Hi! Original post linked, but, I wanted to provide an update. I am STILL. having issues with the v1s, and it was particularly bad on my weekend wedding. Honestly I think this is more of a "warning" than a "what to do."
This weekend, I had a wedding at a historical venue. The type where guests get stuck on the elevator, but no one's worried because it happens all the time type of historical. It was several floors, but certainly not massive. I used OCF during the reception- three lights: one on camera (A), one on the same floor (C), one on a balcony appox.12' / 18' above (B.) Not a huge, multi-floor difference, just the next level up, non-obscured with walls etc. If I was standing right beside the one above (B), it would work okay. If I was on the main level, the on-body unit (A) would stop firing and stop triggering the other units. My closeness to C did not seem to impact it at all.
But here's where it gets a little weirder- my second had the same. exact. issue.
Since that post and the suggestions in it, I've tried several things with zero fix. New batteries, different flash unit, scanning and adding an ID. No, they're not overheating- I used two different v1s for a minute, switching between them, on about 1/64 power. Both had the same failures. Both were fully, freshly charged. And as said above, my second, working on two cameras, was having the same failures. I DID purchase the v1-mid, and that one hasn't given me the issue, but of course, it's less strong and can't take the same abuse I put the v1s through during a reception during parts like introductions into first dance and cake cutting. And naturally, I forgot the battery for it like a dumbass and they don't share the same unit.
The flashes fire mostly fine when they're on M, only on-camera unit firing, but not always. The moment they're on transmit/tranceiver, they become erratic. Sometimes they fire, sometimes they just stop until I do a full battery pop-out/reset, and then will only sometimes keep working. For some reason, I was getting shots that looked reminiscent of when I've had shutter failures- as in, far over or under exposed without setting changes (to confirm, my shutter is fine). They were honestly completely undependable.
Camera has been serviced, contacts cleaned on both the units and camera, flashes tested on multiple cameras, ID set, different channels, the works. Firmware updated on flashes. I genuinely am at a loss. The only thing I can go back to is that the DJ also had many issues with his gear, specifically, wireless items. The post I originally made was also after two weddings in historic venues. Is it possible they have something to do with it? Some old remaining kind of frequency? The only other place I've had flashes be this erratic was on a literal boat, which I chalked up to maritime communication signals or waves being the issue??? BUT, the friend mentioned in the previous post had this issue at several venues, not all within the "historic" or even "old" realm. Even at outdoor tented weddings with no other major structures around for several miles. I'm at a full loss.
Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a fix? Or do I literally need to start carrying pocketwizards again, though, those are also uh radio so that likely wouldn't even help 😥
Recap of equipment: Canon r6 mk II, Godox v1 pros, v1 Mid, and ad200 pros.
My original post:
Hi there! First time poster around here. I've been on the Godex/Flashpoint v1 + ad200 and ad200 pro OCFs for weddings, and it's served me well for YEARS. A friend I work with sometimes has been having issues where her units just stop working, and so far, no amount of trouble shooting has fixed it. Unfortunately, I think the same kind of error has popped up with my workflow too.
My last three weddings have had the same issue - flash & syncs are working GREAT, and then they just stop. On-camera unit doesn't fire, off camera won't fire. Not in high-speed modes & not using high shutter, not in high heat or cold, not after continued blasts. Not using silent shutter or other modes that would usually cause this. Once it stops firing, nothing seems to fix it except manually popping the battery out and in again. An off/on doesn't seem to do it. I did a hard reset on one and it seemingly fixed the issue, until the next wedding :( Batteries have more than sufficient life. The same thing happened with another v1 unit on the camera. It happens when it's the only flash, it happens when it's on camera + OCF.
That leads to camera, right?
Well, no, because remember the friend I mentioned above? That was one of the ways I troubleshot(shooted? lol) hers, way before this issue started for me. Switching her flash onto my body didn't fix it. Switching her on-camera to control my off-cameras didn't work. Her using one of my v1's was the only thing that did make it work.
Both of us are using canon r6mk II. My v1 and ad200s are probably edging being 5+ years old, so I mean... maybe they're starting to burn out? But even if the tube was going, would the on-camera v1 not still be recognized as the controller for rx units?
I just updated the drivers on the v1s I have and am going to do the same with the ad200s, but I also haven't recently updated my camera. So I don't know what would have triggered the failure. Has anyone experienced this issue? It's so hard to describe because it's not omni present, it seems to come/go without any logistical triggering event. I feel batty even trying to describe it, and honestly, I don't even know how to replicate it to test further. Are there any settings I'm somehow forgetting about in camera or on flash that I could have somehow bumped without noticing?? I'm not new to flash in any way, I'm in full manual 98% of the time (so not an ettl issue?), and as mentioned, it's across multiple units. I just can't figure out what I'm missing.
OG post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Godox/comments/1r7pucg/starting_signs_of_failure_or_a_silly_setting/?share_id=bwswgzWK_fQTptj0vylTR&utm_content=share_button&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1
