The world of photography accessories can sometimes seem complicated and overengineered. Even picking something as simple as a basic speed light can seem overwhelming to the most casual photographer. There are times when you just need a flash that’s small and portable and can give in some extra fill without being overwhelming, like your smartphone torch. Enter the ultra-lightweight Godox iT20 and iT22 flashes that are pocket-friendly in size and cost. They’re pretty alike in specs, too, and come with some interesting accessories.
Godox iT20 and iT22: Your Bite-Sized Lighting Buddies
Shockingly lightweight and compact, the Godox iT20 and iT22 speedlights are nimble, minimalist flashes for a new generation of street shooters and mirrorless camera lovers. They aren’t built for studio pros – these flashes are more geared towards photographers on the go, who like a little bit of pop in their street and party photos. Tiny LCDs on both of them add a modern touch, while the flashes themselves can seem like a semi-throwback to the designs we saw in flashes of yesteryear, like Sunpak. The finishing quality on both looks excellent, and it’s nice to see that something this tiny can bring quite some visual joy to the viewer.
Currently available for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and OM System cameras, both speedlights are available in black and silver versions. Incredibly for speedlights this small, both models support TTL output as well as HSS compatibility on all the aforementioned camera brands. Manual adjustment of power is also possible using buttons available on the flashes, from 1/32 to 1/1, adjustable in ±1/3 increments. The lithium batteries are rechargeable, and the flashes recycle in around 1.5 seconds.
Not Plain Janes – Choose Your Accessories
Aside from the soft pouch and charging cables that come with these flashes, Godox has also included magnetic accessories to spice up your photography. Both come with light spreaders to increase the field of the light’s throw. You also get 1/2 and 1/1 CTO magnetic filters for a touch of color.
The fun doesn’t stop there. Optional magnetic filters in a range of colors are also available to suit your creative styles. There’s also a magnetic honeycomb filter (although for flashes this small, I’m not sure how effective this can be), and a white diffuser if you’d like to reduce the intensity of the output.
The Best Of The Lot
In my opinion, on-camera flashes are best when bounced off ceilings. To ensure this, Godox also has an optional TTL-capable Hot Show Riser that allows you to tilt these flashes up to 90 degrees. Our Godox rep tells me that this isn’t available yet for purchase
Who Are The Godox Flashes For?
In some ways, these feel like non-pro versions of the Godox iT30Pro, as they lack wireless flash triggering or control capabilities. These would be ideal flashes for those with smaller mirrorless cameras, who don’t really get much output from the inbuilt flashes these cameras may have. They seem like a good first model to get if you’re new to flash photography. If you’re the kind of photographer that prefers to move around without much gear and doesn’t like lugging around a normal-sized speedlight, then these new flashes are ideal for you. They’re small and light enough to always remain on your camera without sticking out like a sore thumb. Introverts beware – they’re cute to look at, which means you’ll definitely have people coming up to you to discuss it wherever you do. Godox claims you can get 700 pops from each of them, which we’ll try and verify when we get our test units.
Images seen here were provided for use by our Godox reps