Godox AD200 questions

JonathanRyan said:
Out of interest, why do you say to avoid the fresnel head? That's all I use :)
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It has an ugly pattern and limits your options (compared to a bare tube), I see the biggest strength of the AD200 being it has a fully exposed tube in such a compact package but I have plenty of other speedlight alternatives.

If it's doing what you need then by all means ignore the suggestion, whatever works right?
 
simonbarker said:
It has an ugly pattern and limits your options (compared to a bare tube), I see the biggest strength of the AD200 being it has a fully exposed tube in such a compact package but I have plenty of other speedlight alternatives.

If it's doing what you need then by all means ignore the suggestion, whatever works right?
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Yes - by the time I've fired it backwards into something silvery and then forwards through 2 layers of diffusion I don't really notice the head pattern. The bare bulb would probably take less diffusion though maybe at the cost of a little control.

The main reason I don't use them is I'm too cheap to pay for the little cases for them :D I reckon the Fresnel can kick around in a rolling bag without problems but the bulbs would totally smash if I didn't case them.
 
Questions:
  1. Presumably one battery per light will be fine for this? Maybe one spare in case something weird happens?
  2. Can you get AC leads for the AD200? I've seen them for the 400 - this would be a handy backup.
  3. Are the cables that let you separate the head and the battery worth it? I guess I could put the pack at the bottom of the stand and the head at the top. Is this a useful thing to do?
  4. What trigger would you get? Don't need TTL, don't need HSS (though could be handy for other work), shoot Nikon. Does the X2 do anything useful the X1 doesn't?
  5. Is there actually a modelling light on the AD200? Does it kill the battery? Does it even work?
  6. Will I be happy with this kit?
Answers:
1. in my opinion always good to have a spare, but one battery will last for a days shooting with flash if you are not shooting at full power all of the time
2. The AD200's do not have AC Leeds for the units, only the charger for the battery.
3 The extension head / cable for the AD200 can be very useful (booming) but you will loose a 1/3 stop of power
4. In relation to the triggers, I find the TCM feature very useful, (convert TTL to Manuel) gets you close, then you can fine tune, without TTL issues (Which all system encounter from time to time)
5.The modelling light on the Godox Ad200r head for a speedlite is pretty good, it's usable, but if you are looking for studio modelling light capabilities no.
6. Is anyone ever happy with the kit they have and what's around the corner? I think Godox is a very good system to buy into, good innovative products that won't break the bank. I am more than happy with what they enable me to do lighting wise.

Are you planning to use any modifiers?

The Godox AD200 now has three different types of head, Bare Bulb, Round Head & Fresnel. All of theses heads have their uses and advantages in relation to how you use them. Without teaching you to suck eggs and spend hours tapping at the keyboard, here are my findings.

Sofboxs: Bare Bulb
Quality of light for unmodified flash use: AD200r Head
Power: Fresnel or Godox AD B2 Head (pair two Godox AD200's 400w)

If you experiment with different heads and modifiers, you will learn which head works best. What I can say is that the using a Magbounce with a AD200r head on a light stand for quick setup will provide simple and quick lighting that looks very good for a one light setup outdoors. So if you are looking for portability, quick setup and ease of use, might be worth exploring.
 
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