30/03/2026 3:05 pm
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I'm literally panicking because I have a wedding to shoot this Saturday in Chicago and my old speedlight just died on me. I've been looking at the Nikon SB-700 vs the Godox V860III or the V1. My logic was to stick with Nikon for the reliability but then I read that the Godox batteries last way longer and I'm gonna be shooting for like 8 hours straight. I only have about $350 to spend max. Some reviews say the Godox TTL can be hit or miss on Nikon bodies though and I really can't afford to be messing with manual settings while the bride is walking down the aisle. Is the SB-700 too outdated now or should I just risk it with the Godox?...
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10
30/03/2026 3:30 pm
Re: Last summer I shot a 12-hour wedding and... honestly that battery anxiety is real. A wedding in a dimly lit hall once ruined me because my flash recycle times dropped to 5 seconds. My old AAs were toast and I missed the cake cutting. It was brutal. Since you are on a budget, you might want to consider the Godox TT685II-N TTL Flash. It is way under your $350 limit, so you could actually buy two for redundancy.
- Guide number of 60 at ISO 100.
- Quick-release lock is a lifesaver for fast swaps.
- Full TTL support for Nikon i-TTL systems. Be careful with cheap alkalines tho. High-performance Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA Rechargeable Batteries are the way to go. They have a 2500mAh capacity and stay consistent even when the wedding runs late. Using these might be safer than relying on one single lithium pack that could fail if you dont have a backup.
10
30/03/2026 3:50 pm
Which Nikon are you using? Unfortunately Godox TTL isn't as good as expected because it often overexposes in dark halls. I've had issues there. Maybe a used Nikon SB-910 AF Speedlight is safer?
4
30/03/2026 3:05 pm
Last summer I shot a 12-hour wedding and my old Nikon flash kept overheating. Honestly, it was a nightmare. Switching to the Godox V1-N Round Head Flash for Nikon worked out well since the lithium battery lasts way longer than AAs. The Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight is reliable but feels kinda slow now.
- Godox TTL is actually quite reliable on most Nikon bodies.
- Grab a spare Godox VB26A Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery for peace of mind.
2
14/04/2026 7:35 am
Seriously, the timing of gear failure is always the worst and it makes me so angry. It is like these companies time it perfectly to mess with our sanity right before a big deadline.
- Honestly, the prices we pay for lighting equipment now are a total joke considering how flimsy everything feels.
- It drives me crazy that pro gear is basically all plastic and luck of the draw these days.
- Companies really do not care about the working photographer anymore, they just want us on a constant upgrade treadmill.
- Having to worry about gear reliability when you are already stressed about a wedding is such a scam and honestly just ruins the experience.
