Cheetah drawbacks?

McIv wrote in post #16473532
Point well taken. But have you tried using cheetah? any thoughts with its performance?

I have four of them and use them extensively. I haven't used my other speed lights or mono lights since buying the Cheetahs.

McIv wrote in post #16473515
Thanks for your thoughts. could you elaborate its advantages over speedlights? Though I find TTL kinda important with lighting.

TTL is best used when running & gunning - think event photography. If you can take 15 seconds to think about / adjust your settings, manual is the way to go.

LostArk wrote in post #16474213
TTL is best used when running & gunning - think event photography. If you can take 15 seconds to think about / adjust your settings, manual is the way to go.

That's an over generalization and misleading statement.
ETTL is one method for reading flash exposure and setting the camera.
Flash meter and photographer transferring readings from meter to camera is another.
Chimping and adjusting either light power or camera settings is another.

With some experience, applying some knowledge about exposure, any of the three works.

In my experience each has a circumstance when its works better than the others for me.

dmward wrote in post #16475504
That's an over generalization and misleading statement.
ETTL is one method for reading flash exposure and setting the camera.
Flash meter and photographer transferring readings from meter to camera is another.
Chimping and adjusting either light power or camera settings is another.

With some experience, applying some knowledge about exposure, any of the three works.

In my experience each has a circumstance when its works better than the others for me.

Hello Thank you for thoughts. I just bought a battery pack for my SD900 though Im not that satisfied any idea about ac powered Power packs?

dmward wrote in post #16452197
There are, in my view, three classes of xeon flash units; A) speedlites, including both TTL and manual power control; B) Hybrid (my term) for Q Flash, Cheetah, Godox, etc. Bare bulb units; C) studio strobes, including monolights, pack/heads units.

I agree partially, but you're classifying those types by what you have rather than what's needed. Whats needed is a co-herrant flash system spanning all those categories and sharing capabilities. Separating A and B is because you need to, based on your existing equipment capabilities - no other reason.

Across those A-B-C categories you potentially require three different radio systems, taking Canon600-Cheetah and AB's for example. In the case of Cheetah, you need two sets of radios for level control/triggering and HSS triggering - so potentially - four - different trigger systems. At best you might manage two by throwing away the 600's advantage of built-in radio, or one if you throw away the Canon600 capability of TTL. Throwing away features like that obviously doesn't make sense as you obviously require them.

Canon 600 radio works in TTL and Manual but is incapable of triggering anything else (which is stupid). Cheetah operates only in Manual along with AB's, so if wanting to use the Canons with anything else requires a kludge of workarounds and multiple radio requirements if you ever want to use your lighting combined.

There is no reason that A and B cannot be a single type of flash, and even extending into C to a large extent if your idea of studio strobes consists of anything only up to 400Ws units. Anything from 100Ws and upwards can be classified as a 'studio strobe' it seems but with the caveat that a studio strobe really needs a modelling light. With that, this would really separate the 'studio strobe' domain.

I happily use Quantum to span all of A-B-C as a single solution. Across the range there is a co-herrant radio system, variable output options, various control methods and an expandable radio triggering solution for off brand lighting. Theres no modelling light for studio use, but R-E-A-L-L-Y studios have AC power and it is far more convenient to just use that and use modelling lights.

So in answer to the OP the Cheetah drawbacks are that: It doesn't do TTL in it's 'own' category least of all the lower category, :It needs two radios to utilise its features in its restricted category, :Integrating it with other systems is a kludge, :Numerous different radio systems would be required to span the lighting requirements of professionals.

Godox introduced a new flash recently, the V850 with built-in radio. An ideal opportunity to integrate their system.. but they didn't. They introduced a receive only radio hotshoe flash lacking in a transmit function and full camera integration like the Canon 600's. If it was to have full camera integration, a transmitter, remote flash control and TTL like the Canon 600's then perhaps Godox/Cheetah would have a more useable system, rather than just forcing the compromise seen.