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Bowens really is back – and they’re made by Godox

Feb 20, 2019 by Jake Hicks 4 Comments
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For those of you that are unaware, a couple of weeks ago, U.K. online photography retailer WEX photographic, quietly announced that Bowens was coming back. And to many, myself included, this was a huge surprise.

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Bowens is back from the dead, and they’ve brought a 500Ws Lithium Ion powered TTL strobe with them

Jan 31, 2019 by John Aldred 6 Comments
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When we first heard that Bowens was going into liquidation, and then the official announcement that came a few days later, it was the end of an era. After 94 years in business, one of the oldest flash manufacturers out there was closing for good. Or were they? At the time, it seemed so. But now, it looks like no, they’re back.

Bowens was bought out by the AURELIUS investment company along with Calumet back in 2016. AURELIUS also owns WEX Photo Video, who has now pretty much entirely consumed Calumet in the UK. And the Bowens name now looks set to be the WEX “own brand” lighting system. Today they’ve announced that Bowens is back, and they’re kicking off the relaunch with the XMT500 strobe.

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Deal Alert: save $2,200 on Bowens Battery-Powered flash kit

Feb 25, 2018 by Udi Tirosh 2 Comments
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If you are looking to make your first steps in the “big strobes” world, this is a deal you don’t want to miss. B&H are now selling a Bowens XMT500 2-Light Battery-Powered Flash Kit at $1,599.00  instead of the usual $3,799.oo. This is a $2,200 savings.

The kit includes 2 500WS Flash Heads, 2 Reflectors, 2 Batteries, 2 Light Stands and a charger and a backpack. Really everything you need to start.

If you opt for AC instead of a battery, you’d pay $1,199.88 and also get an umbrella, a softbox, and a radio controller.

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UK Photography retail giant Calumet swallowed up by Wex Photographic

Sep 25, 2017 by John Aldred 2 Comments
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The whole epic Aurelius/Bowens/Calumet saga now seems to be drawing to a conclusion. And what a journey it’s been. Calumet USA goes bankrupt, Calumet UK and Bowens are bought out by Aurelius. Recently, Bowens winds down and is sent into liquidation. Now it seems the Calumet is going to disappear, too. At least in name.

Calumet just sent out an email blast to all of their customers to let them know that from tomorrow, things are changing. Calumet and Wex are merging into one giant retailer. Sometime later this week, the Calumet Photo website will be closing down, and moved to the Wex website. Presumably Calumet’s 8 stores around the UK will also be rebranded to match.

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It’s official – Bowens is dead after 94 years

Jul 20, 2017 by Dunja Djudjic 3 Comments
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As we reported a few days ago, it seems that Bowens has gone into liquidation. And now they’ve confirmed – after 94 years in the business, Bowens is officially out. They didn’t seem to be able to withstand the competition and the changes in the market.

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Another photography giant fatality – Bowens International going into liquidation

Jul 14, 2017 by John Aldred 34 Comments
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Just over one year ago, Bowens along with Calumet were snapped up by investment company Aurelius. At that time, their press release waxed lyrical about the future of Calumet, but barely a mention for the Bowens brand.

An inside source has told DIYP that Bowens has now gone into liquidation. We’ve also had this confirmed by two other independent sources. Although we’ve yet to receive official confirmation from Bowens themselves, we believe the information to be quite solid. We’ll be following the situation closely as information comes in and updating this post as necessary.

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Here are 6 Photography companies who are in the UK

Jun 26, 2016 by Udi Tirosh 16 Comments
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The ballot is done and U.K. are leaving the EU. Yea Brexit is full on.

I am not really sure what will happen to our friends in the E.U and our friends in the U.K. but I think that photography gear from U.K. companies will have to be affected.  I am not sure it the price will go up or down, or if stock will be easier or harder to come by, but changes are coming for sure. Here is a list of 7 U.K. based gear companies. Use at your own discretion.

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Bowens Lighting and Calumet Photographic acquired by AURELIUS, bad news for Bowens?

Jun 7, 2016 by John Aldred 3 Comments
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After Calumet’s closure of US based retail stores and filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2014, it was pretty clear they were in trouble.  With Bowens, this news comes as something of a surprise, however pulling out of The Photography Show at the last minute was a big clue that something was up.

Now, both companies are reported to have been acquired by investment company AURELIUS.

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This portable LED puts out as much light as a 1.5K tungsten with a Bowens mount strobe sized form factor

Jun 6, 2016 by John Aldred 5 Comments
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LED lighting has come a very long way in just a few short years, and Aputure wants to take on the sun with their new COB 120t LED light.

The 120t certainly isn’t the first LED powered light to offer the benefit of a Bowens S-Type mount, but it does have a couple of neat features.  The biggest of those, being that you don’t need to have it plugged into the wall.

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Bowens Pulls Out Of The Biggest Show In The UK. Could Indicate Trouble For The Lighting Company

Feb 19, 2016 by Udi Tirosh 5 Comments
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Living next to Europe means I get to visit the UK Photography show* every march. This is the biggest photoshow in the UK and you can think about it as a Photokina prequel.

Bowens were supposed to have a MASSIVE booth on that show. (A huge booth, a show stage for them and a lounge – a few thousands of square feet). A verified source just informed DIYP that Bowens is pulling out out of the show. More details, and some analysis ahead.

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Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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