Godox AD200 📸 First Impressions & Gallery

It's rare the UPS guy gets such a warm welcome from me. Usually he's delivering some garment for my friend @vajola, or some baby gadget for my brother. Today though, I was expecting him. I've been excited about the Godox AD200 "pocket flash" since I first heard about it, and finally got my grubby hands on it today.

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What is it?

The Godox AD200 (also known as Flashpoint eVOLV 200) is a flash for photographers that bridges the gap between ultra portable "speedlights" often seen mounted on cameras, and much larger strobes, typically seen in studios, which provide more power and superior build quality.

In recent years with improvements in wireless technology, there has been a surge of interest in off-camera flash photography, fueled also by some prolific ambassadors of the practice, such as Joe Mcnally, Zack Arias and David Hobby, "The Strobist" himself.

The Perfect Balance?

While many pros use studio lights on location, growing numbers of amateurs (and pros alike) have been making amazing images using portable flashes. Local "strobist" groups have sprung up all over the world, and today the vast majority of on-camera flashes sold are used off-camera! This "hacky" element was sure to leave a gap in the market, and that didn't go unnoticed at Godox HQ. Regular speedlights have limited power output, making them less suitable for competing with the sun, and more generally, requiring regular battery changes. This is the price I've been happy to pay for extreme mobility. I've never liked large studio strobes, even in studios! However, since more recently shooting more and more for Shutterstock, I've found the need for more power and faster refresh times.

The AD200 cleverly aims to give extra power to lighting photographers who demand the ultra portability of regular speedlights, and the community has been reinvigorated by the emergence of this product.

The Modifier

I also ordered the AD-S7 Multi-functional 45cm Umbrella Soft Box - a very clever portable light modifier. The box got pretty beat up, but it's a long way from China to Ireland. Below, you can see the various parts, including the diffusion material, grid, and beauty dish modifier piece.

The AD-S7 is a "shaftless" reflective umbrella. This feat of design is something I've never seen before today. When expanded, a screw and receiver meet to secure everything firmly. It really has to be seen to be believed.

This metal "beauty dish plate" (above) screws on, allowing you to use this modifier as a pseudo-beauty-dish. Even when using diffusion though, I imagine it might be best left in place to avoid hotspots. I'll have to test that soon!

Outside, you can see where the bulb goes through and the modifier is attached. It's a snug and strong fit. This modifier was made especially for use with Godox "AD" products, and once attached, everything feels secure. OK let's look at the AD200!

The Package

It comes with a superb carry-case. I believe Adorama customers who order the eVOLV 200 get this too, but without the logo in the corner. Laying out the contents of the case, you can see the umbrella adapter, which is a little plasticky. The battery & charger, bulb/adapter, and the unit itself. As I expected, the optional, detectable bare bulb is made of thick enough glass that it doesn't need to be coddled, yet remains the most delicate part of the kit by a long shot.

Features

The AD200 has an output of 200 watts. Essentially about 3 times more powerful than a speedlight. It features a 2,900 mAh battery, 2 changeable heads, TTL and HSS technology. It's built of tough plastic and features 2 (standard 1/4"-20) mounting screw receivers. Both the bulb and Fresnel head can get very hot during use, and it doesn't have a hot-shoe style mount like smaller speedlights. In many ways, it is less like a large speedlight, and more like a super portable studio strobe.

The unit is chunky in the hand, and at 880 grams is quite a bit heavier than regular speedlights, yet far lighter than more powerful strobes. I forgot to get a shot of the LCD display, but it's somewhat redundant anyway. Once the unit is on, everything is controlled via the Godox X1 on your camera. If it makes you feel better though, the LCD panel is blue and pretty!

Godox S Type Bracket

There has been some nonsense in the strobist community about the compatibility of the AD200 with the popular Godox "S Type" bracket. Indeed, it's a very tight fit, but peeling off the little rubber strip inside the lip of the bracket solves the issue. Moving on, nothing to see here.

In operation

While I'm yet to test the AD200 in the field, I was curious about it's output and refresh rate. I was able to bash out a full power flash every 2 seconds or so, without it breaking a sweat. Apparently the battery when fully charged can support 500 of these blinding full power pops. Changing heads is a breeze, as was mounting to stands and brackets.

First Impressions.

As you can probbaly see, so far, I'm blown away by this product. It's well specced, well built, and well priced. I hope you'll come back for my test shoot, very soon!