1d4 only 1100 this week only!
Click to expand...

Where is teh link!>!?!!?


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## webjj

i wanted to get some lights quickly as possible so instead of buying from them on ebay i went through their web site ......


they put on paypal they had shipped the lights the day after i ordered .....except ups only has billing info no package .... a week later still the same ups does not have the package

i have emailed multiple times on different days and they have not responded

all i am asking for is to give me a date the lights will actually ship or refund me money

still no response so i am doing it through paypal now to see if that will get a response


i don't know about the products but the customer support is horrendous


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## Felix0890

I've bought for them.  They're ok if you're a beginner and want some gear to play around with.  Think of the equipment they sell as being disposable.  

You buy an umbrella kit from them for ~$30US, get to experiment with umbrella lighting, the kit breaks anywhere from a week to a couple of months of use, you decide whether or not you liked umbrella lighting enough to buy a better lighting set.  Then you go to Adorama/BH and buy the $100-300 kit that will last you a good while.

That's how I like to view it anyway.


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## Don Kondra

webjj said:


> i wanted to get some lights quickly as possible so instead of buying from them on ebay i went through their web site ......
> 
> 
> they put on paypal they had shipped the lights the day after i ordered .....except ups only has billing info no package .... a week later still the same ups does not have the package
> 
> i have emailed multiple times on different days and they have not responded
> 
> all i am asking for is to give me a date the lights will actually ship or refund me money
> 
> still no response so i am doing it through paypal now to see if that will get a response
> 
> 
> i don't know about the products but the customer support is horrendous


 
Try phoning them, a very frendly lady cleared up my problem in no time 

Cheers, Don


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## chammer

i had mixed results at first, but pleased with the outcome. i bought the pt-04 triggers from them because i frankly dont want to deal with ebay or items shipping from china. i ordered a single trigger/receiver kit and it promptly arrived 4 days later. however, when i opened the box i found only two triggers. i emailed them and it was promptly answered the following day and they apologized and sent me out another kit. they sent it overnight at their expense, and when i opened the box this time i found a complete kit (trigger and receiver) plus another two triggers.

so in the end i ended up with 2 triggers and 3 receivers. while i was initially suspect i ended up quite pleased, and when i bought my second flash a week ago i had a receiver to go with it.


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## keith foster

I bought a couple of things from them.  They shipped out quickly and I got what I ordered. 
I bought a stand w/umbrella and an umbrella hotshoe adapter in a kit.  It has held up ok but is not built real sturdy but is definitely worth what I paid for it.
Their stuff is cheap and not intended for a pro.  But if you want stuff to learn on and not spend a lot of money they are fine.


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## Brandon Seidel

I purchased some items from them on Amazon recently.  WOW, what a mistake!  I plan on posting a review on my blog about them.  It will not be positive.

First off the product is cheap, but I expected that.  They seem to have a lot of issues getting you your items unbroken or correct.  Being that they are cheaply made, they do not seem to survive shipping from China then shipping from CowboyStudio to your door.

What I did not expect was the huge mess to deal with when they ship you the wrong item.  Then it gets even better when the replacement item arrives broken.  I sent multiple emails to support and never received even one reply.  I called and although they were nice, they do not have their act together there.  It took them over a week just to get me a label in my email.  In EMAIL, not postal mail.  And no it did not get caught in SPAM or anything, they just do not seem to have their ducks in a row.  After the label mess and getting the item to UPS back to them, you wait.  And wait.  And wait some more.

  Do yourself a favor, buy from another vendor.  There are many selling product like this.  You can buy cheap product if that is what you want; but buy from a reputable vendor.


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## Foxtrot_01

good thing I came across this thread, I was looking at the same thing but there is another kit for flash, umbrella and stand, this is from Impact and is listed in BH as temporary out of stock, I was wondering if someone had any experience with this kit.

Impact Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit - includes: 2 Impact 32" Umbrellas, Brackets, Light Stands

Impact | Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit | DFUMK | B&H Photo


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## Davidscott

J.Bat said:


> Has anyone ever used this site? If so is it any good?
> 
> www.cowboystudio.com


 

I know this post is old. But here it is May 2011, and I just purchased a studio lighting kit from this guy. (its a one man Chinese shop) It took over two weeks to get the items. No communications from the Cowboy at all!. Once it arrived, there was no invoice inside. the box was all crushed. The products inside were poorly made in chine crap. And the topper? The back drop that he advertised as 13ft x10ft, was marked 12ftx10ft. So I measured it. and it is actually less than 12!. I emailed him 3 times with questions, and asking for a replacement of the correct size. No reply.... so basically, I am stuck with $380 of low quality junk. Bottom line, it does not appear the the cowboy at this studio has gotten any better since 2007. I would stay away from them. Don't be tempted by the good prices. You get what you pay for!


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## kassad

I hate to contribute to an old thread.   I have made 2 orders from this company.   The equipment is inexpensive and cheap.   I had a hic up with the first order which they cleared up very quickly and I was very satisfied with the result.   The items were shipped quickly and packed well.   I will order from them again.  As to it being cheap Chinese crap, well it is at that price.   If your a pro spend them money to get quality equipment.   If your looking inexpensive items to work with while your learning I recommend them,.


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## Josh66

The only thing of theirs that I have ever used are some wireless triggers - which (still) work great, and only cost me $20.  The only time they have ever failed to fire was when the batteries were dead, and you can't really blame that on them, lol.

For less than 10% of the cost of 'real' radio triggers, I have been very impressed with them.


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## Tangentabacus

I purchased some strobe stands, umbrellas, and mounts to put my flashes on them from Cowboy and only paid $70 for all three stands with mounts and umbrellas. They weren't the highest of quality, but for $70 I think they were worth at least that possibly more. The package got to me (in Alaska) in about 6 business days using super saver free shipping on Amazon. I recently broke one of them I took to a photoshoot at a snow machine race because a snow machine ran into the stand. I mean... That was bound to happen. Either way I'm not that disappointed at all. You just got to be careful.

I think this company should come with a "buyers beware".


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## sbakewell0508

I purchased one of the complete studio packages from there. The old saying you get what you pay for is correct. The problems that I had with the package I received were mainly three things:

1. the black background IS see though and while most would bring the levels down in this to do a low key anyways, it is kinda of annoying that the muslin is so thin. 
2. the boom arm that came with my package that is pictured holding the sofbox is NO where near sturdy enough to hold the box even extended a little (the boom arm was the main reason i purchased this particular set) but if i extend the boom arm and use the included sand bag everything falls over or the arm bends so much I would be terrified it would fall over on my subject
3. their customer service is not very good, i have emailed several times asking about purchasing anther radio trigger as it is not clear on their website which one comes with the package, and have not been able to get a hold of anyone.

I have 100 watt strobes and while they are not  very powerful, for my space they are powerful, i just wish the softboxes were bigger..these are very small.. Looking back if you were to ask me if I would purchase this again, I would say no I would spend my money either on an alienbee and buy slowly. as much as i know that sucks and as impatient as i am that is the decision i would probably make..  take that with a grain of salt, because I am still learning my indoor equipment, while i can get good images it takes me an hour before hand to set up and test ..

one thing i do have to say i like is that i liked how complete the package is with the barn doors, gels. shipping was fast. the carrying cases fit everything. If you are going to purchase something from them just know that it is not pro equipment and it has its limitations.


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## Seekwence

I tried out the NPT-04 wireless trigger (purchased on Amazon for ~$20). I've only used it a few times, but I really can't complain. For the price, it got the job done and I was able to produce some really awesome smoke shots using off-camera flash.


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## Village Idiot

I think they do a 1 month warranty on their strobes. _*ONE MONTH*_. That's rediculous. Any reputable brand will give you at least one year. On one forum, either here of POTN, some one said their CBS strobe caught on fire just out the warranty period and they were told that it wasn't the company's problem outside of the warranty. 

They also use the Strobist name to sell equipment and they're not associated with Strobist at all.


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## szymonsayz

This company has the worst customer service. They run two businesses out of their office Yin Yan and Cowboy Studios.

I bought the 3000W kit, first time I opened it, the sandbag broke, lights were not working so I exchanged it with Amazon.

2nd Kit came in, the parts were compeltely different, The company's name wasn't even on the parts. Still no sandbag.

a  3rd Kit came in, no sandbag either, I finally had to call the company  they sent me a different sandbag. After about a 2 weeks of using the  kit, the clamps that hold the heads to the poles started to crack. Where  you tighten the head, the plastic started to crack through, making it  impossible to tighten.

After this point, Amazon said that I have  to call Cowboy studio directly it was after 30 days. So I did. Cynthia  Parker promised to send me 6 clamps so that I can have some as backup,  they only sent me three. When I tried to put them on the head, they were  to small, they wouldn't fit. (and one was missing washers)

I  spoke to Emily, Cynthia's manager. She promised to send me a 4th light  and all the replacement parts. This was suppose to happen on sept 19th,  2011, and UPS tracking number showed that it was going to be delivered  on the 22nd. Well on the 23rd, nothing has been shipped yet. Emily  finally told me and apologized that they were trying to gather all the  parts.

They sent out the 5th replacement order. I received it on  the 27th. When I got it, the 3 clamps that they sent me were the exact  same size as the small ones that didn't fit. On top of that, the 4th  light that they sent me, didn't even have clamps to screw onto the pole,  and finally the broken sandbag that Emily promised to put into the box  (even though it was written on the box) was never in the box.

I  called them today. Emily is denying that that parts don't fit, even  though I sent them pictures of the sizes being to small, and she claims  that the 4th light came with all the parts.

Now they will not  even answer the phone, they put me on hold and hang up the phone. I call  their store, and they answer the phone and hang up. What kind of  customer service to they have. My next step is to contact BBB, Consumer  Affairs, and blog about their poor customer service on any review site  about their products.

Do NOT get involved with this company.  Amazon even took this product off the market with this company because  of all the issues people were having. 

There are several other  companies out there. This is a generic product that Cowboy puts their  name on, and I warn you not to deal with them. They are horrible with  customer service. 

If anyone is going through this problem, you  can try Emily on her direct line 972-832-6928 because they don't answer  their office phones. Her email is emily.cowboystudio@gmail.com.


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## bennielou

Damn, is there a full moon tonight?


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## Village Idiot

Now, would it have been worth it to spend some more money on a better quality kit? 

If you purchased it with a CC, call your company and dispute the charge.


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## Geaux

I've bought from them before, triggers and stand/umbrella.  No issues here with their service.


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## Stradawhovious

The phrase "You get what you pay for"  Isn't just a clever saying.

Really.

I'm not sure why people buy **** and expect it not to stink.  It's ****.  It's ****'s job to be crappy.  As a result, it doesn't cost much.


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## KmH

We all have Wal-Mart to thank?


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## Derrel

KmH said:


> We all have Wal-Mart to thank?



NO, we have the North American Free Trade Act to thank...


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## 12sndsgood

no, you just have cheap people to thank. stores are only in business if there are customers paying money.


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## szymonsayz

J.Bat said:


> Has anyone ever used this site? If so is it any good?
> 
> www.cowboystudio.com



Try this site... Cowboy Studio Reviews


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## Don Kondra

LOL

Ever heard of a file... rough castings are not unusual. 

Cheers, Don


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## 2WheelPhoto

this thread makes two thoughts come to mind:

1) i like my pocketwizards a little more than i did
2) that 80's song "i wanna' be a coyboy yippee I aye"


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## StephanieK

szymonsayz said:


> J.Bat said:
> 
> 
> 
> Has anyone ever used this site? If so is it any good?
> 
> www.cowboystudio.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Try this site... Cowboy Studio Reviews
Click to expand...



I'm a little disappointed that no one has YET to offer an alternative. The original question was is this company any good... and everyone has just either posted their opinion about cheap equipment, or shared their experience... which is great, don't get me wrong... but with everything said, you're just leaving it up to anyone reading this thread to decide whether or not to go with Cowboy Studio. 
At this point, as a semi-pro photographer, I'm still not convinced that I'd be making a mistake going with them. I'm looking for simple, inexpensive backdrop & lighting equipment to use occasionally for newborns, children, and boudoir sessions. So far they offer the most complete kits i've found, at a great price... i'm not paying $1500 for equipment when i'm only a part-time photographer. 

Any alternative companies you'd recommend? With good experiences - not just opinions, please?


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## cgipson1

StephanieK said:


> Any alternative companies you'd recommend? With good experiences - not just opinions, please?



Nothing I would recommend that is in that price range.. you get what you pay for. Adorama Flashpoint gear is good.. and a lot less expensive than the brand names... check them out. B&H has similar items also. These are quality items at least... even the Flashpoint monolights have a good rep (haven't used them, but people here have.. and say good things about them)... the Cowboy stuff has a bad reputation for being junk.

I do have some flashpoint gear, and it is well built, and works. I don't have to worry that it will not be working on my next shoot, or die during the middle of a shoot.


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## redessa

I bought some radio flash triggers from them recently (through amazon).  They were very inexpensive and I don't expect them to last forever but they work just fine and suit my purposes for the time being.  

I don't think there's anythign wrong w/ buying from them as long as you know you're not getting professional quality equipment at those prices.


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## BlairWright

Cowboy Studio is a good lesson in YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR....


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## MalteseDad

Cowboy Studios are a scam. I was so stupid to fall for the cheap price.  Avoid like the plague. I never knew that American companies are allowed to operate such a rogue business model.
I have been ordering online for so long without ever encountering rogue traders that I did not feel I needed to do an FBI search before ordering from this online store.
I placed an order for an item that only they were carrying. I noticed that upon checkout, the picture of the item was for a different model to the one I ordered. Went back, and that was it, they had a mistake in the picture.
I sent them an email and they confirmed that they would ship me the model I ordered, not the one shown in the picture. Guess what, in spite of noticing of their mistake, and double checking and they confirming, they sent the wrong model! Unbelievable.
So through email exchanges give me an RMA and I sent it back. I needed this item quickly as I was about to travel and needed it for my travels, so I ordered another one, with expedited delivery, now that I was so close to travelling.
For some reason, they held onto my order so that it did not arrive for some 3 weeks, when I had come back from my holidays! Not only that, they want to charge me 20% re-stocking fee for their mistake!   
Given the series of events, there is no way this was a mistake on their part. I now firmly believe that they do this to make money from unsuspecting customers. They made another 20% profit simply by purposely sending me the wrong item.  Plus I had to pay for expensive to and return shipping through no fault of my own.
Spare yourself the trouble.  Don&#8217;t fall for their cheap prices like I did..


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## Village Idiot

I try and warn people...


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## fjrabon

eh, I've only ever used their triggers and some stands and umbrellas.  Of course they're not lastolite or pocket wizard, but for what I was expecting I was satisfied.  

Of course crazy insane bargains don't really exist in photography.  You're going to be making some compromises at that price point.  But I'd rather be able to have multiple backups of my radio triggers, than only being able to afford three pocketwizard branded triggers and being totally screwed if one fails on a shoot.  With the CS studio triggers, I can afford 8 or so, and no that no matter how terribly things go, I've got multiple backup units.  

I use PW branded triggers every day at work, and of course they're better, but they do fail from time to time.  For my personal gear, I can't afford backup PW branded triggers, but I also can't afford them to fail and not have backups.  Thus CS.  they've served me well, I can't complain, given what I paid for them.

edit: also, many of the posts in this thread were from 2-3 years ago, when CS was really bad quality control wise.  Now they're just sort of bad with quality control.


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## 12sndsgood

StephanieK said:


> szymonsayz said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> J.Bat said:
> 
> 
> 
> Has anyone ever used this site? If so is it any good?
> 
> www.cowboystudio.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Try this site... Cowboy Studio Reviews
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> I'm a little disappointed that no one has YET to offer an alternative. The original question was is this company any good... and everyone has just either posted their opinion about cheap equipment, or shared their experience... which is great, don't get me wrong... but with everything said, you're just leaving it up to anyone reading this thread to decide whether or not to go with Cowboy Studio.
> At this point, as a semi-pro photographer, I'm still not convinced that I'd be making a mistake going with them. I'm looking for simple, inexpensive backdrop & lighting equipment to use occasionally for newborns, children, and boudoir sessions. So far they offer the most complete kits i've found, at a great price... i'm not paying $1500 for equipment when i'm only a part-time photographer.
> 
> Any alternative companies you'd recommend? With good experiences - not just opinions, please?
Click to expand...




You'd be making a mistake. I bought two light stands from them. first one broke the second time i used them. there both flimsy and are basically junk. I have no one to blame but myself. wanted to save some cash. i know better but i still did it.  So i went out and bought some decent stuff instead. If your running a business you don't want simple and inexpensive. you want quality gear you can rely on.  would your rather buy a $50 stand and replace it every 6 months when it breaks, or would your rather spend $100 and never have to replace it again?   try Square perfect. there on amazon. I have there backdrop setup. was fairly inexpensive and 10x better then The cactus junk. try Paul C. Buff, not super expensive but still good stuff.


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## jamesbjenkins

In my experience, Cowboy Studio products are pure garbage. They have poor quality control, no durability and they're guaranteed to fail at the worst possible moment.

Avoid them if at all possible.


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## scorpion_tyr

I have ordered from this company several times and have always had good results. No, their equipment is not top quality, but it is very cheap. For the price of one "professional" light anywhere else I was able to get a whole beginners studio set up. Their camera accessories are pretty good. I just outfitted all of my lenses with lens hoods from there and they are good quality. Not the thin plastic ones that break the first day like they sell on amazon for $2. Their customer service has always been great too. I assure you they are a legit company.


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## 2WheelPhoto

Some of us elect not to roll the dice on reliability.  When I'm an hour away shooting a couple with their new BMW at the beach and with their makeup artist, hair artist, my assistant, my monolights gear unloaded and set up, etc the last thing I can afford is "*d*mn triggers are acting up*".

Second best won't suffice for what I do so i had to take the plunge on decent triggers


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## Mike_E

The first rule of buying photo equipment is to know what you want to buy before you buy it.  Research, research, research.

Don't click on a price, click on an item.

I've bought a couple of things from CS with no trouble but I was able to choose which ones by recognizing them from the photo.  (if they substitute that's on them and you'll have to deal with them)

As it turns out there is a company in China that produces monolights for re-branding called Mettle.  Mettle makes some of the Flashpoints from Adorama, some of the Interfits from B&H, some of the Square Perfects and sometimes they even sell under their own name.  To find out which is which you have to do your own leg (Google) work.

I also bought a boom stand from CS, the one with the metal counterweight.  It wasn't the cheapest one but one that I had seen else where that had gotten good reviews and was still less expensive at CS.

Planning ahead will save you a lot of cash and a lot of grief


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## WhiteBison

Village Idiot said:


> I try and warn people...



Lots of negative comments about CowboyStudio online. So I was a little scared ordering anything. However, just received my Tripod Dolly...no problems at all. Delivered in a timely manner and a price that is unbeatable.


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