Camera flashes typically take up as much space as a mid-sized lens in a camera bag – but Godox says its newest light is just a quarter the size of a traditional speedlite. The Godox iT30 Pro is a compact camera flash, yet the list of specifications includes both beginner-friendly features and room to grow with advanced features like high-speed sync.
Announced earlier this month, the iT30 Pro isn’t Godox’s first tiny flash – but it is the brand’s first mini light with TTL. TTL, or Through the Lens, is essentially auto mode for flash. TTL automatically adjusts the light’s output based on the camera settings. Without TTL, photographers have to manually dial in the flash power, which can be a challenge for flash newbies.
Along with the TTL, a touchscreen design hints at a beginner-friendly design. Using that touchscreen and TTL, photographers can use flash compensation to add or reduce light, a stepping stone to learning full manual flash.
The iT30, despite its beginner-friendly TTL, still offers manual flash control. High speed-sync, a setting that allows the flash to work at shutter speeds above the camera’s compatible flash sync speed, is included. On the iT30, high-speed sync works for up to 1/8000 (and up to 1/80,000 on Sony cameras with a global shutter).
While high-speed sync is often tougher to find on a budget flash, the iT30 has a few other advanced features packed inside. The flash has a receiver built in, which means the flash can also be used off-camera with a Godox X3 or another 2.4GHz trigger. The flash also doubles as a trigger – I can see serious photographers picking one up to use both when traveling and then as a trigger for larger, more advanced flash units. This is especially true considering the iT30 Pro costs around $75 / £70 / AU$145, similar to the price of the X30 trigger.
Multi-mode is also included – this is a mode that fires the flash multiple times in one image, creating a duplicating effect, sort of like a double exposure, but in one image. Photographers also have access to front and rear curtain sync settings.
The compact flash unit weighs 120g, measuring 65mm on the longest side for a pocketable design. The battery is built-in rather than removable, however, and recharges via USB-C.
Small isn’t always a good thing when it comes to flash, however. A smaller light tends to create harsher shadows, although the iT30 has a built-in diffuser. The GN15 guide number indicates a lower power flash good for subjects around 15 feet from the camera, though that reach can be extended by using higher ISOs. The small size also means the iT30 doesn’t tilt to bounce the light off the ceiling, and compatibility with modifiers will likely also be far more limited.
While the Godox iT30 has some limitations, with the popularity of compact cameras, the tiny flash could be a popular option. The TTL is beginner-friendly, while the HSS and its ability to use it as a trigger indicate a bit of potential room to grow. I personally would need swappable batteries to choose the iT30 instead of a trigger so I could swap them out when the batteries died, but for short shoots, that USB-C charging looks convenient.
The Godox iT30 Pro is available for pre-order for $75/£67 now. The compact flash comes in variations that support Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus/Panasonic, and Sony; at this time, the flash doesn’t offer Leica, Pentax, or Ricoh variants.
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