I got my hands on the Flashpoint Streak Light 180 about 3 months ago and have since used it on many occasions. The Streak Light 180 is like having a speedlight on steroids but at a much lower price than most name brand flashes. The Canon 580EX II costs around $700, while the Streak Light 180 is only around $475 with the blast power pack included.
My “Likes”
- Compact and light. (1.50lbs.)
- The flash bulb is housed in a very nice reflector unit, which includes 2 removable diffusion panels.
- Excellent battery life when used with the optional blast battery pack. (I’ve been able to use the Streak Light on some photo shoots for more than 3 hours and the charge still showed as being full.)
- Has the option of turning on/off a beep when finished recycling.
- The 180ws version I used had a very powerful and consistent burst of flash.
- Changing the flash power can easily be changed from 1/128 to Full, using a dial on the LCD. Turn it right to increase by 1/3 increments or turn it left to decrease by 1/3 increments.
- The LCD has a bluish color to it and is very easy to read.
- Has three modes, including Manual, Slave Normal, Slave Filtered, and Multi/Stroboscopic with calculator. (I’ve only used this in Manual mode.)
- It feels like it has a very good build quality to it. I didn’t drop it though to truly test its durability. But it has survived being packed and unpacked and tossed around in my car without any issues.
- Has high speed sync.
- Unlike most speedlights, which will overheat and melt with continuous full-power flashes, this unit has built-in overheat protection circuitry. This will shut the unit down before it has a chance to damage any components.
- Has many additional add-on lighting modifiers that can be purchased.
My “Dislikes”
- Does not have TTL. (I realize that this unit is to primarily be used in a studio setting, where most photographers prefer to shoot in manual mode. But I often found myself using it for outdoor shooting, where my subject to flash distances were constantly changing. Having TTL would have saved me a considerable amount of time.)
- It doesn’t have an opening/hole for mounting an umbrella. Instead, you need to attach the Streak Light to your own umbrella mount.
Overall I think the Flashpoint Streak Light 180 is a great unit and highly recommend it if you’re looking for something compact, more powerful than a speedlight and produces a softer light. However, if you primarily shoot in situations where your subject to flash distance is constantly changing and you don’t have time to continuously change your settings, you’re better off using a flash that’s capable of TTL.
Geeking Out Technical Specifications:
- Strobe Output 180 watt seconds
- Guide Number 60m/196ft for ISO 100
- Power Supply External Lithium Battery and compatibles*
- Recycle Time 0.05 – 2.6 seconds
- Flash Duration 1/300 – 1/10,000 sec
- Recycle Indication Ready Light and Switchable Audio Light
- Light Coverage Approximately 65 Degrees / 28mm coverage on 35mm full frame format
- Vertical Angle -15 to 90 degrees
- Horizontal Rotation 0 to 270 degrees
- Slave Eye Sensitivity Greater than 33 feet / 160 degree radius
- Color Temperature 5600K +/-200K
- Housing Size 8 X 3.55 X 2.75 in
- Body Weight 19.4 oz /1.50 lbs
Final shot of image taken using the Flashpoint Streaklight 180. This image was taken when the sun was almost directly overhead, yet the power of the flash was able to overpower it.
Behind-the-scenes view of the Flashpoint Streaklight 180 in use.
