GODOX V480 (01) PDF MANUAL

This product is professional photographic equipment and should be operated by professional personnel only. The following basic safety precautions must be followed:

1. Carefully read and fully understand the instruction manual before use and strictly follow the safety instructions. Failure to do so may result in serious injury, damage to the product, or other property damage.

2. This product is a professional lighting fixture; children are prohibited from using it. Children must be closely supervised by adults when approaching the fixture to prevent collisions or unauthorized use that could cause personal injury.

3. This is not an ordinary lighting fixture and must not be used for general illumination. Anyone with a history of eye damage or sensitivity should avoid using this fixture or looking directly at it.

4. Extreme caution must be exercised when using it; do not touch high-temperature parts such as flash tubes to avoid burns.

5. Do not point the flash directly at the eyes (especially a baby’s eyes) under any circumstances, as this could impair vision in a short time. Turn off immediately if discomfort occurs, stop using, and seek medical attention promptly.

6. If the flash tube is damaged, stop using it immediately and contact the manufacturer, service agent, or qualified repair personnel for a replacement to prevent accidents.

7. Stop using immediately if the product shell is cracked due to falling, squeezing, or strong impact to avoid touching the internal electronic components and getting an electric shock.

8. This device is not waterproof. Keep it dry and avoid immersing it in water or other liquids. It should be installed in a ventilated and dry location and avoid use in rainy, humid, dusty, or overheated environments. Do not place items above the device or allow liquids to flow into it to prevent danger.

9. Do not disassemble without authorization. If the product malfunctions, it must be inspected and repaired by our company or authorized repair personnel.

10. Before storing the device, make sure it is completely cooled.

11. Do not place the device near alcohol, gasoline, or other flammable volatile solvents or gases such as methane and ethane.

12. Do not use or store this device in potentially explosive environments.

13. Maintain at least 1 meter distance between the lamp head and the user, other people, and heat-sensitive or flammable items during and after use.

14. Do not use accessories not approved by our company, as this may cause fire, electric shock, or personal injury.

15. Clean gently with a dry cloth. Do not use a wet cloth as it may damage the device.

The lifespan of the lithium battery is estimated to be 2 to 3 years. Please regularly check the battery, and if the charging time significantly increases or the battery life significantly decreases, consider replacing the battery.

For storage, charge the battery to about 50%. Charge it to about 50% at least every six months. Removable batteries should be stored separately. The storage temperature should be between 0°C and 40°C.

Precautions for using lithium batteries:

• Do not disassemble, crush, or puncture the battery.

• The battery is not waterproof; do not immerse it in fog or water.

• Avoid short-circuiting the battery contacts.

• Do not expose the battery to or put it into fire.

• Do not expose the battery to temperatures above 60°C.

• Keep out of reach of children.

• Protect the battery from excessive shock or vibration.

• Do not use a damaged battery.

• If the battery leaks, avoid contact with the leaking fluid.

• If the battery fluid comes into contact with your eyes, immediately rinse with water for at least 15 minutes. Lift your eyelids until there are no signs of fluid and seek medical attention promptly.

The main parts of the GODOX V480 are:

1. Catchlight Panel (white)

2. Built-in Wide-angle Diffuser (transparent)

3. Flash Head

4. LED Modeling Lamp

5. Battery Charging Indicator (red in charging, green in fully charged)

6. USB Type-C Charging Port (for charging the battery)

7. Photocell Sensor

8. Lock Ring

9. Hot Shoe

10. Sync Cord Jack

11. Touch Screen

12. USB-C Firmware Upgrade Port (for upgrading the firmware)

13. Power Switch Button (Short press once to enter mode/return interface, press twice to enter other functions interface)

14. Set Button

15. Select Dial

16. Test Button / Recycle Indicator

17. Hot Shoe Fixing Buckle

The GODOX V480 package includes:

• Flash Body x1

• Storage Bag x1

• Lithium Battery x1

• USB-C Charging Cable x1

• Diffuser x1

• Adapter x1

• Mini Stand x1

• Instruction Manual x1

Installing the battery: Insert the battery into the battery compartment in the direction as referred in the manual until it’s firmly locked, then close the lid.

Disassembling the battery: Slide the battery compartment lid in the direction as referred in the manual, then pull the battery out of the battery compartment.

Make sure the battery pack is securely loaded in the flash. Check the battery level indication on the LCD panel to see the remaining battery level.

Installing the camera flash: Rotate the hot shoe fixing buckle to the left, insert the camera flash into the camera’s hot shoe. Then rotate it to the right until it locks up.

Disassembling the camera flash: Press and rotate the hot shoe fixing buckle to the left until it is loosened, then take off the camera flash.

Note: Be sure to power off the camera and flash when installing and disassembling the flash to prevent damage to the devices.

Power On: Long press the power switch button until the <SET> icon appears on the panel, then slide the screen or rotate the select dial in the direction shown on the panel to turn it on. The screen backlight automatically turns dark after 15 seconds of no operation in power-on status, and it can be lit up by touching.

Standby: When set to Wi-Off/Sender mode with the standby function on, the flash will enter standby mode automatically after approximately 90 seconds of idle use. Press the camera shutter halfway or any button to wake up the flash unit.

Auto Off:

• In Wi-Off/Sender mode with the auto-off function on, the flash will automatically shut down after 60 minutes (or 30, 90 minutes) of idle use.

• In Receiver mode with the auto-off function on, the flash will automatically shut down after 60 minutes (or 30, 90 minutes) of idle use. The auto-off function can be turned off manually when using off-camera as a receiver unit.

To enter Wi-Off mode:

• Touch Screen: Slide the screen from the left to the right to make the mode interface appear, then click the “Wi-Off” icon.

• Buttons and Select Dial: Press the power switch button to make the mode interface appear. Rotate the select dial and press the set button to choose and enter Wi-Off mode.

M: Manual Flash

The flash output is adjustable from 1/1 to 1/256 or from 2.0 to 10 with 0.1 or 0.3 increment steps. To set power:

• Touch Screen: Click the “MODE” icon to switch to M mode. Press the – or + icon to adjust the power, or pull the progress bar for quick adjustment.

• Buttons and Select Dial: Rotate the dial to select the “MODE” icon, press to enter, and choose “M”. Rotate to select the power value, then press again to adjust power with ±0.1 or ±0.3 increments.

TTL: TTL Auto Flash

In TTL mode, the camera’s metering system automatically adjusts the flash output. To set Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC):

• Touch Screen: Click the “MODE” icon to switch to TTL mode. Press the – or + icon to adjust the FEC amount from -3 to +3 in 1/3 increments, or pull the progress bar.

• Buttons and Select Dial: Rotate the dial to select the “MODE” icon, press to enter, and choose “TTL”. Rotate to select the FEC amount, then press again to adjust in ±1/3 increments.

ZOOM: Setting the Flash Coverage

The flash coverage can be set automatically (A-mm) or manually (24mm-105mm).

• Touch Screen: Click the “ZOOM” icon to switch between auto zoom (A–mm) and manual zoom mode.

• Buttons and Select Dial: Rotate the dial to select the “ZOOM” icon, press to enter, then rotate again to choose the needed zoom mode.

The S1 and S2 Photocell triggering is only available in M (manual) flash mode. You can enter the menu setting to switch between S1/S2 Photocell or turn this function off.

S1 Photocell Unit Setting: In M manual flash mode, the flash can function as an S1 secondary flash. With this function, the flash will fire synchronously when the main flash fires, which is useful for creating multiple lighting effects with wireless triggers.

S2 Photocell Unit Setting: In M manual flash mode, the flash can also function as an S2 secondary flash. This is useful when cameras have a pre-flash function. With this function, the flash will ignore a single “pre-flash” from the main flash and will only fire in response to the second, actual flash from the main flash.

To enter Sender mode:

• Touch Screen: Slide the screen from left to right to show the mode interface, then click the “Sender” icon. Slide upward to see more groups.

• Buttons and Select Dial: Press the power switch button to show the mode interface. Rotate the select dial to choose “Sender” and press the set button.

The wireless is turned on by default in sender mode. You can control five groups: A, B, C, D, E (for V480 C) or M, A, B, C, D (for V480 S/N).

Setting Group Power/FEC:

• Touch Screen: Press and hold a group box to switch among M (manual) flash, TTL auto flash, and OFF. If the value is white, the group is in M mode. If green, it’s in TTL mode. Click the – or + icons or pull the progress bar to adjust power or FEC.

• Buttons and Select Dial: Rotate the dial to select a group and press the set button. Press and hold the set button to switch between M, TTL, and OFF. Rotate the dial to adjust the power or FEC, then press the set button to exit.

Adjust Parameters Uniformly:

• Touch Screen: Click the – or + icon to increase or decrease the flash power or FEC amount for all groups uniformly.

• Buttons and Select Dial: Rotate the dial to select a group, press the set button to enter uniform adjustment, then rotate the dial to adjust all groups. Press the set button to exit.

To enter Receiver mode:

• Touch Screen: Slide the screen from left to right to show the mode interface, then click the “Receiver” icon.

• Buttons and Select Dial: Press the power switch button to show the mode interface. Rotate the select dial to choose “Receiver” and press the set button.

The wireless is turned on by default in receiver mode. There are five receiver groups: A, B, C, D, E.

Switching Groups:

• Touch Screen: Click the group icon to switch groups.

• Buttons and Select Dial: Rotate the dial to choose the group icon, press the set button to enter settings, rotate to switch groups, and press again to exit.

Setting Flash Mode (TTL/Manual) and Power:

• Touch Screen: Click the “MODE” icon to switch between TTL and M mode. In M mode, click the – or + icon or pull the progress bar to adjust power.

• Buttons and Select Dial: Rotate the dial to select the “MODE” icon, press the set button to enter settings, and choose TTL or M mode. In M mode, select the power box and press the set button to adjust the power.

To access other functions, slide the screen down from the main interface or press the power button twice.

• High-speed Sync (HSS): Enables the flash to synchronize with all camera shutter speeds. Convenient for using aperture priority for fill-flash portraits.

• Second-curtain Sync: With a slow shutter speed, the flash fires right before the shutter closes, creating a light trail following the subject.

• Photocell: Switch among OFF, S1, or S2 for optical slave triggering.

• Beep: The flash will fire with a prompt tone if the beep is turned on. Click the “Beep” icon to turn it on or off.

• Modeling Lamp: Click the “Model” icon to turn the LED modeling lamp on or off. Brightness is adjustable from 1 to 10 by pulling the progress bar.

• Screen Lock: Click the “Lock” icon to turn on the screen lock. Press and hold for 2s to unlock.

With a slow shutter speed in multi flash mode, a rapid series of flashes is fired to capture multiple images of a moving subject in a single photograph. You can set the flash frequency (Hz), the number of flashes, and the flash output.

Settings:

• Flash output range: 1/256-1/4 or 2.0-8.0.

• Number of flashes: 1-100

• Flash frequency: 1-100 Hz

Operation:

• Touch Screen: Click the “Multi” icon to turn it on. Slide the screen up to adjust parameters. Slide the numbers for “Times” (number of flashes) and “Hz” (frequency), and use the -/+ icons for flash power. Press the “ZOOM” icon to set zoom.

• Buttons and Select Dial: Select the “Multi” icon and press the set button to turn it on. Press the power button to see the parameters interface. Rotate the dial to adjust flash power, number of flashes, frequency, and zoom.

Calculating Shutter Speed: The shutter remains open until firing stops. Use the formula: Number of Flashes ÷ Flash Frequency = Shutter Speed. For example, if the number of flashes is 10 and the frequency is 5Hz, the shutter speed should be at least 2 seconds.

Note: To avoid overheating, do not use multi flash more than 10 times in succession. Allow the flash to rest for at least 15 minutes. A flash output of 1/1 and 1/2 cannot be set. Multi flash mode cannot be set in high-speed sync mode.

The maximum number of consecutive flashes depends on the flash output power and frequency (Hz).

To enter the wireless settings menu, slide the screen from left to right and click the “Wireless” icon, or use the power switch button and dial to select it.

Scan the Spare Channel: To avoid interference, you can scan for a spare channel. Click the “SCAN” icon to start scanning. 8 spare channels will be displayed. Click your desired channel to set it.

Channel Settings: If other wireless flash systems are nearby, change the wireless channels (01-32) to prevent interference. The sender and receiver units must be set to the same channel. Slide the “Channel” box to choose your desired channel.

ID Settings: Change the wireless ID (OFF/01-99) to avoid interference. The sender and receiver units must be set to the same ID. Slide the “ID” box to turn off the ID or choose your desired ID.

Wireless Sync: This function helps the sender and receiver to quickly set the same channel and ID. To use it:

• As a Receiver: Set V480 to sender mode. Assume a retro camera flash Lux Master is the receiver. Click the “SYNC” icon on both V480 and Lux Master.

• As a Sender: Set V480 to receiver mode. Assume a flash trigger X3 is the sender. Click the “SYNC” icon on both V480 and X3.

• When the sender and receiver units are both V480, wireless sync is also available.

To access the menu, slide the screen from left to right and click the “Menu” icon. The following table explains the menu functions.

This chapter explains how to use the GODOX V480 as a sender unit with other Godox flashes (like another V480, AD100PRO, etc.) as receiver units. Ensure the channel, group, and ID of the sender and receiver units are set to the same.

TTL: Wireless Multiple Flash Shooting in TTL Auto Flash Mode

Set the flash groups (A, B, C, D, E) of the V480 sender unit to <TTL>. No need to set the receiver units; they will automatically perform wireless multiple flash shooting in auto flash. Set the FEC value on the sender unit, and the receivers will follow.

M: Wireless Multiple Flash Shooting in M Manual Flash Mode

Set the flash groups (A, B, C, D, E) of the V480 sender unit to either the same or different flash output power. No need to set the receiver units; they will follow the sender’s power settings.

Wireless Multiple Flash Shooting in Different Flash Modes

Set the flash groups (A, B, C, D, E) of the V480 sender unit to different flash modes (e.g., Group A in TTL, Group C in M). The receiver units will automatically shoot in their assigned modes without manual adjustment on the receiver side.

Wireless Multiple Flash Shooting in Multi Flash Mode

Set the V480 sender unit to multi flash mode. Set the flash output, number of flashes, and frequency on the sender. The receiver units (A, B, C, D, E) will follow these settings. Each sender unit can set up to five groups of multi flashes.

Note: There is no group E in sender groups of V480 S and V480 N.

Bounce Flash: By pointing the flash head toward a wall or ceiling, the flash will bounce off the surface before illuminating the subject. This can soften shadows for a more natural-looking shot. The flash head tilts from -7° to 120° vertically and swivels 330° horizontally. If the wall or ceiling is too far away, the bounced flash might be too weak. Use a plain, white surface for high reflectance to avoid a color cast.

Use Reflector to Take Photos: Pull out the built-in reflector and wide-angle diffuser from the flash head at the same time, then push the wide-angle diffuser back in. This will produce a highlighted point (catchlight) on the subject’s eyes, making them more charming. This function achieves its optimal effect when the flash head is tilted up to 90°.

Use Wide-angle Diffuser to Take Photos: Pull out the built-in wide-angle diffuser to enlarge the flash lighting range for a more softened and natural lighting effect. The ZOOM value is fixed at 14mm when the wide-angle diffuser is pulled out.

This feature is only available on the V480 S model when used with a camera equipped with a global shutter image sensor. It allows the flash to synchronize with the entire range of shutter speeds available on the camera, enabling more effective flash exposures than conventional high-speed sync (HSS).

1. In TTL auto flash mode: The flash will synchronize properly at both low and high shutter speeds. Compared to a non-global shutter camera, the HSS flash time is shorter (about 2-5 milliseconds), the recycle time is faster, and the camera can take more shots.

2. In M (manual) flash mode: For high-speed shutters (faster than 1/600), you can use single pulse flash (not HSS) by adjusting the camera’s flash delay time to match the exposure time. This allows you to shoot with a more appropriate amount of light and provides a better flash index for the same power compared to HSS mode.

To set Flash Timing: Go to Camera Menu -> (Exposure/Color) -> [Flash] -> [Flash Timing Setting] -> [On] -> Set the flash timing to the desired value.

How to Match the Flash and the Shutter:

Set the flash to M (manual) mode and turn on ADJ in the camera flash timing settings. Input the ADJ parameter, which is related to your camera and flash. For a V480 S with an A9MIII, this parameter is about 140 microseconds (wireless off) or 540 microseconds (wireless on). After setting this, adjust the camera shutter to 1/80000 and the flash power to 1/256. You can then finetune the ADJ parameters for optimal exposure.

Over-Temperature Protection: To avoid overheating and deteriorating the flash head, do not fire more than the specified number of continuous flashes in fast succession. If you exceed the limits, the inner over-temperature protection function may activate, increasing the recycle time to over 10 seconds. If this occurs, allow the flash to rest for about 10 minutes, and it will return to normal. When this protection is active, the < > icon is shown on the LCD display.

Number of flashes that will activate over-temperature protection:

Number of flashes that will activate over-temperature protection in HSS mode:

Other Protections (Error Codes):

1. Disturbed by the 2.4G signal in the outer environment (e.g., wireless base station, 2.4G Wi-Fi router, Bluetooth, etc.).

→ To adjust the channel CH setting on the flash trigger (add 10+ channels) and use a channel that is not disturbed. Or turn off other 2.4G equipment when working.

2. The flash has not finished its recycle or caught up with the continuous shooting speed, or it is in an over-heat protection state.

→ Please downgrade the flash power output. If the flash is in TTL mode, please try to change it to M mode (a pre-flash is needed in TTL mode).

3. The distance between the flash trigger and the flash is too close (<0.5m).

→ Please turn on the “close distance wireless mode” on your trigger. For X1 Series, press and hold the triggering button then turn on the device until the indicator blinks twice. For Xpro and X2T Series, set C.Fn-DIST to 0-30m. For X3 Series, set the triggering distance to 0-30m.

4. The flash trigger and the receiver end equipment are in low battery states.

→ Please replace the battery or charge it in time.

5. The flash trigger’s firmware is an older version.

→ Please upgrade the firmware of the flash trigger referring to its instruction manual.

6. The camera’s firmware is an older version.

→ Please upgrade the firmware of the camera referring to its instruction manual.

• Attach the camera’s mounting foot securely to the camera.

• If the electrical contacts of the camera flash and camera are dirty, clean the contacts with a dry cloth.

• Wait until the flash is fully recycled and the flash ready indicator lights up.

• If the flash ready indicator lights up but the flash icon is not displayed in the viewfinder, check whether the flash unit is securely attached to the camera hot shoe.

• If the flash ready indicator does not light up after a long wait, check the battery power. If the battery power is low (battery icon on the LCD panel is red), please replace or charge the battery immediately.

• When set as Wi-Off/Sender mode with the standby function on, the flash will enter sleep mode automatically after 90 seconds of idle use. Press the camera shutter halfway or any button to wake up the flash unit.

• When set as Wi-Off/Sender mode with the auto off function on, the flash will automatically shut down after 60 minutes (or 30, 90 minutes) of idle use. Restart the flash unit.

• When set as Receiver mode with the auto off function on, the flash will automatically shut down after 60 minutes (or 30, 90 minutes) of idle use. Restart the flash unit.

• Attach the camera flash’s mounting foot securely to the camera.

• If you used high-speed sync, the effective flash range will be shorter. Make sure the subject is within the effective flash range displayed.

• If the subject appears too dark or too bright, set the proper FEC (Flash Exposure Compensation) value.

• The focal length of the lens exceeds the flash coverage. Check the flash coverage you set. This flash unit has a flash coverage between 24 and 105mm.

• Set the flash coverage to auto flash zoom.

• This product supports firmware upgrade through the USB-C port; please use a USB-C cable (sold separately).

• As the firmware upgrade needs the support of Godox G3 V1.1 software, please download and install the “Godox G3 V1.1 firmware upgrade software” before upgrading. Then, choose the related firmware file.