Pocket-sized on-camera flashes are experiencing a renaissance. Many of today’s pocket flashes promise photographers vintage styling with decent-to-good power output to give their photographs a distinct, “edgy” look. The Viltrox Vintage Z1 is one such flash, but does it deliver on the hype?
The Big Picture: Viltrox Vintage Z1 Review Conclusions
The Viltrox Vintage Z1 does exactly what it claims to do—give you good power output from a compact, retro-styled on-camera flash. The controls are super simple, and photographers can even use it as a slave flash (hair light, maybe?). Rated as GN12 at full power, you could use this effectively as a fill light in most street photography applications or to create “edgy” circa late 90’s disposable camera flash looks to portraits (which I’m not a fan of). But, at just under $50, it’s hard to pass on it.
We rate the Viltrox Vintage Z1 on-camera flash a 4 out of 5. Want one for yourself? You can purchase one via our Amazon link.
Pros
- Super-compact, weighs only 116g (1/4 lb)
- Simple, intuitive operation
- GN12 allows you to cancel out sunlight in close-up situations
- USB-C, rechargeable internal battery
- Universal, single-pin design can be used on multiple cameras.
- Retro styling looks great on most cameras.
Cons
- Optical slave modes have little practical application in this speedlite
- Head-on flash doesn’t allow for bouncing light off a wall or ceiling and can create harsh lighting on your subject if you’re not careful
Gear Used
We used the Canon EOS R5 Mark II with the Canon RF 50mm F1.4 VCM, which was loaned from Lenstentals, and the Canon RF 20mm F1.4 L, which was loaned from Canon. We also tested this lens with the Nikon Z9 and Nikkor Z 35mm F1.2 S, which were loaned from Nikon, and the Fujifilm X-Pro 3, which we own.
Innovations
While there isn’t much in terms of raw innovations – pocket-sized flashes are a dime a dozen – this flash manages to keep the recycle rate at under 3.5 seconds at full power and keep you going for up to 10,000 flashes per charge. You can go from empty to full charge in less than an hour via USB-C charging.
Ease of Use
This is one of the easiest flashes I’ve worked with since I bought the Flashpoint LUX Elf about a year ago. The flash has a simple on/off lever and one flash mode—manual. To the left of the test button is a clicky dial that controls the flash power level. You can control the power output in increments of one stop from Full power to 1/64.
Another consideration about using the Viltrox Z1 is the flash coverage and color temperature. I don’t see many photographers using very wide lenses—most likely squarely within the 28mm to 50mm range—but it’s worth noting that the listed flash coverage area is 28mm. Anything wider, and you’ll get a harsh shadow on everything outside of the coverage area. As far as color temperature goes, you will be best served ensuring that you set your white balance for Flash or around 6500 K. If you’re shooting for daylight or anything warmer, you can expect some harsh blue light on your subjects.
Hardware
One of the biggest features of the Vintage Z1 is its size. This flash is literally pocketable and doesn’t add bulk to your camera setup. Many of the product images in this article paired the Z1 with my Fujifilm X-Pro 3 – it just looks gorgeous on this kind of camera. The X-Pro 3 is what I call my walking-around camera, and truthfully, I will hardly ever walk with a flash on it – I find it too cumbersome and adds to an otherwise small kit. With the Viltrox Vintage Z1, it’s easy to keep it mounted on the camera or toss it in a jacket pocket or small bag. No fuss, no worry.
The Viltrox Vintage Z1 comes with a flash diffuser—a critical add-on if you want to control the light the flash produces. You could make photographs without it, but I genuinely dislike the look and will opt to cut down the light as much as I need to.
Who Should Buy This?
The Viltrox Vintage Z1 is a great basic flash for photographers looking for a very specific look—think old American Apparel ads of the early 2000s—and enthusiasts who want a compact flash that’s easy to carry and can light up a dark room or add some fill light in bright sunlight. In these applications, it’s a solid choice that balances power, convenience, and affordability. While I do have some gripes with the Z1 – lack of the ability to tilt/bounce the flash, very plasticky construction come to mind – the sub $50 price for this flash will make me look the other way. Its affordability puts the Z1 in a class of its own, and if you’ve been looking to experiment with a look reminiscent of late 90s disposable cameras, this is a no-brainer for your kit.
Image Samples
The Phoblographer has been huge on transparency with our audience since day one. Nothing from this review is sponsored. Further, many folks will post reviews and show lots of editing in the photos. The problem then becomes that anyone and everyone can do the same thing. They’re not showing what the lens can do. So, we have a section in our Extra Image Samples area to show edited and unedited photos. From this, you can decide for yourself.
Unedited
Edited
Viltrox Vintage Z1 Tech Specs
These tech specs are provided to us by Viltrox.
- Guide No. (1/1 output): GN12 (ISO 100, in meters)
- Flash output: 7 levels: 1/1~ 1/64
- Power (1/1 output): 23W/s
- Recycle time: 3.5s
- Flash coverage: 28mm
- Flash duration T0.5: 1/5000s-1/50000s
- Color temperature: 6,500±200K
- Flash mode: Manual mode
- Flash triggering mode: S1 synchronous flash triggering mode/ S2 pre-flash avoidance flash triggering mode
- Battery capacity: 3.7V/1,100mAh
- Flash count: 400~10,000 times
- Charging period: Type-C 5V/2A (About 50min)
- Dimensions: 68.5×50.2x74mm
- Weight: About 116g
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