Godox Lux Master Flash review – Retro aesthetics meets Modern functionalities

Introduction

Godox, established in 1993, is an established brand known for its more practical and wallet-friendly photography flash equipment across the full range of lights and audio equipment in the last few years.

Interestingly, Godox has embarked on a series of retro-inspired flashes, likely to reach out to different consumer segments, with the Godox Lux Master joining the family in April 2024. This is alongside the Lux Junior, Lux Senior, and Lux Cadet, with each design modeled on a different era in the history of photography.

The new Godox Lux Master is reminiscent of the Graflex 3 Cell flashguns many press photographers used in the 1940s.

tl:dr

The Godox Lux Master is an eye-catching product in the photography lighting market, offering the performance and reliability associated with Godox’s reputation over the years.

The Godox Lux Master may not be the most ergonomic to hold onto, especially in crowded events, but Godox already provides many models that meet this need. What impresses me most is how Godox has stepped into a new market segment where looks matter and ensured that the beauty of the Lux Master is matched by modern flash capabilities, including a touch OLED display, TTL, and wireless sync support for the Godox 2.4GHz flash system.

In a market where manufacturers seemingly focus on incremental updates to the same old design, the Lux Master’s beauty look goes beyond skin-deep. It is a fully functional flash with modern capabilities, adding to the repertoire of any professional or enthusiast.

Heck, I already feel more ‘tik-tok-able’ just holding the Lux Master set-up.

random: Godox’s product support has improved.

I am not new to Godox’s products but have seldom relied on its tech support because support in Singapore was generally patchy in the earlier years until the current distributor, Brilliant Photo Group, took over.

However, disaster struck this round initially, with the review unit from Godox China arriving DOA with a non-functional LED, probably due to courier mishandling.

Imagine the concern I had when a review product arrived from overseas not working with a review promised.

With a review promised, I was in panic mode and reached out to Godox (Singapore) through its IG account on a Saturday evening for help.

To my absolute surprise, a reply came after work hours, and I was invited to Godox Service Centre on the next working day, where the issues were sorted out professionally.

Credit where it is due, and kudos to the Godox support team.

Technicalities

Guide Number	GN25（ISO100, in meters）
Lithium Battery (built-in, non detachable)	DC7.2V, 2980mAh, 21.456Wh
Input Parameter & charging time	5V⎓2A USB-C, charging time of approx 2 hours
Flash Power	9 steps：1/1-1/256 (0.1 step increments)
CCT	6000K±300K
Panel Display	Touchscreen OLED Display
Optical Flash	S1 optical control/S2 optical control
2.4G wireless Channels / Groups / wireless ID	1-32 / A,B,C,D,E / OFF, 1-99
Exposure	TTL via Separate Commander, Automatic (Non-TTL), Manual
Recycle Time（1/1 step）	approx 1.8s
Full Power Flash Times（1/1 step）	approx 460 times
SYNC	Sync Cord
Dimensions（with reflector）	5.51″ x 10.24″ x 3.90″
Net Weight	470g

Build, set up, and performance.

The Godox Lux Master has a nearly complete set of accessories, including the PC-sync cable and camera-mount base with a good quality carrying pouch. I must say that the packaging quality is pretty niche and above the typical standard I see with Godox products.

The Lux Master’s build is predominantly plastic but still feels very sturdy and substantial. The main handle is wrapped in leather, with the words GODOX embossed across, and the rest of the flash unit goes with chromed plastic.

After my last review with the Profoto A1X flash, the Godox Master Lux does exude a level of quality in its build, which I would say is praiseworthy. My workhorse flash unit, the Godox V1 unit, pales in comparison coming to build quality.

After the quick boot up, one needs to turn the wheel to unlock the touch LED screen to access most of the settings.

Controls are simple and intuitive, with all 3 buttons, a wheel for dialing in settings, and an OLED Touch screen.

First impressions (to be really honest) when a friend held the flash unit was, “so, where is the bulb?” ,

A plastic protective cover keeps the retracted bulb safe. In fact, one might not realize the Lux Master is a flash unit until seeing it set up with the bulb activated and reflector dish installed.

AFTER removing the bulb protective cover, depressing the red button activates the bulb, and once done so, the ‘safety’ is released, and one can go ahead with testing the flash.

The Reflector dish comes folded in the box and works with a bayonet connection. It attaches very sturdily to the Lux Master but requires some patience in (unfolding) setting up.

Note that a ‘lock’ secures the reflector dish once fully extended. Usage-wise, I use the Nikon system with the Zf and the just recently released Godox X3 trigger (that’s the little black cube next to the Lux Master below)

Operating the Lux Master became much more intuitive and easier than expected. Before this, my main lighting equipment was the AD200, V1 flash, and the XPRO II trigger, and one issue I always had was the nagging worry of setting them up wirelessly. In the Lux Master’s case, Godox has done well in its effort to simplify the setup process as much as possible.

Watch from the 1-minute mark onwards to go directly to the operations guide.

The included bracket is sturdy and has a lockable hinge to allow one to fold the bracket away for storage purposes while attached to the flash, and more importantly, comes ARCA Swiss compatible.

Conclusions

Instead of the usual conclusion section, I decided to go with a more elaborate breakdown of the plus and areas I hope can be further improved with the Lux Master.

Three key areas I like about the Lux Master

Design and Build Quality

The Godox Lux Master Flash is built sturdily, and I can handle it with confidence that it will last a knock or two; while the Graflex 3 Cell flashgun-inspired design can seem unorthodox, there is little doubt the flash is beautiful. More importantly, the LED touchscreen is intuitive to work with.

Going beyond the main flash unit, I saw how attention to detail was invested in other parts, like the ARCA Swiss-compatible bracket. The tilting flash head from zero to ninety degrees added to the practical aspects of the Lux Master positively.

Light quality and performance

I am impressed with the consistency and quality of light produced by the Lux Master. Initially, I was concerned that the light produced would be significantly “harsher” with the shiny silver reflector dish, which turned out to be a non-issue. Moreover, one has options for additional attachments such as a Reflector with Dome or Octa Softbox that simply clips on in place of the bundled reflector.

With a decent recycle time, the TTL function worked flawlessly and consistently well with my Nikon Zf and the Godox X3 trigger. Generally, the Lux Master will keep pace well even with photographing events.

Another concern I had with a non-removable battery was battery life because if it goes flat, it’s flat, and I simply cannot just pop in another fully charged battery like I do with the Godox V1 or AD200. However, Godox claimed that approximately 460 shots on a fully charged Lux Master are accurate and sufficient for most uses.

Wireless capabilities, compatibility, and versatility

Godox has equipped the Lux Master to support its 2.4GHz wireless X system, allowing easy integration with other Godox flashes and triggers. This system supports wireless master and slave functions, simplifying lighting arrangements. The impressive wireless range, going up to 100 meters, gives one the flexibility of working in larger environments.

Two key areas I hope can be improved on

The firmware update process experience for Godox products has been frustrating for me. While Godox released software (Godox G3 Launcher) for MacOS, I have never been able to install it as it seems to only support up to MacOS Catalina. Once one clears this hurdle, there is the next hurdle, which appears to be that one needs to find the ‘correct’ cable to connect Godox’s products for it to be recognizable for the update to run.

While I have read that the firmware update process is much more reliable in the Windows environment, I will not spend on a Windows machine to update the firmware. I understand we can do this by setting up a Windows environment with MacOS, but then firmware updates shouldn’t have to be this convoluted.

While personally I indeed give an overall positive review of the Godox Lux Master flash, from the design to the operation to the performance, if I am to be fussy, having a battery that can be changed out will indeed give even better functionality to the already great Lux Master even though it is unlikely one will run out of juice covering an event with it.

This said, the Godox Lux Master and X3 trigger will replace my Godox V1 and XPro II trigger and will be my main lighting equipment in time to come, and I have faith that this will cover most, if not all, of the needs that most enthusiasts and professionals will need.

Hardly used by me to describe photography flash equipment, the Lux Master is simply the most beautiful functional flash unit I have used.

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimers:

1. All product photos and samples here were photographed by me. I believe any reviewer with pride should produce their own product photos. 

2. All images were shot with the Nikon Zf, Godox X3 trigger, and Lux Master flash.

3. This review is not sponsored.

4. I write as a passion and a hobby, and I appreciate that photography brands are kind enough to respect and work with me.

5. The best way to support me is to share the review, or you can always help support me by contributing to my fees to WordPress for the domain using the Paypal button at the bottom of the page.