As a full time wedding photographer based in Northwest Arkansas, essentially all my work is performed on location. My background in reviewing gear has also given me the ability to use a lot of different lights. Because of this, I have a pretty good idea of what works well and what doesn’t. Although I have lights in my closet that cost more than 5X the price of the Flashpoint eVOLV 200 Pro, I still bring this light with me to almost every single photo shoot.
Power/Weight/Size Ratio
One of the biggest factors for me is the fact that this light has a lot of power packed into a small and compact form factor. At full power, I can mimic sunlight in most situations and — because it can go down to 1/256 power — I can also use it in some really low light circumstances. The size of the light also makes it easy to carry around with me everywhere. On every shoot, I’ll have one light attached to my Phottix Padat Carbon stand with a Magmod Sphere, grid, and CTO gel attached. This simple and small setup can give me the versatility to create almost anything.
Battery Life
Another key factor for me is the battery life. I tend to use a decent amount of flash in my work throughout the day. Even on the longest of wedding days, I have never drained a battery on one of these lights. In fact, at the end of most days, the battery meter still reads full. This means that I can shoot a wedding on the weekend and then a few engagement shoots the week after and not ever have to worry about charging my lights. I always have backup lights and batteries just in case, but this does provide peace of mind.
Durability
Durability is usually the first thing to take a hit when a product is priced lower than its competition. That is simply not the case when it comes to the Flashpoint eVOLV 200 Pro. I have had this lightly fall from 8-feet high straight onto concrete. The casing of the light opened and the battery fell out but once I pressed everything back together, it still worked perfectly. I have even had a light fall from 8-feet in the air straight to the bottom of a fountain. After letting everything dry for a few days, the light worked perfectly without a single issue. So while I don’t recommend letting these things happen to your lights, it’s nice knowing that it’s possible to survive certain catastrophes.
Price
Lights with big power, long battery life, durability, and a compact form factor usually demand a premium price tag. Not only are you getting more bang for your buck but — if for some reason you break a light — your wallet won’t scream in mercy when you go to buy another. You can also get yourself a 3-light setup for the same price as a single light of the competition. This will help unlock more lighting setups as well as having backups to keep for emergencies.
Conclusion
While I dont think there is one light for all situations, the Flashpoint eVOLV 200 Pro is as close to perfect as I have found. Not only will it give you the high and low power levels you may need, but it will also stand up to use and be easy to bring with you everywhere you need to go. In addition, it won’t break the bank so you can afford to get more than one or add on some modifiers to help you create.
Written and Photos by Jason Vinson