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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- In this video we are discussing how to overpower the sun with flash. Overpower the sun is a phrase that poorly describes balancing a flash with bright, sunny conditions outside. It's hard to give a single answer for what flash will do it, as it depends on 3 actions. What modifier you use, how far away you use it, and whether or not you use high speed sync.
Different modifiers bounce and throw light in different ways. So, some light modifiers are much more efficient than others, which means they will have more light intensity at the same power. Typically, smaller modifiers have harder, more intense light than larger modifiers, and are more efficient, but that surprisingly wasn't 100% true in this video.
Yes, the flashes were all at full (1/1) power
My entire kit of gear : kit.co/robhall... Lights Used
Godox V860II (Flashpoint Zoom Li-on): bit.ly/zoomr2ttl
Godox AD200 (Flashpoint Evolv 200): bit.ly/evolvRH
Godox AD400 Pro (Flashpoint Xplor 400 Pro): bit.ly/RH400Pro
Godox AD600 Pro (Flashpoint Xplor 600 Pro): bit.ly/RHX600P
Modifiers Used
25" Glow EZ-Lock Beauty Dish Softbox: adorama.rfvk.ne...
43" Glow Grand Para Box Pro: adorama.rfvk.n...
Flash Trigger: bit.ly/R2ProIIS
C-stand: adorama.rfvk.n...
A7R III: bit.ly/SA73RH
85mm 1.4 GM: bit.ly/RH8514GM
Follow me on Instagram: bit.ly/2sj7Lsq
In this video we are finding out what flash you will need to overpower the sun. Overpower the sun is a phrase that poorly describes balancing a flash with bright, sunny conditions outside. It's hard to give a single answer for what flash will do it, as it depends on 3 actions. What modifier you use, how far away you use it, and whether or not you use high speed sync.
Different modifiers bounce and throw light in different ways. So, some light modifiers are much more efficient than others, which means they will have more light intensity at the same power. Typically, smaller modifiers have harder, more intense light than larger modifiers, and are more efficient, but that surprisingly wasn't 100% true in this video.
Next, is HSS vs SS. High speed sync is a less efficient way to light a subject, and will always require a higher power setting when everything else is equal. So if you stick with standard sync you'll be able to use smaller, less powerful strobes or greater distances.
The goal here was to find the distance that a light at full power could properly expose a subject with a given modifier, in both HSS and standard sync.
Here's the data:
AD600 Pro Standard Sync
Reflector: 9' 6" (290 cm)
32" Shoot through Umbrella: 7' 6" (229 cm)
25" Glow EZ-Lock Beauty Dish Softbox: 8' 4" (254 cm)
43" Grand Para Box Pro: 10' (305 cm)
AD600 Pro HSS
Reflector: 6' 2" (188 cm)
Umbrella: 5' (152 cm)
25" Softbox: 6' (183 cm)
43" Softbox: 7' (213 cm)
AD400 Pro Standard Sync
Reflector: 8' 4" (254 cm)
Umbrella: 6' 10" (208 cm)
25" Softbox: 7' 6" (229 cm)
43" Softbox: 9' 0" (274 cm)
AD400 Pro HSS
Reflector: 5' 10" (147 cm)
Umbrella: 4' 6" (137 cm)
25" Softbox: 4' 9" (145 cm)
43 Softbox: 6' 4" (193 cm)
AD200 Standard Sync
Fresnel Head: 12' 7" (384 cm)
Umbrella (Fresnel): 7' (213 cm)
25" Softbox (Barebulb): 5' (152 cm)
43 Softbox (Barebulb): 6' (183 cm)
AD200 HSS
Fresnel Head: 7' (213 cm)
Umbrella ( Fresnel): 3' 8" (112 cm)
25" Softbox: 2' 6" (76 cm)
43" Softbox: 2' 9" (84 cm)
V860ii Standard Sync
24mm Bare: 8' (244 cm)
Umbrella: 5' 3" (160 cm)
25" Softbox: 5' 5" (165 cm)
43" Softbox: 6' 2" (188 cm)
V860ii HSS
24mm Bare: 3' 3" (99 cm)
Umbrella: 2' 5" (74 cm)
25" Softbox: 2' 6" (76 cm)
43" Softbox: 2' 11'" (89 cm)
Link to infographic: imgur.com/gall...
I'm already seeing comments on the clouds throughout, so let me clear this up. Regardless of how the ambient environment changes, the camera settings stayed the same throughout. The camera settings are modeled after the sunny 16 rule as they are safe settings to prevent any highlights from clipping while shooting in direct sunlight. Even in HSS, our settings are equivalent to the Sunny 16 rule. This is why when clouds move in, the background gets darker in the sample images but the flash is still appropriately balanced.
Now, if for some reason you have a different experience with the sun, you can still use this video to determine the distances you would be capable of.
Let's say you go out on a Sunny day and determine you need ISO 100 1/250s F14 to get the background as dark as you want it. That is 1 stop darker than the settings we used. Which means the flash has to be moved in to make it 1 stop brighter to balance. That means your light would have to be 70% of the distance I shared in this video. 50% for 2 stops, and so on. I know most photographers aren't into the math behind it, but both light and photography are easily defined mathematically and if you learn it, you can find answers to all the questions you have.
Sunny 16 rule... analog rules, for digital fools!!!
@@photojones1 because, as we all know, since the introduction of digital photography the Sun has changed its position in the Sol system and Sunny16 is not valid anymore.
@Robhallphoto So, just to clarify. All the shots were at ƒ/16 except the HSS ones that were ƒ/1.8 ? Is this correct ?
THIS IS THE EXACT DATA I WAS LOOKING FOR! I was trying to decide on whether I would go for the ad200pro or ad400pro and had watched various other youtube videos and I was having trouble keeping track of how each different photographer got certain results because it all depended on the various factors that are clearly detailed here. The distance, standard speed, hss, type of modifier ...etc. Thanks for doing such a diligent test and producing the handy chart ! Finding this video was a Godsend.
So happy to hear this was a great resource for you Claudia!
You are so well spoken and keep my interest. I cannot stand videos with overpowering music and people that hem and haw. You don't waste time, your points of interest are clearly outlined and you stay focused. Great job! Thank you! I am brand new to OCF, so I truly appreciate your informative videos. Thank you!
Tony & Chelsea Northrup, Fstoppers, & a few others need to listen at 1:54 . I use HSS at every shoot and know it isn't the best for "overpowering" the sun.
The first two you mentioned aren't even providing good content and the first one just reads a PowerPoint
My hss works when manual says NO!...
Use as trigger on optical slave.
Do they say HSS is a better method too? People get so confused by the thought that you're using shutter speed to kill ambient that they think their flash is no longer being affected. It is better in that it gives you control of your aperture back, so I understand that thought, it's just not the most efficient.
Without being salty... All of the 3 after mentioned people aren't known for their verification/investigation/test efforts and they are known for all the mishaps they have in their videos/articles becuase they don't do any verification/investigation/test.
@@vonpotatostein who's the 3rd?
that umbrella mounting at 3:21 was legit!
tyty, a new method i've been perfecting.
THANK YOU!!!!! I have been saying this FOREVER!!! I wanted to do a video about this same thing because there is no strobe out there that can over power the sun! You beat me to it Rob, but thank you for posting this! They need to stop feeding people the wrong information.
Kerwan Celestine totally agree, man 🔥
FJH Photography yea bro. Still will do mines, because there are other aspects that affects that situation as well. 🙂
Can't wait to see what you add to the discussion bro
Man, hands down one of the most informative videos I’ve seen on flash capabilities. Super helpful as I’m in the market for a new light and have been going back and forth between the ad400 and ad600. Thanks!!
Awesome to hear that, hope you got your answer!
Just wondering, which light did ya get?
Imagine putting in all that effort to make such an informative video like this...then someone dislikes it... Why?🤷🏾♂️
falented2 lots of jealous people out there. I wanted to make a video similar to this one and still plan to, but I'm happy Rob made this video sooner. It's so helpful and I support that. Rob works hard to create content.
My guess is some idiots accidentally click the wrong icon, or there was literally one detail that contradicted something they knew or expected. Some people thumb down when they see a product they dont like as well, even if they like the video. Sorta like being at a sportsgame and booing the other side, you're not really booing the host of the game.
@@Firebrand911you dont know nothing about light...and second your mom is an idiot.
@@goranb8822 by trashing people like you are you are really trashing yourself!!!!!!
Because they dont have a flash
When I first saw the video title I thought “Oh god here we go again.”
I was quite pleased to hear you hate the phrase too!
Great presentation, I used an ad200 with small soft box yesterday and an ad600 with a large very deep soft box both double diffused with amazing results in the late afternoon never going anywhere full power
OhMyGoodness... A-G-A-I-N you come out with EXACTLY the video I wanted/needed EXACTLY when I needed it, with the equipment I wanted you to test!! THANKS!!!!
As a potential but currently undecided AD200 or AD400 Godox purchaser, thank you for your service.
Interesting results Rob, really appreciate the time you took to conduct such a thorough test 😊
Happy to do it, if I never have to type it again lol
Really, really useful.
Thanks for doing the heavy lifting for the rest of us, Robert.
Great video Rob, completely cleared up any questions for me around HSS, light efficiency etc.
This has been super useful. I was thinking of just buying two speedlights, put both in my Westcott umbrella softbox (28 in, I believe), and call it good. Now this shows me that it could work, but I should also consider other options. Thank you for the vid, and trust me, I hate the phrase too hehe.
Glad you found it useful Pat!
Bruh, 15 years of getting confused as heck, maybe even afraid of the sunny 16 rule (probably because it was just charts) and you explained it in a manner that makes a lot of sense. Now I know how one gets to all the other figures.
Really an excellent examples of how to work with the lighting and the different modifiers. Thanks for the video Robert Hall
Thank you!
Yes !! Finally found someone to explain the differences to me lol. Really appreciate it. Just came across your channel keep up the great work.
Glad I could help, thank you!
Cool video. I regularly encounter people online that tell me a speedlite cannot be used to fill sunlight. It’s awkward because I know I’ve done it before.
Great content. I recently picked up a AD600 pro to compliment my 400 and 200s. Nice to have a general guide to distances.
I hope this can help first time buyers, cause those are the ones typically asking the question after being inspired by other photos.
@@robhallphoto Don't forget the infographic, or make a metric version of it :D
I've always used the term "overpower the sun" to mean that the strobe can put more light on the subject than the sun does. And I've always explained that pretty much any flash can overpower the sun in the right conditions. That the discussion is really about whether or not the flash can overpower from a modifier at a useful distance.
I think that whole part of the video was just filler to get it over the 10 min mark for more yt ads lol
The phrase "overpower the sun" is a bit misleading and I don't know why people use it. Pretty much everyone will agree that the sun is the brightest light source available, it's just small and harsh from the perspective of the surface of the earth. And really, you don't want to "overpower" things in some cases, and I think a better phrase is "balance the light" and I see many people starting to use this phrase instead of "overpower the sun". In a number of cases, you may want your subject brighter than the background (rather than just evenly light with the background) but with the right settings (ie. HSS) you can accomplish this with many flashes that are of decent quality and support HSS because you can use your SS to control the ambient light and thus tone down the background (ie. the sun) and incraese the power on your flash or get in closer. So in the right condition as you said, it' possible to overpower the sun in the right conditions and with the right configuration (flash/lighting setup and camera settings) regardless of if the flash is viewed as "being able to overpower the sun".
One of the most useful videos I've seen in a long time. Thank you for making it, it answered many of my questions.
THANKS! how perfect, I have the AD400 and a Glow softbox, can't wait to try this out along with dialing back the sun's exposure 1-2 stops
This was such an important video. Thank you so much
What great information! Thanks Robert. This has helped greatly with my decision to buy an AD400 Pro. (Placed today with Adorama)
Great guys! keep up the good work ! .... but in my AD200 I always end up using the included bulb and not the flash mount, because the bulb is much more powerful...
Thanks for sharing this information!!!
The best and most reasonable definition of "Overpower the Sun" that I have heard is:
"When the sun is overhead or behind your subject and you add light that casts a shadow behind your subject."
wrong...
Good job!
The only thing I really miss in this test, is how a (big) deep silver umbrella would fare.
It should both help focus the light on the subject and the light is not reduced by a front diffusing panel.
From what I have seen, they should help getting the most out of your light on location, if you want a bigger light-source with minimal loss of power/light.
I normally refrain from softboxes and shoot-trough umbrellas on location in strong sun, because they do tend to take away a lot of light on the gear I own.
Thank you for the chat. Really appreciate it. Great video.
1 min into this and I can already tell this is gonna be a great video! Thanks for this, I’m currently stuck deciding what I want to purchase!
Thanks man. Just bought the AD400 thanks to this advice.
Glad it helped!
GREAT VIDEO and answered all my questions BUT I still don't know which one to upgrade to first. lol. I've gotten away with using the basic speedlight and for sure want to at least get the AD200. The 600 would be nice not sure how versatile it would be in a small space... DECISIONS DECISIONS...
I'm surprised! The V860II was very very close to the AD200... that's something I was not expecting... The 400 and 600 were so close too... now I'm sure that I can save some bucks getting the 400 instead of the 600.
I have one of each at the moment, and the v860II is the one I bring along more often (with a remote trigger). Now I admittedly don't use large modifiers outdoors, but for a portable portrait fill in a small softbox, the V860II is a great choice.
Nick great tips
You can get the AD600BM (Manual only, no TTL) which still has the HSS, anx its cheaper than AD400
You know what, the v860 and ad200 is only ½ stop difference btween them. While 400 and 600 is also ½ stop difference between them too.
@@eddyla00 ad400 and ad600 is 1/2 stop. But V860 should be at least 1 stop weaker than ad200 tho, since V860 is around 70 watt/sec, while ad200 is around 200. You gotta test them both with the same zoom setting on the flash head.
Thank you so much Rob, helpful and informative tutorial! Good luck!
Thank you! Every question as they came up in my mind you answered.
Excellent video and thank you so much for including the infographic, it's Gold!
You're very welcome!
Robert you are so helpful as I am learning more about HSS and over powering the sun and Thanks fir all the Godoy review I have the 400 pro and was thinking of getting the 600 also
Count on you to dish out practical videos Rob. Great going.. keep them coming.. loving this series :). Thank you.
Liked, subbed, ripped, saved, archived. It is all here in one video.
I think the biggest variable while trying to answer this question is the time of day you shoot. Overpowering the sun at noon is different than at golden hour.
Also to me, most people are generally trying to do HSS with a shallow DOF using a medium to large soft box. All of that to get to a ambient that is one stop under is going to require a lot of watts. So if you don't have something like a ad600 or more powerful forget it.
That's exactly why seeing the difference between HSS and SS is so important. Many people might opt for ND filters if they know they can stay in standard sync with an AD200, instead of lugging around an AD600. Agree on the time of day, which is why we used Sunny 16 rule to represent the brightest situation. Anything less, gets you more versatility with your lights.
That intro was wild. Over power the sun lol😂
The only thing is it would be nice (and I guess I will have to try it) to see the speedlight zoomed to 200mm for the fresnel shot since zooming it tightens the pattern and so intensifies the light where it is landing. They might have been able to get the speedlight as far or farther than the AD200 bare at that point. And at those distances you would still light the subject fully.
Excelent video! Next time it would me nice if you could also inform the distances on the metric system, y'know, that one measurement system the entire world outside the USA uses.
Been converted in the description all along!
@@robhallphoto I was about to write the same, didn’t get an idea to check the description.
Very helpful video, thanks a lot! But adding metric system directly to the video should be good idea. Cheers!
Hahahah!!! LOVED the speed-lite flip, I gotta learn that - awesome work bro, love your work!
Glad you enjoyed that, it's basically an involuntary habit at this point. It's gonna get me in trouble one day. It's most satisfying with a long lens like the 135 or 70-200 lmao.
Some good info here, some results were more dramatic than I expected. Great video and easy to follow as usual, thank you.
One other factor you left out is the camera. My little Fuji X-100S does well at balancing flash with ambient outdoors on bright days with nothing more than a Flashpoint branded V860ii because of the leaf shutter. Unlike HSS, which reduce output of strobes, leaf shutter cameras still get the speedlights full power at high shutter speeds. I can shoot at 1/4000th without any loss of strobe power. Of course the fixed focal length is limiting, but that's why I try to find open shade when using my X-T2's in those conditions.
I somehow doubt that you get the full power of a V860 II at 1/4000th shutterspeed - because flash duration of a full power pop on the V860 II is 1/300s (according to specs) and thus way longer than your shutter speed. A leaf shutter only captures the full flash power if the flash duration is shorter than the shutter speed.
But as the most light is emitted right in the beginning of the flash burn, you'll probably still capture more light that way than if you would have used HSS
Yeah, but leaf shutters are a very small niche in our industry, and those who opt to purchase a leaf shutter camera tend to be aware of it's differences.
I use nikon d70 and I can sync at any speed with sync cables. Even with regular flash I can somehow balance the ambiance in midday sun .
@@Mariosch26 You are correct, 1/4000th may have been an extreme example. I also should have been more clear on my statement. At that shutter speed(1/4000) the camera is obviously not capturing the full output of the flash at 1/1. My intent was to point to the fact that when using a leaf shutter, regardless of the set shutter speed, the flash is operating fully at whatever power level you set it to rather than cutting output as it would in HSS. This 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 gives you an output/flash exposure closer to that of larger strobes operating in HSS. This, for me at least, has the clear advantage of a smaller overall kit.
@@jimmyhill9591 I absolutely agree that leaf shutter have their advantages when it comes to flash.
And my statement was certainly a bit of nitpicking - I couldn't just go past the implied statement that one could capture a full power flash pop of a V860 II at 1/4000s ;)
But especially using a fast strobe and leaf shutter you can get a whole lot more light than using HSS. Unfortunately, as Rob Hall said, it's kind of a small niche right now - but at some point sensor techology will hopefully has evolved enough that we don't need mechanical shutters anymore and can enjoy the advantages of leaf shutter with every camera
Exelent video. Is great how you teach proper use flash at different distance. All flash is a full power when you made the test? Thanks
@@josearevalo6998 yes
My XPLOR400 arrives tomorrow. I hope follow your finding over the weekend. Thanks for the coupon code
You're very welcome, enjoy it!
I always have the issue of wind blowing down my Light-stand with Flash and Umbrella. 5:46 allows the wind to blow away the umbrella since it is more disposable so all I had to do is not tightly attach the umbrella to my Light-stand. Mind Blown!
interesting and instructive. Just on thing: To get a true relation between different options, distances should not be measured from the flash tube, but from the actual light source, which is the last diffusor/emitter in the light path. that way power differences between eg 400pro and 600 pro are more realistic. The 43" glow has a considerable depth. the light emitter is the front diffuser.
That is correct, and in fact that makes this test not fully valid, unfortunately.
The 43" glow has depth of 2.5'
Thank You this is really useful. AD600pro has 74% efficiency of AD400pro. AD600pro-0,13inch/W AD400pro-0,18inch/W in HSS with 43" para softbox
Imagine putting in all that effort to make such an informative video like this, i don't know why some people dislike the videos. Lots of jealous people out there ...
Keydrin, I simply shorted the two pads on my Flashpoint FPLFX600PTB battery and it began to charge. I didn't have to "jump-start" the batter cells, this time, lol. I guess that Flashpoint XPLOR 600 Pro is a rebrand of the Godox equivalent.
I think that when people use the term “overpowering the Sun” that it is in reference to the light that the Sun casts and not the Sun itself. Let’s face it, when talking about flash power you don’t take a photo of your flash.
"when talking about flash power you don’t take a photo of your flash."
Good point. Still I sometimes take a photo with a flash beam in the frame :P
Thank you, very precise information to such generic and wide topic. Really great overview of what you can expect on normal not super sunny day
Excellent demonstration. I love the way you approached it. I just might have to get that large softbox!
Super useful, thanks !
Did I miss it, are all of the flash units at 1/1 or it's equivalent? BTW WOW that was a lot of great info and most importantly a tremendous amount of work. Thanks
Great comparisons. I’m gonna have to revisit using fresnel heads. Another modifer I’d be interested to see is a beauty dish. I work a lot on the coast, trying to find the best option that isn’t going to get blown over, lol.
I'm surprised by how powerful a single speedlight is paired up with a softbox or parabox 😲
I would have done this test differently. Although it shows the difference in power output, most people do not shoot outdoor portraits at F/16. They want to blur the background. Also, some want to know if they can use their variable aperture zoom lens. Some have a maximum aperture opening of F/4 or even F/5.6.
I would have placed the light at 10', kept it stationary, and adjusted the aperture. The end result would be the same but in terms people can better understand. I'm sure the average photographer can relate to the difference in flash output better in F/stops rather than feet.
@@alanvandever9683 I don’t say this to be mean, but that makes no sense. In bright conditions you won’t be able to use F/4 or F/5.6 unless you use an ND filter or HSS, ISO 100 1/200 F/4 just doesn’t work in daylight because you’d be 3 stops overexposed.
So In the case of using HSS, even if using F/4 or F/5.6, you would have roughly the same result as my HSS settings.
And if you instead used ND to stay in standard sync, while your F/stop may be different you would have an equivalent exposure to my standard sync results.
Fixed at 10’ and adjusting the aperture in most cases presented would yield either blown out ambient, or underexposed flash, considering the flash had to be closer than 10’ to be balanced in most cases. How would that inform anyone?
Thank you for the video. It really helped to clear the confusion between flash powers.
I've tried youngnuo speedlight with godox rp q90 octa. Without front diffuser at 4pm I got decent lighting with fullpower at f22 1/160 iso 100. Softbox edge was at 1.2 meters. Seems like inner silver cover with inner diffusion together gives max output. Amazing results. At f16 it was even better. Background was underexposed for clouds)
Some pretty interesting results.
Thank you chaps for making the video
Thankyou Robert
Thanks for this video. Do I get it correctly that, when used bare, the AD200 is *more* efficient than the AD400 Pro !😮 while with a softbox on, it becomes only as efficient, or even a tad less efficient, as the speedlight? 😮 To me these seem highly inconsistent results, how do you explain them? Thank you
Yup, and it’s all easily explained with head type. Fresnel heads concentrate light.
So that makes the ad200 punch up compared to the 400 pro when it’s fresnel vs barebulb/reflector. But then speedlights fresnel head punches up against the Ad200’s barebulb in softboxes.
Fresnel heads heavily concentrate the light strength to the center.
@@robhallphoto Ok so basically the AD200 is a speedlight just a little more powerful
One thing I would recommend is MAYBE re-test the AD200 but with the round flash head. Some people will shoot that bare (without any modifier and I'd be curious to see if it makes any difference compared to the Frenel head. My guess is "probably not" but I am curious regardless of how it compares to the AD400 and the flash at least. For me i ended up going with the AD400 over the AD60, mainly because I didn't think that the difference between the AD200 pro (which is what I had to begin with) and the AD600 pro merited the price (I got mine onsale too which helped, so it was I believe around $550 versus $650 regular price, whereas the AD600 Pro is close to $800-$900 depending if it's on sale or not) plus the AD400 is a bit smaller so easier to transport. But your tests to sort of support my expectations of the AD200 and how it compares to the others. Better than hotshoe flash in some cases, but not as good as a larger light like the 400. Then again, the difference isn't huge either, because we are talking about a stop (or so) of light. The hotshoe flash is a bit surprising though in the softbox applications though, almost out-doing the AD200 which I found a bit surprising (and am wondering if maybe the numbers in the graphic got flipped by accident). For me, the ability to shoot farther away while in HSS is what sold me on the AD400 (so I can use it outdoors) but the AD600 was going to be too much and I only shot out in bright light maybe 1/3 of the time, enough to justify buying the light, but not go crazy and buy a super powerful light (which also can have the problem of not being able to be turned down enough, and this is where I think the AD300/400/600 especially area ideal).
I have detailed Godox Power comparisons (over a dozen models) that include comparison between the round head and fresnel. You can search my channel for "Godox Power Comparison" if interested.
I’m curious where the ad100pro and 300 might fit in this chart, especially used in a softbox in hss.
@@TobyAngel pretty easy to estimate between their power neighbors. Ad100 would be right in between speedlight / ad200 fresnel numbers, ad300 would be right in between ad200 barebulb / ad400 numbers.
@@robhallphoto I guess I should specify further. I'd would be interested to know if an ad100 (used in softbox) would meter brighter than an ad300 (used in softbox) solely due to the fact that the ad100 has a fresnel head. The data recorded for softbox usage for the ad200 used the barebulb so estimating power output by their neighbors isn't as easy, unless I'm just dumb. Thanks for all of your info and all of your videos!
@@TobyAngel Nothing dumb about it, fresnel heads really throw a wrench in the discussion. I know from other tests that the 100 Pro is -.7 stops compared to a 200 Pro barebulb in a softbox. The 300 Pro is perfectly in between the 200 Pro barebulb and 400 Pro. +.5 on the 200, -.5 on the 400. So with that info I can confidently say the 100 Pro is still roughly 1 - 1.2 stops below the 300 Pro in a softbox. Less than the 1.5 stops the wattage would suggest, due to the fresnel head.
The main reason the fresnel head on the 100 Pro doesn't "punch up" as much as the 200 fresnel head is because the 100 Pro has a scattering lens to create a more diffused / gradient pattern of light when bare. The 200's bare fresnel pattern is hideous, but powerful.
@ thanks so much for the thoughtful response! This helps. Might still give the 100 a try, especially with smaller softboxes. Markus Rothkranz put out a video on the 100 that I was skeptical about.
@@TobyAngel Let me know whatever you're skeptical about. I don't tend to use my 100 Pro's in softboxes, but I'll help if it's something I've tested.
So nd filter and speedlight on standart speed will give possibility to shoot comfort in bright sun with umbrella or 36 inch octa with 1 layer diffusion?
Brilliant video
The latest test were on cloudy sky? It will be different because the sun contribute less light on the object
Nope, doesn't affect the test because the settings are still consistent with Sunny 16, which is why when the sky is cloudy, it is also underexposed. Facial shadows would potentially be filled in a bit more but, the flash exposure would still yield the same result since the sun wasn't hitting the subjects face in any instance.
@@robhallphoto So how did you meter it?
If the sun is bright, although the sun doesn't hit the face directly, the face got more light from all around bounced light from the sun , so the strobe contribute less light if you meter to get f16 (strobe + ambient).
If it's cloudy then to get f16 on the flash meters the strobe contribute more light.
Good work on the flash videos.
Thank you!
This video information was actually refreshing
Amazing work. Question, it makes sense that the 400/600 don’t do well with the umbrella since so much of their light is lost from the sides due to the bare bulb. It w puke be very interesting to see the effect of using a reflector on the 300/400/600 with an umbrella. I ask because umbrellas are portable, and a reflector like the AD 14 are pretty small as well.
No one is covering this issue because using the reflectors with Godox ad400pro/ad300pro with umbrellas is extremely problematic.
Thank you for this video. Very useful comparison.
Therein also lies a challenge I have faced with the Godox in these situations. Shooting at 1/1 means slow recycle times and massive power drain too. And overheating as well
I don't really find it a challenge, considering the Godox pro series is almost all the best in class for recycling speed / output. Every time I've compared Godox to Profoto and Broncolor products, Godox has been the fastest recycling product.
It comes down to gear awareness. If you buy an AD200 and use it at full power constantly, regularly running into overheating, you bought the wrong flash for your use. Since 201t, I have yet to put any of my lights into thermal protection while working with it. Mainly because I've never done 30+ 1/1 flashes in a row.
I am about to watch the video, and I'm sure it is informative. I just want to say I agree with you about the stupid phrase "overpower the sun" I don't know where it came from but I wish we could ban its use.
Hi Robert! Thanks for this very informative video. I just recently bought my 2 godox ad200. But haven't used it for outdoor shoots. Maybe this weekend. :) just wanna ask if among the all the strobes you used in this video, were they fired at the same flash power? For example, all fired at 1/1 power from farthest to closest? Thanks
All flashes were at 1/1 for all tests
@@robhallphoto Thanks, Robert!
Robert, in your STC Optics video, you used an AD600 Pro in HSS with a 48" softbox and the box was so close to the model (3 ft. away maybe). Here, you've mentioned that in HSS the same setup can be done 6-7 ft. away from the model. Why is there so much difference in the distance in the shots from the two shoots? Is it the lens? Also, do you still recommend the clip ND filter over going for HSS? Also, do you recommend the 6-stop clip nd filter or higher? Thanks!
2 things.
Difference in the softbox quality. As I said in this video, the output of this box is shockingly high, which means it's interior is simply more reflective than the softbox I was using in Texas (glow EZ lock). Typically a larger softbox would require a shorter distance than an equivalent design smaller one, since the light source is travelling to a bigger area. But this shows how much the modifier materials can impact the results.
Also, in this video I did Sunny 16 settings, which "properly" exposes a bright day, whereas in Texas I was underexposing the background, requiring the light to be closer.
I still have the same views about the filter and HSS that I expressed in that video, and haven't used HSS since. 6 stops is plenty as it takes ISO 100 1/200 F/11 down to ISO 100 1/200 F/1.4. More than that is excessive and will only require you to increase ISO.
Thank you Robert. My initial thought was the softbox but even after watching this video I couldn't help second guess that the softbox could make that much difference. But, it makes sense with the combination of you underexposing the background in the clip nd filter video as opposed to what you were doing in this video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I'm looking into getting the clip filter and a budget monolight. So, I think your answer has helped with that.
Nice work
Just one question. In case of power ad200 fresnel head same as ad600 with reflector?
Amazing video, as close as you can get to have controls outdoors, and love that you tried both the fresnel and bare bulb on the AD200
Thanks !!!
The best modifier for overpowering the sun is a parabolic silver umbrella. It is almost twice the power of the bare flash and it is a combination of direction and softness.
Excellent informative video. Thankyou for doing it. Can I just ask 1 question? Were all the flashes firing at full power to achieve these results?
Yes
Thank you very much. Great job
This was SUPER helpful. Thank you!!!
If you use a leaf shutter lens/camera you gain at least 2 stops because you can sync at 1/1000 or higher, which allows you to use a larger aperture and/or to lose that ND filter. That typically requires (expensive) medium format equipment, the exception being the Fujifilm X100 series. I took some backlit group shots using my X100F in full 4 PM sunlight at a company function, and the small Godox TT350f could “overpower the sun” just fine.
Gé Weijers exactly this. The x100f has become my portrait lens for weddings. Saves me having to invest and carry heavy strobes
Any recommendations for misfires? My V1s will miss flashes all the time when using it on camera or off. It seems super unreliable.
search my video on godox misfires.
Brilliant video, great information! Thanks
Good video Robert!
Would be possible to include measures in centimeters so that it can be understood more easily in the rest of the world?
Thank you!
Good call! I'll update the description
I wonder with the ad200, instead of the fresnel head, if you had a standard reflector. Would it have been a greater distance?
Considering the AD400 and AD600 (strobes with more output), with the standard reflector performed worse than the fresnel, it’s safe to assume no.
great video!!
What I find most interesting about this is that the ad200 with fresnel head measured further than ad600 pro
not too surprising. A 600 pro may output 300% more light barebulb to barebulb, but with a 35mm fresnel head the area is concentrated so much that it can overshadow that difference. This is why speedlight manufacturers tend to post brightness details at max zoom.
Great video! I work in a very small space 10x14 low ceiling do you think a pair of AD400’s are too much for this space?
The most useful video..keep it up man 👍👍
Your video thumbnail is *SO* awesome!
haha thank you!
Excellent! Very useful and like your presentation speed. 👍
more practical way to measure the light i guess. thank you so much for your afford