AD300 Pro Overheating Torture Test

I just got the Godox AD300 Pro in from Pergear, and what better way to start testing than to try to break it! Let’s see how far we can push it before it decides to give up the ghost, slow down, or hey, maybe even melt into a puddle of broken dreams.
To buy an AD300 Pro:
Pergear: bit.ly/2Vs4xiP (great bundle deal!)
Adorama: bit.ly/3aoQhvd (Adorama exclusive in the USA)
Amazon CA: amzn.to/2KqfIly
Shot on the Sony a9 with the Sony/Zeiss 35 1.4
a9 Adorama: bit.ly/2t3rzgH
a9 Amazon US: amzn.to/2KAfUjs
a9 Amazon CA: amzn.to/2VsCcd7
35 1.4 Adorama: bit.ly/2EmRQ1e
35 1.4 Amazon US: amzn.to/2ItJOU6
35 1.4 Amazon CA: amzn.to/2LcxYhQ
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*Disclosure: Pergear provided me this flash unit for testing and review purposes, but with no strings attached. If there Were strings attached, I suspect they wouldn’t be too happy if I break it, more or less on purpose here. But I digress… I am a member of Amazon and Adorama affiliate/associate programs, and anything that you purchase by clicking on/through my links could result in me getting a commission. That being said, I greatly appreciate you doing so, as it helps to fund this channel's operations, as well as feed my family.

[@vonpotatostein]

Thank you Wes for doing this test! Really appreciate it!!! Can't wait for the lockdown to end and pick an AD300 with the bowens mount adapter

[@WesPerry]

I haven't seen the adapter available anywhere just yet. I'll be using the S2 bracket for mounting for now (and maybe for always...this thing is so small I'm not so sure that mounting a box on the unit itself is a great idea...)

[@kennethnielsen3864]

Thanks for sharing.

[@Panagiotis-Skordilis]

Excellent as always Wes

[@user-oy5bz8tn5e]

I wonder you are Joe Bastianich 😂

[@ericwong1545]

Great testing wes, love your cat too LOL

[@B-Moye]

"If you haven't been here for one of my overheating tests, it's gonna be the same as always." Me, a n00b: But what is always?

[@WesPerry]

If you watched this one, you now know 😏

[@B-Moye]

@@WesPerry indeed I do. thanks for the vid

[@MrTacticalinuit]

I think this strobe caused them to make accessories for their own mount. I couldn't find a Godox mount octobox for the AD400, but now there is one. I wanted to use that because of the slimmer profile without the Bowens adaptor. But I bought the Bowen adaptor so now I'm not sure if I should get all godox, or just use Bowens to get all the variants that support Bowens mount. The AD400 is super slim without the Bowens adaptor, but with it it really stretches my camera bag making it barely possible to fit it.

[@JustZG]

Hi Wes, did you ever end up doing a AD400 pro overheating torture test? Couldn't find it. Would definitely love to see how the ad400 pro handles overheating/slowdown on constant use before deciding on getting the ad600 or 300 instead. Thanks!

[@dangphoto_]

I have problems with AD400 overheating. Round about 15min on full power. Is a Profoto B10 better with cooling?

[@WesPerry]

A Profoto B10 is pretty hard to stop. What shutter speed are you using?

[@JustZG]

@@dangphoto_ does it slowdown at 15minutes at full power? or it overheat and stops shooting completely?

[@WesPerry]

Yeah lots more details needed here.

[@mmeerdam]

bit late perhaps, but to whom it may concern: I shoot front flash portraits a lot. I used to use ad300 pro, but when firing rapidly (some quick succesion frames up to 2 frames a sec) at 1/16th to 1/4th power the Godox started overheating after about 50 to 70 shots. I now use a Profoto b10x and it never overheats while being faster recycling even. I can do this all day and I never get the Profoto to overheat, while the Godox overheated every time and slowed down. Also it seems the b10x is faster to respond on the first shot after a pause in shooting with my canons. I planned to go all Godox when I bought the amazingly portable ad300s but in daily use the b10x is so much snappier in its response and not overheating, I am a bit sad to say I switched back to Profoto.

[@WesPerry]

So you’re saying that another flash with 4x the price of the AD300 Pro works a little better? Interesting… 😂

[@mmeerdam]

​@@WesPerry I am providing information from an in the field (professional) use case your test didn't provide. Info which could have saved me from buying the godox's to find out. For the use case of sitting-on-a-couch-waiting-for-a-flash-to-overheat-while-videotaping-yourself, I see this difference would be insignificant. You choose the right flash for you. well done.

[@GilbertTV]

good stuff

[@Richie5480]

I like the shades.

[@WesPerry]

Thanks, boss 😎

[@lamasteve6905]

Profoto is overheating !

[@normski4ash]

Looks kind of cute ! Not available in the UK yet, can buy from China for £460 ($800 Canadian) so that'll likely be £560 with UK taxes ! ($978 Canadian) OUCH ! Don't think I'll be getting one !!! OK Profoto are 10 times dearer, but I could buy 2 AD200's for that... Sorry Godox, not for me !

[@WesPerry]

Ouch, yeah, that’s not a great conversion. It’s not really readily available anywhere yet. Still in the preorder stage for the most part. I’m sure it’ll come out at a more reasonable price there soon. HOWEVER, in my full review I do address that the price isn’t Quite as good as some make it seem. ;)

[@qiyuxuan9437]

@Chris Well, they sell it at 420 usd(converted from cny) in China, so that is a very good deal. It would cost me 50% more if I order it in Australia tho lol😂

[@qiyuxuan9437]

If you orded it from godox offical Taobao store in China, its only around 420 usd, and they do have global shipping option, which should cost under 50usd.

[@qiyuxuan9437]

@Chris Yeah, I choosed AD300pro over AD200pro, since it has a shorter length, and simlair shape to a camera lens, which can fit nicely into the lens slot in my camera backpack.

[@peterlemke3468]

Good to see you're staying sane Wes. Did you torture test your toys as a child?

[@WesPerry]

Haha, no, not at all. I was actually unusually careful with my toys as a child. I just think this is relevant information that other people aren’t willing to do, in case their only review unit stops working. Personally, if it’s gonna stop working when under pressure, I’d much rather that happen during the testing phase than at a paid shoot 😂

[@user-ep7tc3zx5x]

This test is incomplete. What is the recycling time for 1/2 power would be at the end of battery charge 5-10%? I'd like need to know. I usually make not 120 shots as here but around 1000 during photosession and I wouldn't be happy to know that after 300 shots the recycling jumps to 10 s... In the net I found the test for Profoto B10 about 6 s at full power at 10% charge. But Godox? Thanks anyway.

[@WesPerry]

That’s a tricky request, as if you run a Godox battery completely to depletion, it has a habit of not being recognized by the charger anymore. I’ll see what I can do, though.

[@user-ep7tc3zx5x]

@@WesPerry Oh, I understand what are talking about. This way I lost 1 of my 2 batteries for AD600 pro when left it empty at my bag for a week (:

[@WesPerry]

Glad you’re aware. Gotta be careful. Next time I run it down I’ll see what happens, though. ;)

[@user-ep7tc3zx5x]

@@WesPerry Thanks!

[@franciscohernandezreyes5678]

fiddlesticks lol, sound at the 8 minute

[@lifshitzzz]

the real test should be with HSS mode

[@WesPerry]

Yeah, I’ve been meaning to do that sometime.

[@tkimaginestudio]

Thanks, Wes, very useful! I fully agree that all devices should have a hard switch. I bet that the AD300 draws a bit of vampire current, even when switched off, just like the AD200 and the AD600 PRO do. I'm sure this killed many a battery when the user forgot to take the battery out for storage.

[@WesPerry]

Not just that, but in the event of emergency, say the device locks up, goes haywire, or gets wet, I want to be able to truly kill the power in an instant.

[@user-vy8jn9mc6g]

My AD200 doesn't use any power at all when it's switched off. I check the power every month or two to maintain it around 50%, that's ideal for li-ion batteries storage. But I think that if you'll charge it fully it'll live for at least a year till it dies.

[@tkimaginestudio]

@@user-vy8jn9mc6g Remove the battery from your AD200. Then switch it on. You'll notice that it will briefly light up the display. Turn the AD200 off again, insert the battery and wait for a few seconds. Now remove the battery and turn the AD200 on again. You'll see that it will briefly light up the display again. This is only possible if the AD200 can draw current from the battery even when switched off.

[@user-vy8jn9mc6g]

@@tkimaginestudio Well, there are capacitors in the chain. That's why it works like that. All I can say is AD200 doesn't loose charge over time, not more than from a normal li-ion self-discharge. I think that all li-ion batteries should be handled with care, they don't like being discharged fully, and if you'll leave it in that state you'll loose lots of capacity either way. IMO it's not a problem to charge it to 50% and check it every 2-3 months.

[@tkimaginestudio]

@@user-vy8jn9mc6g Think about it. Where did the capacitors get their charge from? Capacitors self-discharge over time which will lead to current being drawn from the battery. The amounts may be small, but it is better to remove the battery. It is a good idea to not leave batteries in devices anyhow, but the discharge that will occur even with the switch in the "off" position is yet another reason.

[@Mikeyyshoots]

First wes