soooo, i definitely get the struggle with the 80D and 90D pop-up flash... it basically ruins the vibe of a good portrait. Honestly, for your budget and those specific bodies, you've gotta weigh the "safety" of Canon vs the "utility" of Godox. I've been using the 90D for event work for a while and here's what i recommend: - Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT: This is the gold standard for a reason. The TTL accuracy is literally perfect every single time, which is HUGE when you're moving fast at an event. Since you're cautious about reliability, this is the "buy once, cry once" choice. It’s built like a tank and the weather sealing actually matches your 90D. It's the safest bet, but yeah, it's pricey. - Godox V860III-C for Canon: Ngl, the lithium-ion battery in this thing is a total game changer compared to fumbling with AA batteries. The recycle time is insanely fast, so you won't be waiting around during key moments. It handles HSS pretty well for outdoor shots too. - Godox V1-C Flash for Canon: Same great battery as the V860III, but with that round head. It gives a slightly smoother falloff, but idk if it’s worth the extra over the V860III unless you're planning to buy the magnetic accessory kit. Basically, if you're doing professional-grade events where you can't afford a single misfire, I'd say save up and grab the Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT. It just... works. But if you're looking for insane value and wanna get into off-camera lighting later, the Godox system is reallyyy hard to beat. Just be careful with third-party pins sometimes being a bit finicky on the hotshoe if you're rough with it... anyway, hope that helps! gl!

> I really need something with reliable High-Speed Sync (HSS) for outdoor portraits and a fast recycle time so I’m not waiting around during key moments. sooo i’ve been doing this for a long time and honestly? for your 90D, I would suggest going with the Godox V1-C Flash for Canon. i know you mentioned the price of the Canon gear is intimidating, and tbh, you're paying a premium for the name. the big technical win for the Godox is the Li-ion battery. The Godox V860III-C for Canon has it too. standard speedlites use AAs and they start recycling realy slow once the juice drops. the Li-ion packs in these Godox units keep that fast recycle time consistent until they’re basically dead. The round head on the V1 makes a wierdly big difference with how light spreads—it's way less "pointy" than the 80D's pop-up. Also, if you plan to go off-camera later, the Godox XProII-C TTL Wireless Flash Trigger is way cheaper than the Canon equivalents and works flawlessly with the 90D's hot shoe. just make sure to update the firmware first... it can be a bit glitchy out of the box. gl!

Big if true

Just saw this thread and honestly Jacob is spot on about those lithium batteries. They really do change the game for long events when you dont have time to swap out AA cells every twenty minutes. I would just say be careful with some of those third party builds though... the hot shoe pins can be a little temperamental if you're swapping them on and off the 90D too fast.

• watch the mounting locks so they dont jam
• definitely check if the firmware is up to date out of the box It reminds me of this chaotic wedding I shot back in the day. I was so focused on my settings that I didn't notice the catering staff moving a literal tower of champagne right behind me. I backed up just an inch and almost took down the whole wedding budget in one go. The father of the bride had to grab my shoulder to stop me from face-planting into the cake. I was so embarrassed I barely ate any of the food, and they had those fancy mini sliders too. I still think about those sliders sometimes when I'm hungry at 2 AM. anyway lol

Can confirm this works. Did the same thing on mine and its been solid ever since.

Ok so, for that budget, I'd definitely go with a third-party brand like Godox. Like others mentioned, official Canon gear is just way too expensive for what you're getting. * Li-ion batteries = way faster recycle times
* Built-in radio makes off-camera setup easy
* Way better value than OEM It's basically a 'buy once' situation because you're gonna grow into that ecosystem later. Best value for money tho!

Helpful thread 👍