Godox X1 system integration thread

Well for portraits, I do.I don't want to bend down to look through the viewfinder or back display, and I don't want people looking downwards at me either.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18487364
Well for portraits, I do.I don't want to bend down to look through the viewfinder or back display, and I don't want people looking downwards at me either.

See my post 1331. Hold it in your hand.

They need to make it operable from a smartphone. Screw the hot shoe controller.

RDKirk wrote in post #18487424
See my post 1331. Hold it in your hand.

If i have to keep the X1, i will just use it and not worry about daisy chaining controllers. Thanks for the idea though. We just need it to have Bluetooth for times when it's hard to get to.

I suppose those ETTL flexible extensions should be able to support the xpro, and I can angle the shaft back and back up at about 60 degrees.. I might have to try that unless there is an xpro II announced. Still another 30.00 and also awkward...

FarmerTed1971 wrote in post #18487438
They need to make it operable from a smartphone. Screw the hot shoe controller.

Then why not use the screen available on the back of cameras to control the flashes.

FarmerTed1971 wrote in post #18487438
They need to make it operable from a smartphone. Screw the hot shoe controller.

You still need the trigger, and there are times a smartphone wouldn't be useful either.

You either will:
- hold the camera in your hands and want to operate the flashes quickly (no phone)
- have the camera on a tripod
- have the camera away from you in some form while you remotely trigger it.

You want a solution for all 3 modes.

The Godox flashes, the X1 and the FT32 (slight angle) allow for 2 of the 3 scenarios pretty easily, with no good remote triggering scenario.

The XPro seems to reduce this usage even further, making tripod mounting a more difficult proposition.

Yes you can buy a $70 A1 and try to use that in conjunction with everything, but that isn't ideal based on the comments about the app and the A1. You can hope the X1 doesn't transmit its settings to the flashes after you have remotely adjusted them with the handheld Xpro, but that also adds yet more costs to the triggering setup, for an additional $45, and now also 2 devices where one should be sufficient. If the X1 and Xpro in hand works, I could probably work with that, I already have the X1, but was going to sell it. I am just a bit confused on how the Xpro is going to set the X1 settings, since it will actually be controlling the flashes at time of firing the shutter.

These are clunky implementations, and that has been the Godox way. Fast implementation of new ideas, but it feels like certain photographic scenarios aren't being considered, so some obvious shortcomings are being introduced in the new offerings. The reason for the 60deg angle of the XPRO was to create a smaller overall footprint, correct, based on previous posts? That shouldn't have been the driving decision for the design, first and foremost, it has to be usable for all shooting styles.

I like the idea of the XPro, and almost did a pre-order. However my experience with Godox devices with the rapid fire of various items in their offerings coupled with the numerous firmware updates, gave me pause. I think I will wait for the XPRO II, or the FT32 II, that cleans up some of the issues and incorporates Bluetooth. I will live with the X1 at this point.

Certainly my opinion, many of you will have no issues with the XPRO depending on how you shoot, I am sure. For me, and probably my fellow tripod shooters that keep the camera at eye level for standing portraiture, it won't be ideal. I appreciate all the workaround ideas presented. If only there was a very small 60deg ETTL flash shoe adapter... perhaps Godox could engineer that if there isn't such a device.

RDKirk, so you believe the Xpro will control the X1 and it will listen to remote settings and set itself to the same values, or will it ignore what the Xpro is telling the flash units and when it fires, it sends what it has for settings at that time?

mmmfotografie wrote in post #18487532
Then why not use the screen available on the back of cameras to control the flashes.

Have you tried setting up and controlling groups with the Canon interface? With Godox hardware? I am curious how it all works, because the last time I used the Canon interface, it wasn't a pleasant experience, and that was with Canon equipment.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18487534
RDKirk, so you believe the Xpro will control the X1 and it will listen to remote settings and set itself to the same values, or will it ignore what the Xpro is telling the flash units and when it fires, it sends what it has for settings at that time?

I have all my controller/triggers set to the "single photographer" mode, which means they send out one setting signal rather than a continuous signal. Not sure how that actually works.

In my quick tests the light controls respond to whichever controller I use, and remain at the settings of whichever controller I set them with last.

I can have either the X1 on the camera and the XPro in my hand or vice versa. The device on the camera will not show any changing settings (although the flash LCD shows that it changes)--the device on the camera will be fixed at whatever I last set on it, but it will merely trigger the lights as I release the shutter without any changes.

But if I want to make a quick change between the settings of one device to the settings of the other device, I need only press the test button of the device whose settings I want to switch to, and voila!

I've not done it with the newer ETTL controllers yet, but back when we had the older 433Mhz system, it was pretty standard to have one in your pocket/on you to easily set the levels etc.

This is how I did it when on a tripod, and it was the easiest thing.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #18487678
I've not done it with the newer ETTL controllers yet, but back when we had the older 433Mhz system, it was pretty standard to have one in your pocket/on you to easily set the levels etc.

This is how I did it when on a tripod, and it was the easiest thing.

But you still had something on the shoe to trigger the AD360. The reason that we had to hold the FT16 was that we would be using other trigger systems, and they couldn't control the AD360 USB receiver. So you would just hold the FT separately.

For example, if you wanted HSS on the AD360, you had to use the YN trx/receiver with a sync cable. However, you also wanted to modify the power, but no longer could using YN. So you would hold the FT unit, with its USB receiver plugged in, even though it wasn't triggering the strobe. This was until the CellsII came out, and then the R1/R2 systems. I did that a couple of times, and didn't like it and thus why I am not fond of going back to that.

Based on what RDKirk calls out, it seems I can do that when I am doing a tripod shoot. I am not thrilled about it, especially now that I have to keep the X1, thus I will have $130 wrapped up in just transmitters for Godox now. All the more reason for Godox to put bluetooth into the XPro and if I am to keep anything in my hands to remotely control the settings, it would be my phone.

One interesting idea based on RD's findings... it sounds like you could have 2 completely different settings managed by the Xpro and X1, and very quickly switch between these two by just hitting the test button on whichever device you want to change the lights to. That actually could be handy in a studio setting where I have just 2 people for a portraiture, then right after them, I could have a family of 10 line up, and could activate either one more light, or more power.

Of course, this could be another idea for the Xpro: Bluetooth control and memory settings for 5 different configurations, and easy switching between them.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18487536
Have you tried setting up and controlling groups with the Canon interface? With Godox hardware? I am curious how it all works, because the last time I used the Canon interface, it wasn't a pleasant experience, and that was with Canon equipment.

Nope never used it but I used the PW AC3 a lot. It is so simple that you don't even have to look at it to operate it. Those were the good times.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18487364
Well for portraits, I do.I don't want to bend down to look through the viewfinder or back display, and I don't want people looking downwards at me either.

You might be surprised by how flattering a portrait can be (for many, but not all subjects) when the lens is lower than their eyeline...

SereneSpeed wrote in post #18488084
You might be surprised by how flattering a portrait can be (for many, but not all subjects) when the lens is lower than their eyeline...

My thought too. Not a lot lower. Just a wee bit.

I just ordered X1T and X1R for Nikon, should be here Sunday. I also ordered, but must ship from China, the XPro. So I will have a few different setups to work with. Ill only need a few more X1R's and flashes to fully round out what I hope to be a "complete system" of 3 off camera flashes, which should be enough for what I anticipate I will be doing for the near future.

Once they come in I hope to be able to contribute to the thread.


Regards,
Andrew

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18487534
I like the idea of the XPro, and almost did a pre-order.

Aha... now I see you haven't actually tried one yet!

With the camera viewfinder at eye level, and using the Xpro Zoom Display mode, the 30 degree angle on the transmitter does allow the transmitter display to be seen and adjusted on the camera hotshoe.

I'm not saying its a tripod dedicated machine, though its totally usable at eye level, unlike the Canon ST-E3-RT an YN-622C-TX etc.

Although it may not look like it, this is with the camera viewfinder set to eye level (when you lean in a little as you need to do, as move your head back your eyes are a litte above the viewfinder).