Ive been pulling my hair out trying to figure out the flash situation for my Nikon Z6II. I finally made the jump from my old D750 last month and honestly the camera is great but the lighting is a total nightmare to figure out. I have this wedding for my cousin coming up in like two weeks here in Seattle and I still dont have a reliable speedlight that actually works the way it should.

I spent hours reading threads and everyone keeps saying the Nikon SB-5000 is the gold standard but man it is so expensive and I just cant justify $600 right now after dropping so much on the body and the 24-70mm s-line lens. Then I see people swearing by the Godox V1 or the V860III because of the lithium batteries which sounds awesome but then I read other people saying the AF assist beam doesnt even work on mirrorless cameras? Like what is the point of a flash if it cant help the camera focus in a dark reception hall? Its like I have to choose between spending a fortune or having a crippled piece of gear.

My budget is strictly under $500 and I really need something that isnt gonna overheat after twenty shots. I also saw some stuff about the Profoto A10 but thats way out of my league price wise and honestly looks like overkill for what I do. Im just so frustrated because every time I think I found the right one I read a review saying oh it has weird compatibility issues with the Z mount or the TTL is inconsistent and overexposes everything.

• SB-5000 is too pricey for my blood
• Godox seems hit or miss with the focus assist and build quality
• Need it delivered and tested by the 15th

Is there actually a flash that plays nice with the Z series without breaking the bank or losing the assist beam features? Or am I just stuck buying the overpriced Nikon brand ones...