It’s important to remember that the Lux Elf is an entry-level flash designed for easy plug-and-play. It’s best suited to smaller mirrorless cameras, making it an excellent choice for anyone just getting into the world of flashes.
Using the Lux Elf is straightforward: slide it into your camera’s hot shoe and it’s ready to shoot. The brightness is manually adjusted using the dial on the back. While this may take a few tries, the retroreflector design effectively balances the light on your subject and background.
The maximum output is relatively low compared to larger flash units, but it’s enough to add some light to portraits and macro shots. The lack of advanced features and the inability to tilt or rotate the head might be limiting for some users, but the simplicity and ease of use make it a refreshing option for beginners.
When it comes to light spread, the small head design keeps light spread limited, making it best for use at close range rather than further away from subjects. However, for such a small flash, it makes the most of the GN6’s performance. It’s worth noting, however, that the quality of the flash again highlights this as something for beginners rather than professionals.
Despite its small size, the Lux Elf can be used as part of a larger system thanks to its optical modes. The optical pre-flash mode provides just that little extra if you’re using it for portraits. The integrated sync port provides additional flexibility and allows use with other flash triggers and configurations.
The Godox Lux Elf’s performance is surprisingly good. Let’s start with the cons, which include the fixed position of the head and the lack of any light modifiers or attachments, which is actually fine if you’re just starting out. The retro design of the head produces a light spread similar to a traditional flash of the same style, so while there’s no creative control over the direction of the light, the fact that it’s so easy actually gives the images shot with this flash their style and design.
On the plus side, the flash works with almost any camera with a hot shoe, it’s incredibly easy and fun to use, but most importantly, it will significantly improve the quality of your images, especially portraits and macro shots.
