I just received the FX200Ri few weeks ago and I have to say I am very happy with this mono light. The unit sells for $335.
To better understand this light think of it as D-lite 2 components installed in a BXRI body. You get the D-lite performance plus the BXRI features including built in Skyport and strong stand adapter. The unit is only available in India as far as I know and I bought it from a forum member by the ID Godfather.
The reason for going with this unit over the D-lite is that for slightly more money one can avoid the D-lite body design flaws including stand adapter creep. Also, one saves the cost of buying a Skyport receiver for the unit. As for buying the FX200RI over the BX250RI model, saving well over $150 is substantial. The only thing you lose is the extra 1/3 stop of light and the faster duration (1/1200 vs 1/2762). For many this is not an issue.
Performance
Paired with my three RX units the FX200RI performed flawlessly; never skipping a beat. Considering the RX is supposed to be faster in recycling I found those results surprisingly pleasant. Maybe I wasn’t pushing the lights enough, but I know in the 500+ pictures I took in my test trail twice a light skipped and it wasn’t the FX, rather it was one of the RX600s.
Exposure and color temperature consistency were comparable to the RX lights. The one thing I didn’t like is the flash tube which was tinted warm; I could tell just by looking at. Comparing the output from the RX300 and FX200 confirmed that the FX was warmer by at least a couple hundred Kelvin degrees. This is usually not desirable but I put the difference to my advantage by using the FX200 exclusively as a hair light. Warmer hair looks very natural and pleasant.
left FX right RX
The 5 stop range wasn’t a problem either as hair lights are usually dialed over the key (unless shooting blonds, but of course there aren’t many of them in this part of the world). When I shoot with hard light I use a 1 stop ND gel which brings down the exposure to the level of the RX300 and cools the light slightly.
Build Quality
The build quality is typical Elinchrom: cheap feel. In fact the FX body feels cheaper than the RX, but also on a positive note much lighter. I estimate this unit to be 1/3 lighter than the RX600. So if an RX was 6Lbs the FX is 4Lbs, which explains why I have been able to effortlessly hoist my FX as I please using a simple extension arm and grip head.
The back panel and buttons also feels cheaper than the RX but the buttons have a more positive feedback. If for example I am holding a flash meter with one hand and trying to fire the flash with the other hand from the back panel, I can sense the buttons much easier and press them with less intensity.
The handle is also not as well made as in the RX line. It’s clipped in so there are no screws holding anything together. That might be fine for carrying the lighter FX, but I would be hesitant to carry the FX equipped with a heavy modifier like I do with the RX.
The most important thing is the stand adapter performance, which I can confirm to be satisfactory. I equipped my FX with many modifiers including the heaviest of which, the Speedotron Beauty Dish with grid. The FX never nudged a hair throughout my tests and I never got the feeling that I was overloading the light. This might have more to do with the internal design of the light over the stand adapter itself.
Since my light came with a loose sound coming from the inside I decided to open the case. Also, and more importantly, I could not see the fan by the ventilation fins and never heard it come on. So I took my FX apart. Aside from finding the fan bouncing inside the light out of its place (I fixed that) I found that the only metal piece inside the light was a ring that everything else attaches to.
So the plastic mount ring attaches to it from the front. The stand adapter attaches to it from the bottom and the light chassis attaches to it from the back. That metal piece is providing support for all the heavy weight of the modifier. My guess is that the D-light has no such metal ring and that the RX has more metal pieces in its construction which accounts for the extra weight.
All in all I think Elinchrom has a winning product on their hands as it performs satisfactorily and is priced competitively. In fact, at the three hundred price range with a built in radio signal trigger including channels and groups selection, I think it competes very well with the king of value Alien Bee. I also think this product is proof that when faced with competition (which is the case in India where many local companies offer decent entry monolights for next to nothing) Elinchrom will have to provide better value to its customers. They certainly can’t overcharge in a very price sensitive market like India. But as things stand in the US and most of the world they have the middle field all open for them for now.
The FX200RI power rating is 170-240V 50Hz. I asked a technician about the 50Hz rating vs the local 60hz power rating and the problems it may cause. After looking at the internals he informed me that the unit has an auto power detection system. Perhaps with some expertise it can be made to accommodate a wider voltage range like the one fond on the BXRI units 110-240V?
