Where I live Godox V1 and latest 860iii (mark-3) come for almost same price (about $185 for reference). Which is better/recommended? Usage will be: on camera and sometime off-camera on a stand, for portraits I am new to flash photography, will be playing with a single flash first. 860iii has a 20-200mm coverage where as V1 is like 28-105, would this matter much? Will round head give any better light (or more even light)? Please advice. Thanks. Sony a7R IVA Sony FE 20mm F1.8G Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG GN Sony SLT-A65 Sony 75-300mm F4.5-5.6 +5 more  Jeff2013 • Veteran Member • Posts: 3,632 Re: Godox V1 vs 860iii (mark-3) for Sony In reply to gnPhoto • May 10, 2022 The V1 works really great; however, the 860III provides more flexibility for adding light modifiers such as Better Beamer, Gary Fong Dome, soft-box adapters, etc. Sony a7CR Sony a1 Sony a7R V Sony 1.4x Teleconverter (2016) Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 +13 more Re: Godox V1 vs 860iii (mark-3) for Sony In reply to Jeff2013 • May 11, 2022 2 Jeff2013 wrote: The V1 works really great; however, the 860III provides more flexibility for adding light modifiers such as Better Beamer, Gary Fong Dome, soft-box adapters, etc. I asked a similar question a while back and got exactly the opposite recommendation. There is an accessory kit for the V1 with gels grid dome diffuser snoot barn doors etc. Also supposedly the round head does give a more natural look. Sony a1 Sony a7R V Sony a6700 Sony a7C II Sony a7CR +18 more ajamils1 • Senior Member • Posts: 2,164 Re: Godox V1 vs 860iii (mark-3) for Sony 2 860iii has traditional design that's why it has a whole bunch of accessories from countless manufacturers. On the other hand V1 has round head which is not common and that's why does not have many third party accessories. WIth that said Godox/Flashpoint accessories for V1 are great as they use magnets so they are very easy to use. Nikon Z8 Nikon Z 14-30mm F4 Tamron 150-500mm F5-6.7 Di III VC VXD Nikon Nikkor Z 24-120mm F4 S MikeInOr • Senior Member • Posts: 1,720 Re: Godox V1 vs 860iii (mark-3) for Sony In reply to gnPhoto • May 11, 2022 gnPhoto wrote: I own 3 x TT685S's that I use off camera with a Flashpoint Pro Mark II controller. The 685's are very similar to the 860 in design and have done everything I have ever asked of them. If I were choosing between a 860 and V1 for an off camera flash I would go for the round head V1 for an off shoe flash. Either should get the job done for you though. The V1 should have a little edge when it comes to filling an umbrella or softbox. The V1 was designed to be used off shoe with light modifiers where the coverage range is no longer relevant. In my experience modifiers are where off shoe flashes really start to show their strengths. An umbrella with the single off shoe flash has the ability to open up a whole new world of manipulating light to have more control over composing the photographs you produce. Sony SLT-A55 Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 Sony a7R IV Sony 20mm F2.8 Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro +13 more Re: Godox V1 vs 860iii (mark-3) for Sony In reply to gnPhoto • May 11, 2022 I own both! For a first flash purchase I def recommend the 860 III over the V1 overall. It has a standard flash head that has a more wide range of compatibility across the board with many third-party accessories and flash clamps. For the V1 I have the accessories kit - but in the long run - you learn to make sure to have "more industry standard" gear (if something should fail, or even simply if a friend has a modifier you want to try, etc). The V1 round head is suppose to have a more gradual and more round light fall off. I can't comment if it really does or doesn't vs the more traditional shaped flash since when I use it - its for the pure "flash on camera" effect and otherwise use strobe heads. When learning flash, its fun to play around with different modifiers, etc. This being said, both are excellent flashes. Whichever one you get make sure to pick up a spare battery (also great to have - especially if one fails / didn't charge even though you thought it was - left in another bag etc. OP gnPhoto • Junior Member • Posts: 31 Re: Godox V1 vs 860iii (mark-3) for Sony 1 Thanks everyone very good info. I went to store and checkout both flashes, and ended up picking up V1 due to ease of snapping the magnetic round modifiers. Both the flashes can be easily hooked up to a ring adapter which takes umbrella or a soft box. Currently my portrait go to lens is 85mm which is covered by V1 as well (for on camera flash). One additional point, not sure if it matters, V1 gets 2yrs of warranty where as 860iii gets only 1. Sony a7R IVA Sony FE 20mm F1.8G Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG GN Sony SLT-A65 Sony 75-300mm F4.5-5.6 +5 more neilsnape • Regular Member • Posts: 104 Re: Godox V1 vs 860iii (mark-3) for Sony In reply to gnPhoto • May 12, 2022 Both are really great. I sometimes use my V1 for direct flash for a spontaneous fashion look that I like a lot. For that one type of light no rectangular flash will do, the round head is needed. Other than that if using umbrellas or soft boxes, I doubt there is any significant difference, albeit the round head in theory fills in a better pattern of light spread. IF using an inner diffusion though there will be no difference just like if bouncing off walls ceilings or poly boards/reflectors. kli • Veteran Member • Posts: 4,690 Re: Godox V1 vs 860iii (mark-3) for Sony In reply to gnPhoto • May 17, 2022 I see you already bought what you wanted, but wanted to say: The V860 III is essentially the V1 only with a traditional fresnel head. All the other features look to be identical: same battery, same UI, same menus, same features, same light output. The only difference is the head. However. Compared to the V860 II (Mark 2), there are some tradeoffs. The VB26/VB26A batter that the V1 and V860 III use is lower-capacity. It's specced at 450 full-power bursts. The VB19 used on the V860 II is specced at 650 full-power bursts (a set of NiMh AAs in a TT685 is specced around 230). So, roughly 2x a set of 4xAA vs. 2.8x a set of 4xAA. The V860 II-S also does Sony's "smart" optical WL signalling as either master or slave. The V860 III does not. On the flip side, you get all the V1 upgrades over the V860 II: newer UI/menus, SCAN feature, 0.1EV power adjustments in M slide lock, backwards head tilt, TCM switch, and LED lamp. And you have access to groups D&E (the older V860 II only did groups A-C). I will also point out that the SR-1 adapter lets you use the round AK-R1 magnetic modifiers on a regular fresnel-headed speedlight, if you so choose. In the US, you can find it in the $7-$10 price range. Fujifilm X100T Canon EOS 5D Mark II Canon EOS 50D Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 Canon EF 135mm F2L USM +12 more V860 for me In reply to gnPhoto • May 17, 2022 1 gnPhoto wrote: The distinguishing characteristic of the V1 is its round head. What this is good for:
Lotsa folks seem enthusiastic about the round head, but as a 20-year lighting veteran, I just don't see the point. If I want vignetting, I produce it in post so I have more control and the freedom to change my mind. If I want to better fill a round mod, I put a white dome on the rectangular head. This eats about 1/2 stop of power, but it does the trick, yielding visibly softer light from my diffused octa. As for the zoom difference, the longer throw of the V860 might be useful in certain unusual situations, e.g. if you're lighting a small subject from a great distance. That said, in my event work, where I'm often lighting a podium from 20m away, the 105mm zoom setting generally works well. I've only once used the 200mm setting, and that was where I needed to light a group of 40 folks standing in front of and just below a large projection screen in an event space, and I really needed to keep my two off-camera flashes on stands from lighting the projection screen, so I focused them as tightly as I could. That was nifty. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 Panasonic FZ1000 Panasonic LX100 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 Sony a7R III +54 more Keyboard shortcuts: FForum MMy threads You may also likeLatest sample galleriesLatest in-depth reviewsThe latest Lumix puts a Four Thirds sensor in a full-frame body with boosted AF and a wealth of stills and video capabilities to create a Swiss Army Knife of a Micro Four Thirds camera. The fourth camera in Leica's SL series of full-frame mirrorless cameras sees the 60MP BSI sensor from the Q3 and M11 models arrive with a significant interface redesign. The Fujifilm X100VI is the sixth iteration of Fujifilm's classically-styled large sensor compact. A 40MP X-Trans sensor, in-body stabilization and 6.2K video are among the updates. The Nikon Zf is a 24MP full-frame mirrorless camera with classic looks that brings significant improvements to Nikon's mid-price cameras. We just shot a sample reel to get a better feel for its video features and have added our impressions to the review. This $250 electronic lens adapter is perfect for Nikon Z-mount curious Sony shooters — shhh, we won’t tell anyone. Latest buying guidesWhat’s the best camera for around $2000? This price point gives you access to some of the most all-round capable cameras available. Excellent image quality, powerful autofocus and great looking video are the least you can expect. We've picked the models that really stand out. What's the best camera for travel? Good travel cameras should be small, versatile, and offer good image quality. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for travel and recommended the best. If you want a compact camera that produces great quality photos without the hassle of changing lenses, there are plenty of choices available for every budget. Read on to find out which portable enthusiast compacts are our favorites. 'What's the best mirrorless camera?' We're glad you asked. Above $2500 cameras tend to become increasingly specialized, making it difficult to select a 'best' option. We case our eye over the options costing more than $2500 but less than $4000, to find the best all-rounder. |
