The Godox AD200 has been around for a few years now, and in 2019, Godox released the "Pro" version of the AD200. Is this small, lightweight, powerful flash the right choice for you in 2023? Why do so many photographers think so highly of this pocket flash?
When I first started to learn off-camera flash, I was using a Canon 7D and a pair of Nissin Di700 speedlights with a Nissin Air 1 wireless trigger. These little strobes were an accessible, inexpensive way to learn off-camera flash. There comes a point when flashguns just aren't powerful enough and you'll be looking for something bigger. There are plenty of options with far more power, but few as practical as the Godox AD200. I looked into high power studio strobes, which either required mains power or bulky battery packs. Then, in 2017, I got my first Godox AD200 and XPro wireless trigger, and I was sold on this perfect (for me) compromise of power and portability.
What's in the Box?
One of the major selling points of the AD200 is that for under $300, you get a flash with LCD screen and built-in wireless capabilities, battery charger, adjustable tripod mount with umbrella holder, bare bulb head, and fresnel head with built-in LED modelling light.
The whole kit comes in a handy carrying case which is probably a little bulky to take with you if you have multiple units, but it's perfect for storage. The foam compartments will definitely protect the bare bulb, which unfortunately doesn't come in a protective tube.
Build Quality
The unit is solidly built, with a plastic casing that feels substantial in your hand. The flash head is also well designed, with a sturdy locking mechanism and an easy-to-read LCD screen. The overall construction of the AD200 gives the impression that it is a high-quality product that is built to last. Sadly, that's not always the case, and I've managed to destroy two of these units since I started using them. The AD200 is certainly as durable as you'd expect at this price point. The two I have broken have both been the result of a fallen light stand: one fell onto a concrete floor which smashed the bare bulb and cracked the LCD screen. The other fell over during a beach shoot, apparently exposure to salt water for less than a second is enough to destroy one of these units.
On the rear of the unit is a perfectly functional LCD screen. The screen could do with being a little brighter to see in harsh sunlight, and the menu system isn't immediately obvious, with some features requiring a long press. The LCD has never caused me any issues, as I generally control the strobes from the wireless controller attached to the hot shoe of the camera. The LCD is pretty clear to show flash power and group number when using groups for your strobes.
Features
The AD200 is also highly portable, weighing in at just under 2.5 pounds. This makes it easy to carry around on location shoots or to set up in tight spaces. Despite its small size, the AD200 packs a powerful punch for its size with a maximum output of 200 watt-seconds. This is plenty of power to light most subjects in a range of situations, even when shooting outdoors in sunlight. The AD200 isn't quite powerful enough to claim that it will overpower the midday sun, but it does an excellent job when shooting outdoor on location.
With plenty of shooting modes from TTL to full manual and the ability to be triggered by a wireless transmitter or as a slave unit triggered from another flash, the AD200 is easy to use for a beginner, with enough options for a more experienced photographer to use. When used with the Godox X Pro wireless trigger, you can choose from eight channels, and place strobes in up to six groups, which can all be controlled from a single transmitter on your camera hot shoe. The groups will allow you to easily add and control more strobes as you grow your kit.
One of the standout features of the AD200 is its versatility. The flash unit comes with a fresnel head, which is a similar size to many traditional flashgun heads, making it compatible with a number of third-party accessories. The flash also comes with a bare bulb head, which is perfect for larger modifiers such as softboxes and strip boxes. As the unit is only slightly larger than a traditional flashgun, it fits into the popular Bowens S-mount speedlight bracket. Using the Bowens mount adaptor, I use my AD200s with a whole range of lighting modifiers, such as octaboxes, beauty dishes, and a spill-kill wide reflector.
The Fresnel head also includes an LED modelling light, which I've found to be barely bright enough in any kind of modifier or any well lit area. It's often handy as a flashlight when packing up, though.
Another key feature of the AD200 is its fast recycle time. The unit can recharge in around two seconds at full power, which means you won't have to wait long between shots. This is especially important if you are shooting a fast-paced event like a wedding or action sports where you need to be able to capture moment as it happens. You can adjust flash power from 1/1 down to 1/128 in 1/10 increments, which is ample for most situations. The AD200 allows high-speed sync up to shutter speeds of 1/8,000 s, also great for shooting action on location.
Reliability
This factor is pretty crucial to most photographers. Is this piece of kit going to function as expected when needed?
In my experience, I've had very few misfires in the past six years and no connection issues when shooting wirelessly with the XPro transmitter. The AD200 has an option to beep when a setting is changed so when you're using multiple strobes, you know which one is adjusted and there's an audible confirmation of the change. Such is my faith in these units, the beep got annoying, as it was so unnecessary considering the adjustments were always registered without fail.
Battery life is good, with up to 500 full-power flashes before a recharge is required. The battery indicator is accurate and gives plenty of warning of a low battery. The batteries are removable, rechargeable and the unit comes with a battery charger that gives an accurate indication of charge level. The batteries do take quite some time to charge from empty, I usually leave them overnight before a shoot.
The more recent AD200 Pro model claims improved consistent color accuracy, but this has never been an issue to me. If consistent and specific color temperature is absolutely crucial, I'd likely opt for something bigger than a $300 pocket flash. For weddings, events, outdoor portraits in pretty much any conditions, these little strobes are more than capable, lightweight, versatile enough, and incredibly reliable in my experience.
Pros and Cons
I have owned five AD200 units since 2017 and currently have three functioning units. It's safe to say that I am a big fan of these versatile little strobes, but they aren't perfect.
Pros
- Size and weight are great, they'll fit into most camera bag flashgun pockets
- More powerful than most flashguns
- Very simple to set up and use
- Versatile with fresnel and bare bulb heads included
- Removable, rechargeable battery with no need for heavy battery packs
- Solid battery life for the size, around 500 full-power shots on a full battery
- Built-in LED modelling light
- Compatible with a large selection of accessories
- High-speed sync up to 1/8,000 s
- Lots of wireless channels and options for multiple strobes
- Easy to switch head using a single spring-loaded switch
Cons
- Durability can be an issue, as I've broken two units simply by light stands falling over while on location
- Menu isn't particularly intuitive
- Battery takes a long time to recharge, so definitely invest in spares if you shoot for extended periods
- Not as powerful as most studio strobes
- Modeling light barely bright enough
Alternatives
In 2020, Godox released the AD200 Pro which currently retails for $350, which is around $50 more per strobe. There's some great quality of life improvements, such as a more pronounced power switch, more solid fixing for the included tripod mount, minimum power down to 1/256, and a claimed "more consistent color temperature," within 100 K. More helpful improvements are the slightly recessed LCD screen for increased durability and addition of two more buttons to reduce the need for long presses. Is it worth an extra $50 per unit? In my opinion, no. But if highly consistent color temperature is critical for you, then the Pro model may be for you.
Given the popularity of the Godox AD200, there have been the expected clones from other budget brands. A couple of notable clones are the Yongnuo YN200 for $190 and the GVM Speedlite for $300. Both boast similar power output and battery life as the AD200, but the Yongnuo has a fixed bare bulb and the GVM has a fixed fresnel head, so you'd need one of each to match the versatility of the Godox AD200.
Conclusion
In my opinion, the Godox AD200 is the most cost-effective, versatile, and practical small strobe available right now. If I'm in the studio on a commercial shoot and need something with a lot more punch, I'll rent the biggest studio setup I need. However, in my kit bag, I'll always have a few AD200 strobes.
If you're a hobbyist looking to learn off-camera flash, then these are a great starting point that will allow you to grow your kit as you learn, with strobes in up to six groups that can be controlled by a single XPro transmitter. Wedding and event photographers would also benefit from the long battery life, compact size, and enough power for shooting all day on location. The AD200 can absolutely be used by working professionals, but for color-critical work or large studio shoots, you'd be better off using something bigger.
Have you used the Godox AD200? What was your experience with this pocket flash system? Do you have any alternatives you prefer? Let me know in the comments.
All of the portraits in this article were taken using between one and three AD200 strobes using Bowens mount modifiers.
The Profoto A2 are 100ws.
The profoto A2 is essently astronomically expensive versions of the Godox AD100.
My focus was more on something along the form factor of the V1 or the V860, but with more output power. It is just weird how that design never got an upgrade in output power (even 20 years ago, they were still offering the same power), even as technology greatly improved over the years.
Ahhh, totally forgot about that one.
The AD200 weighs 950g with battery. The V1 weighs 540g. That's a big difference. I think what you want is an old Metz handle-mount flash.
I love my Godox AD200 but I am eying the Pro version for a third flash.
When I shoot macro focus stacks at home, I do notice sometimes whitebalance colour variations and when you take a stack of 50 - 100 shots (or sometimes more...) then over that time, the battery needs more and more recycle-time and I get issues with increasing number of frames where the flash did not fire because I did not allow enough time in between shots for recharging on the exhausted battery.
Macro stacking is a good use case for the pro version. If colour temperature is critical it’s a really useful upgrade
Since you have multiple units and are reaching thermal protection, have you considered getting the Dual Power Flash bracket. I'm assuming you are only using one unit at a time at the moment..
Now that's funny! You make my day. How practical is this when you have to move the flash tubes each time? Now you are getting closer in weight compared to the Celestial and for the same price but not the same service behind and nothing close to 500ws. Sound like Jon was correct regarding viable real world options. Welcome to the "elite" club if there is one somewhere.
Ok…now, you're just being silly.
--- "How practical is this when you have to move the flash tubes each time?"
No, you don't have to move the flash tubes each time.
--- "Now you are getting closer in weight compared to the Celestial"
Even with both of these, they're still over 1.5 lbs lighter. Sorry about that.
--- "Sound like Jon was correct regarding viable real world options."
Wrong. Because when you don't need 400ws you can separate the lights and place them in different areas. We call that versatility. We call that real options.
Psssst…just a reminder how shitty the PCB triggers are. You might want to take that into consideration next time you comment.
Did you notice Tim's solution? Buy yet another one and a better one. You can deny it but Jon's idea to think and plan before buying is worth the saving.
I really can't help you more. And if you think that combining 2 units that lose power in an unsynchronized timing will reduce the color issue, I think Tim may gain 25 frames but after that, the shift will go left and right for each new frame.
Did you notice he also mentioned his recycle time is taking longer. If he had twice the ws power, he can probably reduce the units by about 1 stop. So, if he were shooting at 1/2 power, he can probably lower to about 1/4 power. You've been at this a long enough to know that will gain more than 25 clean frames. C'mon, man.
Also, since he already has 2 units, it's only $59 to try. Who knows, that may fix the whitebalance variations since he can be at a relatively lower power. It's still less expensive than $350; and most definitely less than $649 Celestial + $429 for a proper trigger.
Tim didn't mention what output he uses. In fact the battery is rated for 500 full power flashes so if the thing start crawling between 50 and 100 pops he must be pretty close to full power I am guessing. 1/4 power, if you want, I think not.
Your debate was entertaining but in the end, I would say Tim need to upgrade. Playing around with $60 bucks could work but I doubt it. To me professionally it's about having more than needed, a safety blanket for my clients crazy sudden needs, rather than hoping it will work so I don't think I can comprehend your reasoning. Sometimes I have too much power at hand because 1600ws goes only so far low and I switch to much lower max output units.
Personally, I would spend more money on more power, color control and accessories no matter the brand rather than buying and buying again and learn the expensive way. You don't seem to understand that I am not in the market of buying and that none of the brands mentioned in this thread would be on my list if I was. Talk to you next time on another topic.
BTW I have a single AD200 and a single V860ii -- so I use multiple lights but not multiple AD200 at this moment.
The dual head bracket would be interesting if I had 2 AD200 already, but only so I can shoot them at reduced power.
The Dual Power bracket looks like a great option for someone who already owns multiple AD200 units. Thanks for the suggestion
That Dual Power Bracket looks jank as hell. Reminds me of those speedlight speedrings that could fit like 5 speedlights in them lol
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1008755-REG/profoto_100520_rfi_2_...
The only "jank" is that crap you posted.
For $225, for speedlights only, you get this. LOL! This is why elitists can never be trusted...with anything. Bunch of wannabe ballers with no common sense.
It's not bad in a pinch! I have one and don't use it often, but it's nice to have when you need the extra power and all you have are two AD200's.
You are right actually that perhaps the extended time between frames is due to thermal protection and not (just) cycle time of the flashes and batteries.
I'm not sure what to do about the thermal protection limits but bundling two units side by side might not help much as they won't be able to dissipate heat as effectively?
-- Granted it makes it possible to reduce power on each unit so they produce less heat.
Another option would be to use LED lights for when I do stacking, so I don't have to worry about cycle time or thermal protection.
For indoor use on macro subjects I do not need the power of combining two flashes into one, like the dual flash head. I do often use multiple lights to give lights from different directions and right now I use an AD200 + V860ii for that.
And right now I'm not ready to purchase any extra -- I like staying with Godox for compatibility with my existing kit but want to make sure I spend the money on the right thing rather than just adding more kit.
It is a hobby for me, not a profession.
All I wanted to do was highlight some of the limitations that I ran into with this kit.
😃
--- "I'm not sure what to do about the thermal protection limits but bundling two units side by side might not help much as they won't be able to dissipate heat as effectively?"
a. It is so you can use lower power to get more pops out of it; and typically quicker flash duration (if you are freezing action shots).
b. The thermal protection is not based on heat. It is pre-calculated based on your settings and frequency of shots.
Thanks for that 2nd point, I thought it would be based on actual temperature / heat produced!
I can heartily recommend this accessory. It is super useful.
professional is a relative term, I have seen exhibition quality photographs taken with a simple manual 35mm camera, and snapshots taken with large format cameras. I know we're talking about strobes here but I think you get the point, it's not the equipment that makes the photograph, it's the user.
A fair point well made. I think the differentiation here was the requirement for more power, or if consistent light colour temperature was crucial. These might be deemed more likely on a “professional” (paid job, potentially with a client making specific demands).
The term “pro” on its own has lost any real meaning when it comes to kit. People make money with inexpensive kit, just like hobbyists can spend a small fortune on equipment to take vacation photos
For many reviews where people test the consistency of color temperature, often the super expensive strobes will not be much more consistent, especially for battery powered units. Then for studio strobes, it tends to be very little differentiation until you get to the super high end stuff where companies determine their profit margin by having a caffeinated squirrel break dance on the number pad of their keyboard.
While a different item, fstoppers had an article comparing the Godox V1 to the Profoto A1, and these trends have been similar from many other comparisons as well. https://fstoppers.com/gear/round-head-flashes-compared-profoto-a1-versus...
They sold a lot of Novatrons and what ever brand in the past. People were making a living with them.
On pricing, do you think the CEO at Profoto makes less or more than the CEO of Godox?
I’m not sure I understand the point you’re trying to make?
What does the salary of the CEO have to do with whether the end user is a “professional”?
My bad, somehow I got mixed with someone else's reply.
I’m wondering if it’s best to get the ad200 pro or 300pro? I’d be mixing it up with godox 860 and an 860ii for wedding and event photography.
For the price of one AD300 I was able to get two AD200's which was cool. You can also buy a $60 adapter that lets you combine both AD200's into a 400 watt light. All Godox lights pair really well with one another. I also have three 860's that i use with rogue gels for rim lights and background lighting. Another thing to think about is that the AD300 does not have a bowens light modifier mount but you can get an adapter to mount bowens modifiers if that's you want.
Is there an umbrella reflector with a hole for the shaft, as there was for the AD360??? I can't find one anywhere. Wassup wit dat?
No but there is on the S bracket itself. Problem is you need to make sure get a quality S bracket or the screw that tightens down onto the umbrella rod will strip out the plastic. Stay away from the "Glow" Brand S Brackets. I bought 3 of them and they all stripped out the night I received them.
With an umbrella, I don't use a bulky S-bracket (though I have two of them), just the nicely compact AD-E2 Flash Holder that comes with the AD200 Pro. Particularly with a parabolic umbrella, it's helpful to have the bare-tube flash head as close as possible to the umbrella shaft.
Ooh hey yeah that'll do it! Those things have saved my keister more than once haha.