Fomex strobe flashes - worth every penny to me.

When couple of months ago I decided to sell my small and simple strobes (monolights) and acquire new, a bit stronger ones, I promised some fellow photographers to share comments about the new ones I will get. Now, after several shooting sessions I think I can fulfill my promise.

As most times, I didn't have a big budget for it, and had to look around trying to find combination of a good value with fine quality, which can be a tricky task. I often order less known brands, risking disappointment, and sometimes I lose. But I am happy to say that I enjoy quite a few pieces of such photo gear which proved to be an excellent value and also very reliable. I think my new strobes will be added to that more fortunate category.

I did not look for very fancy strobes - but a stabilized light, quick recharge time, and a strongly made unit with cooling and good modeling light were what I was searching for.

After looking at several brands I felt a bit disappointed. Known brand names offered very little for a budget shopper, with their cheaper units being rather unimpressive to me (yes, including the Bee).
More affordable “no brand name” strobes on the other hand looked cheaply made, or did not have features I needed.
There was one Chinese unit offered on Ebay and on alibaba.com, called Menik. A Chinese made, but looking more durable and smart – it has an impressive 5 years' warranty and optional remote control, all with a really low price tag. It could be quite decent for the amazingly low price.

Still, I decided to dig more and I contacted a dealer of photo equipment from Korea I knew from before.
She highly recommended strobes made by Fomex, a small branch of the Korean giant Hyundai.
http://www.fomex.com/
I contacted Fomex directly for all specs, and they looked impressive. That Korean dealer I know http://stores.ebay.com/Mad-for-Camera?_trksid=p4340.l2563 offered me decent 3 year warranty and a good direct deal, therefore I placed my order for Fomex 200W and Fomex 400W strobes.

After a week I received my express shipment, all arrived intact and well.
I was instantly impressed with the quality of my new strobes. Made of fine aluminum and covered with some unknown to me fine finishing, with all-metal parts, Bowens mount and a very clever umbrella holder, they look and feel like the best Japanese equipment. Surely it is very durable, with very well made switches, a rather quiet cooling fan and really fantastic mount. Yes, the mount is really handy, allowing for quick and precise angle adjustments with a single hand. Switchable beeper and a tiny but strong 250W modeling light make it a really nice package to me.

I used them in several different setups, and both of them work like charm. Their super fast recharge is really impressive. The flash is so strong that in a very large room, using a large soft box I set it for about 1/8 to 1/16 power and still can easily work with ISO200. And, with such power setting, recycling takes just a split of second, so in fact I can have my camera take bursts of shots, all properly lit.

The precise power knob allows for 6 full stops of power range.

This strobe is so well made that if it would be one of top brand names, it would cost close to $1000 each, I would say. Yet, being rather new on the market, Fomex priced their strobe flashes really reasonably – making it a perfect deal. I was also told Fomex is looking for an agent/dealer in Canada – if anyone involved in photography is interested...
Ah, one more thing – I also ordered a special carrying bag for two strobes, very handy and protects them well!

I am happy to really recommend this line, and paste below specs for several models (model number indicates power of flash) I found in Fomex brochure.
Until next time! If you find my comments helpful, please click "Share".

Model	D200	D400	D600	D800	D1000	D1200
AC Voltage	100 - 120V , 50/60Hz
	190 - 250V , 50/60Hz
Flash power	200Ws	400Ws	600Ws	800Ws	1000Ws	1200Ws
Tube Replacement	Detachable (Easy to replace)
Color Temp.	5,500k(±150k)
Power Control Range	F2.88 - F227 (6f-stops)	F4.09 - F451 (6f-stops)	F5.66 - F456 (6f-stops)	F5.69 - F640 (6f-stops)	F8.01 - F642 (6f-stops)	F8.06 - F647 (6f-stops)
Power Control Knob	Volume Controller (VR)
Recycle Time	0.1-0.7sec	0.1-1.0sec	0.2-1.3sec	0.2-1.3sec	0.3-1.7sec	0.3-2.0sec
Model Lamp Type	Halogen 250W (E11 base, screw typed)
Model Lamp Control	Volume Controller (VR)
Ready Charge	Sound On : Buzzer and LED On / Sound Off : Model Lamp Blinks
Over Temperature Warning	O.T(Red LED) Blinking, Warning Buzzer
Syncro. Voltage	DC 8V
Flash Trigger	Infrared Photo Cell, Synchro Cord, TEST Button
Sound	ON/OFF
Slave (Infrared Sensor)	ON/OFF
Cooling Fan	DC Cooling Fan (Ball Bearing Type)
Size (W x L x H)	190x140x170 mm 7.5x5.5x6.7 inch	235mmx140x170 mm 9.2x5.5x6.7 inch		350x140x170 mm 13.8x5.5x6.7 inch
Weight	2.35kg / 5.2lbs	2.5kg / 5.5lbs	2.7kg / 5.9lbs	3.5kg / 7.7lbs	3.4kg / 7.5lbs	3.9kg / 8.6lbs