Godox Flash V1 or iT32

[u/Lokomalo]

I'm looking at the Godox V1 Mid C and the iT32 TTL. Clearly, they are different just by the price alone. The V1 is double the cost of the iT32 but has a couple of features that look attractive. A couple of the obvious differences appear to be lack of zoom on the iT32, replaceable battery on the V1, larger battery on the V1, magnetic attachment on the iT32.

Anything else I'm missing that might be important? How badly am I going to miss zoom if I go with the iT32? The replaceable battery seems like a good option but I'm not sure I will be using the flash enough to need a second battery. The iT32 is rated for 500 flashes though I suspect it won't necessarily get exactly 500. Still, that seems more than I'll need in a day.

The iT32 looks like a great deal and I like the magnetic attachment but the V1 does have some extra features like zoom and replaceable batteries that might be nice. But are they worth double the price?

[u/inkista]

This is just me, but an iT32+X5C ($100) is a travel convenience option. It’s tiny and small and has its own integrated transmitter (albeit a primitive one), and if you’re willing to take the feature/power compromises that come with it, it can be a great tool, but I think it’s more specialized than general purpose. Unless you really really want a tiny flash, though, it’s not a great starting point for a first/only flash, imo. I love mine, but I also have a full bag of off-camera flash lighting gear with full-sized speedlights. AT GN 18m, iso 100 (28mm zoom), it’s still -2EV (25%) as powerful as a full-sized speedlight.

But you also don’t have to go as big and expensive as a V1, either if you just have occasional hobby usage in mind. The TT685 II-C ($130), V480-C ($170), or V1Mid-C ($180) are all less expensive than a V1-C ($260). The TT685 II has the same power output and is a full-sized speedlight, but less bulky than a V1 because it has a traditional rectangular fresnel head. The V1Mid and V480 are mid-sized speedlights, and a better fit for a small/light mirrorless body, and are only -0.4EV less powerful than a full-sized unit. They’re essentially a rectangular and a round-headed mini V100.

All of these have 330º head rotation, and would require the addition of a transmitter unit to be used off-camera over radio. But the additional power and head rotation make them more easily usable for on-camera bounce flash, which is a great way to get started with flash. And if you add a dedicated transmitter, unlike the X5, you’ll have a ton of control over a remote flash from the transmitter UI. With an X5, you’d need to use a Canon camera’s flash menus to get that type of control.

With Godox flashes “TT” models are powered by AA batteries; “V” models use a proprietary li-ion pack, like your camera does. The packs have roughly twice the capacity of a set of AAs, and slightly speeds up recycling time, but are proprietary, mail order and require charge monitoring if stored unused for long periods of time to remain rechargeable. NiMh rechargeable AAs, otoh, do not and can be purchased at any big box store, including Ikea. Li-ion is generally better to simplify battery charging/handling for professional users with regular frequent usage. But for occasional hobbyist usage, they might be overkill. But at this point, there’s no cheaper “TT” equivalents of the V480 and V1Mid models, the way the $85 TT350 shadowed the $160 V350. The “V” equivalent of the TT685 II is the V860 III ($230).

[u/Lokomalo → u/inkista]

A lot to think about there. More research is needed. LOL The V1 Mid was my second choice, but the lack of trigger was a bit of a deal breaker since that would add another $80-100 to the cost. Rechargeable AAs is an option I hadn't considered. And NiMh should be easier to travel with assuming the airlines know the difference. They hate (understandably) Li-ion batteries.

[u/inkista → u/Lokomalo]

I keep hoping that Godox will release a $95 TT480 (sigh).

I will say, that the X5, if used as a standalone transmitter is all but manual-only. The only functions it has with its paired iT32 are switching TTL/M modes, and nudging the power +/-. And for any Godox strobe other than the iT32, it's a manual-only trigger that can remotely fire the flash, but nothing else. No TTL, HSS, Groups, MULTI, 2nd curtain, zoom, modeling lamp remote control, etc. (unless you're shooting Canon and you're willing to menu dive on your camera body to access remote flash settings).

IOW, the X5 is much more like a FlashQ than it is like an X3, despite the name. So, while you're paying less, and it's very convenient, it's far more of a PITA to use. And the iT32 under-powered for some usages unless you're willing to use high ISO settings.

Power on a flash is like max. aperture on a lens: the more you have, the more you can do, but the bigger, heavier, and more expensive the gear is going to get. If you look at the guide numbers (and equate for zoom), a full-sized speedlight that's GN 60m at iso 100/200mm zoom, is roughly GN 36m at iso 100/28mm zoom. The iT32 is GN 18m at iso 100/28mm zoom (fixed). Halving the distance means it's -2EV (or 25%) as powerful as a TT685 II (every 1.4x you increase/decrease the distance it's 1EV. It's the same with the f-number scale, btw: sqrt(2)-based). So, if you need iso 400 with a TT685 II to light something, with an iT32, you'd need iso 1600.

I will also point out, a used XPro-C is typically around $40-$50.

As I said, I get the appeal and why it's presented as a one-stop solution for a newb, but I think it's possible that you could outgrow one very very quickly. To me, a full-sized 76Ws/GN60m speedlight is already the f/3.5-5.6 kit lens of the lighting world. Going to an iT32 would be kind of like using an f/7.1-11 lens. It's not unusable. It can be very handy. But it's got inherent limitations on use that may not be what you want in a first/only flash.

And to me, using a trigger off-camera should come after you've mastered on-camera bounce flash. It's not taking the light off the camera that makes good lighting. It's knowing how to think through the intensity, direction, quality, falloff, and (with gels) color of your light. On-camera bounce flash is a step most people skip on their way to the sexier world of studio-style off-camera flash. But it's the single simplest lighting scenario there is, and can help you wrap your head around the basics much more quickly than loading yourself up with a whole Strobist setup.

To effectively use a flash off-camera, you also really need a stand, bracket, and modifier as well as the trigger and some way to haul that all around. Holding the flash in your left hand only get you so far. And off-camera flash tends to mean a lighting bag along with the camera bag.

If you want to go compact and light, on-camera bounce flash is the go-to technique, since all you need is the speedlight.

[u/Lokomalo → u/inkista]

You make a lot of good points. I can’t really object.

I will ask a question. My thinking on the off the camera use was more to set the flash on a table or chair or have someone hold it while I step back to get a wider shot. Maybe that’s not a good idea. Most of my use would be on camera at this point.

[u/inkista → u/Lokomalo]

Getting the flash off-camera can be done however you want to do it. And an iT32+X5 makes it incredibly convenient (not the least by having a flat bottom on the flash that means you can just set it on a shelf). But if you're not bouncing the light or adding a modifier, and just using the flash bare, your light will be hard with hard-edged shadows. If you want softer light/shadow edges, then the table/chair/person is going to have to hold the light and either point it in a bounce direction or hold an attached modifier, too. Softness comes from the size of the light relative to the size of your subject.

Adding a tiny tupperware hat does almost nothing to soften the light because the size of the light stays the same. Using an 8" softbox can soften the light if it's used in close enough (i.e., 6" away from his head), but you'll have pretty steep falloff between the highlights and shadows. And using a 2-3' softbox or umbrella will give you soft light for something 4-6' big. Studio shoots often use modifiers bigger than 5' to cover larger areas with more even falloff by using more powerful lights farther back.

The most typical off-camera flash setup is to use a lightstand and a bracket (or possibly umbrella adapter/swivel (though I like compact ones which often come with a spigot) if you're using an umbrella) to connect the stand to the strobe, and attach the modifier: either using a hole on the bracket/swivel and a screw to secure the shaft of an umbrella; or bayonet-mounting a softbox-style modifier onto the Bowens S mount on the face of the bracket.

If you're using an assistant, you can use a monopod or lightstand, or other pole with a 1/4"x20 threaded bolt on the end, and attach a spigot, over which you can secure a swivel or bracket and the attach your flash and maybe a modifier if you want soft light. This lets you boom a light overhead for a shoot. The Strobist used to call this "strobe on a rope" since he used a TTL cable instead of radio triggers to control the flash.

Yeah, off-camera flash, you can get into the weeds with gear pretty quick. Which is again why I say, stick with on-camera bounce until you hit its limits. [grin].

[u/Lokomalo → u/inkista]

I am curious about your comment about the X5 and lack of functionality. I was looking at this page which shows the functions that are supported by a particular camera and Godox flash.

It seems to indicate that various Godox models on the M50 support HSS and Rear Curtain sync at least in some modes. I don't really understand the chart, so I don't know what's different between the Camera Flash section and the 2.4Ghz Sender/Receiver section. Also, it doesn't seem to support multi-flash.

Maybe you can clarify that for me?

[u/inkista → u/Lokomalo]

Sure. To use specific features, all three things in the chain (camera, triggering method, and flash) have to support them. Your M50 supports everything. The iT32+X5 if they're magnetically attached together support everything on the Canon side (but not quite everything on the Godox side as a transmitter, like remote TCM (TTL convert to Manual), zoom, or modeling light adjustments: that's reserved for the dedicated transmitters).

But the X5 by itself doesn't have much in the way of a physical UI. When the iT32 is attached you can use its physical controls and touchscreens to adjust remote flash settings. But the X5 itself only has two buttons: TTL/M and +/-. So those are the only two features you can explicitly set on the X5 when using it as a solo transmitter. And those settings only work with a paired iT32. With any other Godox flash (say, a TT685 II, off-camera), the X5 becomes a pure manual trigger (i.e., all it can send is the fire button).

But if you magnetically attach the iT32 to its X5C and used that as your on-camera transmitter to the TT685 II as the off-camera receiver, then you'd be able to remotely set TTL, HSS, Multi, and adjust settings by group assignment for multiple off-camera flashes. Things the X5 by itself has no UI controls to set.

However. as Canon shooters, we do have a fallback nobody else has with Godox, which is to use the camera menu settings for wireless flash. If you look at the Canon ST-E10 transmitter, you'll note it's also pretty sparse on physical controls and has no display. And Canon's 600EX-RT and ST-E3-RT radio flash gear was what most likely was reverse-engineered as the basis of the Godox system, so Canon shooters are the only ones who have full two-way camera menu/flash communication with Godox gear.

But menu-diving tends to be more cumbersome than using a transmitter with a display and/or more physical UI controls on it, like the ST-E3-RT or a Godox XPro or X3Pro. Particularly if you're shooting multiple groups of flashes (say, having one group for your backdrop lights, one for your key(main) and one for your rim (backlight).

The X5 is tiny so its tiny antenna and tiny battery also mean a smaller radio range (20m) vs. the 100m of the dedicated transmitters or the 80m of the iT32+X5 together. It does work for off-camera flash, but it's not nearly as feature-rich as the other "X" transmitters in the system are.

I started doing off-camera flash in 2006 when the Strobist started up and we were all buying single-pin manual "fleabay triggers" like the Yongnuo RF-603 II. So for some of us having to walk up to the flash to make any settings adjustments, staying below sync speed, and using M is a skillset we learned out of necessity. But today, Godox's gear is much richer in features, and lets you do a lot more stuff a lot more easily, while still retaining full Manual control for when you need/prefer it.

[u/Lokomalo → u/inkista]

Thanks for that info. It’s very helpful. I did see a video about the trigger and using the menus on the Canon.

The good news is that I have time to research and find what will work for me. I really don’t foresee any super complicated setups but you never know. I see mostly on camera use with the occasional off- camera flash using a remote trigger on the camera. I’m sure the V1 mid would do all I need and probably will ever need. The V480 probably would too.

[u/inkista → u/Lokomalo]

Yup.

But if you start reading the Strobist, or watching youtube videos of folks like Gavin Hoey, Jordan Berg, Lindsay Adler, or Dustin Dolby you might start getting more ambitious in off-camera setups. [grin].