Randyfrieder Loc: Long Island, New York

I use the modeling light in the round head flashes, as a focus light, in dark venues, (where I seem to do all my shooting). This feature alone makes these units more valuable to me.

I use the promediagear boomerang brackets (I have 5 of them) and recently, I swapped out the AD200pro, with head extension cable, or the V-1, with the ad100pro.

It is 1/3 of a stop more powerful, than the AD200pro with the round head!!
And, since I swing the bracket a few hundred times during a shoot, I no longer have to worry about the hotfoot on the V-1 breaking. Which they do.
It is a terrific unit in this application.
Smaller and more powerful than the V-1, and AD200pro, no power pack hanging on my side, no more cable that used to catch every chair, as I was trying to get around in catering halls.
I am so very pleased with this unit, on the bracket. I also am using these on light stands, as main and accent lights.
They are small, light, powerful and they use the same battery as the V-1’s, which is very convenient.
Ymmv
Imho
📸 Regards, Randy 📸

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Your sensor is rectangular - THAT'S what matters

BurghByrd Loc: Pittsburgh

Thank you.

One responder pointed out that the round shape when used off camera as a studio light for example would be more compatible with light modifiers which I think is a valid observation. There are just so many ways to spend our money.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

The shape ofhte sensor has not to do with the shape of the lamphead. When we used to film the cameras had square, oblong, and perhaps panoramic formats and the lights were round, square, and rectangular- as long as they cover the fied of view, you were good to go. It's not a matterof forcing a round peg into a square hole.

If you just want general illumination and just need enough flashlight to achieve adaquette exposure or as a fill source, any shape of Speedlight will do- no big difference. If you are into portraiture, feathers, and multiple flashes, and can understthe the advantages of the parabolic type reflection- you will be happier with a round head.

If you are an avid flash user and want a portable hand-held unit that is extremely versatile, go for the types with interchangeable reflectors, user-changeable flash tubes, and are capable of bare-bulb operation. If you need wide age or telephoto reflectrs- th are available- no zoon though- you to take the on and off. Many of these kids unts have lots of powere, up to 350 watt-seconds.

The round lamphead is not a useless marketing ploy. They have been around for eons and are a time-honored design.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

If you are only using one flash mounted on-camera, having the light pattern matching the sensor shape is helpful.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Interestig! How so? Just curious- never experience an issue as long as the flash unit covers the field of view.

I couldn't find any literature on that specific relationship.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Really? Think about it. The light pattern matches the area being photographed.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

As long as the flas unit can adequately and fully illuminate the field of view of the lens focal length in use the size or shape of the sensor does not, as far as I know, make a difference. Most better speed lights have a zoom feature to accommodate a range of focal lengths. I use rectangular speedlights, round-headed speedlights, and larger on-camera units with larger round heads and never experienced a falloff of light as long as the proper reflector or zoom setting is in place. The light pattern or beam emoted by the flas unit is reflected by the camera from the subject- the sensor only "sees" that light regardless of the primary source.

Nontheless, it cou be as you say. I learn new stuff every day. I just haven't seen anything in any of the resource literature that I checked out.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

THINK ABOUT IT. If a round light PATTERN lights all your camera sees, much light is wasted where it doesn't see (above & below for a landscape orientation). Thus you have used more battery power than actually needed to provide that extra light. This would require fresh batteries sooner than if you only provided the light needed.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I can see your point- kinda! I never experienced any issues as per batteries in that I always use heavy-duty external powe packs when long duty cycles are expected. All my batteries are rechargeable and I get 300 to 400 full power flashes per charge. On long shoots, I routinely switch up batteries before they run out just to make sure I don't run out of juice at inopportune times.

Thanks for your feedback!

User ID

Yup. And same flash worked for both the 126 and 110 film format shapes. Discerning users greatly appreciated that !

User ID

More often than not the use of light modifiers nullified such trivial concerns.

gwilliams6

gwilliams6

In my 50 years as a pro i have used about every brand and model of rectangular and round head flashes. As for Godox/Flashpoint I have owned rectangular V860II; AD200Pro which offers both rectangular and round heads as well as bare bulb; V1 which is round head, and roundhead AD300Pro, AD400Pro, AD600Pro.

Yes rectangular is good for landscape, but tests show that often the light pattern isn't actually evenly distributed up-and-down and side-to-side, so that is a wash.

I have come to prefer round heads for their more predictable light pattern and more pleasing light fall-off.

I really dont like the look of bare straight flash, so once you use bounced flash or use any light modifiers, the light pattern becomes that of the shape of the bounced surface or light modifier anyway, whether you are using a rectangular head or a round head.

I also like all the very convenient magnetic accessories for round heads.

I almost always modify and/or bounce my lights, so I find no real reason to return strictly to any rectangular flashes anymore.

The new Godox V1Pro has a round head, but also comes with a detachable small front-facing rectangular flash for fill when you use the round head tilted for bounce. I have ordered one .
https://www.godox.com/product-b/V1Pro.html

Cheers and best to you all.