Neewer’s Q200 Outdoor Studio Flash is small enough to slip in my coat pocket, yet more powerful than my Speedlight. With its array of special features, it’s exactly what I have been looking for.
Neewer has a rapidly growing reputation for great quality gear aimed at amateur photographers who want professional-style equipment without the premium price tag. The new Q200 outdoor studio flash is one such item. It has lots of features and robust build, it's yet far more affordable than other flashes with similar specifications. It is what I needed.
Although I earn my living from photography, I like to play with it too. I experiment with different settings and effects just for fun. Part of that is the joy I get from messing around with various peripherals, including flashguns. Consequently, I was determined to give the Neewer Q200 a try.
It’s designed as an outdoor flash, and as you would expect, it is portable. It also has an enormously long battery life and many advanced features you would expect from a studio light. Additionally, like the other Neewer lights I have reviewed in the past, it is controllable from the excellent Neewer app and can be fired by the Neewer Q-Pro Triggers.
Description
The flash arrived in a smart gray woven fabric case. The kit also comprises a 3,200 mAh battery, a battery charger, and a stand adapter that doubles as a handle.
The flash’s body is a matte black, square prism with rounded edges. It’s approximately 220 mm long and 81 mm in diameter and weighs 988 g. On the bottom is the attachment for the mounting handle, and at the rear are the various controls. At the front of the body is the reflector, and on one side is the battery slot that takes the battery.
It gives you a choice of TTL, M, and MULTI modes. The TTL mode includes ±3.0 (19 levels) exposure compensation. Meanwhile, the M manual mode offers 1/256~1/1 (9 levels) of power output and up to +0.1 EV exposure compensation. The flash activates continuous shooting when set to 1/16 power or lower.
It also has High-Speed Sync. Plus, the stroboscopic effect is superb for creative work, allowing one to capture multiple images on a single frame.
Its fastest flash duration is 1/13,510 seconds, which stops the motion blur of anything you would feasibly want to photograph.
Set to full power, the battery is good for 750 flashes. The longest recycling time is 1.5 seconds when the flash has been fired at full power, but it’s even faster (as quick as 0.01 seconds) at lower settings. It has a built-in fan plus heat protection that cuts in at different times depending on the power. For example, it activates after 60 consecutive flashes at full power and up to 1,000 flashes at 1/64 second.
The Q200 also includes a modeling light with a variable color temperature (2,700 K–6,500 K, ±100 K) that can be app-controlled. The adjustable brightness, ranging from 10% to 100%, supports automatic brightness adjustments with the changes in flash power when the modeling light is set to Prop mode.
The S1/S2 settings allow optical triggering and real-time flash duration checking. MULTI mode offers seven levels of power output (1/256 to 1/4), adjustable flash times (1–100), and variable frequencies (1–100 Hz).
The Q200 supports 1/8,000 s HSS (high-speed sync) when using the QPro trigger, though that must be bought separately. It also has a 2.5 mm sync port for front/rear curtain synchronization.
As you can see, it has wide functionality. Moreover, it looks and feels like a good-quality device, something I’ve come to expect from Neewer in recent years, a firm that has really upped its game.
The Neewer Q200 In Use
I found the flash suitable for most small projects and ideal for doing creative and portrait work in the field and the home studio. Although it doesn’t have a Bowens mount, you can use Neewer’s CRB1 bracket for fitting softboxes, etc. Furthermore, there is an umbrella hole in the all-metal handle, which, when mounted on a light stand, can swivel and tilt. Also, as the handle attaches to the flash body using a ¼” screw, the Q200 can be mounted on a tripod instead. I tried it on my 62" Travel Tripod, and it sat there comfortably.
The battery took just under three hours to charge. Then, slotting it into the flash unit, it was ready to go.
It’s controlled using Neewer Q Pro 2 Wireless trigger. These are available for Nikon, Canon, and Sony cameras, but I use the Nikon trigger on my OM-1 Camera as it can be made compatible with the trigger’s settings.
For my first test, I took it to the woodland a short walk from my home to test it. It was a dull day, and I wanted to see how it would compare with my on-camera flash, which has a guide number of 52. Because the Neewer Q200 is a studio flash, it doesn’t have a guide number, just a power output, in this case 200 Ws. The Neewer flash was brighter, and it also gave a slightly cooler light. This isn’t a scientific experiment but solely a real-world test to get a general idea of how it performs in the field.
The following two images are test shots. On the left is the image shot with my on-camera flash at full power, and on the right is the Q200. Both shot at ISO 200, f/8, and 1/250 s.
The flash can be set as an optical slave. However, by using it with a 2.4G wireless signal, it can be positioned much further away from the camera. I found the wireless trigger worked at around 100 meters. That is unlike my standard camera flash, which can be used off-camera but can only be triggered by another flash. Using one flash to trigger another has another distinct disadvantage: the master flash’s light can interfere with the subject.
The Neewer Q200 can be used in conjunction with other flashes that can be set to the same or different wireless groups and channels.
Fantastically, the flash’s functions can be customized via Bluetooth using the Neewer app, which saved me lots of running back and forth.
Subsequent tests have proved this is a versatile and powerful flash that is easy to use.
Other Test Shots
Here are some test shots taken with the Neewer Q200.
Neewer Q200 set just to the left level with the camera with no modifier
What I Liked and What Could Be Improved Next Time
What I Liked
- Easy to use.
- Lots of functionality.
- Can be used down to 1/256 power.
- Fast recycling.
- More powerful than an on-camera flash.
- Portable.
- Well-made.
- Relatively affordable compared to some other brands.
What Could Be Improved Next Time?
- The charger for the battery would be more versatile with a USB socket instead of a single-pin port.
- An even more powerful version added to the range would be a boon.
In Conclusion
The Neewer Q200 is a smashing bit of kit. It meets Neewer's declared aim to provide professional-quality gear for amateur photographers. Although probably not aimed at full-time portrait photographers, I can see many professionals like me who occasionally dabble in, say, outdoor portraiture or pet photography and want the functionality of an off-camera wireless flash will find this flash a great option without spending their life’s savings.
Specifications
- Model: Neewer Q200
- Flash Modes: M/MULTI (Wireless Off), TTL/M/MULTI (2.4G Wireless Mode)
- Camera Brands for 2.4G Wireless Mode: Compatible with Nikon, Canon, Sony Cameras
- Flash Output Power: 200 Ws
- Flash Duration: 1/220 s–1/13,510 s
- Flash Power: 1/256–1/1
- Delay Flash: 0.01–30 s
- Optical Triggering: S1/S2
- Wireless Controlled Groups: A, B, C, D, E
- Wireless Transmission Range: 328 ft/100 m
- Modeling Light Brightness: 1–10 Levels
- Modeling Light Color Temperature: 2,700 K–6,500 K (±100 K)
- Strobe Flashing:
- Times: 100
- Frequency: 100 Hz
- Sync Modes: High-Speed Sync (HSS), Front/Rear Curtain Sync
- Recycle Time: 0.01–1.5 s
- Triggering Method: 2.4G, S1 Optical Trigger, S2 Optical Trigger
- IDs: 01–99
- Channels: 01–32
- Power Supply: Lithium Battery
- Battery Capacity: 14.8 V/3,200 mAh
- Maximum Power Flash Cycles: <750 Cycles
- Charging Method: Plug-in Charging
- Charger Voltage: DC 19 V
- Charging Time: Approx. 3 Hours
- Flash Dimensions: 3.2" x 3.2" x 8.7" / 81 x 81 x 220 mm
- Flash Weight (including battery): 2.2 lb / 988 g
Package Contents
- Q200 Outdoor Strobe Flash
- Metal Handle
- Lithium Battery
- Battery Charging Dock
- Battery Charging Adapter
- Carrying Bag
