I watched that video and thought that you explained it perfectly. It is difficult to understand the difference between “standard” and “have to make it work on the budget I have”. Clients squeezing photographers on a race to the bottom and the reinforcement of “quality doesn’t matter” coming from many big influencers.
Did we watch the same video? Because what he said.... and what every camera rental will tell you.... it doesn't matter what name is printed on there... doesn't even matter how good the light is... what matters is that the light doesn't break every other job and when it does break it's easy to service.... Profoto has incredibly durable lights because they make their products with rentals in mind..... Godox you buy to own.... they can be made out of cheap plastic.... you put them on a stand and they stay there.... what matters is YOUR use for the gear and being economical with the budget....
I have been a Paul Buff fan for decades. I have NEVER had one of their lights ever fail. They are a balance between high quality, durability and price. And the support is fantastic. You get a person answering the phone then transfers you to someone who has the answer. I have 2 of their cybercommanders that control all 5 lights, on/off, power setting of both strobe and 250 watt modeling light and they have a bit of a learning curve. They are fantastic. I have broken a couple of the toggle buttons and they just send me a half dozen, no charge. My einsteins have plenty of power, will pop TEN, THATS RIGHT TEN times a second and at half power 6 times a second which is where I set my camera. And every shot is perfectly exposed including on the older large battery pack. It has FLAT LINE white balance. I don't need high speed sync, my nikon d850 will auto focus with a 6 stop nd. Try calling for service or warranty on those other brands. Einsteins have a life time warranty and they only charge for the part. They are here in America in Nashville. @@LoFiAxolotl
I've got to say, I'm surprised at the negative comments. I watched the same video they did, but what you said convinced me that Godox needed to be a frontrunner in my selection for when I needed to upgrade my lighting. I heard that for the price, they are great and dependable. They just aren't readily available at the rental houses. I need value for my dollar, and they fit the bill. Thank you for your honest opinions on these things. Even though we do different genres, I've learned a lot from you.
We’ve come a long way when it comes to gear technology. Godox is coming up with flash and modifiers that 5-8 years ago, I can only dream of having (since anything from Profoto or Broncolor costs an arm and leg). I don’t care that they won’t last as long. As he mentioned, it’s good enough for 90% of the jobs.
As the person that asked you on your last video why Godox cause I was thinking of going Broncolor I knew exactly what you meant. But I'm sure this video is still needed because I'm transitioning to commercial work and even in my personal work I see the limitations of Godox (Primarily build, rental houses and assistants). Also I have in real life mentors that I have worked with and they will tell you Light is Light, but you bring the right tool for the job. Even after this video I promise there will still be people who don't get it.
My background is more on the TV/Film side of things but your note about build quality and sturdiness is spot on and can’t be emphasized enough. The gear gets put through absolute hell. Even if it’s treated well on set it might end up upside down in the truck under a dolly 😂
i thinks its also from whats available in certain locations, like here in philippines. theres just 1 or 2 distributors here of broncolor and profoto and there are no service centers here for both brands, if ever theres need to get something repaired it will still be sent to the UK or US and will take months or years for it to get back. and also modifiers for both brands are really hard to find in the local market. i have used profoto when i was still renting a studio for my projects before and its really good. if i will be given a chance ill get a set, but after sales for both brands dont exist here. most of us here just have to lean on godox or whats available in the market and "make it work" :)
I think you touched on a super important point - genre matters when choosing gear. No one camera or accessory is the best option for every style of photography, but there are people determine to argue otherwise. Usually it’s to validate their own purchase decision.
Same as the big "gear doesn't matter" theory. I couldn't agree more. Case in point, I'm currently using Godox, because I'm halted, working on my portfolio and personal projects, with 0 income. Before I was using speedlites for personal projects and some editorial, but higher end work I'd use Elinchrome Ranger's. This was for PORTRAIT, 90% on location.
You were clear and concise in your first video. If anyone gave you hate after that they either didn't watch the video, have a comprehension disability, or simple aren't professional enough to understand the concepts you were relaying. Cheers
I really hope to see you run this channel for a really really long time. Really hope that. So different from any other channel at the moment. I am learning so much from you and also it is very fun and interesting to watch and listen to you. And I am also using Godox. I have about 5 of them. Watched the other video of course and I thought it was a good video. Actually, I was quite relieved cause you mentioned that the lighting quality is actually pretty fine. Anyway, great video, and a great channel. Love your works, they are fabulous.
You are in a unique situation (I suppose we all are) where you live far away from London, and rent all the kit for the big jobs you do. These jobs (in food, often at almost macro or macro camera distances) have tech requirements that not all types of pro work do. For your particular situation, I see your point. In my own unique situation - shooting fashion and lifestyle (commercial work, for advertising) on location and needing to move fast (so all with batteries - and never the time to set up more than 4 light sources, if that- so no need to supplement with extra points from rental) - another brand would not add any utility or output quality, it would just drain my wallet. Doing work for Montreal clients (A B-tier fashion center, but still, not a C one), and living in Montreal, I own a 5 point Godox kit and never need to rent (four points plus one spare - it all fits into one rollie case). Besides, I can't actually rent the exotic softboxes I own and love locally. So... The lights have paid for themselves in saved rentals many times over, I find the AD600 Pro actually better than any battery Profoto lights (lighter, better light spread, better recycle times) and my clients have never had a negative peep to say about about the light kit I'm using. It just works. The pre-Pro Godoxes had all kinds of problems, and Alien Bees had even more, but a Ad600Pro, based on extensive testing, outperforms a battery Profoto (B1X). If I was doing freeze frames of liquids, or some other specialty work, then yes, I'd need something else and I would rent it. But I don't. A wide range of professional photography types don't, only some do. As for build quality... If your assistants throw your strobes around like they're sandbags, you need new assistants. I've never seen that happen. (Do they throw your lenses around like that too!?) Many years and many shoots later, (all on-location, often on the street and under non ideal weather) my Godox strobes are still like new. If you throw a Profoto, or a Godox - or any brand of light - onto the concrete it will likely break. I also own Godox and Aputure LEDs, all with more or less the same mileage on them. So far only an Aputure has failed on me. Maybe I'm not statistically typical, but that's been my experience. I even find the Godox Bowens mount is less rattle-ey than those on my Aputures, and they fit a far wider range of modifiers than Aputures do, as the Aputure COB sticks out too much. They're both great, but unless you need a feature or power level specific to an Aputure model, there's probably an equivalent Godox that's just as good, a fair bit cheaper, and will work with more softboxes. And here in Montreal Godox are fairly standard, at least a secondary standard. They're not complicated. What takes time on set in terms of lighting is setting up the softboxes, flags and stands. The lights and their trigger are extremely straightforward, even if you've never seen them before. Any assistant can learn how they work in less than 2 minutes.
OK. I never respond on RUclips, but this one feels like the one time I should. 100% agree on this. I use Godox plenty in my work, especially low budget jobs, test shoots and thew likes. I have a few things to add as a reason we don't shoot Godox on commercial shoots: 1. if someone is paying me a big sum of money, perception is important sadly. This may seem dumb (and it is), but it's true. No AD or CD wants to walk into a shoot with the client and see a bunch Godox lighting or Newer gear on set. Profoto and Broncolor have become the standard within the big budget shoots and people know the gear and expect it. 2. Every assistant who has been at it long enough knows Profoto and Broncolor. It's like a universal language. Godox on the other hand, not everyone knows it and they change frequently enough that the triggers could be different and confusing (as an example). I love good too. Have plenty of their kit, but yeah, when a major brand is paying for the job, you go with the top stuff that everyone knows how to use, that doesn't break (as often) and that the clients expect.
I am an Xer, I was there when the internet was born and watched it grow, and since about 2009-2010 to the present, have noticed since most people are now accustomed to having various platforms to freely voice their opinions (whether we like or not).The level of proclaiming butt hurt individuals has increased exponentially as well
I have had some issues with Godox remote controllers not always firing, so I switched to Pocket Wizards connected to Godox strobes, which fire about 99 percent of the time so no messed shots, and I love my Godox 400w strobes, I have 2 at 400watt and 2 at 300 watt plus 2 SL60w for LED lighting for video plus on camera Godox flashes. As I own them, I take care not to damage my equipment. Your situation makes sense if you are renting flashes and have assistants who are rough with equipment. Cheers! Commercial product photographers who go on location a lot might choose rentals of other brands.
i am using elinchrom for 15 years. imo they have managed to surpass profoto. even my first second hand units that were made decades ago still work well. the new ones are beasts. top quality with top notch features.
One thing I like about what Seth Miranda talks about is how he supports a brand philosophy as well. If he likes what he sees coming out of their gear and likes their brand philosophy, he's all in on it. And I couldn't agree more.
My take is this: if you're an enthusiast and you're OK with the build quality and limitations of the Godox/Flashpoint systems, get them (limitations I mean inconsistency that can occur between units and even just flashes in general). But if you're a pro that's hard on their gear or demands accurate color and reliability, they might not be the best option, unless they are for perhaps something that is not a major function (but even so, if you're a pro, I'm not sure I would bother). I have experienced myself (not a professional) issues with some of the Godox lights however I am also not in a posotion where the reliability is bad enough that I need to spend $1000+ on a light. The $500 lights are fine for what I do. IF I were to go pro then I might look int osomething like Profoto but at that point, my gear would likely be getting paid for by the paid work (at least, over time). It's kind of the same argument that can be had about tripods -- you can buy (5) $200 tripods or you can buy (1) $1000 good tripod and have it for 20+ years. Both will work, but it's up to you how much hassle you want to go through. For some, the Godox / Flashpoint and even cheaper systems, fit their needs and their budget and they're happy with them, and others who would not touch Godox with a 10 ft pole. But again, it depends on your needs and your tolerance to issues. I'm pretty tolerant with mine since I'm not shooting professionally (most TFP anyway) as mentioned, but a pro who relies on their lights or they run the risk of getting sued/ or simply cannot afford a malfunction, should look elsewhere. I'm not saying you can't use Godox for pro work, as I know some who do, but you have to willing to accept the downsides to it (and really, any system). One thing I do love about Godox is that there is one trigger that pretty much works with all of their OCF strobes and lights. I don't have to worry much about compatibility, but again, I do have to worry a bit about consistency (it might fire 14 out of 15 shots for example).
Content producers and viewers have a shared responsibility in terms of how the content is presented and how it is perceived. Being a viewer, I need to put my perception of the content presented in the video into my own context. But, I need to challenge my perception and see how it aligns with or where this guy is probably coming from. I feel you do a great job in outlining where you are coming from - so I need to take that into account when judging the message I just received.
I totally get what you're saying. It depends on the type of photography you do and the use case. I may never be in a position where I need to rent a lighting kit. Godox would be fine for me. But if you travel and do important work for important clients then you need to be able to replace equipment it's something should fail. You don't want to lose big accounts because your equipment it's always failing and you don't have a way to find a substitute. I'm a hobbyist at the moment. Cheap gear is fine for me. But if I was in your position I would want dependable gear with the ability to rent something if needed.
I absolutely love your common sense to the idea of photography as a business... No I am not a commercial photographer, common sense is just that comment sense! I apply the knowledge you share to my own situations... Thank you for keeping it real!
This still comes down to what type of photographer you are, and at what level. All this equipment regardless of brand is a tool. You pick the best tool for the job to get it done. Scott mentioned durability and movement of equipment and how accessible it is. If many rental companies have invested heavily in other equipment other than Godox, then that is what they have. As a result they have parts for replacement and maintenance. .The quality and durability of Godox has improved over the years. If that durability was there years ago, perhaps rental places would have Godox on hand. I bought Godox equipment. I’m a hobbyist on a budget. The things I do are at home. So for me, which was also mentioned, is that my equipment isn’t moved around much. So it’s fine. As Scott mentioned weddings and things may get damaged, I’d rather replace the Godox instead of an Elinchrom or other.
Loved this video despite the fact I have no interest in commercial photography! 😅 However, I can totally understand buying/renting the right tool at the right price point, which is even more critical for a hobbyist with zero financial return in my gear investments!
Haha.. this ties into your recent video on 'RUclips Photographers" I got blocked by a YT photographer because I made 3 statements 1. I'm in the Godox user group on FB, and it seemed (at the time) that every 3rd or 4th post was about an issue with the gear failing in some manner 2. There's a huge difference between shooting girls at sunset, HSS, wide open w a 5 foot octa for your RUclips videos, and the actual reality of being a pro photographer with paying clients, who can often put you into very challenging situations with high expectations.. 3. I recently assisted a friend on a gallery shoot for Netflix. It was a 19 light setup as we ran 3 different setups on one set.. the gear was all Profoto, and there is no way any photographer shooting this stuff would trust Godox on a job like this.. That said..I have a couple friends who shoot Godox.. it seems OK, especially for the price.. if a head dies, the replacement cost is fairly low..but for me, I've used Elinchrom gear for 12 years now and haven't had a single problem in that time.. The Ranger I bought used in 2012 is still going strong.. and a pair of D-Lite RX heads are the best bang for the buck on the used market as they generally sell for about $500 a pair. My Pro HD head, again 10 years, no issues..I've ran those things countless times for multiple full day ecomm gigs.. again, with 0 issues. But as I always say..if you're just starting out and getting your feet wet w photography, buy Godox or used Elinchrom.. I've seen people somehow dump 30K into Profoto gear, try to start a biz w shit work, and then they start trying to sell off this gear to make their money back.. don't ever think that Profoto will make your work better..
I agree. And I even mean this about Elinchrom, which break surprisingly easy with the switch to plastic. Profoto and Broncolor are streets ahead for this and that's what you're paying for.
I am a semi-pro photographer, and I use Godox. I have absolutely no problem with anything you said in your previous video, or this one. RUclips comments are typically not the place to find nuance though!
Applying lessons from other niches into your work is a valuable skill; however, not all subject matter applies to your work. I enjoy watching your videos. If it somehow makes me think about what I'm doing differently, I consider that educational. If it does not, I consider it entertaining. I honestly don't understand the need to debate the content. It seems to be a lack of understanding, and is a part of a larger issue stemming from social media.
I think the point about availability from rental facilities is a strong one and resonated with me (as a Godox owner) thinking about the tigers I have hired lights for commercial shoots and been far less comfortable with the operation of Profoto units. However, on the issues of build quality, I think that gap is closing. Drop a Godox, Profoto or Broncolor light from any real height onto a studio floor and they all have a fairly equal chance of surviving. As such the day to day durability is fairly negligible, but the long term durability is why facilities houses will stock them over Godox. This matters little to the renter though. Commercial photography budgets (until AI ends it all) afford for the marginal gains of the higher end brands. These are marginal though, and as such it’s the availability issue that still makes far more sense than any other argument. Interesting food for thought though 🙏🏼
I have no proof that any is more durable than the other brand.... which kinda supports what i'm about to say.... it's mostly a FEELING that something is more durable.... us Photographers are a superstitious bunch i would say.... if i went to a rental and they'd offer me Godox light.... even if on paper they'd be equal i'd think they're joking and i want the "real" lights... i shot quite a bit with Godox flash guns while moving studios and when i'm outside... think they're great.... but i still FEEL like Profoto would be the more durable
People (mostly internet photo influencers and their followers) forget that for Pro's, photo equippment, cameras, lights, etc, are just tools. When you do a big shoot, where the photographer's fee is just a small part of the total, you do not want to be thinking about the gear going bad, lights not having the right color temp, and the flash changing it's power on every shot. I have had shots with 30+ flash heads in a single shot with 45000 Ws in combined power, taken all in camera on a single transparency, and I have had modern 100+ multi shot composites done digitally with a single bulb on a 1600 Ws generator.. It is always the same.. you rarely can afford the reshoot because of a faulty piece of gear..
LOL, good stuff Scott, I'm glad you're not a fan boy. I have Godox flashes because that's all I need. Anything more would be overkill for what I do. I was just at the ProFusion event in Toronto and got to see a lot of new gear and sat in on two days worth of learning sessions. I was drooling on and off. Yes, I'd love to have all the neat kit Profoto offers but I just can't rationalize the extra cost for the amount of business I have. And looking forward, I'd rather use less capable and less expensive gear so I can spend money on travel costs. After all, there is only so much money in the kitty.
1st off I am a commercial photographer. I worked on plenty of big time shoots with big names clients. I’ve used pretty much most of the lighting kits out there…Profoto, Broncolor, Elinchrom, & even godox. I will still take the godox over all the others! You’re spot on getting godox serviced. However with build quality they are just as good if not better. I’ve had both my Broncolor and Godox lights fall when an assistant hadn’t sandbagged the light. The Broncolor shattered into pieces but the godox was fine. We picked it back up and kept shooting! The bill to fix the Broncolor light was through the roof!! Cheaper to just buy a new Broncolor head at over $2k. But if I had to buy a new godox…$900 is a lot easier to deal with. It’s not the brand of light kit that makes the photo. The photographer that knows how to light can use whatever and still make a great photo. I’ve said it before…if your client is looking at what camera kit & light kit you use then they are concerned with the wrong stuff! The final image is all that matters. Good for you and others that want show off because you can afford the $$ lighting kits, I can too. But I would rather keep that $$ in my bank account than show off to clients that I have Broncolor gear!!
Yes, I saw your first video and - as a Godox user - I fully agreed. Why people are arguing with your point is beyond my understanding. Of course, even while Godox is not cheap or bad quality, it is not as sturdy and reliable as other brands. I would compare it to a good home espresso machine. Even though it might cost 2000€, it is still a consumer machine and not made for heavy commercial use, because all the small internal parts are what makes them suited for little use (5-15 cups a day). A real commercial espresso machine costs 100.000€ and is suited for heavy use (1000 cups a day) since its internal components are way more durable and easier to repair. The coffee out of both machines still tastes the same.
Commercial interior and architectural photography here and I agree with everything you said in the video I use Godox ad200 exclusively because they are the smallest lights with the highest output that I can find. I need multiple of them because my work is mobile. The size is and design is amazing, they are about the size of a speed light and you can stack multiple together if you need a stronger source. The light quality is good enough but the build quality sucks. I have at least one fail every year. I’ve had switches break, I’ve had battery compartment doors break, I’ve had motherboard failures every time it’s something different but keep going back to them though because I can’t find another option that’s as compact and versatile from any other brand. I’ve just learned to suck up the replacement cost.😅
Makes sense although after I had two profoto lights repaired over the last two years or so I wonder how much of that famed "serviceability" is left. They more or less changed the whole device while it SHOULD be like turn some screws, open the thing up, take something out, put something new in. I mean you can't even change the flashbulb anymore.
Correct review!!! Light is light, and for the price tag that you buy a Profoto A10 you can buy 4 Godox V1 each with a kit of accesories and color gels. Maybe in terms of consistency /color temperature they are not the same, but 1 light on camera and 3 off camera are better than just one on camera on an event reception.
Back in the analog film days, I used Multiblitz - a professional German brand that went out of business in 2017 - In 2016 I switched to Godox AD600s - the battery version but also with optional 230 v adaptors - Generally I treat all my gear with a lot of care and I do the same with the Godox systems. I have been very happy with the quality of the light and the consistency in color temperature. I miss better modeling light in the Godox, but they do a great job on location. Most of the work I do is to travel for half a day to shoot some piece of antique/crafts/ethnographic-museum-artifact on location - and then return - And for that, it works very well and reliably. I also do weddings - (to keep myself sharp and because I like people :-) ) - and for weddings, the battery capacity is on par if not better than Pro-foto - but that is probably the one place where I wish Godox was more solid as you need to work very past on weddings and can't always be as gentle with the gear. The Godox Xpro trigger is great and very fast and easy to work with. Doing large projects in rented studios etc. I do get that you need to buy or rent the gear that is tough and well-known also by your assistants etc. but for an up-and-coming photographer you can get a long way with Godox and it is no longer a brand where you are embarrassed in front of you clients - I always bring more batteries then I need and more spare flashbulbs than I can imagine breaking - I have been let down by Hasselblad, Fuji and by Multiblitz on set, but not by Godox. I guess that Godox will move even closer to Profoto, Broncolor, and Elinchrom in the coming years. I do enjoy your channel
Build quality and availability are why the arri sky panels are the standard on so many video sets. Most, if not all professionals have worked with them and can find them for rent everywhere. (My personal lighting kit is aputure). Your take is spot on, Scott!
Unrelated to godox, but I love this channel, just a guy talking normally and not the "traditional" RUclips style like "WHAT'S UP RUclips!" And no ramping up of personality to seek likable. Thank you.
Got it the first time when you addressed the issue weeks ago.. and got it again the second time! Hopefully the Uber drivers got it this time. No offense. 😂 Btw... thank you for the visual of the groom swinging his mate above his head... unfortunately, I too did weddings... once... long long ago. Too much mate swinging above the head at the reception halls for me as well. Lol
I'm a Godox user but I thought your previous video explained everything perfectly clearly. I'm not precious about my choice of gear, no doubt if I could afford it I'd buy in Profoto.
Great video Scott. I totally get it, which is why I don't do RUclips videos or promote what I do. I know that that sounds absurd, however, I am over all the haters, and professional jealousy that people like to give. After 35 years of making successful TV and drama commercial campaigns all over the world, I just like to watch all the would-be bitches thrash it out in this quirky world we now live in. Last week one of my business partners died suddenly, so I am re-evaluating what I do going forward. No use busting your gut over issues that don't promote you positively or give you a happy ending, whatever that may be. Enjoy live brother, and live long and prosper, the world is an exciting place...still!!!
As a drummer I get what your saying about fit and finish really being the main difference between “pro” gear and entry level or more affordable gear but I will say the godox stuff I use the Ad pro line seems very well built. I don’t have much to compare it to but I feel comfortable slinging my ad100 and ad200 pros around in my camera backpack all over the place.
I use Godox lights for video and in one case you need to use two separate apps to use lights from the exact same series and you can’t purchase replacements parts, in my case a ballast if one stops working or gets broken. After market support is also absolutely useless, and if I was starting again, I’d go with aperture.
Some years back we had a day with the BIPP in Preston, Fuji and Broncolor, were hosting. The reasons for using Broncolor made sense but the guy said if you are not using them all day everyday then use Godox as they are more than good enough and a hell of a lot cheaper.
I've been around lots of pros and I've never seen them throw their lights around like that. I've seen a few dropped by accident, but not thrown around. And I've seen high end lights break from just a small drop distance (maybe that wasn't the first time it was dropped), but I've seen it.
it really depends on so much about what you are doing. At the moment, there might be even only Broncolor left for the table-top, food,.. Similar stuff. Profoto has left this with their awful focus on wedding photographers. I rented their b flashes so often and had so many problems with them. They have just one pack system left and even rental company don't have many of them. Their new b heads with recessed flash tubes are beyond the Godox ad pro line in so many ways. It is even faster to get repairs for a Godox flash here, besides buying an ad pro is often cheaper than repairing a flash tube on a b10. For people photographers, a lot has changed.
Opinions from "pro" RUclipsrs are always to be taken with a pinch of salt - pro photographers yes, pro RUclipsrs definitely NO. You need to listen to experience, not someone who is being given freebies or paid to rave about certain brands
Not only that but even if the youtubers isn’t getting freebies, they probably can’t afford to make reviews on expensive brands. If they had access to the brands, they would be busy using them. Furthermore, there are far less viewers interested in Broncolor than Godox because of that price difference.
I think that there aren’t a whole lot of photographers who really work on tier 1 commercial sets, so some of the concepts may be abstract to them about the kind of gear you need for tier 1 work. Professional does not equal tier 1 commercial. Lots of levels to photography like everything else. Good video good explanation Way to go!
There is a also a difference in light efficiency and quality of light between Profoto/Broncolor/Elinchrom heads and Godox and others, also the rental part is the main reason for using Profoto/Broncolor/Elinchrom. The other main advantage of those three is head modifier options, like the best ever fresnel head I ever had was a Multiblitz/Desisti converted to Profofto. There also things like flash duration which Dynalites always sucked at. As far rugged powerpacks here in the US Speedatron is also an option, never liked their heads
Thanks for a great channel and videos. Funny you had to make this video with an semi-ambiguous title. So many people don't read/watch and fully comprehend what is being said/wrote. They take their circumstances and apply it to everyone. Everything outside of their needs, circumstances, world, is wrong in their minds. It is annoying AF. Keep doing what you are doing. The content is refreshing.
Remember speaking to a chap at a rental house a while back, saying he had problems getting one of their sinewave inverters repaired. Don't know how that ended but suppose that is part of the downside of the price. There "is" a repair network, but no where near as extensive as for other brands, the logic presumably being that because it is cheaper, they would rather you just buy another one. You have to do the maths on that, but sometimes you find it is actually cheaper "in the long run" to buy a more expensive brand due to the lifespan of the item.
As someone who self funds (bootstraps) my gear, I try to only purchase quality gear, but often the budget doesn't allow for Hollywood solutions, so where does this leave the rest of us.... Godox! 😅😅😅! It's important to understand the differences between needs and wants, and as a semi pro hobbyists I have made peace with some brands that offer the same solutions for half the price. (Ie: smallrig, neewer, Godox, etc) One needs to dig deep and have an honest conversation about one's own ego. If put in car terms, a Honda wagon is far better for daily needs than a jaguar xj12, especially when our true business needs are for a mercedes box van. (Sidenote: This is why I daily drive an ebike with a trailer for 2 miles or less, or a honda metropolitan with 107 mpg if across town, or my 20 year old beater wagon for gigs) my vehicle is a tool, not an ego booster, camera gear is the same, and although I sometime do need my sony fx3 to record 10 bit 422 120 fps at 4k, but usually not and when those type A dual memory cards start costing hundreds of dollars each, then I seek out alternatives like a prograde card that's twice the size, half the cost and only slightly slower... so this is where godox fits great.
I am a professional photographer in Budapest. I use Broncolor, Profoto, and Briese lights in my work. The target tasks define the tool. I can't afford to have a device break down on a big budget job. The advertising photographer has a lot of responsibility for a particular job. In the studio, Bron and Briese are playing. If we have to go to an external location, we usually take the Profoto. They haven't let me down in thirty years...
Sometimes it's a matter of using what you have not what you dream about. If i were to shoot a RUclips video today I'd use my two Canon G12's not the Canon 5D whatever that I don't have.
I work in house, and the CD cannot understand why we use anything but Profoto. I have one studio outfitted with it. They talk about how much they spent not if it what was needed. These entry level lights are under powered for the job we do. They stay at 60% and above at all times. They over heat with minimal work. Huge investment in capital. I spent $6k and outfitted our fashion set, and augmented our location lights. Oh and spares! Those lights run at less than 10% output never miss a beat. My employer is not willing to spend what it takes to get the appropriate Profoto’s, and I haven’t had good dealings with their service. Might as well have something disposable. Rent them on a big job? 100% Why? Because everyone on set has used them, and there are no questions. The work gets done.
My beef with Godox - lack of quality. My flashes keep breaking. V860III and TT685II for parties, weddings, portraits, off-camera. My 860 makes 1/1 shots at random and restarts randomly. My TT685II radio just stopped working. And both are just 1y old. But, there is no good alternative sadly - unless I start using full manual flashes.
Professional photographer represent a large group of people who rely on photography to earn money. What you said is mostly correct, but look at this shrinking market. If one cannot make enough money to acquire top-end gear, does it make him less professional? My personal experience is, that 90% of the clients don't care what gear you use, they only care about 3 things. Price, experience and results. Godox is fine. Their products are affordable and versatile. They may be less robust but just don't abuse them, it's not that hard.
Best bang for buck in terms of industrial build quality and serviceability are used, now discontinued Bowens Esprit and Bowens Esprit Gemini. The output power from my bought new in 96 Bowens Esprit 500's are identical to my Godox 600's with bare bulb. Godox has more lower light settings. There are plenty of independent repair outfits around that can fix and maintain Bowens. Chapmans of Guildford is one of them. I've wrapped my outdoor use Godox AD 600BM's in bubble wrap, foam and gaff! Great cheap flash but the build quality is crap. They wouldn't last two minutes on a shoot with assistants and a crew. So yeah, you are dead right! Bang on.
You know someone will misinterpret you whatever you say and however well you explain it right? It must be a difficult balance between re-answering "the community" and creating new videos, so... kudos for your work!
Buy the gear that works for you and fits your budget, people chose brands that reflect their own image or perhaps the image they want to project. It's the same with car brands, some will defend them to their grave or project the, "I'm right and you're wrong" mentality. My old Profoto 7b and Acute2 kits work well for me and require absolute minimal maintenance but others experience may vary. It's your business, your money and your choice.
i was talking with a person that shoots for TV in a studio, like news etc and when i told him how af is important for me he told me i was young and didnt wanna learn the proper way of video.... people dont understand the use case is different ...in events when i m solo i ll use a sony that has the best af, in a studio with a talking head i could use a Panasonic Gh3 ....its simple guys just open your mind a bit
I remember the other video and enjoyed this.... my stand is that "hey is for horses and horses are for courses" it doesn't seams so difficult to understand, or is it?
I watched this vid using YT’s closed captions, and it took me a couple of seconds to work out why you were comparing commercial photographers with hedgehog photographers.
I really like my godox studio flashes but I bought the cheapest version and it bit me in the ass because I can't use big light modifiers with it because the spigot attachment underneath the the lights is made very flimsy so I now need to buy new flashes with a better spigot attachment. I am going to buy the godox ms200's
Most of us drive cars that would fit fone on the reltal lot of "rent a wreck". They are a little older and have a few too many miles, but they are affordable and fairly reliable, and we know the quirks. We don't go out and buy a reliable new car every year. However if we go on holiday and are offered a 5 year old skoda, at the hertz counter, we may be a little upset, even if it's 5vquid less per day. Hertz does not want to maintain this car, and deal with upset customers, so they add on a fiver and put you in a 6 month old VW, and if it breaks down, (unlikely) it's repaired by their service contract with VW. No wrecker trucks, or dodgy garages, and it's easy to figure out risk/reward. Same with studio lights. We can do fine with the older cheap stuff but our clients don't want us to risk a quirk messing up a shoot.
The biggest thing to look at when someone comments, is where are their comments coming from? most of the godox users and group shoot shots where the light doesnt matter, Ive seen so many "pro" shots that I swear the light never fired. These guys saying light at 1/64 and its 15 ft away lol. I use godox too, but I dont use it expecting broncolor or hensel results. When I shoot a commercial catalog, my needs change. And yes I have several godox lights in my studio, even their previous studio line, most are relagated to fill, spot, backgrounds. I am not saying they are good or bad, great or crap, I am saying use what you can afford, and use what is a good fit for the shot
Godox battery strobe in a studio group shoot? Recycling is just a bit too slow & frustrates you when you try to shoot quickly. Next thing, the owner doesn’t want to turn up the modelling lamp - because it’s BATTERY & will run down too quick. Turns out he doesn’t have enough spares to be sure of getting through the shoot if he turns up the modelling light. 😢 Gimmee my old unfashionable Elinchroms any day!
I use godex receivers, triggers, and speedlite with my Canon speedlites. I have not problem with using godox. You do get what you pay for as the build quality is no where as good a Canon.
Oh, but no. You see, if I use it, it must be good. And if you disagree, it is my civil internet duty to educate you. You experience does not matter. That you are talking about a different type of photography. The only thing that matters is me and my experience and my need to feel validated. Thanks for the vids ;)
Dunning Kruger community is on fire! I mean why would a rental house buy a £300 Godox strobe, rent it for 12 months and then it fails. No, they buy a profoto for £2000 and it lasts 3 yrs. Good lord how this needs explaining is beyond me
Lol!!! People are going to complain about almost everything. People were all in their feelings about the fact that a commercial photographer rents gear for on location and uses godox in his studio. 🤣 They couldn't take the time to actually listen to understand, but instead just listened to have a response for their hurt feelings. 😅😅
Hateful comments and people replying before they've watched are both going to be from people that are not your target audience. It's sad that they exist, hope you don't let it affect you too much.
I dont think id be able to tolerate doing photos with kids if I had to use $4000 apiece lights around them. You set a wild bunch loose around your kit and let me know how quick your gear budget changes.
You're absolutely right but if you're coming to one of your videos for the first time it can be a bit confusing. You continually say "Pro Photographers do/don't etc." When you actually mean "Pro commercial photographers do/don't etc."...so you get the knee jerk comments about portrait photographers and wedding photographers do etc. Maybe you do this deliberately to trigger the comments and feed the algorithm...but if not maybe just saying commercial photographer instead of the more broad Pro would calm down the comments and confusion a bit.
Yeah titles are tricky. If you make the title as specific as the video then no one watches it as its soooo niche, if you make it too broad no one likes it as people get served a video that isn't really for them. So its trying to hit the mid point. You will notice each month the type of title construction I use will change slightly as I adjust based on the previous months titles. Ideally I would do this video by video, but they get uploaded and scheduled once a month, so if I started doing that it would mean losing something like replying to comments etc. Using the word commercial actually attracts corporate and headshot photographers who are then very confused by the video content as the vast majority of photographers miss understand the term, so its trying to guess what people would use as a word to describe themselves to tell them something they don't know. If you name the video with something they dont know, they wont know they need to watch it. It is actually the hardest part of the video and also takes up the most time. So title, thumbnail, editing, then the easiest part is filming. Hope that explains it haha. S
@@TinHouseStudioUK 💯 get that...I was actually referring to when you speak though rather than the titles...though the first 30 seconds has kind of become like a title these days with autoplay I had noticed Americans would tend to refer to you as a advertising or campaigns photographer... commercial is very broad too... perhaps not as broad as professional. But still words have many different meanings to different people it's the beauty of and the biggest problem with the English Language I think...perhaps it's time for 'newspeak' #1984 At least by batching though you may not get to react to the instant feedback with the very next video but you do get to create a reasonable "sample" trying something out rather than reacting possibly incorrectly to a single data point.
Cheap Chinese lights suck, no matter what the brand. You hit it on the head at 2:15 in this video. Repeatable exposure and color temp are key. Build quality can be the difference between stressing when your lights fail at the worst time and never having to worry about that happening. I have 2 Broncolor Move kits, the wireless triggers for them were made by Godox and they're fine because they have to be or Broncolor would contract someone else to make them. The lights are a joy to use. My oldest Profoto pack is a Pro 6 Freeze. It's a short flash duration pack and head that you can fire fast and repeatedly for hours and it won't skip a beat. It' 20 years old and I bought the kit refurbished, not new. I have 10 Profoto monos from the D1 to the B10, all trouble free. You do get what you pay for and yes the best lights are stupidly expensive but worth it.
This is absolutely B.S.to say Godox is less reliable than Aputure ... we built many TV studios using Godox operating at 24/7/365 without a single issue. Our latest studio built is at Washington DC and all our clients are super happy with the cost vs performance ratio that Godox offers over so-call "better brands"!!! We test for CRI, color drift, color consistency over time .. and all testing matrix shows that Godox comes in strong if not neck to neck over other brands at almost half the cost and that is why our clients pick Godox for their studio productions!
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I watched that video and thought that you explained it perfectly. It is difficult to understand the difference between “standard” and “have to make it work on the budget I have”. Clients squeezing photographers on a race to the bottom and the reinforcement of “quality doesn’t matter” coming from many big influencers.
Did we watch the same video? Because what he said.... and what every camera rental will tell you.... it doesn't matter what name is printed on there... doesn't even matter how good the light is... what matters is that the light doesn't break every other job and when it does break it's easy to service.... Profoto has incredibly durable lights because they make their products with rentals in mind..... Godox you buy to own.... they can be made out of cheap plastic.... you put them on a stand and they stay there.... what matters is YOUR use for the gear and being economical with the budget....
@@LoFiAxolotlyep and i dont disagree - i am trying to sympathize and explain why he had negative comments - you just want a fight. So step off.
I have been a Paul Buff fan for decades. I have NEVER had one of their lights ever fail. They are a balance between high quality, durability and price. And the support is fantastic. You get a person answering the phone then transfers you to someone who has the answer. I have 2 of their cybercommanders that control all 5 lights, on/off, power setting of both strobe and 250 watt modeling light and they have a bit of a learning curve. They are fantastic. I have broken a couple of the toggle buttons and they just send me a half dozen, no charge. My einsteins have plenty of power, will pop TEN, THATS RIGHT TEN times a second and at half power 6 times a second which is where I set my camera. And every shot is perfectly exposed including on the older large battery pack. It has FLAT LINE white balance. I don't need high speed sync, my nikon d850 will auto focus with a 6 stop nd. Try calling for service or warranty on those other brands. Einsteins have a life time warranty and they only charge for the part. They are here in America in Nashville. @@LoFiAxolotl
I've got to say, I'm surprised at the negative comments. I watched the same video they did, but what you said convinced me that Godox needed to be a frontrunner in my selection for when I needed to upgrade my lighting. I heard that for the price, they are great and dependable. They just aren't readily available at the rental houses. I need value for my dollar, and they fit the bill. Thank you for your honest opinions on these things. Even though we do different genres, I've learned a lot from you.
We’ve come a long way when it comes to gear technology. Godox is coming up with flash and modifiers that 5-8 years ago, I can only dream of having (since anything from Profoto or Broncolor costs an arm and leg). I don’t care that they won’t last as long. As he mentioned, it’s good enough for 90% of the jobs.
However, when you reach that 10% level ... Godox us subpar and not worth the risk. It's very much like the old adage: you get what you pay for.
@@ScottRandall if you reach it and not before even then he uses the godox himself
@@CoveringFish For personal work, test shoots and small jobs. It's about the right tool for the job. At least that's what I heard.
I still use my Bron gear made in 1984 regularly.... I ran my Bron Mobil over with a car... still works..
Yeah but 90% is not good enough. In my opinion.
As the person that asked you on your last video why Godox cause I was thinking of going Broncolor I knew exactly what you meant. But I'm sure this video is still needed because I'm transitioning to commercial work and even in my personal work I see the limitations of Godox (Primarily build, rental houses and assistants). Also I have in real life mentors that I have worked with and they will tell you Light is Light, but you bring the right tool for the job. Even after this video I promise there will still be people who don't get it.
My background is more on the TV/Film side of things but your note about build quality and sturdiness is spot on and can’t be emphasized enough. The gear gets put through absolute hell. Even if it’s treated well on set it might end up upside down in the truck under a dolly 😂
i thinks its also from whats available in certain locations, like here in philippines. theres just 1 or 2 distributors here of broncolor and profoto and there are no service centers here for both brands, if ever theres need to get something repaired it will still be sent to the UK or US and will take months or years for it to get back. and also modifiers for both brands are really hard to find in the local market. i have used profoto when i was still renting a studio for my projects before and its really good. if i will be given a chance ill get a set, but after sales for both brands dont exist here. most of us here just have to lean on godox or whats available in the market and "make it work" :)
I think you touched on a super important point - genre matters when choosing gear. No one camera or accessory is the best option for every style of photography, but there are people determine to argue otherwise. Usually it’s to validate their own purchase decision.
I think what might be interesting is if I get a few mates who work in my genre and similar jobs and we discuss our different gear set ups.
Bingo.
Same as the big "gear doesn't matter" theory. I couldn't agree more. Case in point, I'm currently using Godox, because I'm halted, working on my portfolio and personal projects, with 0 income. Before I was using speedlites for personal projects and some editorial, but higher end work I'd use Elinchrome Ranger's. This was for PORTRAIT, 90% on location.
You were clear and concise in your first video. If anyone gave you hate after that they either didn't watch the video, have a comprehension disability, or simple aren't professional enough to understand the concepts you were relaying. Cheers
I really hope to see you run this channel for a really really long time. Really hope that. So different from any other channel at the moment. I am learning so much from you and also it is very fun and interesting to watch and listen to you. And I am also using Godox. I have about 5 of them. Watched the other video of course and I thought it was a good video. Actually, I was quite relieved cause you mentioned that the lighting quality is actually pretty fine. Anyway, great video, and a great channel. Love your works, they are fabulous.
You are in a unique situation (I suppose we all are) where you live far away from London, and rent all the kit for the big jobs you do. These jobs (in food, often at almost macro or macro camera distances) have tech requirements that not all types of pro work do. For your particular situation, I see your point.
In my own unique situation - shooting fashion and lifestyle (commercial work, for advertising) on location and needing to move fast (so all with batteries - and never the time to set up more than 4 light sources, if that- so no need to supplement with extra points from rental) - another brand would not add any utility or output quality, it would just drain my wallet.
Doing work for Montreal clients (A B-tier fashion center, but still, not a C one), and living in Montreal, I own a 5 point Godox kit and never need to rent (four points plus one spare - it all fits into one rollie case). Besides, I can't actually rent the exotic softboxes I own and love locally. So... The lights have paid for themselves in saved rentals many times over, I find the AD600 Pro actually better than any battery Profoto lights (lighter, better light spread, better recycle times) and my clients have never had a negative peep to say about about the light kit I'm using. It just works.
The pre-Pro Godoxes had all kinds of problems, and Alien Bees had even more, but a Ad600Pro, based on extensive testing, outperforms a battery Profoto (B1X). If I was doing freeze frames of liquids, or some other specialty work, then yes, I'd need something else and I would rent it. But I don't. A wide range of professional photography types don't, only some do.
As for build quality... If your assistants throw your strobes around like they're sandbags, you need new assistants. I've never seen that happen. (Do they throw your lenses around like that too!?) Many years and many shoots later, (all on-location, often on the street and under non ideal weather) my Godox strobes are still like new. If you throw a Profoto, or a Godox - or any brand of light - onto the concrete it will likely break.
I also own Godox and Aputure LEDs, all with more or less the same mileage on them. So far only an Aputure has failed on me. Maybe I'm not statistically typical, but that's been my experience. I even find the Godox Bowens mount is less rattle-ey than those on my Aputures, and they fit a far wider range of modifiers than Aputures do, as the Aputure COB sticks out too much. They're both great, but unless you need a feature or power level specific to an Aputure model, there's probably an equivalent Godox that's just as good, a fair bit cheaper, and will work with more softboxes.
And here in Montreal Godox are fairly standard, at least a secondary standard. They're not complicated. What takes time on set in terms of lighting is setting up the softboxes, flags and stands. The lights and their trigger are extremely straightforward, even if you've never seen them before. Any assistant can learn how they work in less than 2 minutes.
OK. I never respond on RUclips, but this one feels like the one time I should. 100% agree on this. I use Godox plenty in my work, especially low budget jobs, test shoots and thew likes. I have a few things to add as a reason we don't shoot Godox on commercial shoots: 1. if someone is paying me a big sum of money, perception is important sadly. This may seem dumb (and it is), but it's true. No AD or CD wants to walk into a shoot with the client and see a bunch Godox lighting or Newer gear on set. Profoto and Broncolor have become the standard within the big budget shoots and people know the gear and expect it. 2. Every assistant who has been at it long enough knows Profoto and Broncolor. It's like a universal language. Godox on the other hand, not everyone knows it and they change frequently enough that the triggers could be different and confusing (as an example). I love good too. Have plenty of their kit, but yeah, when a major brand is paying for the job, you go with the top stuff that everyone knows how to use, that doesn't break (as often) and that the clients expect.
I could not of said it better , drunk bridal parties have been the death nail for many of my flashes.
I am an Xer, I was there when the internet was born and watched it grow, and since about 2009-2010 to the present, have noticed since most people are now accustomed to having various platforms to freely voice their opinions (whether we like or not).The level of proclaiming butt hurt individuals has increased exponentially as well
I have had some issues with Godox remote controllers not always firing, so I switched to Pocket Wizards connected to Godox strobes, which fire about 99 percent of the time so no messed shots, and I love my Godox 400w strobes, I have 2 at 400watt and 2 at 300 watt plus 2 SL60w for LED lighting for video plus on camera Godox flashes. As I own them, I take care not to damage my equipment. Your situation makes sense if you are renting flashes and have assistants who are rough with equipment. Cheers! Commercial product photographers who go on location a lot might choose rentals of other brands.
i am using elinchrom for 15 years.
imo they have managed to surpass profoto.
even my first second hand units that were made decades ago still work well.
the new ones are beasts.
top quality with top notch features.
One thing I like about what Seth Miranda talks about is how he supports a brand philosophy as well. If he likes what he sees coming out of their gear and likes their brand philosophy, he's all in on it. And I couldn't agree more.
And Seth makes most of his living pitching for Adorama. So no chance of bias..oh wait.
My take is this: if you're an enthusiast and you're OK with the build quality and limitations of the Godox/Flashpoint systems, get them (limitations I mean inconsistency that can occur between units and even just flashes in general). But if you're a pro that's hard on their gear or demands accurate color and reliability, they might not be the best option, unless they are for perhaps something that is not a major function (but even so, if you're a pro, I'm not sure I would bother). I have experienced myself (not a professional) issues with some of the Godox lights however I am also not in a posotion where the reliability is bad enough that I need to spend $1000+ on a light. The $500 lights are fine for what I do. IF I were to go pro then I might look int osomething like Profoto but at that point, my gear would likely be getting paid for by the paid work (at least, over time). It's kind of the same argument that can be had about tripods -- you can buy (5) $200 tripods or you can buy (1) $1000 good tripod and have it for 20+ years. Both will work, but it's up to you how much hassle you want to go through. For some, the Godox / Flashpoint and even cheaper systems, fit their needs and their budget and they're happy with them, and others who would not touch Godox with a 10 ft pole. But again, it depends on your needs and your tolerance to issues. I'm pretty tolerant with mine since I'm not shooting professionally (most TFP anyway) as mentioned, but a pro who relies on their lights or they run the risk of getting sued/ or simply cannot afford a malfunction, should look elsewhere. I'm not saying you can't use Godox for pro work, as I know some who do, but you have to willing to accept the downsides to it (and really, any system). One thing I do love about Godox is that there is one trigger that pretty much works with all of their OCF strobes and lights. I don't have to worry much about compatibility, but again, I do have to worry a bit about consistency (it might fire 14 out of 15 shots for example).
Content producers and viewers have a shared responsibility in terms of how the content is presented and how it is perceived. Being a viewer, I need to put my perception of the content presented in the video into my own context. But, I need to challenge my perception and see how it aligns with or where this guy is probably coming from. I feel you do a great job in outlining where you are coming from - so I need to take that into account when judging the message I just received.
Been really impressed with them when assisting you
I totally get what you're saying. It depends on the type of photography you do and the use case. I may never be in a position where I need to rent a lighting kit. Godox would be fine for me. But if you travel and do important work for important clients then you need to be able to replace equipment it's something should fail. You don't want to lose big accounts because your equipment it's always failing and you don't have a way to find a substitute. I'm a hobbyist at the moment. Cheap gear is fine for me. But if I was in your position I would want dependable gear with the ability to rent something if needed.
I absolutely love your common sense to the idea of photography as a business... No I am not a commercial photographer, common sense is just that comment sense! I apply the knowledge you share to my own situations... Thank you for keeping it real!
Absolutely spot on as per usual
This still comes down to what type of photographer you are, and at what level. All this equipment regardless of brand is a tool. You pick the best tool for the job to get it done.
Scott mentioned durability and movement of equipment and how accessible it is. If many rental companies have invested heavily in other equipment other than Godox, then that is what they have. As a result they have parts for replacement and maintenance. .The quality and durability of Godox has improved over the years. If that durability was there years ago, perhaps rental places would have Godox on hand.
I bought Godox equipment. I’m a hobbyist on a budget. The things I do are at home. So for me, which was also mentioned, is that my equipment isn’t moved around much. So it’s fine. As Scott mentioned weddings and things may get damaged, I’d rather replace the Godox instead of an Elinchrom or other.
Loved this video despite the fact I have no interest in commercial photography! 😅
However, I can totally understand buying/renting the right tool at the right price point, which is even more critical for a hobbyist with zero financial return in my gear investments!
Haha.. this ties into your recent video on 'RUclips Photographers" I got blocked by a YT photographer because I made 3 statements
1. I'm in the Godox user group on FB, and it seemed (at the time) that every 3rd or 4th post was about an issue with the gear failing in some manner
2. There's a huge difference between shooting girls at sunset, HSS, wide open w a 5 foot octa for your RUclips videos, and the actual reality of
being a pro photographer with paying clients, who can often put you into very challenging situations with high expectations..
3. I recently assisted a friend on a gallery shoot for Netflix. It was a 19 light setup as we ran 3 different setups on one set.. the gear was all Profoto, and
there is no way any photographer shooting this stuff would trust Godox on a job like this..
That said..I have a couple friends who shoot Godox.. it seems OK, especially for the price.. if a head dies, the replacement cost is fairly low..but for me, I've used Elinchrom gear for 12 years now and haven't had a single problem in that time.. The Ranger I bought used in 2012 is still going strong.. and a pair of D-Lite RX heads are the best bang for the buck on the used market as they generally sell for about $500 a pair. My Pro HD head, again 10 years, no issues..I've ran those things countless times for multiple full day ecomm gigs.. again, with 0 issues.
But as I always say..if you're just starting out and getting your feet wet w photography, buy Godox or used Elinchrom.. I've seen people somehow dump 30K into Profoto gear, try to start a biz w shit work, and then they start trying to sell off this gear to make their money back.. don't ever think that Profoto will make your work better..
I agree. And I even mean this about Elinchrom, which break surprisingly easy with the switch to plastic. Profoto and Broncolor are streets ahead for this and that's what you're paying for.
I am a semi-pro photographer, and I use Godox. I have absolutely no problem with anything you said in your previous video, or this one. RUclips comments are typically not the place to find nuance though!
Applying lessons from other niches into your work is a valuable skill; however, not all subject matter applies to your work. I enjoy watching your videos. If it somehow makes me think about what I'm doing differently, I consider that educational. If it does not, I consider it entertaining. I honestly don't understand the need to debate the content. It seems to be a lack of understanding, and is a part of a larger issue stemming from social media.
I think the point about availability from rental facilities is a strong one and resonated with me (as a Godox owner) thinking about the tigers I have hired lights for commercial shoots and been far less comfortable with the operation of Profoto units.
However, on the issues of build quality, I think that gap is closing. Drop a Godox, Profoto or Broncolor light from any real height onto a studio floor and they all have a fairly equal chance of surviving. As such the day to day durability is fairly negligible, but the long term durability is why facilities houses will stock them over Godox. This matters little to the renter though.
Commercial photography budgets (until AI ends it all) afford for the marginal gains of the higher end brands. These are marginal though, and as such it’s the availability issue that still makes far more sense than any other argument.
Interesting food for thought though 🙏🏼
I have no proof that any is more durable than the other brand.... which kinda supports what i'm about to say.... it's mostly a FEELING that something is more durable.... us Photographers are a superstitious bunch i would say.... if i went to a rental and they'd offer me Godox light.... even if on paper they'd be equal i'd think they're joking and i want the "real" lights... i shot quite a bit with Godox flash guns while moving studios and when i'm outside... think they're great.... but i still FEEL like Profoto would be the more durable
😂 come on man!
People (mostly internet photo influencers and their followers) forget that for Pro's, photo equippment, cameras, lights, etc, are just tools. When you do a big shoot, where the photographer's fee is just a small part of the total, you do not want to be thinking about the gear going bad, lights not having the right color temp, and the flash changing it's power on every shot. I have had shots with 30+ flash heads in a single shot with 45000 Ws in combined power, taken all in camera on a single transparency, and I have had modern 100+ multi shot composites done digitally with a single bulb on a 1600 Ws generator.. It is always the same.. you rarely can afford the reshoot because of a faulty piece of gear..
I honestly thought the other video mad a lot of sense. And this one does, too.
LOL, good stuff Scott, I'm glad you're not a fan boy. I have Godox flashes because that's all I need. Anything more would be overkill for what I do. I was just at the ProFusion event in Toronto and got to see a lot of new gear and sat in on two days worth of learning sessions. I was drooling on and off. Yes, I'd love to have all the neat kit Profoto offers but I just can't rationalize the extra cost for the amount of business I have. And looking forward, I'd rather use less capable and less expensive gear so I can spend money on travel costs. After all, there is only so much money in the kitty.
Very well explained. Thank you.
I use Godox flashes just because it's more affordable they do the job but I definitely would prefer the Canon if I could afford it!
it is good for your job requests - GO 4 IT!!! and all the time keep in mind the ROI.
1st off I am a commercial photographer.
I worked on plenty of big time shoots with big names clients.
I’ve used pretty much most of the lighting kits out there…Profoto, Broncolor, Elinchrom, & even godox. I will still take the godox over all the others!
You’re spot on getting godox serviced. However with build quality they are just as good if not better. I’ve had both my Broncolor and Godox lights fall when an assistant hadn’t sandbagged the light. The Broncolor shattered into pieces but the godox was fine. We picked it back up and kept shooting! The bill to fix the Broncolor light was through the roof!! Cheaper to just buy a new Broncolor head at over $2k. But if I had to buy a new godox…$900 is a lot easier to deal with.
It’s not the brand of light kit that makes the photo. The photographer that knows how to light can use whatever and still make a great photo.
I’ve said it before…if your client is looking at what camera kit & light kit you use then they are concerned with the wrong stuff! The final image is all that matters.
Good for you and others that want show off because you can afford the $$ lighting kits, I can too. But I would rather keep that $$ in my bank account than show off to clients that I have Broncolor gear!!
Yes, I saw your first video and - as a Godox user - I fully agreed. Why people are arguing with your point is beyond my understanding. Of course, even while Godox is not cheap or bad quality, it is not as sturdy and reliable as other brands. I would compare it to a good home espresso machine. Even though it might cost 2000€, it is still a consumer machine and not made for heavy commercial use, because all the small internal parts are what makes them suited for little use (5-15 cups a day). A real commercial espresso machine costs 100.000€ and is suited for heavy use (1000 cups a day) since its internal components are way more durable and easier to repair. The coffee out of both machines still tastes the same.
Commercial interior and architectural photography here and I agree with everything you said in the video I use Godox ad200 exclusively because they are the smallest lights with the highest output that I can find. I need multiple of them because my work is mobile. The size is and design is amazing, they are about the size of a speed light and you can stack multiple together if you need a stronger source. The light quality is good enough but the build quality sucks. I have at least one fail every year. I’ve had switches break, I’ve had battery compartment doors break, I’ve had motherboard failures every time it’s something different but keep going back to them though because I can’t find another option that’s as compact and versatile from any other brand. I’ve just learned to suck up the replacement cost.😅
Makes sense although after I had two profoto lights repaired over the last two years or so I wonder how much of that famed "serviceability" is left.
They more or less changed the whole device while it SHOULD be like turn some screws, open the thing up, take something out, put something new in.
I mean you can't even change the flashbulb anymore.
Perfect analysis.
Correct review!!! Light is light, and for the price tag that you buy a Profoto A10 you can buy 4 Godox V1 each with a kit of accesories and color gels. Maybe in terms of consistency /color temperature they are not the same, but 1 light on camera and 3 off camera are better than just one on camera on an event reception.
Back in the analog film days, I used Multiblitz - a professional German brand that went out of business in 2017 - In 2016 I switched to Godox AD600s - the battery version but also with optional 230 v adaptors - Generally I treat all my gear with a lot of care and I do the same with the Godox systems. I have been very happy with the quality of the light and the consistency in color temperature. I miss better modeling light in the Godox, but they do a great job on location. Most of the work I do is to travel for half a day to shoot some piece of antique/crafts/ethnographic-museum-artifact on location - and then return - And for that, it works very well and reliably. I also do weddings - (to keep myself sharp and because I like people :-) ) - and for weddings, the battery capacity is on par if not better than Pro-foto - but that is probably the one place where I wish Godox was more solid as you need to work very past on weddings and can't always be as gentle with the gear. The Godox Xpro trigger is great and very fast and easy to work with. Doing large projects in rented studios etc. I do get that you need to buy or rent the gear that is tough and well-known also by your assistants etc. but for an up-and-coming photographer you can get a long way with Godox and it is no longer a brand where you are embarrassed in front of you clients - I always bring more batteries then I need and more spare flashbulbs than I can imagine breaking - I have been let down by Hasselblad, Fuji and by Multiblitz on set, but not by Godox. I guess that Godox will move even closer to Profoto, Broncolor, and Elinchrom in the coming years. I do enjoy your channel
Build quality and availability are why the arri sky panels are the standard on so many video sets. Most, if not all professionals have worked with them and can find them for rent everywhere. (My personal lighting kit is aputure).
Your take is spot on, Scott!
Unrelated to godox, but I love this channel, just a guy talking normally and not the "traditional" RUclips style like "WHAT'S UP RUclips!" And no ramping up of personality to seek likable. Thank you.
Got it the first time when you addressed the issue weeks ago.. and got it again the second time! Hopefully the Uber drivers got it this time. No offense. 😂 Btw... thank you for the visual of the groom swinging his mate above his head... unfortunately, I too did weddings... once... long long ago. Too much mate swinging above the head at the reception halls for me as well. Lol
Always informative!
Built quality is key🙃 photography equipment is expensive and it’s best to wait and invest in the quality stuff that will last a long while 😊
I'm a Godox user but I thought your previous video explained everything perfectly clearly. I'm not precious about my choice of gear, no doubt if I could afford it I'd buy in Profoto.
In Amsterdam you can rent Godox. But I get your point of built quality.
Great video Scott. I totally get it, which is why I don't do RUclips videos or promote what I do. I know that that sounds absurd, however, I am over all the haters, and professional jealousy that people like to give. After 35 years of making successful TV and drama commercial campaigns all over the world, I just like to watch all the would-be bitches thrash it out in this quirky world we now live in. Last week one of my business partners died suddenly, so I am re-evaluating what I do going forward. No use busting your gut over issues that don't promote you positively or give you a happy ending, whatever that may be. Enjoy live brother, and live long and prosper, the world is an exciting place...still!!!
As a drummer I get what your saying about fit and finish really being the main difference between “pro” gear and entry level or more affordable gear but I will say the godox stuff I use the Ad pro line seems very well built. I don’t have much to compare it to but I feel comfortable slinging my ad100 and ad200 pros around in my camera backpack all over the place.
I mean.
I love my Elinchrom's 😎.
I use Godox lights for video and in one case you need to use two separate apps to use lights from the exact same series and you can’t purchase replacements parts, in my case a ballast if one stops working or gets broken. After market support is also absolutely useless, and if I was starting again, I’d go with aperture.
Some years back we had a day with the BIPP in Preston, Fuji and Broncolor, were hosting. The reasons for using Broncolor made sense but the guy said if you are not using them all day everyday then use Godox as they are more than good enough and a hell of a lot cheaper.
I've been around lots of pros and I've never seen them throw their lights around like that. I've seen a few dropped by accident, but not thrown around. And I've seen high end lights break from just a small drop distance (maybe that wasn't the first time it was dropped), but I've seen it.
it really depends on so much about what you are doing. At the moment, there might be even only Broncolor left for the table-top, food,.. Similar stuff. Profoto has left this with their awful focus on wedding photographers. I rented their b flashes so often and had so many problems with them. They have just one pack system left and even rental company don't have many of them. Their new b heads with recessed flash tubes are beyond the Godox ad pro line in so many ways. It is even faster to get repairs for a Godox flash here, besides buying an ad pro is often cheaper than repairing a flash tube on a b10. For people photographers, a lot has changed.
Opinions from "pro" RUclipsrs are always to be taken with a pinch of salt - pro photographers yes, pro RUclipsrs definitely NO. You need to listen to experience, not someone who is being given freebies or paid to rave about certain brands
Not only that but even if the youtubers isn’t getting freebies, they probably can’t afford to make reviews on expensive brands. If they had access to the brands, they would be busy using them. Furthermore, there are far less viewers interested in Broncolor than Godox because of that price difference.
I think that there aren’t a whole lot of photographers who really work on tier 1 commercial sets, so some of the concepts may be abstract to them about the kind of gear you need for tier 1 work. Professional does not equal tier 1 commercial. Lots of levels to photography like everything else. Good video good explanation Way to go!
Nice jacket!
There is a also a difference in light efficiency and quality of light between Profoto/Broncolor/Elinchrom heads and Godox and others, also the rental part is the main reason for using Profoto/Broncolor/Elinchrom. The other main advantage of those three is head modifier options, like the best ever fresnel head I ever had was a Multiblitz/Desisti converted to Profofto. There also things like flash duration which Dynalites always sucked at. As far rugged powerpacks here in the US Speedatron is also an option, never liked their heads
The BlackMagic army is coming after you 😊
Thanks for a great channel and videos.
Funny you had to make this video with an semi-ambiguous title. So many people don't read/watch and fully comprehend what is being said/wrote. They take their circumstances and apply it to everyone. Everything outside of their needs, circumstances, world, is wrong in their minds. It is annoying AF.
Keep doing what you are doing. The content is refreshing.
Remember speaking to a chap at a rental house a while back, saying he had problems getting one of their sinewave inverters repaired. Don't know how that ended but suppose that is part of the downside of the price. There "is" a repair network, but no where near as extensive as for other brands, the logic presumably being that because it is cheaper, they would rather you just buy another one. You have to do the maths on that, but sometimes you find it is actually cheaper "in the long run" to buy a more expensive brand due to the lifespan of the item.
I am a wedding and corporate event photographer who uses Sony. I had to switch from Godox to Profoto because of the plastic shoe breaking on the job.
What about S Mount brackets? You won’t have to think about a hot shoe breaking
@CanadianArchivist this was my on camera flashes during gigs.
As someone who self funds (bootstraps) my gear, I try to only purchase quality gear, but often the budget doesn't allow for Hollywood solutions, so where does this leave the rest of us.... Godox! 😅😅😅! It's important to understand the differences between needs and wants, and as a semi pro hobbyists I have made peace with some brands that offer the same solutions for half the price. (Ie: smallrig, neewer, Godox, etc) One needs to dig deep and have an honest conversation about one's own ego. If put in car terms, a Honda wagon is far better for daily needs than a jaguar xj12, especially when our true business needs are for a mercedes box van. (Sidenote: This is why I daily drive an ebike with a trailer for 2 miles or less, or a honda metropolitan with 107 mpg if across town, or my 20 year old beater wagon for gigs) my vehicle is a tool, not an ego booster, camera gear is the same, and although I sometime do need my sony fx3 to record 10 bit 422 120 fps at 4k, but usually not and when those type A dual memory cards start costing hundreds of dollars each, then I seek out alternatives like a prograde card that's twice the size, half the cost and only slightly slower... so this is where godox fits great.
ah yes, serviceability. love having to send in profoto heads to have the bulbs replaced.
I always took issue with comments "I use it, therefore it must be good".
I am a professional photographer in Budapest. I use Broncolor, Profoto, and Briese lights in my work. The target tasks define the tool. I can't afford to have a device break down on a big budget job. The advertising photographer has a lot of responsibility for a particular job. In the studio, Bron and Briese are playing. If we have to go to an external location, we usually take the Profoto. They haven't let me down in thirty years...
Sometimes it's a matter of using what you have not what you dream about. If i were to shoot a RUclips video today I'd use my two Canon G12's not the Canon 5D whatever that I don't have.
I work in house, and the CD cannot understand why we use anything but Profoto. I have one studio outfitted with it. They talk about how much they spent not if it what was needed. These entry level lights are under powered for the job we do. They stay at 60% and above at all times. They over heat with minimal work. Huge investment in capital.
I spent $6k and outfitted our fashion set, and augmented our location lights. Oh and spares! Those lights run at less than 10% output never miss a beat.
My employer is not willing to spend what it takes to get the appropriate Profoto’s, and I haven’t had good dealings with their service. Might as well have something disposable.
Rent them on a big job? 100% Why? Because everyone on set has used them, and there are no questions. The work gets done.
as an tradie i get it i can use Ryobi tools they get the job done but use Bosch/ Milwaukee mainly because they will last the abuse we throw at them
My beef with Godox - lack of quality. My flashes keep breaking. V860III and TT685II for parties, weddings, portraits, off-camera. My 860 makes 1/1 shots at random and restarts randomly. My TT685II radio just stopped working. And both are just 1y old. But, there is no good alternative sadly - unless I start using full manual flashes.
Professional photographer represent a large group of people who rely on photography to earn money.
What you said is mostly correct, but look at this shrinking market. If one cannot make enough money to acquire top-end gear, does it make him less professional?
My personal experience is, that 90% of the clients don't care what gear you use, they only care about 3 things. Price, experience and results.
Godox is fine. Their products are affordable and versatile. They may be less robust but just don't abuse them, it's not that hard.
Best bang for buck in terms of industrial build quality and serviceability are used, now discontinued Bowens Esprit and Bowens Esprit Gemini. The output power from my bought new in 96 Bowens Esprit 500's are identical to my Godox 600's with bare bulb. Godox has more lower light settings. There are plenty of independent repair outfits around that can fix and maintain Bowens.
Chapmans of Guildford is one of them.
I've wrapped my outdoor use Godox AD 600BM's in bubble wrap, foam and gaff! Great cheap flash but the build quality is crap. They wouldn't last two minutes on a shoot with assistants and a crew.
So yeah, you are dead right! Bang on.
You know someone will misinterpret you whatever you say and however well you explain it right? It must be a difficult balance between re-answering "the community" and creating new videos, so... kudos for your work!
Buy the gear that works for you and fits your budget, people chose brands that reflect their own image or perhaps the image they want to project. It's the same with car brands, some will defend them to their grave or project the, "I'm right and you're wrong" mentality. My old Profoto 7b and Acute2 kits work well for me and require absolute minimal maintenance but others experience may vary. It's your business, your money and your choice.
i was talking with a person that shoots for TV in a studio, like news etc and when i told him how af is important for me he told me i was young and didnt wanna learn the proper way of video.... people dont understand the use case is different ...in events when i m solo i ll use a sony that has the best af, in a studio with a talking head i could use a Panasonic Gh3 ....its simple guys just open your mind a bit
I remember the other video and enjoyed this.... my stand is that "hey is for horses and horses are for courses" it doesn't seams so difficult to understand, or is it?
I watched this vid using YT’s closed captions, and it took me a couple of seconds to work out why you were comparing commercial photographers with hedgehog photographers.
I really like my godox studio flashes but I bought the cheapest version and it bit me in the ass because I can't use big light modifiers with it because the spigot attachment underneath the the lights is made very flimsy so I now need to buy new flashes with a better spigot attachment. I am going to buy the godox ms200's
But when my jobs get more frequent I maybe buy some elichrom lights
Most of us drive cars that would fit fone on the reltal lot of "rent a wreck". They are a little older and have a few too many miles, but they are affordable and fairly reliable, and we know the quirks. We don't go out and buy a reliable new car every year. However if we go on holiday and are offered a 5 year old skoda, at the hertz counter, we may be a little upset, even if it's 5vquid less per day. Hertz does not want to maintain this car, and deal with upset customers, so they add on a fiver and put you in a 6 month old VW, and if it breaks down, (unlikely) it's repaired by their service contract with VW. No wrecker trucks, or dodgy garages, and it's easy to figure out risk/reward. Same with studio lights. We can do fine with the older cheap stuff but our clients don't want us to risk a quirk messing up a shoot.
Great one!
The biggest thing to look at when someone comments, is where are their comments coming from? most of the godox users and group shoot shots where the light doesnt matter, Ive seen so many "pro" shots that I swear the light never fired. These guys saying light at 1/64 and its 15 ft away lol. I use godox too, but I dont use it expecting broncolor or hensel results. When I shoot a commercial catalog, my needs change. And yes I have several godox lights in my studio, even their previous studio line, most are relagated to fill, spot, backgrounds. I am not saying they are good or bad, great or crap, I am saying use what you can afford, and use what is a good fit for the shot
Godox battery strobe in a studio group shoot? Recycling is just a bit too slow & frustrates you when you try to shoot quickly. Next thing, the owner doesn’t want to turn up the modelling lamp - because it’s BATTERY & will run down too quick. Turns out he doesn’t have enough spares to be sure of getting through the shoot if he turns up the modelling light. 😢 Gimmee my old unfashionable Elinchroms any day!
I use godex receivers, triggers, and speedlite with my Canon speedlites.
I have not problem with using godox. You do get what you pay for as the build quality is no where as good a Canon.
Oh, but no.
You see, if I use it, it must be good.
And if you disagree, it is my civil internet duty to educate you.
You experience does not matter.
That you are talking about a different type of photography.
The only thing that matters is me and my experience and my need to feel validated.
Thanks for the vids ;)
I'd have to watch the video again but I thought you explained most of this anyway.
Dunning Kruger community is on fire! I mean why would a rental house buy a £300 Godox strobe, rent it for 12 months and then it fails. No, they buy a profoto for £2000 and it lasts 3 yrs. Good lord how this needs explaining is beyond me
Lol!!! People are going to complain about almost everything. People were all in their feelings about the fact that a commercial photographer rents gear for on location and uses godox in his studio. 🤣 They couldn't take the time to actually listen to understand, but instead just listened to have a response for their hurt feelings. 😅😅
Hateful comments and people replying before they've watched are both going to be from people that are not your target audience.
It's sad that they exist, hope you don't let it affect you too much.
I have Godox lights and much more expensive Westcott lights. The Westcott light are the only lights that have failed.
Si which studio light Godox kit would you suggest ? :)
I dont think id be able to tolerate doing photos with kids if I had to use $4000 apiece lights around them. You set a wild bunch loose around your kit and let me know how quick your gear budget changes.
You're absolutely right but if you're coming to one of your videos for the first time it can be a bit confusing.
You continually say "Pro Photographers do/don't etc." When you actually mean "Pro commercial photographers do/don't etc."...so you get the knee jerk comments about portrait photographers and wedding photographers do etc.
Maybe you do this deliberately to trigger the comments and feed the algorithm...but if not maybe just saying commercial photographer instead of the more broad Pro would calm down the comments and confusion a bit.
Yeah titles are tricky. If you make the title as specific as the video then no one watches it as its soooo niche, if you make it too broad no one likes it as people get served a video that isn't really for them. So its trying to hit the mid point. You will notice each month the type of title construction I use will change slightly as I adjust based on the previous months titles. Ideally I would do this video by video, but they get uploaded and scheduled once a month, so if I started doing that it would mean losing something like replying to comments etc.
Using the word commercial actually attracts corporate and headshot photographers who are then very confused by the video content as the vast majority of photographers miss understand the term, so its trying to guess what people would use as a word to describe themselves to tell them something they don't know. If you name the video with something they dont know, they wont know they need to watch it. It is actually the hardest part of the video and also takes up the most time. So title, thumbnail, editing, then the easiest part is filming.
Hope that explains it haha.
S
@@TinHouseStudioUK 💯 get that...I was actually referring to when you speak though rather than the titles...though the first 30 seconds has kind of become like a title these days with autoplay
I had noticed Americans would tend to refer to you as a advertising or campaigns photographer... commercial is very broad too... perhaps not as broad as professional.
But still words have many different meanings to different people it's the beauty of and the biggest problem with the English Language I think...perhaps it's time for 'newspeak' #1984
At least by batching though you may not get to react to the instant feedback with the very next video but you do get to create a reasonable "sample" trying something out rather than reacting possibly incorrectly to a single data point.
Cheap Chinese lights suck, no matter what the brand. You hit it on the head at 2:15 in this video. Repeatable exposure and color temp are key. Build quality can be the difference between stressing when your lights fail at the worst time and never having to worry about that happening. I have 2 Broncolor Move kits, the wireless triggers for them were made by Godox and they're fine because they have to be or Broncolor would contract someone else to make them. The lights are a joy to use. My oldest Profoto pack is a Pro 6 Freeze. It's a short flash duration pack and head that you can fire fast and repeatedly for hours and it won't skip a beat. It' 20 years old and I bought the kit refurbished, not new. I have 10 Profoto monos from the D1 to the B10, all trouble free. You do get what you pay for and yes the best lights are stupidly expensive but worth it.
People tend to jump to the comments section before they even finish videos most of the time on social media. Our attention spans have shrunk so badly.
This is absolutely B.S.to say Godox is less reliable than Aputure ... we built many TV studios using Godox operating at 24/7/365 without a single issue. Our latest studio built is at Washington DC and all our clients are super happy with the cost vs performance ratio that Godox offers over so-call "better brands"!!! We test for CRI, color drift, color consistency over time .. and all testing matrix shows that Godox comes in strong if not neck to neck over other brands at almost half the cost and that is why our clients pick Godox for their studio productions!
Blind brand loyalty can be a terrible thing.