Godox Speedlite help

Blured eyes · 10 Jul 2019

I have been looking for a replacement for my Canon EX 580ii flash and found Godox v850ii seems to be the next best equivalent but I have some questions that I can not find answers to.
Can anyone tell me when in E-TTL mode I can dial in flash exposure compensation without first having to press the +/- button each time. This is how I use my EX 580ii right now by setting the Cfn.
Also when I replace the battery does it retain all my last used settings.
And does the focus IR assist beam feature work as good as the EX 580ii, I ask because I have read about the canon 430 iii rt having very narrow beam and use as compared to the older 580ii.
Also is the sync socket reliable as I currently use skyport for my canon off camera flash. As my canon 580ii die off I will replace with another godox and not need the skyport.

Snapsh0t · 11 Jul 2019

I can't answer your Canon-specific queries but I think you'll need the V860II-C as the 850 isn't TTL.
On my TT685-S (same as V860II but uses AA batteries) I have to press the +/- button to select FEC then select the value on the wheel. The wheel is used to select values for several different functions so each of them has to be selected before use.
I'm pretty sure settings are retained after a battery swap.

Blured eyes · 11 Jul 2019

Thank you.
I am still learning the range,TT685-C or the 860 I need. Would you mind doing a little test for me. If you select FC and dial a compo in can you take a picture with that compo setting without having to pres SET. And then can you dial a different compo in as the FEC has already been pressed and is still active. Then when you turn the flash off but sitll without pressing the FEC button and then turn flash back on again is the FEC ajustment still activated.

Snapsh0t · 12 Jul 2019

Blured eyes said:
Thank you.
I am still learning the range,TT685-C or the 860 I need. Would you mind doing a little test for me.
If you select FC and dial a compo in can you take a picture with that compo setting without having to pres SET.
Yes
And then can you dial a different compo in as the FEC has already been pressed and is still active.
No because the flash fixes the value set after 15 or 20 seconds so you need to press +/- again to change it.
Then when you turn the flash off but sitll without pressing the FEC button and then turn flash back on again is the FEC ajustment still activated.
No, as above

To be honest, the last point especially was unrealistic to expect.

Blured eyes · 13 Jul 2019

Thank you for taking the time for me. Helped a lot.
When I set the FEC on my ex 580 ii I don't first have to press anything - I just dial it in. then when I turn off the flash the previous FEC is still set. having it still set at the last setting is not that useful but having to press the +/- each time I want to change the FEC is I think almost a deal breaker for me as against buying a second had ex580ii.
Along with the Focus assist not being as good from what I have read and also the focus asist beam sometimes being caught still lingering in the shot. Also a chance of the unit over heating and shutting off, again only google stuff that I have read - on the other hand I have never overheated my 580exii so maybe I wont the V860II

Snapsh0t · 14 Jul 2019

To be clear, the last value set is retained after a power cycle but you need to press +/- again to change it.
I don't change FEC enough that having to press +/- each time is an issue and I'm usually photographing still-life so overheating isn't a problem with minutes between shots.

Blured eyes · 15 Jul 2019

Snapsh0t said:
To be clear, the last value set is retained after a power cycle but you need to press +/- again to change it.
I don't change FEC enough that having to press +/- each time is an issue and I'm usually photographing still-life so overheating isn't a problem with minutes between shots.

Thanks that helps me understand its behaviour now in this regard. I do use the FEC a lot and hardly even look when I turn the dial. I know its only one more action to have to first press the +/- button. But its almost muscle memory for me and I know I am going to keep trying to turn it without first pressing the FEC button. Sometimes I am not happy with what I have dialled in after taking a shot and dial something else in so that 15 seconds untill set window would be ok and may well work for me.

I just need to try and find out its focus assist performance from someone how also uses a canon 580 ex ii