Flashpoint AD-B2 Review updated February 25 2018

UPDATE February 25 2018

I’ve written an on location post where I’ve utilized both the AD200s and AD-B2s.

UPDATE January 26 2018

I’ve recently written a post about my use of the xPLOR600/eVOLV200s with several different modifiers for a session. You can find that post here.

UPDATE December 9 2017

I recently conducted a two day session using two eVOLV200S mounted to an AD-B2 unit shot through a Cheetahstand Quick strip box. The strobes were used as second key lights combined with my xPLOR600 with remote head shot through a CononMark 120CM focusing octa modifier. The units performed well and the stopping power of the units is excellent. I shot all sessions using a Pentax 645Z whose sync speed is limited to 1/125th of a second. During jumping action shots the strobes froze the action of the talent jumping. I’m continually pleased with the performance of both the eVOLV and xPLOR  units. It should also be noted that I was able to complete two full days of shooting without charging either the eVOLV or xPLOR units.

Full crop of the necklace to illustrate the stopping power of the strobes.

UPDATE October 2 2017

I have written a post about a dance session I conducted that uses these items. You can view that post here.

UPDATE September 10 2017

I recently posted an article on my use of all Godox units in one session. The article includes the use of this product. You can view that post here.

UPDATE August 25 2017

Although this is not specifically about the Flashpoint AD-B2 you can see how I’ve used one with a Parabolix 35D for a recent commercial shoot. And although I won’t be able to share any images for about two months it worked fantastically! 

UPDATE August 21 2017

I did a little test getting 1.3 more stops of light out of an S Bracket.

UPDATE August 20 2017

So yesterday I did something I have a tendency to do… over reach. Using different lighting configurations, new/different modifiers I wanted to test them all in one night! What an idiot and no I did not test them all!

I am booked for a shoot next week where I will be filmed in a BTS segment that is part of something else (can’t say). I’m told it will be shown in movie theaters nationally to promote one of my clients. My partner has admonished me to NOT dress like the homeless as is my normal couture style! So I plan to take two of my AD-B2s to do an executive’s head shot and needed to test my ‘theory’ if they would work. My partner who is the film maker must haul all kinds of gear up with her as well as my own so our combined weight/space limits will be at a premium for our flight.

I’ve always loved what I call ‘clam shell portraits’ which may be a term only I utilize. I’d venture to say that if you Google that term it may result in images of clams… My definition is using two modifiers stacked one on top of the other while shooting through the gap between them. In the ‘old days’ I would use a reflector on the bottom to bounce light up toward the talent. I know many pros who love doing it that way. But now I only occasionally use reflectors because the control I have over modern strobes makes using a reflector seem a bit old fashion. Anyway the other thing I wanted to test was to determine if my little clam shell configuration and the AD-B2s with eVOLV200s were strong enough to do full body portraits. Oh and if you’re concerned about the catch light in the talent’s eyes, using a lower reflector produces the same double catch light…..

So what do I think? I love the AD-B2s! Here’s why:

Is it worth the $39.05 price difference between the S Mount bracket? For me it is. Compared to an S Bracket I get more light out of it, can combine two eVOLV20os if I so desire AND I get a modeling light! Now if I used my AD360s more often I ‘may’ rethink my stance, but I’ve found I rarely use them now and only when I need them as extra lights. And even then I don’t get a modeling light, but since they’re rarely key lights it doesn’t matter. The convenience of having a modeling light for me is key. Sure getting a bit more light out of the AD-B2 is nice as well, but functionally for me the one thing that was lacking with the S Bracket was a modeling light when using the eVOLV’s bare bulb attachment. I depend on that to obtain focus more than to see what my light will look like.

So here’s how I used them for the test:

UPDATE August 19 2017

Later this evening I will be testing many different modifiers along with the eVOLV ADB2. But until that shoot I wanted to share some things other may find useful. First and foremost one of the little irritating aspects of the Godox S Mount bracket and the new eVOLV ADb2 is its ratcheting handle. CLICK CLICK CLICK Dammit why is it so hard to move?! I think I understand why it was designed that way, but it was an irritation to me. Instead of bitching about anything I was taught to come up with a solution. So long ago I tried many things, replacing one of the toothed washers with a smooth plastic one, fabricating my own rubber or fabric washers, but none worked well enough. Sure I could move the pivot easily, but with anything heavy it would gradually ‘creep’ downward no matter how much I tightened down the handle.

And then I thought back to my Dad’s (who was an engineer) never coddling words, “Boy, when you try to design anything, use the most simple design. Don’t be so stupid!” So what I decided to try was to take one of the toothed washers on each side and file them down halfway. And guess what? Dad was fucking right…AGAIN. Leaving 50% of the teeth on the washers allows them to still ‘bite’ into their corresponding toothed counterpart, but makes rotating the light stand swivel SO MUCH EASIER! No I cannot adjust it in my OCD micrometers like I like to do with brackets without teeth, but it’s way better!

The other thing I like to do with both my new ADB2s as well as my Portable 600ws Extension FlashHeads are to cover them for transport. I always remove the bulbs from all units before shipping my lights. I learned my lesson after having two break when airline luggage handling monsters must have thrown my Pelican cases 1,000 yards! LOL. So I use  JTL Protective Flash Tube Covers for all of my xPLOR and extension heads. I originally purchased those covers to save space on my Rovelights, which I returned long ago. But that is another story that was resolved….

You don’t HAVE to protect the face of either, but in my mind I’d rather spend 6 bucks a cover as insurance to protect the socket holes and LED lights on each unit. It does make space savings a bit more challenging, but for me it’s worth it. For the extension heads I often insert the pronged end into the flash head, as it then protects both, but it’s tough on packing space.

So of course the bulbs wouldn’t fit when leaving them in an ADB2s with the cover I mentioned. I remove the bulbs whenever I’m shipping or packing them. So here I found that good old Edward at Cheetahstand makes these nifty Protection Caps for Cheetah Light for the 200 bulbs! So that’s what I use and they’re great. To my knowledge he’s the only one who makes or offers them.

I don’t know about you, but I cannot even count the number of bags I’ve amassed over the years. And my GF is CONSTANTLY telling me to ‘give some away dammit!’ but of course I never do. So this little camera bag from LowePro I bought ten years ago works PERFECTLY to hold three eVOLV 200s, two ADB2s with covers and three bulbs in their little silver nests. Perfect for heading to a local shoot…. like tonight!

Original Post

It’s no secret that I admire the innovation of Godox’s line of strobes. The Xplor line of lights along with the eVOLV 200s are wonderful for my work. The flexibility of combining lights into a single more powerful head shows such innovation. When Godox announced that they were producing the AD-B2 bracket I was thrilled. The one thing I missed when using a bare bulb head with the eVOLV200s was a modeling light. I seldom use modeling lights to view how my modifier/angle of light/etc. is going to look. Instead I depend on modeling lights to obtain focus, as I often work in very dark places during studio sessions. And I tend to use the bare bulb attachment more than the Fresnel head which does have a built in modeling light.

I have not had the opportunity to actually ‘use‘ the light bracket yet, but plan to do so on two upcoming commercial shoots. But I needed to test the unit to see how it performs which I always do prior to using any gear on the job. I tested the bracket using an eVOLV200 with the bare bulb attachment, first with an S Bracket and then compared to the xPLOR600 using two bulbs/eVOLVs in the AD-B2. For all of the testing I used a Bowens Maxilite 65 degree General Purpose Reflector, my favorite general purpose hard reflector. The one disadvantage of the Maxlite is the depth of the mounting collar. It’s about 3/4 of an inch deeper than some other generic reflectors so it tends to sap a bit of power by having the bulb more recessed into the cone.

To compare power I used each light with the Maxlite cone attached and fired it against a white wall and then measured the f stop at the opposing wall which is about 11 feet away. I do that because I’ve found it replicates the amount of power loss I get when using modifiers. This is NOT a scientific test, so if you’re looking for EXACT measurements you’d be better served looking elsewhere or doing it yourself.  I used a Sekonic L-358 meter set at 1/100th shutter speed ISO 100. Here are my findings:

1 eVOLV200 using a single bulb

• S Bracket (bulb is pushed into the cone at the same distance of the AD-B2’s bulb) f11
• AD-B2 f13

Next I used the AD-B2 with two eVOVLs and 2 bulbs

• xPLOR600 f18
• AD-B2 with two bulbs f18

So it appears that light leaking out of the back of the S bracket may cause a small loss of power. It also may be an advantage that the AD-B2 has a more reflective surface than an S Bracket which has none. More interesting is the 600’s results compared to the AD-B2 with two bulbs! I can only surmise that it may be due to the 600’s bulb being more recessed into the cone than the AD-B2’s…..

In the images below you can see the weight difference for yourself.

I will say that I plan to purchase two more of the AD-B2 units. They are very reasonable in price and the advantage of having a modeling light(s) and the ability to use two unit when needed is wonderful. I will update this post once I utilize the unit(s) on the job.