Westcott FJ200 vs Godox AD200 Pro

Westcott FJ200 vs. Godox AD200 Pro is a comparison between two very capable strobes for flash photography. The Godox AD200 Pro has been around for a few years whereas the Westcott FJ200 was launched as a competitor.
Westcott FJ200 ($349 Cyber Monday) : adorama.rfvk.net/3bm0r
Godox AD200 Pro : ($269 Cyber Monday) : adorama.rfvk.net/GYJQm
Godox S2 Bowens mount Bracket : adorama.rfvk.net/1QGkx
Size
The Westcott FJ200 weighs 1.74 lb, whereas the AD200 Pro weighs just over 2 lbs. The FJ200 has a larger, circular body whereas the AD200 Pro has a shorter, rectangular body. I find this makes the comparison difficult, as despite being lighter, the FJ200 takes up considerably more space inside a camera bag. You can expect a single, covered FJ200 to fill the space of a typical 70-200mm F/2.8 slot. The AD200 Pro however can stack two units in the same space.
Design
To further complicate matters, these strobes have a very different design. The FJ200 is a barebulb unit. The AD200 Pro ships with 2 heads, a barebulb and a fixed focal-length fresnel head (aka a speedlight head). There is also an additional round head available for the AD200 Pro compatible with compact magnetic modifiers. The FJ200 does offer similar modifiers by way of reflector and snoot attachments, but they are less compact. The AD200 Pro’s dual head system is so popular because while the barebulb and round head are proprietary, the fresnel head is compatible with anything designed for on-camera speedlights, like Magmod and Flashbenders.
Output
When comparing the barebulb from both lights in the same modifier, both strobes produce a near-identical output, with the AD200 Pro producing only 1/10th stop of light more than the FJ200. The fresnel head of the AD200 Pro would be an even greater difference, however it’s not an equivalent comparison considering the light would have more narrow coverage.
Color
In my testing, both strobes offered near-identical color stability, with the FJ200 having a total drift of 252 Kelvin in it’s color stable mode, and the AD200 Pro having 261. Despite this similarity, I still consider the Westcott better at color because it’s Kelvin temp is much closer to the 5500K that flash photographers expect out of their strobes. The minimum Kelvin temp that the AD200 Pro produced was 5830K, and it went as high as 6091 in my testing.
In their action freezing modes, the AD200 Pro experiences more Kelvin shift than the FJ200, but the FJ200 has a more persistent green tint across the entire power range.
T.1 Flash Durations
Flash durations are most important when it comes to freezing action. The FJ200 and AD200 Pro are neck and neck in this space. In their action-freezing modes, the FJ200 starts out with an edge at full power, but the gap quickly closes. At 1/64 power the AD200 Pro surpasses the FJ200 with shorter durations, and ends on top at minimum power. For real world use, the differences are so slim that you would not be able to tell the difference.
Battery
The Godox AD200 Pro offers about 10% more full power flashes over the FJ200 (500 vs 450). Westcott offers an AC power adapter to constantly power the light, whereas no such accessory exists for the AD200 Pro.
Recycle Time
The Westcott is impressive when it comes to recycle speed, as it recycles a full power flash in 1.3 seconds, whereas the AD200 Pro takes 1.8. This is likely a product of the larger and more spacious design giving more room for hot air to exit the body.
Function
Apart from the head modularity mentioned earlier, there is no significant difference in function of these lights. Both have TTL, HSS, Stroboscopic, and manual control all from a wireless remote.
Finer Points
The FJ200 has a color display with more contrast than the AD200 Pro
The stand attachment for the FJ200 is stronger than the AD200 Pro, however most photographers using larger modifiers for the AD200 Pro use the popular S-bracket anyways.
Both strobe’s barebulbs are proprietary and offer limited modifier selection, but both can fit in an S2 bracket which makes them compatible with any bowens mount modifier.
0:00 Introduction
0:13 This is a bad comparison
2:02 The FJ200 is more like an AD300 Pro
2:33 Overview of FJ200 Flash Design
3:51 AD200 Pro vs FJ200 Power Comparison
4:31 AD200 Pro vs FJ200 Output Stability
5:05 AD200 Pro vs FJ200 Color Quality
6:02 Battery Life and Recycle Time
6:41 Tested T.1 FDA
7:02 Function Comparison
8:17 Display / Interface Comparison
9:42 Mounting Options
10:04 Unique Accessories
10:54 Value and Conclusion
My entire kit of gear : kit.co/robhallphoto
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[@RickFerris70]

This makes me feel even better about my purchase of the Flashpoint 200’s. I love the portability and power of these in the small(ish) size. They serve me very well!

[@SDA0271]

Rock solid review! I'm on the Westcott platform and love it, but will give the Godox camp credit due. Just the fact that we have all this amazing technology available at incredibly affordable prices. The amount of lighting you can take with you on location is amazing. Great unbiased review, love it!

[@phphoto]

Always so thorough - Thank you for doing this Rob 👍🏼

[@Jwitherow1964]

We’re have you been glad your back I enjoy your input thanks

[@mimstyle]

3x Ad200 original with extension with all magmod accessories, the perfect combination 👌

[@gnegron22]

Glad to see this! Thank you for doing this.

[@charliegreen1989]

Great stuff Rob, think I’m going to stick with my Godox system.

[@billmastorakis2137]

Another great video Rob.

[@LMActionsports]

Great comparison I started out with the ad200 when I start using off-camera flash and then the next year I picked up another one and the adapter head where you can put both of them on there and get 400watts. And these lights have never failed me never missed fired they have taken some spills from heavy wind and still keep working. Five years now and I’m still using the original batteries. Even though I have bought a whole slew of godox strobe lights from the 300 Pro to the ad600’s, to the ad1200 pro. I couldn’t be more happier with their performance. Plus the 200 has so many options with the ball or the Fresno head. You can put so many different adapters on it to produce so many different styles of lighting. You can’t go wrong with godox. I got nothing against wescott I just think their prices are a little steep. And aren’t their lights re-named/ rebranded by another company that originally made them.

[@tonygatos1]

I always enjoy your videos!

[@KamilROfficial]

Great video my dude! Keep crushing it 😜👊

[@lacayoj]

I have 3 Godox AD200 pro and I freaking love them. Would buy another without a doubt.

[@ihashup]

Lets hope that FJWestcott releases the other Jinbei lights like the 600W and the 1200W lights. Great unbiased comparison!

[@gaidohugo5337]

great comparison ... One (big if you shoot canon) plus for the FJ200 is that it has the canon RT protocol, same as the FJ400 and the 500 Ws model that Adorama still sells under the orbit brand ... The problem that the 500 Ws flash used to have (at least in my experience) was that the link was never really strong. But for a canon user that doesn't want to give up OEM flashes on camera, the jinbei/wescott is becaming an interesting ecosystem

[@robhallphoto]

Yeah, when I reviewed the Orlit HD610 I mentioned it’s a straight up better buy than ad600 if you own Canon speedlites. But years later, the amount of people interested in OCF systems that want to stick with Canon speedlites is extremely slim.

[@rickjbradbury]

The Godox system is far more mature and provides a much wider range of options on battery powered units and mains. For me it's the better of the two systems.

[@HectorRiveraPhotography]

i left godox never turn back quality of light is like profoto game changer and there more reliable way better built

[@Ridgerider13]

Good review. One thing you did not mention (maybe when you review the trigger) is that the Wescott system works on all major camera brands. Since I shoot both Nikon, Sony and Panasonic, the ability to have just one trigger (transmitter) that can be used on any of my cameras was a game changer.

[@robhallphoto]

Yup, I didn't want to repeat it through all reviews so I'll cover it in the XJ2M video. Curious, as an owner - I'm finding the XJ2M to have poor battery life. Like, from fully charged to empty in one (full day) shoot. I contrast this with shooting for months on end with a pair of AA's in my Flashpoint trigger. What is your experience with the battery life on your XJ2M trigger?

[@Ridgerider13]

@@robhallphoto As a hobbiest, I don't normally shoot with flash all day. I've only had the FJ-X2m for a few weeks. I've probably used it for a total of 6-8 hours (maybe 70-80 shots) and the battery indicator has only gone down one bar. The battery in my FJ80 has actually gone down quicker.

[@robhallphoto]

@@Ridgerider13 In general I'm just finding these have way more phantom / operational drain than Godox alternatives. Not a huge issue but it's just something that's hard for me to quantify because they sit in between uses as I still use Godox for work.

[@Daguigoz]

You can do so with Godoy as well as long as your forfeit TTL

[@KBTIMAGES]

@@robhallphoto I’ve experienced the same battery drain issue. And I never leave batteries in devices when not used. I also use Godox and Elincrom equipment and only the jinbei triggers need to have constant battery changes in the middle of shoots.

[@steve7015]

Great comparison. Thanks! Really nice backdrop. Did you make it yourself? Clearly you've got good taste in backdrops.....Can you do a video on backdrops? Cheers!

[@tempest63132]

Solid video, rob! That beards got you looking like Kratos from the latest God Of War game! 💪

[@robhallphoto]

So do these “I just had a baby” bags under my eyes😂

[@tempest63132]

@@robhallphoto congratulations 🎉🎊🍾

[@MartinV.]

Great Video!

[@skyace888]

Thanks for this comparison. I am looking at getting a 3 light setup of likely one of these systems. I think the Godox is the slight better one overall but I just wonder about the long-term quality mostly and also the support with Godox. Westcott has always been good when I've had questions and I've rented FJ400s before (but it's not practical for me to buy such large lights for my work). There are pros and cons of both systems for sure but I think the flexibility and smaller size of the Godox might just win.

[@ranjankmsphotography]

Godox quality and durability is unreliable 😢 Its products have huge sample to sample variations. I have several Godox flashes and none of them proved anything that may lead me to say that its great in quality. The LCD panel gets black patches after a year or two, a very confusing menu system and TTL Accuracy is horrible in Godox😢 Westcott products are costly but I think they are very well built and durable. Their menu system is undoubtedly fabulous. Here TTL Accuracy wasn't measured or spoken about in this comparison video. I expected that.

[@artmaltman]

Love these comparisons of FJ vs Godox. Question: is the FJ series a rebranding of a particular Asian manufacturer? Thank you.

[@robhallphoto]

They are rebrands of Jinbei products (HD-2, HD200 Pro, HD400 Pro)

[@krisconnor]

I shoot mostly on location, the FJ200 modeling lights come in handy and have been powerful enough that I can turn off the ambient lights in a conference room.

[@budditube]

even Westcott is not available in my country at all, as a Pentaxian i would always be interested in compatibility... i know Godox has the trigger i need to use HSS, TTL, but what about Westcott?

[@jimmyhill9591]

Even the cyber Monday price of the Westcott is more than people in other countries normally pay for an original Jinbei branded unit. They come with a 12 month warranty vs Flashpoints 24 month. It takes up twice the room and has none of the modularity. If I was really worried about a slightly faster recycle time, I'd just go with the Xplor 300 and get more power to boot.

[@robhallphoto]

That is annoying. I mean Westcott has never been cheap, but at $200 it would be a way more compelling alternative, especially for those looking to get into a 3+ light setup. I wonder why there’s such a big price gap when there isn’t on the other products.

[@krisconnor]

I have had to call Westcott's customer service and a real person answered on the other end and worked with to get through the issue. Also, were able to do a custom package as one of them had things I didn't need.

[@Richie5480]

Yeah I carry 2 AD200 in my backpack with 2 cameras and lens. Oh yeah I have the round heads and all the barn doors & all the other stuff.

[@bramelenbaas3938]

Nice explanation as allways Robert. The (original) Jinbei HD200 is now at a reduced pricelevel of 199€ in Europe. That seems ok vs Godox AD200pro. However would never change to Jinbei while enjoying so much the Godox ecosystem and the different heads of the 200! Pls mention Westcott is just rebranding a Jinbei product (as you did ones before), Godox would not do that. Thanks again for educating us Robert!

[@robhallphoto]

I stated my piece on the Westcott rebrand situation, and am leaving that out of these reviews. The thing is, Westcott’s exclusivity has muddied the visibility of the Jinbei name here in the US, as it looks like nobody can carry it under its manufacturer name. I also don’t think it’s true that Godox would never do the same, they seem quite alright with allowing rebrands. The immense popularity of Godox and lack of exclusivity have pulled back the curtain to the point that most people understand the model, but still daily people buy into rebrands not knowing Godox exists.

[@bramelenbaas3938]

@@robhallphoto Thanks, I realize the situation in the US is different than here in Europe re rebranding. Here Godox products are sold only as Godox and Jinbei too as far as I know.

[@paulkane7636]

There are no shortage of Godox rebrands.....don't kid yourself !

[@robhallphoto]

@@bramelenbaas3938 Pixapro rebrands in UK. Quadralite in Denmark That's just off the top of my head, they are rebranded all over the world, sometimes the only thing that stops multiple rebrands in one country is the first company pursuing an exclusivity to rebrand, forcing the others retailers to carry under Godox name.

[@bramelenbaas3938]

@@robhallphoto Thanks, clearly still learning from you everytime Robert!

[@richmaher6010]

all things being fairly equal, I love the large display on the Westcott, enough to make me switch. Where is the best place to sell my mint AD600 PRO, AD400 Pro, Zoom LI and 3 remotes?

[@coolbuddydude1]

Why would you need a large display? Everything can be controlled & seen by the remote.

[@Vsual1]

I've got a solid Flashpoint/Godox eco system but that background I could use.

[@robhallphoto]

www.clotstudio.com I just bought 4 more recently! 50% off today which is the lowest discount I’ve seen (and it’s actually 50% off the typical price, though they frequently run 30-40% off promotions too).

[@markintosh13]

Hi Rob - Would love for Godox to release an adapter or bracket for the AD200 and AD360ii to use Godox-mount accessories. Not sure if that would be a Quantum Type mount (think AD-S7 reflector socket) to Godox-mount adapter or an S2 bracket. But to be able to use an ad-s65 softbox directly would be AWESOME!

[@robhallphoto]

Hey Mark, I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. The native barebulb mount on the AD200 / AD360 can’t support much, which is why the largest modifier for it is a tiny, lightweight, softbox. It wouldn’t be able to support a 33” softbox.

[@markintosh13]

@@robhallphoto Adorama sells a Glow Streaklight Evolv adapter for Parapop /Hexapop and there’s a discontinued SMDV adapter for their 70cm soft boxes

[@robhallphoto]

@@markintosh13 Those are still super lightweight as they have only 8 fiberglass rods, with no metal umbrella mechanism on the inside. The AD-S85 is 16 metal rods and metal umbrella mechanism. Godox is never shy about increasing compatibility, if it doesn't exist I assume there's a reason!

[@gwvaio]

Alright guys I’m having a problem with my ad200. At the beginning of a shoot it pops off fine but after a while it will take 5-6 for the flash to charge between shots. What is the problem and how do I fix it?

[@robhallphoto]

Either it's disfunctional, or you're hitting the thermal protection, which is outlined by a specific number of flashes at every power level in the manual.

[@leesunlung]

You mentioned Godox is better value because it is cheaper. What if they both are same price? You still go with the Godox?

[@ranjankmsphotography]

Never😅 Godox is a pure Chinese item 😂 Westcott has a polished reasearch and engineering done over a Chinese brand, Jinbei. So Westcott is more dependable in quality and durability along with far better service and support.

[@eduardobarrerag.8004]

Hi, hello how about the fj200 is it compatible with a godox trigger? or is it only compatible with the westcott trigger

[@robhallphoto]

Westcott / Jinbei only.

[@steverealtyandfinance8171]

how does the color accuracy and reliabilty of these lights compare to Profoto lights? Are Profoto lights worth the cost?

[@robhallphoto]

I’ve got multiple Godox vs Profoto comparisons on this channel. V1 vs A1. AD600 vs B1. AD600 Pro vs B1X vs Siros 800. B10 vs 400 pro.

[@jamesgolando8862]

If you had to pick one light primarily For outdoor portraits would it the the AD200 or the AD 300?

[@robhallphoto]

300 Pro. The Godox mount modifiers just make everything so much more compact than bowens modifiers. And both have the option of connecting to Bowens mods via S2 bracket so the experience is the same there. So unless you have a need for the fresnel head (which I never do as my A light), I think the 300 pro is better.

[@jamesgolando8862]

@@robhallphoto thanks my other thought was to purchase 2 AD 200 and the bracket to mount them but it may get heavy and bulky

[@ponyonyo3805]

Comparison of round head.EC200 has many slits on side. lots of light spills from there.

[@steverealtyandfinance8171]

I was told by a very experienced photographer that the wescott fj series lights are consistent from shot to shot while the godox are not.

[@AiramDatoon]

Petition for a Christmas glitter beard for the next Rob Hall video. Like this comment if you think Rob should do it!

[@jellevanthuyne1984]

But is the godox trustworthy?

[@marvinphotog8602]

The only thing I like about the fj200 is the a.c. adapter...wish ad200 gets this...

[@robhallphoto]

Yeah I feel like that would be easy for them to accomplish too.

[@frits1463]

Why? The AD200 Pro does 500 full power flashes on one charge. You can shoot a whole day without charging.

[@back40canoe]

You failed to mention the compatibility of the fj200 with Canon RT. For me this is a big differentiation

[@robhallphoto]

Understandable, but at this point that’s an extremely minority take as most people are looking at 3rd party flash systems because native speedlights are limited, and a terrible value.

[@janinadavidthompson4949]

The thought of redoing my pelican case to switch from godox to jinbei makes me shudder. Let alone another case in the car.. Oh wait they wouldn't fit... problem solved. Just joking it never was a problem cause godox all the way.

[@Zetaphotography]

Too many inconsistent images, issues wigh batteries, misfires. Switched from Godox AD200 to StellaPro Reflex S lights

[@iransirijillo]

One thing the Wescott has me interested in is their menu/software, the godox is a mess and often frustrates me to the point i want to throw the trigger against the wall

[@robhallphoto]

really? the only function I ever use within the menu is scan for best channel or to change the channel. Both of which are obvious. Beyond that I never use it, though I still find it quite clear.

[@mattstolzman]

In Germany, Jinbei HD200 costs only 200 Euro

[@ArtKingjr]

What made me mad about the AD200 is the bare bulb doesn't work as a model light as well. Here you have an actual bulb that doesn't light up as one lol.

[@pahountisg]

no flash tube does that

[@daillengineer]

but the round head for the ad200 does have a modeling light if that is something that is needed. versatility.

[@paigecfrancis]

In other words, the ad200 is your uncle bob. In Canada speak 😆

[@Philipe0849]

I hate the shape of the Godox AD200.. I will never use those types of lights..Westcott FJ200 all the way for me..

[@coolbuddydude1]

What is wrong with its shape ?

[@coolbuddydude1]

Godox > Jinbei