Godox V480 Flash
Li-Ion USB-C Battery, 1.6s Recycle, 2.4 GHz TX/RX, Optical Slave, 2W LED Continuous Light
For Canon, for Nikon, for Sony, for Fuji & for OM SYSTEM & Panasonic (2025 ~ today)
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Specifications Toys & Accessories
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
Godox V480 Flash for Canon, also comes for Nikon, for Sony, for Fuji and for OM SYSTEM & Panasonic (12.7 oz./361g with battery, measured GN 63'/19m at 35mm and 90'/27m at 105mm, $169). bigger.
I'd get mine at B&H, at Adorama or at Amazon (also from Amazon in the UK), or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
February 2026 Better Pictures Godox Canon Nikon Sony Fuji OM SYSTEM LEICA Zeiss HASSELBLAD All Reviews
Godox V480 Flash for Canon, also comes for Nikon, for Sony, for Fuji and for OM SYSTEM & Panasonic. bigger.
Sample Images top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Toys & Accessories
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.
I use this flash to put light into backlit subjects and to fill shadows, be they signs or animals:
Roy's Motel & Cafe Sign at Dusk, Amboy, California, 5:40 P.M., 07 February 2026. Canon EOS R6 III, Godox V480 flash on-camera, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 37mm wide-open at f/4.5 at 1/60 at Auto ISO 400 (LV 8.4), Radiant Photo software to add light and life, perspective correction in Photoshop to keep the vertical support beams vertical. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
I deliberately used my Godox V480 flash on-camera to highlight the sign. I used both intuition and trial-and-error to focus the flash to light the middle of the sign where I wanted it. This means I manually zoomed the flash probably to its 105mm setting and twiddled with how it was pointed until I got this shot. Notice how my flash isn't lighting the foreground, which is exactly as I wanted it.
No need to use the flash off-camera here, which would have been more difficult to try to keep it pointed where I wanted it. While the V480 has numerous optical and radio controls, my R6 III has no RF transmitter so I would have had to bring more gear or a cord to shoot it off camera.
While pointing and focusing the flash took some effort to get this effect, exposure is easy. I always leave the flash set to i-TTL and it always seems to balance exactly as I want it.
Crazed Monkey Lets Out a Rebel Yell, 3:14 PM, Thursday, 15 January 2026. Cropped slightly from Canon EOS R6 III in square-crop mode, Godox V480C on-camera flash, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5~5.6L IS USM II on EF to RF adapter at 400mm at f/5.6 handheld at 1/250 at Auto ISO 1,600, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 9.0). bigger.
The afternoon light was behind us, and the flash lit the monkey just fine from about 30 feet (10 meters) away.
The flash also quite importantly put little catchlights in the monkey's eyes, making him look much more alive.
Same thing here for this little guy:
Cute Baby Monkey with a Twig, 3:14 PM, Thursday, 15 January 2026. Cropped from Canon EOS R6 III, Godox V480C on-camera flash, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5~5.6L IS USM II on EF to RF adapter at 400mm at f/5.6 handheld at 1/250 at Auto ISO 1,000, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 9.7). bigger or uncropped 33 MP © 2.7 MB image saved from Photoshop at Quality 5.
Mercedes AMG E63s, 9:51 AM, Saturday, 14 February 2026. Canon EOS R6 III, Godox V480C on-camera flash, Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM at f/9 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.0). bigger.
The flash highlights all the titanium flecks in the Mercedes' Selenite Gray metallic paint.
Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch, Oro Grande, California, 10:56 A.M., 08 February 2026. Canon EOS R6 III in square-crop mode, Godox V480 flash on-camera, RF 16-28mm f/2.8 IS STM at 16mm at f/14 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 15¼), Radiant Photo and Skylum Luminar Neo software. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
My V480 flash worked great to throw light back up at the Bottle Tree as the sun shone behind it. I left my V480 and R6 III set to i‑TTL and the exposures are perfect.
1963 Mercury Monterey, 9:59 AM, Saturday, 14 February 2026. Canon EOS R6 III, Godox V480C on-camera flash, Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM at f/6.3 at 1/160 at Auto ISO 100, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 12¾). bigger or camera-original 32 MP © 9.8 MB image.
Even for car eyes, the flash puts light in these backlit headlights.
Eight Intake Stacks, 10:06 AM, Saturday, 14 February 2026. Canon EOS R6 III, Godox V480C on-camera flash, Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM at f/16 (for depth-of-field) at 1/100 at Auto ISO 250 (LV 13.3), perspective correction in Photoshop to keep the stacks all vertical. bigger.
Without the flash, the front side of these aluminum stacks would have been dark and without form.
Ditto for under-hood shots:
Under the Hood of a Shelby, 9:51 AM, Saturday, 28 June 2025. Canon 5DS/R in square-crop mode, Godox V480C on-camera flash, Canon EF 28~135mm IS USM at 28mm at f/9 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 400, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 12.0). bigger.
Without the flash, it would be all black under these hoods against this backlight. The flash throws light under the hoods so we can see what's going on down there. See how it lights up the air cleaner under the hood and adds sparkle to the chrome Cragers of the orange El Camino:
V8 Hot Rods Including a BMW M850i Convertible, Lakeside Cars & Coffee, 8:57 AM, Sunday, 05 October 2025. Canon R1, Godox V480C on-camera flash, Canon EF 28~135mm IS USM at 33mm at f/8 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.6). bigger.
Introduction top
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Specifications Toys & Accessories
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
This is a very potent mid-sized on-camera flash. It uses a dedicated Li-Ion battery (included) which lets it recycle super-fast and belt out an almost unlimited number of flashes per charge. If your last flash used AA cells, you've never used anything like this little beast.
It has complete RF command and receive functions, as well as an optical slave (S1 & S2) and all the usual trick flash modes. it comes with a plethora of gadgets and light-modifying accessories.
It has a 24 ~ 105mm zoom head with a flip-down ultrawide diffuser and a pop-out catchlight card:
Godox V480 Flash for Canon, also comes for Nikon, for Sony, for Fuji and for OM SYSTEM & Panasonic. bigger.
The Li-Ion battery charges via USB-C. It recycles in just 1.6 seconds from a full-power dump, and it's rated for 650 full-power flashes per charge, something that 4 AA cells could never deliver.
It has a color LCD touch screen. The only downside is that the touch screen is always active any time the flash is awake or asleep, so even when it's asleep and the LCD is off, anything that touches it will change settings. I carry my camera around my neck, and simply brushing against a sleeping LCD will change its operating modes or exposure compensation. Therefore for on-camera use I usually have to turn it all the way off manually, and then turn it on again manually for my next shots, which is a multistep process. Honestly for on-camera use I find traditional flash handier since it just goes, while for a dedicated action shooting, this V480 pumps out far more power faster and longer. See Usage for a work-around to lock the screen.
It keeps belting power shot after shot just like Canon's mega EL-1 and EL-5 flashes. Not only does it recycle quickly, the battery holds so much energy that I've never been able to run it down before I charge it every few months.
I'd get my V480 at B&H, at Adorama or at Amazon (also from Amazon in the UK), or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
It twists in all the usual ways:
Godox V480 Flash for Canon, also comes for Nikon, for Sony, for Fuji and for OM SYSTEM & Panasonic. bigger.
New intro top
Li-Ion battery, included.
Good intro top
Potent power system for fast recycling and seemingly unlimited flashes per charge.
USB-C charging.
Flexible head points in any direction.
24 ~ 105mm zoom head.
Case, AC charging adapter and a vast selection of accessories all included.
Uses the standard 5-pin foot, not the newer "digital" ones that only work on a few cameras:
Godox V480 Flash for Canon. bigger.
The included little stand even has a threaded brass tripod insert!
Bad intro top
Touch screen may turn off, but it never goes to sleep and will respond to touch when it's off. You have to turn the flash completely off for the touch screen to ignore inputs. I see this as a firmware flaw; the touch screen should never respond to touch if it's not lit.
You have to pull the battery out of the flash to charge it. The USB-C socket on the side of the flash doesn't charge it; it's for firmware updates.
Missing intro top
No Infrared AF illuminator.
Nothing else I can think of; it includes a hoard of toys and even a USB-A power adapter and cord, as if we didn't have our own USB-C power sources.
Specifications top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Toys & Accessories
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
I'd get my V480 at B&H, at Adorama or at Amazon (also from Amazon in the UK), or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
Power
Rated |
Measured |
|
14mm |
28' / 8.5m |
|
24mm |
53' / 16m |
|
35mm |
63' / 19m |
|
50mm |
76' / 23m |
|
105mm |
164'/50m |
90' / 27.4m |
Recycling Time
Rated 1.7s, 1.6s actual measured.
Full-Power Flashes Before Thermal Shutdown
About 60; varies from 30 at the 14mm setting to 80 at the 105mm setting. See page 55 of the User's Manual for details.
Flash Duration
1/600 ~ 1/20,000 second.
Manual Flash Control
Set in thirds or tenths of stop.
Flashes per Charge
650 at full power.
Continuous LED "Modeling Light"
2W.
5,300K ±300K.
Battery
|
|
VB22 battery: 7.2V 2.2 Ah 15.8 Wh rechargeable Li-Ion.
Size
6.54 x 2.8 x 1.93"
Weight
12.7 oz. (361g) with battery.
9.95 oz. (282g) without battery.
Included
Flash.
Lots more toys and accessories shown below.
Price, USA
February 2026
$169 at B&H, at Adorama and at Amazon.
Included Toys & Accessories top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Toys & Accessories
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
I'd get my V480 at B&H, at Adorama or at Amazon (also from Amazon in the UK), or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
Not shown here are the USB-A wall power adapter and USB-A to USB-C cord cheerfully provided in case you don't have USB-C cables and power sources.
Case for Godox V480 Flash. bigger.
Stand for Godox V480 Flash, showing the underside with brass ¼″ × 20 TPI insert. bigger.
Hair Bonnet Diffuser with silvered rear. bigger.
A huge set of gel filters, a vinyl holder and velcro to stick it to your flash. bigger.
The black part of the vinyl holder covers either the touch screen or the LED light, so I never quite figured out how to make good use of this.
I'd prefer a 3,200K warming filter, a half warming filter and a fluorescent conversion pop-on filters as other flashes often have, but tough. This setup offers far more flexibility.
A wiping cloth! bigger.
Fake Sto-Fen diffuser. bigger.
This little diffuser is a nice touch, except that it keeps popping off.
As seen here I had to push it on and run to grab this shot before it popped all the way off. You can see it's coming off at the bottom.
Performance & Measurements top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Toys & Accessories
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
I'd get my V480 at B&H, at Adorama or at Amazon (also from Amazon in the UK), or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
Power
Measured |
Rated |
|
14mm |
28' / 8.5m |
|
24mm |
53' / 16m |
|
35mm |
63' / 19m |
|
50mm |
76' / 23m |
|
105mm |
90' / 27.4m |
164'/50m |
Recycling Time
1.6s actual measured (rated 1.7s).
Exposure
I get great TTL exposure on my Canon Mirrorless and DSLRs.
Charge Power
I measure 9W (6V at 1.5A or 7V at 1.3A) while charging via USB-C.
Continuous LED "Modeling Light"
While called a "modeling light," it's not. It's dim, and it's not proportional (its output does not vary with flash power settings).
You can adjust the brightness, but it's never very bright.
I see no purpose for this other than for poking around your camera bag in the dark.
It's too dim for video, or even to cast any significant light on a subject indoors.
Sleep & Wake
Other than the touch screen responding even when it's asleep, otherwise on my Canons it sleeps and wakes just great by tapping my shutters.
While asleep the hot button blinks a very visible green.
Power ON & OFF
Am I the only guy who demands a real slide switch or lever for something as simple as turning this ON or OFF?
To turn it ON you have to hold the power button for 1.2 seconds, and then rotate the control ring clockwise to confirm that you are human.
To turn it off, you have to hold the power button for 1⅓ seconds.
Arrgh, in the heat of shooting I just want to turn it off and on, not play 20 questions.
Hot Button
The hot button (combined pilot light and test firing button) glows green while ON and ready, and blinks green while asleep.
If you shoot at full power or when you first turn on the flash, it will blink red quickly for the second it takes to recycle. If it ever blinks red for more than a second, it's time to recharge.
It's big and beautiful indoors, but sadly it's big so its peak brightness isn't enough to be particularly visible in direct sunlight.
Am I the only guy who understands that these pilot lights need to be small and bright so they are visible in every light, rather than big and diffuse as is this pilot light?
User's Guide top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Toys & Accessories
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
I'd get my V480 at B&H, at Adorama or at Amazon (also from Amazon in the UK), or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
Charging
Godox V480 Flash for Canon, also comes for Nikon, for Sony, for Fuji and for OM SYSTEM & Panasonic. bigger.
To charge, open the battery cover and use the white tab to pull out the battery.
The USB-C socket is hidden under the white tab on the battery. Plug in and go. (The USB-C socket on the side of the flash is only for firmware updates, not charging.)
There's a red LED while charging that turns vivid green when done.
Trick Flash Modes
For goodies like optical slave, HSS, repeating strobe, LED continuous modeling light and second curtain sync, swipe down from the main screen that usually shows exposure compensation.
That Annoying Self-Setting Touch Screen
I have to turn my flash all the way off to be sure it hasn't accidently reset itself to -3 stops compensation by accident as I walk around.
A work around is to lock the screen manually, and then unlock it if needed — which defeats the purpose of the touch screen and disables the ability to set your flash until you unlock the screen.
To lock the screen, swipe down from the main screen and tap LOCK. To unlock, hold the screen for a few seconds. This prevents inadvertent changes of settings, but isn't any faster than turning the whole flash on and off.
See Godox' User's Manual PDF for much more.
Recommendations top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Toys & Accessories
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
I'd get my V480 at B&H, at Adorama or at Amazon (also from Amazon in the UK), or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
This is a potent flash for most uses, but for my general on-camera around-my-shoulder use its always awake touch screen makes it clumsier than my camera-brand flash.
It seems to offer much more power than I measured; it provides ample daylight fill flash out to what seems like 100 feet (30 meters) and never misses a beat recycling from full power dumps if it needs to.
I'd get my V480 at B&H, at Adorama or at Amazon (also from Amazon in the UK), or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
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