Remember those vintage, old-timey flash bulbs with giant silver dishes used by old-timey photographers like Weegee? Well, if you've ever wanted to look like a 1930s news reporter when you take photos, rejoice!
Meet the Senior Retro Camera Flash, released by Flashpoint in the United States and globally by Godox. This ingeniously inventive flashgun is styled after those classic Prohibition-era flash bulbs – only you don't need to worry about magnesium phosphorus when it discharges.
• Looking for the best retro cameras? Look no further!
The Flashpoint / Godox Senior Retro Camera Flash is compatible with Canon, Sony. Nikon, Olympus and Pentax cameras, sitting in the hot shoe like any standard strobe – though it also has a sync port for vintage cameras. So it's perfect for retro bodies like the Nikon Z fc, Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III, Fujifilm X-Pro3 or classic film cameras like the Canon AE-1.
The flash deploys from its compact folded state (which looks like an oversized car remote key fob) with a nine-blade flash dish that unfurls for operation, along with a bulb that pops out.
Watch video: See the Senior Retro Camera Flash in action
A manual or automatic flash, it has one simple control dial that combines ISO, aperture, power and distance for ease of use. It carries a Guide Number of 46ft / 14m at ISO 100, witha fixed 28mm focal length spread, and its internal 1700mAh battery is good for 150 full power flashes. It can be triggered optically for both S1 and S2, but there is no built-in radio system.
"Instead, with knowledge of Guide Numbers and distance appreciation, consumer savvy is necessary," says Flashpoint. "The Automation is also a throwback to the days when camera TTL was not available, but thyristor sensors carefully placed on the flash did the trick.
"The light delivers dependable, repeatable output in 7 user-controlled output levels in Manual Mode. Auto takes the driver's seat with the flash exposure, but the photographer must set the appropriate f-stop on the camera body or lens. The shooter must appreciate the range of the flash according to an ISO ratio, distance, and subject matter tonal value."
The Flashpoint / Godox Senior Retro Camera Flash is available for pre-order now, priced $119 (approximately £99 / AU$174), with availability expected in September.
Pre-order the Flashpoint Senior Retro Camera Flash from Adorama (USA)
Pre-order the Godox Senior Retro Camera Flash from B&H (USA)
Read more:
Best flashguns and strobes
Nikon Z fc review
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III review
Fujifilm X-Pro3 review
