One of the biggest problems with comparing lighting systems is that there are endless variables to compare. If you are looking for a good strobe for studio or outdoor work, this video has a lot of information to give you a concise look at which one might be best for you.
Rob Hall has some of the most well-researched and objective light comparison videos. In this video, which is the first in a series of comparing Westcott and Godox lights, he looks at the Westcott FJ400 and Godox AD400Pro, two popular entry-level 400 Ws strobes. One common misconception with strobes is that watt-seconds is a measure of power output. Watt-seconds is the most common unit used to categorize strobes by power output; however, it is a unit of power consumed and not power output. Some strobes consume power more efficiently to produce brighter light with less power. Using a light meter to test the output between the two 400 Ws strobes, Hall found that the Westcott strobe was actually 40% more powerful than the Godox equivalent. The Westcott light shows more variation in color stability with a greater shift in color temperature over time than the Godox light. In total, Hall looks at about 20 different characteristics that are bookmarked in the description of the video for easy reference. He also provides a spreadsheet with all of the data he measured during the tests.
With so many biased reviews and skewed ways of looking at data, it's nice to have a review that looks at so many factors using objective data. The bottom line is that, depending on how you shoot, one strobe might be better for one person, but not necessarily for you. Here, Hall not only compares the strobes in several categories but also explains who would find each light more useful. Check out the video for the full explanation.
Only comment on the article is that the AD400Pro isn't entry level. It's entry level TTL and well over twice the price of their non-TTL strobe.
Still, really surprised to see the Westcott not matching the colour consistency of the Godox!
If they are still using Jinbei as their ODM, I guess their new products aren't consistent. The Adorama Orlitz (their Jinbei clone) line were fairly equal compared to their Flashpoint (Godox) lines.
I'm not sure what you mean. It's not entry level, but it is entry level TTL? Which strobe does it cost twice as much as? Camera equipment can cost $600-$700 and still be entry level. And if you look at the video and article Lee Morris did comparing the AD400 Pro to the Profoto, the Godox light did better than Profoto as far as color stability when the B10 as in freeze mode. Godox makes great lights, especially for the money.
If you want an entry level 400ws strobe and want to stick with Godox, you have the SK400II for only $139US vs $649US for the AD400 Pro.
Both are 400ws strobes from Godox, except the cheap one doesn't have TTL support. The AD400 Pro is the only Godox 400ws strobe with TTL that I could see on B&H.
So that's what I class as entry level, the humble SK400II. Sure it doesn't have TTL, but horses for courses and some won't care about that.
FWIW I'm in love with the SK300II, does what I need and is super cheap (probably buy another 1-3 next year). I also have multiple V860II units as well and think it's brilliant that I can use an X1T to set and trigger everything.
When I said entry level for TTL, that was sloppy of me. I was under the impression that $605 was at the cheap end for TTL monolights and a quick look at B&H shows that isn't the case at all.
That is also an AC only flash, which is probably one of the biggest difference in the price. The 600pro has a TTL and non TTL version and it's not a 75% price difference.
Be aware that this kind of flashes is in the range: great for the money. But remember: the poor man buys twice.
Apparently, they are worth the risk or they wouldn't be this popular where it annoys some elitists.
What I don't understand: when it comes to cameras and lenses, there is nitpicking everywhere. People count the number of megapixels of the latest and most expensive professional models, think, for example, that the Z9 is inferior to the A1 because it can only store 20 RAW images per second instead of 30. But when it comes to flash units, colour accuracy doesn't seem to be that important, reliability is not high on the list and build and service quality as well.
--- "What I don't understand: when it comes to cameras and lenses, there is nitpicking everywhere."
There's been heated/passionate debates on here in regards to lighting. There was one not too long ago. IMO, if there were a ton lighting articles on here, more opportunities for arguments and nitpicking. :D
--- "But when it comes to flash units, colour accuracy doesn't seem to be that important,"
You're assuming the color accuracy is really bad in these lighting systems. There are great photos just using a regular light bulb, workshop lights, neon signs, street lights, etc, etc. I seriously doubt the inexpensive strobe systems are worst than those. Just depends on what you're shooting/using it for.
--- "…reliability is not high on the list and build and service quality as well."
You make it sound as if they'll fall apart if you look at them wrong. If they were that bad, they wouldn't be doing well, espeically for the price.
Speaking of price, in case you weren't aware, a comparable top tier system battery powered starts at about $2200.
--- "But remember: the poor man buys twice."
You can buy 3 of the inexpensive ones and still pay less.
Please watch this video just posted on FS: https://fstoppers.com/lighting/how-freeze-motion-flash-photography-585670 John Gress talks about freezing motion with a flash unit.
If you can make it to 5:40, please listen carefully. Maybe then you will understand what it is all about if you use professional equipment. This is just one example of why you should invest a little more money, compared to the total cost (see above) when it comes to flash systems. Have fun!
I watched video on that link. It shows nothing what we are talking about here. He doesn't compare expensive vs inexpensive. He's just talking about flash duration.
And, therein lies the problem, you rely too much on conjecture. Show me actual examples why/how is soooo much better. 3x better.
You did not listen carefully. He talks about flash duration and how it depends on the flash power output and then tells that cheaper brands often shift colours when varying the power.
How about instead of talking, show it. As the saying goes, "the proof is in the pudding." And, don't show me charts, show me real world actual images.
That is not what it is about. Go back to my first posting. Nothing more to say from my part. Of course I learned that lesson once or twice too when I was younger. It is valid for every category of products.
Cheap shoes won't get you far.
It's pretty easy. All the light/semi pros I know started with Paul Buff stuff and have moved to Godox. Jan knows to count, nothing you can do about it. But he was nice, because in reality, all the guys I know went through a few rounds of Alien Bees and for light use.
Just went to my local dealer because of a new job I got and I need them for the video stuff. There was a lady, proud owner of a brand new Z6-II (CHF 2200.-) with a 24-70mm f/2.8 (CHF 2300.-). She is into baby photography she told me while we were standing there. I see the gear and count the numbers. Well, she knows what quality means, I think. But then, she added a Godox-flash (with battery, don't ask me which model) for around CHF 700.- Almost $ 5000 for the camera and one lens, but only $ 700 for the light? I wonder if she ever stumbles about such things as HSS and I hope the light will be constant in colour temperature. Otherwise I see a desperate photographer trying to get the babies' skin colours right in post.
Sadly many photographers justify (to themselves) camera cost but get on the cheap with their number one tool, the light and it's productivity.
True story, a photographer I replaced over 20 years ago once asked me to transport his photo equipment to a shoot. I had a station wagon back then he had a convertible Mustang. Crazy stuff!
Reminds me of a friend of mine who once bought a used sporty car only to find out that his e-piano with case wouldn't fit in there unless you flip the (in one peace) backseat down. Problem was, the other car was so stuffed full of drums, stage-monitors and stands that the total of the 4 of the band wouldn't find place in the two cars. But that was one of the reasons he bought a car. He was blended by the low price, the good look and the powerful engine. He ended up selling it after a year or two and bought, guess what, a station car: ugly, less powerful, more pricey (yes), but usable.
Actually, the number one tool is the camera system. You can take photos with it without needing a lighting system in most scenarios. The same can't be said the other way around.
Some say you just need a phone.
For some, a phone is all they need. Don't mistake your needs for other peoples' needs. Some of you have a hard time grasping this idea.
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophism
You can say that all day on a topic about strobe lights, I don't mind.
I got my start on some PCB White Lightnings. I used to own Alienbees and now have a combination of Profoto and Adorama Orlits (Jinbeis). The Profotos are for the high-end client work. The Orlits are for the basic stuff. The only place your going to get "gear checked" is here on the Internet. The Chinese brands have moved into the spot Buff was in for US markets. Alienbees were cheap and effective, now Godox and Jinbei fill that price to performance space. It's good to see PCB innovate the past couple of years, but they waited too long to enter the European market (and Australian, and Asian markets to a lesser extent).
The reason lighting is such a hot debate all the time is because there are so many applications and genres and needs, and this leads a lot of people to assume that some people are compromising/being cheap/being ignorant/inexperienced by getting cheaper lights. The problem is further complicated by the fact that a lot of the time they are being those things. I was talking to a friend and he said that his average shoot requires him to shoot at f/11 and do 10+fps all day, and that's why pros can only use profoto. I don't shoot like that. A lot of people don't shoot like that. For me, color stability is a minor, minor issue. Assuming I shoot 1,000 frames and there is a color shift of pics at the beginning being 5600k, and at the end 5750k, and I'm selling a client an album with 20 edits, the color shift is going to be barely perceptable, and there's going to be color and lighting adjustments to make anyway depending on wardrobe changes or whatever. So, just hypothetically, assuming there are 1,000 genres/workflows of off-camera flash needs by working professionals, probably 900 of them could be satisfied with little to no compromise by Godox. And then even if then, buying twice as many lights as you need in case every light breaks at the same time nd you need to swap them all out at a big shoot, you'd still be cheaper buying all Godox.
I did not want to start a big thread about what is paying off better. If you alter the flash's power output, cheaper models possibly do vary in their colour temperature. If you don't use a colour chart then you probably don't care for a very stable colour temperature. But if you want to reproduce colours as they are in the real world, you better invest in gear which is more accurate. We calibrate our camera, monitor, printer, but the light is not that important to be stable? This is kind of weird. Thanks for your answer. Cheers.
That is 100% true, probably. If you look at the video that Lee did comparing the AD400 and the B10, the Godox light did better than the Profoto in color stability when the B10 was in freeze mode. But all flashes have color consistency shift across the power range. So, I'm not saying that getting accurate color is not important, I'm just saying that having one be 150k off and one being 120k off is not always a huge issue. But I don't want to downplay it either because if you are mixing lights and one is firing at 5600k as it's supposed to, and one is firing at 5800k because it's at a different power setting, that could entirely ruin a set, or at least add tons of time to each edit.
True as well. If you do work for others you may start with the cheap stuff. I you want to stay in business, get the real gear and if only because your competitors are doing it.
When we buy the expensive stuff, we also want it to be better, more robust, more reliable and more accurate. If the expensive brands could lower their prices easily they would have done so long ago. There is a reason why pro tools do cost more than mass-produced ones. Ask a mechanic why he buys the spanner set that is four or five times more expensive and not the cheap one from the shops.
At B&H, the Godox is also $50 more expansive than the Westcott
Yep, he also mentioned that in the video.
I'll just say this, I have 3 Flashpoint strobes all TTL and 2 AD400 Pros, and 1 AD200 Pro, there batteries last a long time for me, they work very well, I have had mine in my studio for 3 years, No breakdowns and still working as of this evening. This is the Adoramas version of Godox brand. Exposures are consistent, color varies a little with slight magenta cast, So what! Just make the adjustments in ACR and sync the settings to all appropriate images, How hard is that. I love them. If they break tomorrow, I'd replace them for sure.