Today we’re going to take a good look at the Godox FV150 hybrid light in an unboxing and review. We’ll look at all the features so you can see if this hybrid light is the right one for you.
Hybrid lights give you the best of both lighting sources - continuous LED light or a powerful burst of flash. This means they are extremely versatile and can be used in many different shooting situations, including shooting video and still photographs.
What’s Included
The Godox FV150 High-Speed Sync Hybrid LED light comes in a white-and-orange Godox box, with the branding Godox FV150 on the side, and a list of features on the back.
The box contains:
- Godox warranty card
- QC pass card
- FV150 instruction manual
- FV150 hybrid LED light
- 7-inch reflector
- AC cable
- RC-A6 remote control (which also works with other LED lights in the Godox range, such as the SL-200 and the SL range of lights)
Let’s take a closer look at the RC-A6 remote control. The RC-A6 is a remote specifically for the LED lights - it doesn’t control any of the flash options. To work the flash, you will also need to use the Godox X1, X2, or XPro trigger.
To use the remote, you just set the channel and group setting and turn the light on with the on/off switch. The remote controls up to 16 groups and 32 channels so you can set up groups of lights that support the RC-A6 remote control.
The other control on the remote is to control the brightness of the LED light itself and goes from 0 to 100%.
There does seem to be a slight delay with the remote when you change the settings by a large amount - probably about 1 second, but if you change by 1% increments then it’s more responsive.
To reset the remote control to factory settings if it becomes unresponsive for whatever reason:
- Hold down the minus and plus button that is the reset function
- The remote will return to the factory settings (50% by default) that it was on when you first turned on the remote control.
Physical Features of the Godox FV150
Godox claims that the light brightness of the flash is 4 times that of other LED lights (this refers to the flash mode of the light), but there are no real flash modes in other LED lights at the current time.
The features of the light include:
- High-speed sync of up to 1/8000 of a second
- Produces 10 continuous flashes per second
- Produces 8 continuous flashes per second in high-speed sync mode
- Built-in 2.4 GHz X wireless system that supports Godox triggers like the X1, X2, or the XPro.
- Power output display - 1/16 to 1/1 or 6.0 to 10.0 in fractions or decimals, and you can jump between them.
- Modelling lamp brightness adjustment from 5% to 100%
- 8 special effects modes built into the light itself
Yoke Bar and Tilting Knob of the Godox FV150 Hybrid Light
The light also features a U type bracket, which is the yoke bar that allows you to mount the light on a stand, or mount it on a wall or ceiling if you have brackets installed in your studio.
There is also a turn knob that allows you to control the tension on the yoke bar, and when loosened almost all the way it lets the yoke bar turn and tilt. The only issue is that the handle hits the bottom of the yoke bar when you turn it, so you only have almost a 360-degree movement.
Bowens Mount for Lighting Modifiers
At the front of the light is a Bowens mount, which is a great added feature and allows you to use different lighting modifiers like barn doors, softboxes, etc.
Umbrella Mounting Point
The umbrella mounting point is positioned at the bottom of the light, and it has a tightening knob so you can fit an umbrella easily in the mount and hold it in position.
Use the Light Stand Mount Horizontally or Vertically
The light stand mount is also at the bottom, and you can use it in the traditional upright way, or you can mount it horizontally. There’s a hole that fits a standard ⅝ spigot, so the yoke bar can move up and mount into place horizontally.
If you’re using a wall or ceiling bracket, you can mount the light directly via the upright position or the horizontal position that the yoke bar provides.
Hard Reset on the Godox FV150 Hybrid Light
You can hard reset the flash on the light by holding down the dim button and turning the light on. You’ll see 1.0 on the display, which is just the Godox FV150 version number. Release the button and then the light goes on the standard factory default settings.
Menu Options of the Godox FV150
On the back of the light is a large LCD display, and when you turn the light on you’ll be able to see all the different menu options.
You can toggle between the flash and LED mode with a button on the left-hand side When you press it down it goes into LED mode, and another press will put it back into flash mode.
The other button is the group channel button. Press it down to highlight the group, and then cycle through different groups. Holding it down in a long press will take you into the channel options menu so you can change them.
You have your wireless ID, and when you press down on the dim button on the right at the bottom, it cycles on different wireless ID channels (good if you’re using several lights but want to control them independently).
When you are in flash mode, there is an option in the menu to change the readouts from fractions to decimals, all you have to do is change the setting and go to ‘set’.
There’s also a test button for the flash mode. It doesn’t have an audible beep like other flashes, though. There’s also a sync point too.
Modelling Lamp
The large knob on the left controls the modelling lamp. It can be adjusted from 5% all the way up to 100% in 1% increments, depending on how bright you want it.
The modelling light doubles up as the flash because it uses the same light source.
Continuous LED Settings
Press down on the LED button to toggle into the LED setting, and use the knob on the right to change the settings. You can go from 0% up to 100% in 1% increments, depending on how bright you want your light.
Special Lighting Effects
The Godox FV150 has these special lighting effects built-in:
- 1 is a flash mode
- 2 is a flash mode
- 3 is a flash mode (each mode has the light flashing at different intervals)
- 4 is a storm mode
- 5 is a storm mode
- 6 is a storm mode (again, each storm mode has the light flashing at different intervals)
- 7 is TV mode
- 8 is broken bulb mode
You can control the intensity of the light in all the different FX modes.
Using Godox X-Triggers for Flash Mode
The only way you can control the flash mode is by using a Godox X-Trigger, which you may already have if you’ve bought other Godox flashes.
You have to manually put the light in flash mode before using the trigger, but once that’s done a quick press of the test button should show that the trigger is working with the light.
Godox X1T Trigger Compatibility
To control the different settings with the X1, be aware that although the X1 goes all the way down to 1/128 strength, this light doesn’t go that low. The lowest setting you can get on this flash is 1/16.
So although your trigger may say it’s at 1/128, the light is only shooting at 1/16 so it’s something to be aware of.
You’ll have to get the X1 down to the actual range of the FV150 before you start noticing that the power outputs change in the menu.
Godox X2 Trigger Compatibility
The X2 trigger works with the FV150 too, just like the X1.
Godox X-Pro Trigger Compatibility
Again, you will need to set this trigger to 1/16 to work with the FV150, just like with the other triggers.
Specifications of the Godox FV150
The light is daylight rated at 5600 Kelvin. The colour accuracy at 5600°K sustains greater than a CRI at 96Ra and scores a TLCI measurement of 96+.
The Lux reading at 1 meter is 12,000 Lux without a reflector, and the FV150 has a built-in Wireless X receiver compatible with Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic, Olympus, and Pentax camera systems.
Conclusion
So, is the Godox FV150 right for you?
Well, it’s a versatile light - able to switch between flash and continuous lighting, as well as having built-in special effects. This light would be great as a go-to light for switching between video and photography.
However, if you want a very bright continuous light or a powerful strobe flash that will give you maximum output, then you may be better off going for the AD600Pro or another of Godox’s flash range.
If you want a multi-use light and you tend to work mostly indoors, then this is a great choice for you. You can also use the FV150 with battery options for shooting on locations, like a power inverter or battery pack like the Godox LP-800X.
We hope this article has told you what you need to know about the Godox FV150 Hybrid light, and maybe it’s helped you decide if this particular light is right for you.