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If You're Shooting Architecture or Real Estate, Omni-Directional Lighting is Your Friend
A look at the benefits of using omni-directional globe lanterns for architecture.
- For when natural light or flash ceiling bounces won’t cut it -
See Also:
What Equipment Do I Use? Taking a Look at Lights
The Many Faces of the Godox AD200
Godox V860II Flash vs. Godox V1
( This page contains links to products, so if you find this site useful and use a link to make a purchase, I’ll get a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks!)
I’ve been photographing architecture and real estate for several years. When I first started, I shot natural light only (using no flashes or lighting). This means I set my camera on a tripod, and for each image I wanted to produce I would take multiple exposures with varying shutter speeds to capture a wide dynamic range on site. Then at home on my computer, I would merge the exposures either manually or with HDR software. This approach can be helpful in some ways, but after a while I wanted to produce higher quality images with more control over how they look. I eventually started shooting with multiple lights, typically using walls and ceilings to bounce light.
Bouncing lights off walls and ceilings is great! They are like great big reflectors that produce soft light for your architectural scene. But what do you do when you encounter a scenario with dark wood or dark paint colors everywhere? I’d arrive at a location, and as I was walking up to the door I’d think to myself, “Oh buddy, this place looks huge! I hope they have white ceilings!”
I didn’t really know the best way to approach large spaces with dark walls and ceilings initially, so I started with the traditional classic: shoot-through umbrellas (STU’s). They are fairly multi-directional, but you don’t get an even spread of light to the sides of the STU, and half the light bounces backwards away from your scene. They can also be a bit awkward if you’re trying to hand-hold them. There are some STU’s & umbrella-like softboxes that resolve the backwards loss of light by including a reflective silver backing, such as the Westcott Round Halo. I didn’t buy those because I was looking for something I could hand-hold and fit through doors easily, and something that produced a more even spread of light to all sides.
After trying out STU’s, softboxes, beauty dishes, & bounce umbrellas (all which are wonderful for many uses other than large architectural spaces), I discovered globe lanterns. I have been using them on my Godox AD600’s, and if you want to send light evenly throughout a large space, there’s nothing better! You just twist off the basic reflector, unfold the lantern, and twist it on.
In some of the flash images you might see me holding a “light on a stick,” which consists of a Wooster Sherlock Extension Pole, a Godox V1 or V860II (see my other article for more information on that), and a cold shoe flash stand adapter. Depending on whether I’m using the Godox V1 or V860II, I often use a Gary Fong Diffuser or the Godox AK-R11 Dome Diffuser. When I want to produce light in smaller spaces where a giant globe lantern wouldn’t be practical or possible, the “light on a stick” saves the day!
I wish someone had told me about omni-directional diffusers when I first started using flash! If you’re just starting out and weren’t sure how to approach architectural spaces where natural light isn’t great and ceiling bounces won’t work very well, I hope you found this information useful. I certainly would have! =)
Omni-Directional Diffusers Used in the Images Above
The Many Faces of the Godox AD200 (AKA Flashpoint eVOLV 200)
I previously wrote a post about the different lights that I use, and that article touched on the AD200 options briefly… but I wanted to look more specifically at some of the available AD200 accessories and how they affect the spread of light from the AD200 with it’s three different heads. Documenting these tests with images will help me know which heads and modifiers are best in various situations, and hopefully it will help others as well. Maybe you won’t have to buy as many accessories as I did!
The Godox AD200 has become quite popular since it’s 2017 release. It is much brighter than a speedlight, but not much bigger. There’s many ways for your Godox AD200 to shine: It’s fresnel, bare bulb, and round heads each have accessories available for shaping light in different ways. Since purchasing a couple of AD200’s in 2017 I’ve used all three heads (you typically have to buy the round head separately) and somehow managed to accumulate copious AD200 accessories. I can’t help it… they just keep making more!
I previously wrote a post about the different lights that I use, and that article touched on the AD200 options briefly… but I wanted to look more specifically at some of the available AD200 accessories and how they affect the spread of light from the AD200 with it’s three different heads. Documenting these tests with images will help me know which heads and modifiers are best in various situations, and hopefully it will help others as well. Maybe you won’t have to buy as many accessories as I did!
This page contains links to products, so if you find this site useful and use a link to make a purchase, I’ll get a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks!
For each of these images, I used the same setup & settings: ISO 100, f/8, 1/200 shutter speed. The AD200 stays in the same spot, as does the camera. The AD200 is sitting on a Benro MACH3 Series 4 Carbon Fiber Monopod with a Benro 3-Leg Locking Base (see my note on that near the bottom) with an extension head. One thing I’ll say about this setup is if you put your AD200 on a monopod, make sure the base is tight and don’t knock it over. =)
This first gallery shows the various heads and the differing light spreads they produce, all at 1/8th power:
The second gallery shows how bright the various heads are when bouncing off a white surface from a distance of 20 inches at 1/2 power…in this case, the blinds:
Thoughts & Observations
Fresnel Head
The fresnel head light spread is rather narrow, uneven, and has undesirable light leaks coming out at extreme side angles. If you use it in an umbrella, the narrow beam at close distance isn’t going fill it evenly, and you might have light rays spraying out sideways. The only positives of the fresnel head (in my opinion) is that it is slightly brighter when bouncing off walls and/or ceilings, and it is the most compact head when packing gear into small cases. You can resolve the sideways light-leak issues if you put a speed strap around the fresnel head as if you’re going to velcro some gel to it, and then slide it up a bit so the edges of the speed strap come out past the end of the AD200.
Pros:
- Is the brightest head for the AD200
- Is the most compact head for the AD200
- Is included with the AD200 basic package
- Will work with standard speedlight modifiers
Cons:
- Has the worst light spread of the available heads for direct flash
- Light escapes out the sides at extreme angles
H200R Round Head
The H200R Round Head has a very wide and even light spread, but is not quite as bright as the Fresnel or Bulb heads. Much of the appeal of the Round Head is that there is a nice magnetic accessory kit available (which I don’t have yet, since it is an additional cost), and it will work very nicely for direct flash. But you have to keep in mind that once you start adding the magnetic modifiers the light will be diminished even more. The magnetic modifier set doesn’t have a ton of different gel colors, but you could cut some generic gel sheets into circles and attach your custom gels to the round head using one of the included magnetic rings (I haven’t tried this yet). Godox does have plans to release a round head speedlight that will also work with the round head accessory kit. The H200R head also can be used as a flashlight with its modeling light feature. There wouldn’t be an advantage compared to the other heads when using the round head to bounce light off walls or umbrellas, since it is not as bright as the fresnel or the bare bulb heads, and bouncing light negates the importance of the super even light spread. I likely will use this head for outdoor twilight or night photography because of its light spread quality and flashlight capabilities.
Pros:
- Has the most even light spread of available heads
- Can be used as a flashlight with the modeling light feature
- Is easier to pack than the bulb head
- Has a nice set of magnetic modifiers available
Cons:
- Not as bright as the bulb or fresnel heads
- Not included with the basic AD200 package
- Magnetic modifier set also has to be purchased separately
Bulb Head
The Bulb Head is what I normally use because it has a nice variety of reflectors and accessories, has a fairly even light spread if I end up using direct flash, and is brighter than the round head. It also works great with umbrellas using the AD-S6 Umbrella Reflector. One downside– it is the bulkiest head option for the AD200 when packing if you leave any of the reflectors or diffusers attached. I was pleased with how smooth and omni-directional the dome diffuser was, although it looks a little blue in color temperature (all the images above were processed with the same white balance), so keep that in mind if you are mixing that with other types of heads or modifiers. Maybe a little CTS 1/8 inside the dome would bring it closer to the other reflectors, but I haven’t tried that yet so I’m not sure.
I have two AD200’s that I use at every shoot with the bulb heads and umbrella or standard reflectors attached, mostly for wall and ceiling bounces. This is great in most scenarios, but if the walls and ceilings are stained wood or bold paint colors, I’ll use things like umbrellas, beauty dishes, and dome diffusers rather than ceiling or wall bounces. The beauty dish is useful if you need it outdoors and are concerned about wind knocking over an umbrella, or if you want to fit into smaller spaces than an umbrella.
Pros:
- Has a variety of low-cost accessories and reflectors than can be easily attached
- Light spread is pretty even regardless of which accessory is being used
- Works great with umbrellas (using the umbrella reflector)
- Is included with the basic AD200 package
Cons:
- Bulkiest head when packing into a case regardless of which reflector is attached
- The other heads are easier to gel
- Reflectors must be purchased separately, but don’t cost very much
Using the AD200 on a Monopod with a Base
Disclaimer: If done properly, it is quite stable… but I take no responsibility if you knock over your monopod or damage something. =)
There have been many times at past photoshoots where I would be in a house and think to myself, “man, a monopod with a base would be perfect for this spot here!” I would want to put light stand behind the bathtub by the window, or hide a light stand in a shower, or put one on the dining room table, but not be able to due to the footprint of the legs of my normal light stands. Finally I bought a monopod, and I must say, it is very handy. I used to use cheap camera tripods as light stands for situations like this, but a monopod can double as a hand-held light that can be extended over objects if I want some overhead lighting– i.e. a “light on a stick.” It also is easier to carry around than a full-sized light stand or tripod because the legs aren’t clunking around, and by using the extension head, I can keep the heaviest part of the light at the center of the base for stability. The feet of the monopod are also softer and bigger than tripod or light stand feet, so they are less likely to damage things. Having the feet as one solid unit is also very nice because they don’t slide around.
You could probably find cheaper monopods with bases for this use, but I got a decent one because I’ll probably also use it as an actual monopod for my DSLR as well. I put the AD200 in a pouch that attaches to the bottom section of the monopod, then run an extension head up to the top, where I have the bulb head with a reflector. The extension head is nice because the top has screw threads for attaching to light stands, tripods, or monopods, and can be rotated (without unscrewing) and tilted. This setup is less top-heavy and more stable than a speedlight on a monopod would be. My setup is the following:
Benro MACH3 Series 4 Carbon Fiber Monopod (MMA49C)
Benro 3-Leg Locking Base
Flashpoint Pouch for eVOLV 200 Pocket Flash
Flashpoint XP-200 V2 Portable 200ws Extension FlashHead
I leave it assembled and keep it in a cheap tripod bag.
Below are a few example photos where the monopod was used in places I wouldn’t have been able to hide or even place a full sized light stand:
I typically setup five lights at photoshoot locations, and use 1 to 5 lights to produce each image depending on the complexity of the shot. I certainly wouldn’t put all my lights on monopods (most of them are on normal light stands), but it has been incredibly handy to have something that works both as a small footprint, freestanding light stand and also a handheld light on a stick. Now that I’ve gotten used to it, I wish I had done it sooner!
If you’re looking for a speedlight on a stick solution that is cheap but doesn’t stand up on its own, just get a painter’s pole or broomstick, painter’s pole adapter, and a cold shoe.
The Heads & Accessories
Below are links to the heads and accessories mentioned in this post. The Godox and Flashpoint version are the same product, but if it says “Flashpoint” you would get a warranty from U.S. based Adorama Camera, and if it says Godox you would be dealing with Godox for technical issues if they arise.
Godox Wistro AD200 / Flashpoint eVOLV 200 (comes with the bulb head and fresnel head)
Godox Round Head H200R
Godox AK-R1 AD200 Round Head Accessories Kit for Godox H200R / Flashpoint eVOLV 200 Round Head Accessory Kit AK-R1
Flashpoint Bundle - H200R Round Head bundled with eVOLV 200 AK-R1 Round Head Accessory Kit
Godox AD-S2 Standard Reflector with Soft Diffuser (for bulb head)
Godox AD-S6 Portable Umbrella-type Reflector (for bulb head)
Godox AD-S3 Beauty Dish Reflector with Honeycomb Cover (for bulb head)
Godox AD-S17 Dome/Wide Angle Soft Focus Shade Diffuser (for bulb head)
Godox Extension Head for AD200 / Flashpoint Extension Head for eVOLV 200
If you want a grip for the AD200 that doubles as a mini freestanding light stand (works as a camera grip & tripod too), this looks pretty cool:
What Equipment Do I Use? Taking a Look at Lights
After some recent emails from other photographers asking me what flashes/strobes/lights I use, I thought to myself, "Hey, if I get questions about lights, it must be interesting enough to make a blog post!" In this review & comparison I'm going to take a look at the lights I use, how bright they are, and what their light spreads are like for direct flash use.
Note: For more AD200 info, see my newer post: The Many Faces of the Godox AD200
For more speedlight info, see my newer post, Godox V860II vs. the Godox V1
After some recent emails from other photographers asking me what flashes/strobes/lights I use, I thought to myself, "Hey, if I get questions about lights, it must be interesting enough to make a blog post!" In this review & comparison I'm going to take a look at the lights I use, how bright they are, and what their light spreads are like for direct flash use. Since the transmitters come in different versions for different brands of cameras, I'll put links to all the different versions at the bottom of the page to make them easy to find.
If you find this comparison useful and are thinking of buying, you can get me a small commission by using the links on this page. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks!
All the lights I currently use are made by a company called "Godox," but are rebranded under Adorama's "Flashpoint" brand. These lights are decent in quality while not being too expensive. I buy the "Flashpoint" branded flashes instead of the "Godox" branded ones because if it says "Flashpoint" it means I get a U.S. warranty. Since I live in the U.S. I went with those. In this post I refer to the Godox models since they are more widely recognized and the names are a bit simpler.
I currently own two Godox V850II's, two Godox AD200's, and two Godox AD600's. I trigger them with an X1 Wireless Flash Trigger in the camera's hotshoe and control the power of the flashes with an XPro (I used to have an XT32 before the XPro was released) that I keep on me as I walk around moving light stands. The only time the X1 Trigger affects flash power is when you first turn it on, so the rest of the time it doesn't interfere with the settings I choose on the XPro. I never use TTL so I have the manual only, non-TTL versions of all the lights except the AD200, which doesn't come in a manual-only version.
The Godox V850II Li-ion Camera Flash is a speedlight that is powered by a lithium-ion battery, which is a breath of fresh air if you've previously used flashes powered by AA batteries. These lithium-ion batteries are rated to last for 650 full power pops (and I never use lights at full power). I use this primarily for ceiling/wall bounces in small rooms or to highlight areas or objects in larger rooms where I'm also using bigger lights.
The Godox AD200 is a 200W strobe that is about a stop brighter than a normal speedlight. It comes with a detachable Fresnel head and a detachable bare bulb socket to allow for a little more flexibility. It readily accepts a variety of optional accessories made just for this model like a 12" beauty dish, standard reflector, umbrella reflector, dome diffuser, barn doors (included with the basic kit), and more. It is only slightly bigger than a speedlight, so many accessories made for speedlights will fit onto this when the Fresnel head is attached. One thing to note is the AD200 basic package does not include reflectors for use with the bare bulb. These lithium-ion batteries are rated to last for 500 full power pops.
The Godox AD600 is a 600W strobe / monolight that is much brighter, bigger, and heavier than a speedlight. These are great for throwing lots of light into a large room and useful for balancing interiors with exteriors on a sunny day. I often will hand hold these because it has a nice big handle that makes you feel like you're holding a giant photon gun, and when the light fires it goes "POP!" I have to say, even though it's heavy it is fun to walk around with these things. =) TSA also always enjoys scanning these if you ever take it as carryon in an airplane. Their typical question is, "What...IS...that???" These lithium-ion batteries are rated to last for 500 full power pops. The links to the AD600 on this page are to the Bowens Mount model, which is how accessories, like reflectors and beauty dishes, are attached to the light.
So how do these all compare?
In the first gallery below, I have these three flashes (the AD200 is in there twice, once with the bare bulb & standard reflector and once with the Fresnel head) all firing at 1/2 power with the camera set to ISO 100, f8, 1/200th of a second shutter speed:
As you can see the Fresnel head of the AD200 might be a hair brighter than the bare bulb. Otherwise, it all went as expected.
Next, I thought it would be useful info to see what power settings you'd have to use for all of the flashes to be throwing out approximately the same amount of light (they aren't exactly the same but they're close). Notice the flash power settings in the gallery below:
I also tried the AD600 at 1/8th power but it seemed too bright and was probably a bigger exposure difference than 1/16th +0.7.
The 3rd and final gallery takes a look at how even the light spread is from the various lights using various configurations (grid, softbox, diffusers, zoom level, Fresnel head, bare bulb, etc). To do this I turned the power down quite a bit so the bright and dark areas could be easily seen, which helps to show how even or uneven the light spread is. Noted in each image is the configuration:
Some observations from these galleries:
The AD600 is at least a stop brighter than the AD200, and the AD200 is about a stop brighter than the V850II speedlight
The V850II camera flash/speedlight requires a softbox to get a very even light spread, but the softbox knocks out about 1 stop of power
The AD200 bare bulb has a nice even light spread with both reflectors, but it's Fresnel head is not desirable for direct flash and is similar to a speedlight that is zoomed to at least 85mm
The AD600 light spread is not perfect, but comes close when using it's included detachable diffuser
I often use configurations that have uneven light spread when I'm bouncing from walls, ceilings or umbrellas, since bouncing softens and evens out the light source. That being said, it is nice to know what the light spreads look like for situations where direct flash is useful. I do like to use the direct flash of the AD200 bare bulb & standard reflector when doing twilight exteriors, because the AD200 is light enough to hold on the end of a light stand or painter's pole and has a very even light spread.
Below are the lights, transmitters, and a few other items I use. If you use the links on this page, it will help me out! =)
Links to Products Mentioned in this Article
Godox X1 Transmitter for Canon (the one I put in the camera hotshoe to trigger the flashes - Has TTL & HSS)
Godox X1 Transmitter for Nikon
Godox X1 Transmitter for Sony
Godox X1 Transmitter for Fuji
Godox X1 Transmitter for Panasonic/Olympus
Godox XPro Wireless Flash Controller & Trigger for Canon (The one I carry around to control the power of all my lights)
Godox XPro Wireless Flash Controller & Trigger for Nikon
Godox XPro Wireless Flash Controller & Trigger for Sony
Godox XPro Wireless Flash Controller & Trigger for Panasonic/Olympus
Godox XPro Wireless Flash Controller & Trigger for Fuji
Godox AD600 (doesn’t include transmitter)
Spare Battery for the AD600
Godox AD200 (Doesn't include transmitter or bare bulb reflectors)
Godox AD200 Standard Reflector (More directional than the umbrella reflector)
Godox AD200 Umbrella Reflector (Slightly wider spread than the standard reflector)
Godox AD200 12" Beauty Dish
Spare Battery for the AD200
Godox V850II Speedlight (non-TTL manual version)
Westcott 8x12" Pocketbox (Softbox for speedlight or AD200 with Fresnel head)
Spare Battery for the V850II
If you do use TTL, you'd want to look at the V860II instead of the V850II. It's the exact same thing except with TTL. Below is the link:
Godox V860II TTL On-Camera Flash Speedlight
*February 2021 Update: Upgrades!!!*
I originally wrote this article in 2018, and I figured I would have to eventually update the article with new products. While I personally still use the lights I originally wrote about, Godox has updated their lineup to include “Pro” models that have improvements over the originals, and also the new round-head speedlight. The power comparisons are still valid in terms of how much brighter each of the classes of lights are, but there are even more shapes and sizes to pick from!
See also my other article about the speedlight differences: Godox V860II vs. the Godox V1
Here are some of the new models:
Godox AD200 Pro (AKA Flashpoint eVOLV 200 Pro)
Godox AD300 Pro (AKA Flashpoint XPLOR 300 Pro)
Godox AD400 Pro (AKA Flashpoint XPLOR 400 Pro)
Godox AD600 Pro (AKA Flashpoint XPLOR 600 Pro) with Canon R2 Pro Transmitter
Godox AD600 Pro (AKA Flashpoint XPLOR 600 Pro) with Nikon R2 Pro Transmitter
Godox AD600 Pro (AKA Flashpoint XPLOR 600 Pro) with Sony R2 Pro Transmitter
Got a bunch of lights and not sure what to carry them in? See also my review and photos of the Pelican Air 1607 Protector Case, with up close photos before and after I load it up with my gear.