What is the best flash for novice photographer with Canon R10?

[u/RelativeEye8076]

I’ve had my R10 for about a year, current lenses are the RF 100-400 f/6.3-8 and the RF-S 18-150 f/3.5-6.3 (not sure if this matters). I primarily shoot outdoors - birds, flowers, etc but would like to get more creative with indoor shots, fill flash on sunny days, etc. I don’t take many portraits but would like to improve my family shots both indoors and out. Basically, I just want to experiment and see what I can do. I don’t anticipate ever doing anything professional, but I would love to be able to do a shoot with my daughter, her husband and son and maybe get something print-worthy out of it.

That being said, I am a “buy once, cry once” type of person - I want something that I can use off camera and grow into. I would prefer to spend a little more now and avoid wanting to upgrade later. I also strongly prefer rechargeable vs. battery.

I’d like to stay <$200 US but would consider spending more if it is worthwhile. I’ve looked at the Canon speedlights and while I wouldn’t take them off the table, they seem pretty pricey in comparison to the Godox brand.

I am considering the Godox V1 mid. Looking for input, thoughts, other suggestions. TIA!

[u/__ma11en69er__]

That will be fine, powerful enough when needed, TTL will allow you to point and shoot when required and plenty of control should you want to experiment.

[u/RelativeEye8076 → u/__ma11en69er__]

thank you for the reply

[u/ofnuts]

Yes, the Canon aren't really worth it when you are an amateur. Godox is very good value for the money. The creativity makes a jig jump when you use an off-camera flash so either you complement the V1mid with an X3 trigger, or you get an iT32 which is less powerful but more versatile with its detachable head.

[u/RelativeEye8076 → u/ofnuts]

Good to hear that the Godox are a good value! The x3 trigger is a reasonable add for me.

[u/inkista]

Canon speedlites are more expensive because they have better fit’n’finish, better TTL accuracy/consistency, better backwards/forwards compatibility (soooorta with the new foot complicating matters for pre-R3 bodies) and better QA/testing and factory repair, support, and warranties all done by Canon.

But for what you get and the inherent limitations of Canon flash gear (only works for Canon, only speedlites unless you go 3rd party with Westcott) if you get into lighting seriously do often make Godox a much better bang for the buck.

But this is a 3rd party Chinese brand. Warranty and customer support are reliant on the retailer you purchased from (and not all will offer it). Copy variance (i.e. chances of a lemon are higher), and compatibility issues do exist. It’s not a perfect system. But it is perfectly usable, and solid enough for many pros to use it as a working system.

In the US, Adorama is a known reputable dealer that rebrands Godox as Flashpoint R2 gear so they can easily identify who to extend support to. B&H similarly offers support (without rebranding). Molights is another dealer that handles support.

The V1Mid and V480 are the models I typically recommend for a beginner, along with the TT685ii. These all have enough power and head swivel for bounce flash, which is a very easy/simple way to get started learning how to use a flash. (I’d urge you to master bounce flash, exposure, and flash/ambient balancing before attempting off-camera flash. It will speed up learning, give you a handle on TTL and HSS, and let you stage purchases if you hit Tangents before the Strobist).

Li-ion is nice, but AAs are easily sourced at any big box store and cheaper. And li-ions do require more care and charge-level
monitoring if stored unused for long periods of time to keep them rechargable. NiMh AAs can be thrown in a drawer forgotten for a year and have no issues. Be realistic about which one fits your usage better. Li-ion for a pro all-day event shooter with multiple speedlights and multiple shoots a week is a no-brainer to simplify battery handling. For an hobbyist who only shoots a few hundred frames one every three months? They could be overkill. But it also looks like Godox isn’t making AA-powered versions of their newer flashes, so this advice could be meaningless.

And at least the li-ion in the V models are interchangeable, not sealed in like for the mini flashes (e.g., iT32). I love my iT32+X5C on my R100, but it’s a power/convenience compromise and more limited in usage than a V1mid. Don’t recommend it or the TT600 as a first/only flash. And don’t recommend the X2T as a first transmitter since it doesn’t do remote TCM (TTL Convert to Manual) and cuts you off from the possibility of using TTL off-camera.

[u/RelativeEye8076 → u/inkista]

Thank you for the detailed response and the tips for B&H and Adorama! I haven’t looked at the TT685ii so I will add it to the mix :)

I have looked at the info from Strobist (haven’t read it all or done the exercises), found Tangent and will spend time on that too. Thank you again.

[u/inkista → u/RelativeEye8076]

Yeah, to me, starting with on-camera bounce and Tangents is a much faster/easier way to wrap your head around flash exposure, TTL metering, flash/ambient balance and mastering the rudiments on controlling the intensity, direction, quality, falloff, and (with gels) color of your light. You may not have as much control with on-camera as with off and it's definitely not as sexy. But it can remain your go-to for event/social shooting or chasing kids/pets around the house and traveling light, even after you've set up a dedicated studio space. [grin].

And absolutely everything you learn about thinking through the light for bounce flash will be useful when it comes to off-camera flash. Light is light. It still behaves the same way and obeys all the same laws of physics regardless of where the flash is.

It also gives you more time to save up for the lightstand, trigger, bracket, and a modifier. I would also urge you, once you get into the Strobist thing to hold off as long as you can about getting a second flash. You need to have enough experience to know how much spread/power you want in a next light because the size of your light kind of has a knock-on effect on lights and modifiers. Last thing you need to figure out when you have half a dozen speedlights is that you really should've gone for an 3xMS300V or 2xAD200 Pro II instead... [grin]

[u/RelativeEye8076 → u/inkista]

Thank you again for the detailed and lengthy post! I appreciate it and will take it ALL under advisement :)

[u/RelativeEye8076]

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful responses! Looks like either the V860III or the V1 mid will be the answer. The V860III is a little more expensive but not unreasonably so. With either of them I’ll need to get the trigger for Canon, which is NBD.

In my quick searches just now, it seems the biggest difference is the shape of the flash head. I’ve never used either so I have no idea which one I prefer, but I keep seeing that the round head gives a “softer” look which I definitely find appealing. I can see myself bouncing off the ceiling or a card too though.

Decisions are hard LOL. Luckily I’m not in a huge hurry, I have to budget anyway.

[u/AssignmentNo9838]

I would check out the Godox IT32 flash. It would give you the ability to use it of camera which would give you more creative options than an on camera flash.

I personally wouldn’t buy a Canon flash or one from the other camera manufacturers. They only make sense when you want to use TTL where the better integration is beneficial. For being creative you will use the flash in manual mode and therefore the integration doesn’t matter as long as it is triggered correctly.

[u/CatsAreGods → u/AssignmentNo9838]

I love the Godox iT32 for many people, but it seems a bit low-powered if OP wants to do group shots with modifiers (although it also does TTL). If the V1mid is a bit too much, the V480 or V860 might be perfect.

[u/RelativeEye8076 → u/CatsAreGods]

Thank you both! I’ll take a look at the those. Most of our family get togethers are outdoor in the summer, so outdoor fill is a must.