Godox iM30 Flash
Godox sent me their new iM30 flash to try. I have a number of Godox flashes, including the Lux Junior, Lux Cadet, and Lux Master. Of those, the Lux Master is the most capable, but also the largest and heaviest. The Lux Cadet has a cool retro look, but I like the Lux Junior the most because it is smaller, and a tend to prefer compact gear. The iM30 is significantly smaller than the Lux Junior, so is it an ideal flash to pair with compact Fujifilm X-series gear, like my Fujifilm X-E4? Let’s find out.
Surprisingly, the Godox iM30 uses two AAA batteries. In one sense this is good, because you can easily carry a spare pair of AAA batteries, and if not, they are easy to find. You could also get yourself some rechargeable batteries and a charger. Personally, I would have preferred an internal rechargeable battery with a USB charging port. I’m not sure how many flashes you can get from a pair of copper-tops because I’m still on the original two after about 50 activations, and I have no idea if the batteries have a lot of life left or if they’re nearly depleted; however, Godox suggests that you can get about 230 flashes, so I might have a long ways to go.
Without a doubt, I can say that the iM30 is for those who want a compact flash. It is 2″ deep, 2.4″ wide, and 1.8″ tall (including the hotshoe mount). It weighs only 0.17 pounds without batteries, and 0.23 pounds with the batteries. It’s not the smallest flash I’ve ever used, but it is certainly one of the smallest. It looks great on cameras like the Fujifilm X-E4. Recycle time is just under four seconds.
The oddity of this flash is that it is cheap, so you might think that it is for beginners, but that is not true. While it is fairly simple, beginners might find it challenging, and perhaps even frustrating. You have to have some prior experience with flashes to use the iM30 effectively (or this might be your opportunity to learn). Also, the lowest setting, which is designated as 1/64, is sometimes too strong, and I wish that there was a lower power option.
For only $35 on Amazon, the Godox iM30 offers cheap thrills. There’s a lot of fun that you can have with it. For instance, it can be used as a secondary flash triggered by a primary flash. While you can’t use colored gels with the iM30 (without tape, anyway), you can shoot through a color correction or B&W film filter. That’s what I did for the above photo. I had a Godox Lux Master attached to the camera (and set to its lowest power), and the iM30 off to the side with a Tiffen 47B filter placed in front of the flash, giving a splash of blue to the otherwise warm scene. Is it ideal for that purpose? No, but it certainly can be done, and without spending a lot of money.
If you want a compact flash and have experience with flashes, and also don’t want to spend much money, the Godox iM30 is for you. It can be a lot of fun, and the opportunity to use it creatively is certainly there. It’s not my favorite Godox flash, but I can see bringing it on trips simply because it doesn’t take up much space in the bag. I do plan to use it in the coming months, but I don’t anticipate it being a tool that I reach for frequently.
Example photos, all camera-made JPEGs captured using the Godox iM30 flash on my Fujifilm cameras:
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