Looking for recommendations for a flash unit for a 6D II with 24-105 lens. Used mostly for outdoor nature shots for mostly fill flash application. May use it for some portrait stuff. Not locked into just Canon units so 3rd party products are fine.
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Flash unit for 6D II
- Thread starter kmonroe99
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MitchAlsup
Veteran Member
Do you have a budget in mind ?
As above, more details - budget, size, weight, off-camera (RT) triggering ability etc etc.
A good cost effective option might be the Godox system - TT350-C if looking for something smaller, TT685-C if looking for a large powerful full-featured flash, or the Godox lithium powered rechargeable equivalents of these two if you have a larger budget. Godox also has a few different RT triggers that work very well.
Godox has a reasonable track record of providing regular firmware updates to cater for new model Canon bodies etc. If in the US, I think Adorama sells the Godox range under their own brand with local US support.
I have a Godox TT685-C + Godox X2T-C trigger for my 6D ii. I have not used it much but everything seems to work as intended, and the RT system works well. Cost wise - both units cost me around AU$220 (about US$145) compared to about AU$900 for the Canon 600 EX ii-RT + Canon RT trigger - so about ¼ of the price of Canon equivalents.
Godox also makes a range of studio portrait lights which I believe also work well with their RT triggers.
Colin
irishrover61
New member
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I will have to second the Godox option. I use the V1 on my 6D II and am quite pleased with the results. I use a complete complement of Godox lighting and have not been disappointed in any of their products
GreatWhiteWing
Senior Member
And to amplify what Tom said that flash can grow with you if you move into off-camera lighting.
I've got the Godox v860ii for my 6Dii, no off camera triggers as of yet.
What I like most is the dedicated lithium battery.
99% of rechargeable AA batteries as used by a lot of people only deliver 1.2V so you never get a full charge in your flash unit, or it recycles slower. Alkaline deliver the full 1.5V but can end up being costly if you use flash units regularly.
With the V860ii and its dedicated lithium battery you're pretty much guaranteed the flash unit will recycle quickly.
What I like most is the dedicated lithium battery.
99% of rechargeable AA batteries as used by a lot of people only deliver 1.2V so you never get a full charge in your flash unit, or it recycles slower. Alkaline deliver the full 1.5V but can end up being costly if you use flash units regularly.
With the V860ii and its dedicated lithium battery you're pretty much guaranteed the flash unit will recycle quickly.
gipper51
Veteran Member
I can highly recommend the Canon 430EX-III RT. I have this flash along with the big gun 600 II RT and several older Canon flashes. The 430 is a gem, and is the flash I take with me the most due to the compact size. It doesn't have all the external controls and is missing a few of the high end features of the 600, but for a basic on camera flash it's got everything you need. And it will certainly work well for off camera strobe work if you get into that. And being a native Canon flash you can just expect that it will work with no fuss, and be compatible with future bodies for a long time. Heck, my 550 EX flashes from the late 90s still work great on all my bodies.
I've never tried any of the Godox/Flashpoint stuff, though they have a very strong following and seem to work great. My only reservation is for how long a unit will stay compatible with newer bodies. The older versions seemed to have issues after 4-5 years, but perhaps I'm not remembering correctly?
I've never tried any of the Godox/Flashpoint stuff, though they have a very strong following and seem to work great. My only reservation is for how long a unit will stay compatible with newer bodies. The older versions seemed to have issues after 4-5 years, but perhaps I'm not remembering correctly?
used5dsquared
Leading Member
I have a set of 580EXII's paired with Panasonic Eneloop Pros and they are perfect for wedding receptions because of a quick recharge rate. They would work well as fill light for portraits as well.
apersson850
Senior Member
That's a good point. Canon's flashes are not very cost effective, compared to some third party solutions, but they do tend to work well with Canon's cameras.
That is true, but when the Godox products are ¼ of the price, you could afford to either dump them or sell them off cheap if they don't work well after a camera body upgrade.
So far Godox seems to be quite good at issuing firmware upgrades to maintain compatibility for new Canon bodies.
I had a original Canon 430 EX bought in 2008 (when I had a 450D), and while it did work with my 70D (2014), M5 (2016) & 6D ii (2017), there was some functions that did not work, so it was not 100% compatible. It was also not listed as a compatible flash (for these bodies) on the Canon website. I sold it in 2020 after buying a Godox TT685-C + X2T-C trigger, and all functions on the Godox work as intended with my 6D ii.
Colin
apersson850
Senior Member
Canon's flashes usually do what they did originally, even with a newer camera. But they don't support features the new camera can give with a new flash.
On the other hand, they usually don't lose functions, just because you put them on a new camera.
My point was that the cheap system may not be as cheap as it seems after a while, even if it still may be cheaper than Canon.
On the other hand, they usually don't lose functions, just because you put them on a new camera.
My point was that the cheap system may not be as cheap as it seems after a while, even if it still may be cheaper than Canon.
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