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Archive 2014 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?

  
 
DigMeTX
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


I was just looking at possibly picking one of these up to try out. I know some here have been using them. What are your thoughts so far? I know I've heard battery life is awesome. Any nit picks or annoyances? How's the power compared to big brand flashes?

Brad



Dec 26, 2014 at 12:01 AM
Tony Hoffer
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


I'm using them... I'll come back to this post and give a full report sometime later today when I have a few mins.


Dec 26, 2014 at 09:38 AM
DigMeTX
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


Cool, thanks! Looking forward to it.


Dec 26, 2014 at 10:38 AM
Nathan Padgett
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


I've got a couple of the non-ttl 850's (neewer brand). And two 860's on the way.

They seem very well built. Nice ergonomics for a flash. Good simple back lit buttons, LCD is nice, shoe mount lock is beefy.

There have been problems reported with the batteries. A bad batch with no way of telling which are effected because they don't have serial numbers. I got one bad one and one good one with my 850s. My bad battery would show full power and after very little use (maybe 50 shots or so) it would go dead. I bought from Amazon and they replaced it for me. I'd be sure to buy from a US supplier if possible to make for an easy return, or battery replacement.

The good one seems great so far. It's equally powerful to a SB-800 (which is better than a SB-900 btw) and recycles twice as quick.

The thermal cutoff occurs after 30 full power pops (or 60 at 1/2, ect.). Once you hit it...it takes a while to go back to normal mode.

The little receivers go on the side are handy because it keeps the hotshoe free. But they can be a little easy to knock off and/or change the channel. I put a strip off gaffer tape to make it more secure. First I tried velcro, but it was too thick.

My other annoyance is the bag they come in. It's a very tight fit as is and with the reciever on, you have to pay attention to get it in without knocking off the receiver. Also no belt loop.

I'm hoping the TTL is accurate on the 860's and crossing my fingers they batteries hold up. If so I will be very happy.

For convenience here are the ones I know of which are the same:

Neewer TT850 = Godox Ving V850 = Cheetah Light V850
TTL versions are 860



Dec 26, 2014 at 10:46 AM
g-money
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


Same here using 3 of the non ttl versions. Flash itself is great and had no issues. Yes they had to work through some faulty battery issues which I did end up with two bad ones. Actually both would last for a bit before dying so it took me a while to catch on there were issues. Bought a couple of replacement battteries from Ed with Cheetah. Both of those were fine. I absolutly love not having to worry about a bunch of AA battery charging with these flashes.

Like Nathan mentioned on the wireless receivers I love them being small mounted on the side but they will pop out if bumped. I also tried some industrial velcro but was to thick and would not let the recvier pop in all the way. So I have went with a rubberband around it for now just to make sure while looking for some thinner velcro or a better solution.




Dec 26, 2014 at 12:21 PM
Tony Hoffer
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


Here's my thoughts from someone that's in the midst of switching from Canon 600s...

WHY I BOUGHT THEM:
• I wanted to get rid of AAs
• Crazy battery life (no external packs)
• Receivers with no battery

WHY I ALMOST DIDN'T BUY THEM:
• External transmitter/receiver
• External transmitter requires a hotshoe

So, I now have 5 of the flashes and two transmitters... Here's my thoughts after some use:

WHAT I LOVE:
• The battery life is insane. I'm shooting an entire wedding and still have a "full" charge after
• Recycle time is insane. I get the same recycle as I used to get with a battery pack

WHAT I LIKE:
• The transmitter is really easy to adjust power
• The built in receivers can stay on (with gaff tape) so you don't have to worry about them
• TTL is generally pretty good

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:
 • The AF assist beam isn't very accurate. It's not awful, but the pattern they use is kind of crappy. It hasn't really affected low-light shooting though (I don't think)
• The transmitter is kinda big and requires a hotshoe. I just grabbed a PC>Cold Shoe and connect it using a MagMod band

WHAT I HATE:
• The range on the triggering system is awful. Worse than the 600s (which aren't great). This has been the biggest thing that has had me thinking about what to do. Ultimately, I decided to break out my old Cybersyncs and use those to trigger the lights. The thing that stinks is that I still have to have the other receivers/transmitter to change the power. So, the slave flashes are set up with both receivers and I shoot the Cybersync on camera. I keep the Cheetah trigger in my bag in case I want to adjust power. Ultimately, this is actually better in some ways because the Cybersync trigger is so much smaller and their batteries last forever. However, it's a bit clunky and requires some AAs (which I was trying to avoid entirely)


With all that said, I think we're keeping them and selling the 600s. It's not perfect, but the range with the Cybersyncs will be awesome, the batteries are incredible and it's WAY cheaper. We lose some sleekness and have to deal with some wires/batteries, but I think I have a good system in place to deal with them.

One thing I'll HIGHLY recommend is that you order them from Cheetah. Unlike the ones you get on Amazon, the Cheetah flashes are sold from the US and have great support. The ones from China will be difficult to support beyond Amazon's 15 day return policy. Cheetah comes quick and is well worth it.

Let me know if you have any other questions.



Dec 26, 2014 at 05:22 PM
joelconner
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


Good feedback...I have been wanting to drop my 600's for ages, and this is one of the solutions I have been thinking about. The less range is a drag...especially since that is one of my biggest issues with my 600's.


Dec 26, 2014 at 08:28 PM
tgillespie
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


I have a colleague that uses a GODOX setup, and while it works well and I love the battery packs, I'm so glad to be done with transmitters/receivers/cords. The range on the 600's isn't anything amazing, but I've never had issues at a reception. Only time I fire up the Radiopopper JrX, which have amazing range, is when we're shooting a crazy portrait. Reliability wise, the 600 system is about as rock solid as it gets. Once it links, which isn't difficult, you don't ever have to touch it again.

While the 600s are expensive, its less crap to worry about packing, less backward/future compatibility issues and more reliable/precise than any flash system I've used to date. There are a few instances where'd I like to have more power, but having a dual flash bracket solves that.




Dec 26, 2014 at 09:49 PM
Tony Hoffer
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


tgillespie wrote:
While the 600s are expensive, its less crap to worry about packing, less backward/future compatibility issues and more reliable/precise than any flash system I've used to date. There are a few instances where'd I like to have more power, but having a dual flash bracket solves that.



I agree on the less crap to worry about thing... but after using the 600s for 2 1/2 years, we started having more and more reliability issues with two shooters and the range and AAs annoyed me more and more. :/

I wish someone would create a 600 with better range and a lithium battery, but I also wish I owned a Tesla.



Dec 26, 2014 at 10:02 PM
Jim Heine
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


I bought a few Cheetah 850s over Black Friday. Should be the same as 860s, but without TTL. I used them for a few weddings and largely agree with Tony's comments. Batteries, recycle time, value are awesome. The flashes cost less than the minimum cost to repair one at CPS.

One reason I wanted to try them is the ease of adjusting power remotely. There's no menu system to change power as on the Canon 600s. I also liked the idea of using them in conjunction with the phottix strato II transmitters to turn groups on and off very quickly (I do this during speeches, first dance, dancing, etc a lot - the 600 menu system drives me bonkers).

The main issue is there is the radio system is not a transceiver. So you're stuck with a separate transmitter on your camera. Or if you want longer range and no cables, Yongnuo 622s or Phottix Stato IIs are your best options. This is where the system is a fail for me. After using the all in one Canon 600s for so long, the extra transmitter/receiver, extra batteries, hitting extra switches, checking I didn't bump buttons on the receivers, etc all seems cumbersome and slow. If I had room in my bag, I'd leave the transmitters/receivers on the flashes all the time and gaff tape all the switches. Then it wouldn't matter so much.

Overall a great product (and imo better than everything out there except the 600s/Mitros), but with a few limitations.

Tony - you could try the Yongnuo 622s for AF assist. Or just use the Canon 600 on camera



Dec 26, 2014 at 10:54 PM
amonline
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


I'd wait for the Tx (master/slave) versions. They've got to be coming some time soon.


Dec 26, 2014 at 11:37 PM
DigMeTX
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


Thanks for the info, y'all. I'd like to buy from Cheetah but I have all these Amazon gift cards and I just want one to try out for now so I'll probably end up with Godox branded.




Dec 27, 2014 at 01:47 AM
DigMeTX
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


I don't know if it's been mentioned yet but Flashpoint has now thrown their brand in on this flash.


Flashpoint branded Godox flash

Brad



Jan 13, 2015 at 10:24 AM
StevenMI
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


Random question and i'm curious if anyone else has experienced this. I'm using these flashes (the Neewer ones) and their triggering system. My 2nd shooter just uses a canon 580 on camera and no off camera flash and is triggering my off camera flashes every time.

Does anyone know what causes this and if I can keep it from happening? Does it have to do with a slave mode i'm in or something?



Mar 20, 2015 at 08:21 PM
BigIronCruiser
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


Somewhat different setup using a PW MiniTT1 & AC3 zone controller on camera, and FlexTT5's off camera. The channel on the Mini & Flex are always set to Full TLL.

In the configuration shown above, the V860n's have been a reliable substitute for SB-910's when the AC3 zone is set to Manual. All power adjustments are made with the AC3. It doesn't get much easier.

When the AC3 zone is set to Automatic, exposures with the V860n fall a bit short of the standards set by an SB-910. The AC3 can be used to make quick & easy FEC adjustments, although there are occasions when "quick & easy" may be too late. OFC exposures with my D4 have been more accurate than my D800, even though the D4 isn't on the V860n compatibility list.

For those that want HSS, be aware that the PW/V860n combination has issues.

FWIW - This is based on V860n's with V2.0 firmware and the most recent PW firmware.



Mar 21, 2015 at 02:29 AM
swoop
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


I bought a V850 a few months ago and returned it after two days. The recycle time and heat stoppage were just too much for me. Recycle time wasn't terrible but still slower than the YN560II's I was using. And the YN560II's gave me about 10 more pops at full power before shutting down due to heat than the V850's. And the YN560II's also came back to life sooner after heating up.

I can deal with AA's and already have a set of 12 per flash for each wedding and rarely using more than 8 per flash throughout the day. So the trade off of the convenience of a rechargeable battery as opposed to just recharging AA's combined with all the other issues wasn't worth it to me.

I'm currently hoping to replace my 4 YN560II's with the newer YN560IV just for the built in radio trigger which will free up space and weight in my bag and will be another set of batteries I don't have to worry about.



Mar 21, 2015 at 08:25 AM
Mark_L
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


StevenMI wrote:
Random question and i'm curious if anyone else has experienced this. I'm using these flashes (the Neewer ones) and their triggering system. My 2nd shooter just uses a canon 580 on camera and no off camera flash and is triggering my off camera flashes every time.

Does anyone know what causes this and if I can keep it from happening? Does it have to do with a slave mode i'm in or something?


Does it have the wireless flash icon in the corner? If so the slave is on. You want wireless flash off for use with radio triggers.

swoop wrote:
I bought a V850 a few months ago and returned it after two days. The recycle time and heat stoppage were just too much for me. Recycle time wasn't terrible but still slower than the YN560II's I was using. And the YN560II's gave me about 10 more pops at full power before shutting down due to heat than the V850's. And the YN560II's also came back to life sooner after heating up.


Weird. The 850 (unless it is different in this respect to the 860) should give you half the recycle time.



Mar 21, 2015 at 10:38 AM
mineymole
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


I have had very good luck with the Amazon Neewer products and while their customer service is no where near Cheetah, they have offered to replace all of my batteries (there was an issue). You can contact them easily through their FB page.


Mar 22, 2015 at 08:21 PM
DigMeTX
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · What's the verdict - Godox/Cheetah Ving 860?


Just found one of these used/good condition on Adorama for $114. Looked like a good opportunity to try one out since they have a 30-day return guaranty. I ordered the Godox branded remote from Amazon for $33 which is about half of the identical-looking Flashpoint brand. I'll give it a try and determine if I want to replace all of my flashes with them.


Apr 03, 2015 at 11:03 AM





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