Originally posted by howieb101 Once the RQ250 is out in the wild are you suddenly going to say that actually lithium-ion batteries are good or are you going to say that because they are proprietary they are bad.
I already pointed out in my last post that the RQ250 features a Li-Ion battery. Why would my opinion on that change just because it is going to be "out in the wild"?
As I stated before, I'm torn as to which battery type I'd go for if I had to make a choice. There are pros and cons for each type and my personal analysis and weighting has been the same for a long time now and that won't change with the release of a new product.
I think it is fair, though, to observe that the more powerful a device becomes, the less the AA option makes sense. For devices like the AD200 or RQ250, we'd be talking at least 12 AA batteries to obtain reasonable stamina. Even with some battery cartridge approach that would get unwieldy, in particular if one considers multiple of such devices.
To equal the actual stamina of the AD200/RQ250, my estimate is that around 16 AA batteries would be required. That seems to defeat any advantage the AA approach may have when only four AAs still suffice. If one goes to even higher-powered devices like the AD600 then AA batteries are completely out of the question.
Originally posted by howieb101 You should really declare that you are a beta tester for Cactus if you continually argue for Cactus in every single post.
First, I don't argue for Cactus in every single post. On the contrary, as I don't want to come across as biased/paid, I often refrain from mentioning the V6II, even if it were appropriate.
I concede that I believe the V6II does many things very well and that, when appropriate, I will point this out to people. Isn't it natural to try to make the point for something you are convinced about? Have you never sung the praise of Pentax cameras to someone else? I surely did. Both Pentax and Cactus are small and can do with some support by their users. If everyone remains quiet about how much they like their Pentax and Cactus gear, maybe these brands won't be around for too much longer?
Second, my history of being a beta tester for Cactus does not cloud my judgement. Have you seen me jumping up and down about the X-TTL firmware release? While I think it is remarkable that users get P-TTL capabilities as a free firmware upgrade, personally P-TTL is not important to me.
Originally posted by howieb101 I am an independent user and have bought Cactus V6, V6 II and Godox Ving 850 and triggers. I am not paid to support or have a vested interest in supporting any particular brand.
I'm an independent user as well. I never got paid by Cactus. I don't "support any particular brand" in the professional manner that you seem to be insinuating. I simply would like to see Pentax, Sigma, Cactus, etc. continue to survive, so that I don't have to buy inferior stuff by other companies if my favourite brands fold.
Originally posted by howieb101 There are countless online reviews saying how good the Godox products are so while some people are doubtful many others are very happy. I am a happy user so you are getting my viewpoint.
I don't know why you seem to feel that I somehow attacked your viewpoint. That wasn't my intention at all. I was just pointing out that the days when AA-powered speedlights had 6-7s recycle times are over and that the recycle speed advantage of Li-Ion batteries hence isn't as huge as it used to be.
Also, I never said that Godox products aren't good. Although one has to wonder about some strange design decisions (like placing the dial on a trigger on the wrong side or making it impossible to turn a fastening handle 360 degrees) and I really dislike their approach to sustainability, overall Godox products are very attractive.
BTW, I realise that Adorama stocks rebranded Godox products but my point still holds: You only get support throughout the warranty period. Having nowhere to go with a defective product after one year is not a sustainable approach, in my view. It may work out financially to simply write off a device, but we only have one planet so a company that talks to you and repairs devices is preferable, in my view.
Overall, it seems that you got a bit defensive and I'm not sure why. I don't see the need to make any of these exchanges personal. I was simply trying to add to the picture you were providing.