Godox AD200 PRO vs Visico 2

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One of the most common questions we get asked by our customers is what is the difference between the Godox AD200 PRO and the Visico 2 flash heads. Both products are great examples of portable, lightweight and powerful flash heads that outperform most flash guns on the market. However, despite their similarities, there are discrepancies between the two that make one product more suitable to some photographers, and the other flash head to others. Our purpose is to help our customers make an informed choice on the products they buy, and so we have put together a helpful guide of the pros, cons, similarities and differences between these two products, to help you decide which is most suited to your photography needs! 

So, in terms of similarities, the Godox AD200Pro and the Visico 2 share a lot! Both have a power output of 200Ws and both offer power adjustments of 9 stops from 1/1 to 1/256. Similarly, both products have a recycle time of 0.01-1.8 seconds, they are both fairly similar in shape, size and weight, and even appearance! Both pieces of equipment come with a portable travel case that is padded and sturdy, offering protection for the equipment inside. This makes these two products particularly difficult to choose between; in terms of specs, the two match up pretty evenly and so it can be hard to decide which suits your needs best! Let’s dig into some of the differences that exist between the two!  

Magnetic Round Head Attachment  

The Visico 2 supports a range of popular modifiers that fit straight onto the flash head, such as the Godox AK-R1 accessory kit. This allows you to attach honeycomb diffusers as well as color gels to your flash head, meaning that, even without further equipment, such as softboxes or umbrellas, you can still modify the light in some degree. To achieve the same feature with the AD200 PRO you would have to purchase a round head attachment, as well as the additional modification kit, costing a lot more!  

If you are keen on using this manner of modification, this might be something to think about when purchasing your flash head.  

Included Bare Bulb  

The Godox AD200 PRO is sold along with two interchangeable heads, one being a fresnel bulb, and the other a bare bulb. This allows greater lighting options to the photographer, with the fresnel bulb producing a longer, thinner beam and the bare bulb creating a wider and more rounded light. The bare bulb works particularly well with light modifiers, such as softboxes and umbrellas, due to the ability for the light to escape evenly around the whole bulb. However, the Visico 2 does not share this interchangeability of bulbs. In this sense, the Visico 2 offers less options in terms of lighting direction without the use of modifiers.  

When deciding which flash head is best for you, the inclusion of a different style of bulb is an important aspect to take into consideration. Each bulb lends itself to a different style of photography, therfore, for more lighting options, we would have to recommend the AD200 PRO.

Triggering System

Another key difference between these two products is the triggering system. The AD200 Pro works flawlessly with the Godox range of triggers, such as the X1T, X2T and XPRO. Due to the sophisticated Godox technology, the triggering sytem allows you to set up a range of lighting options using one or multiple lights simultaneously. However, the Visico 2 works on a different frequency to the Godox range, meaning that the Visico 2 will not work with the Godox triggers, unless put into slave mode with another flash on set. Instead, you will have to buy a Visico trigger. The problem with this feature does not lie with Visico itself but rather with the popularity of the Godox triggering system; as a very popular range, it is unfortunate that the Visico 2 is not compatible with thgis range of products. This is important to bear in mind when considering which flash head to buy! You need a piece of kit that will work well with the equipment that you already have, or are planning to buy in the future. With this in mind, if you are currently using, or are thinking of using the Godox X range of triggers, the Visico 2 is not for you. However, if you are looking with a flash head and an accompanying trigger, and are open to triggers outisde of the Godox range, the Visico range of triggers work fantastically with the Visico 2.

Batteries

Both flash heads are equipped with extremely powerful batteries, offering 500 flashes per charge, a number that also doubles, when the power output is halved! This means that both pieces of kit are relibale and will not run out of juice on a shoot when fully charged! Again, the difference here doesn't lie in the products itself but rather the companies behind the products, but it is still an important difference to note when thinking of the kit you want to buy! Extra, spare, or replacement batteries can be purchesed for the AD200 Pro if needed whereas Visico, at this time, do not sell batteries seperatly to the product itself. Whilst the Visico 2 has an amazing battery power, an extra battery would be a great addition to the Visico line and we are hoping that in the near future this will be available. Yet, as of right now, if you are looking for a product that you can back up with a spare battery, the AD200 Pro is your best shout.    

Modelling Lamp 

Both products are installed with the capability of providing a modelling lamp, however the difference where these products are concerned, is with how this modelling lamp can be accessed. The Visico 2 conveniently has an LED modelling lamp available to use instantly with the act of turning the equipment on! The Visico 2 offers 5w in 6 steps. In comparison, the AD200 PRO’s modelling lamp is only accessible with the fresnel bulb attached. This can cause complications based on your technique por style of work! This function makes it more difficult to swap between functions and also creates some discrepancies between the light supplied by the modelling lamp and the flash of the bare bulb. These discrepancies are lessened with the use of modifiers, such as softboxes or umbrellas, therefore you do need to think about what you exactly want to do with these flash heads in order to decide which is best for you. 

Price 

The biggest difference between these products is definitely the price. The AD200 PRO comes in at £329 and the Visico 2 is priced a lot lower at £199. This difference in price can be worth it for the AD200 PRO, depending on what you are looking to do with your flash head in terms of your photography goals. The Visico 2 is designed to be a more affordable flash head and yet, despite this cut in price, matches up really well with the more expensive product. Despite the cut in price, a cut in functionality isn’t really shown in this product.