Godox TT350 or FlashQ Q20II? Any experience w/ M10?

[Dennis]

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I'm looking for a small on-camera flash to use with my M10 for street shooting and snapshots by night. No need for TTL. I would use it in manual anyway, zone focus system, and voila. I have a few YongNuo and original Nikon speedlights, and all they work with the M10. But... First, some of them don't fit completely (until the end) in the hot shoe, and it looks like they are falling. And second, they are big. So I was looking for another more portable option, lighter.
I saw that the TT350N (for Nikon) would also be a nice lighter add for my Nikon DSLR. Can you confirm it is compatible with Leica? Also, I found the new Light Pix Labs selling a tiny and intelligent flash (Q20II). I found small enough also the Nikon SB400, but it's TTL only. The Contax TLA 200 would be perfect, but I can't find it brand new. The Godox, I believe, can also be used for professional work. The Q20II is more kind of a pocket/travel flash. Not sure if they make vignettes w/ WA lenses.

Any suggestions or recommendations for flashes? Ideally, two AA batteries or USB chargeable.
Thank you!

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Dennis

[intangiblethings]

I've been using the Q20ii on my M10-P. No complaints thus far.

Once you pair it, it's easy to use.

[Dennis]

3 minutes ago, intangiblethings said:

I've been using the Q20ii on my M10-P. No complaints thus far.

Once you pair it, it's easy to use.

Thank you, glad to know. It's one of the smaller out there, and a great solution for on-off camera flash. So, why not.

Does the battery lasts decently?

[idusidusi]

On 4/12/2022 at 8:00 PM, Dennis said:

I'm looking for a small on-camera flash to use with my M10 for street shooting and snapshots by night. No need for TTL. I would use it in manual anyway, zone focus system, and voila. I have a few YongNuo and original Nikon speedlights, and all they work with the M10. But... First, some of them don't fit completely (until the end) in the hot shoe, and it looks like they are falling. And second, they are big. So I was looking for another more portable option, lighter.
I saw that the TT350N (for Nikon) would also be a nice lighter add for my Nikon DSLR. Can you confirm it is compatible with Leica? Also, I found the new Light Pix Labs selling a tiny and intelligent flash (Q20II). I found small enough also the Nikon SB400, but it's TTL only. The Contax TLA 200 would be perfect, but I can't find it brand new. The Godox, I believe, can also be used for professional work. The Q20II is more kind of a pocket/travel flash. Not sure if they make vignettes w/ WA lenses.

Any suggestions or recommendations for flashes? Ideally, two AA batteries or USB chargeable.
Thank you!

 

The TT350N is perfect for that I also have the X-Pro N /triggers 2 Godox AD200 pefectly) and that works perfectly too on the M11. So as long as you get Godox (Nikon) equipment you are fine.

[Dennis]

5 minutes ago, idusidusi said:

The TT350N is perfect for that I also have the X-Pro N /triggers 2 Godox AD200 perfectly) and that works perfectly too on the M11. So as long as you get Godox (Nikon) equipment you are fine.

I see. TBH, I'm in the middle of a dilemma. A cheaper, lighter, and pocketable flash like the Q20II for the M10 only. Or... the TT350N for M10 (despite the bigger size) is also usable for my Nikon. Sometimes, I use on-camera flashes on the dance floor for some slow SS effect for weddings. So, the Godox would be a better choice. Also, If I want to upgrade the YongNuo 🙂 So, I would get the X-Pro N for sure and another flash unit (apart from TT350N). I saw there are plenty of options.
Usually, I try to avoid flash. I use it only when I have no alternatives. 
Big dilemma 

[intangiblethings]

On 4/14/2022 at 2:27 AM, Dennis said:

Thank you, glad to know. It's one of the smaller out there, and a great solution for on-off camera flash. So, why not.

Does the battery lasts decently?

I haven't used it for extensive periods of time so I can't comment on the battery life.

The flash recycle time isn't the fastest either but acceptable for non-professional circumstances imo.

[FrankX]

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I do have the TT350F (besides other Godox Flashes). The batteries die too quickly for my taste... However, my experience with Godox flashes with Li-ion battery is really great! Thus, I recommend to take a look at the V350N in your case. Same flash with much better battery! 

[Dennis]

5 hours ago, FrankX said:

I do have the TT350F (besides other Godox Flashes). The batteries die too quickly for my taste... However, my experience with Godox flashes with Li-ion battery is really great! Thus, I recommend to take a look at the V350N in your case. Same flash with much better battery! 

This is good advice, thank you! I chose, by default, the TT350 because of the easiness and compatibility of AA batteries (despite knowing that 2xAA is half durable of standard 4xAA). Same flash with almost double price, but I'm sure it is worth it (for professional use). Maybe for street snapshots, 2xAA is more than enough, also 100 gr lighter.
I have many NiMH rechargeable Eneloop Pro 2550 mAh batteries that usually I never change for events. If I get two flashes, probably it would be one of each.

[Mexy]

I have a Q20II, nothing to complain.

It is the best portable & cost-wise solution if you need off-camera capability. 

Battery: it uses 2 AA battery and it performs ok for me. Anyway, AA batteries are easy to find.

It's not of very good quality. It's made by a small studio. But you just can't go wrong with it, especially considering its price and size.

[cronicle]

If you only intend using it very occasionally, buy any cheap Chinese knock-offs. Anything that works. For regular use, pro or semi-pro, try the Canon version of the Profoto A1 (that version allows the simple x-sync connection in the menu). It's a bit top heavy on the M10 and Profoto has its haters, just like Leica, but what you get is colour consistency, something which always works, a big battery which lasts all day, and an entry to many light modifiers. Godox fans will say, so do we, and its a lot cheaper than Profoto. Like Leica, its down to sociology.

[andyturk]

i have the Q20II and it works reasonably well. it's certainly compact and the output is bright enough for my purposes. i mostly use it off-camera, holding the flash in my left hand and shooting with the right. one drawback is that the flash sometimes fails to fire. i think if the transmitter and receiver are too close, they interfere with each other. move the receiver farther away, or just in a slightly different position and it works. this isn't a huge problem, maybe 5% of the time the flash fails to fire. the Q20II is manual only, so you have to be mindful of how far the flash is from the subject to get a consistent exposure.

my favorite M10 flash is the Leica SF24D. it's a little bit taller than the Q20II, but not a lot. the reason i like the SF24D is that it has a thyristor sensor that allows the flash itself to meter its own light output. for me, this produces more reliable off-camera results (plus, TTL is available on-camera). i use the camera in manual mode at ISO400 and set the flash for the same exposure, or maybe a stop less output depending on the desired look. the CR123 batteries used by the SF24D last a really long time and it's easy to carry a spare set in your camera bag.

combining the SF24D with the LightPix T2 trigger gives the same kind of cordless freedom as the Q20II but with the benefit of thyristor metering. sometimes it won't fire, but like i said, that's not a huge problem.

 

[intangiblethings]

This is a bit of a tangent, but I'm struggling to determine flash power on the Q20ii when using it on film. It's obvious to just shoot and chimp to see if the strength of the flash is enough/too little etc.

For those using the Q20ii with flash and just manual flashes in general, what is the rule of thumb? I have another Nikon SB-30 which makes it super easy to pick and choose the output, not so much with the Q20ii.

 

 

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Edited April 22, 2022 by intangiblethings

[FMB]

12 hours ago, andyturk said:

i have the Q20II and it works reasonably well. it's certainly compact and the output is bright enough for my purposes. i mostly use it off-camera, holding the flash in my left hand and shooting with the right. one drawback is that the flash sometimes fails to fire. i think if the transmitter and receiver are too close, they interfere with each other. move the receiver farther away, or just in a slightly different position and it works. this isn't a huge problem, maybe 5% of the time the flash fails to fire. the Q20II is manual only, so you have to be mindful of how far the flash is from the subject to get a consistent exposure.

my favorite M10 flash is the Leica SF24D. it's a little bit taller than the Q20II, but not a lot. the reason i like the SF24D is that it has a thyristor sensor that allows the flash itself to meter its own light output. for me, this produces more reliable off-camera results (plus, TTL is available on-camera). i use the camera in manual mode at ISO400 and set the flash for the same exposure, or maybe a stop less output depending on the desired look. the CR123 batteries used by the SF24D last a really long time and it's easy to carry a spare set in your camera bag.

combining the SF24D with the LightPix T2 trigger gives the same kind of cordless freedom as the Q20II but with the benefit of thyristor metering. sometimes it won't fire, but like i said, that's not a huge problem.

 

Plus 1. I agree with you about the use of SF24D. I've two units for product photography with both thyristos. Con: Not rotation system.

 

[Dennis]

12 hours ago, andyturk said:

i have the Q20II and it works reasonably well. it's certainly compact and the output is bright enough for my purposes. i mostly use it off-camera, holding the flash in my left hand and shooting with the right. one drawback is that the flash sometimes fails to fire. i think if the transmitter and receiver are too close, they interfere with each other. move the receiver farther away, or just in a slightly different position and it works. this isn't a huge problem, maybe 5% of the time the flash fails to fire. the Q20II is manual only, so you have to be mindful of how far the flash is from the subject to get a consistent exposure.

my favorite M10 flash is the Leica SF24D. it's a little bit taller than the Q20II, but not a lot. the reason i like the SF24D is that it has a thyristor sensor that allows the flash itself to meter its own light output. for me, this produces more reliable off-camera results (plus, TTL is available on-camera). i use the camera in manual mode at ISO400 and set the flash for the same exposure, or maybe a stop less output depending on the desired look. the CR123 batteries used by the SF24D last a really long time and it's easy to carry a spare set in your camera bag.

combining the SF24D with the LightPix T2 trigger gives the same kind of cordless freedom as the Q20II but with the benefit of thyristor metering. sometimes it won't fire, but like i said, that's not a huge problem.

 

Thank you for your insights. I will definitely look for a used SF24D. I'm still thinking between the flashes: The Q20II, The TT350, and now the Leica. 
My heart says the Q20II is the smartest choice. It's just for some street photography and tiny and w/o batteries. So it could be an excellent addition for street with direct flash, night street photography, and travel. 
My M10 would prefer the SF24D because they share the same brand 🙂
My mind says the Godox because I would use it also for professional work w/ Nikon.
We will see!

1 hour ago, intangiblethings said:

For those using the Q20ii with flash and just manual flashes in general, what is the rule of thumb? I have another Nikon SB-30 which makes it super easy to pick and choose the output, not so much with the Q20ii.

Depending on your needs and style. I would use the minimum 1/64 (or 1/32) power to illuminate only the foreground. Probably like the zone focus system. Use the same SS, iso, and aperture, and be there. 

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by Dennis

[Siriusone59]

7 hours ago, intangiblethings said:

This is a bit of a tangent, but I'm struggling to determine flash power on the Q20ii when using it on film. It's obvious to just shoot and chimp to see if the strength of the flash is enough/too little etc.

For those using the Q20ii with flash and just manual flashes in general, what is the rule of thumb? I have another Nikon SB-30 which makes it super easy to pick and choose the output, not so much with the Q20ii.

 

 

I'm surprised that there hasn't been several answers to you question.  Maybe because Guide numbers require a lot of explaining.  The simple formula is Guide number=distance x aperture ,  in the case of the Q20ii its 20 meters at 100 iso = distance in meters x f-stop.  Then you get to play with variables like adjusting flash power or increasing iso...all of which would require several pages to explain properly.

I did find a youtube video that explains it fairly well but also rather quickly, so be ready to pause it and let it sink in.

 

After watching this I'm sure you'll see why auto thryristor and TTL flashes are more popular, but it's still good information to have. Keep in mind that GN in meters requires distance to also be in meters, same way if it's listed in feet, distance must be calculated in feet.

[intangiblethings]

Thanks a lot, appreciate the reply. I'll look into it further.

[MikeMyers]

I needed a small flash for use on my Nikon D780, and settled on the Godox TT350n.  

For anyone interested, here's a good explanation of it:

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=godox+tt350n+how+to+set+shutter+speed&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:b7182847,vid:cC_zhFBHAaM,st:0

From what I've read here, the Godox seems like a perfect choice - small, light, uses only two AA batteries, and seems to preform perfectly when used as a simple, basic, flash.  Apparently the "n" (Nikon) version of the flash is fine for my M10.  I don't like the idea of using my M10 with an electronic flash, but available light might not get me a decent image.  Depends on the purpose of the photo, I guess.  I'll get to try it in a month or so.