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.
