A guide number depends on the sensitivity and coverage behind it
A flashgun sits in the shoe and is rated by a guide number — a figure that only means something alongside the two conditions behind it: the sensitivity it was quoted at, and the coverage the head was zoomed to. A maker quoting a guide number at a long zoom setting and a high sensitivity produces a larger number for the same flash, so two units are comparable only once both sets of conditions are read. The number also cannot be compared with a watt-second rating from a studio head, which measures something else entirely. The feature that changes pictures most is head movement: a head that tilts up bounces light off a ceiling and a head that also swivels bounces off a wall, and bounced light is the whole reason to own one of these rather than use the flash built into the camera. Zoom narrows the beam to match a lens and is quoted as a focal range. Metering support means the flash talks to the camera to set its own power, and the protocol is specific to each camera system. Recycle time is stated at full power and with a named cell type. Then power: disposable cells, a proprietary lithium pack, or a socket for an external battery, and whether a radio receiver is built in. We compare guide number with its stated conditions, head tilt and swivel, zoom range, metering support, recycle time, power source and built-in radio.
20 Ws · GN15 (ISO 100) · manual 1/1 to 1/128 · 6000 ±200 K · fixed 35mm coverage · 1200 mAh lithium, about 650 full-power flashes · USB-C · 150 g (5.3 oz)
A palm-sized manual flash with a rotary dial, a rechargeable battery good for about 650 full-power flashes and USB-C charging, for about $14.
Best for: Owners of small mirrorless and retro-style cameras who want a fun, cheap direct flash.
≈ $14
GN38 (ISO 100) · manual only, single-contact shoe · 1/128 to full · head tilts 0-90°, rotates 0-270° · S1/S2 slave · 0.1-5 s recycle · 4 AA · 1/200 s sync
The best-selling manual speedlite on Amazon, with a tilting and swiveling head, at about $40. NEEWER is clear: no TTL, no HSS and no camera menu control.
Best for: Anyone learning flash who wants a reliable manual unit for bounce and simple off-camera work.
≈ $40
GN8 (ISO 100) · four power levels: 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 · 6500 ±300 K, CRI 97 · built-in 250 mAh, about 500 full-power flashes · USB-C · 0.07 lb · manual only
The smallest flash on this shelf, sold by ULANZI’s US store for about $17. It is manual-only, and ULANZI lists cameras it does not fit, including the Canon R50 and Sony ZV-1F.
Best for: Compact and retro camera owners who want a tiny fill flash.
≈ $17
Universal hot shoe · GN20 · tilts 0-90° in five steps · 2.5 mm PC sync port · 60° × 40° coverage · optical slave
A very cheap manual mini flash with a tilting head and a PC sync port, at about $19. Its 3.7-star average on 117 ratings is the lowest on this shelf.
Best for: A beginner who wants a first bounce flash for almost nothing.
≈ $19
GN33 · 433 MHz built-in receiver with RT transmitter, 16 channels · 1/128 to full in 8 steps · M, S1, S2 · sync socket · external power port · diffuser and filters included
An older-generation manual flash sold with a 433 MHz trigger, a diffuser and color filters, for about $51. Its radio is not part of Godox’s 2.4 GHz X system.
Best for: Beginners who want one flash and a trigger in a single box.
≈ $51
16.8 Ws, GN16 · single-pin hot shoe · 1/128 to 1/1 in 0.3 steps · flash duration down to 1/50,000 s · 1250 mAh, up to 500 full-power flashes · USB-C
A compact manual flash with fine third-stop control, very short flash durations and a rechargeable battery. On Amazon.com it ships from Amazon Germany at about $56.
Best for: Photographers with several camera brands who want one small, precise manual flash.
≈ $56
Sony TTL · 76 Ws, GN15 (ISO 100, 1 m) · two tubes controlled separately · TTL, M 1/1-1/128, multi · two focus-assist lamps · 8 adapter rings, 49-77 mm · 4 color gels · 4 AA
A TTL ring flash for Sony macro work, with two separately controlled tubes, focus-assist lamps and eight adapter rings from 49 to 77 mm, for about $60.
Best for: Sony macro photographers who want even, shadow-controlled light on insects and flowers.
≈ $60
TTL, manual and multi · 1/128 to full in 1/3 steps · HSS to 1/8000 s · X5S Sony module doubles as a 2.4 GHz trigger · magnetic interchangeable modules · color touchscreen · LED modeling light
A small TTL flash for Sony with a magnetic X5S module that comes off and becomes a wireless trigger. It costs about $104 and has 861 ratings at 4.7 stars.
Best for: Sony owners who want a small TTL flash that can grow into off-camera lighting.
≈ $104
GN60 (m, ISO 100) · built-in 2.4 GHz X system, master and slave · about 230 full-power flashes · 0.1-2.6 s recycle · HSS to 1/8000 s with a TTL trigger · 5600 ±200 K · 4 AA
A powerful manual flash with Godox’s 2.4 GHz system built in, master or slave, running on four AA cells, for about $65.
Best for: Photographers starting off-camera flash with Godox, on any camera brand.
≈ $65
Canon multi-function shoe · guide number 58 (per the product table) · lithium-ion LP-EL battery · LED modeling lamp · joystick and HD LCD · about 95 continuous full-power flashes, 350 continuous total · Canon Connect app
Canon’s mid-range speedlite for its multi-function shoe, with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a modeling lamp and app control, sold by Amazon.com for about $349. The charger is not included.
Best for: Canon EOS R owners with the multi-function shoe who want a fast, rechargeable first-party flash.
≈ $349
TTL and HSS with a module that becomes a trigger.
A maker’s figure that depends on ISO and coverage; it is not watt-seconds.
For fast-changing events, it helps; manual suits controlled setups.
Many manual flashes need the mechanical shutter.
High-speed sync allows shutter speeds above the normal sync speed.
The EL-5 needs Canon’s multi-function shoe.
Godox’s 2.4 GHz X system links flashes and strobes.
Decide between TTL and manual, then pick a radio system you can grow into.
There is no table here, and the reason is in the listings. The figure published most often across these 10 products is guide number, given by 6 of them — short of the four in five a column needs to compare rather than to display gaps. Each product page says what its own maker published.
$60 – $349
4 models
NEEWER RF1-S macro ring flash (Sony), GODOX TT600, Godox iT32 with X5S (Sony)
Specifications: manufacturer sheets for photo equipment and the matching Amazon product pages. Prices and availability: Keepa.
Most recent revision in this category: November 2, 2026.
Each amount in a write-up is what the listing showed when that page was written. The figure next to the product is pulled in as you read, and it is the one that counts.
