No more excuses not to learn flash – the budget lighting gear I still use as a pro is steeply discounted right now

I’m a professional portrait and wedding photographer – yet I have never been able to bring myself to drop thousands of dollars on lighting gear. That’s why the flashes and strobe in my kit are all from Flashpoint. They work great, but I’m not devastated if my light stand tips and cracks my flash. But if I didn’t already own several Flashpoint flashes and a strobe, I would be adding these Black Friday photography deals to my cart.

Flashpoint is an Adorama-exclusive brand. While some off-brands and store brands can be cheaply made, several of Flashpoint’s offerings are re-branded Godox gear. While I’ve damaged some of my flashes by dropping them, I’ve always been impressed at how long my Flashpoint flashes seem to last for the price point.

If I was starting a lighting kit from scratch, I’d seriously consider the steep discounts on Flashpoint gear as part of Adorama’s Black Friday sale, including my favorite cheap camera flash, a high-powered strobe, and even a light stand.

Flashpoint Zoom Li-on X R2 TTL Round Flash: was $259 now $149 at Adorama US

This is the round version of the flash that I own two of. The Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion X R2 is easy to use, yet powerful enough to light a variety of scenes. Before you add it to the cart, click on your camera brand under Product Options so you get the variation that works with your camera body.

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The Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion is a re-brand of the Godox V1.

While I love my flashes for both on-camera and off, they can't overpower the sun. For that, I added the Flaspoint Xplor 600 R2 to my kit. It's a powerful 600 ws light that's compatible with a wide variety of Bowens mount modifiers. It's a steep $200 off right now as part of Adorama's Black Friday deals.

Flashpoint Xplor 600 R2 Manual HSS: was $549 now $349 at Adorama US

While hot shoe flashes are great, if you want a light that can overpower the sun for even more creative effects, you'll need a strobe. This budget strobe is one that I use personally and I find it plenty sufficient for both indoor and outdoor portraits. The non-TTL is the better deal if you know how to use manual flash settings, but the TTL version is discounted too.

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Learning artificial lighting was a serious game-changer for my photography – and a big part of that was taking the flash off-camera. For that, you'll need a flash trigger and a light stand. And yes, those are discounted for Black Friday too.

The flash trigger that I use isn't discounted for Black Friday, but there's a newer version (which my colleague Gareth gave a full five-star rating in his review) that's $30 off right now.

Flashpoint R2 Nano Wireless TTL Flash Trigger: was $89.99 now $59.99 at Adorama US

The R2 Nano is a reliable, compact flash trigger that works with Flashpoint flashes as well as strobes. It's a must for off-camera flash work. Before you add it to your cart, scroll to under Product Options and select your camera brand for seamless compatibility with your existing gear.

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Of course, if you take your flash off-camera, you'll need something to hold it up. My own flash stand is a different brand, but this Flashpoint one sits at a great price for Black Friday.

Flashpoint Air-Cushion Heavy-Duty AutoStand Pro: was $99.95 now $59.95 at Adorama US

I will never again buy a flash stand that doesn't have auto-deploy legs. This AutoStand automatically folds up and releases the three legs as you move it around.

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If you're building a new lighting kit, you'll also want to explore our guide to the best flashes, the best softboxes, and the best lighting modifiers.