Lighting


Hands-On With Bowens’ New Gen-X XMS 750 Flash

March 30, 2017

By Theano Nikitas

Built tough, the new Gen-X flash from Bowens offers speedy recycle times.

You don’t have to be in the post-baby boomer generation to get excited about Bowens’ new, speedy Generation X flashes. In addition to the new 500Ws XMT battery-powered flash, Bowens also released a trio of dual-voltage powered XMS models available in 500Ws, 750Ws (which we’ve reviewed here) and 1000Ws options. Distributed in the U.S. by Manfrotto, the XMS flashes are reasonably priced at $1,100, $1,300 and $1,500, respectively. For $1,800, you can pick up the battery-powered 500Ws XMT model if portability is worth the extra dollars.

And speaking of budgeting, you may want to check out the optional, $290 XMSR remote trigger. Powered by two AAA batteries, the XMSR communicates with the unit’s built-in radio trigger and remote to control all functions from a distance of up to about 100 feet. The 16-channel, 8-group XMSR was not available for this review, so I used PocketWizard Plus IIs and the monolight’s 3.5mm jack to trigger the Nikon D5 and D500 during testing.

DESIGN

The XMS 750 is large, measuring 7.56 inches high, 19.09 inches long and 5.36 inches wide. It’s hefty at about 9 pounds, but that speaks, in part, to the light’s solid build quality. The only slightly loose part was the removable reflector that’s easily released to access the S-mount. A heavy rubber cap protects the front of the unit.

Overall, the design is well thought- out with a number of useful features. An integrated handle provides a solid grip, and a lever on the side is very convenient for adjusting the angle of the unit on a light stand. Pull the lever out from its locked position flush to the body and you can quickly and easily tilt the flash to whatever angle you need. Push the lever back toward the body and the light is solidly locked in place.

A hidden stand mount nests into the bottom of the light and streamlines its body for storage and transport. The same lever that adjusts the angle of the flash is also used to release the stand mount. Unfortunately, the mount mechanism was frozen in this review unit and it took quite a bit of force to move it into its upright position. Even if it had moved easily, it’s a little difficult to get a grip on the tubular mount. But once the stand mount was released, it mounted easily on a C-stand. Given the size and weight of the XMS 750, be sure you have a sturdy support.

I especially like the small umbrella mount on the side of the flash. All you have to do is slip the rod into the mount, tighten the screw and you’re good to go.

The rear of the unit features a dial, LED, a half-dozen buttons and a photocell (which can be used to trigger the unit with another flash) for operation. The buttons and LED are lit in hot pink—an odd color choice, I think, but it’s highly visible.

A quick start guide is included with the flash, but I recommend downloading the user guide from the Bowens site to get the full scoop in an easier-to-read format. And, because not all the buttons light up unless they’re in use, you’ll need to memorize which buttons control which functions, along with the actual functionality of each. For example, you’ll need to understand how to access the different options for the modeling light, which includes holding the Lamp button until a specific indicator is lit. It’s not difficult, per se, but there’s still something of a learning curve to take full advantage of the light. More importantly, the flash has numerous warning codes that you’ll have to familiarize yourself with, like “NR” (not ready) and “OH” (over heating).

Performance

The XMS 750 is fast in both flash duration and recycle times. The former ranges from 1/4800th of a second to 1/2770 (1/8000 high speed sync is also available); the latter ranges from 0.2 (min) to 1.3 (max) seconds. The XMS 750 is adjustable over eight stops in 1/10th and full-stop increments. When set to its minimum 1/128 power setting, recycling was immediate and it seemed like the flash recycled faster than I could trigger the shutter. At full power, recycling was—as expected—much slower, pretty closely matching the 1.3 seconds estimated in the specifications.

This daylight (5600K) flash remained fairly consistent during a session, although the modeling light looked a bit warm. The fan comes on quickly to ensure that the unit doesn’t heat up and is quite effective.

What We Liked

The unit is well built, especially for this price point. Design features such as the foldaway stand mount, umbrella mount and convenient angle adjust lever are welcome. Speedy recycling is always a plus and the XMS 750 delivers exceptional recycling speeds at lower power settings.

Built-in safety (overheating) features and what seems to be a powerful fan will help prevent any damage to the unit. The XMS 750 has a nice selection of features—from modeling lamp options to different sync possibilities. And the LED and control buttons (when in use) are easily visible.

What We Didn’t Like

The stiffness, at least in our review unit, of the stand mount and the difficulty of repositioning it was an anomaly, but it may still be difficult to reach into the tight space to extract it from its hiding place.

Perhaps the biggest issue I had with the XMS 750 was the loose power and 3.5mm sync connections. On several occasions, the flash lost power and it was difficult to get the cord to stay in place; same with the loose PocketWizard connection, even though neither fell off of the flash.

Also, it would be nice to have more than eight stops of output control to work with.

How It Compares

Even with the onslaught (and importance) of LED lighting, studio strobes are still in high demand and there are plenty of affordable—and not so affordable—options out there. Like the XMS 750, the Profoto D2 1000 features high speed sync up to 1/8000th of a second, but also offers speeds of up to 1/63,000 and can shoot bursts of as many as 20 images per second. The Profoto D2 500 and the D2 1000 feature 10 stops for better fine-tuning of output. They’re more expensive but also smaller and lighter.

Bottom Line

While the XMS 750 doesn’t offer the burst mode of the D2 (at least none that I could find) or TTL, it’s a good mid-range choice for studio shooters who want power and speed, as well as some excellent design features, for a reasonable price. Overall, we think that Bowens has brought a highly competitive, highly capable series of flashes to market that will easily find their way into pro studios. We liked it so much that we’re sorry we have to send it back.

Theano Nikitas has been covering photography for over 20 years. Although she loves digital, she still has a darkroom and a fridge filled with film.