Godox’s Lux Elf Retro Flash is a Compact, Simple On-Camera Strobe

Apr 10, 2024

A person holds a camera with the Godox Lux Elf Retro while photographing a woman in the background.

Godox has expanded its retro lighting lineup with the Lux Elf Retro Camera Flash. The new on-camera flash is a compact, simple lighting solution for beginners.

Godox is well known for its budget-friendly lighting. It’s seen as an affordable alternative to expensive brands, typically offering a lot of value for the price. While not all of its products are perfect by any means, it does make some fantastic lights that are well worth buying, even for experienced pros. The Lux Elf Retro joins Godox’s existing retro-designed lineup, which currently includes the Lux Cadet Retro, Lux Senior Retro, and Lux Junior Retro.

The company’s newest light stands in contrast to a release at the beginning of the year. In January, Godox released an update to one of its most popular flashes, the V1 Pro. The V1 Pro is, as the name suggests, a powerful, highly capable flash for professional photographers. It’s especially ideal for sports, wedding, and event photographers who want a lightweight but reliable flash.

The Godox Lux Elf Retro is attached to the Nikon Z fc camera.

The Lux Elf Retro stands at the other end of the spectrum. It is a compact light designed for beginners and hobbyists. That’s partly evident in the styling of the flash with its rather cute, retro look. Godox emphasizes that this light is designed to make things easy, starting with its portability. It weighs just 96 grams (3.4 ounces) and is only 2.76 by 3.82 by 2.09 inches, which is small enough to keep in a pocket or small camera bag. The small size means that it will also fit nicely on compact, travel-friendly cameras.

The new camera-mounted flash uses a single contact point hotshoe and is compatible with all camera brands. It features a built-in 7.4V 350mAh lithium battery, which charges via USB-C and promises 400 flashes per charge. A sync port allows users to attach an optional sync cable. The light offers a guide number of 19.7 feet at ISO 100.

The back of the Godox Lux Elf Retro camera flash.

A dial on the back of the flash gives users control over power, with five different power outputs from 1/1 to 1/16. There are also two different Optical Modes for more control. S1 will fire the flash in response to another manual or TTL flash. S2 will ignore the initial flash.

The Godox Lux Elf Retro (also called the Flashpoint FlashBack Lux Elf Retro at Adorama) is available to pre-order now for $39.