Godox V480 review, everything you need to know.
Godox V480 review and is it really that good?
Hello and Welcome to my Godox V480 review where I will talk you everything I loved and hated about this V480 strobe and how all that completely changed after I actually used it for a few weeks. So, if you are thinking about buying this speedlight you are in exactly the right place.
Before we go any further I should mention the Godox V480 is available in Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fuji and Olympus versions. The model I tested was the Nikon version and I tested it on the Nikon Z8, Z6iii and Z7ii cameras over several weeks.
My Godox V480 review video
Godox V480 Price
Price always has to be one of the main concerns with any flash and the V480 is currently retailing for around £165.-, €179.00 or $169.00 so it’s not a dear flash especially when you see its impressive feature list.
Now speaking of price this is a very good time to say that the V480 was sent out to me to review by the nice people over at Essential Photo and Video in the UK as they are an official Godox agent and seller, they also set me up with a discount code for their website which I have below. Which all basically means you can save 10% off the price of this flash.
Now please do note these are affiliate links and I may make a slight commission from sales made through these links but it doesn’t cost you anything in fact you can save 10% so thanks for supporting me and my channel.
If you are not based in the UK you can check the price on Amazon worldwide here or on Adorama here.
What’s in the box with the V480?
Obviously you have the Godox V480 and a nice protective carrying case along with the battery (more about that later on) and a pop on solid diffuser, a tabletop stand with a 1/4 inch screw for mounting on light stands or tripods, a USBC cable, a power adaptor for charging the battery and of course an instruction booklet.
So essentially, you get everything you need to get you going straight away.
Build Quality and Touch screen
As soon as you pick up the V480 for the first time its build quality is going to be one of the first things that strikes you about this beautiful little strobe. The body is rugged, strong and feels like it will put up with a good bit of use over the years.
The hotshoe is metal and again feels very well made with a nice twist lock system to secure it to your cameras hot shoe. The controls feel tactile, positive and well made again as you would expect. The screen is incredibly impressive and yes this is also a touch screen.
Now, let me just say I never knew I would like a touchscreen on a flash and honestly when I first got it I was like this is weird and why would you do that?
But this is one of those cases where the more you use something the more you get used to it and actually start to like it. It’s great for quickly moving through menus or changing power setting for example.. it’s also super simple and intuitive to use.. So ya, I was slightly shocked that I started to enjoy using a touch screen on a flash.
This is a two inch colour touch screen that’s very responsive and bright, making changing settings a super simple affair now. I never knew I needed a touch screen on a flash but you have me converted Godox.
Don’t worry you can also lock the screen easily so you don’t accidentally change settings… and you can use the buttons too of course like a traditional flash if you prefer.
Size and Weight
Now the next thing I want to mention is size, this unit is nice and compact but it still has a guide number of 50 and can deliver up to a 76 watt output, so it’s a fairly powerful strobe.
Considering its size that’s extremely impressive. This alone makes it perfect for a general run around strobe. It’s this super compact size though that really started to sell this strobe to me just look at the size of it in the photo above.
Again, I have to admit when I first opened it out of the box I thought this was going to be a challenge, as who wants a low powered touch screen strobe? I know I didn’t at the time, but after a day of using it I was slowly being converted, after a week I was seeing the light, heck all I could see was light from this little thunderbolt of a flash and after three weeks I started to really enjoy the touchscreen and the power from such a compact unit.
This is a tiny little pocket rocket that’s ready to burn through work for you.
Looking at weight next and at just 361g with the battery installed it’s certainly not going to weigh you down if you are shooting all day.
It’s lightweight and portability have been without doubt one of its huge selling points for me personally, which by itself is great. Having the power then in this small package is what makes this strobe truly great for me though.
Flash Power, Recycling Time and Flash Duration
The V480 has a guide number of 50 and a 76 watt per second output which is very bright for most uses. Most of the speedlights I use are in and around the 50 to 76 watt power range so for run and gun use that’s a great output to have.
The full power recycling time of the Godox V480 is 1.7 seconds, now this is the part I am not overly gone about as yes it does take that 1.7 seconds to recharge and be ready to fire off another shot at full power. But when we drop the power output down to half power it’s considerably faster and at 1/4 power its incredibly fast, so if you are interested in this flash do keep that in mind.
The Godox V100 offers a faster 1.5 second recycling time with a higher 100 watt output, so this means that you can get even faster recycling times at a similiar output power but again the V100 is a lot more expensive and a good bit bigger also.
As we are talking about flash output now is a good time to mention the flash duration which is between 1/600th and 1/20,000th of a second depending on the output power of course.
TTL, HSS and Modes
The V480 has TTL of course and it again works with Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fuji and Olympus TTL systems… And yes, there’s exposure compensation for TTL also.
It has High Speed Sync or HSS up to 1/8000th of a second so that’s again going to really help for those bright outdoor scenes where you need to use a faster shutter speed to control the sunlight.
We then have front and rear curtain modes as well as multi mode too.
Wireless Control
The V480 has the Godox 2.4ghz Wireless X system builtin so this flash can operate as a master or slave, meaning all you need is a compatible trigger if you want to use off camera flash and still have full control of the flash from your camera and you can of course also use TTL then too.
With the Godox Wireless X system you have the option of using 5 different groups so you can set output levels differently on 5 different strobes or groups of strobes and you can select from 32 chs to ensure you don’t get any intereference between your transmitters and strobe.
The godox wireless X system has a range of up to 100m so no matter the location you can stay in control of your lighting.
So, the V480 has you totally covered for off camera flash and it will mix beautifully with the any other Godox wireless X flashes you might have.
Modelling light
The V480 has a really bright ten output level, 2 watt LED Modelling light (photo above), this is great to give you an idea of how the light from the V480 will fall on your subject or shape around them but I also found it seriously helps for acquiring focus in low light conditions, like events, weddings, birthday parties etc…
You can also set this light to stay on constantly or to flash on and off with the strobe so it doesn’t interfere with your scene lighting.
Battery power and charging
The battery is capable of delivering 650 full power flashes from a single charge, now of course using lower power ouputs means the flash will deliver a lot more flashes per charge again.
The best part is it’s USBC chargeable, it charges from nearly flat in roughly about 2 hours and once you plug in the USBC plug the red charging light will come on (photo above) and this light then changes to green when charging is completed.
USB C charging is fantastic though as you can top up your battery on the go with a power bank or in the car via a 12 volt power adaptor while you travel between shoots or locations.
Flash Diffusers and zoom
You have the flip over Diffuser to spread or diffuse the light at a wider angle from the flash head, then we also have the bounce card which is great for getting some catch light in the eyes. The V480 is also supplied with a separate pop on diffuser to help spread the light even more.
Speaking of light spread from the flash head there is a 24-105mm built in zoom on the flash head so the flash can automatically match the focal length of the lens you are using.
Godox V480 Pros and Cons
Pros
It’s size and weight and for me that’s a massive bonus, the touchscreen, 650 full power flashes from a single charge, USBC charging for on the go use, the build quality, how well the TTL function worked and can I say the size again 🙂
Cons
There is only one thing here and that’s the recycling time when I am out on a fast paced shoot and I need full power outputs the 1.7 second recycle time is a small bit slow and yes once you use lower output levels it recycles quicker but if you need faster recycle times then look at the V100 and yes I know this is only a small thing but right now that’s the only complaint I have here.
Review Conclusion
So for me the V480 changed my mind in a lot of ways, I was too quick to discount a touch screen and I have to admit I did judge its size negatively at first.. but it won me over and all round I simply have to say I have thoroughly loved using this strobe.
Overall its been a pure joy using the V480 and hey, it looks like I might be a touch screen convert 🙂
So ya, if you are looking for a bright, easy to use flash with a touch screen you never knew you needed then the V480 could very well be the one for you.
See you out there,
Kieran.
Godox V480 Review: The Best Budget strobe in 2025?
Hello and Welcome to my Godox V480 review where I will talk you everything I loved and hated about this V480 strobe and how all that completely changed after I actually used it for a few weeks. So, if you are thinking about buying this speedlight you are in exactly the right place.
4.8
Pros
- Compact
- Powerful
- Lightweight
- Bright modelling light
- Great price