AD200F vs AD200B vs AD600BM

[Scooter]

These tests are focused on lighting on location - particularly when competing with the sun when you need to light your subject, in order to get a good sky for example. This is the only time I really stress lights as in the studio I can control the ambient light level. Light arriving at your subject is the important metric, as opposed to light generated at the source. This is impacted by the efficiency of the reflector/lens (on the light), and the area it focuses that light into. My typical use case is to light a single human figure, and so as long as the light pattern covers that, it's useful.

Light output tests for the AD200 with the rectangular Fresnel focused (speedlight type) head, the AD200 with the open curly tube head, with two types of 7" Bowens Mount reflectors, 2xAD200 with the Fresnel head on both and the AD600 with the same reflectors.

• All lights were set to maximum output. The meter is set to Iso 64, 1/160th to eliminate ambient light. The camera for the pattern shots is also set to Iso 64, 1/160th and f/22. The stand is 1.7m away from the wall. The meter was placed over the white tape for all measurements in the table, although I did scout around to see if the hot-spot was elsewhere (it was always on the tape). I tried various positions for the AD200 with the curly bulb in the S2 grip until I found the optimum position for the bulb in the reflector (further back produces more light with both reflector types)
• Reflector 1 - is the "marketing reflector" favoured by sellers of LED lights, It creates a hotspot in the middle of the pattern. I could actually use this for some styles of shot, but most people will want a more even pattern.
• Reflector 2 - is the standard Lencarta/Godox design that ships with the mains powered studio heads, and gives an even spread with a more graduated falloff at the edges,

Light	Head	Modifier	Pattern	Meter	Output
AD200	Rectangular Fresnel	----			f/18 with face of light at bulb position. f/20 with face of light at reflector edge position
AD200 x 2	Rectangular Fresnel	----			f/29
AD200	Open bulb	Conical reflector			f/16
AD200	Open bulb	Standard reflector			f/13
AD600	----	Conical reflector			f/29
AD600	----	Standard reflector			f/22

Observations

The conical reflector adds around 2/3 of a stop at the centre
The light pattern with the Fresnel head on the AD200 has some variations across it from the lens. The pattern from 2 AD200's is more even. In both cases it is more of a narrow ellipse but does have reasonably graduated falloff. There are extra pieces of light at the extremes from the gaps along the long edge. This is fixed in the MKII AD200-Pro

The output from the AD200 with the Fresnel head is more than the output from the open bulb, with the most efficient reflector. Using a bulb holder like the AD-B2 with its silver face may preserve more light when using a reflector.

The light measured from 2 AD200s with the Fresnel reflectors equals the light measured from the AD600 with the conical reflector, however the AD600 with both the conical and the standard reflector cover a much larger area.


Pick a light shape and efficiency that suits what you need to light.

 

[Scooter]

On location I'll mount the AD200(s) vertically so the light pattern matches a standing human figure.

 

[Garry Edwards]

Excellent, and many thanks for posting it. But, if I may, a couple of minor observations.

1. Distance to subject should be distance from light source, not distance from light stand. There's very little in it, but the differences are relevant when testing different designs of flash head.
2. If the distance from light source to subject was 10' or 3 metres, it would be the standardised distance used for testing guide numbers, so you could test for an accurate (rather than a manufacturer) guide number. I appreciate that you would need a lower ISO setting, or to reduce the flash output.
3. I appreciate that a distance of 1.7m may not be much for some of your outdoor nudes, but it's a very long throw for most studio photography - would a shorter distance help people to visualise the differences between the modifiers more accurately?

 

[Scooter]

Excellent, and many thanks for posting it. But, if I may, a couple of minor observations.

1. Distance to subject should be distance from light source, not distance from light stand. There's very little in it, but the differences are relevant when testing different designs of flash head.
2. If the distance from light source to subject was 10' or 3 metres, it would be the standardised distance used for testing guide numbers, so you could test for an accurate (rather than a manufacturer) guide number. I appreciate that you would need a lower ISO setting, or to reduce the flash output.
3. I appreciate that a distance of 1.7m may not be much for some of your outdoor nudes, but it's a very long throw for most studio photography - would a shorter distance help people to visualise the differences between the modifiers more accurately?

Agree with all that Garry My aim was more to compare (and so have a constant distance) rather than provide absolute values. The distance from the light source is there or there abouts but does vary due to reflector sizes, physical dimensions of the light head, and mounting solutions. Also - limited by the size and current junk level of the small studio, and a desire to fit the pattern onto the back wall

 

[CharleyL]

Many thanks for this Owen.

Shortly after seeing your post the first time, I ordered 2 of the AD200 Pro II lights, as I have been wanting something better than speedlites for my field kit for a while, and had wanted these several years ago, but didn't have the budget for them until now. I think I'm glad that I waited for the version II as there are a few improvements over the original AD200's that I like. They arrived here last Friday, but some of the accessories that I had ordered with them haven't arrived here yet. I'll be performing a similar comparison of them soon, when at least the needed Bowens S2 Brackets arrive..

Learning what each light can and can't do is something that I have traditionally done every time that I receive a new light or modifier. I think it helps me make better light choices when I'm about to choose lights for a new shoot.

Charley

 

[juggler]

Handy, thanks. And more rigorous than my own measurements of the AD200Pro with the different heads & modifiers. But here are those results, copied & pasted from another place:

The flash was at 1/4 power for all of these. They were metered at 1m distance, ISO200. I didn't repeat any tests & I wasn't aiming for a perfect controlled environment - I just wanted to get an idea of which heads to use on a location shoot.

Fresnel head: f29
Bulb head + spill kill reflector: f18
Ringflash, no dish reflector: f11
Ringflash + silver dish reflector: f9
Bare bulb, spill kill & 90cm diameter silver brolly: f9
Fresnel head & 90cm diameter silver brolly: f14

Notes:
The Fresnel head filled the brolly much better than the bulb + spill kill.
I didn't test HSS, sorry. The ringflash doesn't do HSS anyway.
And I didn't test the new constant LED head 'cos I haven't got one.

 

[Graham W]

Many thanks for this Owen.

Shortly after seeing your post the first time, I ordered 2 of the AD200 Pro II lights, as I have been wanting something better than speedlites for my field kit for a while, and had wanted these several years ago, but didn't have the budget for them until now. I think I'm glad that I waited for the version II as there are a few improvements over the original AD200's that I like. They arrived here last Friday, but some of the accessories that I had ordered with them haven't arrived here yet. I'll be performing a similar comparison of them soon, when at least the needed Bowens S2 Brackets arrive..

Learning what each light can and can't do is something that I have traditionally done every time that I receive a new light or modifier. I think it helps me make better light choices when I'm about to choose lights for a new shoot.

Charley

Also just bought an AD200 Pro II .