4 Compact Macro Photography Flashes Tested (Godox V350, TT350, Meike MK320, MK310)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.ค. 2024
- Godox V350: amzn.to/3nuMvwR
Godox TT350: amzn.to/3KhLzF4
Meike MK320: amzn.to/3JQ27Cp
Meike MK310: amzn.to/3zhOabH
00:00 Intro
00:47 Why I changed my mind about the v350
02:23 Godox V350 test
04:01 Godox TT350 test
05:38 Meike MK320 test
07:41 Meike MK310 test
08:52 Conclusions
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I have two TT350N's, awesome little flashes. I use Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA's. Somehow I was unaware of the V350, you've answered all my questions here regarding the differences between the two. Thanks!
Wow, Micael. This is cool stuff. I looked many times to these flashes and wondered how it performs.
You know, Olympus released years ago a tiny flash FL-LM3 which weights just 50 grams. This flash uses the power from the camera and probably will be too slow for sequencial shooting. But from the portability point of view that flash is hard to beat. I wondered if the manufaturers will be able ever to produce such a tiny flash but with a fast enough recycling speed. Such a flash would be a dream.
Nice. Ty for comparing these compact macro flashes. I already got a TT350F for Fuji and bought a TT350O for my Oly Setup yesterday. The great thing with these godox flashes is, that they can work wirelessly coupled regardless of the Camera Version of the Flash
Yeah. I think the wireless aspect is more significant with Sony which has an active hotshoe meaning you really need the Sony version for on-camera for synch and TTL. But you can buy the more generic models without the active shoe that are little bit lower in price as slave units.
I think the big takeaway from this video is that batteries matter. I have an older TT685S that has 4 AA batteries and it has slightly better refresh rate than 2 battery TT350. The V models from Godox include a Li-Ion battery that will recharge much faster. This more of a Li-Ion vs NiMH thing. Li-Ion along with being higher voltage is just going to be faster to recharge. For 2 AA batteries it's just 3V in series while the Li-Ion is 7.2 V. If you want speed there is going to be more performance with a rechargeable battery over using common 1.5V batteries.
Very interesting! I had never tried my Meike mk320c for Canon using manual mode. I had always used ETTL before even though I knew you recommended manual. I have recently been using two identical Meike but tonight (it is late here) I just used one at 1/16 which gave good exposure for f/11 at ISO200 at 1:1 on the 85 mm Laowa. I don't have access here in the US to the exact battery you used but mine were Eneloop that were half depleted at this hour. I noted a slight fall off in exposure after the first when set to H+ (15 fps mechanical) but that was followed by half a dozen rather even frames. Slowing the shutter down to H (I'm not sure what fps that is because it depends on factors like the lens used) gave 8 even followed by at least as many more perhaps a stop darker. Slowing it to the slowest continuous mode gave even exposures for the required 10 and then a few more but that is too low for hand held focus stacking. My answer would be to set the flash for lower power and using a higher ISO. If the rain stops, I'll try again tomorrow with fresh batteries and using two flashes. I will not be buying new equipment but appreciate your video driving me to make better use of what I have. It would seem that one of the flash manufacturers might try to make a model especially for macro with better consistency as a feature rather than higher output.
Hi Micael, after watching your video I carried out some test shots with my MK320 and I have also noticed the inconsistent output during stacking: It left small, but noticeable dark patches on the Lego minifigs I was using as test subjects. I had not noticed it until you mentioned it. Thanks a lot for sharing. I will try setting a delay in the camera menu, but that would then preclude handheld stacking for me. In fairness, though, it is very good when used for single shots with my OM1, OMS 90mm f3.5 macro lens and KR90 diffuser. I will try it out for stacking in the wild, but may have to rely on my STF-8 and FL700WR for stacking if the dark patches are shown to be an issue.
A nice roundup
I use both the Meike 320 & TT350
I really like godox but like you said their quality control is not very good but for the price worth the risk.
Thanks, this is perfect timing : )
I just picked up a Nikon ZFC and am sill using an old SB600, but I wouldn't mind finding a more compact solution for the flash.
Love the MK320. Only use it for portraits and such though. I dont do much macro anymore.
My godox 350 gave me a lot of black frames like yours did. I currently use a meike mk320 and it works well....
Haven't finished the video yet but one quick note about the V350. Mine has started to get finicky with mounting to the camera. Sometimes it will just slide out of place a little bit and the connection will cause misses or stop communicating entirely with the camera.
The TT350 is a, "dont leave home without," accessory for the past 3 years. Use it on my Sony A7III mainly as fill flash at events! That it consumes battery quite rapidly is a disadvantage, however I like that it is easy to defuse and with acceptable ambient light, its perfect for lighting the eyes and stopping motion!
This test focused on fast focus stacks, where the flash needs to deliver 10 shots in 1 second. I am sure the tt350 is more than enough in most other situations!
I just got the TT350 but hadn’t had the chance to use it yet. Are rechargeable batteries something that can be used with this flash? If yes do you have any recommendations?
I enjoy looking at macro photos more than making them, but I both enjoyed and was educated by your video.
Thanks for your videos! I would love to see a comparison between the OM1 and the a7iv in terms of image quality. I'm thinking of buying one of the two, mainly for macro photography. Thank you!
I'm exactly in the same case. I'm want to buy one of both for macrophotography.....................
Micael, great video. There is another BIG issue with the Meike: the i-TTL does not work anymore on Nikon Z cameras and there is no way to update the flash firmware apparently. Shame, I myself have used those for years and tens of 1000s of pics with my Nikon DSLRs but now reluctant to use them only in manual mode, too much potential for wrong exposure. And recycling time is great on the Meike, much better than the TT350 which recycles very slowly unless you use it below 1/8 power as you show; Thks for another good review !
Yeah it’s a shame that Meike don’t update this flash. But I guess it is expected for a cheap Chinese flash like this.
Maybe I got a bad one but the Meike 320 I got ate batteries at an insane rate. I found on the Meike 320 I bought that the batteries actually got hotter after I turned the flash off. I returned it. Unfortunately I killed a couple sets of batteries before I realized the problem. I really liked the short profile.
I am glad you did this review. I need another macro flash, my big Canon flash is simply too powerful. Most of the time even at 1/128th power it is still too bright.
Want to give a huge thanks to you for the content you make, I'm am olympus shooter who started with an interest in birds but recently got a serious interest in macro after a cowOrker lent me his old 50mm macro from the four thirds days with an MFT adapter. The videos you make are almost like content custom made for me, I learn so much and I look forward to trying all this out when I get my zuiko 60mm!
So happy to hear that :)
I like the Meike MK320, too. Don't do hand held stacking with flash so don't need a fast recycling time. I don't think you'll find a flash that's only powered with two AA batteries that will recycle fast enough except at very low power.
Hi Mr. Widell, can you tell me how I can figure out which flash would work on my Fujifilm xt10? I love your videos! Thank you for being such a wealth of knowledge.
Hello Micael
First of all I would like to say Thanks for the good Video of the Marco. What would you recommend the Marco Flashes ? I am looking cheaper Flashes about 100 $ for the Marco ? I have Fujifilm x- H2 .
Many thanks ,Somlid
great comparison video! one weird thing to note is that in the US the Godoxv350o is actually $160, a bit cheaper than what its sold for in some other markets.
I was thinking to buy that godox v350 but at the end I bought TT685II.. I HOPE you will make a review about that flash too
Would love to know as well!
the Meike's 320 batteries almost melt after a while, the godox v350o overheats after 20-30 pictures and doesn't cool down for ages. so I keep changing flashes, which isn't the best solution.
Very informative, I wonder have you tried TT350 with Li-ion AA batteries? Those are rechargeable Li-ion batteries with AA size, I find they are much powerful and consistent than any other types of AA batteries.
Haven’t tried these. But then I wonder why a company like GP wouldn’t use lion batteries when they try to make the best flash batteries.
Has anyone had issues buying a Godox flash recently? Everywhere I look for the V350 its awaiting new stock so I'm hesitant about ordering one if I will never receive it. Thanks for the useful video Micael 👍
Good comparison. I am a Sony user, I owned a TT350, which i sold because I didn’t like the user interface and terrible Godox manuals plus slow recycle time.I bought the Sony HVL45RM used and started using it with a Godox diffuser ball ML-CD15 for macro work. It was too heavy for the TT350, but sits perfectly on the larger Sony. It has very fast recycling time (i use the batteries you recommended) plentiful power, but interface and menus are not logically grouped and takes time to get used. Do you know if someone reviewed this flash for macro?
I made a mount for four flashes Olympus fl-300.
Thank you very much for this fantastic video! I'm trying to find a compairson between the V350 and the V860iii for macro, a part from the different weight and power between both, which one would you recommend? Is the V350 able to solve almost all situations with a 90mm?
The weight size and power is the main difference. In my opinion the v350 is the best macro photography flash you can get, because it has really good power in a compact format.
Hi Micael, thanks as always for the very informative video. I think I‘ve even commented before 😂. I just recently got the V350 and I feel that the exposure despite being in manual is not really even when doing focus stacking on my om-1. I don’t have black frames as you had before, but I still expected more even results. Are yours completely even, or did you get a bit of variation too? Thank you 😉
Hmm maybe there is a lot of variation in the quality of these. My v350 is very even I would say, but not perfect. But it is even enough that I seldom notice the uneven-ness. What power do you shoot at? At 1/16 mine is very even.
@@MicaelWidell Thank you! I tried 1/16 and 1/32.
Another question if I may ask. Did you ever try the V860 or V1? I have to set a 0.1sec delay, otherwise it won't fire at all in focus bracketing mode.
Nope I didn’t use these bigger flashes for stacking. I think the v350 delivers well and I’m happy with the more compact format.
@@MicaelWidell Thank you, I can totally understand that!
Great video. The V350 and all godox should be updated their firmware. The V350 now has a USB C charger (Godox UC20). I now have two V350 and one USB Charger for travel....
Hi Mic, I use Mk320 with Fuji XT4 without problems, I always use it on, but when I turn off the XT4 and on again I haven't noticed any problems
Hello, OM1 with bracketing means only 1/60 sec ist possible because of electronic shutter, right? Ich habe not found an other setting..
Is that focus stacking is not available in Sony A6400?
As always very informative video. However I very recently bought a Meike MK320 and it doesnt work in i-TTL mode on my Nikon Z6ii. Its firmware is also very old, 2018 and after reading online, there is no way to update the firmware, so caveat emptor.
Hi Micael, have you ever tried the Olympus STF8? If yes, I would love to hear your thoughts about it.
Haven’t tried it. But people tell me the Godox v350 beat all the Olympus flashes in terms of performance per weight.
Hi Michael, I love your videos. Can you use these flashes random on every brand of camera? Because I have Nikon and Sony.
Thanks.
In most cases you can use a flash cross brand. But best is of course to buy it for your system.
@@MicaelWidell thanks Micael.
Thank you for the video.
Is it possible to update the firmware on the old V350? It may resolve the issue.
I will try. But it feels like a hardware issue.
Perhaps a bit off topic, but I cannot find a definitive answer anywhere, can anyone confirm if the Meike MK320 works fine on the Sony A7 IV? I have read differing accounts, of it works fine but others state it only produces 'white' images on the III and IV. I'd appreciate any help the author or anyone can give, i had this flash on my Canon and loved it. Great video as usual, thanks
I have never found a rechargeable AA battery which matched a disposable commercial battery. The lithium-ion disposables perform particularly well in flashes.
hi. Did you try OM System FL-700WR ?
i got the v350c for 70$ bnew on sale. i guess they're much cheaper here in asia.
What flash for Canon r6ii?
My model of godox also get black frames really often, no settings helps to fix that :/
I wish my sony camera can do this focus stacking!!!
Found recently TT350 new for $80
Wasn't able to test it so far fully, hopefully I didn't get a faulty unit 😒
I have a D500 with the 105mm micronikkor lens that i want to use with a 2x teleconverter. Do you think this flash would be fine for this or will the lens and tc combo block the light?
With the proper diffuser it will probably be fine. In worst case you can put the flash on a ttl cable.
I’d suggest using a higher capacity battery. Panasonic BK-3HCCA4BA eneloop pro is rated 2500mAh vs the 2000mAh for the batteries you are using. Will result in faster recycling times.
It will not.
Has anyone tried the Godox TT350 with focus stacking set to 5 or 6 images, instead of 10? I can't afford the V350
Of course I can't find any Godox V350O in stock anywhere in the USA right now 5/23... grrrr... what about the Godox V860III-O even though it is larger?
A larger flash will almost always have better performance, but make your setup heavier. I prefer the kinds of lightweight flashes reviewed in this video.
@@MicaelWidell Thanks... I kept looking for the Godox V350O and found out that the Adorama (Large USA dealer) brand "Flashpoint Zoom" is made by Godox specifically for Adorama and is identical to the Godox Version... Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion Mini TTL R2 Flash For Panasonic & Olympus (V350O)... hopefully this will help others...
Are you using multi mode on the v350 flash?
Hi Micael! About your first opinion of v350: when you say black frames, you mean absolutely black frames? Because i see diferences in the ilumination when i use bracketing (but no black frames) and i dont know if that is normal :(
it is normal to have slight variation in the exposures. but I recommend shooting in manual mode to avoid that as far as possible
Hmmm I'm looking for one small flash and interested with the Meike MK320 because of the small form factor BUT I'm using Fuji xt2. How does it work on Fuji xt2? Does anyone know?
I had some issues on my XT3 with this flash, so I would be hesitant to buy one if I were you.
watching while counting the number of misfire flashes with my godox v350s
Could a firmware update help the v350?
How do you think about godox tt685ii with these flashes? Thank you
That one is probably great, but a lot bigger and heavier than the flashes in this video
How about the Sony HVL-F20M? Isn't this the best option?
I currently use The Godox AD200 with the EC200 head mounted on the Godox X2T on the hotshoe. Apart from the annoying thick cable dangling, this is also a very competent setup that works with most of the diffusers, and you don't have to worry about the power output and speed with this one.
Haven’t tried the Sony flash
I would like to ask what you think about the olympus 700wr flash, for macro and especially for stacking
I have no idea because I haven’t used that flash. But people tell me the v350 is better than corresponding Olympus flashes.
@@MicaelWidell Thank you a lot|
Have you tested the FLASHQ M20?
Yes I made a video about it. Too weak.
Meike seems to have a MK-320 version just for Fujifilm cameras, "Meike MK-320F TTL Flash for Fujifilm". Is that the one you bought?
They have versions for all camera brands. If you have a fuji camera, it is probably a good idea to buy the F version
Good morning. sony a6400, laowa 65 2.8, which lamp do you recommend? I'm a complete beginner. Thank you
you can pick any flash I talk about in this video and it will work well for you
Hi, I have an olympus e-m1 mkii and a godox tt350O. Whilst focus bracketing in manual or aperture mode I am unable to go lower than 1/16. At 5:30sec in your video you mention the tt350 is able to achieve 10fps at the lower 1/32 power. Can you tell me how you are able to go to lower than 1/16 please as mine will not. I have the flash in manual mode with hss on
*edit* I think I figured it out. I guess you don't have HSS enabled on your flash
Yeah no need for HSS in macro photography
@@MicaelWidell I'm new to this and just figuring things out. This one took a lot of head scratching but I got there in the end 🤣
I’ve just seen that godox uk is selling the v350 as the V350ii - is this the same one you had? Or any idea what the difference is between the original and this mark ii?
Seems to be unclear whether this is actually a new model or not. Looks identical to the old one. www.reddit.com/r/Godox/comments/12m599d/v350ii_changes_from_v350/
@@MicaelWidell thank you, how mysterious
About cost - the V350 might have dropped in price. The prices I can find here in Denmark are:V350:131USD, Meike: 108USD, TT350 :100USD
Also probably varies a bit by region
Are you using these on a sony because the OM-1 has so many issues with godox flashes
I had no issues at all with the v350 on my OM-1
I use Canon R7 . As you know, it has the feature of Focus stacking and focus bracketing But once you turn on one of these two features. The flash does not work.. because the shutter turns to electronic.. and I expect the same thing in Olympus cameras.. I wonder how you can turn on the flash and the camera is in electronic shutter position in focus stacking mode ??
That’s the reason you get an Olympus camera. They are the only ones that can stack fast with a flash.
i have a Z9 and received a V350N but impossible to have HSS working and burst is only effective at 1/128. at 1/16 it flashe only on the 4 first pictures of the burst.at 1/32 it handles 18 pictures And the flash consitency is not good at all...Do you have any equivalent of this flash ?
Also, where is the Link for the batteries? 😀
See the link to batteries under my camera bag
@@MicaelWidell Cheers!
Price for the Godox V350 for all mounts is currently $159 US which makes it a great value. Don’t know why you said about $200 because I don’t see if for within $5 of that amount listed at any of the bigger outlets such as B&H, Adorama, Amazon, etc. Otherwise a good review of these flashes.
Sometimes (however this is pretty rare) the price differs between EU and USA. From here I only see the EU prices, so that is what I will talk about. If you can get this for $160 that is great value for money!
For many Americans there are no other countries or cultures.
@@dontgetmadgetwise4271 haha, ive seen hundreds of photography videos. no one ever has said "well the price in india is $xxx" its always US/Euro amounts. How much are these in Russia?? exactly. Good assumption though!! HA
What drive velocity do you use in your camera? I have the V350 and only can achieve 11 continuous frames at 1/16 with median velocity (6 fps approx). Is this normal?
Sounds a bit low. I think I can get a bit more than that. I use no pausing between shots. Maybe your battery is bad or not fully charged?
@@MicaelWidell The battery is fully charged
is there anything that can match the V350 in performance ? because I have a hard time finding it in stock anywhere.
I don’t think there is in that size. People tell me that the original Olympus flashes can’t compete.
@@MicaelWidell And if one does not consider size, how about the Godox V1 or 860iii ?
Will Godox V350 this flash work with Canon R6 Mark II?
If it is available for canon it should work, yes
I just got a TT350S and it's terrible. I got about the same results as you and will be returning it for a different flash.
Will the v350 work with Sony a7ii?
Yes
Couldn’t you also use rechargeable AA batteries in the 350
Got a mk320 and in 3 weeks it just fires at full power...
Hi, I ordered the Popeshield about a year ago and it hasn't arrived despite contacting the company. I wouldn't recommend using this company as they take your money but don't deli er. I'm based in the UK.😢
That’s a shame. I heard several stories like this.
I've seen a number of videos explaining the best settings for your macro photography. (Camera settings, flash settings, etc.)
However, I couldn't find a video that explains the optimal flash settings for single shots and bracketing.
(It's not an old video, it's the camera, flash, and shooting method you're using now)
If you have a video explaining these with the latest camera equipment, please let me know. :)
Yeah search my name and “macro settings” and you will find a video explaining settings both for camera and flash
@@MicaelWidell Thank you for your comment.
We hope to gain a lot of knowledge from the keywords you have given us.
Am I the only one who has a problem with meike lamps? I bought three, three burned after a month of use. Everything was fine until it started making loud popping sounds. Then there was only a burning smell
Wow that sounds like really bad luck. What kind of power do you shoot at?
@@MicaelWidell 1/16 and I used the same batteries as you ;) from what I remember, someone wrote about similar problems on amazon. I bought the first one on an auction site, very cheap and it made loud noises from the very beginning and no matter what setting I chose, the power was the same, the photos were overexposed each time. So I bought a new one and everything was fine for a month and after a month it burned
@@MicaelWidell Are you using the zoom built into the flash? Are you set to auto or a specific focal length?
@@MicaelWidell ? I have problem with tt350.Flash is tall, taller than the meike, and the light does not come close to the lens
TT350 is not $70 on Temu
Never charge meike MK320 via usb, wrecked 2 batteries.