Portrait lighting

[lee.cook]

Hello,

I am wanting to buy a small light kit for portrait pictures on a clear white backdrop.

I seen a really cheap light kit on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Umbrella-Photo-Lighting-System-with-Carrying-Backpack_W0QQitemZ140121144223QQihZ004QQcategoryZ3 860QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
..but they are only 85watt and I heared someone say below 300watt is pointless..

I have around £250 which is roughly $500, so can anybody recommend me a good light setup, I know you can get a kits with reflectors and a reflector is essential obviously..

Or I was just thinking off buying a 5-in-1 collapsible reflector and try and make some use out of that..

Need some opinions as usual..thanks

[swartzphotography]

two things to consider lee. number one the actual lights that come with this setup you mentioned are not strobes there flourecent bulbs at 85 watt power. probably a very low powered setup. however the stands and the umbellas are nice you could simply replace the low powered flouresents with two slave flashes cost is roughly 40 to 50 bucks each then just change em out and use your hotshoe flash as a main and also bounce it out of an umbrella. if you have money to really burn i would recomend an alien bee set up. most photogs on here seem to like them and there not to terribly expensive. only prob with them is they are fragile and cant take a lot of rugged use.