# Whoop here it is ; ad600 PRO



## Viggo (Jan 4, 2018)

What do you guys think?

https://www.adorama.com/g/XPLOR-600PRO?utm_content=buffer7ed04&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter


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## Besisika (Jan 4, 2018)

what do you wanna know?
I have the Godox version but it is the same box.
I moved from Einstein to the AD600+AD200 and very happy.


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## BenKing (Jan 4, 2018)

I'm trying to see all the actual differences. What I see so far:

1. Faster recycle time (< 1 sec @ full power)
2. 3x more powerful LED modeling lamp
3. Integrated reflector

What else am I missing? I picked up a couple of the "old" version when they went on sale for half this price. Pretty sure I'd still pick the old one at the price I paid over this new one at double the price. Maybe I'm missing something, though. Maybe the super fast recycle is worth the extra amount?


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## neurorx (Jan 4, 2018)

Besisika said:


> what do you wanna know?
> I have the Godox version but it is the same box.
> I moved from Einstein to the AD600+AD200 and very happy.




What do you prefer about the Godox besides high speed sync? I'm debating between the two and appreciate your insight.


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## hne (Jan 5, 2018)

Viggo said:


> What do you guys think?
> 
> https://www.adorama.com/g/XPLOR-600PRO?utm_content=buffer7ed04&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter



Knowing you have used both the Profoto B1 and Broncolor Siros 800, I'm pretty sure you'd feel familiar with an AD600 TTL. Roughly same power, size and features.

Unless Godox have vastly improved on power and colour consistent with this pro version, you'd be better off with what you've already tried:

https://youtu.be/_Ou8ROX5dpo


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## Viggo (Jan 5, 2018)

I wasn’t really asking if I should buy one, I’m not, but it’s always fun with new gear and just wondered what you guys think about it, would you consider it over a B1 or Bron or the previous ad600?

They seemed to have copied the bulb, with frosted front and transparent sides, and reflector from Broncolor. It looks great on paper with both better battery and power compared to a B1( x ), and a lot better color consistency. I’m sure Profoto will loose some sales, but I don’t think people buying Broncolor will worry about it.

The thing for me is ; how does it hold up over the next five years, ten years? A Bron Siros L isn’t cheap, but it could be cheaper if it lasts twice as long, which isn’t really all that unlikely.

And the thing I check first when buying a lamp is; which modifiers can I use. And Bowen’s makes a lot of them, but are they any good? To me they aren’t compared to Profoto and Bron.

And just as a small facepalm, WHY do they insist on making power adjustments in 1/3 stops instead of 1/10??

Anyway, this ad600 PRO will sell by the boatload I think...


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## Viggo (Jan 5, 2018)

hne said:


> Viggo said:
> 
> 
> > What do you guys think?
> ...



The HUGE difference for me from B1 and Ad600 to Siros L is power output beyond sync speed. Having 800Ws with HS compared to 500Ws HSS is the difference between f1.4 iso 100 1/8000s and f8 iso 100 1/8000s, which means a lot faster in use due to lower power settings and just that freedom to use three diffusers or a BD in harsh sunlight. And also with syncspeed, faster duration with higher power.


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## Besisika (Jan 5, 2018)

Viggo said:


> I wasn’t really asking if I should buy one, I’m not, but it’s always fun with new gear and just wondered what you guys think about it, would you consider it over a B1 or Bron or the previous ad600?
> 
> They seemed to have copied the bulb, with frosted front and transparent sides, and reflector from Broncolor. It looks great on paper with both better battery and power compared to a B1( x ), and a lot better color consistency. I’m sure Profoto will loose some sales, but I don’t think people buying Broncolor will worry about it.
> 
> ...


I didn't even realize that it is a new version. I was thinking about the existing.
I need a 2nd light anyway so I am going to go for this one. I need one before summer.


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## Besisika (Jan 5, 2018)

neurorx said:


> Besisika said:
> 
> 
> > what do you wanna know?
> ...


I didn't realize that there is a new PRO version so I was referring to the old (current) version that I have.
It comes down to what you need it for.
Last time I used Profoto was in school and I never considered it in my analysis, mainly because of cost, not only associated with the light itself but as well the modifier - I hate closed system and I try to avoid them whenever possible.
The Jinbei and Godox systems use Bowens mount and allows you for a bunch of modifiers starting from the cheapest to the most expensive. I bought so many of them, until (after 5 years) I settled on 3 of them. I started with the cheapest and once I knew what I needed then I bought the expensive ones.

I strongly suggest you take the advice of someone shooting what you do (or close).
I don't shoot in studio anymore. If I was still, I would have stayed with Einstein. But I do only on location and the Einstein+vagabond mini became a big issue.

The only thing I am missing from the Einstein is burst, which I still use when shooting wedding during flower tossing. But last year I didn't shoot any and planning on doing only one or two this new year so I am not going to miss that feature that much.

Since I shoot on location color consistency means not much to me. The outdoor light coming from the window, the color temperature changing during the day, the presence of the cloud - all that has impact on the color of the available light so whatever variation I had on my strobe due to change of power doesn't really matter.
Comparing Einstein to AD600, I choose the GODOX because:
1 - portability. I shoot on location and I move to a different spot every 10-15min. A cordless system is very helpful. I have my counterweight in a back pack, my camera in one hand and the light in the other.
2 - included receiver. I need different flash power depending on location and time; sometimes I need 600W at full power, sometimes 200W and sometimes a speedlite at minimum power. The fact that Godox allows me to use only one transmitter for all of their flashes without the need for a receiver became important.
3 - TTL. I shoot not only portrait but event as well. When doing a bounce flash during run and gun, my head is on what I have to shoot not what flash power I need. TTL allows me to shoot without worrying about how far is my flash from my subject. The error from TTL is far more acceptable than doing a math in the head without measuring. Not to mention that it is faster as well; you just turn, zoom in or out and shoot.
4 - HSS. When shooting at flash contribution around 50% (1 stop darker background) or less (fill flash), shutter speed becomes important not only to compensate for subject movement but handshake as well. Indoor, I shoot mainly with 85 1.2, outdoor 135 2.0, both non stabilized. Ever since I moved to 1DX II I adopted live view shooting using face recognition. This allows me to shoot from the ground and way above my head without the need for a ladder and handshake became important. I realized that 1/250th sec is no longer safe and I had to increase it to 1/320th or even 1/400th sometimes. It became obvious for dynamic posing (continuous posing), or walking/dancing subject.
The AD600 allows for higher speed than I really need, not to mention that allows me to use my preferred F-stop range when shooting outdoor (2.0 - 5.6) without the need for ND filter (which I hate).

The new one (based on leaked spec), will have faster recycle time (which is desperately needed at full power) as well as more powerful modeling lamp. I rarely need the modeling lamp, however there are times when modeling helps greatly (symmetric face with butterfly lighting for example).
Again, color consistency is not a need for me, but who knows maybe I will have to shoot in studio someday, but for now I don't need it.
As my main light, I don't mind the price increase. I need just one anyway; two different lights but using the same trigger - I don't see a problem.

Hope that helps in understand why Godox over Einstein.


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## neurorx (Jan 5, 2018)

This is helpful. I would not be using strobes in studio. I shoot mostly on location shots. Thank you so much.

Is it easy to obtain and get replacement parts, bulbs etc.?


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## Besisika (Jan 5, 2018)

neurorx said:


> This is helpful. I would not be using strobes in studio. I shoot mostly on location shots. Thank you so much.
> 
> Is it easy to obtain and get replacement parts, bulbs etc.?


That is still my big unknown at this time. I would call Adorama if you are in the state.
I am in Canada so only battery and bulb I can replace (whatever is via ebay/amazon). I have had mine for 1 year now, I dropped it twice and still working well.


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## YuengLinger (Feb 1, 2018)

Extremely interesting!


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## nonac (Apr 26, 2018)

I just bought two of thee and they arrived today. These are the first moonlights I have owned, used 600ex-rt speed lights prior. I played around with these all afternoon and I can tell that I will really enjoy these, especially when strobing HS sports in gyms where I use the speedlights now. I will be shooting at about 1/16 power in the gyms and I can get a burst of 2-3 seconds on my 5d iv at high frame rate and have a flash on every frame. I can probably go longer than that, I didn't push it this afternoon. Wow!


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## deleteme (Apr 26, 2018)

neurorx said:


> This is helpful. I would not be using strobes in studio. I shoot mostly on location shots. Thank you so much.
> 
> Is it easy to obtain and get replacement parts, bulbs etc.?



Bulbs and batteries are easy. Other bits are available also.
My Godox flashes ( a mix of V850,V860, AD 360, QS 600 and AD 600) have all held up well over the years.
I replaced one tube on an AD360 as I broke one but that was all.

What I could not find was a replacement for the plastic ring that snaps over the reflector to hold a diffuser or gel. I broke one and never could find the replacement.

Long term durability seems good. I have owned Hensel, Norman, Buff and Bowens and all except the Bowens had to be sent in for repair. The Godox still is trouble free beating all the others.


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## Talys (Apr 26, 2018)

I bought an AD600Pro, and I also own one of the older AD600's (the model without TTL).

I have some mixed feelings about the new one, though the short TLDR is that yes, I think it's a great buy.

Essentially, this is a much more professionally-usable product than the predecessor and compares more favorably against Profoto and Broncolor in a lot of ways that probably matter to you if you're looking at buying one. First, the good stuff:

You must surely know by now the tripod mount is stepless, and that it's all metal, including a wide plate that runs nearly the length of the strobe. This is a huge improvement, as the stepped "click click click" nature of the AD600 made it a poor competitor to other studio strobes -- simply because you often can't get a softbox to the angle you really want. But just as significantly, the much sturdier construction gives me a lot more confidence to mount it on a boom attached to a C-Stand, and with heavy modifier on the bowens mount, too, like a large metal beauty dish + metal grid. I was always kind of nervous doing that with the AD600.

The unit also now has an accurate color mode which keeps color the same (within 75K) regardless of the power level of the battery; that's huge, for me. It also packs a lot better, thanks to a newly designed front reflector/cover and a tripod mount that easily folds into a closed position.

There is a new bulb which looks cool, along with a nifty looking front frosted piece, but honestly, when you put these in a light modifier, I can't really see any performance difference. But the unit does LOOK a lot more professional. There are also some nice ergonomic improvements, like the power switch being on the bottom.

But there are still plenty of things I'm not madly in love with.

First, and most obvious, I don't like the massive screen on the left hand side. It just looks like an invitation to smash it to smithereens when I knock over a light stand inevitably. I still think the XPro controller is kind of cheap-feeling, compared to the competitors (though it IS a lot less expensive). And it has quite a few less shots per battery compared to the predecessor.

Finally, value: it's about double the price of the AD600 yet it improves neither the power level, nor T.1 speeds and actually takes a hit on battery power . So there's that. But, it's still half the price of a Profoto, and the controller, while not super-duper, is something like a quarter the price. So I'm not sure if I want to say that the AD600 Pro is just not as good a deal as the AD600, or if the AD600 is just a spectacular deal for light output.

But at the end of the day, for this class of strobe, it's just really, really nice and hard to say no to. And what's an extra $400 or whatever, on a piece of gear that will last for many years to come and is just nicer in most ways that matter?

Still, there is the elephant in the room. I really don't ever take my AD600Pro anywhere, because it's a 10 pound strobe, and I don't need it for any of the modifiers that I take on location. I think that the AD200 is just way more useful in that regard, as there are realistically very few things that a doubled-up AD200 can't do just as well as the AD600Pro. In fact, for nearly all tasks, I can use a single AD200 that's 1/5 the weight and packs into about the same square volume as a speedlight, and do just fine =X


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## deleteme (May 2, 2018)

Talys said:


> I really don't ever take my AD600Pro anywhere, because it's a 10 pound strobe, and I don't need it for any of the modifiers that I take on location. I think that the AD200 is just way more useful in that regard, as there are realistically very few things that a doubled-up AD200 can't do just as well as the AD600Pro. In fact, for nearly all tasks, I can use a single AD200 that's 1/5 the weight and packs into about the same square volume as a speedlight, and do just fine =X



True.
I use my AD-360s almost exclusively despite the fact that the 600s are much faster to set up. 
Now, if they could get the 360 in a compact form factor....


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## pwp (May 8, 2018)

Besisika said:


> what do you wanna know?
> I have the Godox version but it is the same box.
> I moved from Einstein to the AD600+AD200 and very happy.


Recently bought a pair of the incredible and fast selling AD200 units, it's refreshing to have a nice simple compact setup with unexpectedly viable ETTL after the Witstro AD360's which are now for sale. They were so fiddly to set up. At the showroom I checked out the AD600 Pro. Wow I want into this system. I have six Einsteins which have been good, but now seem like they're from another era. I really hope PCB are developing something that can bring them up to date and be a meaningful alternative to the current ETTL, HSS internal battery offerings like the AD600. We're really spoiled for choice.

-pw


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## ryanchapman (Sep 6, 2018)

What do you want to know?


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## turkeyjerky214 (Oct 19, 2018)

pwp said:


> Recently bought a pair of the incredible and fast selling AD200 units, it's refreshing to have a nice simple compact setup with unexpectedly viable ETTL after the Witstro AD360's which are now for sale. They were so fiddly to set up. At the showroom I checked out the AD600 Pro. Wow I want into this system. I have six Einsteins which have been good, but now seem like they're from another era. I really hope PCB are developing something that can bring them up to date and be a meaningful alternative to the current ETTL, HSS internal battery offerings like the AD600. We're really spoiled for choice.
> 
> -pw



I held out hope that PCB would come up with something new and revolutionary like they did with the Einstein for several years. I ditched all my Einsteins and White Lightnings last year when Adorama had an insane sale on the AD600. I absolutely despise the Bowens mount, but it's not a huge deal because I mostly use Softlighters. I also hate the angle adjustment on the base of the light, but it's not as bad on the extension heads which I use with most of my AD600s. If they made a cheaper version of the Pro that doesn't include TTL, I would be much more inclined to upgrade.


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