Soo I went through this exact struggle last year with my 80D. Honestly, I started out thinking I had to stick with the Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT because I was worried about the E-TTL communication being glitchy on third-party gear. But man, the recycle time on AA batteries was literally killing my workflow during indoor receptions... I was missing shots left and right cuz the flash was still 'thinking' lol. Anyway, I ended up grabbing the Godox V1-C Flash for Canon and it was such a shift. The technical reason why those Godox units feel faster is basically that Li-ion battery tech—it pushes power way more consistently than Ni-MH. I also tried the Godox V860III-C for Canon and the HSS worked flawlessly for outdoor fill light even in bright sun. It's kinda crazy how much more professional the light looks when ur not waiting 4 seconds for a recycle. I guess for me, the risk of going third-party paid off big time for the speed alone tho.

Late to the party but I gotta chime in here! I’ve been using the Godox V860III-C Speedlite for Canon on my 80D for a few months now and honestly... I’m so satisfied with it. The previous replies are totally right about the lithium battery—it’s a HUGE game changer for recycle times. I think it’s like 1.5 seconds even at full power? Way better than waiting on AAs when you’re trying to catch a moment at an indoor event lol. If you wanna stay under that $250 mark, the V860III is perfect. But if you can stretch like twenty bucks more, the Godox V1-C Flash for Canon is also AMAZING because of that round head. The light just looks a bit more natural, you know? Plus both have HSS for that outdoor fill light you mentioned. Check out the "FlashHavoc" blog—there’s a great resource there that breaks down every single Godox/Canon combo. It really helped me understand the radio triggers too if you ever wanna move the flash off-camera later. Tbh I was worried about third-party gear being glitchy, but the E-TTL communication has been 100% reliable for me on my 90D too. It basically works just as well as the Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT mentioned earlier but for way less money. Also, if you end up going the Godox route, look into the Godox Xpro-C TTL Wireless Flash Trigger later on. It makes controlling everything so easy. Seriously, I've saved so much on AA batteries alone that the flash basically paid for itself already. Hope that helps!! gl!

So in my experience, swapping Ni-MH AAs for a lithium-ion system was a total game changer. I used to shoot events with the manufacturer's flashes on my 80D, but the recycle time was realy a pain. I switched to a third-party setup with Li-ion batteries and it basically solved my problems: - 1.5s recycle at full power
- Better HSS consistency Honestly, that battery tech is highkey worth it to go with. gl!

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Yeah, honestly I’ve been shooting for a long time but flash stuff still feels like magic to me lol. I’m a big fan of the DIY route tho—basically trying to get that 'pro look' without paying for a professional service price tag. Have you checked out the Yongnuo YN685 II for Canon?? I use it on my 80D and it’s been great for learning the ropes without spending a fortune. - Yongnuo YN685 II for Canon: Really solid for the price, has E-TTL and HSS, and you can basically 'self-service' the setup since the radio is built right in. - Neewer NW655-C: It's a bit cheaper and works well tho, but the interface takes some figuring out yourself. I personally like being able to tinker with my own gear and not rely on a pro tech for every little setting, even if I'm still figuring out what I'm doing half the time. Do you think the recycle time is actually that much different on these compared to the big brands? I'm still trying to figure that part out tbh!!!

Like someone mentioned, the battery situation is just a mess. Honestly its ridiculous how much they charge for gear that feels so fragile nowadays. I’ve been shooting with my 80D for years and it drives me crazy how the quality of these speedlites just keeps going downhill while the prices keep climbing... it’s such a scam. I remember my first real gig where my gear just decided to quit on me halfway through because of a loose connection. I almost cried right there in the middle of the dance floor lol. You definitely want to be cautious with whatever you pick:

• Make sure to check the foot mount because they're way more fragile than they used to be.
• Be careful with those lock mechanisms that jam for no reason.
• Watch out for the overheating stuff because some of these units are basically paperweights after ten minutes of heavy use. Its just frustrating that we have to worry about this stuff when we just want to take photos. Before I really weigh in tho, are you mostly shooting in those super cramped indoor spaces or are you dealing with high ceilings? It changes everything when you're trying to bounce light...