The AD200 from Godox (this one) redefined what a small flash is capable of. It was released about six years ago and, to this day, remains the most versatile, portable, and powerful small flash unit available.

For something that is barely larger than a regular speed light, it’s about 3-4 times as powerful. For most people, this is more than enough power for 95% of the situations you will encounter. 

If you look back to the “old days”, you would need to purchase a bulky external battery (remember those?), or a floor pack. Or, you would need to pay thousands for something larger like a Profoto B1 to achieve this sort of power. And still, none of these options will travel with you in your carry-on luggage. 

With a price tag of $300 this flash is criminally underrated and is a must-have for the traveling portrait or editorial photographer. Speaking of planes, the small lithium batteries they use are extremely compact and efficient. They travel beautifully and can do 500 full-power pops 9at least on paper). You can always keep a spare in your bag for an extra $59 to turn this already awesome flash into a seemingly endless lighting machine. 

Apart from power and portability, this flash has another unique and useful feature. It has the ability to swap out to a bare bulb head. Compared to a regular “fresnel” type of flash, the bare bulb will emit light in all directions, and properly fill every corner of your softbox. This allows a even light distribution that you could not get before. Definitely not with a small strobe that has that fresnel lens on the front. 

If you need a little more than what your speed light can offer, but don’t quite require that large mono flash, then the Ad200 ($299.00) or Ad200 Pro ($349.00) is exactly what you’ve been looking for. 

About the author

PJ is a photographer and educator from Melbourne, Australia, specializing in wedding and portrait photography. You can see more of his work on his website, Instagram profile, and youtube channel.