Viltrox has announced another vintage-inspired on-camera flash. The Viltrox Vintage Z1 Pro TTL Retro promises old-school style with new-school lighting technology, all for under $60.

The Viltrox Vintage Z1 Pro TTL Retro’s prospective appeal to photographers depends heavily on its design and style. The flash sports a compact retro-inspired design, including a vintage leather-like texture with silver accents. It’s also lightweight, weighing just 136 grams (4.8 ounces).

The Z1 Pro supports TTL automatic and manual (1/1 – 1/64) flash modes and includes synchronous trigger and pre-flash suppression modes, Viltrox explains. The flash supports high-speed sync up to 1/8000s with front-curtain and rear-curtain sync.

The flash includes a circular touchscreen for switching modes and adjusting flash settings. From this round screen, users can monitor their flash mode, adjust the power level, check battery status, adjust sync settings, and more. There’s even a user-customizable startup animation.

Speaking of the battery status, the ZF1 has a built-in battery that recharges via USB-C. Viltrox says the built-in battery can deliver up to an astounding 10,000 flashes per charge at minimum output and 350 full-power flashes. The flash can recycle in as little as one second.

“Say goodbye to bulky, overengineered flashes,” Viltrox writes. “The Z1 Pro brings studio-grade lighting into a pocketable, vintage-styled body.”

The company, which is especially well known for its excellent lenses, adds that it built the Z1 Pro for style-conscious creators who value aesthetics as much as performance.

Given its compact form factor and aggressive sub-$60 price tag, it’s no surprise that the Viltrox Vintage Z1 Pro doesn’t deliver a lot of power. The flash has 24Ws of power, which is on the lower end in general. The Z1 Pro is not going to overpower full Sun in outdoor environments, nor will it light up a distant subject.

It is designed more for portraits, street scenes, and lifestyle work than anything resembling full-blown studio photography. However, with its optical trigger modes, the Z1 Pro can sync with other off-camera light sources, creating a sophisticated multi-light setup.

Viltrox promises that the flash’s improved TTL Auto Mode will take the guesswork out of flash power control, automatically adjusting its output to match ambient conditions. This is great news for photographers who want to quickly shoot without having to dial in the perfect manual-flash settings. For those who want expanded creative control, it’s available in manual mode.

Pricing and Availability

The Viltrox Vintage Z1 Pro Retro Flash is available now for $55.19, a small launch discount off its standard $59.99 retail price. The flash is available for Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, and Canon cameras.

Image credits: Viltrox