Upgrading to Godox/Flashpoint AD400 Strobes

[adamhiram]

Here is a series of tests I did to attempt to determine what is causing the grid spot to not be perfectly round.

• Row 1: Bare reflector. This is just the bare 7" reflector positioned 18" from the background. The light pattern is perfectly round, and doesn't change significantly when I rotate it in the mount. This suggests that there is nothing wrong with the reflector.
• Row 2: Try a different light. This is the same as the first, but with a different strobe. Again, nice round light pattern and no significant changes when rotating the reflector in the mount. This rules out any issues with the light.
• Row 3: Insert grid. This is where I start to see the anomaly. For this test I inserted the grid, then rotated the reflector with the grid in it. The first shot is the most noticeable, with the grid's pull-tab positioned on the top and the light pattern looking a bit lemon shaped. The other two shots aren't perfectly round, but seem a little better.
• Row 4: Rotate grid. This is the same as the third, but only rotating the grid and not the reflector. This produced the same results, implicating the grid as the culprit.

20200121-DSC_6741a by adamhiram, on Flickr

Here are some shots of the reflector and grid showing how they fit together. It seems like a pretty decent fit, although perhaps there is some slight light leakage around the perimeter, or the pull-tab is affecting things somehow?


20200121-DSC_6759a by adamhiram, on Flickr

Lastly, here is the 20° grid. Nothing special to see here, but I thought I would include it in this post.


20200121-DSC_6769a by adamhiram, on Flickr

A few questions I still have

• Are there any issues I am missing with the reflector or grid?
• Does the fit look okay with the grid mounted in the reflector? Are there any concerns with the pull-tab blocking some of the light?
• Most importantly, will the slight distortion in the shape of the grid spot make any difference in real world scenarios?

 

[JBPhotog]

This ^^ series shows great examples. What you are seeing is the honeycomb shape of the grid. Have a look at my image below and see if you can recognize the 6 sided honeycomb shape?

For practical purposes, you will not see this issue in your final images as you can mitigate it by aligning the grid to your subject if it is noticeable.

 

[adamhiram]

What you are seeing is the honeycomb shape of the grid.

How about that, it never even occurred to me! Seems easy enough to compensate for if it's ever an issue.

For practical purposes, you will not see this issue in your final images as you can mitigate it by aligning the grid to your subject if it is noticeable.

That's pretty much what I figured, but glad to better understand the root cause. Thank you as always for the quick and thorough response!

 

[JBPhotog]

You are welcome.

Some reflectors work better with grids, certain brands have reflectors specifically designed for them possibly for this reason.

I don’t think it has ever been an issue in the 30+ years I have been using them.

 

[adamhiram]

After having picked up a variety of accessories and completed a few shoots, I figure it's a good time to wrap up this thread.

New and upgraded equipment:

• I picked up an Xplor 400 Pro to replace my TT600 speedlights that were mounted in S-type adapters to use with various Bowens mount modifiers. The extra power is great and I'm still learning how to get the most out of the modeling light, but the biggest benefit to me has been the fast recycle time. It was enough of an improvement that I picked up 2 more Xplor 400 Pros to support a 3-light setup with recycle times under 1s, even at maximum power.
• I also picked up an XP400 extension head for when I want to put a light on a boom arm. A more robust stand and arm could probably handle the weight, but it's much easier to just use the lightweight extension head. It works great, but I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't usable out of the box, and required a separate Bowens mount adapter if I didn't want to carry a tool and replace 8 screws whenever I wanted to move the adapter between the monolight and extension head. I also picked up a Manfrotto Super Clamp to attach the monolight to the stand, since it didn't come with any way to do this.
• Next I needed a more stable back light stand, and opted for a Manfrotto 003 Backlight Stand Base with a Matthews Telescoping Baby Stand Extension. This holds the weight of a large monolight quite well, at least up to 30-40" height, and turned out to be a much better solution than the Matthews Backlight Stand I originally went with that had multiple deficiencies. This replaced a lightweight Flashpoint Backlight Stand that worked well for speedlights, but just didn't have a wide enough base to hold heavier lights without risking tipping over.
• A 7" reflector and set of grids seemed like a must, and has been very useful when I want to put a grid spot on the background. I opted for Flashpoint products, not out of brand loyalty but simply because I wanted some assurance everything would fit well together (it does). These replaced a Rogue Flash Grid which did a pretty decent job on a speedlight.
• I needed to pickup some larger gel sheets and opted for the Lee Filters Master Location Pack for a decent variety of color correction and creative gels. I went with Lee Filters, as I was already familiar with many of their colors from the Rogue Gels I used with my speedlights. I also picked up a small roll of gaffer tape to mount the gels and other misc uses.
• I'm not sure how useful the BD-08 Barn Door Kit will be, but the barn doors are good for controlling spill when used as a background light with the stock 4" reflector. The grid it comes with has a pretty wide spread and doesn't seem like something I'll have much use for, but the gel holder is nice if I need a colored background light with no grid. Instead of a larger 7" reflector and full gel sheet, I can cut a 4" circle from the gel, mount in in the holder, and throw it in the Xplor 400 Pro carrying case.
• Lastly, I picked up some Godox Speed Rings for Bowens Lights, which allowed me to use my existing Glow/Godox Quick Softboxes for speedlights with the AD 400 Pros. They're not anything special, but they provide nice soft light, fold down to fit in a case the size of a lunchbox, and cost $20.

It's been an interesting journey getting to this point, but I think I have a solid kit now that will last me for a long time.

 

[JBPhotog]

Great to hear your have a very workable kit now.

I would suggest there are a variety of clips or clamps to secure gels onto the rim of a reflector rather than using gaffer tape, with the caveat of the Godox reflector that comes with the head as it does not have a rim. C-47, A clamps or even 1" binder clips will do the job and they useful inside of a softbox to do the same.