[Digitalis]

For a while now I have been looking for a portable flash system to work with on location that had more power than standard AA battery powered hotshoe flash units and manual wireless control with the ability to use studio flash modifiers and also to be used with any camera. After a bit of searching around, I came across this bare-bulb flash unit. It is also worth mentioning that The Godox Witstro* AD180 and the bigger AD360 both support HSS - at the time of writing this capability is only available for Nikon and Canon users.

The Godox AD180 flash head on its own isn't all that different from the Pentax equivalent: the AF540FGZ. My AF540GFZ is the older model that was made in Japan with very sturdy materials. I have to say that construction quality of the AD180 is Superb even when compared to the Nikon SB910, the AD180 has reassuring heft. The head tilt/rotate mechanism on the AD180 is very sturdy as well, and has equivalent freedom of rotation and tilt compared to the AF 540FGZ.

Combined with the PB960 Lithium Ion battery pack the AD180 is much heavier, but infinitely more versatile than any standard hotshoe flash. It is important to note that this is an IGBT** flash. Which means at lower power settings the flash pulse is significantly shorter than It is at full power.

The AD 180 produces a T=0.1 flash pulse of about 1/200th at 1/1 power, and the flash pulse profile looks a bit like this:

At 1/2 power things start to get interesting, as the flash pulse is cut short due to the IGBT shunting the power away from the bulb halfway, so the flash pulse profile looks like this:

As a consequence of this fast switching ability: as the power levels get lower the duration of the flash continues to get shorter, until you finally reach 1/128th power, the flash pulse lasts for 1/10,000th @ T=0.1. Mains powered Monobloc heads with variable power work the opposite way: at 1/1 power they are at their fastest, while at lower power settings they are at their slowest. The practical upshot of this faster switching is that it is possible to freeze motion while using wider apertures than what would be possible with studio flash units. Though there is a trade-off, the colour temperature gets higher as the flash duration get shorter, the variance is about +75 Kelvin per power level.

Canon 1DX - Sigma 180mm f/2.8 EX OS HSM APO Macro 1/250th f/11 ISO 100 - Elinchrom Speed trigger used. AD180 with 100cm Elinchrom Deep Octa used for back light with a second AD180 with an Elinchrom 16" reflector with a 30 degree grid as the key light.

These AD180/AD360 units also do not require the capacitor to be discharged when changing power settings. Only after 12 hours without use will they automatically shut down. Even if they do shut down, they remember their settings - the transmitter does as well. I can't tell you how many times I have had to send an assistant off to tend the flash units in order to keep them from shutting down and resetting.

The lower compartment of the PB960 is a Lithium Ion rechargeable 11V 4500mAh battery. These can be changed when needed by the press of a clip on the battery, which slides into the control unit. When fully charged a PB960 battery can deliver about 900 full power flashes from the AD180 (450 from the AD360). The recycle times are significantly faster than most AA powered flash, there is a cable DB 02 that plugs into both ports on the control module and this further reduces the recycle times, but only allows you to connect one flash to each PB960. With the DB-02 cable with the AD180 at 1/8th power, the flash can keep up with a 1DX firing full tilt at 14 FPS until the buffer fills.

The Battery Pack control module has a belt clip and can be comfortably attached to camera bags or your belt, It is very light, and won't encumber you. It can also be mounted on flash stands with the a Q clamp from Godox***. Disappointingly, this clamp has to be bought separately and is not included with the Flash kit. At the time of writing my two battery packs have gone through only a few recharge cycles, and have proven to hold its charge for a considerable length of time between shoots. Excellent performance.

One of the key components to the AD 180 is the FT-16 transmitter and receiver system. Why it is not included in the basic kit is beyond me. At the time of writing, the FT-16 is the only way to manually control these flash units wirelessly. It offers the ability to change flash power levels in 1/3rd stops, activate the buzzer which gives auditory confirmation that settings have been received by flash units, and control over the LED AF assist lamp.

The FT-16 uses a lower 433MHz frequency, which the better known Pocketwizard also uses. I have tested these units at distances over 80m without black frames or misfires. There has been talk of Godox producing a 2.4Ghz transmitter and receiver for these units, which is said to allow for flash grouping and TTL control and deliver superior reliability over long distances due to the higher frequency. Godox also make the Cells II transmitters, which are needed for HSS, the Cells II is unable to control the flash units the way the FT-16 transmitter can. In any case the FT-16 transmitter is at its most reliable at 1/180th sync speeds, any higher than this, and you risk limiting its range and reliability. The smaller FT-16 receiver plugs into the USB port on the flash and is powered by the battery pack, the FT16 transmitter is powered by two AA batteries - which are not included.The transmitter itself does not have a PC-sync socket which is a bit of a design blooper when one wants to use the O-GPS1 on a Pentax DSLR.

As can be seen here there a multiple triggering options for the AD180, Hotshoe,USB FT-16 receiver, 3.5mm mono plug, and PC Sync. The AD360 Has a removable hotshoe, which is able to be replaced by a plate with a 1/4th thread allowing it to be mounted directly onto flash stands or boom poles.


So what kind of photographer is this flash system aimed for? I would say macro photographers,product photography, events and portraiture**** and outdoor Sports (quantum make a special reflector for telephoto lenses). It is a versatile system that becomes especially useful for portraiture when you get one of these:

The Godox Elinchrom S-Flash bracket allows one to use bare-bulb, and standard flash units with any Elinchrom/Rotalux Light modifier. There are also brackets from Godox in Bowens Mount. The bracket is plastic, but very sturdy and the tilt motion on it is ratcheted which eliminates droop or unwanted movement when adjusting the position of heavy light modifiers.


*Also known as Bolt VB ,Cheetah light ,and Interfit strobies... they are all made by Godox anyway.

**Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor - these excel in high energy applications where fast switching times are needed. The spell checker in Firefox keeps trying to correct this acronym to LGBT which is something else entirely...

*** Quantum,Norman and Lumedyne also make a similar clamp - however they omit the useful spigot threads which allow you to attach a flash to the clamp when you don't have a stand or need to place a flash on something else. Quantum,Norman and Lumedyne also make light modifiers that are compatible With the Godox system.

**** Though for overpowering the sun, and being able to use large light modifiers the AD360 - which is an additional stop more powerful than the AD180 would be a better choice.Or even the 600Ws Xenergizer system, though at the the Xenergiser system only supports bowens mount lightshaping accessories.

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Last edited by Digitalis; 10-28-2015 at 06:53 AM.

[mr.b.snowden]

I have the 360WS model and it is such a rugged flash. It's heavy, but it sure beats carrying around extra AAs for speedlights when you can shoot pretty much all day, depending on your subject, with the battery pack. Anyone who is looking into a bare bulb flash would be wise to check the 180 or 360 out, as it's great for macro, products, and portraits.

[mcgregni]

Thankyou Digitalis for an excellent overview of this flash system, with plenty of insights. Your product shots are beautiful and clear and add a strong sense of 'feel' for the system as a whole. I really appreciate the effort in presenting this for us.

[fwbigd]

Thanks for the review...excellent product.

[Digitalis]

Thanks for the kind comments guys!

One of the biggest annoyances with the Godox AD180/360 flash units is the lack of a secure locking mechanism on these flash units.They do have a screw down locking collar, but that is fiddly to use and does nothing to stop the flash unit from sliding out of a standard metal coldshoe. FRIO cold shoes are useful, they have a double lock feature and fit well on the AD180/360 securely, and you can attach them with the metal 1/4th and 3/4th screw threads. But the issue I have with them is that you still need a tilt mechanism to be able to angle the lights - the tilt/rotate mechanism on the flash units themselves cannot make up for this shortcoming.

So I went for the cost-no object route, and I found the Manfrotto snap tilt head hiding in the Manfrotto catalog:

This is a product that has for the most part gone relatively unnoticed by strobist photographers, it was released with little fanfare in 1Q of 2014. It has several extremely useful features and excellent build quality that make it an excellent, albeit expensive choice for on location work.

The Snap tilt head has a built in cold shoe, which unlike other solutions on the market means there is no possibility for it to fall off or loosen**. The two halves of the spring loaded cold shoe claws used to hold the flash are surrounded by a sturdy rubber gripped collar, which is turned to close the jaws. This is a superior solution to all flash cold shoes I have worked with, which only use fragile plastic clips or apply tension only on one side by a tiny threaded nut which is tedious to operate and doesn't apply enough force to solidly lock the flash shoe. When tightened, the collar raises and prevents the flash from sliding out of the claws. This feature is very important for flash units that do not have locking pins, or with metal shoes as polished metal doesn't have much grip to it. Since the Godox AD 180 and AD360 both do have metal hot shoes and no locking pins, this flash head is ideal.

I know this isn't really fair, As this tilt head is perhaps one of the most expensive on the market, but you can see when compared to the cheapest nastiest flash tilt head I can find, the refinement of the snap tilt head is evident. This is a solid metal tilt head. I suppose the umbrella mount might be a bit low for some photographers, I never use umbrellas so I cannot comment on this.

The range of motion from this head is pretty typical. However, the mechanism is spring loaded, where a spring is used to arrest movement if the locking wheel isn't tightened properly.Even with heavy flash units like the AD180 this mechanism is able to prevent the unit from getting knocked around . The wheel lock on the side locks securely and is rubber coated to give a good grip.

This is an excellent product that is marred by one rather irritating oversight, this tilt head is designed to work on the Manfrotto Nano stands. The spigot used on the nano stands is fractionally smaller than the common spigot that has been used on flash stands for the past 70 years. It is possible to attach these heads to standard spigots though a considerable amount of force is needed to get the clamp securely in place. This is a design blooper, why make such a sturdy, well designed and artfully featured tilt head that only fits on the flimsiest flash stand*? Manfrotto could sell quite a few of these if it wasn't for this show stopping near-sightedness.

*Currently I'm using a trio of Manfrotto 1052BAC air cushioned flash stands for my compact on location strobist set-up. The Manfrotto 1052 BAC stands are marvelous. They are stackable and easy to transport, while also being sturdy and having the required height to be useful in the field. I did check out the Manfrotto nano stand..but it simply looks and feels too light and flimsy.

**though there have been complaints that there is a small amount of play in the flash shoe, to correct this there is a 8.0mm hex screw underneath the spring holding the flash shoe claws apart . Tighten this to eliminate unwanted movement.

[Class A]

No review of a Godox flash with a Li-Ion battery or using the Godox PB960 Li-Ion pack is complete without mentioning the massive battery quality issues Godox had. Since Godox does not use technology that actively balances the individual cells in those Li-Ion batteries upon recharging, any imbalance between cells caused in production will inevitably lead to the battery to die after a while. There have been countless cases of this happening to customers.

Godox have claimed to now have better QC in place but it definitely seems wise to buy from a place that deals with warranty cases well.

Also, while an update to the extremely basic Godox FT-16 triggers (the "Cells II" version is more advanced but only available for Canikon) has been announced for years now and recently a model name was announced ("X1 TTL"), there is still no update in sight and it is unclear what the compatibility to existing flash units will be. The current triggers, however, are lacking in usability.

Godox products are good quality in general and the Wistro models provide a solution to high-performance applications which may only be met with multiple regular flashguns and a myriad of AA batteries, but I still find it appropriate to mention the potential issues with the batteries and the poor usability of the triggers.

P.S.: All portable flashguns use IGBT technology. Not sure why that was considered important to mention.

[Digitalis]

No review of a Godox flash with a Li-Ion battery or using the Godox PB960 Li-Ion pack is complete without mentioning the massive battery quality issues Godox had.

You have a point, however I have three flash units: two AD180s and one AD360 - none have shown any issues with their batteries and I have several spare battery modules that have proven to be reliable*. But as you suggested, it pays to buy things like this from a reputable store with a good returns/refund policy.

Also, while an update to the extremely basic Godox triggers has been announced for years now and recently a model name was announced ("X1 TTL"), there is still no update in sight and it is unclear what the compatibility to existing flash units will be. The current triggers, however, are lacking in usability.

As basic as they are there isn't anything else quite like it available for Pentax cameras. I'll admit I use my Elinchrom speed triggers due to the fact that many of the cameras I work with can go far beyond the 1/180th sync speed limit. I use the FT-16 to remotely adjust the power levels of the flash heads. While the FT-16 itself is rather old design - your mention of the X1, which is the improved 2.4Ghz version with expanded functionality, still in the works. The popularity of the AD180 and AD360 as well as the updated Xenergiser system, And the fact that the receivers are connected through USB, and are a separate module means that there is little chance of them abandoning them when they update the trigger.

P.S.: All portable flashguns use IGBT technology. Not sure why that was considered important to mention.

True, however not everyone knows what an IGBT IS let alone what it DOES, nothing wrong with informing people.

*to check this: Test the battery 12 and 24 hrs after a complete charge with a good multi-meter, voltage should be about 12.5v (with an acceptable variance of 1v+/-). If it is less than this, ask for a replacement. There should be a serial number on the battery module on the side with the electrical contacts

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Last edited by Digitalis; 09-20-2015 at 07:42 AM.

[tunjij]

Hi,

First helpful review I have read about these units, thank you. Helped me decide. I just have one question. Are the transmitter units made to be camera specific? the reason I ask is because I am thinking of the Yongnuo triggers I currently use. I have always gone for the N designation as apparently the Cs do not work with Pentax cameras. I am desperate for a more powerful flash than my Yongnuos and Metzs units and would love to get these.

Thank you.

Reagrds,

TJ

[Digitalis]

I just have one question. Are the transmitter units made to be camera specific?

Yes,the FT-16 trigger can be used on any camera. But generally speaking, most trigger systems like the Elinchrom Skyport and Pocketwizard have universal models that can be used on any camera.

Godox also came out with the new X1 2.4ghz trigger (the Canon flash model):



Flashhavoc mentions that the Canon version is out now, the Nikon is sure to follow. I would be fantastic if they made a pentax model, with the pass through hot shoe it would be possible to use the O-GPS1 while still using the radio flash triggers.

[Class A]

Are the transmitter units made to be camera specific?

As Digitalis mentioned the basic triggers are not camera-specific, but you only get HSS working with the Cells II version, which is camera-specific (and there is no Pentax version).

[Digitalis]

the basic triggers are not camera-specific, but you only get HSS working with the Cells II version, which is camera-specific

Exactly, there are only two triggers that I know of that support P-TTL and HSS and they are hard to get a hold of, and I don't think either of them would work with the Godox flash units. So if you need HSS you don't have a lot of options. But it is possible to use the AD180 to overpower sunlight, even at 1:1 the recycle times are extremely fast and even at that power setting the PB960 battery will outlast any AA cell hotshoe flash. The AD360 can overpower sunlight as well, and still provide enough light for the use of larger light modifiers, Octabanks,Striplights, Beauty dishes.

P.S I recently completed my review of the Elinchrom EL-Skyport transmitter Plus HS for Nikon. In a short product interview with the Elinchrom representative, I raised the question of offering the transmitter in an Pentax flash variant, he said "due to the 645D and 645Z cameras there has been a considerable increase in demand among professionals for triggers suited for Pentax cameras". While he mentioned that there were technical hurdles to overcome with this, he also mentioned that it might be possible to develop a universal trigger: one that could be programmed VIA firmware that would work with all the other camera manufacturers that are missing out on wireless manual flash control with Elinchrom flash heads and include TTL and HSS.

[Dan Rentea]

I have 2 Godox AD180 flashes and they are by far my favorites. I had some problems with Yongnuo flashes and a friend of mine recommended to me those Godox flashes. I have them for about 8 months and I'm more then pleased with the built quality and with the power of them. I use them with softbox, with beauty dish, or with 60'' umbrellas. You can trigger AD180 flash with Yongnuo triggers, but you can't control the power of the flash. But FT16 trigger is more than good and reliable.

And the battery pack...it last forever. If you set the flash to 1/4 and bellow you will be able to shoot more than 2.000 shots with one charge of the battery.

There were some problems with battery packs, but Godox resolved them. If you buy these flashes you have to look for the serial number on the battery pack. The new batter packs should have a serial number.

Here is one of my AD180 mounted on a Godox S-type bracket with a 60" umbrella.

[Digitalis]

A bit of News for Godox Flash users - the 2.4Ghz flash receivers have been released for the X-1 transmitter:

[Dan Rentea]

This is the best news from this year in terms of triggers and receivers for my Godox flashes. I had 2 of them, now I have 3 Godox flashes. Thank you for sharing this info.

[Class A]

This is the best news from this year in terms of triggers and receivers for my Godox flashes.

Have a look at the comments on the TruthHavoc page, though.

Apparently there has been a recall for the XTR-16 receivers.