I am a big believer in bartering goods and services whenever possible. This week I did some computer service for a professional photographer friend of mine, in exchange he offered me one of his older studio lights. When he handed it to me I thought “what the hell is he giving me”. The old box lamp that looked like something from the dark ages. He swore this Lowel Omni Light was a top notch light.

I happily took it home along with the 10′ Bogen light stand and when I got home I decided to see just how obsolete this light really is.

Surprisingly enough, it turns out the Lowel Omni light is still in heavy use by pros, studios, and camera testing labs as it is rock solid, puts out top quality light, is inexpensive to use, is lightweight, and rugged.

Searching around some more, I found numerous rave reviews and testimonials. I was convinced that I had a really good quality studio light. These lights sell brand new for $129, are 500w, and have a toggle to go from flood to spot. Best of all, they can be found on eBay for about $60-$80! What a steal. Add a couple of umbrellas from a discount house like Adorama and you have an amazing studio like for well under $100 each.

If you are looking for top-notch, pro quality studio lights, these are the babies to get.