Godox V1-S Round Head Camera Flash, TTL 1/8000 HSS Speedlight, Built-in 2.4G Wireless X System On-Camera Speedlight for Sony Cameras with 2600mAh Lithium Battery

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While we're on this, Godox, please allow the flash to fire before it fully recycles. If I miss the recycle time at full power by 0.01 of a second, I get nothing. Not even the 95% of the power that was already charged. Please allow the flash to dump before it's fully charged in future models. Battery The battery is a smaller capacity than the ever popular v860ii. I’ve found in practice I’m able to shoot two weddings per charge. Whereas the v860ii, I could easily get through three weddings before having to charge the battery. The unit supports high-speed sync (HSS), allowing photographers to capture fast-moving subjects or freeze action with shutter speeds up to 1/8000s. The V1 also features a magnetic accessory mount that allows users to easily attach light modifiers, such as color gels or diffusers. It's so simple. My laptop charges on USB-C, my Godox AD200 now has the UC-29 charger, the Fujifilm X-T3 uses USB-C as it's interface, my portable SSDs use it, my phone uses it, Intel runs Thunderbolt through it, AMD will soon have support for the standards. Let's take this standard and run with it. Please. Let’s get one thing cleared up straight away. The round head is practically of no benefit to me. Well by that I mean the shape. I almost never fire flash directly at people. So having a nicer lighting pattern is a moot point. 99.9% of the time I will modify the flash. Either by using a softbox, Magmod or simply bouncing off a nearby wall/ceiling. Therefore the round head itself isn’t really giving me any advantages.

I own the V1 and also other flashes with a regular rectangular head. I have done many tests and come to the conclusion that a round head offers virtually no essential advantage. Of course it goes without saying that the V1 is fully compatible as both a master and a slave with all Godox products made in the last four years. This is one of the core strengths for Godox so it would be unthinkable that their flagship speedlight would not be compatible! I’ve owned the Godox V1 for close to a year now and I’ve used it at every single wedding I’ve shot. While many people have made a huge deal about the round-head, I am here to review the Godox V1 as a whole: what makes it different from a regular flash, how I use during weddings, and why it might just be the permanent on-camera flash solution you’ve been looking for. Godox V1 | Pros The V1 is compatible with both Canon and Nikon camera models, and it can be mounted on camera hot shoes or used off-camera with a wireless trigger. It also includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that provides around 480 full-power flashes on a single charge, making it ideal for extended shoots. I mentioned earlier that the modeling light deserves a spot on both the Pros and Cons list of this Godox V1 review. While the color output isn’t the best, it has definitely helped me out in tight spots, quite literally, when I have needed just the smallest bit of light. This is a great tool to have on hand for wedding ring shots, spotlighting one individual, and highlighting objects to give them a bit more pop. For the example above I needed a secondary light to hit the second level of bridal details on the bench but couldn’t place a flash at the right angle without getting it in the frame or being too harsh. 3. Mobile Light StandIn our tests using the Nikon dedicated version of the V1, we found that TTL accuracy was very good and very consistent, in different shooting scenarios. The quality of light is softer and smoother than from regular flashguns and, naturally, becomes even softer in bounce mode. Performance in creative terms is boosted much further with the addition of the optional Godox AK-R1 Accessory Kit that we detailed earlier. All things considered, the V1 is a top performer. Lab results In terms of size and weight, the V1 weighs slightly less than the V860II at 530g and is slightly bulkier thanks to the round head. The body of the unit is slightly thinner than its older brother, however, giving it an overall more compact feel. The V1 spreads out light with fresnel grooves, the same type used by lighthouses, to cast illumination in a pleasing, circular pattern—the same shape of light you get from larger monolights, like the Godox AD300Pro (also sold as the Flashpoint Xplor 300 Pro TTL R2).

In practice I always reach for the V1 first. Mainly because of the better UI. To the point that I no longer even take my Godox v860ii with me anymore to weddings. Out of the two, the V1 is the better flash. The power range of the V1 proved impressive and very similar to that of the VING V860III in our tests. That’s no surprise as both flashguns run off the same 7.2V 2600mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery, with exactly the same rating of 480 full-power flashes from a full charge. That said, the nature of the diffusing lens and its larger circular head give the V1 a little less maximum power. There’s also less power on tap for telephoto shooting, due to the more limited 28-105mm zoom range compared with 20-200mm in the V860III.

The Godox V1 is a powerful, feature-packed round-head flashgun, available in several versions, and very well priced

Being honest, the only ones I use are the grid and the dome. I don't even take the rest with me now to a wedding. They just sit in the box at home. You can read more about my experiences below. Top Tip - Gels

The V1 was clearly inspired by the Profoto A1. Profoto did an amazing job in convincing photographers that the round head is better. So I guess Godox decided to join the party! I've not tested how many pop's each flash can do. But I do know that I could usually cover three weddings on a single charge on the v860 whilst with the V1, after my second. The battery life indicator would be left on one bar. So I'd be charging up before the third wedding, just in case. I've employed the flash regularly for product photography and other sundries in the seven months I've been using it, and have only had to dig around to find the small charging cradle three or four times. glorious w/s of power: jumping from traditional speedlights that give us an average of 50 w/s, this is a huge advantage for event photographers that need the juice on their on-camera flash to last a couple of hours.Rewind]: Godox AD200 Review | One Year and 75 Weddings Later 1. On-Camera Bounce: More Power, Fewer Worries The lighting pattern is definitely better. The light falloff is nicer and there's no centre hotspot as is common with a fresnel head speedlight. However, as mentioned. This is really only useful if you go around firing the flash directly at your subjects.