Originally posted by GeneV FWIW, I have not had much luck getting a Sony camera to transmit TTL flash control through an Sony X1 transmitter to a Sony X1R to a flash designed for Sony TTL. I have seen on other forums that my issue is not unique. The system is not perfect.
Yup. The X1R receivers are probably the most problematic device in the system. It's why most Godox users will switch completely over to Godox speedlights, not only for the convenience of the built-in triggers, but also for the better function. Sony users also have to deal with a TTL bug; that there's underexposure when used with aperture settings wider than f/4. None of the other systems is seeing anything similar.
However, this bug is also seen with other 3rd-party radio TTL systems (like Jinbei's), so isn't unique to Godox, and probably has something to do with how Sony's multi-interface hotshoe TTL signalling is somehow resistant to reverse-engineering.
The older flash systems, like those from Canon, Nikon, and Pentax, still use analog signals on the flash hotshoe (for backwards compatibility with film-era gear), and seem to be easier to 'crack' for companies like Godox, Yongnuo and Jinbei. The newer mirrorless systems, like Sony, Fuji, and four-thirds seem to have some form of digital signalling as well, which isn't. Sony has a TTL bug in its Godox system, while Fuji and Panasonic four-thirds gear are having HSS banding issues. There are other issues that arise from the newer mirrorless bodies having to implement certain things differently with flash, so issues like HSS banding with electronic first-curtain shutter (Sony bug), and AF-assist not working with IR signals, given that the main image sensor (which is all a mirrorless camera has to focus with has an IR/UV blocking filter over it); are just a few things that the 3rd-party flashes are having issues with and finding workarounds for (e.g., the newer AF-assist lights are LEDs). The Godox picture is not identical for all flavors.
As someone who's using Godox on Canon, Fuji, and MFT, I can categorically state that I get a lot more function out of the Canon versions than the Fuji or the MFT versions.
On top of that, Godox is low-cost Chinese gear. They really don't spend a lot of time on integration testing or corner-case testing. That's part of why the pricetags are so low (aside from making your retailer your support tier). I have a $65 TT600. It's probably the simplest flash that Godox makes in the system. All the advertised features on it work great: I have radio triggering, HSS, and remote power control. It has S1/S2 "dumb" optical slave functions. They work great. There's a MULTI mode. It works great. And if I put the thing into S1 and MULTI at the same time, the stupid thing will repeatedly fire
until I turn it off. Doesn't matter how many bursts I programmed for MULTI mode. Because the later bursts in the MULTI mode are re-triggering the optical slave. No integration testing, remember? Do I plan to use it in S1+MULTI? Not really. And it's still a $65 flash that gives me HSS radio triggering. But if
anybody tells you Godox is "Just like OEM gear, only cheaper," do not believe them.
So, yeah, Godox isn't a perfect system. But for most of us, it's still perfectly usable. And they can still be a good choice, because the features they do have OEM doesn't (multi-brand TTL support, bigger studio lights, built-in radio triggering, etc.) can trump the inability to use legacy flashes.
Last edited by inkista; 11-05-2018 at 07:32 PM.