Why was Godox first to think of this?

[Zv]

So Godox have beaten everyone to the punch with the release of their Godox V850 speedlite with a rechargeable Li-Ion battery.

Read more about it here -

http://flashhavoc.com/godox-v850-lithium-flash/

Why did no one else ever think to do this years ago? Why did it take so long? Is there some engineering difficulty they had to overcome? Or was it a marketing thing?

Makes no bloody sense to me why we have to use AA batteries in our Canon or Nikon flashes in this day and age.

Discuss.

 

[Jim Saunders]

I appreciate the weight savings, but I'll take the latitude to run on alkalines if I need to do so. My $0.02. I wonder why the battery pack isn't shaped like the usual 4 AAs? That seems like a good idea sitting here.

Jim

 

[Zv]

I appreciate the weight savings, but I'll take the latitude to run on alkalines if I need to do so. My $0.02. I wonder why the battery pack isn't shaped like the usual 4 AAs? That seems like a good idea sitting here.

Jim

I use rechargeable Sanyo eneloops. I didn't think anyone used Alkaline anymore!

The battery life on the Li-Ion pack would outstrip the need for any additional batteries, wouldn't it? I mean if you run out of battery mid way through a shoot you're hardly gonna pop out to the shops to buy more batteries. You'd plan ahead and make sure you either had a spare flash ready to go (what I do) or a spare battery. I'm sure Godox would sell additional battieries. Just two would suffice for even the most demanding jobs like a wedding.

 

[Jim Saunders]

I appreciate the weight savings, but I'll take the latitude to run on alkalines if I need to do so. My $0.02. I wonder why the battery pack isn't shaped like the usual 4 AAs? That seems like a good idea sitting here.

Jim

I use rechargeable Sanyo eneloops. I didn't think anyone used Alkaline anymore!

I don't, I have rechargeables for all of mine; Still I appreciate being able to fall back to something if I somehow get sideways. This is part of why I have battery grips for both of my smaller bodies too.

Jim

 

[Ellen Schmidtee]

You'd plan ahead and make sure you either had a spare flash ready to go (what I do) or a spare battery. I'm sure Godox would sell additional battieries. Just two would suffice for even the most demanding jobs like a wedding.

Exactly - you'd buy another Godox flash or another Godox battery. You'll need Godox's charger as well, e.g. buy a Godox charger if the one you got with the flash is lost or broken. If you take your equipment on a trip, you need to take another charger with you.

 

[Zv]

I appreciate the weight savings, but I'll take the latitude to run on alkalines if I need to do so. My $0.02. I wonder why the battery pack isn't shaped like the usual 4 AAs? That seems like a good idea sitting here.

Jim

I use rechargeable Sanyo eneloops. I didn't think anyone used Alkaline anymore!

I don't, I have rechargeables for all of mine; Still I appreciate being able to fall back to something if I somehow get sideways. This is part of why I have battery grips for both of my smaller bodies too.

Jim

I know what you mean, it's like a safety net just incase you forget to insert the batteries the night before! (Always paranoid it's going to happen before a big shoot!).

I've never liked the idea of battery grips. I'd rather just chuck an extra battery in my bag. The 5D2 and 7D battery lp e6 last forever. I think I could get 500 + shots easily from one, maybe even 700. With 2 you could shoot a wedding. However, I guess it depends what kinda stuff you do like timelapse etc.

Number of times I've had to change the battery in one day of shooting is almost zero. Sometime all I need is 5D2, lens one battery and 32Gb memory card and I'm set for a walkabout.

 

[Jim Saunders]

Exactly - you'd buy another Godox flash or another Godox battery. You'll need Godox's charger as well, e.g. buy a Godox charger if the one you got with the flash is lost or broken. If you take your equipment on a trip, you need to take another charger with you.

As always this is my $0.02 but I can live without being tied to a peculiar battery and charger if I can help it. If both the batteries and chargers were reasonably economical then the choice between this and the 600EX-RT would be a question of what the flash can do for me, but right now it is a question of what I have to do for the flash.

Jim

 

[Zv]

Exactly - you'd buy another Godox flash or another Godox battery. You'll need Godox's charger as well, e.g. buy a Godox charger if the one you got with the flash is lost or broken. If you take your equipment on a trip, you need to take another charger with you.

As always this is my $0.02 but I can live without being tied to a peculiar battery and charger if I can help it. If both the batteries and chargers were reasonably economical then the choice between this and the 600EX-RT would be a question of what the flash can do for me, but right now it is a question of what I have to do for the flash.

Jim

Would be pretty sweet if the 600ex rt took LP E6 batteries! Then you'd only need one charger!

When I go on a trip I always take my eneloop charger anyway. Wouldn't make any difference if it was a separate charger.

Personally, I hate trying to charge 8-12 batteries, especially when on a trip. I had to buy two chargers to speed up the process. And the flashes don't even have a battery gauge so you're always paranoid and over preparing with extra batteries. This Godox flash has two major advantages then. A power level gauge and a rechargeable battery. Together that is a smart combo.

These are basic things but only now we're seeing them. What gives? Do the people who make these things never use them? Look at the Lumopro 180 now that was designed and developed with a photographer (forgot his name).

Look at all the stupid ways we attach gels to our flash. No flash maker ever thought "oh hang on, how are they gonna gel this puppy?" And maybe even make some gels of their own that fit!

Seriously but, were speedliters just firing on camera, ungelled flash directly at people for the past two decades? Of course not. Listen to the users!

Rant over.

 

[Jim Saunders]

I hear you, and I like anything that makes my life easier - the LP-E6 idea particularly. In the meantime this new flash might be just the thing for someone stepping into the market, and the next generation of flashes (after these, the 600, the Mitros+ and the new Yuonguos) should be something remarkable if they keep advancing like they have lately.

Jim

 

[Ellen Schmidtee]

Would be pretty sweet if the 600ex rt took LP E6 batteries! Then you'd only need one charger!

Yes, that would be sweet.

This Godox flash has two major advantages then. A power level gauge and a rechargeable battery.

As you've noted, any flash that uses AA batteries can use rechargeable batteries. I have an old PowerShot A610, which takes 4 AA batteries, and I like to take it with me from time to time - nice to use same charger for both.

Newer PowerShots use lithium ion batteries - another battery type & charger, which change from model to model. It's a hassle to manage, not environment friendly, but manufacturer's-bottom-line-friendly.

 

[jonathan7007]

I use 580 and 550EX units with both a Godox belt pack and a Yongnuo knock-off 8-AA-tray. I like the choice to go with the compact form or the extra pack, based on the needs of the shoot. Of course I use rechargeables in the Yongnuo's tray, and that means taking care to do the charging in advance. The Godox pack holds a charge well and charges quickly. Like those that have commented, this isn't a big breakthrough but would be a consideration if someone had not already bought a kit for events.

I admit I didn't go to the product info site... reacting to these posts.

I like the Godox pack.

jonathan7007

 

[alexanderferdinand]

Using the LP E6 would be nice, and expensive too.
Ad Godox: I don't like to have another proprietary system.
I'm glad to be able to use my eneloops for many cases, flash and in the grip in my camera too.
Interchangable parts is less trouble and more possibilities.
My 2 cents.

 

[Chris Burch]

The charge indicator alone is a break through, which is just total nonsense. There is simply no excuse for that not to be a standard on every flash made in the last decade or more. I'm quite pleased to see the lithium battery though, as the requirement to charge several dozen batteries before a large shoot is getting way old.

 

[bvukich]

I appreciate the weight savings, but I'll take the latitude to run on alkalines if I need to do so. My $0.02. I wonder why the battery pack isn't shaped like the usual 4 AAs? That seems like a good idea sitting here.

Jim

I use rechargeable Sanyo eneloops. I didn't think anyone used Alkaline anymore!

I don't, I have rechargeables for all of mine; Still I appreciate being able to fall back to something if I somehow get sideways. This is part of why I have battery grips for both of my smaller bodies too.

Jim

I know what you mean, it's like a safety net just incase you forget to insert the batteries the night before! (Always paranoid it's going to happen before a big shoot!).

I've never liked the idea of battery grips. I'd rather just chuck an extra battery in my bag. The 5D2 and 7D battery lp e6 last forever. I think I could get 500 + shots easily from one, maybe even 700. With 2 you could shoot a wedding. However, I guess it depends what kinda stuff you do like timelapse etc.

Number of times I've had to change the battery in one day of shooting is almost zero. Sometime all I need is 5D2, lens one battery and 32Gb memory card and I'm set for a walkabout.

I like the battery grip not only for the extra battery (which is more than twice the shots, if you halve the drain on a battery the run time increases by more than double), but for ergonomics.

An LP-E6 does last a long time though; I shot a wedding on Saturday, gripped 5D3, 4606 shots over 11 hours, one battery was still at 45% the other was at 47%.

 

[Ewinter]

Because when they discontinue this puppy, I'll still be running my 600s on rechargeable AA batteries and the proprietary batteries for the Godox will be no longer available

 

[Drizzt321]

I appreciate the weight savings, but I'll take the latitude to run on alkalines if I need to do so. My $0.02. I wonder why the battery pack isn't shaped like the usual 4 AAs? That seems like a good idea sitting here.

Jim

I use rechargeable Sanyo eneloops. I didn't think anyone used Alkaline anymore!

I don't, I have rechargeables for all of mine; Still I appreciate being able to fall back to something if I somehow get sideways. This is part of why I have battery grips for both of my smaller bodies too.

Jim

I know what you mean, it's like a safety net just incase you forget to insert the batteries the night before! (Always paranoid it's going to happen before a big shoot!).

I've never liked the idea of battery grips. I'd rather just chuck an extra battery in my bag. The 5D2 and 7D battery lp e6 last forever. I think I could get 500 + shots easily from one, maybe even 700. With 2 you could shoot a wedding. However, I guess it depends what kinda stuff you do like timelapse etc.

Number of times I've had to change the battery in one day of shooting is almost zero. Sometime all I need is 5D2, lens one battery and 32Gb memory card and I'm set for a walkabout.

I like the battery grip not only for the extra battery (which is more than twice the shots, if you halve the drain on a battery the run time increases by more than double), but for ergonomics.

An LP-E6 does last a long time though; I shot a wedding on Saturday, gripped 5D3, 4606 shots over 11 hours, one battery was still at 45% the other was at 47%.

Yea, I didn't use to use the grip (5d2, then 5d3), but I recently got the grip for the 5d3 and it's well worth it for the ergonomics for portrait mode. Plus it'll help balance out the 70-200 2.8 IS v2 whenever I get around to getting it.