Godox has revealed an affordable new compact flashgun compatible with a variety of camera brands and models. The iM30Pro Mini Flash measures just 62 x 64 x 48mm (2.5 x 2.4 x 1.9") and weighs only 121g, making it suitable for almost any size kit bag. Thanks to its simple single-contact hot shoe design and standard PC sync port for triggering, the iM30Pro will work with a huge range of cameras, including classic film models. A built-in photocell also allows the flash to be triggered remotely for off-camera use.

Read more: the best flashguns for your camera

Despite its basic connection format, the flash still features an automatic mode: simply set the camera’s aperture and sensitivity, then the flash automatically calculates the correct exposure. Alternatively, a manual mode allows flash power adjustment down to 1/128 in 1/3-stop increments.

Unlike many budget flashguns that are powered by AA batteries, the iM30Pro packs a built-in 7.4V, 700mAh rechargeable lithium battery. It's capable of up to 550 full power flashes per charge, with a recycle time of just 1.5 seconds at full GN15 flash power. Battery charge level is displayed on a small color display on the rear of the flash, and this display also makes it easy to adjust flash settings.

Though it appears to be a fixed, forward-facing flash design, the iM30Pro is actually capable of firing vertically to bounce flash. The small flash head can be tilted upward, with a choice of four angles - 45, 60, 75, and 90 degrees - enabling various creative lighting possibilities. There’s even a pack of optional magnetic color gels and modifiers available separately which can be attached to the flash head to create additional special lighting effects.

The Godox iM30Pro is available to pre-order now from B&H, priced at $44.90. It is said to be compatible with select Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Olympus, and Sony cameras.

Flash photography has never really been a major part of my photographic career. Like many photographers, I have used flash when I absolutely needed to, usually in poorly lit rooms, dark venues, or situations where the available light simply was not doing enough. It was always more of a practical necessity than a creative choice.

But over the years, as camera technology improved, I slowly put the flash down. Modern cameras have become so good in low light, with incredible ISO performance, better sensors, and cleaner files, that flash started to feel less essential. Why carry another piece of kit when you can simply raise the ISO, open the aperture, and let the camera do the work?

That was my thinking for a long time, until recently, when I picked up a cheap camera flash for my Leica (a Zeniko ZA-12S, costing $40 / £48) and decided to take it out for a walk. There was no big plan, no technical experiment, and certainly no grand creative project behind it. I simply wanted to see what would happen if I added flash back into my photography, not in a studio or a dark interior, but out in the real world during daylight hours.

While exploring my local area, I stumbled upon a church and started taking photographs. Then I fired the flash. Suddenly, the images had something different. There was a punch, a lift, and a sense of separation that I was not expecting. The light gave the scene a different character, almost as if it had woken up certain parts of the image that would otherwise have sat quietly in the shadows.

What surprised me most was not that the flash worked, but that it made photography feel fun in a slightly different way. It forced me to think again. Instead of only reacting to the natural light, I was adding something to it. I was shaping the image in a small but deliberate way, and that changed how I approached the scene in front of me.

This is where I now see the real appeal of using a camera flash as a fill light during daylight hours. It is not about blasting a subject with artificial light or making an image look obviously flashed. Used carefully, flash can simply lift the shadows, add a little sparkle, and create a more balanced photograph. It can bring out detail in a face, a doorway, a stone wall, or a subject standing against a strong backlight.

For years, I thought of flash as something you reached for when the light was bad. Now I am beginning to see it as something you can use when the light is good, but it needs a little help. That is a very different way of thinking, and it has made me look at a familiar piece of kit in a new way.

There is also something wonderfully freeing about using a simple, inexpensive flash. It does not need to be complicated. You do not need a full lighting setup, stands, modifiers, or a studio bag full of accessories. Sometimes, one small flash on top of the camera is enough to completely change how you approach a walk around town.

Of course, this is not going to replace my love of natural light, and I am certainly not about to turn every photograph into a flash-heavy experiment. But it has reminded me that photography should be playful. It should involve trying things, making mistakes, and occasionally rediscovering tools you thought you had left behind.

For me, adding a flash back into my camera bag has been one of those small creative jolts that makes photography feel exciting again. It has made me slow down, experiment, and look for ways to add light rather than simply chase it. And, perhaps most importantly, it has reminded me that sometimes the cheapest bit of kit can have the biggest impact on how you see the world.

Check out our guide to the best camera flashguns

On-camera flashes tend to create harsh shadows that are unflattering for portraits, but off-camera flash is not only challenging to learn, but also bulky to pack. But retro-styled light maker Harlowe has an unusual solution: a flash with “legs.”

The Harlowe Pocket Flash is a small camera flash that also doubles as a constant LED light for video. But what caught my eye – and immediately reminded me of the classic bionic detective Inspector Gadget – is that the little flash has legs.

I’m a portrait photographer, and on-camera flash tends to be unflattering for this genre (unless you’re intentionally going for a retro look or a paparazzi feel). But learning off-camera flash is a challenge, and packing one takes up a lot of space in my bag – not to mention requiring a light stand.

Harlowe’s solution is to give the Pocket Flash a lift system. By putting the light a bit higher than the camera lens, Harlowe says the flash creates shadows that are angled in a more flattering way – and it also helps fix the common problem of reflections on glasses.

The Z-lift system raises the flash about four centimeters (about 1.5 inches) from the hot shoe slot. That’s not a lot – larger pro hot shoe flashes will also sit a bit higher than the hot shoe flash. But the Z legs also look like it gives the small flash the ability to tilt and bounce – two features that will help create even more flattering light. The flash also supports magnetic diffusion domes and colored gels for more flexibility.

The Harlowe Pocket Flash doesn’t solve problems that high-end lighting gear already solves, but the ability to shoot higher, tilt, and bounce are features that are difficult to find on pocketable budget flash systems. The flash weighs just 125g or 4.4oz, which Harlowe boldly claims is less than some of the larger telephoto lens caps.

As an added bonus, the flash is also capable of continuous output, so it can be used as a video light too, or to check the angle of those shadows before shooting stills.

The USB-C rechargeable battery is good for up to 700 full-powered flashes, while photographers can dial down the intensity to as low as 1/64th power. As a continuous LED, the light can run between two to seven hours, depending on the brightness levels.

Small flashes aren’t as powerful as larger setups, but the Pocket Flash offers 2W in standard mode and 4W in boost mode. The color temperature of the light is also adjustable from 2700K to 6500K.

The Harlowe Pocket Flash launches at a $150 / £114 / CA$211 list price, but it’s also available in a Creator Kit with diffusers, gels, bounce cards, and a case for $199 / £152 / CA$281. The new flash is available directly from Harlowe as well as from retailers, including B&H in the US.

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Godox has released a new macro flash unit that offers a twin-strobe arrangement for close-up photography. The new Godox MF-T76 is very similar to the previous Godox MF-R76 - except for the fact that instead of a circular ring flash design, this offers to separate flash units that can be independently placed around the front of the lens. The MF-T76 will be available in three different dedicated TTL versions for Sony, Nikon and Canon interchangeable lens camera systems.

Ring flash and twin flash units are widely used in close-up photography - fitting on front of a macro lens to ensure even illumination, even when the camera and photographer are throwing the subject into shadow. As well as being used by wildlife photographers for close-ups of flowers and creepy-crawlies, they are widely used by medical photographers, forensic investigators and dentists.

The flash power from the two units is 76Ws - with manual power settings range from full down to 1/256 power at one-third of a stop increments. As well as offering TTL automatic metering, there is a High Speed Sync, allowing you to use your camera's highest shutter speeds. The units also offer 2.4G Wireless X System compatiblity, so can work in unison with other Godox wireless flashguns. Built-in modelling lights to allow you to preview the lighting ratios, and to aid focusing.

The full range of compatible cameras according to the manufacturer's instruction manual is as follows:

F-T76 C (For Canon):
A type cameras: 80D, 90D, 7D, 6D, 70D, 750D, 760D, 5DMark IV, EOS 1DX, 6D Mark II, 77D, 800D, 5D Mark III, 5D Mark II, 60D, 7D Mark II, 200DII, 1500D, 3000D
B type cameras: 600D, 50D, 30D, 500D, Digital X
C type cameras: M5, M50, R, RP, R7

MF-T76 S (For Sony):
α77ll, α99, a77, DSC-RX10, α6000, α7R, α350, α7R ll(4.0), α7R lll, α7 III, α9, α7R IV, α7 R5、α7MIV, ZV-E10, A9lll, A7C, A7Cll, a6400, α6500

MF-T76 N (For Nikon):
D800, D750, D700, D610, D500, D200, D300S, D5, D4, D810, D780, D5300, D5200, D5100, D5000, D3300, D3100, D60, Z6, Z7 II, Z8, Zf

The Godox MF-T76 flash units are now on sale costing $249/£221/AU$389 – which is significantly cheaper than twin flash systems sold by Canon and Nikon. The US, the MF-T76 strobes will also be available from Adorama under the Flashpoint brand.

See our full guide to the best ring flash units for macro photography

Canon has introduced a new adaptor that finally allows you to use all of its RF macro lenses with its specialist Canon MT-26EX-RT Macro Twin Lite flashgun.

Launched alongside the sexier Canon EOS R6 V camera and RF 20-50mm f/4L IS USM PZ zoom, the Mount Ring A allows you to mount the twin-tube flash system for use with a further three RF lenses – the two remaining RF macros, and the popular 'nifty fifty' RF 50mm f/1.8.

The three lenses that now gain compatibility are:

• Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM (using supplied Macrolite Adapter LC)
• Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM (using supplied Macrolite Adapter LB)
• Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM (using supplied Macrolite Adapter LD)

Originally launched back in 2017, the Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-26EX-RT was designed to work with EF DSLR lenses, so has up until now only being compatible with selected RF lenses. The full range of lenses that the flash is compatible with before today was:

• RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM
• RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM (requires additional Macrolite Adapter 67)
• EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro
• EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro
• EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
• EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM (requires additional Macrolite Adapter 67)
• EF180mm f/3.5L Macro USM (requires additional Macrolite Adapter 72C)
• EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM
• EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM
• MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro

The Twin Lite system is primarily designed for use with macro lenses, allowing you to get even, shadowless lighting with close-up photography. This ring flash type of lighting is useful for those who specialize in taking photos of insects, jewelry, or coins. But it is also widely used by dentists and crime scene investigators.

The Mount Ring A adaptor set is expected to retail for $179.99 / £199.

Canon has issued an updated service notice warning photographers not to use lithium or lithium-ion batteries in its flash units – but the advice goes far beyond one brand.

While the notice specifically covers Canon products, the same caution applies across the industry, with manufacturers such as Sony, Panasonic, and Nikon all advising against using certain AA lithium batteries in their flashes.

It's a little-known issue – but an important one. Using lithium batteries in portable strobes and speedlights can lead to overheating, reduced performance, and, in extreme cases, damage to your gear or even a fire risk.

The risks Canon is warning about

In the official notice, Canon states, "Please note that lithium batteries and lithium-ion batteries cannot be used with the Speedlites/Macro Ring Lites/Macro Twin Lights, and compact battery packs in general.

"Please be aware that using certain lithium and lithium-ion batteries will result in an extremely high temperature of the battery." For more details, see Canon's service notice here.

The better battery choice

AA lithium batteries are popular because they're convenient. But convenience doesn't always equal compatibility – and in flash units, "higher-end" batteries can create more risk than benefit.

Many photographers simply aren't aware that manufacturers restrict lithium AA batteries in speedlights, or they don't check their flash manuals.

This is especially important in fast-changing or low-light environments such as weddings and events, where reliable flash performance is essential. It also applies to portrait photographers, while macro shooters often depend on flash for precise, close-up lighting.

For safer and more consistent performance, most manufacturers recommend switching to Ni-MH rechargeable batteries, which remain the most reliable option for professional flash use.

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Make sure to check our guides to the best rechargeable AA batteries and the best AAA rechargeable batteries.

Discover the best flashgun or strobe and the best photography lighting kits.

Truly compact camera flashes typically feature a simplistic design without a tilting head, but the Wescott S18 Mini Flash miniaturizes the hot shoe flash without skipping the ability to bounce light off the ceiling or walls.

For an appealing $39.90 / £39, the S18 Mini combines a tilting flash head, 19-step manual power control, and a USB-C rechargeable battery into a body weighing just 3.5 oz (100 g) and measuring 2.4 x 2.1 x 0.9 inches.

The -3° to 72° tilting head allows you to bounce light off surfaces to diffuse it for a dreamier look and feel. And with multiple optical slave modes, the S18 Mini also supports multi-flash configurations for comprehensive lighting setups.

While attention-grabbing considering the price point, these features alone don’t set the S18 Mini Flash apart from competitors such as the Godox iA32. The latter features a -7° to 90° head tilt range and both manual and auto modes, unlike the Westcott S18 Mini, which is manual only.

However, despite the reduced functionality compared to the iA32, the Westcott S18 Mini supports more productive workflows thanks to a USB-C rechargeable battery that delivers up to 500 full-power flashes on a single charge, recharges in approximately 2.5 hours, and can be recharged while being used. The Godox iA32, in comparicon, takes two AA batteries, which run out of juice after 490 shots.

A straightforward display highlights battery level on the S18 Mini and provides seemingly easy access to manual flash settings, with power being adjustable across 19 steps in a 7-stop range (3.0–9.0) with 0.3-stop increments.

Westcott says the S18 Mini Flash is compatible with “most” cameras from all of the major camera manufacturers via a universal single-pin hot shoe. Along with the flash, your package includes five color gels (Diffusion, CTO, 1/2-CTO, Yellow, and Red), a travel case, and a USB charging cable.

The S18 Mini Flash is available for preorder via the Westcott website for $39.90 / £39; some retailers have already begun taking pre-orders, including Adorama and B&H in the US.

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See our expert review of the best flashguns for your camera, which we’ve put through hands-on testing.

There has been a flurry or ‘retro’ mini flashes recently, from the likes of Godox and other manufacturers, as well as the Viltrox Vintage Z1. The Z1 marked the company’s first foray into the on-camera flash market, followed by the uber-modern ‘mech-inspired’ Viltrox Spark Z3. The latest Z2 reverts to retro styling but like the Z3 and unlike the Z1, it’s a dedicated rather than manual-only flash, again available in Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony options.

Designed to be compact, lightweight and easy to use, the Z2 aims to be one of the best flashguns on the market, at least if you’re after a low-budget retro TTL option and don’t mind a modest maximum power rating and a relatively basic set of features.

Viltrox Vintage Z2: Specifications

Viltrox Vintage Z2: Price

Own-brand dedicated flashguns from camera manufacturers can be notoriously expensive. By stark contrast, the Viltrox Vintage Z2 is incredibly inexpensive, with a list price of just $36.99 / £31.99 / AU$ TBA. Sure, it’s ‘only’ a mini-flash with a fairly basic set of features but even so, it’s great value for money. For comparison, the Viltrox Spark Z3 which is available in the same range of dedicated options, sells for more than twice the price at $79 / £66 / AU$119.

Viltrox Vintage Z2: Design & Handling

Adhering to the ‘KISS’ principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid), the Viltrox Z2 looks disarmingly straightforward. There’s a small flash tube up top, somewhat reminiscent of the pop-up flash built into a number of cameras. That said, the number of recent cameras that actually feature a pop-up flash is somewhat diminished, making the addition of a separate mini-flash all the more desirable.

Flip the flash around in your hand, from front to back, and you’ll see a similarly simplistic rear panel. There’s no LCD info screen, let alone a color touchscreen as featured in a growing range of larger flashguns. Instead, you get a basic rank of status lamps, the first indicating that the flash is in Auto (TTL, Through The Lens) flash metering mode, where the output power is adjusted automatically depending on the shot conditions and the distance to the subject.

The rest of the status lamps in the line-up indicate manual power settings. There are only five in total, ranging from 1/16^th to full 1/1 power settings, with no interim one-third or one-half EV steps. Most full-sized flashguns go right down to a minimum power setting of between 1/128^th and 1/512^th but the Z2 has a relatively modest maximum output, so the minimum value of 1/16^th is a fair shout. Similarly, the lack of a bounce and swivel head is entirely reasonable, as there’s not really enough power on tap to effectively bounce the flash off walls or ceilings to soften the lighting effect.

Flashguns that run on AA or AAA sets of batteries are a dying breed. Like most recent releases, the Z2 relies on Li-ion power and in this case, it has a built-in, internal battery rather than an interchangeable battery. The only real downside with that is that you can’t buy a separate, spare battery, which can come in useful if you’re on a long shoot and need to pop in a replacement battery rather than waiting around for the internal one to recharge. On the plus side, the internal battery has enough juice for around 700 full-power flashes, so there’s plenty of stamina.

Recharging is courtesy of a USB-C port and takes around 70 minutes. That’s if you’re using a basic USB charger with a conventional 5V / 0.5A output. As is often the case nowadays, you’ll have to supply your own charger as there isn’t one supplied with the flash.

The flash has a nominal daylight color temperature of 6500K +/-200K. Another vital statistic is the flash duration, which ranges from 1/16,500s to 1/50,000s, depending on power setting. As usual, the flash nods off to sleep mode after a period of inactivity, which equates to 15 minutes. After that, you need to press the power button to wake it up again. As I’ve mentioned, the Z2 is very small but not all versions are exactly the same size. The Canon, Fujifilm and Nikon dedicated options all measure 38x65x33mm (WxHxD) whereas the Sony version is 2mm or just under a tenth of an inch taller.

Viltrox Vintage Z2: Performance

For the most part, performance comes down to power and speed. I wouldn’t expect a mini-flash to boast much in the way of maximum power and sure enough, the Z2 has a meagre 10Ws power rating, resulting in a Guide number of Gn 6 / 20 (ISO 100, meters / feet). For the sake of comparison, that’s slightly less than the rating of the built-in pop-up flash of the Nikon Z50 II, and marginally more than the tiny Godox iM20 and Godox iM22 manual mini-flashes. It’s also less than only half that of the Viltrox Vintage Z1 manual flash, at Gn 12 / 40.

In practical terms, the maximum flash power is sufficient for close-ups and to supplement ambient lighting in dull, indoor shooting conditions, as well as to add a little fill-in flash for sunny-day portraiture. However, if you’re relying on the flash to illuminate larger spaces, you’re likely to need to bump up your camera’s ISO setting somewhat.

The spread of illumination covers the same width as using a 28mm lens on a full-frame camera (about 18mm for APS-C), which is pretty reasonable. A push-fit diffusion dome is supplied with the flash, which spreads the beam angle and softens the light, at the expense of reducing the maximum available power (by 1.33 EV in my tests).

It bears repeating that the modest maximum output power is insufficient for effective bounce and swivel flash, off ceilings and walls. Unsurprisingly, the Z2 therefore lacks a bounce and swivel head. There are also no RF (Radio Frequency) nor infrared slave modes, so wireless remote off-camera flash isn’t within the Z2’s remit. Again, the emphasis is on straightforward simplicity, the idea being that you simply pop it into your camera’s hot-shoe and fire at will. That’s fine as far as it goes, but the lack of bounce, swivel and off-camera flash means that the ‘direct’ lighting effect is bound to be relatively harsh and two-dimensional.

As I've mentioned, the supplied diffusion dome softens the quality of light a little. The pair of example shots in the following gallery are lit from the Z2 flash, first without and then with the diffusion dome fitted. TTL flash metering proved consistently accurate during my testing and manual power adjustments are easy to apply in full EV steps.

Some flashguns can be prone to sluggish recycling speeds, towards the high end of their output range. There’s no such problem here, the Z2 recycling almost instantaneously through much of its power range, and being ready for action just 2 seconds after a full-power flash. If you’d rather go Auto TTL rather than setting the flash power manually, I found that TTL metering was consistently accurate when testing the Nikon dedicated version of the Z2 with my Nikon Z6 III and Nikon Z fc cameras.

Viltrox Vintage Z2: Lab Results

We test all available features for each flashgun that goes through out labs. To test power output, we use a Sekonic flash meter placed at a distance of one meter from each flashgun. We check the complete range of manual power settings, in one-stop increments. Based on a sensitivity of ISO 100, the figures correlate directly with the Gn (Guide number) in meters. The results are double-checked by taking shots of a gray card with the appropriate lens apertures and using the camera’s histogram display in playback mode. We also use the gray card to test the accuracy and consistency of Auto and Auto TTL flash metering, where featured.

We check the speed with which each flashgun can recycle to a state of readiness, throughout its range of power settings, culminating in a full-power flash. We use freshly charged Ni-MH rechargeable batteries for this, or the supplied rechargeable Li-ion battery pack where featured in some flashguns.

The table below shows both the power output (Gn, ISO 100, meters) at each full EV step through the complete power range, from minimum to maximum output. The recycle speed in seconds is shown for the same settings.

The maximum output power is fairly muted, in keeping with the very compact size of the flash. Fitting the supplied diffusion dome reduces the intensity of light at each power setting by 1.33EV. Recycling speeds are good, being almost instantaneous at the lowest two power settings and rising to just two seconds after a full-power flash.

Viltrox Vintage Z2: Verdict

The Viltrox Vintage V2 makes me feel like repurposing the ‘KISS’ principle as ‘Keep It Small & Simple’. I love that it’s sufficiently compact to be eminently pocketable, and that it’s a real featherweight. The combination makes it easy to pack and carry, and the load is also pretty much unnoticeable when it’s mounted in your camera’s hot-shoe, for portrait as well as landscape orientation shooting. For portrait orientation shooting latter, I find that big, hefty flashguns can feel a bit unwieldy, especially on smaller cameras.

Naturally, the small, lightweight build comes with compromises. The maximum available power is somewhat limited and there are no fancy frills like bounce, swivel and zoom, nor any advanced flash modes like high-speed sync or programmable repeat. Even so, I feel the Z2 accomplishes its aim in being a simple yet effective and inexpensive mini-flash in Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony dedicated options, ideal for adding a little light when and where you need it most. And for the budget-conscious, it's definitely one of the most inexpensive dedicated flashes on the market.

Alternatives

PocketWizard has launched its smallest-ever transceiver: Plus Ve. Aimed at all photographers, from novices to experienced professionals, this remote flash and camera trigger is designed to be easy to use, yet feature-packed. It boasts Auto-Sensing Transceiver Technology, allowing it to instantly and automatically switch between transmitter and receiver modes on the fly. It utilises PocketWizard's E Release firmware protocol, which is said to offer extended range (up to 500 meters) and increased signal reliability. There's even a long-range setting that can increase range to as far as 6.4 kilometers / 4 miles!

The transceiver has 32 flash Channels and 6 zones, plus 80 Long‑Range Camera Channels with 5 Zones, making it possible to configure and trigger a variety of lighting set-ups, with multiple light sources covering different angles. A backlit color OLED display provides clear, easy to read channel and group information, and you control the Plus Ve using an intuitive user interface and soft-touch keypad.

The device is powered by an 800mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery which is user-replaceable and capable of running the Plus Ve for around 35 hours. It’s fully compatible with any existing PocketWizard using the same frequency, providing it's able to be upgraded to the E Release protocol (the Plus Ve is not backwards compatible with PocketWizard radios using Legacy firmware - Plus, Plus II, Max, MultiMAX, MultiMAX II).

Despite its rich feature set, the Plus Ve measures only 9 x 5.1 x 1.8cm and weights just 68g. Its antenna is concealed within the transceiver body so is much less vulnerable to damage. To use the Plus Ve, simply slide it into your camera's hot shoe - no other cables required. A single do-it-all sync port takes care of remote duties, using an industry-standard miniphone connector (dedicated remote camera triggering cables are also available for popular camera systems).

The PocketWizard Plus Ve is available to pre-order now, priced at $159.

Godox has just announced the new V1 Mid camera flashgun, geared towards photographers “demanding professional lighting in a more compact form”.

According to the manufacturer, the new V1 Mid flashgun achieves “brighter output, more even illumination, and smoother light transitions” in an even more portable design.

This V1 Mid is the latest flashgun in Godox’s TTL Li-ion Round Head lineup – the round head providing more natural, soft light fall-off at the edges of objects compared to traditional rectangular flash heads.

Godox has designed the V1 Mid implementing its optimized optical lens group which shapes light at the output stage. In theory, this further enhances smooth transitions and even lighting across the frame.

The new V1 Mid can take up to 650 full-power flashes on a single charge with a 1.7-second recycle time. While not the fastest flash on the market, the high output and decent response time suit to photographers needing to work quickly.

Godox has slimmed the V1 Mid down, packaging its professional power into a lightweight 14.5 oz (413g) with a battery inserted. Compared to the V1 Pro, which comes in at 20.4 oz (580g), and the V100, at 21.8 oz (619g), the weight savings are significant.

However, saving weight comes at the expense of versatility. Unlike the V1 Pro and V100 models, the V1 Mid flashgun is not compatible with the SU-1 sub flash – meaning less potential to achieve more contrasty, harsher images.

The V1 Mid features a user-friendly touchscreen for easy navigation and changing settings. Another nifty feature is that the battery supports USB Type-C charging as well as charging via a standard adapter.

All in, the new Godox V1 Mid camera flashgun looks to be a good choice for photographers wanting professional-grade lighting that can easily be packed away, but who don’t mind compromising slightly on functionality.

Godox has stated an RRP of $179 (approximately £131 / AU$256) for the V1 Mid flash, but prices may vary depending on your location.

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Godox has earned an excellent reputation for its flashguns, studio and portable flash heads, wireless triggers and wide-ranging accessories. In terms of flashguns, there’s plenty to choose from, starting with tiny, universal units like the Godox iM20 and Godox iM22, right up to the powerful and sophisticated Godox Ving V860III and Godox V100, featuring rectangular and round-head flash tubes respectively.

This iT32 & X5 kit is something rather different, and a bit of a game-changer when it comes to flashguns. The iT32 is the flash side of the equation but unusually, it has no mounting foot. You therefore can’t slot it directly into your camera’s hot-shoe. That’s taken care of by the X5, which connects to the flash with a simple push fit and is held in place by magnetic attraction. The X5 also serves as an RF wireless trigger that’s compatible with the full range of Godox X-system flashes. The kit is a really clever bit of design, the components of which work together with the aim of being one of the best flashguns on the market.

Godox iT32 & X5: Specifications

Godox iT32 & X5: Price

Own-brand flashguns from camera manufacturers tend to be notoriously expensive, but Godox has a reputation for manufacturing top-end equivalents at much more affordable prices. Even so, the sophisticated and powerful Godox Ving V860III costs around $229 / £220 / AU$400, and the Godox V100 lists for about $349 / £330 / AU$600. They’re certainly not ‘cheap’.

The complete kit of Godox iT32 flash with your choice of X5 hot-shoe mount/trigger is very keenly priced at just $99 / £89 / AU$179. Separate/additional components are also available, with the iT32 flash unit costing $79 /£71 / AU$143 and the various dedicated versions of the X5 costing $19 / £22 / AU$57. The Sony versions of the complete kit and separates are slightly more expensive.

Godox iT32 & X5: Design & Handling

This flashgun kit is different by design. Picture this… you’re doing a shoot with two different brands of camera, probably with different types of lenses, swapping between them as necessary on a shot by shot basis. Normally, you’d need a separate, dedicated flashgun for each camera. Not so with this kit. The iT32 flash is pretty much universal yet enables full dedication with TTL flash metering. That’s thanks to the separate X5 hot-shoe mounting module that’s available in Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm and OM System options. The iT32 flash is a simple push fit for the X5, the two locking together magnetically. You can therefore buy the requisite dedicated X5 modules for your different cameras, mount them in the hot-shoes, and simply move the iT32 back and forth as you please.

Okay, I concede that most people aren’t like me and probably only shoot with one make of camera. Even so, the iT32 & X5 still have a lot to offer in this scenario. That’s because the X5 isn’t just a hot-shoe mount, but is also a dedicated TTL wireless flash trigger in its own right. This makes it equally quick and easy to join the two components together for on-camera flash, or separate them for using the iT32 off-camera, for more creative lighting effects. Now that’s what I call versatile.

The dedication doesn’t just cater to TTL flash metering. It also includes front- and rear-curtain flash and high-speed sync, typically up to 1/8000^th of a second but including 1/80,000^th of a second for Sony cameras that feature a global shutter. There’s also programmable strobe/multi flash on the menu, for firing multiple flashes during a long exposure. And as well as magnet-mounted connectivity and remote RF wireless, there’s also the option of using a sync cable with a regular 2.5mm jack plug.

Most of what I’d expect to find in a regular dedicated flashgun is present and correct. It has a bounce and swivel head, onboard controls, and an LED modelling lamp. However, these are implemented with varying degrees of completeness. Talking of ‘degrees’, the bounce facility is -7 degrees (slightly downwards) to 90 degrees (vertical), so there’s no ability to flip it up and over for a slightly rear-facing orientation, unless you also employ the lateral swivel facility. This itself offers a full 180 degrees to the right, but only 90 degrees to the left. I’m more than able to forgive the relatively limited range of movement in bounce and swivel, because the iT32 is so quick and simple to swap to off-camera flash, where you can naturally point the flash in any direction you wish.

Taking a leaf out of the Godox V100’s interface, as well as that of the companion Godox X3 (Xnano) and Godox X3 Pro wireless triggers, the iT32 has a color touchscreen interface, rather than a more conventional array of pushbuttons. Suffice it to say that if you’re a typical C21st human with a smartphone, you’ll feel right at home with the tap and swipe control system of this flashgun. Even so, I’m pleased that Godox has also built a rotary control dial into the right hand side of the flash, which enables precise scrolling through power adjustments and menu options without an overload of tapping and swiping of the touchscreen.

Let’s talk of power. The stated Guide number for maximum output is Gn 18 / 59 (ISO 100, m /ft). That’s a lot more powerful than a pop-up flash if and where featured in a camera body, and beats most on-camera mini-flashes. Even so, it looks a fair way short of most ‘proper’ flashguns, which tend to be anywhere between around Gn 40 / 130 and Gn 60 / 200. But that’s not quite the whole story. Most serious flashguns have a motorized zoom head that stretches to a maximum focal length of between 105mm and 200mm, in full-frame terms. The maximum Guide number is generally stated at the long end of the zoom range, where the narrowed beam of light is at its most intense. With no zoom head, the iT32 is fixed at its most wide-angle setting, where its maximum power is more similar to that of other flashguns. On the plus side, I don’t feel I’m missing much with the lack of a zoom head in this case, as I’ll come to later.

The other side of the power equation is the batteries that run the kit. In keeping with modern designs, rechargeable Li-ion power packs are used in preference to AA or AAA batteries. As such, the iT32 features a 7.4V / 900mAh battery and the X5 has s smaller 3.8V / 100mAh. The upshot is that the flash has sufficient stamina for around 510 full-power flashes, many more at lower power settings. The other main plus point of Li-ion batteries is that recycle speeds tend to be a lot quicker, in this case equating to 1.5 seconds after a full-power flash. The X5’s battery lasts for around 16 hours and takes about 3 hours to fully charge when connected to the iT32.

As I’ve mentioned, the flash tube isn’t the only light output from the iT32. It also has an LED modelling light. That’s something I really like, as it enables you to preview the lighting effect and how it falls on the subject, especially when you’re using the flash off-camera. The other benefit is that, unlike DSLRs, mirrorless cameras can’t use the red autofocus-assist beam from old-school flashguns, so the modelling LED lamp also helps with autofocus under very low ambient lighting conditions.

I’d be content with just a modular flash and hot-shoe base / wireless trigger, but this kit also includes some smart extras as part of the retail package. The iT32 comes complete with a diffusion dome for softening the light, two color correction filters, a magnetic stand for off-camera use, a USB-C charging cable and a carrying pouch. Optional extras include a wider range of color filters, a wide-angle diffusion panel and additional, mix and match X5 bases / triggers. However, if you buy additional X5 units on their own, they’re not supplied with a carrying pouch or case.

Godox iT32 & X5: Performance

Flash is often called ‘the most available light’. If I’m in situations where I’m using a flashgun as the main or supplemental source of light, time is often of the essence. For weddings, events and other scenarios where you have to capture the action as it unfolds, you don’t have time to mess around with settings, and you generally have to get things right first time.

A critical performance factor of the iT32 and X5 is that they’re incredibly quick and easy to set up. Everything just ‘works’, whether you’re using the flash on-camera or off-camera, with amazingly fast switching between the two. On top of that, the color touchscreen interface makes it equally speedy and painless to make adjustments on the fly, so you can be confident of not missing crucial shots.

For comparison, I took three sample shots of a motorcycle model (7 inches in length) on a sheet of white paper. For the first shot, shown above, I used direct on-camera flash, with the inevitable results of a rather flat, 2-dimensional look and dark shadows.

For the second shot, again shown above, I used the flash on-camera again but bounced the flash off the ceiling, which gives a much softer lighting effect, along with a more 3-dimensional appearance. Notice how bounce flash has also banished those dark shadows from beneath the bike, compared with direct on-camera flash.

Although the maximum power output is very respectable for a ‘mini-flash’, I found that it’s only equivalent to using a quarter of the available flash power from my full-sized Godox Ving V860III at the latter’s 24mm zoom setting. The upshot is that when using bounce flash with relatively high ceilings or at greater distances, you’re more likely to need to bump up your camera’s ISO setting.

For the third and final shot, shown above, I separated the iT32 flash from the X5 and used the latter as a wireless trigger. Using off-camera, remote flash, I positioned the flash low down and to the right hand side of the model, to give a dramatic lighting effect.

With no motorized nor manual zoom head, the maximum power output looks a little underwhelming. However, the wider, fixed beam angle gives a good spread of light and delivers a softer effect when bouncing the flash off adjacent walls or ceilings. I always bounce my flash whenever possible, as it delivers an effectively larger source of light than using a zoomed, narrow beam directly. Bounced flash typically gives a much better, 3D look to images, and off-camera remote flash is so readily available that the lack of a zoom head is of even less consequence.

There’s also the possibility of removing the flash from its X5 base and physically moving it nearer the subject for direct flash, in lieu of a zoom facility. Ultimately, I found the power of the flashgun sufficient for indoor use, and the high-speed sync comes in handy for applying fill-in flash under a glaring sun. I found TTL flash metering pretty accurate and consistent when using all of my Nikon and Sony cameras.

Stamina from a fully charged pair of batteries for the iT32 and X5 lived up to expectations in my tests, as did the fast recycle speeds between even full-power flashes. At lower power settings, recycling speeds are pretty much instantaneous, and there’s also a programmable strobe / multi-flash option which you can set at up to 100 flashes at 100Hz.

Sometimes more is better. Multiple flashguns or studio flashes enable more exotic, creative lighting effects, so I’m happy that the X5 makes for easy triggering not only of the iT32 but also for other flashes in the Godox X system 2.4GHz RF wireless family, like my pair of Godox Ving V860III flashguns and the Godox AD200 Pro II and Godox AD600Pro II studio/portable flash heads.

There is a caveat though. While disengaging the X5 from the iT32 enables seamless switching to wireless triggering, without the need to manually pair the two, the wireless range shrinks from 80m to 20m. The X5 also has no onboard display screen, so for effectively controlling and triggering multiple flashes across the Godox X system, you really need to have the iT32 plugged into the X5, so you can make use of all the options enabled by its touchscreen control panel. That’s no big deal as far as I’m concerned and if it is for you, you can always get an additional standalone trigger like the conventional Godox XPro TTL/HSS or touchscreen-controlled Godox X3 (Xnano) or Godox X3 Pro.

Godox iT32 & X5: Lab Results

We test all available features for each flashgun that goes through out labs. To test power output, we use a Sekonic flash meter placed at a distance of one meter from each flashgun. We check the complete range of manual power settings, in one-stop increments. Based on a sensitivity of ISO 100, the figures correlate directly with the Gn (Guide number) in meters. The results are double-checked by taking shots of a gray card with the appropriate lens apertures and using the camera’s histogram display in playback mode. We also use the gray card to test the accuracy and consistency of Auto and Auto TTL flash metering, where featured.

We check the speed with which each flashgun can recycle to a state of readiness, throughout its range of power settings, culminating in a full-power flash. We use freshly charged Ni-MH rechargeable batteries for this, or the supplied rechargeable Li-ion battery pack where featured in some flashguns.

The table below shows both the power output (Gn, ISO 100, meters) at each full EV step through the complete power range, from minimum to maximum output. The recycle speed in seconds is shown for the same settings.

The maximum power output is fairly generous for a ‘mini-flash’ but only equivalent to about one quarter power output from most full-sized flashguns, at their 24mm zoom setting. Recycling speeds are fast, being virtually instantaneous at most power settings and dropping to a still quick 1.5 seconds after a full-power flash.

Godox iT32 & X5: Verdict

I’ve often been frustrated by the time and effort that it takes to switch between on-camera flash and off-camera remote flash, for different lighting effects. For the latter, you generally need to use a curly connection cable which is restrictive and inconvenient, or set up a wireless trigger and put your flashgun into receiver mode, which can be a bit long-winded. To my mind, the killer feature of the iT32 and X5 kit is that you can simply pull them apart for off-camera flash, and everything sets itself up automatically, then snap them back together again for on-camera flash. It really couldn’t be any more quick and easy.

I also like being able to use the same flash with additional X5 triggers to swap between Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm and OM System camera systems, rather than needing to buy complete flashguns for each type of camera. Sure, the iT32 isn’t the most powerful flashgun around and lacks a zoom head, but it has a smart range of features and intuitive handling based on a color touchscreen interface. The X5 module isn’t as fully featured as high-end wireless flash triggers but the iT32 and X5 combine to make an excellent kit, at a very competitive price.

Alternatives

I’ve been a big Godox fan for a couple of years, but the Neewer Z3 is enough to make me think about jumping ship. The Neewer company has been going since 2011 and has built up a big fan base across the world. The name has become synonymous with high-performance photographic kit at very competitive prices. That’s a heady mix. Headline acts include a variety of flashguns and studio/location flash heads, LED panels, ring lights, video lights, and related add-ons such as soft boxes, brollies, reflectors, and triggers, to name but a few.

I’ve recently been impressed with the Neewer RF1 Macro Ring Flash, but the new Z3 looks and feels more like the Godox V100 flashgun that I reviewed a while ago. Like its Godox competitor, the Z3 is a 100Ws flashgun that features a built-in RF wireless transceiver for master/slave operation with multi-flashgun setups, or remote off-camera use with the similarly color touchscreen-based Neewer QZ hot-shoe trigger. The Neewer Z3 definitely has its eyes on the prize, aiming to be one of the best flashguns on the market, available in Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Fujifilm-dedicated options.

Neewer Z3 100Ws Flash: Specifications

Neewer Z3 100Ws Flash: Price

Everybody loves a bargain, right? The Neewer Z3 100Ws flashgun costs around $280 / £236 / AU$430. That’s a sizeable chunk off the similarly specced Godox V100, which sells for $349 / £339 / AU$610. It’s also a whole heap of money less expensive than own-brand flashguns from various camera manufacturers, which have relatively slim pickings in their feature lists. Potentially, this Neewer gun is standout value for money. Let’s see how the design, handling and performance stack up.

Neewer Z3 100Ws Flash: Design & Handling

The whole design and handling characteristics of the Neewer Z3 revolve around its comfortably large 2.75-inch color touchscreen, so it had better be a good one. And it is. Fitting seamlessly into the range of gadgets for the smartphone generation, you can go anywhere you want to go and do anything you want to do with the minimum of taps and swipes on this intuitive, responsive touchscreen display. And as you’d expect, you’re rewarded with instant feedback in the way of information displayed about flash settings and adjustments.

I’ve picked out four of the main screens from the interface for the gallery below, which show how the illuminated touchscreen looks in auto TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering mode, the underlying menu that’s revealed if you swipe upwards, and then manual flash mode and programmable repeat / stroboscopic mode. I’m sold on the intuitive convenience, but take a look for yourself and see what you think.

Not just a pretty interface, this Neewer flashgun has a clever head. With an octagonal profile, it’s more rounded than the letterbox shape of most flashgun heads and includes a frontal lens for evenly distributing the light. Compared with regular flashguns, the rounded head of this one delivers a softer quality of light that has a nicer fall-off towards the circumference.

And that’s not all. Bounce and swivel functions are taken care of, with an extravagant range in both respects, comprising -7-degree downward to 120-degree rear-facing bounce, and full 180-degree swivel rotation to both the left and the right. In a nutshell, you can bounce the flash off any nearby wall or ceiling, with a full range of movement.

Fancy taking a shot in the dark? No, I thought not. It’s nice being able to preview the effect of flash and, to this end, the Neewer features not one but two powerful modelling LEDs. You can switch them on and off and adjust their intensity. Not just for a preview of flash effect, they also work well as autofocus assist lamps when using mirrorless cameras. For legacy DSLRs (dare I say it), there’s also a red AF-assist beam that you can enable or disable in the menu system.

I’ll confess to having a love/hate relationship with TTL flash metering. When I’m in a big hurry and need to best-guess a flash power setting for a defining moment with no time to compose a shot, I’ll take TTL any time. But if time is on my side, I prefer to test the waters and tailor the strength of the flash in manual mode.

The Neewer makes it quick and easy to swap between both modes, not just through the touchscreen interface but also with a straightforward M/TTL switch on the left-hand side of the flashgun. Sometimes a physical, dedicated switch is hard to beat. Just below this is a test-fire button and, unlike the piffling equivalents in most flashguns, this one fires the flash at the strength you’ve preset. Lovely. And below that, there’s another physical pushbutton for quickly reverting to the previous menu level. All is good.

Let’s flip the flashgun over and take a peek at the right-hand side. Top of the tree is a power on/off button. Simply use a long-press to switch the flashgun on or off, with no need for supplemental touchscreen taps or swipes to confirm. Just below this is a dedicated button for turning the modelling lamps on or off. There’s also a 2.5mm sync socket for retro cable-linked rather than RF wireless sync. At least cable connectivity is catered for, although it’s not the favored option in this RF-linked day and age.

Next up are not one but two USB-C ports. The first one is colored black and is a data port for applying firmware updates if and when needed. The second is an integral part of the Li-ion battery that powers the flashgun, and is power color-coded in red. This one is for recharging the 3000 mAh battery, which takes around 90 minutes, if the battery is completely drained.

Some of the smaller Li-ion-powered flashguns I’ve seen of late have a built-in battery that’s fixed in place. I’m happy that the battery of this more powerful flashgun is an interchangeable unit. As such, you can buy a spare for backup if you tend to take on prolonged sessions. You can also charge up your spare battery while using the other one slotted into the flashgun. It’s a good way of keeping pace with the busiest workloads.

The collection can sometimes be more than the sum of the parts, and the Neewer comes on strong in this respect. I was pleased to find many and varied components in the box, including the flashgun itself, the Li-ion battery, a carrying case, a cold-shoe stand with a metal threaded 1/4-inch socket, a USB charging cable (but no mains charger), a clip-on diffusion dome, and even a rubber weather-seal shroud for the hot-shoe foot. All in all, it’s a very complete kit.

Back in days gone by, I used to religiously use a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce diffusion dome with most of the flash-lit shots that I took. I’ve since moved on to using bounce flash more often, but a diffusion dome is still a great tactical weapon to have in your arsenal of winning flash accessories. A clip-on diffusion dome for the Z3 is supplied as part of the kit, giving you the opportunity of softening the quality of light without paying for optional extras.

Neewer Z3 100Ws Flash: Performance

There’s plenty of power on tap. In my lab tests using a Sekonic flash meter, the Neewer outgunned the Godox V100 round-headed flashgun for maximum power at longer zoom settings, the Godox also being rated at 100Ws. In old money, the Neewer equates to a Guide number of Gn 45 (meters, ISO 100) at the longest 105mm zoom setting.

The overall zoom range is actually the same as in the Godox, at 28-105mm. That’s fine as far as it goes, but wide-angle coverage is a little limited compared with most conventional flashguns that have a rectangular flash tube. On the plus side, the Neewer is supplied with a neat clip-on diffusion dome that spreads the beam to wider angles. It also softens the quality of light, reduces specular highlights, and makes shadows less harsh.

One slight niggle, as far as I’m concerned, is that I couldn’t find a menu option for changing the very fine 0.1EV adjustment steps to coarser 0.3EV steps. I often prefer to use larger step changes, and the option is available in the companion Neewer QZ touchscreen wireless flash trigger, but not in the Z3 touchscreen menu. I sometimes found it a bit tricky, for example, to increase or decrease the manual flash power by exactly a single EV step. I’d end up using the main touchscreen scale to make roughly the right change, then use the virtual + and - virtual buttons to home in on the correct value in 0.1EV steps.

As I’d expect from a flashgun that runs on a chunky Li-ion battery, recycling speeds are very quick. In my tests, recycling proved virtually instantaneous all the way up to 1/4 of full power, 0.5 seconds and half power and 1.5 seconds after a full-power flash.

There’s plenty of stamina as well, with the battery being rated at 530 full-power flashes and many more at lower power settings. It takes about 90 minutes to fully charge a flat battery, which again is pretty quick. In another element of stamina, resistance to overheating is also good, and you should be able to shoot a burst of up to 100 full-power flashes before things start to slow down and you need to give the Neewer a break. You’ll probably be ready for a break as well, after all that.

Neewer Z3 100Ws Flash: Sample images

The following gallery of example images was taken of a model car measuring about 20cm / 8 inches in length. I set the white balance of my Nikon Z 6II to Flash and used the Neewer in direct flash mode, then at a 60-degree upward angle with the diffusion dome fitted, then without the dome, but bouncing the flash at a rearward 120-degree angle off the ceiling. Finally, for creative effect, I fired the flash with the diffusion dome fitted again but remotely off-camera, using a Neewer QZ trigger. The last option gives the most creative freedom over lighting effects. See what you think.

Neewer Z3 100Ws Flash: Lab Results

We test all available features for each flashgun that goes through out labs. To test power output, we use a Sekonic flash meter placed at a distance of one meter from each flashgun. We check the complete range of manual power settings, in one-stop increments. Based on a sensitivity of ISO 100, the figures correlate directly with the Gn (Guide number) in meters. The results are double-checked by taking shots of a gray card with the appropriate lens apertures and using the camera’s histogram display in playback mode. We also use the gray card to test the accuracy and consistency of Auto and Auto TTL flash metering, where featured.

We check the speed with which each flashgun can recycle to a state of readiness, throughout its range of power settings, culminating in a full-power flash. We use freshly charged Ni-MH rechargeable batteries for this, or the supplied rechargeable Li-ion battery pack where featured in some flashguns. The graph below shows the power output (Gn, ISO 100, meters) at each full EV step through the complete power range, from minimum to maximum output. The recycle speed in seconds is shown at 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and full power settings.

Power output:

As I’d expect, maximum power output rises at longer zoom settings but I’m impressed how the strength of the flash stays the same throughout the entire range in the shorter 28-50mm zoom range. At its maximum output setting and longest 105mm zoom setting, the Neewer edged ahead of the competing Godox V100 in my tests, returning a value of Gn 45 compared with Gn 38 (ISO 100, meters).

Recycle speed:

Recycling speeds are virtually instantaneous, from the minimum power setting of 1/256 all the way up to 1/4 power. Half a second is still very quick after a half-power flash, as is 1.5 seconds after a full-power flash. Unlike using alkaline batteries in a flashgun, there’s no slowdown as the Li-ion battery starts to discharge.

Neewer Z3 100Ws Flash: Verdict

I feel that the Neewer Z3 100Ws Flash is powerful and sophisticated, yet intuitive and easy to use. The color touchscreen interface makes everything I need very accessible and simple to adjust, and I like that the high-end features include a wealth of flash modes, along with a built-in RF transceiver, so it can be used as both an RF wireless master or slave in multi-flashgun setups.

There’s a nice range of extras included in the box, with a clip-on diffusion dome and rubber shroud that you can fit to the hot-shoe mounting foot. All in all, the Neewer is a great gun that delivers a lovely quality of light with excellent consistency. It’s also great value at the price. I’m hooked!

Alternatives

The most frustrating part of learning off-camera flash is getting the flash to sync with the camera consistently every time – but an unusual new flash has arrived that doesn’t need manual pairing when used off-camera. The Godox iT32 is a modular flash with a magnetic hotshoe that doubles as a wireless transmitter for unusual versatility on-camera and off.

The Godox iT32 itself doesn’t actually have a hotshoe mount. For that, there’s the Godox X5, which is both the iT32’s hotshoe mount and a wireless trigger.

The iT32 connects with the X5 using magnets, which means photographers can move from on-camera flash to off-camera flash without unlocking the flash and sliding it out of the hot shoe slot.

But Godox also says that the iT32 doesn’t need to be manually synced with the X5 trigger. The iT32 syncs automatically with the X5 and automatically switches to trigger mode when detached, so photographers can pull the flash off the camera and keep shooting without manual pairing.

The X5 trigger is designed to simplify off-camera flash by functioning as both the transmitter and the iT32’s hotshoe slot. The X5 trigger isn’t as advanced as Godox’s other triggers, but if the X5 and iT32 are physically connected, it can control multiple Godox flashes.

Separated, the X5 can only control select 2.4GHz Godox lights up to 20 meters away, but the range is up to 80m when both the flash and trigger are used together to control other Godox lights. The X5 itself has no screen, though the transmitter’s two buttons can be used to remotely increase or decrease exposure and swap from TTL to manual mode and back.

When used together, however, the iT32 has a touchscreen that works to control the various options and settings along with the side dial and buttons. Those options include TTL and manual modes, high-speed sync, first curtain sync, second curtain sync, and multi-flash mode. The flash is rated to a GN18 guide number with a 1.5s recycle time and about 510 flashes per charge.

The other perk of the magnetic hot shoe design is that the iT32 works with any major camera brand. Photographers using multiple brands only need to purchase multiple X5 hot shoes (the cheapest component of the new modular flash) in order to use the same flash across multiple camera brands and still have full TTL functionality.

Besides the magnetic attachment to the hotshoe/transmitter, the Godox iT32 also supports magnetic flash gels and a diffuser.

While the X5 and iT32 are sold separately, both pieces are required to use the flash. The iT32 needs that hot-shoe component for on-camera and off-camera use.

The iT32 retails for about $79 (about £60 / AU$121 / CA$111), with the X5 trigger selling for around $20 to $25, depending on the mount (about £19 / AU$38 / CA$35). The flash system is available for pre-order, including at B&H in the US; Godox hasn’t yet shared a ship date.

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Using your flash off-camera enables a massively wider and better range of creative lighting effects. Historically, remote flash comes courtesy of a curly cable that runs between your camera’s hot-shoe and the flash itself. Obvious drawbacks are that the distance is very limited and the arrangement is quite cumbersome. Wireless flash triggers are a much more elegant solution, cutting the cord and extending the range. ‘Dedicated’ wireless flash triggers are even better, as they enable a full range of flash modes and functions for specific camera systems, typically including the likes of automatic TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering and high-speed sync.

This Neewer trigger offers a full range of features and functions, while also making them easily accessible and adjustable via a color touchscreen interface. It works seamlessly with Neewer flashes, including the Z2, Z2Pro, Z3, Z880, Q4, and Q6. You can also buy a companion Neewer QR Wireless Flash Receiver, so that you can use it with other brands of flashgun. However, the range of dedicated versions only stretches to Canon, Nikon, and Sony. Either way, the Neewer QZ aims to be one of the best wireless flash triggers that you can buy, if you use one of these camera systems.

Neewer QZ Touchscreen TTL Wireless Flash Trigger: Specifications

Neewer QZ Touchscreen TTL Wireless Flash Trigger: Price

Flash triggers that I’ve used and come to rely on include the comparatively conventional pushbutton-controlled Godox XPro TTL/HSS, which is relatively inexpensive at $69 / £66 / AU$138, and the universal Elinchrom EL-Skyport Universal Plus Transmitter & Receiver Set, which doesn’t enable any dedicated functions but includes a receiver as well as a transmitter, and comes in at $140 / £142 / AU$260.

A more direct alternative to the Neewer is the Godox X3 (Xnano), which has a similar touchscreen interface and costs around $89 / £82 / AU$145. That makes the Neewer look a bit on the pricey side at $120 / £130 / AU$160, but it’s a really smart bit of kit and I think it’s well worth the money. Let’s take a closer look.

Neewer QZ Touchscreen TTL Wireless Flash Trigger: Design & Handling

Front and center of the design and crucial to the handling of the Neewer trigger is its high-definition color OLED touchscreen. This measures about 5cm / 2in on the diagonal, is easy on the eye, and a pleasure to use. Anyone from the smartphone generation will instantly be able to glide around its interface with a tap here, a swipe there, and a general feel-good factor that puts a smile on your face.

Let’s talk wireless. The trigger communicates with like-minded Neewer flashguns and studio/portable flash heads over a range of up to 100m / 328ft, or with other brands of flash slotted into optional Neewer QR Wireless Flash Receivers. Either way, you can configure these in up to five individual groups, labelled A through E, operating on any of 32 radio frequency channels and wireless IDs of 1-99. That should cover pretty much any eventuality.

Switching on the trigger simply requires a long press of the on/off button, rather than any subsequent presses or swipes of the touchscreen. On startup, the touchscreen shows the setup for the first three of five groups, labelled A, B and C, with the status of each. You simply tap and group that you want to adjust, or swipe up for groups D and E. Typical adjustments include (but are not limited to) TTL/Manual power options, flash metering exposure compensation or manual power output, modelling lamp on/off and brightness, and zoom that often ranges from 20mm to 200mm.

Further flash modes include high-speed sync, first/rear curtain flash sync, and programmable repeat/stroboscopic modes, if and when available in wirelessly connected camera and flash modules. I have to confess that while I’m a fan of touchscreens, I’m not completely crazy about them in all respects. For adjusting the likes of power settings and similar functions, I sometimes prefer a simple scroll wheel rather than swiping left and right, or up and down. The Neewer obliges by making both options available, featuring a physical scroll wheel with a secondary pushbutton action, in addition to the main touchscreen interface.

The slightly angled section of the top panel behind the touchscreen plays host to a test fire button and M (Menu) button, as well as the scroll wheel/pushbutton that I’ve just mentioned. Just behind this on the rear panel itself is a sliding button for locking the trigger into the hot-shoe of your camera. I think it’s particularly elegant and easy to use, compared with screw-action clamps and even locking levers.

Turning our attention to the left-hand side of the trigger, there’s a power on/off button towards the front and a USB-C socket towards the rear. The USB-C port enables charging of the internal 3.7V 1000mAh Li-ion battery, as well as applying firmware updates, if and when needed. A cable is supplied, but you’ll need to bring your own charger. It takes around 2.5 hours to charge a completely flat battery, which is then good for around 6-10 hours of use. Suffice it to say that a fully charged battery should last you for even the longest shooting session.

The main screen for controlling each flash or group of flashes gives direct access to TTL or manual flash modes, flash exposure compensation or manual power adjustments, the brightness of modelling lamps (or turning them off), and either automatic or manual zoom settings. In essence, all the main controls and adjustments that you most often need are literally right at your fingertips, with a clear and colorful information display. Such is the joy of touchscreen technology.

A swipe down from the top reveals a secondary menu, giving easy access to beep settings, a lock screen to avoid any unwanted accidental adjustments, modelling lamp on/off, and TCM mode. The last of these is one of my favorites, as it enables you to use TTL flash metering to get yourself into the right ballpark, then automatically convert this to a manual power setting that you can use as a base before making any fine adjustments. Alternatively, a long press or the M button also gets you to the above set of functions. In both cases, a Menu section at the bottom of the touchscreen gives access to additional settings.

The additional settings in question include RF channel and ID options, distance, sync type, zoom and TCM. The ‘distance’ setting gets around a problem I’ve sometimes experienced with wireless flash triggers not working at very close range. Go to this menu option and you can select alternatives of 0-10m or 1-100m, making triggering more reliable at any range of distances.

There’s one more menu option that I find particularly useful. By default, the trigger enables adjustments of flash power with compatible Neewer flashes in tiny increments of 0.1EV steps. I can find that overly fussy and sometimes prefer to make adjustments in coarser one-third EV steps. The setup menu enables you to switch between both options, as well as dialing in the lowest minimum power setting that you want to be made available, for example, 1/128^th, 1/256^th, or 1/512^th. Sometimes a more limited range makes operation speedier in practice.

I think that the Neewer trigger is neatly designed and beautifully finished. To help it stay that way, it’s supplied complete with a smart carrying case that’s fitted on the inside, has a zip closure, and a wrist strap. It’s a nice little extra that I’ve not often seen supplied with wireless flash triggers.

Neewer QZ Touchscreen TTL Wireless Flash Trigger: Performance

Reliability and consistency are key factors in the performance of a flash trigger. Throughout my testing, I found that I was able to rely on the Neewer to effectively fire the flash every time, so I never missed a shot. The two different ‘distance’ settings are a bonus here, as you can tailor the connectivity for short-range or longer distances of up to 100m / 328ft. As I’d expect from an RF wireless trigger rather than an infrared remote, the signal cuts through obstacles in its path and works around corners.

The other element of performance that I find crucial is that a dedicated flash trigger should make it quick and easy to remotely control and make adjustments to the functions of the flashgun or studio/location flash head. The Neewer really excels here, with an intuitive touchscreen interface that makes it simple to apply all sorts of changes to pretty much any and every function and setting. All in all, this trigger simply works, and it works really well.

The main bonus of any wireless trigger is that you can use your flash remotely, off-camera. The example shot above is of a model car that measures about 20cm / 8 inches in length. It was taken with a Neewer Z3 100Ws flashgun aimed directly at the car, while mounted in the camera’s hotshoe. The result is a typically 2-dimensional ‘flat’ looking image with no real modelling. Using the flash remotely, you can play around with positioning to enable more creative lighting effects. For the shot below, I used the flash down low and off to one side to give a more interesting dynamic.

Neewer QZ Touchscreen TTL Wireless Flash Trigger: Verdict

I think that the Neewer QZ is a next-generation flash trigger that takes the breed to a new level in terms of performance, convenience, and ease of use. At its heart, the HD OLED color touchscreen enables wide-ranging adjustments with the minimum of fuss and bother, in double-quick time. Couple that with the 100 per cent reliability rate during my testing when triggering remote flashes, and you’re onto a sure-fire winner. It’s certainly not the cheapest flash trigger around, but it’s definitely one of the best and most desirable. It’s simply perfect for wireless-enabled Neewer flashes, but don’t rule out buying an optional Neewer QR Wireless Flash Receiver for use with other brands of flashgun.

Alternatives

I’ve been highly impressed with Viltrox lenses for Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, and Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras over the last couple of years, ranging from unfeasibly compact, lightweight, and affordable ‘Air’ series lenses to top-notch ‘Pro’ and ‘Lab’ lenses. While the company majors in lens design and manufacture, it also produces camera monitors, photographic lights, and lens adapters.

Viltrox has recently branched out into on-camera flash units, and I was quick to snap up a Viltrox Vintage Z1 Retro Flash, which I reviewed recently. I liked that it had a pretty much universal fit, suitable for any camera with a central firing pin in its hot-shoe, but the flipside is that without a dedicated design, auto TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering is off the menu. You therefore have no other option than to dial in the flash power setting manually. The Spark Z3 that I’m reviewing here goes the other way, being available (so far) in Fujifilm, Nikon, and Sony dedicated options, all with Auto TTL flash metering in addition to manual settings. Let’s see what it has to offer.

Viltrox Spark Z3: Specifications

Viltrox Spark Z3: Price

Own-brand flashguns from camera manufacturers tend to be pretty pricey, even for fairly entry-level models like the Canon Speedlite EL-10 at $219 / £280 / AU$350 and the Nikon SB-700 Speedlight at $418 / £310 / AU$450. Third-party alternatives tend to offer much better value, one of my favorites being the relatively powerful and feature-rich Godox Ving V860-III at $229 / £175 / AU$350. However, all of these are full-sized flashguns. 

The Godox Spark V3 is much more compact and lightweight, and relatively basic, although it does include Auto TTL flash metering. I reckon the early prices popping up around the Internet of $79 / £66 / AU$119 make it potentially great value for money. For comparison, the fully manual and less powerful Viltrox Vintage Z1 Retro Flash costs around $50 / £48 / AU$76.

Viltrox Spark Z3: Design & Handling

I used to be able to guess what a flashgun would look like before even seeing it, and I’d be right pretty much every time. I’m guessing you’re the same. But a couple of recent retro styled flashes have taken me by surprise, and in a good way. The first one was the Godox iA32 and the other was the Viltrox Vintage Z1 Retro Flash. The Godox isn’t as basic as it looks at first sight, as it has auto flash metering (not TTL) and an internal bounce facility with an operating knob on the side. The Viltrox is a purely manual flash but looks just the ticket on retro-styled mirrorless cameras, and both models feature dual optical slave modes – more on that later.

The Viltrox Spark Z3 that I’m reviewing here looks and feels very different to both of the above. Let’s start with its looks. It’s styled differently to any other flashgun that I can think of, with what Viltrox calls ‘a mech-inspired design with visible photon core.' To my mind, it has a sci-fi look to it that wouldn’t be out of place on a film set. And that’s not all. The ‘visible photon core’ refers to a transparent section of the top cover so that you can see the electronic components laid out on their circuit board beneath. All very trick!

More than just tech-mech style over substance, the Z3 currently comes in three dedicated versions to suit Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony cameras, with rumors of a Canon dedicated version to follow. The key advantage is that automatic flash metering works ‘through the lens’. As such, when in automatic mode, the Z3 fires pre-flash pulses, which the host camera registers through its lens and works out the appropriate power setting accordingly. That’s all well and good but I often find that the theoretically ‘correct’ flash exposure that automatic TTL flash gives me isn’t what I want in practice, so auto flash exposure compensation is often required. Digital cameras beat analog film cameras hands down in this respect, as you can simply review images as you’re shooting and adjust the flash power as necessary.

In fact, after many years of trying to rely on TTL flash metering and being disappointed along the way, I tend to favor manual power settings most of the time nowadays. The Z3 again obliges with a simple Auto/Off/Manual knob on its rear panel. When the flashgun is turned off and you power it up, you can therefore simply turn the knob to the left for Auto TTL mode or to the right for Manual power settings.

While the transparent section of the top cover gives you something interesting to look at, there’s no LCD info screen, which would arguably be of greater use. There aren’t even any indicator lamps for power settings. Indeed, TTL flash exposure compensation needs to be set by using the menu system of the host camera, rather than directly on the flashgun. And for power adjustments in Manual mode, there’s a rotary knob just next to the Auto/Off/Flash knob. Instead of a rank of indicator lamps, which are often featured in flashguns that lack an LCD display, the knob simply has power values printed on it, comprising 1/64, 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and 1/1 settings. As such, you can set anything from minimum to maximum power, nominally in full EV steps. That might well leave you wanting finer, intermediate settings and indeed, most flashguns enable you to adjust the power in much smaller increments of 1/3^rd EV steps.

Fancy a little something on the side? A switch on one side of the casing hints at the Z3 having another trick under its see-through hood, in the shape of dual optical slave modes. Sure, it doesn’t have the luxury or range of RF (Radio Frequency) wireless communication, but you can set the flash to be triggered by a master flashgun in a multi-unit setup. Moreover, the two operating modes enable the Z3 to be triggered by a main flash in Auto TTL or manual mode, the latter also catering to studio flash heads as it ignores any pre-flash pulses.

One thing that’s lacking in the Z3 is a bounce and swivel head, although that’s not surprising given the compact and lightweight form factor. Even so, it can be a bit of a blow if you like bouncing flash off a ceiling or wall for a softer lighting effect. On the plus side, the Z3 is supplied complete with a white diffusion panel that you can clip onto the front. This not only softens the quality of light but also gives more wide-angle coverage.

Viltrox Spark Z3: Performance

The time-honored tradition is for flashguns to run on either two or more commonly four AA batteries. More recently, that’s given way to flashguns featuring rechargeable Li-ion batteries, either as a clip-in battery pack or an internal battery. The Z3 backs up its futuristic looking design with an internal 3.7V, 1800mAh Li-ion battery. Typical advantages over AA batteries are faster recycle speeds after high-power flashes, and greater stamina in terms of the total number of flashes you can get before you need to change or recharge the batteries. In this case, the internal battery can deliver 650 full power flashes (very many more at lower power settings), after which it takes about 70 minutes to recharge, via the Z3’s USB-C charging port.

I think the number of full-power flashes per charge is very impressive, considering that the maximum output is a pretty meaty 26Ws, equating to a claimed Guide number of Gn 16 / 52.5 (ISO 100, m / ft). The maximum output itself is rated a lot higher than the pop-up flash of most cameras. For example, that of the Nikon Z50II is rated at Gn 5.6 / 18. Either way, the Z3 actually delivered a maximum power equivalent to Gn 11 / 36.1 in my tests, one stop less than the claimed figure. On the plus side, the full step EV adjustments in manual power settings proved accurate in my tests, from full power down to 1/8^th, although they were less consistent in the lowest part of the range between 1/4 down to the minimum of 1/64^th.

I did miss being able to adjust the manual power setting in finer increments than full EV steps. The following gallery demonstrates the minimum available adjustments. The first shot in the sequence has what I feel is the correct flash exposure, at a power setting of 1/16^th. For the second shot, flash power was decreased by as little as possible to 1/32^nd and for the third it was increased by the minimum amount to 1/8^th. I could have done with some finer incremental adjustments.

When it comes to recycle speeds, Viltrox claims a super-fast time of just 1 second after a full-power flash, before the Z3 is ready to fire again. In my tests, the Z3 lived up to these claims and as I’d expect, recycle speeds after low-power flashes are virtually instantaneous.

I tested the Nikon-dedicated version of the Z3, using my Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z fc cameras, plus my old Nikon D7100 DSLR. I found that Auto TTL flash metering gave me consistently ‘correct’ exposures when using a number of different lenses and shooting various subject matter over different distances. The accuracy was borne out when taking test shots of a grey card and checking the histograms of the resulting images.

The quality of light from the Z3 proved very good and with a manual white balance setting, the color temperature was very consistent over the whole power range. With my Nikon-dedicated version of the Z3, I found that a wide range of flash modes was available through the camera’s menu system, although high-speed sync is not supported so you’re limited to the regular sync speed of the host camera body. That can be a bit of a pain when using flash to fill in shadows during sunny day portraiture.

The diffuser panel is of value for softening the light a little although, with no bounce or swivel modes being available, it has little effect on dark shadows. The following pair of shots was taken of some flowers in a vase from slightly above, with and without the diffuser panel fitted. The diffuser does soften the light and reduce the hardness of shadows but those shadows are still very deep.

I found the optical slave options worked well with good reliability, in both available modes. S1 mode is for use with a master flashgun in TTL mode, S2 when there are no pre-flash pulses. Either way, you can only use the Z3 as a slave flash in Manual power mode settings.

Viltrox Spark Z3: Lab Results

We test all available features for each flashgun that goes through out labs. To test power output, we used a Sekonic flash meter placed at a distance of one meter from each flashgun. We check the complete range of manual power settings, in one-stop increments. Based on a sensitivity of ISO 100, the figures correlate directly with the Gn (Guide number) in meters. The results are double-checked by taking shots of a gray card with the appropriate lens apertures and using the camera’s histogram display in playback mode.

We also check the speed with which each flashgun can recycle to a state of readiness, throughout its range of power settings, culminating in a full-power flash. We use freshly charged Ni-MH rechargeable batteries for this, or the supplied rechargeable Li-ion battery pack where featured in some flashguns.

The table below shows both the power output (Gn, ISO 100, meters) at each full EV step through the complete power range, from minimum to maximum output. The recycle speed in seconds is shown for the same settings.

Viltrox Spark Z3: Verdict

Many modern mirrorless cameras don’t feature a pop-up flash, all three of mine included. I like that the Viltrox Spark Z3 stands in admirably for this omission, being small enough to fit in a spare coat pocket yet slipping into a hot-shoe and delivering a sizeable chunk of power, surpassing that of any pop-up flash I’ve ever used in my older cameras. The Auto TTL metering is reliable and proved consistently accurate in my tests. Manual power output is quick and easy to adjust, although I wish there were finer increments on tap, rather than just full EV step changes. The ‘mech-inspired’ design is a matter of taste but I rather like it, and the supplied diffusion dome is a nice add-on. All in all, the Z3 is a really handy little flash and great value at the price.

Alternatives

When it comes to wireless flash triggers, most of us want one thing: reliability. If it fires when I press the shutter, I’m happy. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when the Godox X3 was introduced a while back; it not only worked flawlessly with my setup but actually made lighting feel simpler. It’s been a game-changer for my shoots, connecting instantly and never misfiring once.

Now Godox has announced the X3 Pro, and it feels like it's taking that already rock-solid formula and evolving it into something far more ambitious.

The X3 Pro is more like a command center for your lighting than a flash trigger. The first thing you notice is the 2.4-inch touchscreen, which replaces fiddly button-driven menus I’ve grown used to over the years.

It supports up to four groups simultaneously for real-time monitoring and control, but the system can handle up to sixteen groups in total. That’s a big deal if you’re running multi-light setups, as it eliminates guessing. No more menu-diving; just tap, adjust and shoot.

The creative shutter control features are exciting. You can now program single-shot, time-lapse and long-exposure sequences directly through the trigger itself – no extra intervalometers or clunky workarounds. This versatility saves time on location and opens up new ways to work with both flash and ambient light.

Connectivity has also been taken up a notch. The X3 Pro has Bluetooth integration, enabling you to pair it with the Godox Flash app to adjust power, groups and settings from your phone or tablet. I can already see how handy this would be on larger shoots, where the trigger isn’t always in reach or when I want to fine-tune lighting without walking back to the camera.

Under the hood, the X3 Pro builds on the proven 2.4GHz Godox Wireless X system, which I’ve come to trust. With 32 channels and 16 groups, it’s designed to stay rock-solid even in busy environments where interference could be an issue. And for those who like precision, there’s compatibility with the Sekonic L-858 light meter, which means meter-based syncing for ultra-accurate results.

Power isn’t going to be a problem, either. The built-in lithium battery promises up to a month of standby time and, with USB-C fast charging, you’re fully recharged in just two hours!

ABOVE: Watch the X3 Pro launch video

From my perspective as someone who’s lived with the original X3, this new Pro model looks like the natural evolution. I’ve relied on the X3 for its consistency and I’ve yet to see it miss a beat. Knowing Godox, I expect the X3 Pro will keep that same reliability while adding layers of control that will appeal to working photographers who demand speed and precision.

So why should you care? If you’re already in the Godox ecosystem, this feels like the most complete, forward-thinking trigger they’ve ever released. It’s compact, powerful, and designed to keep pace with the realities of modern shooting.

The Godox X3 Pro Wireless Flash Trigger is available for Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Sony, and OM System cameras. And available to order now for $99 (UK and Australian pricing to be confirmed)

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Check out our guides to the best photography lighting kits and the best flash triggers.

When it comes to flash, I’ve invested in Godox for work and play. I’ve been using a pair of Godox Ving V860III flashguns and a companion Godox XPro i-TTL RF wireless trigger for a couple of years now, for paid photo assignments and just for fun, pairing them with my Nikon Z system cameras. I’ve also been impressed with the Godox V1, Godox V1 Pro and Godox V100 flashguns, all of which feature a round rather than rectangular flash tube. For my money, they’re among the best flashguns on the market, and there are also the relatively tiny Godox iM20 and Godox iM22, which are manual flashes designed to work with a wide range of cameras.

The ML-150II Macro Ring Flash follows suit, with ‘universal’ appeal that enables it to work with any camera that has a central triggering pin in a standard-sized hotshoe. There are therefore no dedicated options and, unlike the more advanced, retro-styled Godox iA32, it lacks auto flash metering courtesy of a built-in light meter or optical slave modes. Even so, it aims to be a worthy competitor as one of the best macro ring flash kits on the budget-friendly side of the market.

Godox ML-150II: Specifications

Godox ML-150II: Price

Advanced macro flash kits from the likes of Canon and Nikon can cost anything up to $1,079 / £1,129 / AU$1,749 for the Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-26EX-RT, or $880 / £900 / AU$980 for the Nikon R1 Close-Up Speedlight Remote Kit and SU-800 commander unit. That’s a lot of money, even if you’re a pro photographer specializing in macro.

At the budget end of the scale, there’s the K&F Concept KF-150 Macro Ring Flash in Canon and Nikon dedicated versions, at $116 / £100 / AU$180, and the Neewer RF1 Macro Ring Flash at $108 / £130 / AU$168, which comes in Canon, Nikon and Sony dedicated options. In some world regions, the Godox ML-150II Macro Ring Flash undercuts them all, with a typical purchase price of $89 / £99 / AU$170, but it's a comparatively straightforward kit.

Godox ML-150II: Design & Handling

Think macro ring flash and you’re probably thinking of a two-piece kit that includes a control unit and a circular flash unit, joined together by a curly cable. And you’d be absolutely right in this case. While some macro flash kits like the Canon and Nikon ones I mentioned earlier have dual flash heads that you can position at various angles, ‘ring’ flash has a circular tube, as its name suggests. That’s definitely the design ethos behind the Godox ML-150II, but it’s a little different than most.

The K&F Concept and Neewer kits that I’ve mentioned above come in various dedicated options, to suit specific camera brands. Typical advantages include automatic TTL (Through The Lens) flash exposure metering and both of these kits also deliver programmable ‘Multi’ stroboscopic/repeat flash modes. That said, you might well not feel the need for a Multi flash mode in macro shooting, and the K&F Concept kit that I tried in its Nikon dedicated version only enabled Auto TTL flash with select DSLRs, but not with mirrorless Z-system cameras. That puts the Godox on more of an equal footing. It can be a bit of a moot point anyway, as many photographers (myself included) prefer to set the flash power manually for extreme close-up shooting.

The only real inconvenience is that with no dedication, the host camera doesn’t even know there’s a flash unit slotted into the hotshoe, switched on and ready to roll. With mirrorless cameras, you’re likely to need to switch off ‘live exposure preview’, as well as shooting in Manual exposure mode and changing the white balance to its ‘Flash’ setting.

A telltale sign of the lack of dedication is that the hotshoe of the Godox control unit only has a single connection pin at its center, rather than any peripheral pins. This is used for triggering the flash from any camera that has a regular hotshoe. And even if it doesn’t, you can often get a hotshoe converter for cameras that feature a non-standard hotshoe. There’s also a PC Sync socket on the side for cable-fed triggering.

With no alternative flash modes nor any auto flash metering and therefore no flash exposure compensation, the layout of the control unit is very simple. Instead of the usual LCD information panel and plethora of pushbuttons, plus a 4-way pad or rotary dial, the Godox gets back to basics. All you have to contend with is an on/off switch, a test fire button, and a pair of +/- buttons for turning the brightness up or down. It really couldn’t get any simpler, but you do get an illuminated display to show the current power setting.

The overall power range stretches from 1/32^nd to 1/1 full-power output. That’s not overly generous, considering that many macro ring flash kits offer two further full EV steps of power reduction, down to 1/128^th, and that the power is adjustable in 1/3^rd EV increments rather than the half EV steps of the Godox.

While the control unit is pretty much as universal as possible, the same goes for lenses with which you can use the kit. There’s a generous provision of eight attachment rings supplied in the kit, catering to lenses with a filter thread of 49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72 or 77mm in size. That covers all popular options from a very small 49mm right up to 77mm. As is usually the case, 77mm is the largest you can go, as it’s somewhat governed by the size of the flash unit itself. Suffice it to say that the kit should be compatible with pretty much any and every macro lens.

It’s not just the control unit that’s pared down for the ultimate in simplicity. The same applies to the flash unit. Most macro ring flashes that I’ve used have independent semi-circular tubes on the left and right, as well as LED lamps at the top and bottom. Both of the K&F Concept and Neewer kits are designed in this way. A key factor of ring flash for macro photography is that it delivers uniform, shadowless lighting. However, if you have two left and right tubes, you can alter the power ratio between them, to add a desired amount of shadow and 3D modelling.

That’s not possible with the Godox, as it simply has a single, fully circular tube. The lack of LED lamps at the top and bottom means there’s also nothing on offer for AF-assist or modelling lamps. One plus point of having a single, uninterrupted and fully circular tube is if you’re using the flash for portraiture rather than macro photography. In this case, you’ll be able to get those desirable and perfectly circular, halo-shaped catchlights in the eyes of the person you’re photographing. There’s always an upside!

Most of the Godox flashguns I’ve used, both large and small as well as in-between, feature a rechargeable Li-ion battery pack. It tends to be hot-swappable in the medium to large flashguns and built into the small ones. Advantages typically include super-speedy recycle speeds even after a full-power flash, and plenty of stamina so you can keep shooting long after traditional batteries have died.

This macro ring flash kit takes a more conventional approach, running on a set of four AA batteries. Godox reckons you can get from 300 to 1,000 flashes from a set of batteries, depending on power settings, and claims a nippy recycle speed of 2 seconds after a full-power flash. Naturally, you can use alkaline batteries, but I’d always go for a set of the best rechargeable AA batteries, which maintain relatively fast recycle speeds until they’re exhausted, and are then easy to recharge so you can use them over and over again.

Godox ML-150II: Performance

I’m not actually a massive fan of Auto TTL flash metering. That’s especially true when it comes to extreme close-up and full macro photography. I think it’s easy to get a feel for how much flash power you need when working at very short distances. It’s simple to dial in the required manual power setting, review the results as you shoot, and make any fine-tuning adjustments as you go. I tested the Godox ring flash with my trusty Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro, which has a fairly typical working distance between the front of the lens and the subject of about 6 inches, at its shortest focus setting for maximum macro magnification. That really is close, so you don’t need a whole lot of flash power.

As it turned out, the absolute minimum power setting of the Godox was about right for an aperture of around f/11 to f/16, depending on subject matter, when using my camera’s base sensitivity setting of ISO 100. Again, that’s at the shortest focus length and a working distance of 6 inches or so. I used these settings to take the following test shot of a Rotary wristwatch.

The quality of light in terms of white balance and color spectrum remain impressively consistent throughout the entire flash range, right down to the lowest power settings. That’s a particular challenge for flash technology, based on IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) electronics. The color pencils in the following shot have accurate color rendition but, without the split/dual left and right flash tubes, I was unable to accentuate texture and shadows in the bare wood areas of the pencils around the sharpened tips.

The claimed maximum power output of Gn 12 (ISO 100, meters) is only about as strong as you might expect from a tiny pop-up flash, if and when featured in a camera. It bears repeating, though, that relatively little power is required, due to the flash ring being positioned on the front end of a macro lens for extreme close-up photography, at very close working distances. Indeed, too much flash power at the minimum setting can be more of a problem.

When testing the Godox with a flash meter, I got a reading of Gn 8 at the maximum power setting. That’s rather lower than the claimed Gn 12, but I often find this scenario when testing flashguns. The built-in diffusion cover no doubt reduces the power of the bare flash tube, but has the advantage of softening the quality of light and reducing unwanted specular highlights. Either way, I found that at greater distances for looser close-ups, there was still plenty of power on tap.

Performance in terms of recycling speed proved pretty good. I found that the Godox nearly lived up to its claims of a 2-second recycling speed after a full-power flash, turning in a time of 2.4 seconds. As I’d expect, recycling after relatively low-power flashes is virtually instantaneous – time to get snap-happy!

The Godox has done well to reveal the finest levels of detail in the macro shot of a cut flower above, and of a tray of seeds below.

Godox ML-150II: Lab Results

We test all available features for each flashgun that goes through out labs. To test power output, we use a Sekonic flash meter placed at a distance of one meter from each flashgun. We check the complete range of manual power settings, in one-stop increments. Based on a sensitivity of ISO 100, the figures correlate directly with the Gn (Guide number) in meters. The results are double-checked by taking shots of a gray card with the appropriate lens apertures and using the camera’s histogram display in playback mode. We also use the gray card to test the accuracy and consistency of Auto and Auto TTL flash metering, where featured.

We check the speed with which each flashgun can recycle to a state of readiness, throughout its range of power settings, culminating in a full-power flash. We use freshly charged Ni-MH rechargeable batteries for this, or the supplied rechargeable Li-ion battery pack where featured in some flashguns.

The table below shows both the power output (Gn, ISO 100, meters) at each full EV step through the complete power range, from minimum to maximum output. The recycle speed in seconds is shown for the same settings.

Godox ML-150II: Verdict

These days, many of us are big fans of automation, from our coffee machines to the transmission in our automobiles. Delegate the work to someone/something else. This Godox macro ring flash is a purely manual affair, requiring a tiny bit more effort. But do you know what? I just don’t care. I think there’s a lot to be said for being Lord Of The Flash and being in complete control, having things exactly like you want them to be, and that goes for the intensity of ring flash in close-up photography.

Sure, I do miss the ability to set different power settings for a ratio between the left and right side of the ring flash, but the Godox is supremely straightforward and easy to use. It excels in delivering uniform, shadowless lighting for macro photography. All things considered, it’s a good bit of kit at a very affordable price.

Alternatives

If you go online and look for photographic accessories ranging from anything from camera batteries and grips to tripods, stands and other paraphernalia, it won’t be long before Neewer pops up in the results. The company has been going about its business since 2011 and has built a good reputation for designing and manufacturing quality kit at very affordable prices.

Despite a rapidly growing range of accessories in all areas, Neewer is best known for its lighting systems, which include flashes, LED panels, ring lights, video lights and related add-ons like soft boxes, brollies, reflectors, and triggers, to name but a few. The item I’m reviewing here is the Neewer RF1 Macro Ring Flash, which comes in dedicated options to suit Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras. I went for the Nikon dedicated version but all three aim to be among the best macro ring flash options currently available, especially if you’re on a tight budget.

Neewer RF1: Specifications

Neewer RF1: Price

What price a good macro flash kit? Own-brand options from camera manufacturers typically command serious money, like the Canon MR-14EX II Macro Ring Lite Flash at around $590 / £600 / AU$865 and the Nikon R1 Close-Up Speedlight Remote Kit at around $580 / £550 / AU$600, the latter also needing a Nikon SU-800 commander unit at $300 / £350 / AU$380, if your camera doesn’t have a pop-up flash capable of triggering it. By stark contrast, the Neewer RF1 Macro Ring Flash only costs around $108 / £130 / AU$168, despite coming in three dedicated options for Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras. That makes it potentially a top bargain buy.

Neewer RF1: Design & Handling

The RF-1 looks instantly familiar if you’re accustomed to ring flash kits. Eminently suitable for macro photography, it’s based on two separate control and flash units, joined together by a stretchable curly cable. As usual, the control unit slots into your camera’s hotshoe, while the flash unit mounts onto the front end of your lens. Some photographers use this type of flash for creating halo-shaped catchlights in people’s eyes during portraiture, but extreme close-up macro photography is their main claim to fame.

Typical of the breed, the control unit looks like the bottom half of a regular flashgun, but without the bounce/swivel flash tube on top. The control layout is also like that of many conventional flashguns, with a backlit LCD display panel and a collection of buttons and dials. Indeed, there’s the time-honored row of four context-sensitive buttons just below the LCD, along with dedicated buttons for Mode and Menu, and a Test button. There’s also a rotary dial with a Set button at its center. This again is fairly common, although many flashguns substitute the rotary dial for a 4-way pad.

The layout of controls and their operation is mostly intuitive, quick, and easy to use. For example, the Mode button comes with no unwanted surprises and simply cycles through the various TTL auto metering, Manual, and Multi (programmable strobe) modes on offer. In each of these modes, the left-hand and right-hand buttons of the 4-button strip are labeled on the LCD screen as Ratio and LED, respectively. I like that the illumination for the info screen lights up when you press any of the buttons or turn the rotary controller, making it easy to see and use in the dark.

My only slight complaint is that the rotary controller can be more fiddly to use than a 4-way pad. For example, the latter often enables full EV step changes if you press the left or right button, and smaller incremental changes of 1/3EV if you press up or down (or vice versa). The rotary dial isn’t too much of a faff if you’re adjusting TTL flash exposure in 1/3EV increments through a maximum of +/-3EV, but it can be a bit of a chore going through the whole 1/128^th to 1/1 power range in 1/3EV increments when using Manual mode.

The cable joining the control unit and flash unit is a heavy-duty affair and features anti-stress cushioning at each end. Naturally, the whole idea of the ring flash is that it connects to the front of your lens, whether it’s a macro or regular optic. Lenses come with a fairly vast range of attachment threads so it’s good news that the RF1 is supplied with no less than eight separate attachment rings. They go from little to large, the whole set comprising 49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72 and 77mm rings.

There are four lock/release latches for securely fixing the flash unit to whichever attachment ring you’re using, all of which have the same outer diameter. There’s a pair of spring-loaded pushbuttons on either side of the flash unit to enable quick and easy fitment and detachment.

Like many macro ring flash units, the RF1 features two separate semi-circular flash tubes, one on each side. This is by far my preferred arrangement, as it allows the power output of each side to be set independently, using the Ratio function. Each side tube isn’t quite a full semi-circle, which leaves space for two LED lamps, one at the top and one at the bottom. You can turn these on and off with the LED function, using them for AF-assist, modelling, or for filling in the blanks between the two side tubes when taking a shot.

Increasingly, I’ve seen flashguns for sale that feature a rechargeable Li-ion battery pack, which tends to deliver excellent stamina and very fast recycle speeds between full-power flashes. The RF1 is a more old-school design, based on the use of four AA batteries. Alkaline batteries are moderately suitable but recycle speeds tend to drop off noticeably after fairly little use, and you have to throw them away afterwards. I much prefer using a set of the best rechargeable AA batteries, which maintain relatively fast recycle speeds until they’re exhausted, after which you can simply charge them up and use them over and over again.

An alternative to using AA batteries is that you can power the RF1 from an external power pack. This is available as an optional extra, and has a connection cable that plugs into a socket on the front panel of the control unit, revealed by pulling out a weather-resistant flap.

An excellent accessory that’s supplied as part of the standard kit is a selection of white, red, yellow and green color filters. Each comes as a pair and fits individually over the left and right semi-circular flash tubes, so you can even mix and match if you feel the need. The white pair have added value, as I’ll come to in a moment.

Neewer RF1: Performance

When using flash in general shooting, especially outdoors or when bouncing it off high ceilings or distant walls, it can be easy to feel there’s never enough power. I found quite the opposite with the RF1. I tested it with my Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro, which like many macro lenses has a working distance of about 6 inches from the front of the lens to the subject when using the shortest focus distance, for maximum macro magnification. That puts the flash unit incredibly close to what you’re shooting, so very little power is required.

I found that the TTL automatic flash metering worked with a good degree of accuracy and consistency but I prefer using manual mode for macro shooting and most other scenarios, so I can be in complete control. Switching to manual, I dialed in the absolute minimum of 1/128^th power for both sides of the flash unit. At a 6-inch range, I found that with my camera’s sensitivity at its base ISO 100 setting, I still had to use a really narrow aperture of f/22 for a properly exposed result. Yes, I know that narrow exposures are great for macro photography, so you can get more than a negligible amount of depth of field. Even so, the minimum power setting puts things pretty much on the limit.

That’s where I found the white color filters came in most useful. As well as diffusing the flash from the tubes, they cut down the effective output by about 1EV, enabling an aperture of f/16 rather than f/22 at my lens’s shortest focus distance. It would be even more necessary if your macro lens has a shorter minimum focus distance that you want to take advantage of.

Neewer claims a maximum power output of Gn 15 (Guide number, ISO 100, meters). When testing flashguns, I invariably find that the maximum output doesn’t quite live up to the manufacturer’s claims but, in this case, the RF1 delivered on its Gn 15 promise. Going down to the minimum power setting for using both tubes, I got a power of Gn 1.8, theoretically equating to the use of an f/1.8 aperture when shooting at a distance of 1 meter, with a sensitivity of ISO 100. Naturally, you’re a lot closer than a meter from the subject in macro photography, hence the need for a much narrower aperture for a correct exposure.

Like most flashguns, large and small, recycling speeds are pretty much instantaneous through most of the power range. I didn’t notice any delay at all at settings from 1/128^th up to 1/8^th power, using both left and right tubes. Recycling slowed down to 1 second at 1/4 power, 2.2 seconds at half power and 3.8 seconds for full power, using both sides in all cases. That’s slower than the 2.7 seconds claimed by Neewer but pretty much what I’d expect.

Neewer RF1: Lab Results

We test all available features for each flashgun that goes through out labs. To test power output, we used a Sekonic flash meter placed at a distance of one meter from each flashgun. We check the complete range of manual power settings, in one-stop increments. Based on a sensitivity of ISO 100, the figures correlate directly with the Gn (Guide number) in meters. The results are double-checked by taking shots of a gray card with the appropriate lens apertures and using the camera’s histogram display in playback mode.

We also check the speed with which each flashgun can recycle to a state of readiness, throughout its range of power settings, culminating in a full-power flash. We use freshly charged Ni-MH rechargeable batteries for this, or the supplied rechargeable Li-ion battery pack where featured in some flashguns.

The table below shows both the power output (Gn, ISO 100, meters) at each full EV step through the complete power range, from minimum to maximum output. The recycle speed in seconds is shown for the same settings. The tubes of both sides of the flash unit were used at the same power settings throughout the tests.

Neewer RF1: Verdict

I really like the Neewer RF1. It works great as a macro ring light, giving me all the power I need (actually, rather more than I need) along with excellent versatility. And yes, it really is versatile, with separate left and right flash tubes and the availability of ratio settings between them, LED supplemental lights top and bottom, a huge range of eight attachment rings, plus a handy color/diffuser set of four pairs of filters.

There’s yet more versatility in the provision of TTL auto, manual, and programmable repeat flash modes, while build quality feels reassuringly robust. I found the rotary dial a bit fiddly for manual power adjustments, and recycling after a full power flash could be faster. However, overall performance is excellent, making the Neewer great value at the price.

Alternatives

K&F Concept has been designing and manufacturing photographic accessories including tripods, filters and lens adapters since 2012 and has earned a solid reputation along the way. I’ve been impressed by some of its products, and I’m not the only one. The company won a Japanese Digital Camera Grand Prix award five years on the trot, the German Red Dot Product Design Award and other accolades.

Renowned for making good products at very competitive prices, K&F is a global player with distributors in 56 countries, including ‘Kentfaith’ websites in the USA, UK and Australia. The product I’m reviewing here is the K&F Concept KF-150 Macro Ring Flash, which is made in two dedicated options to suit Nikon and Canon cameras. Both editions aim to be among the best macro ring flash kits on the market, I’ve gone for the Nikon dedicated version.

K&F Concept KF-150: Specifications

K&F Concept KF-150: Price

Typical of K&F Concept kit, the KF-150 Macro Ring Flash is very competitively priced, selling for around $116 / £100 / AU$180. That’s just a small fraction of the price of own-brand alternatives like the Canon MR-14EX II Macro Ring Lite Flash at around $590 / £600 / AU$865 and the Nikon R1 Close-Up Speedlight Remote Kit at around $580 / £550 / AU$600, the latter also needing a Nikon SU-800 commander unit at $300 / £350 / AU$380, if your camera doesn’t have a pop-up flash to trigger it.

K&F Concept KF-150: Design & Handling

The design of the KF-150 is typical of macro ring flash kits. As such, it comprises two main components, joined together by a coiled connection cord. The control unit sits in your camera’s hotshoe, and the flash unit connects to the front end of your lens. Generally, you’d use this and similar flash kits for macro shooting but it can also be used for portraiture, where it creates signature halo catchlights in the eyes.

The control unit itself has a layout of controls that will look familiar to most photographers. There’s an illuminated LCD display screen, below which sits a rank of pushbuttons that include a strip along the top and four buttons configured as a 4-way pad with a button at their center.

I found the control system to be clear and intuitive. The Mode button enables you to cycle through the various TTL, Manual and Multi (programmable strobe) modes on offer. There’s a Lamp button for illuminating a pair of LEDs and a Ratio button – more on those later. There’s also a button for back-illuminating the LCD display, making it easier to see when you’ve gone to the dark side.

In TTL mode, the 4-way pad gives access to flash metering compensation of up to +/-3EV in one-third EV increments, as well as flash exposure bracketing. For manual power adjustments, I like that you can use the left and right buttons on the 4-way pad for full EV step changes, and the up and down buttons for smaller 0.3EV increments.

The flash unit sits at the end of a reassuringly thick, heavy-duty cable and, as I’ve mentioned, connects to the front of your lens. Naturally, macro lenses as well as regular lenses come with a wide range of filter attachment threads, so the KF-150 is supplied with a fairly generous collection of six attachment rings, catering to threads of 52, 55, 58, 62, 67 and 77mm in size.

A pair of pushbuttons on either side of the flash unit act as release/clamp catches for mounting and removing the unit from the attachment ring once you’ve screwed it onto your lens. It’s simple and effective.

Rather than having a single, complete flash ring, the KF-150 adopts a familiar layout of having two nearly full semi-circular flash tubes, one on each side. This enables you to use the Ratio button that I mentioned earlier to fire each side at different power settings. At the top and bottom of the circular array, there are two LED lamps, which you can configure with the Lamp button on the control unit to act as AF-assist lamps or modelling lamps, or turn them off altogether.

Unlike many recent flash units that run on a rechargeable Li-ion battery pack, the KF-150 runs on the time-honored fitment of four AA batteries. You could use alkaline batteries but recycle speeds after full-power output tend to drop off quite drastically after the first few flashes. I’d always go for a set of the best rechargeable AA batteries, which maintain relatively fast recycle speeds until they’re exhausted, and are then easily recharged again for further use.

While the batteries slot into the right-hand side of the control unit, there’s an additional flap on the left-hand side. Open this and you’ll get access to a PC sync terminal for triggering the flash via a cable, and a socket for powering the kit from an external battery pack.

The kit is supplied with a chunky, multi-lingual user manual and a tabletop stand, the latter of which also has a threaded receptacle for mounting it on a tripod. Everything’s wrapped up in a neat padded carrying bag, which has a loop on the back for passing a belt or strap through it.

K&F Concept KF-150: Performance

I’m not generally one to complain that a flash has too much power, especially if I’m wanting to bounce flash off high ceilings or distant walls with a regular flashgun. However, macro photography is more of a game of inches. I tested the KF-150 with my trusty Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro, a lens that I’ve owned and loved for many years but which is now sadly obsolete. Even so, it’s still an excellent second-hand buy for Canon and Nikon cameras.

Like many macro lenses with a favored focal length of around 90mm to 105mm, the working distance of my Sigma between the front of the lens and the subject shrinks to around 6 inches at the shortest focus setting, for maximum macro magnification. The net result is that the flash unit mounted on the front of the lens is extremely close to the target. I found that even with the minimum flash power of 1/128^th dialed in for both sides of the flash unit, I generally had to set my camera’s sensitivity to its base regular value of ISO 100 and use a very narrow aperture of f/16 for well correctly exposed results.

Naturally, narrow exposures are often preferred for macro photography, so you can gain more than a tiny depth of field. Even so, the strong minimum power doesn’t leave a lot of room for maneuver. I also found that when setting the minimum flash power manually, there was often some variation between successive shots, sometimes by as much as 0.5EV.

The claimed maximum power using both left and right tubes is Gn 14 (Guide number, ISO 100, meters). That’s frankly overkill for ultra-short-range macro photography, but useful for more generalized shooting. In my tests, the maximum output power equated to Gn 11, which is still plenty, shrinking to Gn 1.4 at the minimum 1/128^th setting for both sides.

In my tests, recycling speeds were virtually instantaneous when using a set of NiMH rechargeable batteries, at all power levels from 1/128^th up to 1/8^th power. Speeds slowed down to 1.3 seconds at 1/4 power, 2.6 seconds at half power and 3.8 seconds for full power, using the flash tubes on both sides in all cases. That’s pretty much what I’d expect, although K&F claim a faster 2.9 second recycling speed after a full-power flash.

What I didn’t expect is that the flash wouldn’t work in TTL mode with my Nikon Z6 II or Nikon Z fc mirrorless cameras. When I tried the flash with in TTL mode with both of these cameras, the results were massively overexposed, the KF-150 seemingly firing at pretty much full power all of the time. That said, compatibility is only claimed for a variety of DSLRs, comprising the Nikon DF D5500 D3200 D3100 D3300 D5000 D5100 D5200 D5300 D7000 D7100 D600 D610 D750 and D90, so perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised. On the plus side, TTL flash metering certainly worked fine with my D7100 camera.

K&F Concept KF-150: Lab Results

We test all available features for each flashgun that goes through out labs. To test power output, we used a Sekonic flash meter placed at a distance of one meter from each flashgun. We check the complete range of manual power settings, in one-stop increments. Based on a sensitivity of ISO 100, the figures correlate directly with the Gn (Guide number) in meters. The results are double-checked by taking shots of a gray card with the appropriate lens apertures and using the camera’s histogram display in playback mode.

We also check the speed with which each flashgun can recycle to a state of readiness, throughout its range of power settings, culminating in a full-power flash. We use freshly charged Ni-MH rechargeable batteries for this, or the supplied rechargeable Li-ion battery pack where featured in some flashguns.

The table below shows both the power output (Gn, ISO 100, meters) at each full EV step through the complete power range, from minimum to maximum output. The recycle speed in seconds is shown for the same settings. The tubes of both sides of the flash unit were used at the same power settings throughout the tests.

K&F Concept KF-150: Verdict

I found the K&F Concept KF-150 Macro Ring Flash simple and effective to use. It’s a shame that TTL flash metering doesn’t work with my Nikon Z6 II and Z fc mirrorless cameras, even though it works fine on my Nikon D7100 DSLR. That’s not a deal-breaker for me though, as I prefer to set flash power manually for macro photography, as well as for most other types of shooting.

The control unit is well laid out with a clearly labeled and intuitive interface. The flash unit has the versatility of two left/right tubes for different lighting effects, plus dual AF-assist/modelling LEDs. I found that flash output at the minimum power setting was a bit of a movable feast and rather inconsistent, but overall performance is very good, making the KF-150 a smart buy at the price.

Alternatives

I feel the Godox XPro TTL/HSS flash trigger is a little reminiscent of the pro-grade Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT in its look and feel, which is no bad thing. Having bought and extensively used various Canon Speedlites and Nikon Speedlights, I’ve been a convert to Godox since testing and reviewing the Godox VING V860III TTL back in 2021. I went straight out and bought two of these flashes, complete with the XPro trigger, and have never looked back.

I’ve since been equally impressed by the round-headed Godox V1 and Godox V1Pro, even more so by the newer Godox V100 with its color touchscreen control panel. Touchscreen control is also featured on the updated Godox X3 (Xnano) flash trigger but the relatively old-school XPro is still a keeper as far as I’m concerned, and one of the best wireless flash triggers on the market.

Godox XPro TTL/HSS: Specifications

Godox XPro TTL/HSS: Price

In its various dedicated versions for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Micro Four Thirds and Pentax cameras (make sure you buy the right one), the XPro trigger costs around $69 / £66 / AU$138. That’s outrageously good value for such a full-featured, dedicated trigger that supports so many flash modes and functions.

Godox XPro TTL/HSS: Design & Handling

For the last few years, Nikon has been my go-to camera brand so, naturally, I invested in the Nikon-dedicated XPro N version of the trigger, which I use with a similarly Nikon-dedicated pair of Godox VING V860III TTL flashes. Unlike the latest Godox V100 that has a color touchscreen, my flashes have a conventional set of control buttons and a mono LCD display, which matches the style and layout of the XPro trigger to a tee.

The 2.4GHz ’X’ wireless system isn’t just limited to the XPro trigger and like-minded Godox flashguns. You can add Godox X1R hot-shoe receivers to other brands of flashguns, and the trigger is also directly compatible with the Lencarta WaveSync 2.4Ghz and XTR16 receivers, in addition to the Godox AD, VING, Lencarta ATOM and Lencarta Flash ranges. So for example, I could use my two V860III TTL Godox flashes with the trigger, plus an own-brand Nikon Speedlight SB-700 mounted in the Nikon-dedicated version of the Godox X1R receiver, which costs about $40 / £36 / AU$69.

For using multiple flashes, as well as ensuring that someone else isn’t triggering your flashguns, you can assign flashes in up to 16 separate groups, in as many as 32 different channels. And while it’s a wireless trigger, that’s not the whole story. Physical connection ports include a sync socket on the side and a USB-C port. The first makes it possible to fire flashes from a wired connection or even to trigger your camera while leaving the hotshoe vacant. The USB-C port enables firmware updates if and when needed.

Although its not a new-fangled touchscreen, the mono LCD is much larger than the ones often featured in wireless triggers. That makes it much easier to see and to read all the displayed information. I also like that it’s easy to read in the dark, thanks to a blue backlight.

Just to the left of the LCD screen are five ‘Group’ buttons for easy access. These enable you to control numerous groups and keep a ready reckoning of what’s going on via the screen. Down below are the main control buttons. There include dedicated flash mode, menu, TCM and flash test buttons, placed around a rotary dial with a Set button at its center. Immediately below the screen is a row of four context-sensitive function buttons, which mimic the controls of my V860III flash and many other conventionally styled flashguns from a variety of manufacturers. At the bottom right of the front panel is a multi-color status lamp.

All in all, the control system is fairly intuitive but you might need to take an occasional glimpse at the user guide until you’ve learned all the ropes. For example, there are two on/off buttons on the right hand side of the trigger. The labelling doesn’t make their actions entirely obvious but, as it turns out, one is the main on/off button and the other is for activating or deactivating the red AF assist lamp that’s built into the base of the trigger.

Another feature that might be new to you is the TCM mode, the button for which I mentioned earlier. This is a Godox trick mode that uses TTL flash metering to get into the right ballpark for the power output setting that’s required for the flash. It then translates the automatic value into a manual setting, which you can use as a base for making adjustments. Manual power adjustments for each group of linked flashguns is available in one-third stop increments, while Auto TTL flash metering compensation is also available in the same increments, to a maximum of +/-3 stops.

Other features that are available depending on flashguns and camera systems include HSS (High Speed Sync), for using flash at shutter speeds that exceed the sync value, often up to 1/8000 sec. You might also have access to controlling the modelling lamp in studio flash heads, and the programmable strobe (multi-flash) output of flashguns. The latter is useful if you want to fire a number of flashes during a long exposure.

Custom functions include the likes of sleep and standby timers, and whether or not a confirmation beep is sounded. Everything I need and want is covered, but, to be super-picky, there are a couple of points that could be improved upon.

Firstly, I like that the trigger has a battery level indicator and that the two AA batteries have an expected lifespan of around 200 hours. I’m not so keen that the level indicator is based on alkaline cells. I’m much more likely to use some of the best NiMH rechargeable batteries. Due to the lower 1.2V output of these cells, compared with 1.5V for throwaway alkaline batteries, the indicator shows minimal charge or none at all, even when inserting freshly charged NiMH batteries.

The other minor frustration is that while the hotshoe has a sturdy metal foot, its locking mechanism is based on a screw-action ring rather than a lever. I find the latter quicker and easier to use.

Godox XPro TTL/HSS: Performance

I’m not going to pretend that the Godox XPro TTL/HSS flash trigger is entirely straightforward and simple to use. It’s a very sophisticated bit of kit that supports many and varied flash modes, where available in different flashguns and camera systems. These can include Auto TTL flash metering complete with flash exposure compensation, high-speed sync, programmable stroboscopic repeat mode and manual flash modes. And that’s before you get into the business of controlling individual, multiple or groups of flashguns remotely, off-camera.

What I will say is that while some of the finer points of the trigger can take a little working out, the learning curve is smooth and not at all steep. The 2.4GHz radio frequency connectivity really does work over distances of up to 100m, as well as being able to transmit through or around obstacles, unlike infrared flash triggering. Over the last four years with extensive use, I’ve found triggering to be absolutely reliable both indoors and outdoors, which I certainly can’t say for infrared triggering.

I also love that the trigger has excellent stamina, based on its two AA batteries. The only slight niggle from a performance standpoint is that, as with a red AF-assist lamp in a flashgun as well as in this flash trigger, it’s fine for use with DSLRs but of no use for mirrorless cameras.

Godox XPro TTL/HSS: Verdict

I like that the Godox XPro TTL/HSS flash trigger is powerful, with a wireless range of up to 100m, and that it’s so versatile with support for TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering, HSS (High Speed Sync) and various other flash modes supported by compatible flashguns and camera systems. It feels solid, sturdy and very well made, although the interface looks a little dated and can be a bit confusing in places, and the battery level indicator doesn’t really work with NiMH batteries. Ultimately though, it’s an excellent flash trigger that’s great value for money.

Alternatives

I’ll come straight out with it – I’m a big Godox fan when it comes to flash. A pair of Godox Ving V860III flashguns and a companion Godox XPro i-TTL RF wireless trigger has been my go-to flash setup for my Nikon Z system cameras over the last couple of years. I’ve also been impressed with the Godox V1, Godox V1 Pro and Godox V100 flashguns, all of which feature a round rather than rectangular flash tube. All of these rank as some of the best flashguns on the market, but they’re all powerful, full-sized affairs.

More recently, I’ve reviewed the Godox iM20 and Godox iM22, which are comparatively tiny, lightweight and simple, designed to fill in for the pop-up flash which is lacking in so many recent mirrorless cameras. However, they’re very basic, fully manual flashes with no dedication for varying camera systems. This iT30 Pro is a little larger but still very compact, while packing an exotic feature set and being available in dedicated versions to suit Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Sony cameras. It’s also available in black or silver, to suit the color of your camera.

Godox iT30 Pro: Specifications

Godox iT30 Pro: Price

Godox flashes large and small all tend to be great value for money. The iT30 Pro weighs in at $75 / £67 / AU$145, which is very reasonable for a dedicated flashgun that includes a host of flash modes, wireless master and slave functions and even a color touchscreen. Sure, it’s relatively small and the maximum power output is a little meagre, but it’s super-handy for fill-in flash and can easily fit in a spare coat pocket.

Godox iT30 Pro: Design & Handling

I sometimes feel that flashguns are a bit like tripods. They’re really useful bits of kit but their size and weight makes them likely to be left at home if you’re in the mood for travelling light. The first thing you notice about the Godox iT30 Pro is that it’s not much bigger than a matchbox and really lightweight, measuring 65x46x47mm / 2.6x1.8x1.9in and weighing just 120g / 4.3oz. And that’s including a built-in, rechargeable 900mAh Li-ion battery. Like the best travel tripods, that makes it a flash that’s easy to take anywhere and everywhere, even when stowage space is at an absolute premium.

The small nature of the design does result in a physically small flash tube that sits relatively low in the camera’s hot-shoe. In some ways, it feels more like using a pop-up flash rather than a separate flashgun, and the quoted maximum power output of Gn 15 / 49/2 (ISO 100, m / ft) isn’t a whole lot more than that of some pop-up flashes. But that’s where the similarities end.

I’m frankly amazed that Godox has managed to shoehorn so many features and functions into this little flash. Often reserved for the highest echelon of camera manufacturers’ own-brand flashes, the iT30 Pro features a full range of first-curtain, second-curtain, TTL, manual, high-speed sync and even programmable multi (repeat / stroboscopic) flash modes. Indeed, the high-speed sync mode of the Sony dedicated flash that I’m testing doesn’t just top out at a shutter speed of 1/8,000^th of a second, but is compatible with the 1/80,000^th speed of a second global shutter.

Then there’s wireless sync. The flash can work as a slave in two optical modes, enabling it to be triggered from a master flash with or without pre-flash pulses. On top of that, it has a built-in 2.4GHz wireless transceiver that enables it to team up with other Godox flashes as both a master or slave, or to be fired remotely by a Godox wireless trigger, all with a range of up to 100m / 330ft.

You might think that all these features and functions would make the little Godox tricky to use, with a cramped set of operating buttons. Another surprise, given the price point, is that it features a 2.8-inch color touchscreen that enables all the options to be accessed and adjusted with touch and drag simplicity. The interface is really well thought out and brilliantly simple and intuitive to use.

Another space-saver is that, while many flashguns come with the option of a diffusion panel that enables a softer quality of light and spreads the beam for ultra-wide-angle shooting, the Godox has one of these built-in. There’s a handy quick-access lever on the side with clearly marked N and W positions so you can engage the diffusion panel quickly and easily.

Everything’s powered from a built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery. The flash is supplied complete with a USB-C charging cable but typical of modern gadgets nowadays, you have to supply your own mains charger. When the battery is fully charged, it has sufficient stamina for 560 full-power flashes – many more at lower output levels. The only downside is that, unlike flashguns that run on regular batteries or slot-in Li-ion power packs, you can’t quickly swap the battery out for a spare if it runs flat while you’re shooting.

Godox iT30 Pro: Performance

Flash is often called ‘the most available light’ but that’s only true if you actually have a flashgun with you at the time. A key performance factor of the Godox iT30 Pro is that it’s compact enough to take anywhere, anytime. Performance is arguably a little limited in respect of the maximum output power, which worked out to be a little less than the claimed value in my tests. Bounce flash isn’t available anyway (which typically needs more power) but the power range is ample for short- to medium-range direct flash when using it as the main light source, and for fill-in flash on a bright, sunny day. Giving a nicely natural look to eyes in sunny-day portraiture is certainly within its remit, neatly avoiding eyes turning into black holes of deep shadow.

I’m used to fast recycling speeds from flashes that feature a Li-ion battery pack and sure enough, recycling times are pretty much instantaneous with the iT30 Pro, all the way from the minimum 1/128^th power setting all the way up to 1/8^th power. At 1/4, half-power and full-power settings, recycling speeds were still quick in my tests, at 0.4s, 0.7s and 1.5s respectively.

Syncing proved to be reliable, not only with the flash sitting in the hot-shoe of my Sony camera, but also in optical slave mode and wireless master/slave configurations. The same goes for hi-speed sync, enabling use of flash (albeit with reduced maximum power) at really fast shutter speeds.

The built-in diffusion panel proved its worth for wide-angle shooting but had relatively little effect on the softness of light. To a certain extent, that’s only to be expected considering the physically small size of the flash tube, and that you’re not bouncing the light off a wall or ceiling to soften the blow. I found that engaging the diffusion panel knocked about 1EV step off the maximum output.

Godox iT30 Pro: Lab Results

We test all available features for each flashgun that goes through out labs. To test power output, we used a Sekonic flash meter placed at a distance of one meter from each flashgun. We check the complete range of manual power settings, in one-stop increments. Based on a sensitivity of ISO 100, the figures correlate directly with the Gn (Guide number) in meters. The results are double-checked by taking shots of a gray card with the appropriate lens apertures and using the camera’s histogram display in playback mode. This is done for flash zoom settings of 24mm, 50mm and 105mm (in full-frame terms), where available.

We also check the accuracy and consistency of electronic/intelligent TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering, where featured, and the speed with which each flashgun can recycle to a state of readiness after a full-power flash, using both Ni-MH and alkaline cells, or a Li-ion power pack where supplied.

Power output:

In my tests, maximum power output was almost a stop short of that claimed, equating to Gn 11, rather than Gn 15 (ISO 100, meters). From full power down to 1/32 power settings, each full stop gave an accurate equivalent reduction in light output, the reductions being a little less at the lowest f/64^th and 1/128^th power settings.

Recycle speed:

Recycle speeds are pretty much instantaneous all the way from the lowest power setting of 1/128^th up to a comparatively strong 1/8^th power setting. It’s only at 1/4 power that you start to notice a short delay of 0.4 seconds, rising to 0.7 seconds at half power output, and 1.5 seconds at the full-power setting. Even that’s pretty brisk for such a physically small flash.

Godox iT30 Pro: Verdict

Think feature-rich dedicated flashguns with built-in RF transceivers and you’re probably thinking of big, hefty affairs. I love that the Godox iT30 Pro manages to squeeze a full raft of top-end features, functions and flash modes into a relatively tiny and very lightweight package. It’s great for fill-in flash on a sunny day, as well as for use as the main lighting source indoors, at least for short to medium shooting distances. Sure, it doesn’t have the big maximum power output of chunky guns but it’s a brilliant little flash for when you want to travel light.

Alternatives

The Ricoh GR IV has been one of the most anticipated cameras for street photography in recent years. Its compact, stealthy design and exceptional image quality make it perfect for shooting unobtrusively, but one thing lacking is a built-in flash.

Ricoh is now addressing that with the GF-2 External Flash, a super-compact, lightweight unit designed specifically for the GR IV. For street photographers, this small addition finally brings the ability to add fill light without compromising the camera’s portability.

Weighing just 19 grams and measuring 51 x 31 x 17mm, the GF-2 is small enough to fit in a pocket even while attached to the camera. Despite its tiny size, it offers a guide number of 3 (metres at ISO 100) and can fire up to 270 times on a full charge.

It has a built-in lithium-ion battery that charges via USB-C, ensuring consistent output without draining the camera’s power. When used in ISO Auto mode on the GR IV, the camera automatically adjusts guide number and ISO settings based on subject distance, making casual flash photography effortless; ideal for the fast pace of street photography.

The GF-2 can also be mounted on other GR-series cameras, though it only operates in full-discharge mode outside the GR IV. A firmware update planned for October 2025 will extend automatic exposure adjustment to GR III cameras. Charging takes about two hours, and the flash recycles in roughly two seconds, keeping up with the rhythm of shooting on the street.

I’ve been waiting for the Ricoh GR IV for a long time, and I’m genuinely excited by its launch. The GF-2 is certainly something I’ll add to my setup. It’s tiny, matching the energy of the camera, whether it’s on or off, and will be perfect for low-light moments that benefit from a pop of fill light. The images it will create should have a retro digital camera feel, which is a look I’ve always loved, especially for street photography.

The GF-2 External Flash will be available in September 2025 at $119.95, giving Ricoh GR IV users a highly portable solution for adding light whenever they need it on the street.

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Godox is launching a new hotshoe riser accessory that will solve a number of annoying problems that frustrate flash photographers.

The Godox TR-S TTL Hot Shoe Riser is one of those brilliant little gizmos that is so simple you would have thought someone would have made one years ago.

In essence, it does two things. Attaching to your camera's hotshoe, it rises the level of an accessory flashgun - whilst also offering a tilting platform, that will provide the bounce option that is missing from small flash units.

Unlike the hotshoe risers of old, however, this version retains all the contacts between flash and camera, to retain all TTL and other dedicated features. Versions will be available for Sony, Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm, OM System and Panasonic flash systems.

The unit will be particularly well suited to the range of mini flash units that Godox has been launching recently – such as the iM20, or the iM22, or IT30Pro. The height of the flash is raised by 3cm, and the angle of the head can be adjusted from 0 to 90°.

Raising the flash higher is particularly useful for those who have problems with wide lenses casting a shadow across the strobe's output. And the extra separation will also help to reduce redeye.

One Reddit contributor also pointed out that this device was exactly what they had been looking for to enable the use of a Godox X3 transmitter on a caged Sony A7 IV.

The Godox Hot Shoe Riser will go on sale later this month, with Essential Photo in the UK already taking orders at £17 a piece. In the US, they are already being listed by Amazon for $18.90.

Compact cameras are surging in popularity – and so are tiny accessories. The Godox iT20 is a tiny rechargeable flash that weighs just 45g, which is about the same weight as a golf ball. Despite the flash’s small size, the iT20 delivers more than 700 flashes in one charge with a 1.5-second recycle time.

The Godox iT20 launched alongside the slightly larger iT22. Both compact flashes have both auto TTL and manual modes, the latter of which is adjustable from full power to 1/32 power. A simple mode button on the flash and plus and minus buttons with a small screen aid users in choosing the flash power.

The flashes are powered by a rechargeable li-ion battery that the company rates for up to 700 flashes, even at full power.

Both flashes are compatible with magnetic modifiers. A spreader and two colored filters are included with the flash itself, while additional magnetic diffusers, colored gels, and even a honeycomb grid are available to purchase separately.

The iT20 is the smaller, lighter of the two flashes, coming in at 41.5mm×41mm×32mm and about 45 g. The iT22 has the same battery capacity and range, but sits higher in the hot shoe mount to reach over larger lenses. The iT22 weighs around 52g and measures 40mm×64mm×28mm.

Photographers who want both the height and the small profile can pick up an optional TR TLL hot shoe riser, which will give the iT20 lift over larger lenses when needed, as well as a 90-degree tilt.

Both flashes list for about $45 in the US and about £52 in the UK, making them an affordable accessory for compact cameras and entry-level mirrorless cameras. As budget flashes, they leave out a few advanced features, including HSS for using the flash with fast shutter speeds. The flash also lacks an adjustable tilt position in order to bounce the light off of walls and ceilings. The iT20 and iT22 sit behind compact flashes like the Godox iT30, which offers HSS and wireless off-camera capabilities.

Godox has not yet shared the flash’s guide number, a rating that indicates how powerful the light is by listing how far the light will reach. As a budget, compact option, the small flash is likely to have more limited reach than Godox’s larger lights.

The Godox will be available in variations to support TTL on Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, OM System, and Panasonic camera bodies. The flash is already available at some retailers, including Amazon.

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When I think of Viltrox, my mind goes straight to lenses. Indeed, this Chinese company makes some of my favorite third-party primes. I’ve been impressed by the collection of 13mm, 23mm, 33mm, and 56mm f/1.4 prime lenses for APS-C format Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, and Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras.

More recently, relatively up-market offerings like the Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro and Viltrox AF 135mm f/1.8 LAB have been definite highlights in my reviews schedule, and they’re among the best lenses for Sony cameras. It’s perhaps a little easy to forget that Viltrox also makes other photographic kit, including lighting and camera monitors – and now an on-camera flash in the old-school shape of the Viltrox Vintage Z1 Retro Flash. My curiosity is piqued. Let’s take a closer look.

Viltrox Vintage Z1 Retro Flash: Specifications

Viltrox Vintage Z1 Retro Flash: Price

The Viltrox is not alone in seeking to pick up the pieces, in the absence of pop-up flash modules in many modern, mirrorless cameras. I’ve also recently reviewed the roughly matchbox-sized Godox iM20 and Godox iM22, which both cost around $50 / £48 / AU$76, and the more sophisticated Godox iA32, which is larger and has retro styling.

The iA32 also has a richer set of features and includes a bounce mechanism and an auto flash exposure facility (not through the lens). That one costs $50 / £47 / AU$112. The Viltrox Vintage Z1 Retro Flash has a similar selling price of $50 / £48 / AU$76 and some of the same features, including dual wireless optical slave modes, although the Viltrox doesn’t have bounce flash.

Viltrox Vintage Z1 Retro Flash: Design & Handling

The Vintage V1 has a sleek, low-profile design. Despite being decidedly small, it still packs its own rechargeable Li-ion battery pack, so you won’t need to worry about adding any AA or AAA cells. It’s neatly self-contained and ready to roll. However, there’s no dedication for specific makes of camera, as the flash is designed to be as universal as possible. There are always going to be some cameras that fly in the face of convention but if yours has a regular size and shape of hot-shoe, with a sync pin in the middle, the Viltrox should fit and work.

The ridged, light-scattering flash tube lens is quite a lot larger than the pop-up flash a camera body, if featured. Looks can be deceptive though, as despite the upsizing, the flash’s maximum power output is only rated at GN 12 / 39.4 (ISO 100, meters / feet). For the sake of comparison, that’s only slightly more powerful than the pop-up flash of the Nikon D7200 DSLR, rated at GN 11 / 36 but considerably brighter than the pop-up flash of the Nikon Z50 II, rated at GN 5.6 / 18.

Around the back, there’s a power adjustment knob on the left, a red/green status lamp in the middle, and an on/off switch on the right. Starting on the right, the power switch is actually labelled Off and M, signifying the manual nature of the flash. Indeed, whereas some non-dedicated flashguns have a light-sensitive cell that enables automatic flash exposure, albeit not TTL (through-the-lens), this Viltrox is a purely manual affair, which I’ll come to in a moment. At the center of the back panel, the large status lamp glows red when the flash is recycling, green when it’s ready to go. The lamp also serves as a pushbutton for testing or manually firing the flash.

The most hands-on part of the flashgun is that power knob that I’ve just mentioned. It rotates in click steps to give seven alternative levels of output, each step change being the equivalent of a full EV step from 1/64^th to full 1/1 power output. I think that suffices, given that the flashgun isn’t enormously powerful, but some might prefer finer control steps of half-stops or even one-third stops.

The left hand side of the flash plays host to a USB-C socket and a switch. The USB socket is for recharging the flash’s internal Li-ion battery pack. You can expect this to take about 50 minutes, if you’re fully recharging a flat battery. Just behind the USB socket is a 3-way switch marked Off, S1 and S2. This is for triggering the flash in off-camera/remote use. There’s no fancy wireless RF linking, which is only to be expected, just an optical sensor. However, you do get two operational modes, S1 ignoring the pre-flash pulses of a master flashgun in TTL auto flash exposure mode, and S2 for triggering from a studio flash or a flashgun in manual mode without any pre-flash pulses.

Build quality feels pretty good and robust, despite the lightweight construction. The Viltrox is nicely finished and has a metal rather than plastic mounting foot. Catering to the hot-shoes of many and varied makes of camera, the securing mechanism is a rotary action clamp on a thread, rather than a lever.

At the base of the foot, there’s just a single electronic connection pin, which is used for triggering. That’s entirely as expected, as the additional pins on dedicated flashguns are for more advanced data communication. As such, luxuries like TTL flash metering and flash exposure compensation are off the menu.

There’s a small red window at the front of the flash, positioned just below the main flash lens. This is the optical sensor for slave mode triggering. It’s good that the flash can be used off-camera in slave mode but it doesn’t come with a tabletop/tripod stand as part of the kit, which would have been useful. Viltrox doesn’t sweeten the deal with a suitably retro-looking carrying pouch either.

You have to supply your own USB charger and cable as well, but one extra that’s bundled with the flashgun is a white plastic diffusion dome. This slots over the front of the flash, intending to give a softer quality of light.

Viltrox Vintage Z1 Retro Flash: Performance

In my tests, the maximum power output was Gn 12 / 4.3 (ISO 100, meters / feet). That’s bang on the advertised maximum power of the flashgun, which is far from common, as I often find that the strongest output comes up a bit short in practice. I was also impressed that most of the single-step power adjustments gave a pretty accurate 1-stop change in flash exposure value, through all seven levels.

Recycling speeds weren’t as quick as I was expecting, considering that most Li-ion flashguns are very quick to recycle, often in 2 seconds or less even after a full-power flash. I’ve usually seen virtually instant recycling up to around 1/8 power but in my tests, the Viltrox took 0.2 seconds even at its lowest 1/64 power setting, rising to 2.4 seconds after a half-power flash and a comparatively lengthy 4.3 seconds after a full-power flash.

Considering that you can’t just pop in a spare set of AA or AAA batteries when the internal battery goes flat, stamina is an important aspect of performance. Viltrox claims that you can get up to 10,000 flashes from a fully charged battery. That shrinks to a still pretty respectable 400 flashes if you fire each and every one at the maximum power setting.

Using the ‘flash’ white balance settings of my Nikon Z 6II and Nikon Z fc cameras, I found that the color balance with direct flash was a little on the cool side with a slightly bluish tone. It’s also no surprise that direct on-camera flash gives the usual harsh lighting effect with the danger of glare and very harsh shadows. However, it works well for fill-in flash when you need to brighten the shadows in the likes of sunny-day portraiture.

Slipping the supplied diffusion dome onto the flash gives a softer lighting effect. I found that in direct flash mode, the color rendition also warmed up slightly. Shooting a motorcycle model at close range, shadows were also softened, in part because the diffusion dome bounced a little light off adjacent walls and ceilings. However, you need to be aware that using the diffusion dome reduces the maximum available power by the equivalent of roughly a full EV step.

Viltrox Vintage Z1 Retro Flash: Lab Results

We test all available features for each flashgun that goes through out labs. To test power output, we used a Sekonic flash meter placed at a distance of one meter from each flashgun. We check the complete range of manual power settings, in one-stop increments. Based on a sensitivity of ISO 100, the figures correlate directly with the Gn (Guide number) in meters. The results are double-checked by taking shots of a gray card with the appropriate lens apertures and using the camera’s histogram display in playback mode. This is done for flash zoom settings of 24mm, 50mm and 105mm (in full-frame terms), where available.

We also check the accuracy and consistency of electronic/intelligent TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering, where featured, and the speed with which each flashgun can recycle to a state of readiness after a full-power flash, using both Ni-MH and alkaline cells, or a Li-ion power pack where supplied.

Power output:

Unlike many flashguns I’ve tested, the maximum output power lives up to the manufacturer’s claims. The step changes through the seven levels of power output are also impressively consistent.

Recycle speed:

I’m used to flashguns with Li-ion battery packs recycling after a full-power flash in just a couple of seconds or less. That holds true for large and small models alike, which makes the recycling speeds of the Viltrox look a little pedestrian.

Viltrox Vintage Z1 Retro Flash: Verdict

The lack of auto flash exposure might be a deal-breaker for some. I actually prefer using flash in manual rather than auto mode, so that’s no problem as far as I’m concerned. I do miss the availability of bounce flash, for softening the light. For off-camera flash, the dual slave modes are a bonus. The Viltrox has good stamina and everything works as it should, but recycling speeds are a bit on the slow side for a flash with a Li-ion battery. All in all, the Vintage V1 looks good, works well and is keenly priced.

Alternatives

Canon has quietly introduced an update to its flagship Speedlite flash. The Canon Speedlite EL-1 Ver. 2 is a high-performance flash designed with the ability to beam light up to 190 feet or add a subtle glow down to an impressive 1/8192th power.

With a 190-foot guide rating, a recycle time of less than a second, and built-in wireless capabilities, the EL-1 Ver. 2 is clearly a flash designed for professionals and advanced hobbyists – with the previous version among the best Canon flashguns in DCW rankings. Along with TTL and manual flash, the EL-1 V2 also includes a stroboscopic mode, flash exposure bracketing, high-speed sync, and a modeling lamp.

For off-camera flash, the EL-1 Ver. 2 supports both radio and optical. The flash can fire with a receiver on the camera, but photographers picking up more than one can also use one flash on-camera as the transmitter. On-camera, the flash also has an AF assist beam to aid the camera in locking focus in dark scenes.

An active cooling system built inside the flash is key to the light’s performance and reliability, helping to manage heat for faster bursts and more reliability.

Like the original Canon EL-1, the EL-1 Ver. 2 is also weather-sealed, rated to the same level of rain resistance as the EOS 1D series DSLRs. Adding a backlit flash makes raindrops pop, yet many flashes aren’t designed to sit in the rain, so weatherproofing gives the EL-1 series an edge.

Keeping the EL-1 name hints at several similarities between the new and old and, in fact, going through the spec sheets between the EL-1 and EL-1 Ver. 2, I didn’t spot many differences. The new version is rated to 190 feet at ISO 100 where the old one was rated slightly better at 197 feet.

Canon says that the recycling time has improved, although the specs remain at .9 seconds for recycling full-powered flashes. The second generation has a better battery life, rated at 340 flashes at full power and 2,380 flashes at lower power, compared to the 335 / 2,345 on the first generation. Like the original, the flash uses a rechargeable battery and supports a continuous external power source with the CP-E4N battery pack accessory.

The Canon Speedlite EL-1 Ver. 2 is expected to begin shipping on September 25. In the US, the new flash is expected to retail for $1,349 / £1,299 / AU$1,899. The previous version listed for $1,199 / £1,249 / AU$1,725.

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I’ve been using Godox flashes for years, and they’ve earned a permanent spot in my kit, not just for their affordability, but for their reliability. The AD200Pro II and AD600Pro II have been rock-solid: powerful, consistent, and impressively well-built for the price. Godox has shown time and again that professional lighting doesn’t have to come with a luxury price tag.

Now, with the new V480, Godox brings that same pro-level performance into a compact, on-camera TTL flash. With a guide number of 50 (GN50), high-speed sync up to 1/8000s, and battery life rated at 650 full-power flashes, the V480 is built for photographers who want control, speed, and power without adding bulk.

It features a 1.7-second recycle time at full power, powered by a 7.2V/2200mAh lithium-ion battery. That battery alone is a major win, offering long shooting sessions without the hassle of constant battery swaps.

The V480’s 2-inch HD touchscreen is a standout, offering sharp visuals and responsive control. Importantly, Godox didn’t ditch physical controls, tactile buttons are still present for those who prefer the feel of physical input. Together, the hybrid interface makes adjusting power, modes, groups, and channels fast and intuitive.

A smart new feature is the real-time distance readout. As you adjust the flash, it shows the effective exposure range directly on the screen. It’s a simple but powerful tool for bounce flash, events, or fast-paced shoots, removing guesswork and saving time on the job.

The flash includes Godox’s 2.4GHz X wireless system, meaning it functions as both transmitter and receiver. It’s fully compatible with Godox’s larger ecosystem, such as the XPro and X3 triggers, and supports 32 channels and multiple groups with a working range of up to 100 meters.

It covers all key shooting modes: TTL, Manual, Multi (stroboscopic), and High-Speed Sync, with support for Flash Exposure Compensation, Front and Rear Curtain Sync, and custom functions. Sony users with global shutter cameras can even achieve sync speeds up to 1/80,000s – a wild spec with creative potential.

Other notable features include head tilts from –7° to 120° and swivels 330°, a 10-level LED modeling lamp, and a weight of just 282g (or 361g with the battery installed).

For those looking to expand their lighting setup, the V480 works seamlessly with Godox accessories. Mount it to an S2 bracket, and you can use Bowens-mount softboxes, reflectors, and more for advanced light shaping.

The Godox V480 is available now for $229 (approx. £180 / AU$350) with dedicated versions for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and Olympus/Panasonic.

TTArtisan has released a tiny flash in the form of a film canister – the M01 – along with the J01 trigger. The flash has a nostalgic design, but can it meet the needs of your photography?

Design is subjective, but in a world dominated by black flashes, the TTArtisan M01 stands out. For analog lovers and retro gear fans, it's an instant flashback.

And this isn't TTArtisan's first film-inspired product. In 2024, it released a Mini LED Light shaped like a 35mm film canister, following the Kodak-inspired coloring and fonts seen across popular films like Kodak Portra 400. Depending on who you ask, it might have been more kitch than kit, but undeniably lovable – and priced at just $10 / £7 / AU$15.

But nostalgia aside, what can the M01 and J01 bring to the table? To answer this question, we have to remember: TTArtisan is not Profoto, and we are talking about a very budget-friendly flash and trigger combination.

The M01 flash and J01 trigger are sold separately or as a bundle, with prices for the flash listed at $29 / £28.60, and the trigger $10 / £13.46  and the bundle at $39 / $41.

The M01 flash has a guide number (GN) of 12, making it suitable for close-range shots, such as portraits, indoor photos, or creative street photography. It's lightweight (35g) and made mostly of plastic – prioritizing portability over durability.

The J01 wireless trigger works with TTArtisan's flashes and adds off-camera functionality. TTArtisan even shows examples of combining multiple M01 units for more light output in its product video to work around the flash's limited power.

As you'd expect at this price point, you're not getting Profoto-level performance. But TTArtisan introduces charm, ease of use, and decent enough flash power for everyday needs. I you need to shoot events, weddings, or commercial work, you'll need a more robust and powerful flash, like the Godox TT350 or the Yongnuo YN560 series (obviously carrying a different price tag). The Godox TT350, for example, is significantly stronger than the TTArtisan's M01 and has a guide number of 36, priced at $80-100 (around £60-75 / AU$125-155).

M01 flash specifications

Light type: Xenon flash
Color temperature: 5600K
Guide number: GN12
Power levels: 4 levels (1/1 to 1/8)
Recycle time: Continuous flash at 1/8 power;
Sync trigger: 1/250s (Max)
Flash mount: Hot shoe /wireless trigger
Built-in lithium battery: Average power approx. 800 flashes
Charging method: 3.7v, 350mAh, USB-C charging
Size and weight: 30 x 48mm, 35g

J01 trigger specifications

Signal range: 3m
Battery: Built-in lithium battery
Charging method: US-C charging
Size and weight: 16 x 31 x 42mm, 18g

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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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Sony and Profoto have introduced a new system that allows you to use high-speed sync (HSS) with Sony’s pioneering global shutter camera, the Sony A9 III. For the first time, you can now use sync flash at speeds of up to 1/80,000sec (!!!) and gain precise control over your exposure, including blocking ambient light even in the brightest daylight conditions.

This is all possible when shooting with the Sony A9 III using the Profoto A10, or the A10 paired with the D30, Pro-D3, or Pro-B3 flash systems. By doing so, the Sony A9 III can show its real potential as it features the first full-frame global shutter on a professional mirrorless camera. (The A9 III has a top shutter speed of 1/80,000sec, and can shoot at 120 RAW frames per second.)

This development is just the first phase of a broader rollout by Profoto, aimed at enabling full system compatibility across its flash lineup. So, if you are not shooting with a Sony A9 III or the specified Profoto flashes, there may be future opportunities giving you similar possibilities.

Here's how it works: To get the advanced flash synchronization, you need to download firmware updates, which are available now. And keep in mind, to enable this feature for the D30, Pro-D3, or Pro-B3, they must be triggered via an updated A10 unit.

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Lighting giant Godox is developing a new compact hot shoe flash. In a teaser image shared to social media this week, Godox hints that the brand will soon launch a TTL Mini Flash – and the photograph already hints at a few changes compared to the brand’s existing lineup.

The company teased the Godox TTL Mini Flash with a photo of the back of what looks like a compax box-shaped flash unit. From the back of the screen, I can see icons for manual flash down to at least 1/128 power, multiple channel options, and even high-speed sync.

“We've reimagined the flash you thought you knew — smart, sleek, and full of surprises,” Godox writes.

The brief teaser already highlights a few improvements over similar tiny options like the Godox iM30 Mini. The image in the teaser looks a bit like the silhouette of the iM30 as well, including a circular shape at the top, which could be like the iM30’s manual flash control dial.

That earlier $35 / £32 flash is fully manual, but the teaser for the new flash says it is TTL while also showing manual flash options in the image. That means the upcoming flash should have both auto and manual flash control.

The H icon with a lightning bolt is also worth getting excited about. HSS, or high-speed sync, is a feature that allows a flash to be used with higher shutter speeds beyond the flash limitation of the camera body. Many budget flashes don’t offer HSS.

Digging through the teaser comments on Instagram reveals more hints about the upcoming photo accessory. The comments further confirm TTL, but a comment by Godox also hints at wireless control. Another comment noted that the flash won’t have global shutter support.

The company responded, “You might just win this,” referring to the guessing game giveaway on the teaser for one particular comment. That comment wishlisted a smartphone app remote trigger, along with Bluetooth or 2.4Ghz and NFC connectivity, and the ability to trigger other lights with it.

With the compact camera market making a rebound, I can see a compact flash being quite popular. But flashes this size tend to have lower power, along with being limited in on compatibility with modifiers and lacking the tilt option to bounce the flash off a wall or ceiling. I think Godox will need to keep the price fairly low for the upcoming flash to gain traction. While a compact flash may be more limited, those restrictions don’t matter for artists who want to create that direct flash look, which does seem to go hand-in-hand with the retro look that’s popular right now.

Fans can comment on Godox’s Instagram post with their guesses of upcoming features for a chance to win one of the new flashes in a giveaway.

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For more lighting inspiration, browse the best flashguns or the best video lights.

Godox makes some of my all-time favorite flashguns. I’ve been using a pair of Godox Ving V860III flashguns and a Godox XPro i-TTL RF wireless trigger with my Nikon Z system cameras for the last couple of years and they’ve done a brilliant job. I’ve also been impressed with the round-headed Godox V1, Godox V1 Pro and Godox V100 flashguns. All in all, I think that Godox makes some of the best flashguns on the market, that are also among the most cost-effective. The iM20 that I’m reviewing here is something rather different. Whereas all of the above come in various options that are dedicated to specific camera systems, and have a powerful maximum output, the iM20 is kind of the opposite. Many mirrorless cameras these days don’t feature a pop-up flash, and the iM20 aims to be a convenient substitute. It’s really tiny, weighs next to nothing, has a relatively low maximum output (much like a pop-up flash) and features a universal fitting rather than being dedicated to particular camera brands. Let’s just say the iM20 keeps things small and simple.

Godox iM20: Specifications

Godox iM20: Price

Powerful, dedicated flashguns tend to be expensive to buy, especially if you go for own-brand options from the top camera manufacturers. Up-market, third-party options can be relatively affordable, like the Godox Ving V860III at around $209 / £179 / AU$295, but they’re still pretty weighty and pricey. The Godox iM20 has a bargain-basement price tag of just $34 / £32 / AU$80, making it one of the most inexpensive flashes around. Sure, it’s relatively tiny, low in maximum output power and lacking in fancy features, but it still promises to be great value at the price.

Godox iM20: Design & Handling

Serious photographers with creativity in their hearts minds often shun pop-up flash modules that are built into cameras. Maybe that’s why relatively few up-market mirrorless cameras these days feature a pop-up flash. Call me old-fashioned but I actually rather like a bit of pop-up flash. I’ve always found them very useful for filling in shadows for sunny-day portraits, and for adding a bit of extra ‘available light’ with the utmost in convenience. I also used to like the way you could often use them for triggering a more powerful, off-camera flashgun, but that’s another story and not really within the remit of the iM20, unless you’re using a remote flash with an optical slave for triggering.

The iM20 is designed to be tiny. It has vital statistics of just 39x38x30mm (1.5x1.5x1.2") and weighs in at a mere 31g (1.1oz). Suffice it to say you can pop it in a spare pocket and hardly feel the difference. It’s the next best thing to a pop-up flash, for cameras that don’t have one. It’s so small and light that there’s no clamp to lock it into the camera’s hot shoe – you just slide it in when you want to use it and slide it out again when you’re done.

Godox actually launched two very similar mini-flashes at the same time, one being the iM20 and the other being the iM22. The internals are identical but the iM20 is designed to be squat and sit low in the hot shoe. The iM22 has a higher but slimmer profile. It therefore sticks up higher in the hot shoe and is a little better suited to use with physically longer lenses. You could also argue that the taller iM22 might be marginally less prone to causing the dreaded red-eye effect when taking portrait shots.

Being so small, there’s no room in the flash for inserting batteries. Instead, it runs on an internal, rechargeable Li-ion battery. It’s supplied complete with a USB-C charging cable and, depending on what charger you’re using, you can expect to fully charge a dead battery in around 70 minutes. That should see you through about 440 full-power flashes before it runs out of juice again – many more flashes at lower power settings.

Speaking of power settings, there are five different power levels to choose from, in the equivalent of 1EV steps from full power down to 1/16^th power. There’s no flash metering, neither based on a light-sensitive cell in the flash, nor using TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering, the latter because the flashgun isn’t available in dedicated options for different camera brands. You therefore need to set the power level yourself. It’s easy to do, using +/- keys on the back of the flash, and there’s a handy 5-bar LED display to show the current level.

As a non-dedicated flash, the iM20 is designed to be as universal as possible. As such, it only has a solitary, central electronic connection pin in its mounting foot. This is used for triggering the flash while it’s sitting in the hot shoe of the camera. Naturally, there are some cameras that don’t have a ‘universal’ hot shoe, but an adapter is usually available for these.

Godox iM20: Performance

I wouldn’t expect mighty maximum power output from such a tiny flash and, sure enough, Godox doesn’t even state a Gn (Guide number) rating for the iM20. In my tests, using a Sekonic Flashmate L-308X / L-308X-U light meter, I clocked the iM20 at a maximum of Gn 5.6 / 18 (ISO 100, m / ft). For comparison, that’s about the same ‘real world’ result that I got from the pop-up flash of a Nikon Z50II, which has an official rating of Gn 7 / 22. The pop-up flash of the Canon EOS R50 is rated at Gn 6 / 20.

Ultimately, even at its maximum power output, the iM20 is better suited to adding a little fill-in flash, with ambient indoor or outdoor lighting being the main source. In my tests, I found that reducing the power output in successive steps gave a pretty accurate, consistent 1EV drop per step, apart from when switching to the very lowest setting. As such, the f/number needed for a nominally accurate exposure at one meter dropped successively from f/5.6 at maximum power, through f/4, f/2.8, f/2 and finally to f/1.7 at the lowest power setting.

The ‘look’ of the flash effect from the iM20 is pretty retro, as it’s fired from very low and straight on at the subject. This makes for very little shadow or modelling, giving fairly flat and two-dimensional looking results. It also means that very shiny and reflective surfaces can look pretty blitzed. With a ‘proper’ flashgun, I usually bounce the flash off a ceiling or wall to soften the effect but that’s not possible in this case. Firstly, the iM20 doesn’t really have enough power under the hood to enable bounce flash, and secondly the flash tube is fixed without any bounce or swivel facility.

One way to get a more 3D look to images is to use the flash off-camera. You could do this by investing in a fancy wireless trigger and receiver setup but a good old-fashioned remote flash cord is more in keeping with the design and cost of the iM20.

If you’re using the iM20 as the main source of illumination, rather than trying to add it to ambient lighting, you’ll need to switch your camera to Manual shooting mode and dial in your preferred shutter speed and aperture, for example 1/60^th of a second at f/5.6. That’s because, with no additional pins for dedication, the camera doesn’t even know that a flash is attached to the hot shoe. With mirrorless cameras, you’ll also need to disable the live exposure preview function in the viewfinder or rear screen, otherwise your preview image can look very dark or black under low lighting, after you’ve selected a flash-friendly shutter speed and aperture.

I found that the color temperature remained pretty consistent at all power settings. Again, with the camera not knowing that a flash is in use, it can pay to switch to the Flash white balance setting if you’re using the iM20 as your main lighting source, rather than just for a bit of fill-in flash.

Recycle speed after each flash can be an important performance factor. I found that recycling times were pretty much instantaneous at the lowest 1/16 and 1/8 settings, rising to 0.6 seconds after a ¼ power flash, 1.4 seconds after a ½ power flash and 2.5 seconds after a full-power flash. That’s pretty much what I’d expect, so recycling speeds aren’t particularly fast, but they’re not too pedestrian either.

Godox iM20: Lab Results

We test all available features for each flashgun that goes through out labs. To test power output, we used a Sekonic flash meter placed at a distance of one meter from each flashgun. We check the complete range of manual power settings, in one-stop increments. Based on a sensitivity of ISO 100, the figures correlate directly with the Gn (Guide number) in meters. The results are double-checked by taking shots of a gray card with the appropriate lens apertures and using the camera’s histogram display in playback mode. This is done for flash zoom settings of 24mm, 50mm and 105mm (in full-frame terms), where available.

We also check the accuracy and consistency of electronic/intelligent TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering, where featured, and the speed with which each flashgun can recycle to a state of readiness after a full-power flash, using both Ni-MH and alkaline cells, or a Li-ion power pack where supplied.

Power output:

Maximum power output is modest to say the least but bear in mind that many top-end flashguns with a maximum power rating of, say, Gn 60, only provide this much power at their longest zoom setting and may drop to around Gn 25 at their shortest zoom length, more equivalent to the fixed length of the iM20. Even so, the tiny iM20 is a lot less powerful.

Recycle speed:

I’ve come to expect flashguns that run on a Li-ion battery rather than alkaline or Ni-MH AA batteries to have very fast recycling speeds. The time taken by the iM20 isn’t overly quick, considering the relatively low maximum output power, but it’s no slouch.

Godox iM20: Verdict

I feel that the Godox iM20 fills a gap, even if it’s only a small gap. I quite often miss the pop-flash of my older cameras, which is usually missing in modern mirrorless designs. The iM20 fits the brief in being quick and easy to pull out of a spare pocket and slide into my camera’s hot shoe. It’s not particularly powerful, which is no surprise considering that it’s so small, but it can be really useful for adding a little fill flash when I want to travel light, instead of carting around a full-sized flashgun as well as my camera. Sometimes smaller is better.

Alternatives

Sony has quietly launched two new flash guns for its Alpha mirrorless cameras: the HVL-F46RMA wireless radio flash and the HVL-F28RMA hotshoe flash. These upgrades replace the previous models, the HVL-F46RM and HVL-F28RM.

You might be wondering, aside from the "A" at the end of the model names, what’s different about these new flashes? Well, notably Sony has made some updates to keep up with the ultra-fast sync speeds of the Sony A9 III and other models.

Let's dive into the key features of the compact GN46 and GN28 flash units and see what both bring to the table – beyond just their price tags!

HVL-F46RMA

The HVL-F46RMA wireless radio flash is listed as "available soon" on Sony's online store and it can be preordered at B&H for $448 (approximately £342 / AU$712).

Key features:

• Compact GN46 Wireless Radio Flash
• Compatible with Sony ADI / P-TTL
• Up to 1/80,000 sec shutter speed w/ HSS
• Up to 320 flashes w/ 2 sec Recycle Time
• 0.1-2.5 sec Recycling Time
• Auto Zoom Control
• TTL, Manual, and Multi Flash Modes
• Wireless Control up to 98.4′
• Built-In Modeling Lamp
• Uses 4 AA Alkaline or Ni-MH batteries

HVL-F28RMA

You can now purchase the HVL-F28RMA external flash directly from Sony's online store or preorder it at B&H for $248 (£189 / $399). This pricing is a pleasant surprise as it matches the cost of the HVL-F28RM.

Key features:

• Compatible with Sony ADI / P-TTL
• 2.4 GHz Radio Transceiver, 115′ Range
• Guide Number: 92′ at ISO 100 and 50mm
• Wireless TTL Ratio Controller/Remote
• Control Up to 15 Flashes/5 Groups
• Tilts from 0 to 120°
• Manual Output Adjustment: 1/1 to 1/256
• HSS and Multi-Flash Modes
• Dust- and Moisture-Resistant
• Metal Foot and Rugged Side Frame

ABOVE: The launch video for the flashes has caused confusion

Users have noticed that the product videos for Sony's new flash models still feature the old models. It looks like Sony swapped the names of the new flashes with the previous ones, which has led to some mix-ups in the comment section.

Although there are some updates, the main operating principle has remained the same – especially when it comes to the HVL-F28RMA.

Sony has mentioned that both models feature intelligent communication and professional toughness technology, but stated in the video description, "The exterior dimensions of the HVL-F28RMA differ from those of the HVL-F28RM. HVL-F28RM is used in the video. Please refer to the web page for HVL-F28RMA dimensions."

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If you are a Sony shooter you might want to check our discussion around the best Sony flashguns, along with the best flashguns and strobes from all brands. If you are new to this topic but want to learn about flash, don't miss our guide to flash photography.

Photography lens and accessory brand Viltrox has launched a new lightweight flash – and it looks like it could be an ideal companion to retro compact cameras. After teasing the flash on social media last month, the Viltrox Vintage V1 flash is now available for shipping.

The Viltrox Vintage Z1 is a lightweight, affordable flash designed for beginners. I’ve long been a fan of retro cameras and, with the leather-like wrap and mechanical dial, the flash would look perfect on the top of a retro camera.

The Vintage Z1 is a lightweight flashgun that, as the name suggests, embraces the trendy retro look. The flash has a pebbled leather-like wrap that reminds me of the silver cameras with a black wrap, like my own Fujifilm X-T4. But the retro style isn’t just about looks. A retro mechanical dial at the back of the flash controls the flash’s intensity.

Viltrox describes the flash as lightweight and made for beginners and, as such, its feature list sits more on the entry-level side. The flash has just 7 levels of intensity, from a 1/1 or full power to 1/64 on the lowest setting. The flash has a guide number of 12 and a 23w/s rating at full power.

The flash doesn’t appear to have the tilting ability of a traditional hotshoe flash to bounce the light off the ceiling, but it does come with a diffusion dome to soften the light a bit. Although with that retro style, the harsher direct flash look could help create more retro-styled images.

While the Viltrox Vintage Z1 is more beginner-oriented, it does have the ability to trigger a second flash wirelessly for off-camera lighting when using two units together. The company says the recycle speed is about 0.2 to 3.5 seconds.

The Z1 is also designed to be compact. It measures 6.8 x 5 x 7.4 cm and weighs 116g / 4 oz. Viltrox says the built-in battery lasts anywhere from 400 to 10,000 flashes, and recharging via the USB-C port takes about 50 minutes.

Viltrox announced the Vintage Z1 on Weibo last month and on April 24 opened up orders for the flash. The Viltrox Vintage Z1 sells for $49.99 / £47.99 and is available directly from the manufacturer's website.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 28 and updated with availability and pricing on April 24.

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Not sure about the Z1? The Godox Lux Master or the smaller Lux Cadet are retro-styled flashes available now. Or, browse through our favorites for the best camera flashgun or strobe.

The flashgun section of my stash of camera gear has had Godox as the sole inhabitant over the last couple of years. I’ve migrated from own-brand flashguns to a pair of Godox Ving V860III flashguns that I use with my Nikon Z system cameras. They work brilliantly well on their own, even better when paired with my Godox XPro i-TTL RF wireless trigger, and the whole collection is unbeatable value for money. I’ve also been impressed with the round-headed Godox V1, Godox V1 Pro and Godox V100 flashguns, and firmly believe that Godox makes some of the best and most cost effective flashguns on the market. The iA32 is a scaled down affair that’s relatively compact and lightweight, with more than a passing nod to retro design. Even so, it aims to do the business with smart features and good performance, at a very alluring purchase price.

Godox iM32: Specifications

Godox iA32: Price

Even the ‘cheapest’ own-brand flashguns from camera manufacturers can be pricey items, like the Canon Speedlite EL-10 at $199/ £ $249 / AU$369 and the Nikon Speedlight SB-700 at $297 / £309 / AU$479, since the demise of the more entry-level Canon EL-100 and Nikon SB-500, respectively. The Godox iA32 lacks dedication to any specific camera system and is a little less fancy but it’s massively more affordable, priced at just $50 / £47 / AU$112. Bargain!

Godox iA32: Design & Handling

The iA32 followed hot on the heels of two other Godox flashes, being announced just a few days later at the beginning of 2025. The sibling Godox iM20 and iM22 are fully manual affairs and are really tiny matchbox sized flashes, designed to cater to cameras that lack a pop-up flash. The iA32 is bigger but it’s still not much larger than a pack of playing cards, measuring 66x114x36mm (2.6x4.5x1.4") and weighing 179g (6.3oz) complete with batteries.

Batteries are worth a mention because whereas the two smaller Godox flashes have a built-in, rechargeable Li-ion battery, the iA32 runs on two AA batteries. A plus side is that they’re universally available and you can swap them out and be ready to roll again immediately, rather than having to wait over an hour for your flashgun to recharge.

It’s not just the batteries that are universal. The iA32 is designed to be a universal fit for almost any camera, past or present. There are therefore no different versions, dedicated to different camera brands. As such, there’s no TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering and a couple of other hurdles to overcome, but I’ll come back to those later in my section on performance. For now, let’s just say that the iA32 works with any camera that has a standard hot shoe. And for those that don’t, a hot shoe adapter is usually available.

The lack of automatic TTL flash exposure might sound like a deal-breaker but personally, I prefer using manual power settings anyway. I often find that auto TTL flash and I have very different ideas about what the ‘correct’ flash exposure should be. Like the smaller iM20 and iM22, you can dial in manual flash power settings, but this time over a range that stretches from full power down to 1/128^th power, instead of just down to 1/16^th. That’s mainly because the maximum power output is rather higher. You can also adjust power levels in one-third EV increments instead of only in full EV steps.

Still don’t like the sound of manual flash power settings? Unlike the iM20 and iM22, the iA32 does feature an Auto flash mode. Instead of working ‘through the lens’, it’s based on a light-sensitive cell built into the front of the flashgun. This measures the amount of light reflected from the subject, and adjusts the power output accordingly. Switch to Auto mode and you dial in the ISO and aperture settings that you’re using and the flashgun does the rest. It also shows you what operating range you can expect. For example, at ISO 200 and f/5.6, the automatic flash metering caters to a subject distance of 0.5m to 3.1m.

The styling of the iA32 is delightfully retro, and the flashgun looks right at home in the hot shoe of similarly styled cameras like the Nikon Z fc and Fujifilm X-T50. As I’ve mentioned, the iA32 is rather more powerful than the tiny iM20 and iM22 and this time around, Godox specifies a maximum output power rather than leaving the specification blank. It’s rated at Gn 15 / 49.2 (ISO 100, m / ft). That might sound a bit on the low side compared with the Canon and Nikon flashguns I mentioned earlier, but it’s not the whole story. Hang fire a moment until we get to ‘performance’.

A major upside of the extra power on tap, compared with the iM20 and iM22, is that bounce flash is within the remit of the iA32. I really like the way bounce flash is implemented in such a neat and tidy way. Instead of the usual clunky top section that pivots up and down, there’s a neat dial on the side that revolves the internal flash tube through a range of -7 degrees to 90 degrees, complete with click steps at -7, 0, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 degrees, plus markings on a physical scale. That’s the good news. The bad news is that there’s no lateral swivel function. You can therefore only bounce the flash off an adjacent wall if you’re shooting with your camera in portrait (upright) orientation, and the iA32 is mounted in the hot shoe.

Slotting the iA32 into your camera’s hot shoe isn’t the only option. Yet another difference between this and the smaller iM20 and iM22 is that the iA32 features an optical sensor and dual optical slave modes. One mode enables you to trigger the flash remotely from a studio flash head or a flashgun/pop-up flash that’s firing in manual mode. The other enables you to trigger the flash from a flashgun in Auto TTL mode, so that the iA32 ignores any pre-flash pulses. The net result is that you can use the iA32 as a wireless slave off-camera, as a secondary remote flash. Yet further options are to make use of the sync terminal socket built into the side of the flashgun, or to use a hot shoe-mounting remote cable.

Godox iA32: Performance

Let’s kick off with power output. Godox claims a maximum power output of Gn 15 / 49.2 (ISO 100, m / ft) for the iA32. Sticking with meters, the rating of Gn 15 is somewhat lower than the Gn 40 of the Canon Speedlite EL-10, or Gn 38 for the Nikon Speedlight SB-700. As I’ve mentioned though, that’s not the whole story. The Canon and Nikon flashguns have motorized zoom heads, and the Gn rating is quoted at the longest zoom setting in each case, being 105mm and 120mm respectively. Zoom out to 24mm (equivalent to the iA32) and there’s rather less of a difference in the maximum power output. In my tests, measuring maximum power with a Sekonic Flashmate L-308X / L-308X-U light meter, I got a reading of Gn 11 for the iA 32, Gn 19 for the Canon and Gn 20 for the Nikon. Ultimately, the maximum power available from the iA32 might not be massive, but it’s certainly sufficient for most scenarios and beats the power of a camera’s built-in pop-up flash.

I found that decreasing the flash output setting gave a very uniform and consistently accurate reduction in EV rating, all the way from full power down to 1/32. It was only the bottom two full steps of 1/64 and 1/128 that gave less than a full EV reduction in output.

Fire the flash directly at the subject with the iA32 mounted on your camera’s hot shoe and you’ll get that ‘classic’ flash look to images. As such, subjects can look rather two-dimensional, with little modelling to speak of. There’s also a risk that shiny surfaces can create a lot of glare, firing light from the flash straight back at the camera. You’ll see what I mean in the following example shot.

The ability to bounce the flash off a ceiling is a major performance upgrade as far as I’m concerned, compared with the Godox iM20 and iM22. It can create a much softer lighting effect, as the effective size of the light source becomes much larger. For comparison, see the image below, which was taken with the camera and flash in exactly the same position as in the previous shot, but with vertical bounce instead of direct flash.

I also tested the abilities of the iA32 to be triggered optically from another flashgun or a studio flash, using both of its optical slave modes. I found worked very consistently, in both modes, one of which ignores pre-flash pulses of light that are used in flashguns for TTL metering. And while the iA32 itself isn’t compatible with TTL flash metering, I found that when using it as the main flash in Auto mode, its metering was actually very good and very consistent, for both direct and bounce flash.

With no dedication and just a single pin for triggering in the mounting foot of the iA32, the camera doesn’t even know that a flashgun is mounted in its hot shoe. If you want to use a classic flash exposure setting of, say, 1/60^th of second at f/5.6, you’ll need to switch to Manual shooting mode in your camera. Under low lighting conditions, that can give a very dark or black preview in the viewfinder or rear screen of mirrorless cameras, so you need to disable the live exposure preview function. It’s just a hurdle that you need to overcome but it’s not a major problem.

What really can be a problem is missing important shots because a flashgun has a painfully slow recycling time after a full-power flash. Despite running on only two rather than four AA batteries, I was impressed with the recycling speeds of the iA32. Using Eneloop Pro rechargeable NiMH cells, which are among the best AA rechargeable batteries, I found that recycling speeds were pretty much instantaneous from 1/128^th power right up to 1/8^th power settings. Even after a full-power flash, recycling speed was 1.9 seconds, which is about the same as from the Canon Speedlite EL-10 and almost a whole second faster than the Nikon Speedlight SB-700, using four of the same type of batteries.

Godox iA32: Lab Results

We test all available features for each flashgun that goes through out labs. To test power output, we used a Sekonic flash meter placed at a distance of one meter from each flashgun. We check the complete range of manual power settings, in one-stop increments. Based on a sensitivity of ISO 100, the figures correlate directly with the Gn (Guide number) in meters. The results are double-checked by taking shots of a gray card with the appropriate lens apertures and using the camera’s histogram display in playback mode. This is done for flash zoom settings of 24mm, 50mm and 105mm (in full-frame terms), where available.

We also check the accuracy and consistency of electronic/intelligent TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering, where featured, and the speed with which each flashgun can recycle to a state of readiness after a full-power flash, using both Ni-MH and alkaline cells, or a Li-ion power pack where supplied.

Power output:

Maximum power output is very respectable for a flashgun that runs on just two AA batteries, and the overall power range is generous, adding versatility. However, with no manual or motorized zoom facility, you can’t focus the light from the flash into a tighter area when using lenses that have longer focal lengths.

Recycle speed:

Recycle speeds are virtually instantaneous at power settings of 1/128 up to 1/8. It’s still under a second at half-power and just under two seconds at the full-power setting, which is much faster than I’m used to with flashguns that run on two rather than four AA batteries.

Godox iA32: Verdict

I really like the retro styling of the Godox iA32. That’s just a personal preference but more importantly, its looks are backed up by solid performance that combines a healthy power range and fairly fast recycle speeds into a conveniently compact and lightweight package. Compared with the matchbox-sized Godox iM20 and iM22, I feel that the larger iA32 has a lot more going for it, including a bounce facility, color rear screen, auto as well as manual flash exposure modes, and even dual optical slave modes. It’s a great little flashgun that’s only about the size of a pack of playing cards but comes up trumps.

Alternatives

My camera bag is packed with two different mirrorless cameras and an assortment of lenses – but the one piece of photography kit that made the biggest impact on my photographs is actually one of the cheapest things inside of my camera bag: a detachable camera flash. I was afraid of artificial lighting for the longest time, but learning how to use flash remains one of my best investments in my work.

A detachable camera flash, typically referred to as a hot shoe flash, is one that can be used both on camera and off, provided you also pick up a wireless flash transmitter. Many DSLRs have pop-up flashes built in, but since detachable camera flashes are far stronger, many mirrorless cameras forgo the built-in lights entirely. If your camera has a hot shoe slot at the top, you can use a detachable camera flash – even if it's a compact camera. Flash opens up a number of creative effects, from that paparazzi direct flash look to special effects like multiple exposures with flash.

But here’s the thing most novice photographers don’t realize: using flash actually solves many of the biggest complaints photographers have over the image quality coming from their gear. Using flash creates sharper images. Flash creates more consistent colors and more accurate skin tones (which means less time editing). Flash can help reduce the noise in a photo by allowing you to lower the ISO. Flash makes the eyes in a portrait pop without Photoshop.

If you’re eyeing a new lens because your photos aren’t sharp enough, or a new camera because your low light images are grainy, in some – but not all – situations you may be able to solve the problem with a new flash for a few hundred bucks rather than a new camera or lens for a few thousand dollars.

The problem with using flash to solve issues with sharpness, color and noise is that there’s a learning curve to flash photography. It’s far easier to buy a new lens and slap it on then to dive into the nuances of flash photography. Yet that’s the deep dive that has made the biggest impact on my photography.

When I first started out in photography, the only flash I knew was the pop-up flash on my DSLR that produced terrible results. But, gradually, I learned how to blend the flash with the natural light to get all the sharpening and color benefits without actually looking like a flash was used at all. Then I took my flash off camera – and suddenly I felt like the only limitation was my imagination, not where the sun was.

Slapping a detachable camera flash on your camera won’t instantly solve every problem. But, if you learn how to use that flash? It’s a true game-changer. Flash can solve a lot of key photography complaints, from a lack of sharpness to inconsistent color. Of course, flash doesn’t work for every scenario – flash doesn’t work with the longest telephoto lenses and can scare some wildlife away, for example. But for many genres, from portraits to photojournalism, it’s an essential skill.

A good hot shoe flash doesn’t need to cost thousands of dollars. I use the Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion III (also sold as the Godox V860III) that, despite topping our list of the best flashguns, bundled with a transmitter, costs under $300 / £242 / AU$477. Excluding small accessories like memory cards and filters, it's the cheapest thing in my camera bag, yet one of my favorites.

The bigger “expense” is simply taking the time to learn flash. Start with learning fill flash, then dive into learning manual flash, off-camera flash, and flash on location. For a really deep dive, The Flash Photography Book by Scott Kelby is an excellent resource.

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For more on flash photography, read our guide on what is flash, or dive into more advanced topics like rear curtain flash.

Godox has wasted no time kicking off 2025 with a bang. Just days into the new year, the brand has already introduced two new mini flashes and a wireless microphone kit. But they’re not stopping there – joining the line-up is the Godox iA32, a compact flash that promises to offer even more versatility for photographers on the go.

Earlier this week, Godox, known as Flashpoint and Wistro in different regions, unveiled the iM20 and iM22 compact flashes. Now, the iA32 joins the iFlash family, bringing a fresh set of features to the table for enthusiasts and casual photographers looking to level up their snapshots.

The iA32 is designed with everyday moments in mind. Its compact size and lightweight build make it an excellent companion for everything from mirrorless to travel cameras. Thanks to its integrated all-in-one design, it's easy to keep the flash on your camera or toss it in a bag or pocket – ensuring you're never without a reliable light source when you need it most.

What sets the iA32 apart from its smaller siblings is its rotating dial. With a simple turn, you can adjust the light emission angle from -7° to 90°, giving you more control over your lighting setup. While this is a direct fill flash, the ability to rotate the light source vertically allows for bounce flash techniques, offering more versatility than other flashes in the iFlash lineup.

The iA32 also stands out with its two distinct shooting modes: Auto and Manual. In Auto Mode, you can set the ISO and aperture values, and the flash will display the recommended shooting distance right on the panel. Meanwhile, Manual Mode allows for finer control over flash power, with eight power levels (ranging from 1/128 to full power) in 1/3-step increments, giving you the flexibility to fine-tune your exposure.

While the iA32 does not come with the built-in battery and USB-C charging found in the iM20 and iM22, it uses two AA batteries for power. Despite the difference, you can expect a recycling time of 2.5 seconds and up to 490 flashes at full power, depending on the battery type used.

Above: A video showcasing the Godox iA32

The Godox iA32 is compatible with most major camera brands, thanks to its single contact point on the hot shoe. However, it's always a good idea to double-check compatibility with your specific camera model before making a purchase.

Godox has yet to confirm an official release date for the iA32, but retailers like B&H Photo are already accepting preorders, so it shouldn’t be too long before it hits the shelves. With a retail price of $49.90 (with UK and Australian pricing to be confirmed), this compact flash is set to be an affordable and versatile option for photographers looking for a dependable flash solution.

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2025 has just begun, and photography and video lighting specialist Godox has already introduced two new on-camera flashes designed for creators on the go – the Godox iM20 and iM22.

These compact and lightweight flash options can seamlessly integrate into your portable camera setup. While they are primarily designed for compact and travel cameras, they can also enhance performance on DSLR and mirrorless cameras, providing an additional light source when needed.

The iM20 and iM22 weigh just 31 grams and 34 grams, respectively, and measure 3.9 x 3.8 x 29.5 cm and 5.7 x 4.0 x 22 cm. This makes them ideal for carrying with you at all times, whether mounted on a camera or stored in a bag or pocket. Adding a burst of flash to travel and street photography can elevate your shots and enhance creativity, making portability essential.

These new flashes build upon the popular Godox iM30, featuring a compact design while also incorporating an updated and modern interface. The main difference between the two models lies in their design. The iM20 is shorter and sits closer to the top of the camera, making it ideal for smaller fixed-lens cameras. In contrast, the iM22 is taller, allowing for higher light emission, which is helpful when using larger lenses. Aside from these physical differences and the position of the light source, both flashes are identical in functionality.

Each flash is equipped with an internal lithium battery that ensures stable output with a fast recycling time of just 3 seconds. This design keeps them lightweight and portable, while the integrated USB-C charging port allows for quick recharging, providing up to 440 full-power flashes.

With five light level adjustments, these flashes can effectively enhance your images – whether filling in shadows on a sunny day or serving as the key light during nighttime outings. Their versatility makes them both fun and practical, and they can help you achieve that popular '90s nostalgia trending on social media.

The Godox iM20 and iM22 are compatible with most camera brands and are designed to be ready for immediate use straight out of the box, though it's advisable to double-check compatibility before purchasing.

No specific release date has been announced by Godox, but these flashes are expected to be available in early 2025, with retailers like B&H Photo already taking preorders. The retail price is $33.90 for the US, while pricing for the UK and Australia is yet to be confirmed.

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Godox has just announced the release of the newest addition to its on-camera flash lineup, the Godox V100 – and it's setting new standards!

Sitting just below the Godox AD200 Pro II in terms of power and functionality, the V100 is aimed at photographers who need an advanced yet compact on-camera flash – set to become a wedding photographer's best friend! With an impressive 100Ws maximum output (in manual mode), this flash sets a new standard in its category, offering enhanced creative possibilities for photography enthusiasts and professionals alike.

The Godox V100 delivers up to 100Ws of power, not often measured in Ws it marks a significant leap for an on-camera flash. This high output, combined with adjustable power levels ranging from 1/1 to 1/256, ensures versatility for various lighting needs. Whether you're adding subtle fill light or creating a bold, dramatic scene, the V100 can adapt with a level of control that enables photographers to push the boundaries of their creativity, making it suitable for everything from portraits to event photography.

A standout feature of the V100 is its 2.3-inch full-color touchscreen. The high-sensitivity display offers a smooth and responsive interface, making it easier to adjust power settings, activate high-speed sync, switch between TTL and manual modes, and pair devices. The intuitive menu design streamlines the user experience, enabling photographers to focus more on their craft and less on navigating complex settings. This is key as on-camera flash shooters are typically working in a faster-paced environment.

For photographers who demand precision and speed, the V100 is a perfect companion as it is compatible with the latest mirrorless cameras such as those with global shutters, like the Sony A9 III. It supports shutter speeds up to an incredible 1/80,000 seconds and coupled with TTL functionality, the V100 excels in high-speed continuous shooting, making it an ideal choice for sports, wildlife, and outdoor photography in bright light conditions.

The V100’s advanced cooling system ensures it can deliver between 70 to 100 consecutive flashes at full 100Ws power without overheating. This rugged performance provides efficiency and confidence, especially during extended shoots or demanding environments.

Continuing the innovative design of the Godox V1 Pro, the V100 also features the highly praised detachable sub-flash (SU-1). This addition allows for dual-light setups using a single device, offering creative lighting solutions particularly well-suited for portrait and product photography.

The Godox V100 will be available for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and Olympus camera systems. Priced at $349 (UK and Australian pricing to be confirmed), the flash is expected to launch soon, although an exact release date has not yet been announced.

As someone who appreciates Godox products for their affordability and reliability, I’m excited to see the V100 expand its lineup. Godox has consistently provided excellent entry points for photographers exploring off-camera flash, and the V100 continues this tradition with its blend of power, features, and price point. It’s a compelling choice for those looking to elevate their photography without breaking the bank.

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Nissin flashguns offer plenty of bang for your buck, and this ring flash continues the trend. An alternative to the macro ringflashes made by major manufacturers, this model allows the light from each of its sides to be controlled independently. It offers a guide number (GN) of 16m at ISO100, and is compatible with Nikon, Canon and Sony TTL metering algorithms, and provides support for wireless shooting by acting as a master to a number of slaves. 

Nissin has generoursly thrown in six adapter rings for use with different lenses as standard - allowing you to attach to lenses with 52mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, or 77mm front filter threads. Adapter rings are available for purchase separately for 49mm, 55mm, and 82mm threads ($30/£25 each).

The USP is its Fine Macro function, which allows output to be adjusted from 1/128 to 1/1024 in 1/6 EV steps. In "normal" mode, the power adjusts in one-third stop steps, from full power down to 1/64 power.

Users of Nissin’s more conventional flash units should find the rear of the model familiar, with its colorful graphic user interface and simple four-way pad. 

The unit itself is only a shade smaller than an entry-level flashgun, although the LCD screen, being only slightly larger than a postage stamp, could be bigger. Despite its all-plastic construction, the unit’s overall build quality is impressive, with a metal hotshoe at its base and no creaking under pressure or any noticeable weaker parts. The flash locks into position with a ridged locking wheel, and you can quickly switch control between the ring’s left and right section. Operation is straightforward enough, and much can be worked out without recourse to the manual. 

Specifications

Dedication: Canon, Nikon or Sony
Gn, ISO 100 (m / ft): Gn 16 / 52
Manual Power Settings: 1/1 to 1/1024
Flash duration: 1/700 sec (Full power) - 1/30,000 sec (1/1024 power) when A and B tubes flash together, 1/300 sec (1/1 power) when A or B tube flashes individually
AF-assist beam: LED lamp
Wireless: Optical commander / slave, four channels / three groups
Other modes: HSS, rear curtain sync
Power: 4x AA batteries
Dimensions: Body - 115 x 65 x 85mm (4.5 x 2.6 x 3.3”); Ringflash - 120 x 134 x 41mm (4.7 x 5.3 x 1.6”)
Weight (excl batteries): 446g (16 oz)

There are some useful advanced features too. It provides X-terminal and DC input socket for an external power pack. It also features a USB port for firmware upgrades. Full master/slave wireless functions are available with four channels and three groups. Most usefully, the two flash units at either side of the ring can being independently adjustable for more three-dimensional-looking images.

Recycling times are excellent, and operation is essentially silent. The only sticking point is with responsiveness, with faster button presses sometimes not always registering.

You can’t beat ring flash for even, shadow-free illumination in macro shots, and it’s also great for fill-flash in portraits, where it can eliminate shadows, as well as create striking circular catchlights in the eyes. However, it’s relatively unwieldy compared with a regular flashgun. 

Sample images

Verdict

A guide number of 16 at ISO 100 is enough poke for portraiture or macro photography, and we loved that the power is adjustable in precise 1/6 EV steps using the Fine Macro mode. 

Switching modes is easy with the color LCD on the control unit, and this simple-to-use interface also makes light work of configuring the wireless TTL master and slave flash options. We did occasionally find the buttons were temperamentally unresposive

Performance doesn’t disappoint either, with the dual semi-circular flash tubes providing great light softness and neutrality. We did find some images were underexposed - but with the type of subjects you would usually shoot with this - taking a shot and then adjusting the flash output is often the best route to establishing exposure anyway.

The iM30 is a compact consumer-grade on-camera flash so tiny that it weighs under 3oz (78g) – so it can be slipped into pockets, or mounted on your camera for photographers who prefer a lighter kit bag. 

It has a single-contact hot shoe design with plug-and-play, fitting most mirrorless and film cameras.

With a guide number of 15 (ISO 100, meters), “the iM30 provides brighter, more natural fill light than most built-in camera flashes, enhancing the quality of your shots,” according to the Godox website. Despite not being the most powerful, it should deliver better results than an inbuilt flash. 

Not only is it incredibly lightweight, it’s also very affordable, coming in at $34.90. The iM30 is available to preorder now, and will be released later this month if production stays on schedule.

Powered by two AAA batteries, the iM30 is easy to recharge, provided you remember the batteries, and it can deliver up to 230 flashes on a single charge, and recycles every 3.6 seconds at full power.

The iM30 has seven adjustable power levels controlled by a dial – 1/64 to 1/1 – which provides “flexibility to adapt to different lighting conditions, making it suitable for diverse shooting scenarios,” according to Godox.

It would appear it is compatible with a wide range of cameras according to Godox’s official marketing shots, including: the Fujifilm X-Pro series, Nikon and OM system models, and is also shown on an Asahi Pentax film camera.

Readers on SonyAlpha Rumors lamented the flash’s lack of power, reducing its ability to bounce. One user commented:

“Sorry, no bounce, no buy,” while another said, “I wish it had the bounce capability like the lightpix labs.”

Bounce flash is a technique, commonly used in wedding and interior photography among others, where the photographer fires a flashgun up or at an angle, to bounce light off a wall or ceiling. This technique creates a more diffused, natural looking effect than pointing the flash straight at the subject.

Interested in updating your flash game? Take a look at our guides to the best photography lighting kits, the best flash triggers for your camera, and the best flashgun or strobe.

Back in 2020 we wrote about a patent submitted by Canon for a new Speedlite that employs LED lights, and four years later it might just be coming to fruition.

In recent times Canon's professional Speedlite offerings have been a bit sparse, with the camera manufacturer currently without a flagship range after apparently discontinuing the Canon Speedlite EL-1. That isn't to say the company isn't producing great flashes, as the EL-5 and EL-10 both ranked very highly in our review process, although recent product recalls for the EL-5 may tarnish this slightly.

A new report found by Canon Rumors suggests that the professional Canon Speedlite hole left by the EL-1 may be filled with a hybrid flash and constant LED hybrid – like the one featured in the design drawings back in 2020.

If this rumor is true, and Canon has spent four years of R&D on creating a Speedlite that can double as a constant LED, I think it will be extremely successful.

In my opinion, mirrorless cameras seem to be less optimized for flash when compared to DSLRs, and constant lighting or the ability to flick between the two modes might be the way to fix a lot of those frustrating rankles.

Another example where a hybrid light could be useful is for content creation. Hybrid shooting is becoming more and more necessary for photographers, and involves being able to switch from stills to video on the fly. A light that can do that with you would be an extremely powerful tool.

There are dedicated LEDs on the market that offer strobe functions, such as the Rotolight Neo, but none to my knowledge come in the form factor of a speedlight / flashgun. Many photographers also like to have lights native to their camera brand to ensure perfect communication.

It must be restated that, at present, this is just a rumor with no official announcements from Canon. However, I can't imagine the empty gap of a flagship Speedlite remaining empty for long, and a hybrid would be a great next step.

You may be interested in our guides to the best Canon Speedlite, the best flashguns and the best video lights.

Pentax has released a new hotshoe flashgun for use on its DSLR cameras and on Ricoh GR compacts. With a guide number of just 18 (m/ISO100) it is designed for on camera use for fill-in in daylight, or as the main light source after dark.

Pentax AF180FG is a replacement for the existing Pentax AF201FG strobe – and both are exactly the same size and weight and have nearly identical features. The only difference that we can make out is that the newer version has a slightly lower maximum output (the AF210FG has a guide number of 20 (m/ISO100)).

The AF180FG has a simple interface that offers a dial offering access to its four operating modes. In addition to a fully automatic TTL exposure mode, there are two manual options that provide either full or quarter power. There is an additional option for rear-curtain sync flash.

The head can tilt through ten different positions from -10 degrees through to 135 degrees for flash photography. The flash offers coverage for a 24mm wide-angle full-frame lens – extending to cover a 20mm lens, if the built-in pull-out diffuser is used.

Boasting a weatherproofed construction, the flash weighs 141g before you add the two AAA batteries that are needed to power the unit. A new set of alkaline cells should give around 100 flashes, with a recycle time of 6 seconds. You get a slightly better performance if you use nickel metal hydride rechargeable AAA batteries - with 130 flashes with a recycle time of 5 seconds.

The Pentax AF180FG will cost $199/£199 – the same price as the flashgun it is replacing.

See our guide to the best flashgun for your camera

Studio lighting specialists Profoto is adding a new fresnel lighting attachment to its range of light shaping accessories. The Profoto Fresnel Small is a relatively large device that sits in front of a monolight or studio head to create a controllable, spotlight-like beam of light - which is often used by photographers to add Hollywood-like drama to their shots.

Despite its name, the Fresnel Small comes with what Profoto describes as a medium-sized 7-inch (200mm) diameter lens that " projects a clean, crisp light beam, perfect for precise lighting and movie-like effects". A built-in iris control allows you to control the angle and spread of the beam.

Profoto already has a larger 11in (300mm) fresnel attachment in its range - the ProFresnel Spot.

The fresnel lens gets it name from the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel who came up with the idea of constructing the concentric rings of glass prisms to create a strong pencil-like beam of light from a lighthouse - a system that is still used today some 200 years since its invention.

With the modifier weighing 7 lbs (2kg), Profoto recommends that its new Fresnel Small attachment is used with the optional Stand Adapter Pro when used with the B10 series of lights, to ensure stability and safety.

The Profoto Fresnel Small will retail for $1,495 / £1,349.

Find out the best lighting kits for studio photography

Flash triggers are usually not the sexiest bit of photography equipment to talk about, often taking the form of a chunky plastic box with clunky buttons and maybe a TFT screen. But Godox has somehow managed to design a new flash trigger that actually has me excited.

The Godox X3, previously known as the Xnano before a marketing switch, is a compact wireless flash trigger designed to offer the same reliable performance that Godox’s previous triggers are known for in a much smaller package. The X3 is compatible with a wide range of Godox flash units that use Godox’s long-established wireless protocols and comes in the usual range of camera-compatible versions for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and OM/Panasonic. The trigger is also found sold under Adorama's Flashpoint range in the US, as the Flashpoint R2 Nano.

One of the standout aspects of the Godox X3 is its 2.4GHz wireless transmission system with long-range performance, supporting communication up to 100 meters, making it ideal for both inside and outside environments. Additionally, the X3 provides flexibility with its TTL (Through-The-Lens) automatic exposure, manual settings for precision control, and multi-flash mode for creative strobe effects.

High-Speed Sync (HSS) up to 1/8000s allows for fast shutter speeds, which is particularly useful for freezing action shots or shooting in bright conditions while maintaining a shallow depth of field.

On paper, its specs sound like a winner, but with a brand new design and interface, what is the Godox X3 actually like to use?

Godox X3: Specifications

Godox X3: Price

When looking at the more affordable end of the flash market where Godox sits, the Godox X3 is priced competitively against rival flash triggers; however, its design, build, and interface are much closer to high-end flash systems, so I would argue it offers exceptional value for money when compared to anything similar from Profoto or Elinchrom.

There are some slight variations in price depending on different sellers and which camera system you use, but the X3 costs around $89 / £82 / AU$145 at the time of writing. However, this does make it the joint most expensive flash trigger Godox makes. The Godox XPro II trigger is a slightly more feature-rich trigger, and at the time of writing, costs $89 / £90 / AU$142, but with a stark difference in size compared to the X3. The X1 is almost one-third of the price, although with far less control and a basic design. 

Godox X3: Design & Handling

I had seen images of the X3 before I received it, so I had some expectations of its size, but I was still immediately taken aback by how remarkably small the Godox X3 was. I have never used a flash trigger this small before without having to make big sacrifices to manual flash control. Next to the Godox X2T (my current flash trigger), the X3 is just a huge step forward. Atop my camera’s hot shoe, the X3 was barely noticeable when carrying my camera around. I was shooting with the Fujifilm X-T5, which is usually dwarfed by big Godox flash triggers, but the X3 looked at home. 

When not on the camera, the X3 also has the benefit of taking up less space in my kit bag, although after slipping the X3 into its included protective case, this saving was only marginal. I don’t tend to put my X2 trigger in any protective case as it feels robust enough to take a beating, but this isn’t something I can say for the X3, as the large touch screen makes me more cautious about its robustness long-term.

I can’t find any fault with the design of the X3, though; it has a really nice minimal look to it, the materials used are top-notch, and the screen itself is really stunning to look at with deep blacks and excellent clarity. The X3 feels far more premium than its price tag would suggest. If it didn’t have Godox printed on the side, then I might assume this had come from Profoto’s design team.

The interface is user-friendly and very intuitive, with a clear OLED touchscreen displaying the settings and easy-to-navigate controls. If you prefer, there is also a dial on the side to navigate menus, akin to the crown on an Apple Watch. There are a few swipe gestures that you have to memorize to get deeper into the settings menu, although nothing is more than two or three menus deep, although some larger triggers do have buttons that are faster to use.

The size of the X3 does have a slight drawback for those with large or clumsy fingers, and I did find it difficult on occasion to precisely drag the power settings, instead opting to use the dial or tap the +/- buttons on the screen. I also found that I registered the occasional unwanted tap on the screen, but the screen can be locked to prevent this if your settings are not going to change regularly.

Godox X3: Performance

In terms of performance, the X3 delivers consistent and reliable results. The wireless communication is stable, the X3 is incredibly easy to set up with different groups, as well as locking in IDs, and the trigger responds quickly to commands. I tried the X3 with as many different flash setups as I could think of (with the three flash heads I had available), and for individual or group controls, the X3 kept everything perfectly in sync. 

I am a bit of a lighting perfectionist, and I usually shoot in manual mode, but Godox's TTL mode provided accurate exposures in my testing in my studio when combined with the TTL in my Fujifilm camera. 

The X3 has a built-in battery and charges via USB-C, which has saved me from the tyranny of having to carry spare AA batteries and a bulky AA battery charger. The battery is exceptional. I have shot for hours and hours, and the battery is still going. I would not be concerned at all about the battery lasting through a full day, even in an intensive studio shoot.

Godox X3: Verdict

Photographers who have invested in Godox’s extensive flash equipment will find the Godox X3 (formerly known as Xnano) to be an excellent choice. This device offers powerful flash management in an easy-to-use, incredibly compact form factor. Its size is a fraction of the Godox XPro trigger, allowing photographers to slim down their kit bags and avoid unnecessary bulk on their hot shoes. A standout feature is the touchscreen, which facilitates quick changes to flash power, although it can be a bit fiddly for micro-adjustments. Despite this minor drawback, the X3 will certainly become a permanent fixture in my flash setup.

Despite the growth of LED lights, you can't beat a good flashgun – and the Canon Speedlite EL-10, successor to the 430EX RT-III, is a very good flashgun.

The arrival of the EL-10 extends the company's range of Speedlites to four. First up you have the entry-level EL-100, the EL-10 now sits above it, then it's the more advanced EL-5 and finally you have the flagship EL-1. 

The Canon Speedlite EL-10 sits between the EL-100 and EL-5 both in terms of features and price, offering a solution for those looking for more advanced features than the former but with budgets that don't stretch quite as far as the latter.

As one of Canon's brand-new Speedlites, the EL-10 gets the 21-pin Multi-function foot treatment, which allows for reliable and fast communication with the host camera body. In the case of the EL-10, it makes it possible for a trio of Custom modes (C1, C2, and C3) to be set and saved via the attached camera body.

Currently, Canon’s only R-series cameras with compatible Multi-function shoes are the EOS R3, R6 Mark II, R7, R8, R10 and R50 – though I strongly suspect that all future Canons will move to the new shoe. It does, however, mean it's not compatible with older Canon DSLRs, and even the full-frame mirrorless models like the original EOS R and R5 which use the traditional five-pin hot shoe – though there is an adapter (the AD-E1), it's a bit of a janky solution.

Canon EL-10: Specifications

Canon EL-10: Key features

The most noteworthy features for the EL-10 on its spec sheet are that it's small and portable (the same size and weight as the 430EX RT-III), it runs off four AA batteries (which can be more convenient than having to recharge a lithium-ion cell) and has a recycling speed of just 1.5 secs at full power – that's almost four times faster than the EL-100.

E-TTL II is boasted for easy 'Through The Lens' shooting, where the Speedlite cleverly works out the correct flash power needed for you. Flash Exposure (FE) memory is another feature inherited from the flagship EL-1, enabling users to combine the convenience of E-TTL Auto with the consistency of manual flash exposures.

So that’s many of the key specs covered, but what does the EL-10 leave on the cutting room floor? Well, just like its 430EX RT-III predecessor, it features no weather or dust resistance, and it omits an Infrared AF Assist beam – Canon claiming that the autofocus is good enough on new mirrorless cameras to not need it in low light.

It also loses the sensor used for optical remote firing, so triggering your flash remotely is natively restricted to radio, though Canon says this is more reliable. 

Canon EL-10: Build & handling

The EL-10 is very portable, with dimensions of 70.6 x 116.3 x 98.3mm and a weight of just 287g without batteries. So it could be a great option for those looking for a more compact unit than the EL-5 and EL-1, but also looking for more power and better features than the most basic EL-100.

The EL-10 shares the same head bounce rotation as the EL-100, which is 90º up, 150º left and 180º right. It's not quite as nimble as Canon's EL-5 and EL-1, which can rotate by 120º up, 180º left or 180º right, but we imagine it will be agile enough for most situations.

One missing feature worth pointing out is there's no push-button lock on the flash head, which needs to be pressed before you can tilt or swivel the flash head. This could be seen as a positive or a negative, depending on whether you like the security of the lock or you found it got in the way when you needed to adjust the flash position quickly. It does, however, feature a sliding lock mechanism that needs to be clicked into place to attach or release the flash to the hot shoe – which is a nice touch.

As with practically all modern flashes, the EL-10 comes with both a bounce card and a wide-angle diffusion panel to help users sculpt the flashlight in more ways. They're retracted into the flash head when not in use. Like the 430EX RT-III, the EL-10 has mounting points on the front of the flash head for gel filters or diffusers to be clipped on.

Canon EL-10: Performance

Like the mid-range EL-5, the new EL-10 has a wide range of power settings from 1/1 full power to 1/1024. While it’s not as expansive as the EL-1’s range, which goes down to 1/8192, it’s likely more than enough control for most users.

The EL-10 has a focal length rating of 24-105mm, which is larger than the EL-100’s 24-50mm zoom range, yet not as broad as the EL-5 and EL-1 which both top out at 200mm. The EL-10 Speedlite does come with a 14mm wide panel and a bounce card, though, adding to its versatility.

Unlike the EL-1 and EL-5, which both have a top power Guide Number of 60 (ISO100, 200mm), the EL-10 is a little less powerful with a Guide Number of 40, though is still over 50% more powerful than Canon’s most basic EL-100 flashgun. 

This is perhaps no surprise, however, as it’s powered by four AA batteries – twice as many as the EL-100 uses. It’s also almost quadruple the speed when it comes to recharging, at just 1.5 secs at full power.

The most notable departure from its 430EX RT-III predecessor is the move to Canon's Multi-function foot. While Canon mirrorless camera bodies with the female Multi-function shoe are cross-compatible with both the new and old style of flashes, the male version found on the EL-10 is specifically only compatible with Canons that feature the corresponding shoe – such as the EOS R3, R7 and so on.

While this isn't strictly a drawback, it is a strange choice considering the EL-10 doesn't really make full use of this technology.

The big advantage of a Multi-function shoe system like this is that the extra pins (21, to be precise) facilitate better communication with the camera body (compared to the 5 electronic connections found on traditional flashes). These extra connections make it possible for peripherals to be powered through the host camera, and eliminate the need for a cable to be run from a microphone to the body – which has always been a messy affair.

However, in the case of the EL-10, the biggest positive of using this new system is the ability to communicate with the camera allowing one of three custom modes to be set so that the camera remembers the next time you attach your flash. 

Don't get me wrong, this is undoubtedly a useful feature, but is it a feature worth alienating all those Canon shooters still using DSLRs, EOS Rs, and R5s? The jury is still out on that one. Of course, you can use Canon's AD-E1 adapter to make the EL-10 work with your older Canon, but let's face it – it's not an ideal solution.

Canon EL-10: Early verdict

Photography equipment seems (to me, at least) to be getting more expensive with each passing year. Every lens and camera released now feels like it's more expensive than the last, so it's refreshing to see a more entry-level piece of gear being dropped as it's much needed. 

After a brief hands-on with the Canon Speedlite EL-10, I think it will hit a sweet spot with photographers that shoot on Canon's latest mirrorless cameras (with the Multi-function shoe) and require a more advanced flashgun than the basic EL-100. 

It has a very respectable spec sheet and slew of features, including 1.5 sec recycle times at full power and a more than usable Guide Number of 40. Although not weather or dust-sealed, it feels solidly built and offers a good range of bounce and swivel options, zoom range and custom modes.

The most controversial feature of the EL-10 will undoubtedly be its Multi-function foot, which will put off many Canon photographers who don't have compatible equipment. But we'd better get used to it, as it looks like this is the shoe Canon will be using going forward both for its cameras and peripherals.

Take a look at the best flashguns on the market today, including the best Canon flashguns. If you prefer continuous lights then check out the best LED light panels.

Godox has launched yet another retro flash, but this time we head back a little further in its design ethos, with echoes of mid-century New York and the infamous reportage photographer Usher "Weegee" Fellig.

A lighting manufacturer that specializes in exceptional equipment at a more affordable entry point, Godox has made it possible for many photographers to get started in flash and studio photography – and some of its lights are among the best strobes on the market.

Recently, with the camera market catering more and more to vintage aesthetics, Godox has created a line of retro-style flashes named the Godox Lux range. And it appears to be doing well with consumers, as the manufacturer has not slowed in developing new models. Earlier this month we saw the Airpod-like Godox Lux Elf Retro, and now we have an announcement for the more unique Lux Master Retro.

The Godox Lux Master Retro blends the throwback aesthetic with the ease of use and modern functionality of the top flashes on the market. It stands out as the most developed and professional of the Lux range, with the lineup currently consisting of snapshot-worthy fill flashes.

With a design evocative of press photographers such as Weegee, the flash is packaged with a base plate that enables it to sit next to the camera – and it can also act as a handle with a remote trigger. However, unlike its mid-century ancestors, there is no need to carry a pocket full of flash tubes for each exposure.

With its built-in 7.2V 2,980mAh lithium battery, the Lux Master delivers strong power output and offers up to 460 full-power flashes. Recharging is quick and easy via the USB-C port, with a fast charging time of approximately two hours.

An intuitive color touchscreen gives the user precise control with just the swipe of a finger, and Godox states that it was designed for use with a single hand, making settings changes on the move easier. Power output, modes and settings can all be controlled via the touchscreen or a wireless trigger, as wireless sync is compatible with triggers such as the new Godox X3 – one of the smallest available.

The modern functionality of TTL enables the camera and flash to communicate efficiently for quick and accurate exposure. TTL is not the only modern function as the Lux Master also supports stroboscopic flash, front-curtain sync, rear-curtain sync and high-speed sync.

Other notable features include a tiltable flash head, a fan-type reflector (as seen on the Lux Senior and Lux Cadet, compatibility with other Godox attachments such as light dome and octabox, and an option for a wired shutter trigger.

The Godox Lux Master is available now in the US for $249 (UK and AU pricing TBC). The Godox Lux range has flown a little under the radar but has been a fun addition when used on retro-designed cameras like the Fujifilm X100VI. Retro designs and direct camera flash are very much on-trend and the Lux Master takes this even further.

See our guides for more information on the best studio lighting kits, the best-LED light panels, and the best retro cameras. 

Godox is no stranger to producing quirky lighting options that wouldn't look out of place in the midcentury, but with today's demand for retro, they look sleek and modern. 

Godox has been creating some of the best budget-friendly flashguns, strobes, and constant lights over recent years opening up the entry point for photographers to use off and on-camera flash. Recently they have been watching the market trends and have produced the Lux range of stylish retro-style on-camera flashes, and the newly announced Godox Lux Elf Retro blurs the modern and retro further. 

Looking not too dissimilar to an oversized Apple Airpod, the Godox Lux Elf Retro offers an on-camera flash solution for brightening up those everyday snapshots. The all-white finish is distinct and the small form factor enables easy transportation.

As you can tell by the product video above, Godox has designed the Lux Elf to be easy. Easy to carry, easy to set up, and easy to use. The back dial makes shooting flash simple as each power increment is depicted with a symbol. For example, when shooting at the flashes default ISO 100, and you want to shoot a portrait of two people, you would turn the dial to the symbol that shows two people, in this instance 1/4 power.

Another notable feature is the Optical Mode which offers S1 and S2 settings. In S1 mode the flash will fire in response to another manual or TTL flash, while S2 will respond similarly but ignore the initial flash. This makes the Godox Lux Elf Retro a great fill flash option.

The in-built battery is rechargeable via a USB-C interface and offers up to 400 flashes on a full charge. A sync hole for connecting a sync cable is also included.

Unlike the more professional Godox flashes such as the Godox AD200 Pro and the recently released Godox V1 Pro, the Lux range is designed for more casual everyday snapping. It is perfect for providing a little more light than perhaps available with the camera's built-in flash and filling shadows on a sunny day.

The Godox Lux Elf Retro is available for pre-order now for $49 | £49 (around AU$75).

See our guides for more information on the best flashguns, the best lighting kits, and the best-LED light panels. 

Flash photography is a really underappreciated thing. Its difficulty to master means a lot of photographers steer well clear of trying it, as it is so easy to stray into poorly done flash photography that looks outdated and cheap. But a good flash with good technique can make all the difference in turning a drab mundane picture into a professional-looking one. The easiest place to start – a great on-camera flash.

While many people think of on-camera flashes as the built-in pop-up flashes on cameras that make everyone ghostly pale with red eyes, but a serious on-camera flash is a whole different ball game and is the savior of wedding, portrait, and event photographers who need to be ready to shoot anywhere. 

Most camera manufacturers have several great flash options, but it's Godox that has risen through the ranks with one of the best flashguns that balances performance with exceptional value with its Godox V1. Now Godox is introducing a newer and more powerful version that takes the best from the standard model, but now with blistering recharge speeds for the most demanding of pros, as well as an intriguing new clip-on fill flash. But when the original is so good, does this Pro version offer enough to tempt an upgrade?

Godox V1Pro: Specifications

Godox V1Pro: Price

The Godox V1Pro launched at $329. When compared to the Profoto’s very premium (and overpriced) lights like the A10, the Godox V1 Pro is an absolute bargain at around a fifth of the price, and up against camera brands' own flashguns, it still undercuts the competition with a Canon EL-5 as one example costing around $500.

The Godox V1Pro obviously comes in more expensive than the standard Godox V1, currently at around a $100 premium, although as ever with Godox products you can find wildly different prices for different combinations of accessories and bundles depending on where you shop. 

For around $100, which includes the clip-on flash unit, this isn’t a bad deal when you take into account the other improvements to the rechange speed as well as the improved ease of charging the battery. The only question to ask yourself is if you really need the additional benefits of the Pro, as the standard V1 has the same power, and isn’t exactly slow. For me, the standard model does the job well enough, and I can keep some of my cash.

Godox V1Pro: Design & Handling

At a glance, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the V1Pro and the V1, with the newer model keeping the same form as the standard model, although when there was nothing fundamentally wrong with the V1 and you have already established a control scheme Godox users are familiar, then why change things. The control layout is the same, the battery is interchangeable with other models, and the V1Pro keeps one of the best features of the V1, with magnetic attachments that effortlessly clip to the front. 

The V1Pro is an on-camera flash, but its biggest issue is just how big it is when atop a modern mirrorless camera. On-camera used to be about balanced when attached to chunky DSLR cameras, but on top of my Fujifilm X-T5, the flash is unwieldy. Even on bigger mirrorless cameras like Canon’s full-frame EOS R cameras it still dwarfs the camera somewhat. A huge benefit of the V1Pro is its built-in wireless system though which means you can use the V1 as an off-camera flash as well with a compatible Godox trigger and can be combined with any of Godox’s other flash and studio lights for more complex setups.

The big size isn’t really the fault of the V1Pro, as the amount of light produced as well as cooling is mostly down to physics, with a bigger head producing a more powerful flash. However if you are shooting a wedding or event where you will be carrying this around for long periods, it is a very awkward thing to hold on many cameras.

The V1Pro is mostly very well built although it doesn’t quite have the fit and finish of its much more premium Profoto or camera brand rivals. The body itself is a generic but solid-feeling plastic construction that can take a knock or two, the buttons are better, but the rear dial still continues to be loose fitting and flimsy feeling, although at least the wheel labels don’t spin around independently like they do on my standard V1. The locking ring works just fine but would make me feel better if it felt a little more secure as there is still a little bit of wobble.

Charging is a huge improvement with this new model. I am very reliant on everything in my kit charging via USB-C as I detest having to travel with several different charging blocks for the various brands I work with. You can quickly swap the battery on the V1Pro out like the last model, but now you can charge spare batteries by directly plugging the battery into a USB-C connection. There is an LED charging status clearly shown on the battery. This is one of the simplest solutions I have come across for charging spare batteries and I really hope to see this more.

The control system for the V1Pro is fairly straightforward if you know what you are doing when it comes to flash photography as it follows much of the same controls and terminology as used across the industry in other flash units. Godox is falling behind a little on UI design though, with the UI on other flashes being much nicer and simpler to use, as well as brands adding more phone companion app connectivity and controls.

Flicking between TTL and Manual is now easier than ever with a switch on the side, this acts as more of a shortcut than a permanent mode lock, as you can still switch modes on the rear dial as well, which I appreciated a lot as that is my muscle memory for switching modes. The most common settings I needed for manual flash, like flash compensation or zoom, can be easily dialed in on the rear wheel, with the dial being clicky and precise enough for incremental changes, but can be spun fast to speed through the entire flash power range.

However, if you are a total novice then there isn’t much assistance in the menus to decipher what something like TTL or S1 might mean, so it is a bit of a learning curve to get to grips with what you need for creative uses. You can just point the V1 forward in TTL and Auto Zoom and it will do the work for you, but frankly, there are smaller, cheaper, and easier flashes to use for that.

The new fill flash clips into the front in a fairly straightforward manner, although the slide-in technique took me a few attempts at first. The fill flash is very slim and doesn't really get in the way. I didn't really notice it when it was attached, so it would be possible to just leave it on full-time and toggle the power on an off in the menus, which would save taking it off and losing it. There is a small slot to keep the fill flash in the supplied case though, which should hopefully help prevent that.

Godox V1Pro: Performance

I am already a big fan of the Godox V1, and the Godox V1Pro does everything that light does, and then some. The biggest difference in performance from the main flash head is the rate it can fire at full power. Godox claims that the flash can fire off one hundred full power shots in succession, and while tedious, I did manage to fire 100 shots at 1/1 power. However, don’t expect full power flash to meet your camera’s high-speed shooting mode, there is still a 1.5-second delay between each shot, but now the flash can go for longer without needing a break.

I have covered a lot of weddings and events, but I don’t think I have ever come across a situation where I am shooting a photo every 1.5 seconds for over 100 shots, which is two and a half minutes of non-stop shooting, so I am not entirely sure how useful this is. However, if you do demand the most from your flash, and you find you regularly overheat your model, then this might be a lifesaver.

Battery life is excellent, and meets Godox’s target of around 500 full-power shots, although I was rarely if ever actually shooting consistently at full power, and at my much lower flash outputs the battery just kept going and going. I’d still buy an extra battery or two for my kit bag for shooting weddings or events as it would be a professional disaster to run out of power, but I would be pretty confident I wouldn’t need them.

The modeling light on the light is fine, but it really is only enough for the camera to lock autofocus, this is certainly no hybrid light for photos and video. 

Now the other big feature is the fill flash accessory. If the clip-on fill flash is desirable to you as a photographer will very much depend on your style, if you love the look of flash, then it might complement your shooting, but for my work, I don’t really find it that useful. The issue for me is if I am inside, I will be bouncing the light from the main head back off a wall or ceiling trying to create the illusion of a more natural source of light behind or above me, which the clip-on fill flash kind of shatters with its obvious direct light on my subjects.

I can only really see it being useful as a fill flash when you are in a situation where you want to counter the bounce back of light from creating unwanted shadowing. Although all my photography instincts would be telling me to just move my subject or use an angled reflector instead below the subject for a more natural finish, although I appreciate sometimes that isn’t possible. However, as the fill flash still gives the look of ‘flash photography’, if I am in a situation where I must light a subject directly, then I can just use the main flash head directly at my subject on low power for a similar effect.

Last but not least, Godox’s wireless system is simple yet fantastic. I have used Godox’s flashes for years, and the wireless has always been consistent and reliable, and the V1Pro slots right in with no issues amongst my other flashes like the AD300 or older V1. The V1Pro can act as a master unit for a multi-light setup or can become an off-camera flash when used with a trigger like the new Godox X3, which adds some value to the light as it is more versatile than just an on-camera flash.

Godox V1Pro: Verdict

The Godox V1Pro builds on the success of the V1 and adds some neat new features, but this comes at a higher cost, and if this extra money is worth paying very much depends on your photographic style. 

Although the new USB-C battery charging has me very tempted, there are not enough valuable features in the Pro for me to get excited about paying around a third more than the regular V1. The big feature of the clip-on fill light I found to be more of a gimmick than actually useful, as the light didn’t add anything to my work, instead my photos had a bit more of a cheap ‘flash photography’ look like you might get from a disposable camera with a built-in flash, which I did not like. The other headline grabber of 100 continuous shots at full power is also amazing, but won’t get much use from me, as that is just too many photos, although other pros might find this more useful.

However, this doesn’t take away from what an amazing flash this is, the consistency of the flash is excellent, the power is more than enough for portrait, event, and wedding work, and Godox’s wireless system is fantastic. But then the standard V1 has all these features too and is more than good enough for my needs. 

Alternatives

The Elinchrom THREE is an off-camera flash aimed at photographers who work in various locations and are often on the move. Located somewhere between the best flashguns and the best photography lighting kits, the Elinchrom THREE offers the best of both worlds, with studio power and quality in a compact and lightweight body that can be easily transported. 

When it comes to studio lighting and light shaping modifiers, Elinchrom is among the best in the business, and the release of the battery-powered Elinchrom ONE, THREE, and FIVE has enabled photographers to take the power of the studio anywhere. The THREE is the middle sibling of the range in both cost, power output, and size, but all of which offer the same great design, light quality, and user experience.

The Elinchrom THREE was released in October 2023 and has been marketed towards photographers on the move, with a special focus on wedding photography. This makes sense as the THREE offers a little extra than a Speedlight, and its tiny form factor makes it easy to carry around. The battery is integrated into the unit which allows for the smaller size, but this also means that it can work with external power banks via USB-C, enabling shooting from morning to first dance.

Although weddings may be a slice of the target market, it is certainly not the only scenario in which the THREE can be utilized. As you can see further on in the review, I used it on location for an environmental portrait, and in a studio making it extremely versatile. I also have no reason to believe that this wouldn't be a fantastic option for fashion shoots on location, with the powerful HSS and fast recycle times. 

This review came at the perfect time for me as I am in the market for a new portable off-camera flash that could be easily taken with me as an option if the location lacked enough light. Of late I have been working on assignments capturing environmental portraits and detail shots, often in environments that offer less than optimal natural light - so I was eager to test it out to see if it would become a new staple in my everyday workflow.

Elinchrom THREE: Specifications

Elinchrom THREE: Price & Availability

The Elinchrom THREE kit is on the market for $999.99 / £979.00 which includes the light, diffusion dome, tilt-head, carry bag, and Elinchrom bayonet adapter. I feel that this is a great price for a light of this caliber. It sits in between the Elinchrom ONE and FIVE in both price and power output, and out of the three I feel is the best value for money. Its nearest competitor is most likely the Profoto B10X which offers more power but is more than double the price. 

The Elinchrom THREE was released in October 2023. The light feels modern and future-proofed for HSS and TTL, and will have no issue keeping up with the faster shooting speeds on offer from the best mirrorless cameras.  

Elinchrom THREE: Design & Handling

The Elinchrom THREE is sleek and stylish and offers great design in build quality and performance output. The first thing I noticed was its compact size, measuring just 25.3 x 16.5 x 10.5 cm, around the same size as a 70-200mm telephoto lens. It was incredibly lightweight and could easily fit into my camera bag, or in the carry bag that comes with the light kit. 

The light is the first that I have used with an integrated Li-Ion battery, making it even easier to transport. The battery is charged via the USB-C port located on the underside of the light body which enables charging whilst in use, and compatibility with external power banks, for extra shooting capacity. A full battery charge enables 525 flashes at full power, and up to 11,250 flashes at minimum power. 

The menu system is incredibly easy to use, with an intuitive touch screen to adjust settings with ease. Elinchrom has stripped settings back to the very basics, which makes navigating and changing settings so much easier.

I am not usually a fan of touchscreen controls and have it turned off on my camera, but using it on the THREE sped up my workflow. It enabled the changing of settings very quickly with just the drag of a finger, which is often needed when working in a fast-paced shooting environment. There are also physical buttons that are positioned at the rear of the light which are just as intuitive, although I found the speed of the touch screen worked better for me. 

The bulb itself is designed around an unconcealed flash tube for optimal light spread, the Elinchrom THREE ensures you experience beautiful light quality even with light shapers/modifiers from other brands. The THREE comes with a diffused dome which softens the light further whilst still offering great light spread. 

For my shoots, I also used the Elinchrom Rotalux Deep Octabox 70cm which is easily attached to the provided adapter and offers a beautifully soft light quality for portraiture. A 7-8 mm umbrella mount is included in the removable metal tilt head, making the THREE even easier to pack.  

I was extremely impressed with the build quality of both the light and the accessories, and I felt completely comfortable that they could be used in all shooting environments. Not having to worry about the kit was a substantial weight off of my shoulders, enabling the focus to be on the photography. 

Elinchrom THREE: Photo Performance

As soon as I found out I was to test and review the Elinchrom THREE, I knew I wanted to put it through its paces with a real-world test as though working with a paying client. Elinchrom has a stellar reputation for off-camera flashes and I was excited to push it to the limits, but it turned out to not have any. Being lightweight and compact I knew I wanted to shoot in multiple environments, both in the studio and on location - it handled both with ease, instantly highlighting its versatility as a major asset. 

Set up was instantaneous with the flash unit and the transmitter connecting in a matter of seconds. From there it was a matter of positioning the light to best compliment the subject and scene. This is a major factor to love about the THREE, as it allowed me to focus on what I was shooting, rather than worrying about the light connection. The ease of use further enhanced this, and changing settings via either the transmitter or the unit's touch screen was intuitive and easy.  

Shooting using off-camera flash often results in misfires and therefore missed shots, with the THREE I had zero during any of my shoots. I could rely on the flash to go when I pressed the shutter and recycle in time for my next shot, what else can you ask for? 

Another noticeable highlight for me was the bright bi-color LED modeling lamp, pictured in use below. My location shoot was in a dimly lit workshop, with no natural light. The modeling light was a lifesaver, providing bright light on my subject to enable my Fujifilm GFX 50S II to catch focus, resulting in sharp images. 

The quality of light that the THREE produced was very pleasing and complimented my subjects well. The use of the Elinchrom Rotalux Deep Octabox 70cm enhanced this further, by creating a soft diffused light. 

The one thing that I haven't touched on is the transmitter. I used both the Elinchrom Transmitter Plus and the Elinchrom Transmitter Pro, both of which worked flawlessly with the THREE. However, an important note to consider is that HSS is only compatible with the Elinchrom Transmitter Pro, so you might need to check you have the right transmitter for your needs. 

Elinchrom THREE: Sample Images

These images were taken in my makeshift home studio against a painted canvas backdrop. With the help of my daughter, we captured some one-light studio shots with the THREE placed to the camera's right, on top of a C stand angled at about 45 degrees. 

I used the THREE to feather a soft light onto the subject's face using the shadows to create mood. The THREE produced the dramatic lighting I was after and showcased further its versatility. 

Elinchrom THREE: Verdict

I shoot a lot with flash, but this may be the best and most versatile portable off-camera flash I have ever used, and that says something. I put this light through shooting in several different scenarios and it handled each one with ease, providing me with confidence that it was going to perform as expected. It produced an amazing quality of light resulting in perfectly exposed images, and the ability to use additional Elinchrom Light Shapers with the adapter enabled further versatility. 

I see this light being perfect for anyone who wants to take their first steps with an off-camera flash and take a step up from the traditional speedlight. I plan to incorporate one or two in my location camera kit, for portraiture, fashion, and documentary work in the future due to the quality it produces and the reliance on it doing what I need it to.

Overall this is a fantastic tool to enhance both studio and location photography! 

Alternatives