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Flash

Compact TTL and manual shoe flashes for Fujifilm, Sony, Canon, and other mirrorless systems: size, guide number, radio (especially Godox X), and HSS when you want a pocketable fill light instead of a full-size speedlight.

Market snapshot (2025–2026)

Section titled “Market snapshot (2025–2026)”

Ultra-compact flashes shrank again: Godox covers iT (tiny TTL cubes through iT30 Pro and modular iT32 + X5), iM (manual minis), and classic TT350 / V350. Viltrox competes hard on price (Vintage Z2, Spark Z3). The former benchmark Nissin i400 is effectively gone with no successor; Metz flash production ended after Mecatech insolvency — used Metz means no firmware support and uncertain new-body compatibility. For small + TTL + Godox X, Godox still leads; Canon / Sony OEM units integrate best but cost more or occupy more bag space.

Approximate CZK in the table below matches the 2025–2026 shopping survey this page is based on (~23 CZK ≈ 1 USD in that survey); confirm current listings before you buy.

Comparison table (compact class)

Section titled “Comparison table (compact class)”

Systems: C Canon, N Nikon, S Sony, F Fujifilm, O OM System. GN = guide number (m, ISO 100) from manufacturer / survey figures.

Model GN Weight TTL Radio / slave Tilt Power ~CZK
Godox iT20 / iT22 ~10 45–52 g Y C/N/S/F/O — —* Li-ion USB-C ~1 150
Viltrox Vintage Z2 ~6 52 g Y C/N/S/F — — Li-ion USB-C ~850
Godox iM20 / iM22 / iM30 ~10–15 31–78 g Manual — / S1S2† — Li-ion / 2×AAA ~690–780
Godox Lux Elf ~6 96 g Manual S1/S2 — Li-ion USB-C ~1 130
Godox iT30 Pro 15 120 g Y Godox X —* Li-ion USB-C ~2 290
Viltrox Z1 / Z1+ ~12 116–132 g Manual S1/S2 — Li-ion USB-C ~1 150
Viltrox Vintage Z1 Pro ~14 ‡‡‡ 136 g Y C/N/S/F S1/S2 — Li-ion USB-C TBD
LightPix FlashQ X20 ‡ 20 ~115 g Y S/F FlashQ 2.4 GHz 90° 2× AA ~3 000
SmallRig RS20 ~12 ‡‡ 128 g Manual — — Li-ion USB-C TBD
Viltrox Spark Z3 ~16 144 g Y C/N/S/F S1/S2 — Li-ion USB-C ~1 265
Meike MK-320 32 150 g Y S1/S2 90° 2× AA ~2 190
Godox iT32 + X5 18 169 g Y Godox X 90°/270° Li-ion USB-C ~2 300
Godox Lux Junior 12 130 g Manual S1/S2 — 2× AAA ~1 370
Godox Lux Cadet 10 171 g Manual S1/S2 — Li-ion USB-C ~2 070
Canon Speedlite EL-100 26 190 g Canon Optical 90°/330° 2× AA ~4 000
Nissin i400 40 203 g Y — 90°/360° 4× AA EOL
Nissin i40 40 203 g Y Optical 90°/360° 4× AA EOL
Godox TT350 36 210 g Y Godox X 90°/270° 2× AA ~2 400
Sony HVL-F28RM 28 219 g Sony Sony 2.4 GHz 120° 2× AA ~5 700
Metz M400 40 220 g Y Optical 90°/360° 4× AA Defunct
Yongnuo YN320EX 31 225 g Sony YN 2.4 GHz 90°/270° 2× AA ~1 500
Godox V350 36 290 g Y Godox X 90°/270° Li-ion ~4 000
Canon Speedlite EL-10 40 287 g Canon (MFS) Radio 90°/330° 4× AA ~5 500
Nissin i60A 60 300 g Y NAS 2.4 GHz 90°/360° 4× AA ~5 500

* Godox documents HSS and tilt for iT20 / iT22 together with the optional TR TTL Hot Shoe Riser — see the iT20 / iT22 page. iT30 Pro needs a riser or modifier strategy for ceiling bounce (no built-in tilt).
† iM30: optical slave S1/S2; iM20/iM22: typically no slave in the same way — check SKU.
‡ X20: TTL only with bundled Fujifilm or Sony transmitter; slow full-power recycle (~5–6 s), 2× AA.
‡‡ RS20: check SmallRig sheet for exact GN / sync limits (survey: “12” class).
‡‡‡ Vintage Z1 Pro: GN not stated by Viltrox; 24 Ws with 28 mm coverage maps to roughly GN 14 class — confirm in reviews.

Godox iT30 S Pro compact on-camera flash: rectangular black body, large Fresnel front window, knurled top dial, “iT30 S Pro” label and small status window

Godox TT350 mini Thinklite speedlight, black housing with red accent, shown from front-three-quarter angle

Under ~100 g: built-in-flash replacement

Section titled “Under ~100 g: built-in-flash replacement”

Godox iT20 / iT22 — Smallest TTL units in the survey (~45 g / ~52 g); USB-C Li-ion; no built-in Godox X radio; straight-ahead aim unless you add Godox’s TR riser / bounce workflow. GN ~10 class; fine for 2–3 m social distances if you lift ISO as needed. Survey note: no radio, and HSS / tilt are tied to TR in Godox’s own materials — verify your body.

Viltrox Vintage Z2 — Very low street price; fold-flat body; TTL for C/N/S/F; GN ~6 is extremely weak (~1.5–2 m at ISO 100 without ISO lift). No HSS, no radio, no tilt — emergency close-fill only.

Godox iM20 / iM22 / iM30 — Manual line; iM20/iM22 down to ~31–34 g; iM30 trades size for GN ~15 and S1/S2 slave. No TTL.

Godox Lux Elf — Retro manual micro flash (GN ~6); style over duty for serious TTL work.

~100–170 g: pocket TTL with real features

Section titled “~100–170 g: pocket TTL with real features”

Godox iT30 Pro — Survey default pick for most users: ~120 g, 2.8″ touchscreen, Godox X master/slave, HSS, TTL, multi, USB-C Li-ion (~560 full-power pops claimed). GN 15 is the limiter — think built-in-flash class power, not big-room bounce without ISO. Can command larger Godox units (AD200, V1, …) from the shoe. CZ example retailer: Megapixel.cz — search Godox iT30 Pro.

Godox iT32 + X5 — Modular head (~169 g, GN ~18) on mount-specific X5 shoe; 90° / 270° tilt/swivel for bounce, modelling LED, magnetic modifiers. X5 modules are bought per system (survey: ~460–780 CZK for the trigger slice depending on mount). Same shop class: Megapixel.cz — search Godox iT32.

Viltrox Spark Z3 — Cyber styling, ~26 Ws marketing, fast recycle in reviews; survey warns no HSS, no tilt, no Godox-style radio, and weak or missing TTL FEC depending on firmware — confirm before import.

Viltrox Vintage Z1 Pro — Retro leather-clad body (~136 g) with round touchscreen and 2.5D curved glass. SKUs Z1-Pro S / N / F / C for Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, Canon. 24 Ws, TTL + manual (1/1–1/64 in 1/3 stops), HSS to 1/8000 s, front/rear curtain, S1/S2 optical slave. 800 mAh Li-ion via USB-C (charges while shooting), ~1 s recycle, 350 full-power flashes per charge, 6000 K ±200 K color, flash duration up to 1/50 000 s. No Godox X radio, no tilt — head fixed at 28 mm coverage. Step up from the manual Z1 / Z1+ for shooters who want TTL + HSS in a vintage form factor.

LightPix FlashQ X20 — Detachable 2.4 GHz transmitter; GN 20, 90° tilt, bi-colour LED; TTL only for Fujifilm / Sony bundles. Trade-off: slow full-power recycle (~5–6 s), 2× AA.

Meike MK-320 — GN 32 in a slim ~110 × 65 × 36 mm body, tilting head, TTL, S1/S2; survey: no built-in radio HSS, ~5 s full recycle, patchy regional availability.

~200–300 g: more power, bigger pouch

Section titled “~200–300 g: more power, bigger pouch”

Godox TT350 — Survey “best GN/size trade-off” in AA class: GN 36 (105 mm zoom story), 24–105 mm motor zoom, full tilt/swivel, Godox X, HSS. Slower full-power recycle (~2.2 s) and heavier ready weight than Li-ion V350. Common Adorama house label: Flashpoint Zoom-Mini TTL R2 (same class — verify exact SKU).

Godox V350 — TT350-class output with VB20 Li-ion pack: faster recycle (~1.7 s class), ~290 g with battery.

Sony HVL-F28RM — Best Sony-only integration: specs, 2.4 GHz, sealing, face-detection flash on supported bodies; GN 28, bounce 120° without rotation; priced above Godox.

Canon Speedlite EL-100 — Compact Canon TTL, optical wireless, tilting head; survey flags slow full-power recycle and value vs TT350 — check current Canon specs for HSS on your body.

Canon Speedlite EL-10 — Multi-Function Shoe only; radio, GN 40, heavier than “pocket mini”.

Yongnuo YN320EX — Budget Sony TTL with YN radio; survey: fragile foot reports and TTL quirks.

Discontinued or legacy (still listed for reference)

Section titled “Discontinued or legacy (still listed for reference)”

Nissin i400 — Strong GN and ergonomics for size; no radio; discontinued, no direct replacement. i40 similarly dead; i60A lingers with NAS radio but the line is stagnant.

Metz — Insolvency 2020–2021; M400 / compact 26 AF-2 are legacy — avoid for new bodies unless you accept risk.

Nissin i400 compact TTL flash for mirrorless, black body with dual control dials and Nissin branding

Godox Lux (retro, style-first)

Section titled “Godox Lux (retro, style-first)”

Lux Junior (~GN 12), Lux Cadet (~GN 10, USB-C Li-ion), Lux Senior (~GN 14): manual / auto styling flashes, S1/S2 on many SKUs, no Godox X on the classic bodies. Lux Master adds Godox X / TTL via external control but leaves the “pocket” bracket — see the Lux series hub on Godox.

Not in the compact class (survey exclusion)

Section titled “Not in the compact class (survey exclusion)”

Profoto A1X/A10 — Round-head quality but ~4× the bulk of iT30 Pro; luxury tier. A2 is a 100 Ws off-camera monolight style unit, not a shoe-speedlight workflow.

Neewer — Z1 / NW420 are full-size speedlight clones; Neewer Q radio ≠ Godox X.

Westcott FJ80 II — Competent FJ-radio speedlight, too heavy for this page’s compact brief.

Picks by use case

Section titled “Picks by use case”
Goal Pick
Best pocket all-rounder (TTL + HSS + Godox X) Godox iT30 Pro
Pocket + ceiling bounce + Godox X Godox iT32 + X5
Best GN in a still-small AA light Godox TT350
Cheapest TTL (weak GN) Viltrox Vintage Z2
Sony ecosystem, money less important Sony HVL-F28RM
Cheap manual mini with slave Godox iM30
Off-camera “big small” (100 Ws pack, not shoe bounce) Godox AD100 Pro II

Where the market is heading

Section titled “Where the market is heading”

Miniaturisation is bumping physics (iT20 45 g, Vintage Z2 52 g) at GN 6–10. Modular iT32 + X5 hints at cross-system shoe brains on one flash body. Godox X still has the broadest compact stack; Viltrox presses on price but mostly skips integrated radio; Nissin / Metz no longer define the category. For most buyers in this class, the practical fork is iT30 Pro vs iT32 vs TT350 inside Godox.

Sources

Section titled “Sources”