scott_holt2

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<p>Brave? No... learning to work with light without a modeling light just means doing things differently. With a modelling light, since you have more immediate way to visualize what the outcome will be, you can talk to your subject... get them to move, see what subtle movements (of either the lights or the model) will do to the shadows.<br> Without them, I have to take a lot of notes, meter everything, make sketches, and review those as I review the images in post (well, OK, I have to *try* to do all that and control my 8 year daughter/primary assistant/model). Yes, I know I could view them more quickly with tethering - and next on the wishlist is a laptop for that purpose. Point is, it is possible.<br> I definitely see the value in having them, and if budgets were not an issue I would just have two kits. One more portable and one more capable. For a number of reasons, portable won for now.</p>

<p>I'm a newbie as well, and have been asking a lot of the same questions. One thing I considered was not just the heat, but how I was going to power my lights. For a number of reasons, I have gravitated to lights which are primarily battery powered.<br> If you plan to use batteries, those watt ratings are more than just heat; they are vampires sucking the juice out of your power source. Some makers of battery packs specifically warn against using modeling lights, or advise to keep them on minimally.<br> This is one of the reasons you see LEDs in units designed for battery power (like the B1). LEDs use an order of magnitude (or more) less power for the same light output. On the downside, though watt for watt an LED can generate more light, lumen for lumen they are more expensive up front.<br> For my part, I am just learning to light without the benefit of modeling lights.</p>

<p>Thanks, that helps... with respect to the remotes, that is actually one of the reasons I am looking at the V850. I already have an AD360 and the trigger... being rather short, I do not have to put my lights very high before having to reach to adjust their power becomes something of a chore.</p>

<p>Has anyone had any first hand, recent, experience with the various incarnations of the GODOX V850 (or the V860c or V860n). This is sold directly out of China as well as domestically (US) under brands such as Neweer, Flashpoint and Cheetahstand. <br> I recently stared building a location lighting kit around a Flashpoint branded GODOX A360 and I am now looking to augment that with 3-4 smaller lights for background, hair light, etc. I am gravitating to hot-shoe flash in part to keep the kit light, but also because even if I eventually move to studio strobes, there will always be a place for a few flashes in my bag. The V850 is appealing because of it's price, power and the fact that it uses the same triggers as the AD360. <br> My primary concern is reviews I read about battery issues. Apparently, while the flash has been generally well received, the battery has had issues. About a year or so ago a number of customers starting reporting issues with battery failure and DOA batteries. It does seem that GODOX attempted to address the issue, but inventories of older (potentially defective) batteries were still in circulation. I still see a few recent reviews (primarily on Amazon) implying that at least one distributor's (Neweer) samples still have issues. <br> So, does anyone have recent experiences with this flash? I am wondering if the Flashpoint brand, in particular, still has issues. I realize that these products are all coming from the same manufacturer, but an individual distributor's inventory management and internal QA procedures (if they exist) may make the difference (of course, that might also explain why Cheetahstand's version is the more expensive). <br> thanks!</p>