One thing I skipped over in the script: HSS performance is better on the V1 Pro - less banding, and can usually be used with electronic first curtain enabled without issue, unlike on the V1 (and most other flashes).
I didn’t realize the 7cii had no mechanical first curtain. That is indeed problematic with HSS unless you have a super fast sensor (which the cii doesn’t).
@@GAGPalia oof also didn't know that. never took much of a look at it myself, so I was unaware. (as I tend to write off any camera without 2 card slots, being a wedding and commercial photographer I just can't imagine taking that chance! - I've had three card failures in my career and thankfully always had another copy)
1:40 so many people seem to not understand this! We're all using bodies with insane ISO performance, this isn't a studio flash, for events if you're at ISO 1600 or even 3200 the V1 will never overheat pretty much
Yeah drives me crazy. People having thermal throttling issues and panicking and googling and searching and asking for advice… just raise your iso 2/3 of a stop and it’s fixed 🥴
Trouble is post processing. If you decrease iso in mixed light condition, you can overlap ambient light by flash. As result you can prepare big batch of photos more quikly. Also sometimes mixed light from flash and warm ambient light can look ugly.
The tint difference at 1:16 between main and sub is rather shocking and the vignette is too. (this all pertains to the "Pro" model.) Q1 - the vignette is from the flash, not the lens? Q2 - at what WB/tint had the camera been set? Auto? Flash? Cloudy? Q3 - what lens/focal length/aperture were used in these two shots? Q4 - what flash angle expressed in full frame focal length was set in the main flash head? Q5 - was the flash power of the main head lowered in order to get to the illuminance of the sub-flash? If yes, did you test CTC (colour temperature consistency) between the flash levels of the main head? N1 - in the "main" shot there is a darker spot ... could be dust on the sensor. Q - question N - note
1 the vignette is from the flashes, but not an issue. I purposefully shot at a wider angle than the flashes just so you can see the shape of the light. It’s at 16mm f/3.5 2 daylight balance 4 28mm 5 at full output, the sub flash is about as bright as 1/16 power on the main head (I go into a lot more detail on all this in my main v1 pro review). 5.5 i did yes (also in that review). The colour consistency is almost identical to the main flash, which oddly enough I found to be ever so slightly worse than on the original V1. Standard deviation for both was around 37K. For the V1 it was 33.8K It is dust yes
I have been reading that photographers who are dedicated to macro photography, the new Godox v1 pro is cool, I have been thinking about changing flash for months and this v1 pro will be my future purchase, excellent video, greetings from Cancun.
I have 3 V1 flashes. I’ve only experienced one time where one overheated and the recycle time was too slow to for my need. Now that I know this I’ll simply shoot a bit slower, and can always switch units when I need to. I’m not spending $330.00 plus tax on new V1pro flashes when I can easily get by with my 3 V1’s.
Thank you for sharing. I am new in photography and I think would go with the V1. I am not a professional, but in the future, maybe go for the V1 Pro. I would use it for may personal photos, travel, family, etc. What do you think?
I'll wait for the V1 Pro go on sale hopefully during Black Friday. I got my V1 for $190. I use it typically at 1/16-1/4 as a rim light when I don't have room. Otherwise my AD300 Pros will fit almost anywhere a v1 would since you need an S2 anyways. $350 is hard to justify for a speedlight. Spare batteries for both V1 and the AD300 pro is cheaper than the price difference between a V1 on sale and V1 pro.
The kind of review I'd expect from a former EE! One thing you didn't mention, Wes: Have you noticed a color temp difference between the V1 and V1 Pro? This has been mentioned in other reviews and your teardown of the V1 and V1 Pro filter stacks does show an additional correction filter on the Pro. That filter looks much like the one on current model AD100s to correct the a green color cast.
It is indeed a little more neutral in tint. But my V1 was never terribly green like the AD100 in the first place. The V1 and V1 Pro are MUCH closer in colour than the V1 Pro and its sub flash are 🤦🏻♂️
Im a little confused about that last detail.. if you buy the pro version battery and stick it in the older flash it will recycle faster? Is that what you meant? Thanks.
Fabulous review thanks. I am still not sure where to turn though. Sony '60' or V1 Pro for my A7rv. Not used flash for anything serious before. The key feature for me is the quality of the light they produce / how they interact with the camera. Hmmmmm
Hi, thanks for the video. I've one important question and I hope you read this message and answers me hahaha I'm a pro wedding photographer and currently using Godox V860III. One main feature I'm using is when they shut down lights in wedding venues, or wedding parties. With the V860III I'm able to turn the auxiliar led light in front of the flash, so I have a light in the scene and it helps a lot the autofocus of my Fuji cameras. But in these V1 the auxiliary led light is on top... My worries is if I have the flash in bounce mode, the auxiliary light won't iluminate the subjetcts... I'll stick with these model but I'm trying to switch to the V1Pro to see If I won't get those missed shots in TTL that I get with the V860III. Thanks men!
As you say, the light IS going to be facing whichever way the flash head is facing. It'll spread out a bit, and bounce off the ceiling a bit, but how useful that will be will depend a lot on the shape of the venue / ceiling height.
Below is a table of specifications for the V1 Pro versus V1. You can copy these into a text table or spreadsheet. There are many similarities on paper, but a few essential differences as explained in the video. These 2 have different battery packs with different energy content 21.5 versus 18.7 Wh - not a big difference, but still. Battery packs are charged outside the flash so with optional additional packs you can use one and charge the other. The "Pro" supports and external optional power pack that adds 50 Wh energy in the case of a Godox ProPac PB960. These packs can feed two speedlights and can make for a shorter recycle time. There's a similar pack from Bolt that however has a swappable battery that charges away from the module part of the pack and has an energy content of 64.4 Wh. Currently I use a dozen of top model camera brand speedlights with their optional battery pack and with 12 AA NiMnH rechargeable battery cells, this maxes out at about 28.8 Wh energy. No wireless radio trigger in my case, but optional transceivers. But it recycles faster, has a higher guide number, has less vignetting, and can easily cover the angle of a 14mm full frame lens. Also, its full power flash duration is shorter. But recharging 12 AA cells for 12 speedlights is a major PITA (Pain In The Anatomy) and it took pathfinding how to do that in a non-frustrating way as sometimes AA cells have drained to the point they don't recharge in a conventional recharge adapter - you need a per cell monitor and a revitalisation program on that too. The big advantage is smaller and lighter than larger monoheads that you typically will use at significantly reduced power. I use two of these speedlights in a larger softbox (90x120cm = 3'x4' and deep parabola) or one in a smaller (e.g. 30x120cm=1'x4' strip). Firing speedlights into a softbox does not need a very wide flash angle, maybe: it depends. Note that a Profoto head with recessed flash tube puts out a flash angle comparable to a 35mm full frame lens. This means that light from such a head may not even touch the walls of your softbox in case you use than open without diffusers. So the Profoto RFi softboxes had two diffusers: one nearer the flash and another at the front. With the inner diffuser in place there is more distribution and light will hit the softbox side walls. For each softbox and flash combination this works out differently, especially with a variable flash angle, and hence requires testing. Another thing with multiple smaller speedlights is they are more easily hidden than larger monoheads, mount on cold or hot shoes, and when you need to light a large space, it is easier to get even distribution of light front to back with multiple lights than with a few big ones. My speedlights only work with AA cells in the speedlight and in the case of these V1 Pro, the question is if they can work on the external pack only. I have to go into the speedlights to remove, recharge and replace the batteries together with the optional pack, but if these could run off only the Bolt pack, in the case of studio/softbox use, you could hang that off the light stand and just swap charged batteries on that for the easiest recharge approach. Looking at prices, "God Ox" (a mistranslation of "Holy Cow!"), no longer applies to the price. "Go Dogs" it shall be, then. Godox V1 Pro Godox V1 Coverage (Full-Frame, mm) 28 to 105 28 to 105 Auto Zoom Head Yes Yes Flash Duration (1/second) 300 to 20,000 300 to 20,000 Recycle Time (approx. seconds 1.5 1.5 Secondary Illumination Modeling Light Modeling Light Hi-Speed Sync Yes Yes 2nd-Curtain Sync Yes Yes Power Range 1/1 to 1/256 n/a Wireless TTL/Manual Radio Radio Wireless dist. up to (m) 100 100 Wireless Channels 32 32 Wireless Groups 4 4 Battery chemistry Li-ion Li-ion Battery rechargeable Yes Yes Battery model VB30 VB26 Battery can be swapped Yes Yes Battery charges outside flash Yes Yes Battery energy (Wh) 21.5 18.7 External batt. pack compatible Yes No Optional ext. batt. pack (Godox) ProPac PB960 n/a Batt. pack energy (Wh) 50 n/a 2.5 mm (coaxial Prontor-Compur) Yes Yes Mobile App compatible No n/a Dimensions (mm) 156 x 124 x 76 197 x 93 x 76 Weight with battery (g) 580 530 3rd party opt. ext. batt. pack (Bolt) PP-500DR n/a Batt. pack energy (Wh) 64.4 n/a
A year or two ago Godox updated the battery pack in the V1 to the VB26A, which has the 21.6Wh capacity that is approximately identical to the new VB30 pack.
@@WesPerry - thank you. Basically that makes them electrically identical. The main main NY, NY superstore missed the update in their specifications ...
@@jpdj2715 The battery packs or the flashes electrically identical? The packs likely have the same cells inside at this point, yes. The flashes are reasonably different on the inside (I tore them both down to have a look). So much so that it's rather odd how similar they still look on the outside. Especially that poor control dial is an entirely new construction from the bottom up, just to achieve almost the exact same result.
@@WesPerry - not an electrical engineer by education, but I would expect a manufacturer between these two to reuse design elements that can be reused, provided its components have not become available at much lower cost. With the potential for an option al external additional battery pack to make the speedlight recycle faster, the "Pro" must be able to handle more Ampères, I would think. That may have implications for the motherboard and all of the component on it that relate to actually delivering power to the thyristor/capacitor array that dumps into flash tube. I guess you understand the concept of a relay - a switch that requires a tiny bit of power to be flipped and in that switch a huge load of power. Or you could compare the flash with an electronically controlled ICE engine that could use the same electronics to control a simple IL4 versus a big powerful V8. In general, the next applies to my camera brand devices too, the UI is too complicated in this day and age. But that is a cultural thing. Between these two variants actually are significant differences that I would expect a significant difference under the hood too. They also significantly differ in dimensions, not so much in weight, and this must have been caused by a redesign of the internals. But that's all speculation.
these flashes are really powerful. ive used them to light the background of an entire swimming pool for individual posing.. and it was only on half power.. i also like the modeling light.. that will be really helpful when its super dark like at a dance.. one thing is that the infrared focus beam doesnt work with mirrorless but it does work with dslr. i guess they changed the signal the cameras send to the flash so it receives a different signal to trigger it on.. something that could hopefully be changed with a firmware update? i really would have liked to be able to use that..
Great video! I have two V1 and three AD300Pro. The overheat protection is a problem with both models for me. I hope Godox will update the 300 as well with better heat handling. Other than that great flashes.
It’s not possible You can control it off camera with a Canon Godox transmitter no problem, but the Sony shoe isn’t cross compatible like canon and Nikon and others.
An extra battery can also charge while the flash is being used and not contribute to heat. In fact, you could swap in a cooler box stored battery at half hour intervals and reduce the temperature of your flash instead of increasing it. Not sure it's worth the 60-80% markup over the OG V1 here in Japan.
Sometimes when shooting, my forehead will hit the mode button and it will mistakenly switch to Muti Flash mode, which is very disturbing. I really wish I could turn off Muti Flash Mode in the menu, or even turn off the mode button
@@WesPerry Hummm, Bear in mind. The effective range- and therefore the guide number- of any flash will be affected by the use of diffusers, soft boxes, round or squarish heads or any other type of flash modifier, as well as whether the flash head is zoomed out or not. Also, remember that guide numbers are usually calculated based on a full-frame (35mm equivalent) sensor. Values will skew somewhat on a crop sensor camera.
I have both the V1 and V1 Pro. I like the fill flash attachment for event type work, like cocktail hour at a wedding. I set it about as low as it can go then use the main as my key light bounced off of whatever. My OG V1 wheel button thing hardly works now after several years of use. I am incredibly disappointed that they used the same wheel on the PRO. This was a missed opportunity by Godox to totally revamp the user interface and buttons on the Pro. That said I’m still happy with the Pro and it gets the job done better than the V1.
In my V1 Pro full review I took apart both wheels and the wildest thing is ITS ALL NEW PARTS. They put the work into making a brand new terrible wheel that’s almost identical to the old one. The button, plastics, circuit board, every component is new.
the v860II is amazing and now they have the iii... it can fire full power over and over again with no recharge time.. i just upgraded my camera kit and got a v1.. the v1 cannot do that. it actually has recharge time on higher powers.. im honestly a little worried about the v1.. the v860 is definitely the more capable flash.. it has a bigger battery than the v1.. the v1 has the magnetic attachments built in which is cool but the 860 has an attachment adapter for the akr1 kit.. i actually am kind of worried about my new setup this season and hope it all isnt a big disappointing mistake.. also i got the v1 for 170 dollars because it was open box.. im guessing whoever had it couldnt figure out how to change the manual level. i couldnt figure it out for a while. you cant just scroll the wheel you have to hit the button on the left of the wheel the + -.. i guess thats like a lock for it. that or they were just as disappointed that it performs worse than the v860..
According to what I've been reading, the V860III's guide number is 60 while the V1's is 92, meaning that the latter is much brighter. As for consumption, it is 60W and 76W respectively. Perhaps that is why there is a difference in performance, because one is more powerful than the other.
Almost none of that is correct. V860iii has a guide number of 60m (197 feet) V1 has a guide number of 28m (92 feet) They both have the exact same watt seconds, as internally they are essentially identical, only differentiated by the head design, 76 watt seconds. The difference in guide numbers is only different because the V860iii zooms to 200mm, while the V1 only zooms to 105mm. Exact same power and same quantity of light if you diffuse them fully through a soft box.
Buy a used a7iii Yongnuo 85 1.8mk2 Cheap E-mount Extension tubes to take macro photos using the Yongnuo And a Samsung 35 1.8 for wider shots Whatever cheap sling bag that comes with padded dividers. Two more Smallrig fz100 (blue) batteries And a cheap battery bank to recharge them while they’re in your bag over usb C (so you can never run out of power).
We have promotion in Poland for V1 Pro and X3 for free so I went for this bundle ;) I think it’s a good deal so maybe godox will have this promo globally
Thank Wes for this COMPREHENSIVE review of Godox V1 Pro & V1. For me, the DEAL BREAKER # 1 is the proprietary battery of these 2 flashes. From my experience and all the photographers I know, all the non-V mount proprietary batteries are a waste of money. It's because after one year, most of them don't hold much charge any more. They show they're fully charged but they only work for a short time before running out of power. On the other hand, the original batteries from the camera manufacturers like Sony, Canon, and Nikon last for years. I will buy a light only if it allows me to power it with AA batteries or V mount batteries. I've confirmed with my local camera store that the V1 Pro can be charged using an external PROPRIETARY pack from Godox. However, that is for charging only. Godox does not recommend using it as power source so that I can charge and shoot with it at the same time. That's the DEAL BREAKER # 2. I have a Gofox flash, the older version, NOT the V1 model. I've been using it with Eneloop Panasonic AA rechargeable batteries for more than 5 years. They work well for me and last for years.
The newer batteries for the V1 and V1 Pro are actually Very reliable long term. Their V860ii and AD400 Pro batteries have some Very serious issues, though.
Well uprading will cost you a bit more. You will never sell your old lampa for the price of new. If you dont have any v1 yes, IT is 73 $ difference. But if you have to get rid of the old lamps i would say u will get 200 $ for each..so IT will cost you over a 100$ for each lamp.
@@WesPerry sorry yes the lux master . It’s so cute ,, I’m debating on which one to get and also do you know on Black Friday? Do they go on sale because it’s not that far away
Thanks for the comparison. I really dislike the controls on the V1. So much so, I am looking for a better flash. I am looking at the Profoto A10, but from what I have seen, it's not worth the upgrade price. So now I wait for the next generation of any of the brands you have listed.
Ho acquistato 3 v1. Tutti rotti dopo pochi periodi. Surriscaldamento o mancati lampi. Per non parlare della rottura del gancio slitta. Sono prodotti altamente inaffidabili. Spero che il pro sia meglio. La cosa positiva e' che con la sua sfera mi ha cambiato totalmente il modo di fotografare gli eventi all'interno.
Buy a second battery!! I think the pro model is a lot better especially if you're doing weddings and you didn't give any practical examples of the different types of photography that people do with flash and I think it would be useful if you weren't so cynical in your videos your voice comes across as being really cynical maybe just try and be a little bit more upbeat. That would be good. Just some life advice dude I like your channel but you come across as quite negative in your video and it doesn't really make me want to hit the subscribe button. Have a good day.
Some crap flashes. Yongnuo YN685, I shoot with it as much as I want, at what intensity I want for 4 years, I have two. Godox, the shoe breaks, you can't shoot more than 1/8 it goes to hell, I don't know what else is going on. Godox is a brand for idiots, like... Canon. x2 price compared to the competition for nothing. Nu ai un 85mm 1.8 sau 85mm 1.4...ori 85 mm 1.2 or f2....fucking Canon. Tamron, Sigma, etc. are not associated. damn canon and who loves them
I used to have three Yongnuo flashes (YN560iv), but their thermal protection wasn't sufficient. Melted the voltage regulators in all of them. Then opened them up, replaced the regulators and added extra heat syncs to them, then eventually melted all three down again. I demand a lot from my flashes in terms of performance and Yongnuo just doesn't seem to be up to the task.
I had never even heard of that model until now! Unfortunately I think it would be a bit too expensive to get a return on the investment for me to buy and review it, and I don't currently have a working relationship with Adorama/Flashpoint (I used to but their rep for me was Incredibly pushy, so I broke it off 😑)
One thing I skipped over in the script: HSS performance is better on the V1 Pro - less banding, and can usually be used with electronic first curtain enabled without issue, unlike on the V1 (and most other flashes).
Can AD100 pro work with EFCS only camera like a7cII in HSS at slower 1/250 speeds or should I get the v1 pro instead.
I didn’t realize the 7cii had no mechanical first curtain. That is indeed problematic with HSS unless you have a super fast sensor (which the cii doesn’t).
@@WesPerry Yeah and its max sync speed of 1/160s is horrible too(a7 IV can do 1/250 and A1 can do 1/400 mechanical sync).
@@GAGPalia oof also didn't know that. never took much of a look at it myself, so I was unaware. (as I tend to write off any camera without 2 card slots, being a wedding and commercial photographer I just can't imagine taking that chance! - I've had three card failures in my career and thankfully always had another copy)
1:40 so many people seem to not understand this! We're all using bodies with insane ISO performance, this isn't a studio flash, for events if you're at ISO 1600 or even 3200 the V1 will never overheat pretty much
Yeah drives me crazy. People having thermal throttling issues and panicking and googling and searching and asking for advice… just raise your iso 2/3 of a stop and it’s fixed 🥴
Trouble is post processing. If you decrease iso in mixed light condition, you can overlap ambient light by flash. As result you can prepare big batch of photos more quikly.
Also sometimes mixed light from flash and warm ambient light can look ugly.
If the ambient light is too warm - just add color gel to a flash.
Great Review - Really good insight I haven't seen anywhere else! well done
The tint difference at 1:16 between main and sub is rather shocking and the vignette is too.
(this all pertains to the "Pro" model.)
Q1 - the vignette is from the flash, not the lens?
Q2 - at what WB/tint had the camera been set? Auto? Flash? Cloudy?
Q3 - what lens/focal length/aperture were used in these two shots?
Q4 - what flash angle expressed in full frame focal length was set in the main flash head?
Q5 - was the flash power of the main head lowered in order to get to the illuminance of the sub-flash? If yes, did you test CTC (colour temperature consistency) between the flash levels of the main head?
N1 - in the "main" shot there is a darker spot ... could be dust on the sensor.
Q - question
N - note
1 the vignette is from the flashes, but not an issue. I purposefully shot at a wider angle than the flashes just so you can see the shape of the light. It’s at 16mm f/3.5
2 daylight balance
4 28mm
5 at full output, the sub flash is about as bright as 1/16 power on the main head (I go into a lot more detail on all this in my main v1 pro review).
5.5 i did yes (also in that review). The colour consistency is almost identical to the main flash, which oddly enough I found to be ever so slightly worse than on the original V1. Standard deviation for both was around 37K. For the V1 it was 33.8K
It is dust yes
@@WesPerry - thank you sincerely for answering in detail and all the work to figure this out!
My V1 is doing just fine. Super satisfied with the flash and I've got no use of newer model.
Thank you for this review, you've saved me 70€ :)
And your feedback also saves me 500 HKD
I have been reading that photographers who are dedicated to macro photography, the new Godox v1 pro is cool, I have been thinking about changing flash for months and this v1 pro will be my future purchase, excellent video, greetings from Cancun.
I agree ...sort of ... I think for me the original V1 will be perfect as on /off camera and not massive rapid firing ... V1 looks good Thank you
I like the improvements in the V1pro. I also noticed an improvement when using TTL during an event.
I have 3 V1 flashes. I’ve only experienced one time where one overheated and the recycle time was too slow to for my need. Now that I know this I’ll simply shoot a bit slower, and can always switch units when I need to. I’m not spending $330.00 plus tax on new V1pro flashes when I can easily get by with my 3 V1’s.
Sounds like a good plan!
Hi
Does the V1 have the light that can be used as a light and not flash?
It has a continuous LED mounted in the flash head.
Thank you for sharing. I am new in photography and I think would go with the V1. I am not a professional, but in the future, maybe go for the V1 Pro. I would use it for may personal photos, travel, family, etc. What do you think?
Yes the V1 and Pro are more designed for working photographers.
I'll wait for the V1 Pro go on sale hopefully during Black Friday. I got my V1 for $190. I use it typically at 1/16-1/4 as a rim light when I don't have room. Otherwise my AD300 Pros will fit almost anywhere a v1 would since you need an S2 anyways. $350 is hard to justify for a speedlight. Spare batteries for both V1 and the AD300 pro is cheaper than the price difference between a V1 on sale and V1 pro.
The kind of review I'd expect from a former EE! One thing you didn't mention, Wes: Have you noticed a color temp difference between the V1 and V1 Pro? This has been mentioned in other reviews and your teardown of the V1 and V1 Pro filter stacks does show an additional correction filter on the Pro. That filter looks much like the one on current model AD100s to correct the a green color cast.
It is indeed a little more neutral in tint. But my V1 was never terribly green like the AD100 in the first place. The V1 and V1 Pro are MUCH closer in colour than the V1 Pro and its sub flash are 🤦🏻♂️
Was wondering if could use just the subflash with the main light turnef off or no? Thanks
Can older battery from V1 be used in V1 Pro? Thanks.
Absolutely!
Im a little confused about that last detail.. if you buy the pro version battery and stick it in the older flash it will recycle faster? Is that what you meant? Thanks.
Fabulous review thanks. I am still not sure where to turn though. Sony '60' or V1 Pro for my A7rv. Not used flash for anything serious before. The key feature for me is the quality of the light they produce / how they interact with the camera. Hmmmmm
Hi, thanks for the video. I've one important question and I hope you read this message and answers me hahaha
I'm a pro wedding photographer and currently using Godox V860III. One main feature I'm using is when they shut down lights in wedding venues, or wedding parties. With the V860III I'm able to turn the auxiliar led light in front of the flash, so I have a light in the scene and it helps a lot the autofocus of my Fuji cameras.
But in these V1 the auxiliary led light is on top... My worries is if I have the flash in bounce mode, the auxiliary light won't iluminate the subjetcts...
I'll stick with these model but I'm trying to switch to the V1Pro to see If I won't get those missed shots in TTL that I get with the V860III.
Thanks men!
As you say, the light IS going to be facing whichever way the flash head is facing. It'll spread out a bit, and bounce off the ceiling a bit, but how useful that will be will depend a lot on the shape of the venue / ceiling height.
Below is a table of specifications for the V1 Pro versus V1. You can copy these into a text table or spreadsheet.
There are many similarities on paper, but a few essential differences as explained in the video. These 2 have different battery packs with different energy content 21.5 versus 18.7 Wh - not a big difference, but still. Battery packs are charged outside the flash so with optional additional packs you can use one and charge the other.
The "Pro" supports and external optional power pack that adds 50 Wh energy in the case of a Godox ProPac PB960. These packs can feed two speedlights and can make for a shorter recycle time. There's a similar pack from Bolt that however has a swappable battery that charges away from the module part of the pack and has an energy content of 64.4 Wh.
Currently I use a dozen of top model camera brand speedlights with their optional battery pack and with 12 AA NiMnH rechargeable battery cells, this maxes out at about 28.8 Wh energy. No wireless radio trigger in my case, but optional transceivers. But it recycles faster, has a higher guide number, has less vignetting, and can easily cover the angle of a 14mm full frame lens. Also, its full power flash duration is shorter.
But recharging 12 AA cells for 12 speedlights is a major PITA (Pain In The Anatomy) and it took pathfinding how to do that in a non-frustrating way as sometimes AA cells have drained to the point they don't recharge in a conventional recharge adapter - you need a per cell monitor and a revitalisation program on that too.
The big advantage is smaller and lighter than larger monoheads that you typically will use at significantly reduced power. I use two of these speedlights in a larger softbox (90x120cm = 3'x4' and deep parabola) or one in a smaller (e.g. 30x120cm=1'x4' strip).
Firing speedlights into a softbox does not need a very wide flash angle, maybe: it depends.
Note that a Profoto head with recessed flash tube puts out a flash angle comparable to a 35mm full frame lens. This means that light from such a head may not even touch the walls of your softbox in case you use than open without diffusers. So the Profoto RFi softboxes had two diffusers: one nearer the flash and another at the front. With the inner diffuser in place there is more distribution and light will hit the softbox side walls. For each softbox and flash combination this works out differently, especially with a variable flash angle, and hence requires testing.
Another thing with multiple smaller speedlights is they are more easily hidden than larger monoheads, mount on cold or hot shoes, and when you need to light a large space, it is easier to get even distribution of light front to back with multiple lights than with a few big ones.
My speedlights only work with AA cells in the speedlight and in the case of these V1 Pro, the question is if they can work on the external pack only. I have to go into the speedlights to remove, recharge and replace the batteries together with the optional pack, but if these could run off only the Bolt pack, in the case of studio/softbox use, you could hang that off the light stand and just swap charged batteries on that for the easiest recharge approach.
Looking at prices, "God Ox" (a mistranslation of "Holy Cow!"), no longer applies to the price. "Go Dogs" it shall be, then.
Godox V1 Pro Godox V1
Coverage (Full-Frame, mm) 28 to 105 28 to 105
Auto Zoom Head Yes Yes
Flash Duration (1/second) 300 to 20,000 300 to 20,000
Recycle Time (approx. seconds 1.5 1.5
Secondary Illumination Modeling Light Modeling Light
Hi-Speed Sync Yes Yes
2nd-Curtain Sync Yes Yes
Power Range 1/1 to 1/256 n/a
Wireless TTL/Manual Radio Radio
Wireless dist. up to (m) 100 100
Wireless Channels 32 32
Wireless Groups 4 4
Battery chemistry Li-ion Li-ion
Battery rechargeable Yes Yes
Battery model VB30 VB26
Battery can be swapped Yes Yes
Battery charges outside flash Yes Yes
Battery energy (Wh) 21.5 18.7
External batt. pack compatible Yes No
Optional ext. batt. pack (Godox) ProPac PB960 n/a
Batt. pack energy (Wh) 50 n/a
2.5 mm (coaxial Prontor-Compur) Yes Yes
Mobile App compatible No n/a
Dimensions (mm) 156 x 124 x 76 197 x 93 x 76
Weight with battery (g) 580 530
3rd party opt. ext. batt. pack (Bolt) PP-500DR n/a
Batt. pack energy (Wh) 64.4 n/a
A year or two ago Godox updated the battery pack in the V1 to the VB26A, which has the 21.6Wh capacity that is approximately identical to the new VB30 pack.
@@WesPerry - thank you. Basically that makes them electrically identical. The main main NY, NY superstore missed the update in their specifications ...
@@jpdj2715 The battery packs or the flashes electrically identical? The packs likely have the same cells inside at this point, yes. The flashes are reasonably different on the inside (I tore them both down to have a look). So much so that it's rather odd how similar they still look on the outside. Especially that poor control dial is an entirely new construction from the bottom up, just to achieve almost the exact same result.
@@WesPerry - not an electrical engineer by education, but I would expect a manufacturer between these two to reuse design elements that can be reused, provided its components have not become available at much lower cost.
With the potential for an option al external additional battery pack to make the speedlight recycle faster, the "Pro" must be able to handle more Ampères, I would think. That may have implications for the motherboard and all of the component on it that relate to actually delivering power to the thyristor/capacitor array that dumps into flash tube. I guess you understand the concept of a relay - a switch that requires a tiny bit of power to be flipped and in that switch a huge load of power. Or you could compare the flash with an electronically controlled ICE engine that could use the same electronics to control a simple IL4 versus a big powerful V8.
In general, the next applies to my camera brand devices too, the UI is too complicated in this day and age. But that is a cultural thing.
Between these two variants actually are significant differences that I would expect a significant difference under the hood too. They also significantly differ in dimensions, not so much in weight, and this must have been caused by a redesign of the internals.
But that's all speculation.
these flashes are really powerful. ive used them to light the background of an entire swimming pool for individual posing.. and it was only on half power.. i also like the modeling light.. that will be really helpful when its super dark like at a dance.. one thing is that the infrared focus beam doesnt work with mirrorless but it does work with dslr. i guess they changed the signal the cameras send to the flash so it receives a different signal to trigger it on.. something that could hopefully be changed with a firmware update? i really would have liked to be able to use that..
Great video! I have two V1 and three AD300Pro. The overheat protection is a problem with both models for me. I hope Godox will update the 300 as well with better heat handling. Other than that great flashes.
With that huge different in price, the pro version should have weather resistent feature.
Hi, can I use a Sony flash on my Canon camera, even only in manual mode? Or it’s just impossible? Do I need any adaptor?
It’s not possible
You can control it off camera with a Canon Godox transmitter no problem, but the Sony shoe isn’t cross compatible like canon and Nikon and others.
@@WesPerrythank you 🫶🏻
V1 pro can work while is changing with a wire to power or only recharging the batteries? Ty
It can, but I would recommend against it
An extra battery can also charge while the flash is being used and not contribute to heat. In fact, you could swap in a cooler box stored battery at half hour intervals and reduce the temperature of your flash instead of increasing it. Not sure it's worth the 60-80% markup over the OG V1 here in Japan.
Ad100 "pro" needs this update for sure
AD100 ProPRO?? 😂
V1 can do usb c charging also on the flash
Umm, I’m afraid not. You can plug it in, but it doesn’t do anything. That port is only for firmware updates, no power.
Sometimes when shooting, my forehead will hit the mode button and it will mistakenly switch to Muti Flash mode, which is very disturbing.
I really wish I could turn off Muti Flash Mode in the menu, or even turn off the mode button
Would have been nice to see the Guide Number for the new Flash and for the other makes as well.
Guide number is kindof a fake number and doesn’t translate well to round headed flashes that only zoom to 105mm
@@WesPerry Hummm, Bear in mind. The effective range- and therefore the guide number- of any flash will be affected by the use of diffusers, soft boxes, round or squarish heads or any other type of flash modifier, as well as whether the flash head is zoomed out or not. Also, remember that guide numbers are usually calculated based on a full-frame (35mm equivalent) sensor. Values will skew somewhat on a crop sensor camera.
are the batteries interchangeable between the V1 Pro and the V1?
ok - ignore - answered at 10:35 and they are!! :)
Thank you, I will be upgrading 😁
I have both the V1 and V1 Pro. I like the fill flash attachment for event type work, like cocktail hour at a wedding. I set it about as low as it can go then use the main as my key light bounced off of whatever.
My OG V1 wheel button thing hardly works now after several years of use. I am incredibly disappointed that they used the same wheel on the PRO.
This was a missed opportunity by Godox to totally revamp the user interface and buttons on the Pro.
That said I’m still happy with the Pro and it gets the job done better than the V1.
In my V1 Pro full review I took apart both wheels and the wildest thing is ITS ALL NEW PARTS. They put the work into making a brand new terrible wheel that’s almost identical to the old one. The button, plastics, circuit board, every component is new.
@@WesPerry ugh… such a missed opportunity. The wheel design both old and new are just so disappointing and destined to fail.
Exactly what I experienced with my V1 and my V860III. The wheel is horrible.
does the new one already makes so much NOISE while zooming???
Already? They’re both about the same noise level
the v860II is amazing and now they have the iii... it can fire full power over and over again with no recharge time.. i just upgraded my camera kit and got a v1.. the v1 cannot do that. it actually has recharge time on higher powers.. im honestly a little worried about the v1.. the v860 is definitely the more capable flash.. it has a bigger battery than the v1.. the v1 has the magnetic attachments built in which is cool but the 860 has an attachment adapter for the akr1 kit.. i actually am kind of worried about my new setup this season and hope it all isnt a big disappointing mistake..
also i got the v1 for 170 dollars because it was open box.. im guessing whoever had it couldnt figure out how to change the manual level. i couldnt figure it out for a while. you cant just scroll the wheel you have to hit the button on the left of the wheel the + -.. i guess thats like a lock for it. that or they were just as disappointed that it performs worse than the v860..
According to what I've been reading, the V860III's guide number is 60 while the V1's is 92, meaning that the latter is much brighter. As for consumption, it is 60W and 76W respectively. Perhaps that is why there is a difference in performance, because one is more powerful than the other.
Almost none of that is correct.
V860iii has a guide number of 60m (197 feet)
V1 has a guide number of 28m (92 feet)
They both have the exact same watt seconds, as internally they are essentially identical, only differentiated by the head design, 76 watt seconds.
The difference in guide numbers is only different because the V860iii zooms to 200mm, while the V1 only zooms to 105mm. Exact same power and same quantity of light if you diffuse them fully through a soft box.
sir can you please make a video about Cheapest mirorrless full frame camera for wedding photography(sony) & sling bag (under 40$) to carry camera
Buy a used a7iii
Yongnuo 85 1.8mk2
Cheap E-mount Extension tubes to take macro photos using the Yongnuo
And a Samsung 35 1.8 for wider shots
Whatever cheap sling bag that comes with padded dividers.
Two more Smallrig fz100 (blue) batteries
And a cheap battery bank to recharge them while they’re in your bag over usb C (so you can never run out of power).
@@WesPerry Thank you sir
Each time I have to change settings I have to unlock and lock back controls.
We have promotion in Poland for V1 Pro and X3 for free so I went for this bundle ;) I think it’s a good deal so maybe godox will have this promo globally
Great information
Thanks for sharing.
Great Video
Thank Wes for this COMPREHENSIVE review of Godox V1 Pro & V1. For me, the DEAL BREAKER # 1 is the proprietary battery of these 2 flashes. From my experience and all the photographers I know, all the non-V mount proprietary batteries are a waste of money. It's because after one year, most of them don't hold much charge any more. They show they're fully charged but they only work for a short time before running out of power. On the other hand, the original batteries from the camera manufacturers like Sony, Canon, and Nikon last for years. I will buy a light only if it allows me to power it with AA batteries or V mount batteries. I've confirmed with my local camera store that the V1 Pro can be charged using an external PROPRIETARY pack from Godox. However, that is for charging only. Godox does not recommend using it as power source so that I can charge and shoot with it at the same time. That's the DEAL BREAKER # 2. I have a Gofox flash, the older version, NOT the V1 model. I've been using it with Eneloop Panasonic AA rechargeable batteries for more than 5 years. They work well for me and last for years.
The newer batteries for the V1 and V1 Pro are actually Very reliable long term. Their V860ii and AD400 Pro batteries have some Very serious issues, though.
Any any old usb charger can charge the new V1 Pro battery pack. It’s quite versatile at accepting pretty much anything.
Well uprading will cost you a bit more. You will never sell your old lampa for the price of new. If you dont have any v1 yes, IT is 73 $ difference. But if you have to get rid of the old lamps i would say u will get 200 $ for each..so IT will cost you over a 100$ for each lamp.
Can you compare to the GODOX LUX PLEASE 🙏 PLEASE 🙏
which lux? Lux master?
@@WesPerry sorry yes the lux master . It’s so cute ,, I’m debating on which one to get and also do you know on Black Friday? Do they go on sale because it’s not that far away
@MRG-Photos3 the quick and dirty is that the Lux Master has about half the power of the V1 and V1 Pro, so they’re not Really in the same class.
@@WesPerry dam ok thanks for your help
Thanks for the comparison. I really dislike the controls on the V1. So much so, I am looking for a better flash. I am looking at the Profoto A10, but from what I have seen, it's not worth the upgrade price. So now I wait for the next generation of any of the brands you have listed.
No matter what V1 it is, it works best with blood
WUT
Ho acquistato 3 v1. Tutti rotti dopo pochi periodi. Surriscaldamento o mancati lampi. Per non parlare della rottura del gancio slitta. Sono prodotti altamente inaffidabili. Spero che il pro sia meglio. La cosa positiva e' che con la sua sfera mi ha cambiato totalmente il modo di fotografare gli eventi all'interno.
Godox AD200!
Cheaper just go get a AD 200 pro
A little tricky to mount on a camera, but it can be done 😏
Karley Expressway
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Pro it is thanks
Buy a second battery!! I think the pro model is a lot better especially if you're doing weddings and you didn't give any practical examples of the different types of photography that people do with flash and I think it would be useful if you weren't so cynical in your videos your voice comes across as being really cynical maybe just try and be a little bit more upbeat. That would be good. Just some life advice dude I like your channel but you come across as quite negative in your video and it doesn't really make me want to hit the subscribe button. Have a good day.
ungry cat?
Some crap flashes. Yongnuo YN685, I shoot with it as much as I want, at what intensity I want for 4 years, I have two. Godox, the shoe breaks, you can't shoot more than 1/8 it goes to hell, I don't know what else is going on. Godox is a brand for idiots, like... Canon. x2 price compared to the competition for nothing. Nu ai un 85mm 1.8 sau 85mm 1.4...ori 85 mm 1.2 or f2....fucking Canon. Tamron, Sigma, etc. are not associated. damn canon and who loves them
I used to have three Yongnuo flashes (YN560iv), but their thermal protection wasn't sufficient. Melted the voltage regulators in all of them. Then opened them up, replaced the regulators and added extra heat syncs to them, then eventually melted all three down again.
I demand a lot from my flashes in terms of performance and Yongnuo just doesn't seem to be up to the task.
Please review the Flashpoint Xplor 600 se
I had never even heard of that model until now! Unfortunately I think it would be a bit too expensive to get a return on the investment for me to buy and review it, and I don't currently have a working relationship with Adorama/Flashpoint (I used to but their rep for me was Incredibly pushy, so I broke it off 😑)