Godox MS300-V Compact 300W Studio Flash, 2.4G Wireless X System, GN58 5600K Monolight with Bowens Mount, 0.1-1.3s Recycle Time, Outstanding Output Stability, Upgraded Modeling Lamp

MS300 is the new entry to the Godox line of budget studio lights – they are light, compact, simple and functional.In the box there is the MS300 unit with flash tube pre-installed, a modelling lamp, a long 5m (16’4”) power cord, Warranty Card & User Manual (written in tiny font) and a couple of spare fuses. The seller INSSTRO also offers a free microfiber cleaning cloth.The unit itself is made predominantly from plastic, which contributes to its light weight - with modelling lamp installed MS300 weights merely 1.3kg. At its longest point it is a little taller than a tall can (see photos).The back of the unit has a decently-sized LCD display that shows all the essential information. The power dial is big and feels satisfyingly crisp when turning, buttons are also nicely tactile. There is a USB port for firmware updates. I should note that the LCD screen’s viewing angles are not great and the screen contents are hard to make out from sideways angles.The MS300 is integrated into the Godox wireless 2.4G ecosystem and can be controlled using X1 and XPro triggers. I used it with the XPro-S and was able to control power output and beep function remotely. You can switch the modelling light on and off wirelessly, but unfortunately you cannot control its brightness remotely – you’d need to use the dial on the unit itself.Power can be changed in either 0.3 or 0.1 increments, and power output ranges from 1/32 to 1/1. Modelling lamp brightness goes from 5% to 100%.The fan comes on when the unit is powered on, but it is quiet and is not distracting.There are no TTL or HSS functions, only Manual and Optical Slave (S1 and S2) functions.The only thing I found strange is having a power cord again – after using battery-powered Godox flashes like the AD200 and AD400Pro, it was difficult to get reacquainted with wires running across the floor again.The bottom line with MS300 is its unbeatable value for money. Whether it is your main studio light or a backup option, MS300 is a worthy investment for any studio photographer already in the Godox ecosystem.

Great light that incredible value for money, especially for how well it performs and how easy it is to use. An absolute bargain for studio work. I’ve had no problems at all.Would recommend.

Can't believe how good they are, especially for the money they cost!

I have been reflecting on this product for some time now before making a review on it. Do I really like it? Is it really better than just plain old speedlights that I am used to?To be honest, I'm not sure.On the plus side, it comes with a modelling light which is really good. And the modelling light is an LED light which means it shouldn't burn out any time soon. The modelling light was the key reason for buying this for me, as a photographer I follow seems to really like modelling lights to allow him to easily set up bounce reflectors. Well, OK. The modelling lights are good. And strangely enough I like that it is a mains wired light as it means I shouldn't have any problems with Lithium batteries few years down the road. So the light should be useful to me for many years going forward. Finally, it is also good that it works with the other items of the excellent Godox wireless system. So my two triggers work well with it.If you are wondering, my best guess is that this light is about as powerful as a decent speedlight. At least that is the feeling I had when I tried to do a very unscientific comparison. But this is not a big deal to me as I find speedlights plenty powerful enough for everything I do. Perhaps I should mention, I shoot full frame, so have no problems with grain if I have to go up to ISO 400 or even ISO 800. But really, speedlights never left me wanting for more light.Now for the bad points. Well, it doesn't have TTL. That was no surprise to me as they clearly say so. However, once you no longer have TTL you then realise how useful it really is. I do have a light meter, so I can live with no TTL, but it is a useful feature for getting things set up quickly as then fine tune from there. Now I have to faff around with the light meter to get things right. OK, not the end of the world, but I thought I would mention it all the same.But the biggest surprise to me is that it only goes down to 1/32 power. I know, it probably says so somewhere, but it was a surprise to me all the same. That might not sound like such a big deal, but it is. For your key light, 1/32 power is probably low enough for most uses. However, when you need to use the light for fill light, you usually need your fill to be 2 or so stops below your key light. So you quickly hit the buffers at the low end there. I'm not sure if this will actually be a problem in real life situations for me, but at the testing phase, it really does feel like a problem. It would have been nice if it could have at least matched the 1/128 of a standard speedlight. Hopefully some day they will upgrade this as a software patch.So will I be sending it back? Again I have had to think about this. I've decided to keep it because it really wasn't all that expensive and it might come in useful in time. But I was originally planning on getting a pair, and now I am not so sure I will be getting that second one. And up to now, I continue to use my speedlights in preference as they are light and easy to set up and I am comfortable with them. So I guess I am still undecided at this stage. Perhaps this strobe will grow on me in time...I hope this review is useful to you when making your purchasing decision.

The media could not be loaded. I really like the addition of the new video light and all the new features that are coming with it. The MS300 was one my favourite lights because it's extremely portable and the new model with the built in modelling light is just made an already good strobe unit better. I really like that I can use the modelling light as an indicator to know when the flash is ready.

These are great for a small studio space. Mine is 3m x 3m. I use with a guide flash trigger. Very easy to setup. Very easy to use.

The unit itself is great but if like me you get a smashed modelling light, you have to return the full thing for a replacement. Waste of time & money. Best to buy from a retailer with a more flexible returns policy.

Good strobe for a small studio or as a hair or fill light in a larger one. Worth paying the extra over the standard MS300 to get the LED modelling light rather than the incandescent bulb. Nice long mains cable and it does come with a reflector. Full power recycle time closer to 1.5 seconds rather then 1.3 but that should not be a problem. The only niggle is that the front cover is long enough to accommodate a bulb, I'd have preferred a shorter one to make packing easier.