Linco Flora Fluorescent Light Bank

I opened the plain brown product box and found a carefully packaged six-bulb light head in the shape of a cartoon flower. The white nylon case with green accents appears durable and sports smooth contours and a large handle with foam grip. The long and thick power cord is permanently attached to the head. Bulb sockets have ceramic sleeves and CFLs screwed in easily. Bulb spacing, unlike many budget light heads, is sufficient to fit large 85 or 105W CFLs. The six sockets divide into two banks of three. Each bank has a power switch, allowing a choice of 100% or 50% power. You can use fewer or smaller CFLs if you need to tailor output for a small studio or large aperture shooting.The baby pin receptor mount is the weakest link in the Flora design. It's durable nylon but nonetheless plastic. However, it works fine: mounts on light stands and holds position if mounted upright. I'm careful to merely snug up the screw when mounting on a baby pin. The threads are in a metal insert but could pull out of the plastic wall if you muscle it. On the other hand, the plastic swivel joint requires considerable torquing when loaded with CFLs and softbox. The racket handle makes tightening the joint easier than using a knob, but wish it had click-stops like other light heads.Bulbs are not included so have a set ready. I fitted it with six  ALZO 85W Video-Lux  CFLs and it blazed like the afternoon sun. My  KAEZI 85 Watt Studio Light Bulbs  also fit fine. I often use two to four CFLs so I can shoot wide open for narrow DOF and balance with my other lights.I use this head with the Linco Flora 35-inch Hexogen Easy Softbox. They work wonderfully together: fast setup, pleasingly even and soft light and attractive catch lights. The gotcha is the Flora only works with the Linco softbox, barring a modification by somebody more handy than me. It also works with an umbrella, allowing mounting through the center hole.The Flora head and softbox are available as a kit but, oddly, are often less expensive purchased ala carte. Also, neither the head or softbox include instructions. An experienced studio shooter will figure out how to assemble and use these products in a few minutes. After all, they're similar to other CFL heads and umbrella softboxes. However, a beginner will have a tough time. Finally, with CFLs and softbox installed this is a beast and needs a beefy light stand lest it topple over. I use it on a Kupo C-stand with 40-inch extension and it's rock solid (sandbag the leg opposite the head).I like this head but would love to see a few improvements: metal mount with click-stops, detachable power cord and a third power switch (three banks of two). All in all the Flora Light Bank is a fine product: fast setup, easy to use, quality construction and excellent light output.I opened the plain brown product box and found a carefully packaged six-bulb light head in the shape of a cartoon flower. The white nylon case with green accents appears durable and sports smooth contours and a large handle with foam grip. The long and thick power cord is permanently attached to the head. Bulb sockets have ceramic sleeves and CFLs screwed in easily. Bulb spacing, unlike many budget light heads, is sufficient to fit large 85 or 105W CFLs. The six sockets divide into two banks of three. Each bank has a power switch, allowing a choice of 100% or 50% power. You can use fewer or smaller CFLs if you need to tailor output for a small studio or large aperture shooting.The baby pin receptor mount is the weakest link in the Flora design. It's durable nylon but nonetheless plastic. However, it works fine: mounts on light stands and holds position if mounted upright. I'm careful to merely snug up the screw when mounting on a baby pin. The threads are in a metal insert but could pull out of the plastic wall if you muscle it. On the other hand, the plastic swivel joint requires considerable torquing when loaded with CFLs and softbox. The racket handle makes tightening the joint easier than using a knob, but wish it had click-stops like other light heads.Bulbs are not included so have a set ready. I fitted it with six  ALZO 85W Video-Lux  CFLs and it blazed like the afternoon sun. My  KAEZI 85 Watt Studio Light Bulbs  also fit fine. I often use two to four CFLs so I can shoot wide open for narrow DOF and balance with my other lights.I use this head with the Linco Flora 35-inch Hexogen Easy Softbox. They work wonderfully together: fast setup, pleasingly even and soft light and attractive catch lights. The gotcha is the Flora only works with the Linco softbox, barring a modification by somebody more handy than me. It also works with an umbrella, allowing mounting through the center hole.The Flora head and softbox are available as a kit but, oddly, are often less expensive purchased ala carte. Also, neither the head or softbox include instructions. An experienced studio shooter will figure out how to assemble and use these products in a few minutes. After all, they're similar to other CFL heads and umbrella softboxes. However, a beginner will have a tough time. Finally, with CFLs and softbox installed this is a beast and needs a beefy light stand lest it topple over. I use it on a Kupo C-stand with 40-inch extension and it's rock solid (sandbag the leg opposite the head).I like this head but would love to see a few improvements: metal mount with click-stops, detachable power cord and a third power switch (three banks of two). All in all the Flora Light Bank is a fine product: fast setup, easy to use, quality construction and excellent light output.11/26/2016 Update: I ordered a second Flora head and ran into a problem. While it looks the same as the unit I bought last year, the thumb screw used to lock the softbox shaft to the light head is too short and doesn’t hold the softbox in place. I added a hard rubber cap to increase the screw's length and grip. After 24 hours it’s holding fast so it looks like I don’t have to send it back. A longer T-screw from Home Depot is a possible solution but I prefer the rubber cap since it doesn’t eat into the nylon umbrella shaft like a bare metal screw does.

You could pay $700. for a competing product, the Spider, from Wescott and I'm sure that the Spider is better built but this unit is especially good considering that it is one tenth of the cost. If your job depends on it you could buy a spare or two spares of the Flora and still save a great deal of cash left to spend on other photo necessities.I use the Flora with six 85 watt daylight CFLs and a 60 inch umbrella. The amount and quality of the light is prodigious. Flora has its own softbox for use with this unit but I prefer an oversized umbrella for the extremely soft light that is produced by having a large light source relatively close to your subject. I can bounce or shoot through the umbrella. It is great for still and video and a lot less expensive that strobes which are only good for still. Although this unit is built of plastic, it is a nylon and appears to be very durable. It is evident that a lot of thought and engineering went into the design of the Flora.I would have given it 5 stars but for the plastic light stand mount. Definitely better than the failure prone plastic mounts on the Flashpoint (Adorama house brand) lighting equipment but good plastic, never the less. I am a retired pro shooter working odd freelance jobs now so I cant afford and no longer need equipment meant to take a constant abuse.A previous reviewer commented on the handle cushion coming off. That problem seems to be cured.Aside from that, I find that the light bulbs do not screw in a smoothly as I would like but that may be due to the bulbs. I do not know.Caution, the Flora unit with six bulbs is a very large contraption, especial the way I use it with a 60" umbrella. Also, the 85w CFLs bulbs that I prefer are huge. I take this unit on location with the six bare bulbs in a large Pelican case. You cannot transport the Flora with bulbs installed because it is just too big and too fragile with the bulbs installed. The Pelican case beats carrying the bulbs individually in the styrofoam boxes, but a little additional time on location must be allowed to screw in the six bulbs. As for the Flora itself, it appears robust enough to just toss in a bag with sound blankets, cables and gaffers tape.The heat generated from the high wattage CFLs was not a problem after an hour of use. It appears that the unit was designed to take a lot more heat.The first time I used the Flora on location, one of my bulbs was dead (no fault of the Flora) but I was able to get plenty of light with the remaining 5 bulbs. I think I could have shot just as well with 2 bulbs out. The fail safe nature of depending on six bulbs instead of one is an asset, I feel.In summary, I highly recommend the Flora as an innovative, practical and cost effective method of lighting in studio and on location. I will probably purchase another one as a spare since it is so reasonably priced.

I love it. I really do. It's sturdy, fire proof, heavy duty. It holds up very well. I love how you can put up to 6 bulbs here. So you can have alot of power if needed.However, as time went on.. (I've had this for few months now) I felt unsatisfied because Lack of Power Control. Down below I'll be telling you how this light bank works.There's two buttons. Each button controls 3 lights. So you can turn on only one button, and it will give you the power of 3 lights. Turn on the second button and it will give you 6 lights.... That's all the control you have of the power...And yes I know I know, if you know you won't need that much power, you don't have to put in 6 bulbs. You can put 4 bulbs, so 3 for one button and 1 for the other button. But this is not very easily manageable if you are in the middle of a photoshoot....But over all, I think the qualify is excellent.

One of the inserts fell out after a few uses..

I use this with Linco's easy softbox to create UV lighting indoors for wet plate work. It's not daylight, but it's pretty darn close and in a nice compact and affordable solution. I've purchased a few of these now and will likely purchase a few more.

I like these a lot! Now that that's out of the way, I wish the clamp was stronger, they will start to dip if it's not tight.

Not powerful enough to light anything.

Bigger than I thought but it produces wonderful light.

The bulbs are too close to each other. Had a hard time fully loading them.