Review on 📸 Godox V1-S Flash for Sony - 76Ws TTL Round Head Speedlight with HSS and 480 Full Power Shots by Jacob Morrison

This is my second Godox Flash model. My other is TT685. Before that I had a Canon 430ex, as well as 580ex and 600ex. Build Quality: I heard the V1 was better than the TT685. That's a leap in quality. Locks lightning movements and stronger with easier transitions. The flash folds back for excellent reflection without having to rotate the flash head 180 degrees. A previous reviewer mentioned a plastic hotshoe leg. The design of the hot shoe foot follows the design of Sony's own flashes. So I don't see that as a downside as it's more of a conscious design decision than a way to make the product cheaper. I haven't had a chance to try magnetic filters yet, but I'm looking forward to this system. I've never liked tying or linking filters to a good expensive flash and it seems like a well thought out system. I would also like to mention that Godox has finally implemented the Hot Shoe Lever Lock System. I really don't like the screw stock on their other flashes. Their link foot is a definite improvement, but still not as comfortable or easy to use as Canon's own design. Overall still a positive improvement, but work can still be done. Flash output: I haven't compared the output power to other flashes I've had. It seems fairly comparable, except it doesn't expand or zoom as much as my previous rectangular flash heads. Again, I don't see this as a disadvantage as I've never needed an ultra wide angle flash or a large telephoto lens. What makes this flash really good is its rechargeable battery. It comes with a well-made charging dock. The battery charges the flash very quickly. The charging indicator beep also inspires confidence when using the flash wirelessly. You know exactly when you're getting a full power flash. I'm deducting a star in this category because the measurement was wrong in the first wireless flash test. The flash exposure compensation worked correctly, but the resulting image could be set to +3 EV and was not overexposed. After installing the flash on the camera body, the flash worked properly. Then I switch the flash back to wireless and everything works fine. I don't know what happened during this test, but I'm sure something interfered with the correct TTL metering of the scene. Again I couldn't let it happen again. However, I mostly used the flash in manual mode. Interface: If you have used Godox Flash before, you will feel right at home. The interface buttons are all very similar. The menu system is fast and I appreciate the similarity between different flashes. Even Canon doesn't get it right, as the 430ex-III and 600ex-II have completely different interfaces, making it difficult to change settings. Modeling flash is a good option. I'm honestly not sure I'll ever use it, but it sure is nice to have. The flash can act as a slave or master flash, controlling itself and up to four other flash groups in different modes. Round Head: To be honest, I bought this flash rather than the Round Head because of the faster recycling and better build quality. I was afraid the round head would be unwieldy. However, the overall size of the flash is slightly different than any high-end flagship flash. While I haven't actually used the flash without modification, I did find that the round head lit my umbrella more evenly, resulting in a nicer reflection in the subject's eyes. I don't think it's a big difference, but I appreciate every innovation in the flash market. Conclusion. This flash quickly became my favorite. I always thought I needed flashes that used AA batteries because they're easy to swap out if they run out of power. I've found that AA batteries drain quickly, have long flash recharge times (especially when the batteries are low), and don't fire many full-power flashes. I love the rechargeable lithium battery and the included battery indicator. Godox has made great strides in improving OEM-level build quality (compared to Canon, although I'm in the Sony ecosystem now). They still have a bit of work ahead of them, but the difference will no longer be striking when they switch. The flash is fairly easy to learn and use with a little research, especially if you are familiar with other Godox flashes. Minor flaws are ignored by the insane value that Godox offers over the competition. I'll keep an eye out for TTL errors, but hopefully this was a one-off issue and won't happen again.