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After announcing the Mini Flash 3 one week before DEMA Show 2025, Backscatter surprised everyone by unveiling a slew of products at the show itself. Next up is the Atom Flash (AF-1) and matching Optical Snoot (OS-2). Promising to hit the sweet spot between size and power, the strobe is designed to tackle everything from tiny macro critters to big wide-angle scenes.

While the Hybrid Flash (HF-1) boasts a guide number of 40 and features a 5,000-lumen video light, the more compact and more lightweight Atom Flash has a guide number of 28 and omits the built-in video light. Backscatter says the new flash has the same power as the Hybrid Flash set two clicks below maximum power, while being more than half a pound lighter. To be precise, the Atom Flash weighs in at 1.8lbs (830g) with batteries, compared to 2.5lbs (1,140g) for the Hybrid Flash.

Otherwise, the new strobe offers much the same advanced functionality as its larger sibling. In manual mode, you can adjust power in multiple increments (11 power levels for the Atom Flash versus 12 for the Hybrid Flash). Using Smart Control TTL, you have the option of automatic flash exposure for Olympus/OM System cameras (via the Backscatter Universal Flash Trigger for Olympus and OM System) and Sony cameras (via the Backscatter Sony Smart Control Trigger). In high-speed sync (HSS) mode, you can shoot faster shutter speeds than your camera’s maximum sync speed. And finally, like the Hybrid Flash and Mini Flash 2 or Mini Flash 3, you can trigger off-camera strobes remotely and even adjust power wirelessly.

In addition, the Atom Flash also has a couple of new features you won’t find on the Hybrid Flash. Firstly, instead of a mode dial, the new strobe features a circular LCD display and two control buttons, which give you full control over settings while getting instant visual feedback. As well as showing mode and power settings, the LCD displays shots remaining and battery life. (The strobe gives you 600 full-power flashes on a single charge and an impressively quick recycle time at full power of 0.95 seconds.) The second unique feature is Low Power Mode, which provides 10 additional low-power output levels, starting from the native lowest flash power. This mode is designed for night dives, sunset split shots, or other low-light situations requiring just a kiss of light.

As you’d expect, there is a wide range of accessories available for the new strobe. First and foremost is a dedicated snoot for the Atom Flash—the Optical Snoot (OS-2). Attaching to the strobe via bayonet, the OS-2 is very similar to the OS-1 for the Mini Flash series of strobes. Using the Atom Flash’s white or red target lights, the snoot produces exactly the same beam pattern as the flash, so you can easily see precisely where you’re aiming, and the included aperture cards (circular and oval), each with four different-sized holes, allow you to shape the light as desired.

The Atom Flash can be used without a diffuser, giving a 110° beam angle and a color temperature of 6400K. The strobe comes with a Flat White Diffuser, which widens and softens the light for 130° of illumination, while the optional White 150° Dome Diffuser increases the beam angle to 150°. The white diffusers produce a slightly warmer light, at 6300K, but warming diffusers are available that warm the light further—to 5500K or to 4500K. Also available are Ambient Blue Diffusers, which match the color temperature of the surrounding water, making the strobe match the color of the surrounding ambient light.

Shipping in early December, the Atom Flash AF-1 will retail for $800, while the Optical Snoot OS-2 will retail for $200. However, Backscatter is offering special introductory prices for both—$750 for the strobe and $150 for the snoot. For detailed information about the new Atom Flash and its accessories, check out Backscatter’s dedicated article.
 

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