Bowens is Back from the Dead with the XMT500 Flash Head

Bowens is back. After being acquired by the European investment group AURELIUS in 2016 and shuttered in 2017, the lighting equipment brand just returned from the grave along with its XMT500 flash head.

When it decided to shut down Bowens two years ago, AURELIUS cited the rise of cheaper lighting equipment out of China as one of the primary reasons. While companies like Godox have continued to grow and develop innovative new products, AURELIUS seems to have had a change of heart.

The resurrection of Bowens was announced by Wex Photo Video, the camera store that AURELIUS owns (along with Calumet).

“We are pleased to announce the Wex Photo Video exclusive relaunch of Bowens, beginning with the XMT500 Flash Head and Twin Head Kit,” Wex writes. “This is complemented by a wide range of light shaping tools, a two-year warranty and special limited-period launch offers.”

The XMT500, a battery-powered 500Ws monolight, was first announced back in 2016. Features and specs include Canon/Nikon/Sony TTL, a built-in receiver with 32 channels and 5 groups, 500 full power flashes on its charged Li-ion battery, a 0.01-2.0 second recycle time, a 9-stop power variability, an LED modeling lamp, flash durations as short as 1/10,309, fan cooling, and HSS up to 1/8000s.

Wex is now selling the XMT500 by itself for £699 (~$917) and in a twin head kit for £1,399 (~$1,835) in the UK. B&H in the US is selling the flash head by itself for $700.

It appears that this is more than an effort to sell remaining stockpiles of flash heads, as Wex is saying that the XMT500 is only “the first product announced” as part of its exclusive relaunch of the Bowens brand.

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