My New Favorite Strobe - Godox AD600 Review

[@bala1000mina]

Thank you Scott for the helpful and informative review! Good luck and keep creating!

[@SimonAndersonphotography]

To be honest the major brands that have controlled the market with their high prices as they where the only ones with the technology should be very worried as budget brands like Godox are now offering great quality with all the tech for a fraction of the price, this allows amateurs like myself access to something not available to me in the past at these price points, great video as always Scott

[@ScottDumas]

Totally agreed- having all one system for any situation (from speedlights up to the AD600) was a huge reason these are so ideal. Not to mention the killer set of features... curious how the new AD600 pro will stack up. It seems they addressed the color shift which is the one thing I can see being an issue for some people with this version. The only downside is the battery life is closer to the Profoto (not sure that qualifies as a "downside" since the batteries are still way cheaper) and it's a different plug for the smaller flash head, so will require a new one. Once again, you can get all of that and still save a ton of money over the Profoto, it'll be an amazing choice I think.

[@SimonAndersonphotography]

I hope I won't need the customer support, fingers crossed, but i did tweet Godox a question and they totally ignored it, I hope that wasn't a sign lol

[@ScottDumas]

Yeah I've pretty much never been able to get in touch with Godox at all. Luckily I haven't needed it, but I wouldn't want to rely on it.

[@SimonAndersonphotography]

I bought mine from Amazon so was hoping they would deal with any problems, I got my Godox AD200 for £267 but they also had a Neweer version with the barn doors and gels for £272 but I didn't know if the Neweer version of the Ad200 would work with my Godox Xpro trigger so had to stick with the Godox version, you would think how popular Godox are getting they would up their customer service though

[@ScottDumas]

Yeah it's the same with Zhiyun- great and popular products but it seems like they struggle to communicate with customers sometimes. And they're still better than Godox haha. Fingers crossed that they'll shape up now that they have a full lineup of very popular products.

[@mikesphotography]

Thanks for a great review Scott! Really well presented and great to hear your thoughts on the unit, especially as you’ve come from the elinchromes. Keep up the great work dude. 👍

[@ScottDumas]

Hey, thanks so much! I really appreciate it :) Hoping I'll get to try the new pro model soon!!

[@PhotoshopTutor101]

I only heard of Godox from a student of mine and when he told me about the features like hss I didn’t believe him till I saw it. I’m getting one or two. The ttl function I would use as a pro so the manual version is perfect. Gone are the days of bringing generators to a shoot and hoping they won’t blow my capacitors in my elinchroms. Over replacing them. Thanks for the vid man.

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks for watching! The new Pro versions are even better! I'm testing the 400 Pro now and I love it. :)

[@richardpcrowe]

GREAT REVIEW. I like the ability of the Godox units to interface all up and down the line...

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks so much! It's definitely helpful for mixing monolights and speedlights or the AD200... I'm really dying to get my hands on the AD400/600 pro! :)

[@stephenelderphoto]

Another very helpful video from Scott. It’s good to get information that is balanced between the features and actually using the lights. Thanks

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks so much! Glad you found it helpful :)

[@stephaneparis6535]

Cheers for that t0.1 demo at different power levels!

[@SAI_N_SAI]

AD600BM was a Great Flash 600J! REALLY NICE

[@EwenLewis]

Great review as usual! These are called Strobepro in Canada. I just got the 600ii, which are the ttl versions and can’t wait to start using them.

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks so much! Seems they're rebranded quite a bit... I was a bit jealous of the Flashpoint brand because the LCD is blue, not green haha. Hope you enjoy as much as I do! :)

[@EwenLewis]

Scott Dumas Thanks! Yup, I’ve got the blue screen version. ;)

[@JonnyBlueChair]

Yep, here in the UK they are called something different again - the Pixapro CITI 600!

[@lslx7120]

Marcus Nixon oh my every country will name it however it wants..no wonder ive seen clips of photographers in both those countries and thinkn hey that sort of looks familiar ( for example, tommy Reynolds in great Britain, jessi somebody in canada and rodas martufos in the usa )..

[@gdb2db]

Thank you. Have enjoyed your reviews.

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks for watching!

[@AJF4Me]

Great video ! I'm looking to buy the Godox 600 or Elinchrom ELC 500, did you happen to notice or even meter the extra power of the Godox?

[@themondoshow]

Good video. Just picked it up

[@stephoncleghorn6945]

what is the colorr temperature ob this

[@PERGEAR]

Great content again, Scott. Keep going.

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks as always! :)

[@claytonmedic]

Thank you for the review! How do I get it setup to use the flash away from the base unit? Is there some additional accessories that need to be purchased to be able to do that?

[@Mrcherrardcohen]

I have bought into the whole system the Flashpoint R2 speedlights, the evolv 200, the 360s and the 600. just waiting on the X-Pro trigger for Panasonic cameras. Smooth video.

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks so much! Hopefully that trigger comes soon, it makes so much difference :)

[@treasureislandofworld]

This is a Good Review ! Love it !

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks so much!

[@SusanWernerPhotographer]

Thanks for the great info ! I was having a hard time visualizing what it looks like all set up though....on a stand.....it's a different system than I've ever seen.

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks for watching! Hopefully very soon I'll be making some behind the scenes style videos using this, so I'll be sure to show the setup as much as I can :)

[@netunlima8544]

Thanks for the video, Scott. One question: does it have photo cell, it fires with a light from another strobe?

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks for watching! Yes, I believe it does have the optical slave option- though it's been a while since I've used it

[@PedroDeBandit]

Hi Scott, I'm looking at purchasing this unit but I'm wondering just how effective the 10w modelling lamp is and whether I'll be getting enough light from it to focus? I'd love to hear your thoughts....

[@ScottDumas]

Hi! I haven't used this in a while to be honest (been using the AD400 Pro mainly) so can't remember precisely, but it's probably bright enough for focusing and not much more. The ADX00 Pro series is a bit better and has an adjustable modeling light.

[@edmunddworakowski7499]

I could not remove the front bulb cover on the Flashpoint Explor 600 pro Remote Head Unit. Did you have the same difficulty, and if so, how did you solve it.They sent a replacement, but I still cannot remove the cover... and yes I have slid the locking switch, turned counter clockwise...etc. I’m an engineer, and understand how it works.

[@ScottDumas]

Hey, that sounds strange for sure... does it turn but not come out or does it not move at all even when you slide the switch?

[@joseph-the-seventh]

The AD600BM is waayyyyy cheaper than the AD600 Pro. Is there any good reason to pay more for the expensive one?

[@ScottDumas]

I think it's a little more powerful in actual output and it has a better modeling light but probably most importantly it has TTL. Even without using TTL most of the time, the TCM function is surprisingly useful for getting quick base settings. If you really don't need that though, the value of the AD600BM is getting better and better

[@Ruffffrider]

Great review and I hope you review the XPLOR 600Pro soon :)

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks so much! Me too haha :)

[@LivingTech]

Great review. Subbed, w/ notifications. Thank you!

[@ScottDumas]

Awesome, I really appreciate that!!

[@senaritradutta]

Hi Scott . how about Ad360 ii ?

[@ScottDumas]

I haven't used it myself but it does seem like a great in between option! :)

[@HaroldEscalona]

Great review!

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks so much!

[@alexjohnsonphotography]

Slightly unrelated, but I’m having to switch from my pocket wizard and 580 ex II setup due to my Mark IV not supporting the old tt5 triggers and I’m wondering if you think a pair of these plus a couple of their 800 series flashes would be reliable/reasonable for wedding work. I shoot 30+ weddings a year so reliability and durability are highest on my list of requirements. I love the idea behind the Profoto a1 but these ad600s have me taking a good hard look at godox. Would love to not have to invest in the b2s if these are truly as good as people say. Thanks for the video, keep it up!

[@ScottDumas]

I think it would be a pretty safe choice... the Godox's smaller flash head would be nice to have in a wedding situation and the 800 series flashes have been working great for me as well. The build quality seems tough enough and at least in my case I've had 0 issues with reliability on any of my 6 or 7 Godox flashes. I dropped the AD200 (with the flash bulb exposed) from around 5 feet onto a hard wood floor and it kept on kicking too, so I hope their durability across the range is similar but only time will tell with full certainty.

[@bernhardtsen74]

which diffuser for bowens are the best for skin tones?I got an nicephoto 600watts battery flash which is still to harsh at low power shows bright white on skin every time!Nice review of another cool gadget for photographers!!!

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks so much! It'll still be hard to use with wide apertures unless you have a fairly large modifier or a good distance from the subject... if you want to use wide apertures or closer distances, the AD200 might be a nice option (you can use in combination with this too). I've been using and satisfied with the Aputure Light Dome (it's made for the 120D but it's bowens mount so works just fine), and I'm waiting on bowens speed rings for my Elinchrom Rotalux softboxes (deep octa 70cm and 135cm octabox mostly). Once the speed rings arrive those will be my go-to diffusers for portraits, super easy to setup and a nice even spread of light. Hope that helps! :)

[@bernhardtsen74]

I am sure to get the AD200 this summer!I bet its a little package with a big punch!will look up those good Bowens flash diffusers!

[@ScottDumas]

Awesome, enjoy! :)

[@portfolioprofessionals1819]

can you use the modeling light to light video?

[@ScottDumas]

I actually haven't checked to see if there are any issues with flicker or how the actual quality of the light is because it's not very strong... the newer version is a bit stronger so it might be able to work for video in a pinch, but I haven't been able to test it yet.

[@alexandrealmeida4360]

In your outdoor shoots at what power level do you find yourself using this strobe?

[@ScottDumas]

I switched it back and forth quite a bit but I believe I was between 1/64 and 1/4 power for the most part (in HSS). Maybe 1/2 power from time to time but I don't think I ever went all the way to 1/1.

[@alexandrealmeida4360]

Scott Dumas thanks. I was asking to get a feeling for what I’d be missing using an ad200 instead (about one third power right?)

[@ScottDumas]

You'll pretty much only be missing out on 1.5 stops by going with the AD200 instead of the AD600 (theoretically, it should be about that). But, that's if you're using the AD200 on full power of course. It's definitely very capable even outdoors, but larger modifiers will eat it up a bit more (I was using it in a medium size octabox). The AD200 does have the option to combine 2 of them in the AD-B2, so if you have one of those and a couple AD200s you'll probably rarely be wanting for more.

[@StevenScholten]

so funny how much gear we both use ;-) Now how to find a way to use the Rotalux deflctor with the AD600

[@ScottDumas]

Haha, it's an addiction ;) I gave up on the deflectors and sold my beauty dish too haha. I'll eventually get a bowens mount one that works with the AD600, I like the normal style grids better than Elinchrom's weird one anyway. :)

[@StevenScholten]

Scott Dumas haha i neant we both use the same stuff.

[@josephbrotherton7578]

Are you considering going for the pro version over this?

[@ScottDumas]

Absolutely, just waiting until my budget opens up a bit. I checked it out at CP+ and it's everything great about this plus more, minus a little battery life. :)

[@alfonsolopezv1402]

Hola!!! Super tu Viveo. sin embargo no es necesario que hables de Profoto o Elinchrome!!! con solo presentar las cosas buenas de GODOX es suficiente!

[@sebastianbinny8804]

Is this battery powered? Is it ETTL compatible?

[@ScottDumas]

It is battery powered but this is the non-TTL version. There is also a TTL version and the new AD600 Pro is TTL only (not multiple versions). I hope to get my hands on the new one soon if I can :)

[@lslx7120]

Hi my man, do this unit function with pocket wizard?

[@ramjit6545]

Ls Lx yeah id like to know if that stuff works with pw's

[@ScottDumas]

I've never tried it myself but there is a 3.5mm sync cord jack on the top so I imagine it should be fine. Really not sure what the range of functionality you'd get would be though, so hopefully someone with experience using them together can see this and give you some more information. Sorry I couldn't be of more help!

[@SusanWernerPhotographer]

I would also like to know before purchasing....

[@WaqasNasir]

You must be regretting for AD 600 pro ... way better .. but expensive

[@ScottDumas]

haha I wouldn't say regret, but absolutely hoping to get one or two of the pro version :)

[@aljuk]

they're not "way better" at all, the regular AD 600 is amazing and has better battery life.

[@DynoPete]

There not as power full as they advertise

[@PrettyLady7282]

a bit bored and hard to finish your video when you're just talking or just reviewing the product like this! make something interesting, shoot, act, on location . . . will be better.

[@ScottDumas]

Sorry to bore you- I totally get it, just tough to do where I'm at because I make all this myself and have no one around available to help out. I'll aim for that in the future though

[@BrothaWithACamera]

@@ScottDumas Don't worry about that complaining loser, the video perfect for what I searched for. Its informative and right on point!