Is This the Right Speedlight for You?

I’ve never had the opportunity to try out a speedlight that was essentially two light sources in one, and the more I looked into it, the more eager I was to try it out.

Keep in mind that while I’ve been a photographer for many years, I’m a novice when it comes to on-camera flashes. Most of my past work has been done with natural light and/or in a studio with strobes.

The FJ80-SE was my first foray into the world of on-camera flashes, and I found myself gravitating to using it off-camera most of the time. For this review, however, the Godox V1 remained entirely on-camera.

As you may have been able to guess, I’ll be doing a fair amount of comparison/contrast to the Westcott FJ80-SE – it’s what I’m used to working with.

If you haven’t yet bought a speedlight and aren’t sure which brand to choose, this will likely be useful to you.

I’ll also briefly cover the differences between the V1 and the V1 Pro, as well the closest alternatives in case you’re wondering which one to get or if you should upgrade.

Either way, here’s how the Godox V1 Pro works for a multi-genre photographer who’s relatively new to using speedlights in portraiture and event photography.

But first, the specs…

Godox V1 Pro Specs

The Godox v1 Pro features a round head, a powerful 76W output, fast recycle speeds, a built-in modeling light, an improved battery charging system and a detachable sub flash.

At 76W, it’s not quite as powerful as the FJ80, but for my purposes, it’s more than powerful enough.

It can work as either a master or a slave in Godox’s X trigger system, so makes a great addition if you’re already invested in Godox lighting products.

Power (1/1 output): 76Ws
Flash Coverage: 28 to 105mm
Auto zoom (flash coverage is set automatically to match the lens focal length and image size)
Manual zoom
Swinging/tilting flash head (bounce flash): 0 to 330° horizontally and -7° to 120° vertically
Flash Duration: 1/300 to 1/20000 seconds
Flash Exposure: Manual, FEB: ±3 steps with 1/3 increment each step (Manual FEC and FEB can be combined)
Flash Exposure Lock (FEL): With <FEL> button or <*> button
Sync Mode: High-speed sync (up to 1/8000 seconds), first-curtain sync, and second-curtain sync
Multi Flash: Provided (up to 100 times, 199Hz)
Wireless Function: Transmitter, Receiver, Off
Controllable Receiver: A, B, C, D, E (E group can be controlled by X series flash trigger)
Transmission Range (approx.): 100m
Channels: 32 (01~32)
ID: OFF/01~99
Modeling Flash: Fired with camera’s depth-of-field preview button
Recycle Time: Approx. 1.5 seconds. Green LED indicator will light up when the flash is ready.
Number of Flashes at 1/1 step: Approx. 500
Mount: Shoe
Off-Camera Terminal: 2.5 mm
Mobile App Compatible: No
Dimensions (W x H x D): 6.14 x 4.88 x 2.99″ / 15.6 x 12.4 x 7.59 cm
Weight: 20.5 oz / 580 g (with Battery)

What’s In the Box

The sub-flash is hiding in that little black cardboard box that has two symbols on it: one for the charger and one for the sub-flash. Of course, I ignored the symbols, took the charger out and then thought the box was empty. It wasn’t until I watched an unboxing video that I found the little sub-flash hiding in a compartment in there.

The Godox V1 Pro comes with

• the flash unit
• a sub-flash (in the black box)
• a battery
• an instruction manual
• a padded case
• a cold shoe
• a USB to AC plug (in the black box)
• a charging cable
• a bag of gels
• a white cleaning cloth

Build Quality

The Godox V1 Pro is built primarily from a tough plastic, which feels durable but not particularly high-end.

All in all, I’d say it’s a bit more cheaply made than the Westcott FJ80-SE. It feels less polished and certainly less compact.

That being said, I don’t have any fears of the main body breaking any time soon.

As an aside, I also have to say that the Westcott speedlights are slightly more aesthetically pleasing to me, but that wouldn’t affect which one I’d choose.

I do like the fact that the control buttons are a different color than the black plastic housing – it makes them easier to see.

The screen isn’t a touchscreen, but since I’m not used to one on speedlights, that isn’t an issue for me.

The control wheel works better for me on the V1. It’s reliable and I never have any confusion as to which element I’m changing.

The mounting port on the Godox V1 Pro has been upgraded to a metal foot on Sony versions. Its locking mechanism is still a plastic ring with a plastic release button (which feels fragile to me), but the metal foot definitely makes for a more secure connection.

One important change Godox made for Sony users was switching to an all-metal foot on their mounting port.

It’s secured by a plastic ring with a button release. Push the button and twist the ring to mount or dismount the flash.

To me, the plastic ring feels really flimsy and easily breakable. I’m not a fan. (I prefer Westcott’s screw-down design.)

As it didn’t come with any magnetic accessories (the Westcott FJ80-SE comes with a diffusion gel and color correction gel), I wasn’t able to test out the reliability of its magnetic ring.

Overall, the build quality of the V1 Pro is about what I’d expect for its price point. No real complaints (other than the locking mechanism on the mounting port).

Size & Handling

The Godox V1 Pro (with the sub-flash attached) next to a Westcott FJ80-SE and a standard ballpoint pen.

I have to admit, when I first started working with the Westcott FJ80-SE I thought it was a beast, but the V1 Pro is slightly larger and feels significantly heavier when the sub-flash is attached (even though the specs say it’s only .06 lbs heavier without the sub-flash).

It also doesn’t balance well on my Sony A7 III.

The weight/balance issue is most noticeable when I need to use the back of the camera for any reason (like changing settings).

Taking the support hand away and holding the camera one-handed is definitely awkward. Maybe I just need to get used to it, but right now, it’s definitely not easy to work with.

Without the sub-flash attached, though, I didn’t really notice the weight/awkwardness as much. Either I’d gotten used to the flash by then, was more engaged in the shoot, and/or there really is a significant difference.

Ease of Use/ Learning Curve

I first tried the Godox V1 Pro on a casual shoot indoors, thinking that would be a good opportunity to put it through its paces.

As an on-camera flash, it was extremely easy to figure out. All the controls were where I expected them to be and worked as intended.

I don’t have a Godox trigger to work with, so I have no idea how easy or hard it is to work with off-camera or synced in a group, but on-camera, it’s a delight.

Working with the sub-flash was also easy – the controls are all readily accessible and work as designed.

I can’t say I’m particularly impressed with the sub-flash yet. In most of the indoor shots, I bounced the round head off the wall or the ceiling.

When I used the sub-flash, it was for frontal fill. When I went back to my photos later, however, I wasn’t really able to tell which ones had the sub-flash activated and which ones didn’t (unless there were mistakes like the hot spot below). There really wasn’t that much of a difference.

Also, it seems to me that the sub-flash is only useful when the round head is bouncing off a wall or a ceiling, and in most of my outdoor shoots, that’s not an option.

Another challenge is avoiding hot spots and reflections when using the sub flash. You can see that I didn’t quite manage to avoid the hot spot it created to the right of my subject in the photo below.

In this photo, the round flash is bouncing off the wall to my left and the sub-flash is on low power in front. | Photo Credit: Teryani Riggs | Sony A7III + Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 | 66.7mm | 1/250 sec | f/4.5 | ISO 100

I also noticed that when the sub-flash was attached, the recycle time wasn’t consistent.

If I shot too quickly, I got a number of dark photos. This surprised me, as most of the marketing says that the recycling time on this speedlight is sublime.

On the outdoor shoot, I had absolutely no problems with the recycling time and was able to shoot as quickly as I needed to.

I didn’t have the sub-flash attached and the round head power was set quite low – I’m guessing one or both of these things affected it. Either way, I was a bit disappointed with the indoor recycling time.

One thing I’ve noticed on both speedlights I’ve used is that TTL never gives me an exposure that works for me. I almost always have to put it in manual mode to get what I’m looking for.

I’m sure this is due to my lack of experience, but so far, manual mode has been the way to go.

For those of you who need to frequently switch between manual mode and TTL, however, there’s a cool new feature on the v1 Pro: a dedicated TTL/manual switch on the side of the flash.

Overall, I’d say that the controls of Godox V1 Pro are superbly easy to use, even for beginners. Learning when to use the sub-flash and how to make it work for you, well, that’s a learning curve I haven’t mastered yet.

Light Quality

Model: Barrett Bennett | Photo Credit: Teryani Riggs | Sony A7 III + Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 | 66.3mm | f/3.5 | 1/250 sec | ISO 160

I really do love the light quality of the Godox V1 Pro. The light from both the round flash and the sub-flash was beautifully soft.

At first, I was a little confused, as one of the videos I watched described the sub-flash as being a fairly hard light, but that hasn’t yet been my experience.

In this group of photos, I was going for a high-key, summery feel to the images. I used the sun as a backlight and the Godox V1 Pro as a front fill. It performed beautifully.

(I didn’t use the sub-flash in this shoot.)

Model: Jay Ash | Photo Credit: Teryani Riggs | Sony A7 III + Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 | 70mm | f/3.5 | 1/250 sec | ISO 160

I know high key isn’t for everyone, but for what I was going for in this shoot, it worked out great. (My clients were thrilled with the images.)

I did have to take the highlights down a bit in post, but overall, the post-processing work was minor.

Model: Jay Ash | Photo Credit: Teryani Riggs | Sony A7 III + Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 | 48mm | f/3.5 | 1/125 sec | ISO 160

Since I was working in manual, I needed to change the settings from time to time, depending on where we were shooting and as the sun was setting.

All of it was easy, and with the exception of a few images looking a bit washed out, the majority of the photos turned out to be keepers.

Model: Barrett Bennett | Photo Credit: Teryani Riggs | Sony A7 III + Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 | 48mm | f/3.5 | 1/125 sec | ISO 160

This next image doesn’t use the sun as a backlight. It’s just ambient light (shade) + the v1 Pro.

This was taken in full shade. | Model: Barrett Bennett | Photo Credit: Teryani Riggs | Sony A7 III + Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 | 65.6mm | f/3.5 | 1/250 sec | ISO 160

Overall, I’m thrilled with the light quality of the round head. Not so thrilled with the sub-flash yet, but who knows, maybe I just haven’t found the right application for it…

Accessories

Battery Charging

One of the cool new things about the V1 Pro is that you can charge the battery in multiple ways:

• USB-C Port: There’s a USB-C port built into the battery. You can keep the battery in the flash or charge it externally.
• VC26 charger (included with the flash)
• Power Bank
• PB960 Flash Power Pack: for extended sessions (sold separately)

AK-R1 Accessory Kit

This is the standard accessory kit for the Godox v1 Pro and includes a dome diffuser, bounce card, honeycomb grid, different colored gels, and a snoot.

Some of the gels that came with the flash weren’t in the best of shape (pictured above). I’m also not quite sure how to attach them, as I assumed that all accessories were magnetically mounted.

The Godox V1 Pro vs the Godox V1: What’s the Difference?

Here’s a brief run-down on the differences between the V1 and the V1 Pro:

• Battery Charger: The battery can now be charged inside the flash or on its own via a USB-C cable.
• Detachable Sub-Flash: Essentially gives you two light sources in one speedlight.
• TTL-Manual Button: Not having to go to the menu to switch between TTL and Manual mode is super handy for those who toggle between both.
  
• Improved Recycling Time: The V1 has a noticeable slow-down in its recycling time after about 30 flashes or so. The V1 Pro, on the other hand, can go up to 100 flashes without any noticeable slowdown in its recycling time.
• Metal Foot: As mentioned above, the V1 Pro upgraded its mounting foot for Sony cameras.
• Price: The V1 is $70 less.

Alternatives

Westcott FJ80-SE

A great entry-level round-head speedlight at a fantastic price – currently less than US$200. The company has been around a long time and excels at customer service. You can read my review of it here.

[Amazon | B&H]

Godox V1

Another fantastic entry-level round-head speedlight at an attractive price – currently less than US$260 ($70 cheaper than the V1 Pro). See the section above for the key differences between the V1 and the V1 Pro.

[Amazon | B&H]

Westcott FJ80 II

The same price as the V1 Pro, but has a touchscreen, has fantastic battery performance, is slightly more powerful and somewhat better made. That said, there are some event photographers that find the operating system unwieldy. Offers universal compatibility with almost all of the top brands as well, so if you shoot with, say, a Nikon and a Canon, the same FJ80 II will work on both.

[Amazon | B&H]

Value for Money

At well over US$300, I find the V1 Pro bit on the steep side of things.

For this to be worth it over the other, less expensive options, you’d need to really get a lot out of the new features: the SU-1 sub flash, the faster recycling time, and the different ways of charging the battery.

Otherwise, I’d say stick with the V1 or move over to one of the Westcott options.

Godox V1 Pro Review | Conclusion

Should you upgrade? I probably wouldn’t, but if one of these features is really world-changing for you, then maybe??

Reasons to buy the V1 Pro over the V1? If you could get the sub-flash to be a real asset for you. If you often switch between TTL and Manual. If you want the faster recycling time (which I didn’t really experience).

In the end, which speedlight you choose will probably depend on your budget, which ecosystem will meet your needs best, and whether there are any features that are deal makers and/or deal breakers.

In terms of budget, the Westcott FJ80-SE is the least expensive of the bunch.  If you’re just looking for a speedlight and don’t have plans for getting more lighting equipment, I’d definitely recommend taking a look at it. It’s well worth it.

If you’re planning on getting more lighting equipment, you’ll need to think clearly about which ecosystem you’d like to buy into so that your choice of flash is compatible with it.

Both the Godox and the Westcott speedlights can work as triggers/slaves for the rest of their flash units, and make a great addition to a larger lighting set-up.

Feature-wise, it really depends on what you’re planning on using the speedlight for. If you’re an event photographer with demanding, high-paced shoots, I’d recommend trying out both the Westcott FJ80 II and the Godox V1 Pro before choosing. They both have pros and cons worth noting.

For me, I really love the Westcott company and would prefer to stay in their ecosystem. At the same time, I had a much easier time working with the V1 Pro from the moment I turned it on.

Of course, this could be like having children – the first one has the highest learning curve. I “cut my teeth” on the Westcott FJ80-SE, so had much less to learn when working with the V1 Pro.

Still, it functioned marvelously for me from day one and is lovely to use.

I’m unimpressed by the SU-1 sub flash, but again, that could merely be because I haven’t found a situation yet where it shines. (Pardon the pun.)

I suspect that this will be my on-camera flash for the near future (because of its ease of use), but the Westcott FJ80-SE will remain my primary off-camera speedlight.

Have you had a chance to try out the new V1 Pro? If so, how’s it working for you?

Highly Recommended

Godox V1 Pro

Powerful and delightfully easy to use, with some notable upgrade features including a detachable sub flash and dedicated TTL-Manual button.

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