Well...
To answer a couple, the hot shoes are all plastic, they’re supposed to be the breaking point, it’s an advantage. The best of them are firmware upgradeable, resale value suffers, but then they’re cheap and more importantly, the older Canon speedlights are now obsolete, it’s old tech that is barely capable.
Whereas if you invest in Godox, they’re part of a massive ecosystem that is just better than anything else on the market. To be fair, Profoto have almost as useful a range, but then it is hideously expensive. But no one else comes close.
So I suppose Canon went to the expense of fitting a metal hot shoe just for fun then? I seem to recall that this was allegedly due to feedback from pro users expressing their disapproval about the plastic ones fitted to the previous model?
Considering your statement that "the older Canon speedlights are now obsolete, it’s old tech that is barely capable", I seem to recall Syl Arena managed to get some perfectly acceptable results from them in that book you keep recommending to people.
Yes, I know, RT is often more convenient and functional than optical....
providing the flash unit it's contained within is also as consistently reliable, and remains so during the course of a acceptably long working life.
Investing on Godox? We weren't talking about that brand in post #6 & #7 though, were we?
Life experience has taught me that I can't get 'Rolls Royce build-quality for Mini money'. I
really wish that wasn't true, but more often than not I've been underwhelmed by cheap/budget kit that's left me quietly wishing I'd gone for build-quality over quantity. OK, so I've got some old tech flash kit in my camera bag, but I have that reassuring feeling of confidence that when I take that kit out and put it on my camera it's going to work (within the limits of its design - which I have explored and understand), and not break unless I mistreat it or drop it from a reasonable height, and it's going to deliver consistently good-looking results.
As I said, we all have different requirements and expectations, hence me adding my comment to the thread as a
possible alternative take for consideration. Anyway, I hope Tony chooses the right kit for his requirements and wish him the best of luck with his choice.