If I still had a retro camera, the Godox Lux Cadet would already be in my shopping cart

Retro-looking digital cameras are getting more of the accessories they deserve thanks to Godox, which has just released the Lux Cadet flash. Looking like it’s straight from the Fifties, this unique flash oozes vintage elegance coupled with modern technology.

In the last few years, retro cameras have made a bit of a comeback. It all started with Olympus cameras and Fujifilm cameras, but since then Nikon has got in on the act with the Nikon Zf and Nikon Z fc benefiting from that classic film camera look.

Described as not just a flash but a "portal to a bygone era of sophistication and charm", the Lux Cadet’s spec sheet is as good as its design. It comes with a rechargeable 1,700 mAh lithium-ion battery, which Godox promises offers 620 full-power flashes on one charge.

It has a 2.5-second recycle time, 7 flash power settings, a CCT rating of 6,200K and it only weighs 171g. With a fixed focal length of 28mm and a working environment temperature range of 14° to 122°F (-10°C to 50°C), it’s capable of shooting pretty much anything.

This isn’t the first retro-styled flash Godox has released. In August 2022 it delivered the tiny Godox Lux Junior, a flat rectangular flash with two different shooting modes (manual and auto) aimed at street photographers who needed something pocket-sized. A month later the Godox Lux Senior launched, offering photographers a larger, vintage-aesthetic manual speedlight with a collapsible silver reflector.

The Lux Cadet sits somewhere between the two; it benefits from the styling and design of the Senior, but in a much smaller body and offers a much more powerful flash than the Junior.

As an ex-X-T3 owner and an avid film photographer, I love anything retro-styled but I’ve never liked how modern lenses and flash guns look when attached. And I’m not the only one; our reviews editor has been testing the Nikon Zf and it’s made him rethink if he wants a digital Canon AE-1 because of how modern RF lenses would look on it.

I use Godox lights in all my flash photography; I have the Godox V1 speedlight and the AD200 Pro for my studio work because I love the balance of build quality, power and affordability.

Priced at just $94 when you buy from Adorama (where it's called the Flashpoint Flashback Lux Cadet) or from B&H (it doesn't look like you can buy it in the UK yet), the Lux Cadet is arguably one of the best value flashguns to hit the market in recent times – and almost certainly the best looking. I don’t own a retro-styled camera any more, so I’ll be sticking with my V1 – but if I did, I would invest in the Lux Cadet without a second thought.

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