It is Godox SA-17 comes with a Bowens mount fresnel, which according to the company is designed to work with LED light bulbs. We tested it with flash heads, but we’ll see.
When Godox announced that they would be releasing the Bowens adapter that works with the SA-P projector attachment, I was ecstatic as I had been looking for a premium Godox projector.
But, my excitement did not last long, as Godox declared that the SA-17 only worked to its (Bowens-mount) lighting fixtures. I was hoping to make use of the adapter with Studio flashes, and for the purpose I had in mind, the adapter wasn’t a good fit. However, since Godox did not provide an explicit reason for this, I began to think about the reason. However stubborn I am, I was unable to stop until I understood the reason Godox did not permit its SA-17 use in conjunction with Strobes. I needed to know why that, and I decided to purchase one for myself.
Do you have to make use of the SA-17 with the strobe feature?
For those who aren’t acquainted with these products For those who aren’t, here’s a quick review. It is a Gobo projector that was designed specifically exclusively for Godox S30. It has received a lot of praise due to the fact that the optical quality is excellent, and its price remains reasonable, which is the case for a number of other products Godox has released recently. Because the SA-P was initially designed to be used in conjunction with the S30 it is not able to be combined alongside other light sources. The SA-17 alters this, it is an adapter that can be used between a Bowens mount as well as the SA-P projector.
Official statement:
On the official Godox website, it states that the product is only compatible in conjunction with LEDs mounted on Bowens. On other websites, we can see that Godox only states that it is compatible with continuous lighting, but a version that can be used for flashes “will be taken into consideration” . There are some sellers which declare they will not use the LED hybrid strobe FV150/FV200 must not be utilized in flash mode only when it is in continuous mode.
In the remainder of this article , we will disregard the official announcement, but take care. Not following manufacturer’s advice is not something we recommend on LightingRumours as it could harm the equipment and you (and possibly at minimum make your warranty null and void).
Practical tests:
Initial impressions upon unboxing the SA-17 were optimistic. The way you see in the pictures inside the adapter, we can see an open reflective tube that has the frosted glass on one side. I believe that Godox used the frosted glass in order to create a light source that is more uniform, resulting in a an even projection. It is important to note that the use of frosted glass is likely affect the overall efficiency for the light source. A 30 Watt Bowens led light bound produce dimmer results those when using the attachment SA-P attached to the S30 light.
When you attempt to install the adapter onto some strobes, the initial limitation becomes obvious. It is the space that is available in the adapter. Not all flashtubes can fit inside the tube’s hollow. It is important to note that the AD600 Pro and AD1200 Pro are both equipped with a huge glass dome in the front. This blocks the SA-17 from being mounted on these flashtubes. Because that the AD200, AD300, AD400 (with Bowens adapter) and regular AD600 utilize smaller flashtubes they can be mounted (for the AD200 and AD300 I tried it using an AD-S2 bracket).
* AD200 (with AD-S2) Fits
* AD200 Pro (with AD-S2) is suitable for
* AD300 Pro (with AD-S2) is suitable for
* AD400 Pro (Bowens adapter): fits
* AD600: is a good fit.
* AD600 Pro Does not work
* AD1200 Pro: Doesn’t make sense.
After firing a few test shots using the SA-17 connected to the AD600 I’m also noticing that the resultant light pattern generated through the SA-P is quite good.
In the case of LED lighting, restricted airflow issue isn’t a concern as LED lighting is cool at to the side of the chip and and not directly from front. Personally, I’m not sure how quickly an AD600 for instance will begin to overheat. However, I can imagine that after a repeated power dumps, it could get very hot inside the adapter.
Conclusion:
While Godox does not declare it compatible but SA-17 SA-17 could be connected to a few strobes, but not all, and yields satisfactory results. However, even though the adapter may be suitable for certain strobes there are additional considerations that must be taken into consideration. The SA-17 hinders air circulation, which could result in an overheated flash tube. With this understanding, we know the reason Godox only mentions Bowens led lights in their compatibility list. Godox don’t wish to risk anything and assume responsibility for those who overheat their flashtubes.
[…] It is Godox SA-17 comes with a Bowens mount fresnel, which according to the company is designed to work with LED light bulbs. We tested it with flash heads, but we'll see. When Godox announced that they would be releasing the Bowens adapter that works with the SA-P projector attachment, I was ecstatic as I had […]