Basically, HSS lets ur 6DII sync at high shutter speeds, which is huge for wide-aperture portraits. Godox Li-ion units recycle way faster than AA-powered Canon lights, making them better for events tbh. - Godox V860III-C Speedlite for Canon: Best all-around value with a 1.5s recycle time.
- Godox V1-C Flash for Canon: Round head gives way smoother light falloff for portraits. Both work flawlessly with ur setup... gl!

Seconding the recommendation above! Honestly, unless you're a hardcore brand purist, sticking with Canon-branded speedlites is pretty hard to justify these days. I've been using Godox gear on my 6D Mark II for years and it's basically never let me down, plus the savings are lowkey insane. Since you're on a $300 budget, you can actually get a killer full setup rather than just one flash. If you wanna save some serious cash, look at the Godox TT685II-C Flash for Canon. It has the exact same TTL and HSS specs as the V860III but runs on 4 AA batteries instead of that proprietary Li-ion pack. It's usually around $130, which is a steal. If you prefer the faster recycle times and not messing with AAs, then the Godox V860III-C Speedlite for Canon is definitely the way to go at roughly $230. One thing people forget is that the Godox ecosystem is built around their 2.4G wireless X-system. With the money you save over something like a Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT Flash, you should definitely pick up a Godox X2T-C TTL Wireless Flash Trigger or the Godox XProII-C TTL Wireless Flash Trigger. Being able to pull that flash off-camera for portraits is a total game changer and the 6DII handles it perfectly. The HSS works flawlessly even at 1/4000s when you're shooting wide open in the sun (at least thats what worked for me). Plus, if you ever add bigger studio lights later, they all talk to each other. It's just more flexible tbh... anyway, hope that helps!

My buddy told me the exact same thing last week. Guess he was right lol.

For your situation, I would suggest looking at Godox. Canon is super reliable, but honestly so pricey... you're basically paying for the name lol. I think Godox offers much better value for a $300 budget tbh. Not sure but iirc their wireless system is way easier to expand too. I guess build quality might not match Canon long-term, but for portraits it works great. honestly its your best bet!! gl

I’ve been deep-diving into the specs for my 6D Mark II too, and it’s kinda crazy how much the market has changed lately. When I started looking, I was totally overwhelmed by all the technical charts for flash duration and sync timing. I spent way too long comparing the signal reliability of different brands because I was scared of misfires. One thing I noticed in my research is that while Canon's own units have that legendary build, brands like Yongnuo have really stepped up their game with their communication protocols. Basically, I found that the Yongnuo YN685 II for Canon offers a lot of the same TTL and HSS data handling as the high-end stuff but for a fraction of the cost. I’m still a bit of a beginner with this, but it seems like the internal tech in these third-party flashes has caught up so much that you're mostly paying for the plastic quality and the logo on the front now. Do you think the build quality difference is actually noticeable in a studio setting? I’ve been wondering if it even matters if you aren't dropping your gear every day.