In the diverse landscape of photography lighting, the Godox AD flash series has emerged as a standout choice throughout the recent years. These powerful, portable, lightweight, and superbly crafted lights are the go-to choice for photographers looking to elevate their outdoor shoots. Yet, with so many options available, you might find yourself asking – what sets each model apart? How much power do they bring to the table or which modifiers are they compatible with?
We’ve drawn up this ultimate guide to help you navigate through your Godox AD flash kit purchase. Get ready to dive deep into all the features, pros and cons of every unit in this remarkable line!
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Should You Use Flash For Outdoor Photography?
Natural light, though abundant outdoors, may not always enable your artistic intentions to reach their full potential. This is because its properties, such as direction, power, or sharpness, are largely uncontrollable, except through the use of tools like collapsible reflectors and diffusion panels. However, using a flash outdoors opens up a new realm of creativity by offering unmatched control over lighting and exposure balance, enabling the creation of visually stunning images, regardless of ambient light conditions.
On-Camera vs. Outdoor Flash – Choosing the Right Fit
As you start exploring outdoor flash photography, you might wonder about the best flash type for your needs. For budding photographers dipping their toes into outdoor shooting, flashguns serve as an excellent starting point. Compact in size yet boasting considerable power, they are perfectly adequate for simple portrait shoots focusing on single subjects. However, there will inevitably come a time when the power of flashguns starts falling short of your creative expectations.
When you’re dealing with strong ambient light, an outdoor flash monohead really steps up to the plate. It packs a punch with its powerful, wide-reaching light, which comes in handy when you’re shooting outdoors where there’s often a lot of bright light around. With an outdoor flash, you get a lot more control over how intense your light is, and that’s a real game-changer when you’re trying to find the perfect balance between natural and artificial light.
Lighting Up the Outdoors with Godox AD Series
In recent years, an array of brands have introduced outdoor flash kits to their product roster, yet none have garnered as much recognition or acclaim as the Godox AD series. These exceptional lights offer the perfect fusion of power and portability, fulfilling the requirements of even the most discerning photographers. Ideal for studio and outdoor photographers, particularly those working without easy access to power, these kits are compact and lightweight for easy transport, yet deliver exceptional light quality and power that effortlessly suppresses harsh shadows, delivers vibrant illumination to subjects, and injects depth into your photographs.
Advanced Features In Spotlight
Each flash model in the Godox AD series supports both TTL (Through The Lens) and HSS (High-Speed Sync), providing a multitude of creative lighting options – these cutting-edge features allow photographers to precisely control the flash exposure and the final look of their images. In addition, these flash units come with a built-in radio receiver for wireless triggering, ensuring seamless compatibility with a wide range of camera brands, including Nikon, Sony, Canon, and many more. Let’s take a closer look at the available flash kits!
Choosing Your Godox Outdoor Flash
The Godox AD series include 6 distinctive flash models, each providing unique parameters and capabilities to cater to a wide array of photographer’s needs. With power ranging from 100 to over 1200 Ws, they accommodate both subtle and intense lighting requirements. What sets these flash kits apart is their rechargeable and replaceable battery, a boon for photographers in outdoor settings. This feature ensures uninterrupted shooting for hours on end, making these lights not just powerful and versatile, but also incredibly reliable for any kind of photoshoot.
Godox AD100 Pro – A Compact Flash Champion
Don’t let the compact size fool you – despite being the smallest, lightest, and most cost-effective monolight in the series, the Godox AD100 Pro delivers 100 Ws of pure flash power. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand like a can of soda, it offers up to 390 full-power flashes on a single battery charge. Perfectly suited for hair or background lighting, it works wonders, especially when paired with colorful gels. Its magnetic round head is a handy feature, accommodating magnetic Godox accessories like the AK-R1 accessory kit with ease.
Its size and weight not only make it perfect for fitting into tight spaces and achieving optimal lighting angles but also allow for easy handheld operation, a feat often challenging or uncomfortable with larger, heavier lights. However, while the AD100 Pro is an amazing tool, it is the least powerful member of the AD range. If you’re in need of a more powerful flash that is capable of taking on direct sunlight, you may need to explore other options below.
PROS
- The smallest off-camera flash available on the market
- Extremely lightweight & easy to carry around
- Magnetic accessory mount
- Zipper case included
CONS
- Flash power is on the weaker side
- Needs to be additionally weighed down for stability
- Needs an adapter for Bowens flash modifiers
- Weak modeling light
Godox AD200 Pro – A Global Top Choice
Offering an unmatched blend of adaptability and functionality, the Godox AD200 Pro is a highly versatile and practical strobe that stands out as a perfect compromise of power and portability. Just about the size of a regular speedlite but much more powerful than one, this flash features a sleek, solidly-built design that feels solid in your hands. Standout among its features are the unique, swappable flash heads, allowing you to easily switch between speedlite-style and bare-bulb heads. This versatility sets it apart from any other outdoor flash of its kind.
Still compact but twice as powerful as the AD100 Pro, this flash will prove useful in a wide range of scenarios. Compared to speedlites, using the AD200 at lower settings reduces recycle time and allows for continuous shooting without concern for flash recharge. With an extended battery life that can deliver up to 500 shots on a single charge, it’s the go-to choice for photographers who demand consistent, high-quality lighting during extended shooting, especially in the ever-demanding field of wedding photography.
PROS
- Zipper case included
- Compact and portable, can be easily stowed in a backpack
- Fresnel and bare bulb heads included
- Solid battery life for the size
CONS
- Each head requires different accessories
- Needs a Bowens mount adapter, especially for the bare-bulb head
- 200 Ws is still not enough to overpower sunlight
- Considerable battery charging time
Godox AD300 Pro – Taking It Further
As we explore the AD lineup in-depth, the Godox AD300 Pro stands out as a stellar example of innovative design and exceptional functionality. With dimensions similar to a mid-range telephoto zoom lens, it prioritizes maximum portability while delivering an impressive flash output. It expertly bridges the gap between compact and more powerful AD series flash kits, making it an ideal choice for a wide range of users. Moreover, it uses the same battery as the AD200, which is capable of providing 320 full-power flashes, adding to its convenience and efficiency.
This bare-bulb flash uses the exclusive Godox mount, ensuring compatibility with a range of light modifiers like softboxes, reflectors, and even projection attachments. Incorporating a modeling light with adjustable color temperature, this flash gains an extra edge in usability. Its remarkable power delivery speed, especially considering its size, adds to its overall allure. Being small, lightweight, and user-friendly, yet powerful and built to an exceptionally high quality, Godox AD300 Pro is perfect flash for photographers looking to maintain a minimal lighting kit for location shoots involving multiple setups.
PROS
- Smaller, yet as powerful as a regular studio monohead
- Exceptional heat management in intense shooting scenarios
- Packs a considerable flash power sufficient for most appliactions
- Zipper case included
CONS
- Might need backup batteries during long photoshoots
- Limited overall selection of Godox mount light modifiers
- Needs a mount adapter for Bowens modifiers
- Modeling light sufficient only without a softbox
Godox AD400 Pro – Best Price to Power Ratio
Moving beyond the smaller models, we now introduce the first AD series flash kit that combines the convenience of a portable design with the functionality of a regular studio monohead. The Godox AD400 Pro consistently proves to be a dependable tool, capable of addressing a wide range of scenarios in both personal and professional photography. Its ability to maintain consistent color accuracy across different power levels and its remarkably short recycle times, even during high-speed sync shooting, underscore its robust performance and versatility.
The Godox AD400 Pro will be a valuable and adaptable addition to your lighting kit. With its battery, you can enjoy an impressive 390 full-power flashes before needing to recharge. The kit includes a proprietary Godox mount and a Bowens mount adapter ring for added flexibility, catering to every photographer’s needs. Furthermore, the AD400 Pro can be equipped with separately available Elinchrom or Profoto mount adapters, making it versatile enough to meet various photographic requirements. Notably, it transitions seamlessly from an outdoor flash to a studio strobe with the availability of an AC adapter, allowing you to plug it into a wall socket.
PROS
- Can be used to balance daylight
- Zipper case included
- Modeling light is strong enough to be used in videos, even with a softbox
- Bowens adapter included
CONS
- Considerable weight and size, might be bothersome in transport
- AC adapter needs to be bought separately
- Significant upfront cost
Godox AD600 Pro – The Trusty Powerhouse
Among the several outdoor flash models introduced by the brand, the Godox AD600 Pro stands out as a truly remarkable light source. It has set a new standard in flash photography, combining immense power and functionality in a modern flash monohead design. Its unparalleled features such as sub-second recycle time and high flash power, even capable of outshining the sun in large modifiers, make it a game-changer in the industry. It offers an impressive 360 full power flashes that can recycle in less than a second, setting the bar high for performance and efficiency.
The AD600 Pro boasts an extremely bright modeling light, further enhancing its versatility. The integrated sturdy Bowens mount eliminates the need for extra adapter rings, adding to its convenience and user-friendly design. Similar to the AD400 Pro, you can accessorize it with a separately sold AC adapter. This allows for studio use, directly plugged into a wall socket, removing any concerns about battery life. It truly stands out as the best 600 Ws outdoor flash – unlike cheaper off-brand flash heads, it delivers exceptional light quality at a price point that outclasses other professional lighting brands.
PROS
- Easily outshines the sun, even mid-day
- Built-in Bowens adapter
- Strong modeling light
CONS
- Considerable weight and size, might be bothersome in transport
- AC adapter needs to be bought separately
- No case included
Godox AD1200 Pro – A Professional’s Setup
We’re wrapping up our guide with Godox’s top-tier outdoor flash. This standout within the AD series immediately captures attention with its unique design and impressive performance. Unlike the common monohead construction found in most flash systems, the Godox AD1200 Pro takes a different approach – it features a lightweight flash head connected to a separate, high-capacity powerpack through a lengthy and robust power cable. This setup allows you to securely mount the flash overhead on a boom pole or c-stand, offering you the freedom to think creatively without any boundaries.
With a staggering 1200 Ws of flash power, it effortlessly outshines the sun, even when you’re working at a considerable distance from your subjects. Its advanced specifications provide precise control over your lighting, granting professionals the freedom to select their desired exposure, adjust aperture and depth of field, and experiment with a wide range of light modifiers. While the initial price may appear quite steep, especially for semi-professional creators, it’s essential to recognize that the AD1200 Pro offers exceptional quality at an affordable value.
PROS
- Most powerful Godox outdoor flash
- Built-in Bowens adapter
- Strong modeling light
- Sturdy, high-quality rolling case included
CONS
- Considerable weight and size, might be bothersome in transportation
- AC adapter needs to be bought separately
- Only 1 head per powerpack
The Final Flash – Rounding off the Godox AD Series
As we conclude our deep dive into the Godox AD Series, it’s clear that choosing the right outdoor flash doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task, particularly with your newfound knowledge. From the nimble AD200 to the powerhouse that AD1200 Pro is, we’ve journeyed across the entire AD series, unravelling their distinct features and potential. Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned pro or a budding photography enthusiast, Godox has an outdoor flash kit perfectly suited to your unique requirements. So, gear up and elevate your outdoor photography with these multifaceted tools, letting your creative genius glow like never before!
