The Godox AD200 or Flashpoint eVOLV 200 has been a game-changer in the industry. The AD200 is the first Studio Strobe of its kind, with 200 watts-seconds of power, interchangeable flash heads, rechargeable lithium battery capable of 500 full power flashes, all in a compact form factor that’s about the size of a typical speedlight. By comparison, one AD200 is equivalent to the power of 3 speedlights and has a price-point of about $300.00.
Godox has continued to expand the AD200 system with accessories and new flash heads. Some of the recent Godox/Flashpoint additions have enabled the mobile use of the AD200 for event photography. With the gear pictured and listed here, you can assemble a competent event photography rig. Here is a list of the gear:
A. DSLR / Mirrorless Camera
B. Godox H200R Round Head
C. Godox AD200 / Flashpoint eVOLV 200
D. Flashpoint R2 Pro MarkII (pictured) or other Godox/Flashpoint R2 Transmitter
E. Flashpoint Pouch for eVOLV 200 Pocket Flash
F. Flashpoint XP-200 V2 Portable 200ws Extension Flash head
G. Light Stand Adapter that comes with AD200 (optional)
H. Flash Bracket - ALZO Flip Flash Bracket (shown)
The H200R Round Head snaps onto the AD200 just like the Fresnel and Bare-Bulb Heads. The Round Head has a spiral flash tube that produces a very pleasing round-shaped light output which makes the AD200 w/ Round Head very useable without a light modifier. I had a chance to test the AD200 and Round Head combination setup at a fashion show I photographed recently, and I was very pleased with the images from this event. See some of the results in the accompanying images and a picture of the assembled rig. The rig as assembled is easy the work with. The AD200 body goes in the Flashpoint pouch, and the pouch can be attached to your belt. The 6ft Flash head extension attaches to the AD200 on one end and the H200R Round Head on the other. You can use any flash bracket to hold the flash head, but I like the features of the ALZO Flip Flash Bracket. The ALZO flash bracket allows you to change your camera position from horizontal to vertical easily. The ALZO flash bracket has an adjustable riser that can raise the flash to a maximum of 14 inches. When covering the event, the TTL function of the AD200 worked great providing consistent exposures throughout. The battery of the AD200 lasted the whole event providing over 500 shots and still had some power left. As you can see from the images, the AD200 with the H200R Round Head has enough power to light up a reception hall adequately. As I mentioned earlier, the light output of the H200R Round Head is very pleasing as you can see in the images of the models, softer shadows, and no hot spots, as you might expect from harsh light output of a typical speedlight. One of the surprising features of the H200R Round Head is that it has a built-in modeling light that has 3 levels of intensity. The H200R Round Head now has an accessory kit that includes a domed diffuser, filters, honey-cone grid, spot snoot, and barn doors and they all attach to the H200R Round Head magnetically. The AK-R1 Accessory Kit is a nice touch and something good to have in your camera bag.
Consider assembling your own AD200 / H200R Round Head rig to photograph your next event, and you will see why I call this setup the “Event Slayer.”
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