Comparison Godox AD200Pro vs Godox AD100Pro

— Ordinary. Classic external flash. Usually, it is installed in the "hot shoe" of the camera. This is a versatile type of flash that is suitable for a variety of shooting applications, from portraits to subjects at long focal lengths.

— For macro photography. Special flashes are designed for use when photographing objects at short distances (macro photography). Such flashes, usually, are made in the form of a ring and are mounted on the front of the lens, which makes it possible to achieve uniform illumination of the subject. The connection is made through the "hot shoe" of the camera. It is worth noting that such flashes are not intended for general shooting due to their low power.

— Combined. Solutions from this category are usually kits that include two types of flashes at the same time — normal and macro. For details on each of these varieties, see the corresponding paragraphs. And the key difference between such a kit and two separate flashes is that both lamps, usually, are connected through one “hot shoe” — most often a regular flash is attached to this connector, and a macro lamp is already connected to it.

— On- camera light can be described as an analogue of a flash, used mainly when shooting video. Hence another popular name for such devices is “video flashes”. However, this name is not entirely correct due to the fact th...at the on-camera light does not work in pulses, but in a constant mode. Simply put, this is a specialized spotlight mounted on the camera.

Flashes of this type use one or more diodes as a light source. Usually, LED-light is significantly inferior to xenon illumination in terms of luminous flux intensity, but at the same time it boasts high energy efficiency and reliability. LED flashes are mainly used as stationary lighting and are found in macro photography ( LED ring flashes) and on- camera.

Camera models that the flash can work with. Note that this parameter is usually indicated in the characteristics very approximately — only camera manufacturers are named, but there is no talk of models as such. Therefore, before purchasing a flash, it makes sense to separately clarify whether it will work normally with your camera — for example, on the manufacturer's website or thematic forums. This is especially true for devices from third-party manufacturers — for such models, the likelihood of problems is somewhat higher than for “native” flash cameras. At the same time, devices from the same company usually have the same requirements for connecting flashes, and therefore this parameter is with a fairly high degree of accuracy allows you to evaluate compatibility.

If the specifications of the flash indicate compatibility with several brands of cameras, this usually means that this model is available in several variations, each of which is designed for a different manufacturer.

It is worth noting that the "non-native" camera and flash may be quite compatible and work fine in most shooting modes. Nevertheless, support for TTL (see below) and a number of other specific functions in this case is usually out of the question, and in general, the reliability and efficiency of this combination is lower than that of a camera with a "native" flash. Therefore, it is better to choose all the same accessories with directly claimed compatibility.

Of t...he compatible cameras currently in use: Canon, Fuji, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung, Sigma, Sony.

The time it takes the flash or generator (for studio flashes) to prepare for the next flash. The smaller it is, the better. This parameter is especially important for continuous shooting, when the interval between frames is small: if you often shoot in this mode, you should look for a flash with the shortest possible recycle time. Also note that the characteristics usually indicate the shortest recharge time; in some operating modes, it may be significantly more than stated.

The number of flashes that the flash can fire without recharging the battery or changing batteries (see "Power"). This parameter is very approximate, because. in fact, it strongly depends on a number of factors: pulse duration, use of the display and its backlight (if any, see below), autofocus backlight (see "Features"), etc., and with replaceable batteries — even and on their quality. Often, manufacturers indicate in the characteristics the “perfect”, the maximum possible number of pulses — i.e. with their minimum duration, non-use of additional functions and even the optimal temperature regime for the battery. In reality, this figure may be lower. Nevertheless, the data indicated in the characteristics makes it quite possible to evaluate the battery life of the flash and even compare different models with each other.

The duration of the pulse of light provided by the flash. This indicator can range from thousandths to hundred thousandths of a second; it is usually expressed as a fractional number with a unit in the numerator, such as 1/880 s. The human eye does not notice the difference, but in some shooting modes it can become critical. For example, to capture fast-moving scenes (such as splashing water, the flight of an insect, or the movement of machine parts) you need to choose a flash with the shortest flash duration possible — otherwise the image may be blurry.

The longest pulse duration in modern photoflashes is about 1/800 s; the minimum value can reach 1/30,000 s or even less.

Flash units with TTL support. TTL is an abbreviation for "through the lens", i.e. "through the lens"; this is the name of the method of measuring exposure by the amount of light that passes directly through the camera lens.

In digital photography, TTL works like a pre-flash: before the main exposure, the flash fires one or more test flashes. The amount of light coming from the object being filmed is measured by special sensors, based on these data, the control electronics sets the necessary shooting parameters, after which the actual exposure takes place. This allows you to fine-tune the camera and get an image of optimal quality. The interval between the test and operating pulses is so small that it may not be visible to the naked eye at all (especially when the flash is synchronized with the front curtain or with a slow shutter speed).

Many modern camera manufacturers have their own developments and varieties of TTL technology, respectively, differing in name: for example, Canon has E-TTL and E-TTL II, Nikon has D-TTL (in early models) and i-TTL (in later ones) , Pentax has P-TTL, etc. Support for one or another variety is directly related to the compatibility of the flash with cameras (see above), and different formats are usually not compatible with each other.

Dissipated power of the on-camera light source (see "Type"). For traditional pulse flashes, this parameter is not indicated due to irrelevance.

Dissipated power describes the amount of energy that, during operation of a luminaire, is not spent on light radiation, but is dissipated in the surrounding air in the form of heat. Simply put, we are talking about the heat dissipation of the device. Although most modern LEDs are very energy efficient, it is still impossible to achieve 100% efficiency in them — some part of the energy inevitably goes to heat; and given that the number of LEDs in modern on-camera light sources can reach several hundred, then the heat release can be quite noticeable — at the level of tens of watts.

First of all, the overall efficiency of the device depends on this indicator: with equal brightness values \u200b\u200b(see above), a model with a higher power dissipation will inevitably consume more energy. In addition, high heat dissipation may require special cooling systems — including active, using fans; and this further increases energy consumption, and also affects the price, weight, dimensions and noise level generated by the lamp. However, in most cases, these points do not play a special role, and it is worth looking specifically for an on-camera lamp with a minimum power dissipation if efficiency and low heat generation are fundamental to you.

Possibility to turn the flash head (bulb) to the side.

Shooting with a flash aimed directly at the stage, “head on”, is far from always the best option: in particular, this mode gives sharp unpleasant shadows, and in portrait shooting it leads to the “red-eye” effect. At the same time, by turning the head towards the ceiling, you can get soft diffused light. There are other uses for swivel heads.

The simplest flash models with this feature can usually only be rotated in the vertical plane. More advanced options include rotation and horizontally. Here we note that the larger the angle, the more opportunities for setting the location of the head gives the flash. Vertically, it usually does not exceed 90°, and in the horizontal plane it can reach a full 360°.