Godox's $29 camera also works as a light meter as a film photographer, I'm buying

Date:
Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:16:52 +0000

Description:
I love the idea of a pocketable light meter that's also a camera, and at this price... I'm tempted.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Though mostly known for photo lighting equipment, Godox has announced a small 'transparent viewfinder camera' that weighs just 65g. It features a transparent(ish) window for composition that also doubles as a settings display and it can also function as a light meter. We don't yet have information on key internal specs like sensor size and resolution (but you can expect them to be low). Very cheap cameras are back in vogue these days, so I wasn't necessarily surprised to
see another one released but I was surprised to see it coming from Godox.

The Godox C100 is a 'transparent viewfinder camera', announced by the Chinese firm who heretofore have been better known for producing the kind of high-end lighting equipment you'd find in the studios of professional photographers,
as well as more affordable flashguns. However, with an announced price of
just 199 (equivalent to about $29 / 22 / AU$42), the C100 is considerably
more affordable than anything else on the Godox books.

As you can see, the C100 is built around quite an unusual form factor. A palm-sized rectangle, it doesn't feature a display exactly, but instead a transparent window that you use to compose your images. This window is also able to display key information like exposure settings and battery life. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: (Image credit: Godox) Now, I said 'unusual' form factor, not 'unique'. This is because, as a few people have already observed, the Godox C100 looks a lot like a camera that debuted at
CP+ in 2025, the Escura InstantSnap . The Godox version looks a bit more advanced, offering a few interesting features that the Escura version
doesn't. But we can make a few inferences the Escura camera produces images at a resolution of 1.3MP, and I'd be surprised if the Godox offered a great deal more than that. The Godox C100 features a USB-C connection for charging and file transfer, and it accepts 128GB micro SD cards for storage. It also records video and can do so continuously for up to 1.5 hours, and offers shooting in a number of different aspect ratios: 16:9, 4:3, 3:2 and 1:1.
There are a couple of physical buttons for shooting and changing settings,
and it weighs just 65g. You may like RewindPix review: the first 'digital film' camera that gets the feel right Forget the Kodak Charmera this miniature digital camera is a lo-fi bargain Insta360 reveals one of the wackiest camera kits for 2026: the Go 3S Retro A handheld light meter At
first glance, the Godox C100 looks like another cheap novelty camera in a market beginning to be saturated with them. However, there was one feature announced that really caught my attention, since I'm an avid film
photographer the C100 can also act as a light meter.

Like any good handheld light meter, Godox C100 can read the levels of brightness in a scene's central area, and provide the optimal exposure settings with which to capture a balanced image. Once hugely invaluable
tools, light meters have been rendered mostly entirely redundant in the digital age. However, anyone who habitually buys a lot of old film SLRs will tell you that the metering system is always one of the first things to go. I have several beautiful Pentax SLRs in the drawer beside me that still shoot and wind on beautifully, but can't meter a scene because the electronics are shot. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

So, the idea of an elegant little pocketable device, costing just $29, that I can carry everywhere with me and use to quickly meter a scene, and maybe even use to take a couple of comparison shots for reviewing alongside my developed and scanned frames that interests me. Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Godox) (Image credit: Godox) (Image credit: Godox) Granted, the metering functionality is only going to be of interest to a small percentage of users. But still, I wouldn't be surprised if the Godox C100 is a huge hit, if and when it eventually arrives at international retailers (it's currently only announced in China). Tiny cameras have been big hits of late, most notably
the keyring-sized Kodak Charmera , and screen-free cameras that offer a
purer, more immersive shooting experience have also seen success, the poster child for the movement being the Camp Snap .

People like cute cameras. People like cheap cameras. And the Godox C100 is both! I'm sure once we get hold of it for a review we'll discover that the image quality is no great shakes but did that stop the Kodak Charmera? No,
it did not. (Image credit: Godox) Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/cameras/compact-cameras/godoxs-usd29-camera-also-wor ks-as-a-light-meter-as-a-film-photographer-im-buying


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