Equipment Question

[Digital]

I own a GODOX remote triggering system for my two speedlights. It seems to work flawlessly.
My question is how you would rate other GODOX equipment for reliability.
B&H seems to offer a lot of GODOX products


Bruce

[rpcrowe]

I have quite a few Godox products and they have all worked great for me. However, I have heard some scary stories about the lack of support for Godox products from the home company. I always purchase my Godox products from Adorama under their brand name of Flashpoint. B&H markets these units under their Wistro brand. Adorama as well as B&H has a reputation of standing behind its products but, I have never been in a position to test that service since none of my Godox/Flashpoint units have failed me.

I use Joe Demb Flash Diffuser Pro reflector/diffusers with all of my Flashpoint/Godox units, except I usually use a softbox with my Streaklight Godox AD360II...

I like the interface of Godox/Flashpoint products. They all work seamlessly with each other. I also like the low prices of the accessory modifiers.

Adorama has packaged Zoom Mini flashes with some Sony lenses. These packages were free of charge so, I now have three of these flashes (one that I originally purchased and two that I received as bonus packages). The three lights make a great travel kit because of their small size and flexibility. I will always carry at least one of my Mini Flashpoint/Godox units wherever I go.

I also have a large Flashpoint Streaklight (Godox AD-360) which I absolutely love.

I have one Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion R2 TTL On-Camera Flash Speedlight which I use for photographing dogs. I love the almost instantaneous recharging of this Lithium unit.

[Manfred M]

I've had very good experience with Godox; I have two bare bulb flashes (that I've owned for 7 years) as well as a recently acquired speedlight. I have not had any issues with these products and in fact I know a number of different people who have been quite happy with their gear.

As Richard has mentioned, warranty and other repairs are handled out of China, so that is a downside. I look at my Godox gear as throw away equipment, if it fails, it goes in the trash. Part of this is just reality, a flash unit that is 7 years old is probably not worth repairing anyway as the parts are probably not going to be available anyways.

[rpcrowe]

I mentioned that I like the Adorama Flashpoint Streakpoint (Godox AD-360). This is a two piece unit with the battery pack separate from the flash head. Some photographers prefer the single piece Flashpoint eVOLV 200 (Godox AD-200 Pro) which is also a great unit. Some of my club members own these units but, I tend to prefer the two piece unit since, I can separate the battery pack from the flash head. Attaching the battery pack to the bottom of a light stand stabilizes the combination and makes it less problematic in a windy condition.

I don't know if this is possible with the AD-200 but, I can get a basic exposure using TTL with the AD-360 and then convert that to manual exposure. It is pretty handy.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Bruce, I'm another happy Godox (UK) user, I power mine with Eneloop Pro AA rechargeables and get good battery life from them for my non-professional needs.

These are the hotshoe* TT600/TT685, I have 2 of each, plus X1N (Nikon) triggers, purchased in 2016-17 and still working when last used in late 2021.
* almost always used on lighting stands into umbrellas or softbox - for which occasionally I hanker after a bit more power, but due to lack of use, couldn't justify the spend on AD200/360.

Cheers, Dave

[rpcrowe]

I have just done some experimental testing with my Adorama Zoom LI-ON R2 TTL flash. I used my Sony A6600 camera and shot in manual using 1/100 second @ f/5.6 bouncing the flash (no modifier this time) at the distances at which I usually shoot dog portraits: around 10-12 feet. I had my camera in burst mode (low speed) and shot off 5 shots in a burst. I actually would not shoot a burst like this when doing dog portraits but, the flash recycle kept up with the burst and all images were exposed the same. This indicates that I could shoot single frames as fast as I wanted to press the shutter and the recycle would keep up with my shooting. As a further test, I shot 15-frames as fast as I could press the shutter and the recycle kept up so that all the frames were exposed perfectly.
BTW: The Adorama warranty for the their branded Godox flash is one year. If you wanted to extend that warranty, it would cost $12.99 USD for an additional year, $19.99 USD for an additional 2 years and $29.99 for an additional 3 years. The price of the flash was $179.00 USD when I purchased it a couple of years ago. I did not buy the extra warranty but, have not needed any repairs.
NOTE: Adorama now carries the Zoom Li-On III R2 TTL flash for Sony which has a lot of neat innovations including:
Adjustable modeling light
Easy thumb switch for manual/TTL modes
Optimal battery performance
Quick release lock - that would be my favorite!
The price is $189 USD but, will go up to $229 USD tomorrow. I won't replace my present unit but, I would love the new model.