Lately, there’s been a noticeable rise in the popularity of external flashes, particularly vintage manual models. Viltrox, a brand we’re already familiar with, has also jumped on this growing trend.
The Vintage Z1 is the company’s latest introduction to the world of nostalgic portable flash in the market.
Before I proceed further, I would like to thank the good people in Viltrox for sending this beauty to me. Having said that, my thoughts and experiences shared in this post remain completely unbiased.
Design and Build Quality
At first glance, the flash exudes a classic direct flashgun aesthetic—and it pulls it off beautifully. It features a plastic body complemented by a leather-like material on the top, creating a two-tone look that enhances its vintage appeal.
Don’t get deceived by its plastic construction. It’s actually well-built, feels good in the hand, and is impressively lightweight at just 116 grams.
Controls
Z1 comes with a 1 button, 1 knob, and 2 switches. Button is testing out the flash output. The knob is controlling the power level of the flash output, it has a total of 7 levels from 1/1 to 1/64. The first switch is the power-on/power-off, and the second switch is to control the Off, S1, and S2 switchers.
Right: X-M5 with Viltrox 25mm f1.7 and Vintage Z1
S1 and S2 are optical slave modes that trigger a flash when they sense another flash burst. This is useful if you have multiple flash setups for your shots.
However, both switches are different in responding to the other flash shot. S1 triggers on the first flash burst, while S2 skips the first flash (pre-flash) and triggers on the second burst.
Flash Power
While this flash does not spell out the power output in watts, it is stated to have Guide Number (GN) 12 at ISO 100.
Color temperature
It is stated at 6500K with variables around 200K, which falls under “Daylight” range.
Price Point
It is priced at 49.99 USD / 56.99 EUR / 47.99 GBP. In my opinion, this is one affordable price tag for a manual flash and it does not break the band if one ever want to give it a try.
Others
It features a built-in 1100mAh battery and charges via a USB-C port. In my testing, a full charge took closes to an hour—fairly average charging speed, and perfectly acceptable in my opinion.
On paper, it’s rated for between 400 to 10,000 flashes per charge. That sounds like a lot, though it’s a bit tricky for me to verify firsthand. So, take that number with a grain of salt—and just recharge it whenever it feels like the right time.
Who is this for?
It’s a great choice for photographers looking for an affordable, pocket-sized flash to carry on any occasion. It also makes a thoughtful gift—perfect for birthdays, Christmas, or simply when you feel like surprising someone.
Conclusion
The Viltrox Vintage Z01 is a solid product with enough flash power for casual use. While using manual controls without having the TTL (Through The Lens) function takes a bit of trial and error to get the perfect shot, it’s a fun and rewarding way to dive into the art of flash photography. This also means that it works with any camera that comes with a hotshoe.
The Viltrox Vintage Z01 appears to be a direct competitor to the Godox Lux Junior. That alone shows just how popular this trend has become lately.
If you like the product, please refer to this link to place your order.
If you like other Viltrox products, you can use this code “ALWINKOK” to have a small discount.
Thank you for reading.
Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing.
3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment.
4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.
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Alwin Kok 
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