Last Updated 19th November 2023

Although one of Godox’s most notable innovations has been to bring high-quality battery-powered strobes to the market at affordable prices, the brand also has a long history of producing great quality mains-powered studio lighting. True, many of Godox’s portable strobe units will also run off the mains, meaning that they can easily double up as studio lights if required. However, for anyone who shoots exclusively indoors and close to a mains power supply, there would be nothing to gain by buying portable lights. On the contrary, as battery-powered lights invariably come at a higher purchase price, and typically offer slower recycling times, to those who do not value mobility they offer only disadvantages.

In this case, it would clearly make much more sense to buy dedicated studio strobes and be done with it. Thankfully Godox offers a truly impressive range in this department, too. Here we provide a thorough run-down of the various types of studio flash that Godox currently manufactures.

GS200II / GS300II / GS400II

The Godox GS, or “Gemini”, series of lights share many of the outstanding features of the brand’s portable lighting units, but in a package that is better suited to studio work - and usually cheaper than its battery-powered equivalent too. This means that you get the convenience of Godox’s excellent built-in 2.4GHz wireless triggering capabilities; 50 steps of flash output (from 1/32 to 1/1); an adjustable 150W modeling lamp;  and a recycling time of 1.2 seconds when used at full power (dropping right down to 0.3 seconds when working at the lowest output setting). The GS series also benefits from compatibility with an enormous range of light-shaping accessories via a Bowen’s mount.

DS300II / DS400II

A small and lightweight pair of studio strobes from Godox, the DSII series will suit those working in smaller home-studio spaces on a variety of photographic genres; from still life, product, and jewellery photography, to intimate portraiture, headshots, commercial, and e-commerce work. Alternatively, when combined with other more powerful units in the Godox studio strobe range, the DS models become excellent fill or kicker lights.

Although the first DS lights lacked built-in wireless receivers, the most recent MK II versions of these strobes come with full 2.4GHz capability. A stepless adjustable 150W modelling lamp makes the lights easy to set up, and once again you gain full control over the end results via the extensive range of light modifiers made available by the inclusion of a Bowen’s mount.

SK300II / SK400II

Similar to the DS series (above) the SK lights are a small and lightweight solution for those shooting portraits, e-commerce, and product photography in a relatively small space.



What the SK300II and SK400II offer in the way of advantage over the DS lights is largely in terms of output stability, with Godox claiming consistency of within 2% when used on the same power source. Again, the MK II iteration of these lights offers 2.4 GHz wireless triggering.

SK300II-V/ SK400II-V

Budget-conscious photographers that require a reliable light source will appreciate the SK300II-V from Godox. It has a 10-watt LED modelling lamp to guide you in the lighting setup, and this flash features a rapid 0.1 to 1.5-second recycle time. With a daylight colour temperature of 5700K, there will be accurate skin tones on your portrait subjects. Power varies from 1/16 to 1/1 full force. It has an easy-to-use menu, and the bright and clear LCD screen keeps you aware of the chosen settings. Fire this flash through the Godox wireless 2.4GHz X trigger system (separate purchase of X2T and XPro), sync cord, or slave triggering derived from other strobes or speedlights. At 2 kg, the SK300II-V flash has a lightweight yet robust design. With 300 watts of output, it is powerful enough for e-commerce product shooting, portrait and lifestyle photography.

The Godox SK400II-V studio flash combines all the features of the 300II-V model with a 400-watt strobe. This excellent mid-range flash offers more than enough light for studio portraits, group photos and product photography. The SK300II-V and the SK400II-V flashes use a Bowens S-Type mount, so you can add Godox modifiers and any accessories that use this system. The SK400II-V is the same size as the SK300II-V but weighs an extra 100 grams.

MS200 / MS300

Highly compact and portable, the MS series of studio flashes are well suited to use as primary lights in a small roving e-commerce lighting setup, or as fill-flashes in a larger pro-studio scenario. Featuring onboard 2.4 GHz wireless, the MS studio strobes are designed to either work as a standalone lighting solution or integrate seamlessly into your existing Godox lighting system and will work with the XT-16, X1, X2, and XPro triggers.

Both the MS 200 and MS 300 feature a built-in, adjustable 150W modelling light and are compatible with Bowen’s mount accessories. Output stability is excellent, making them a strong choice for use when consistency between images (say for e-commerce listings) is a priority.

MS200-V/MS300-V

Godox MS-V strobes offer incredible value for money. Use the LED modelling lamp on the MS200-V to see the lighting effect the strobe will create when it fires. With this modelling lamp, you can check the angle of light and shadows before pressing the shutter. With 200 watts of output and a guide number of 53 metres at ISO 100, you can generate suitable light for indoor portraits and product photography. Recycling time is fast (0.1 to 1.8 seconds), and it has flash durations as short as 1/2000 second. You can adjust the output from 1/32 to full power, and the 10W LED modelling light is adjustable from 5 to 100% intensity. Need more power? The Godox MS300-V has a guide number of 58 metres at ISO 100. The higher the number, the brighter the flash. The guide number is determined by taking a correctly exposed photograph of a subject and multiplying the camera-to-subject distance by the lens aperture. As with the MS200-V, this monolight also has an LED modelling lamp and a daylight colour temperature of 5800K. It has the same fast recycling time, flash duration, and power adjustments but packs an extra 100 watts of output for extra range. It’s ideal for a home studio photographing fashion, products and portraits of individuals, couples, or newborns.

SG400II-V

The SG400IIV Professional Studio Flash is a game-changer for photographers and studio lighting enthusiasts. It features the Godox 2.4G wireless X system, providing precise control with a 40-step output range from 1/16 to 1/1. This compact yet powerful flash offers versatile control options with optional XI, XT16, or FT-16 triggers, allowing adjustments to flash power, modelling lamp, and triggering.

Its lightweight design with a Bowens mount accommodates various studio light shapers, enhancing creative possibilities. The 10W modelling lamp's adjustable power levels from 5% to 100% ensure perfect subject illumination. With outstanding output stability, shifts remain below 2%.

Innovative functions like anti-preflash enable seamless camera synchronisation, and it conveniently stores adjusted settings. Paired with the X2/XproII trigger, you can fine-tune settings through the Godox Flash app. Elevate your studio photography with the SG400IIV, combining precision and creativity for exceptional results.

DP400III / DP600III / DP800III / DP1000III

The DPIII series of studio flashes from Godox is clearly made with the hard working professional in mind. Robust, stylishly designed, and boasting a clear and easy-to-use UI, these are fantastic strobe lights that deserve a place in any studio. Accurate daylight-balanced output and a consistent output seal their pro-credentials.

Featuring built-in 2.4 GHz wireless that is compatible with Godox’s excellent X-series of radio transmitters, the professionally-focused DPIII series of lights comes with 99 wireless ID settings so as to reduce the risk of interference from other triggers. This makes these lights the ideal choice to use in a multi-studio complex, as it eliminates the possibility that photographers working in adjacent studios may cause cross-firing of lights.

At just 1 second between flashes on full power, recycling times are fast enough for all but the most high-speed photography jobs. The 150W modelling light is adjustable in percentages, and flash output in 61 steps; from 1/64 to 1/1. A Bowen’s mount adapter completes the package.

QS400II / QS600II / QS800II / QS1200II

Godox pride themselves on the high build quality and reliability of the QS flash system. And while the QS units lack the hi-speed flash capabilities of the top-of-the-range QT series (below), they aren’t far behind; either in terms of quality or features.

As with many of the other Godox studio flash units we’ve looked at here, The QS series of lights come with built-in 2.4 GHz for remote TTL shooting using Godox’s powerful range of triggers and wireless-equipped flashguns. Naturally, for those who prefer to keep things simple, the units also feature optical slave capabilities. QS lights are well designed and easy to use, featuring a clear LCD and a bank of intuitive buttons, knobs, and switches. Multi-function buttons add to the depth of user control.

The QS series comprises four distinct models, spanning a power range of 400 watts to a remarkable 1200W unit, ideal for situations demanding a more substantial burst of power. The power settings for all QS models are customisable across 50 steps, ranging from 1/32 to 1/1, with adjustments in 0.1 increments. Recycling times vary between 0.3 and 1.5 seconds at the minimum and maximum output settings, providing flexibility for diverse shooting scenarios.

The 150W modelling lamp can either be set to increase or decrease in power to the same degree as the flash - giving you a fairly accurate indication of the results you can expect when the strobes fire - or can be adjusted independently of flash output, from 5% through to 100%.

Building on the impressive specs of the QS line, Godox’s QT series currently represents the pinnacle of the brand’s mains-powered studio lighting system. Not least of which because they now bring added high-speed sync capabilities to the game. Indeed, the models in the QT range boast the fastest recycling times (0.05 - 0.09s) and shortest flash durations of all the Godox studio lights, making them ideal for freezing action. There’s also a “masking mode” that will be of particular interest to still life and product photographers, as it fires multiple strobes one by one over a succession of shots, making it easier to comp certain elements out of (or into) an image at the post-production stage.

However, beyond the advantages offered to those interested in high-speed photography, the QT series is otherwise largely comparable to the already very good QS system. Indeed, you’ll find all the regular Godox flash features here, from built-in 2.4 GHz wireless to a fully adjustable 150-watt modeling lamp. Finally, the controls on the rear panel are logically laid out in a manner similar to the QS units.

QT400III / QT600III / QT1200III

If you thought the previous QT flash strobe series were great, then you’ll love the newly designed lineup of the Godox QT400III 400W HSS Flash Strobe Light Head/ Godox QT600III 600W HSS Flash Strobe Light Head/ Godox QT1200III 1200W HSS Flash Strobe Light Head. All strobe heads feature a better modelling lamp, High-Speed Sync (HSS), and colour stability, making them perfect for studio use - especially when adapting a range of Bowens-mount modifiers.

Across the range, there’s flexibility with a shutter sync of 1/8000s which is ideal for wider aperture lenses. Plus if you combine the impressive sync speed with a fast recycling time of 0.01 to 0.9s then you can fire the flash for a duration of 20 images per second. So you could say Godox has mastered the art of capturing fast-moving subjects. If that’s not enough, you can explore your creativity with Godox’s multi-flash mode, which combines a succession of movements into a single frame. The only decision you’ll have to make is how much output power you want as you’ll see in the table below each of them differ.

The dimmable onboard modelling light has an energy-efficient 40W LED which provides instant feedback as to where your light will fall. Once you position the light you can adjust the power output of the flash strobe from 1/256 to 1/1 (full power). Syncing either of the lights with your camera is as easy as adjusting the power output. Using the onboard 2.4G wireless system, connectivity is achieved using the X1, X2 or XPRO trigger on your camera. Once connected, there’s a 50m operation range making outdoor shooting a possibility.

P2400 Power Pack & Zoom Flash Head

The Godox P2400 Power Pack lighting system should excite professional photographers that demand high performance from a flash system. What’s more, anyone needing to set up a pair of powerful flash heads remotely to the power pack will love this system. Starting with the hero of the system, the Godox P2400 2400WS Power Pack is a powerful direct energy source built for the Godox 2400P Zoom Flash Head. Other than being a power delivery system, the P2400 delivers a super-fast 0.7 second recycling time to accommodate lighting fast speeds of up to 1/17,800 of a second. With that kind of speed, photographers can literally freeze time while still capturing perfect exposure every time.

The Godox P2400 Power Pack provides complete control of the 2400P Zoom Flash Head (s) with 10-step power, 32 channels in 16 groups through either wired or wireless control. All of this with a 1000’ range thanks to the built-in 2.4GHz wireless X system from Godox.

Of course the Godox P2400 Power Pack would be ineffective without the powerful and exclusive Godox 2400P Zoom Flash Head . The manual control dial allows any photographer to precisely control the beam of the light by zooming in and out on a subject. It is fitted with the industry preferred Bowens mount to work with a wide range of softboxes and other light modifiers. The Zoom Flash Head features built-in 2.4G and 433 MHz wireless trigger systems making it compatible with Godox triggers such as the X2, Xpro, X1 and FT-16. It produces powerful illumination thanks to the 60W COB LED modelling lamp that’s kept cool through the dedicated cooling fans.

The Godox P2400 Power Pack and Godox 2400P Zoom Flash Head are available as standalone products. However, professional photographers love the all-in-one solution that the Godox P2400 Pack 2x 2400P Flash Head Kit provide. With the power pack and dual Zoom Flash Heads you have a complete studio set up to control and manage lighting compositions and perfect exposure.