By Elkan Butler – Find him on Facebook and Instagram.

Whenever we as photographers need more light/fill flash on our subject, what do most of us do? We add an additional light source as have been common practice since 1887. Over the years, there have been major advancements in the evolution of what was first a chemical process to highly specialised compact flash units we now know today. As photography evolved and this technology became even more affordable, pro and hobbyist photographers alike started pushing the boundaries of the conventional speedlight by adding wireless triggers, playing around with off-camera flash (OCF) and adding creative colour effects. But, this had its limitations with triggers firing inconsistently, not having adequate range, or only firing via line of sight.

So, the past couple of months I faced a difficult decision regarding the upgrade of my lighting system. Finding something that would easily integrate with my current setup and allow me to add various types of modifiers was important. I also needed a powerful portable solution to eliminate ambient light, yet light up my subject in-studio and on-location. And it needed a range of at least 100m.

Decisions, decisions

During my search, I noticed Godox and their extensive line up of products, from standard speedlights to LED panels for video. You know those people who tend to rely on tried-and-trusted brands? I’m one of them. So, I held onto my Nikon speedlights while looking at some of the major brands for my location lighting needs… It took me a couple of months to look at other photographer’s work and evaluate their Godox user experience and quality of lighting.