Introduction

Godox is a reasonably new brand for strobes and flashes, only being founded in 2009. Although new to the scene, Godox has been producing and enhancing its line of strobes and flashes for photographers worldwide. The Godox AD600 Pro is no exception to this and is one of the better flashes on the market to date.

The Godox AD600 Pro is compact but is critical when it comes down to performance, leaving a lasting mark on imagery taken with the flash. Although quite expensive, the Godox AD600 Pro is a flash that should be considered when finding the all-important one. Let’s jump into some of the features that this flash can offer.

Features

The Flash Tube

With the AD600 Pro, the flash tube is encapsulated within some special glass to avoid you touching the lamp itself and causing it to overheat. This is an excellent safety feature for both you and the strobe. The lamp’s outer casing also has a filter at the end of it to stop the super bright light from blinding anyone.

Recycling Speed and Flash Duration

At half power, the AD600 Pro can fire off a flash every second, which should be enough to keep up with whatever you may be shooting. At the lower power setting (1/16), you can get around 12 flashes a second. Specifically, the AD600 Pro can offer 0.01 – 0.9s recycling time, allowing for 12 continuous flashes at 1/16 output.

The flash duration ranges due to power as any strobe or flash would. However, the AD600 Pro has a default mode of quick flash, which duration lasts anywhere from 1/220 of a second all the way to 1/10,000 second. This is relatively standard for a strobe or flash, but running over a battery can wear it down after a while, which will affect the flash duration.

Modeling Lamp

The modeling lamp within the AD600 Pro is a 32w lamp. Although not advised, you could use this as a video modeling lamp. However, it will run the battery down quite heavily. Overall, the modeling lamp does provide an excellent overall light that delivers light flawlessly.

LCD Screen

On the side of the AD600 Pro, you have a small LCD screen. On the screen itself, you have the battery indicator if your sound is enabled/disabled. It also shows what mode you are in and your channels/units that the lamp is. On top of this, it also shows what your flash speed is and if the modeling light is turned on at that time.

Battery or AC Powered

The Godox AD600 Pro uses a battery to power itself. These batteries are very well made as they can last over 1000 shots before needing to be re-charged. Not only is this great for being out and about, but it gives you a whole other level of portability when requiring a flash on the streets. If the battery does run out, you will get an audible notification.

Something else that Godox has thought about is integrating an AC power adaptor for people who want to use this in a studio style setup. The 120v AC adaptor that you can buy comes with its own internal fan but allows you to power the AD600 Pro using that rather than a battery, which some other strobes don’t offer. However, if you plan to use this as a video lamp, the fan does make quite a bit of noise, so you may want to opt for the batter during these shots.

The Reflector

Included with the AD600 Pro, is the reflector and cover. As standard, the small black casing you get around the AD600 Pro is the cover and is how you would typically store it. However, when you flip/reverse the cover, you get a small reflector. Although not the best quality, it does offer you a reflector never the less.

Wireless Trigger

Although sold separately, Godox does sell a wireless trigger for several different cameras that allow you to make changes and trigger the flash at any point without being anywhere near the strobe itself. This is quite helpful if you want to get different angles or use the flash in the same place repeatedly. Although the range isn’t confirmed, you should expect to get around 300ft away and still be able to use this.

This wireless trigger can also be tied into other flashes, should you want to tie this into your system.

Appearance (Size/Weight)

Taking a look into this flash, you may notice that it’s quite big compared to other flashes. This is both for its weight and its dimensions. First, looking at the flash weight, when including the battery, your total weight will be a staggering 3.6kgs or around 8lbs.

As for the size of the AD600 Pro, the flash is 250mmx245mmx125mm. This is quite long, but it does need to compact all the performance in there!

On the back of the unit is a small yet durable handle that can be easily gripped to move the strobe should you have anything overly heavy on the front of it. This handle is also beneficial when moving the position along with the handle.

Build Quality

Another big player when you want to find the perfect flash or strobe is the build quality. Paying as much as you may be for a flash like this, you expect to have the best quality.

Thankfully, Godox has not only re-designed the previous version but has made it much more premium. The body features a main body plastic setup; however, it does feel like it has a reliable internal re-enforcement.  The light stand socket has a metal design, which adds to the flash’s weight but makes the light fitting a lot more sturdy.

Something else that has changed from the previous model is the stand/fixture upgrade. Previously, when using the flash on a stand, the movement in it would feel clunky, and you couldn’t precisely angle the flash. However, with the new AD600 Pro, you have a stand that can be adjusted to any point you wish, without needing to ‘snap’ into place. This is also completely metal, giving you an even more premium finish to the flash as a whole.

Specifications

Wattage: 600W

Weight: 3kg (6.6lb) with the Battery

Cycle Time:  0.01-0.9s

Mount Adaptors: Bowens Only

Full Power Flashes: Up to 360

Flash Duration: 1/220 Sec to 1/10,000 sec.

Modelling Lamp: LED 38W (4800K)

Bag Included: No

Conclusion

When all the above is considered, the Godox AD600 Pro is well worth the upgrade compared to other strobes or flashes. With the speed and performance of the AD600 Pro and the extendability of the wireless integration, we think this strobe is perfect for anyone at a high professional level or even just a hobbyist. Godox has really stepped up the quality game since the previous AD600 strobe, and by doing so, has created a well-worth strobe for anyone who needs a strobe or flash to enhance their photography.