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2026-07-06 - Image 16 Electronic Flash

 

The Image 16 Electronic Flash is a slave electronic flash unit distributed by the Canadian photography retail chain Astral Photo (a division of Astral Bellevue Pathé), during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Image name was a private-label store brand owned by Astral Photo, so the hardware was sourced from third-party manufacturers. The vast majority of Astral Image flashes were produced in Japan by Vivitar or other Japanese budget electronics manufacturers.

Key Features:

  • Device Type: Optical slave electronic flash, capable to be used also as a standalone flash.
  • Optical Slave Triggering: Relying on a simple optical sensor to fire, it will trigger off any sudden burst of light.
  • Marketing: Prominently featured in retail across Canada (especially Quebec) between 1982 and 1983. Originally sold for $24.95 CAD or was bundled as a free promotional item when purchasing a premium SLR camera or a primary flash unit.
  • High Trigger Voltage: These units can pass a high electrical voltage through their physical sync connections. Do not slide directly onto the hot shoe of a modern digital camera, as the voltage spike can fry the digital camera's internal circuit boards.


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