Altura Photo AP-305S, User Manual

Page 1: ...USER S MANUAL AP 305S FLASH ...

Page 2: ...For video tutorials about your product s customer support updated user manuals and all other Altura Photo news please visit alturaphoto com ...

Page 3: ... flash your shooting will become simpler You can easily achieve a correct flash exposure even in complex light changing environments This camera flash features GN 36 m ISO 100 ft Fully support Sony TTL camera flash camera flash Workable as Master or Slave unit in a wireless flash group With built in 2 4 GHz wireless remote system to support transmitting and receiving 1 ...

Page 4: ...his product dry Do not use in rain or in damp conditions Do not disassemble Should repairs become necessary this product must be sent to an authorized maintenance center Keep out of reach of children Stop using this product if it breaks open due to extrusion falling or strong hit Otherwise electric shock may occur if you touch the electronic parts inside it 2 ...

Page 5: ...ses chemicals and other similar materials In certain circumstance these materials may be sensitive to the strong light emitting from this flash unit and fire or electromagnetic interference may result Do not leave or store the flash unit if the ambient temperature reads over 50 C Otherwise the electronic parts may be damaged Turn off the flash unit immediately in the event of malfunction 3 ...

Page 6: ... assumption that both the camera and camera flash s power switches are powered on Reference page numbers are indicated by p The following alert symbols are used in this manual The Caution symbol gives supplemental information The Note symbol indicates a warning to prevent shooting problem 4 ...

Page 7: ... Warning Nomenclature Attaching to a Camera Power Management Flash Mode TTL Autoflash Flash Mode Manual Flash Flash Mode Multi Stroboscopic Flash Wireless Flash Shooting Radio 2 4G Transmission 1 2 7 14 15 16 21 24 29 5 ...

Page 8: ...6 Other Applications C Fn Setting Custom Functions Protection Function Firmware Upgrade Technical Data Troubleshooting Compatible Camera Models Maintenance CONTENTS 42 48 50 53 54 57 60 61 ...

Page 9: ...NOMENCLATURE 1 2 3 4 7 8 5 6 Catchlight Panel Built in Wide Panel Flash Head Optic Control Sensor Focus Assist Beam Lock Ring Battery Compartment Hotshoe 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 BODY 7 ...

Page 10: ... selection button Zoom selection button High Speed Sync button S1 S2 optic slave triggering selection button in non wireless mode Power switch Test button Flash ready indicator 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 8 9 10 11 12 16 13 14 15 ...

Page 11: ...L PANEL Custom function setting button reusable button long press for 2 seconds Wireless selection button reusable button long press for 2 seconds Group Channel button reusable button long press for 2 seconds Select Dial Set button 17 18 19 20 21 9 ...

Page 12: ...LCD PANEL 1 TTL Autoflash Flash exposure compensation Page 17 Zoom zoom display Page 45 TTL TTL autoflash Focus length Page 45 Flash exposure compensation amount 10 ...

Page 13: ...Multi Stroboscopic flash Number of flashes Flash frequency M Manual flash Manual flash output 2 M Manual Flash 3 Multi Flash 11 ...

Page 14: ...Slave Flash mode Channel Firing group Master 4 Radio transmission shooting Master unit Slave unit 12 ...

Page 15: ...What s in the Box of AP 305C Flash unit Mini stand Protection case 13 ...

Page 16: ...h Slip the camera flash s mounting foot into the camera s hotshoe all the way 2 Secure the Camera Flash Rotate the lock ring on the mounting foot until it locks up 3 Detach the Camera Flash Rotate the lock ring on the mounting foot until it is loosened 14 ...

Page 17: ...ain period of idle use Pressing the camera shutter halfway or pressing any flash button will wake up the flash unit Set as Master Slave Will enter sleep mode after approx 90 sec Set as Slave Flash Will enter sleep mode after approx 60 min adjustable Disabling Auto Power Off function is recommended when the flash is used off camera C Fn ST Page 48 C Fn 15 ...

Page 18: ...sure for the subject and the background In this mode multiple TTL functions are available FEC HSS second curtain sync etc Press MODE Mode Selection Button and three flash modes will display on the LCD panel one by one with each pressing TTL MODE Press MODE Mode Selection Button to enter TTL mode The LCD panel will display TTL Press the camera release button halfway to focus 16 ...

Page 19: ...ed and blinking for 3 seconds Adjust the camera s parameters if underexposure appears Display Lo When the flash output value is up to the minimum value Lo will be displayed and blinking for 3 seconds Adjust the camera s parameters if overexposure appears FEC FLASH EXPOSURE COMPENSATION With FEC function this flash can adjust from 3 to 3 in 1 3rd stops It is useful in situations where minor adjusting...

Page 20: ...ress the SET Button and the flash exposure compensation amount will be highlighted on the LCD panel Turn the Select Dial to set the amount 0 3 means 1 3 step 0 7 means 2 3 step To cancel the flash exposure compensation set the amount to 0 Press SET button again to confirm the setting 18 ...

Page 21: ...igh speed sync flash and is displayed Then adjust the Sony camera s shutter to achieve high speed sync flash With high speed sync the faster the shutter speed the shorter the effective flash range Multi flash mode cannot be set in high speed sync mode Over temperature protection may be activated after 15 consecutive high speed sync flashes Try to avoid using high speed sync flash which will cut short fla...

Page 22: ...SECOND CURTAIN SYNC With a slow shutter speed you can create a light train following the subject The flash fires right before the shutter closes Set Sony camera to Rear mode 20 ...

Page 23: ...h power in 1 3rd stop increments To obtain a correct flash exposure use a hand held flash meter to determine the required flash output MODE ZOOM SYNC SLAVE SET MODE ZOOM SYNC SLAVE SET Press MODE button so that M is displayed Turn the Select Dial to choose a desired flash output amount 21 ...

Page 24: ...ease or decrease the flash output For example when you decrease the flash output to 1 2 1 2 0 3 or 1 2 0 7 and then increase the flash output to more than 1 2 1 2 0 3 1 2 0 7 and 1 1 will be displayed 1 1 1 2 1 4 1 1 0 3 1 1 0 7 1 2 0 3 1 2 0 7 1 2 0 7 1 2 0 3 1 4 0 7 1 4 0 3 Figures displayed when reducing flash output level Figures displayed when increasing flash output level 22 ...

Page 25: ... when the main flash fires the same effect as that by the use of radio triggers This helps create multiple lighting effects Optical S2 Secondary Unit Setting Press the SLAVE button so that this flash can also function as an optic S2 secondary flash with optic sensor in M manual flash mode This is useful when cameras have pre flash function With this function the flash will ignore a single preflash from th...

Page 26: ...h mode MULTI STROBOSCOPIC FLASH With stroboscopic flash mode a rapid series of flashes is fired It can be used to capture multiple images of a moving subject in a single photograph You can set the firing frequency number of flashes per sec expressed as Hz the number of flashes and the flash output 24 ...

Page 27: ...button for 2 seconds so that Multi is displayed Turn the Select Dial to choose a desired flash output Set the flash frequency and flash times Press the SET Button to select the flash frequency Turn the Select Dial to set the number Press the SET Button again to select the flash times Turn the Select Dial to set the number 25 ...

Page 28: ... 10 and the firing frequency is 5 Hz the shutter speed should be at least 2 seconds To avoid overheating and deteriorating the flash head do not use stroboscopic flash more than 10 times in succession After 10 times allow the camera flash to rest for at least 15 minutes If you try to use the stroboscopic flash more than 10 times in succession the firing might stop automatically to protect the flash head ...

Page 29: ...round Using a tripod and a remote control is recommended Stroboscopic flash can be used with bulb mode If the number of flashes is displayed as the firing will continue until the shutter closes or the battery is exhausted The number of flashes will be limited as shown by the following table 27 ...

Page 30: ...sh Output HZ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 50 60 90 1 4 1 8 1 16 1 32 1 64 1 128 6 14 30 60 90 90 3 14 30 60 90 90 2 6 30 60 90 90 2 4 20 50 80 90 2 3 10 50 80 90 2 3 8 40 70 90 2 3 5 12 60 80 2 2 3 5 20 70 2 2 3 5 10 30 2 2 3 5 10 20 10 19 28 ...

Page 31: ... you need to do is to set the master unit for each slave group There is no need to operate the actual slave units at all during the shooting This flash can work in TTL M Multi OFF flash modes when set as a master unit As a master unit The AP 305S can control multiple AP 305S flashes TTL M Multi As a slave unit The AP 305S can be controlled by the following master unit models RT 305 M mode only AP 305...

Page 32: ...will be controlled by the master unit 1 WIRELESS SETTINGS You can switch between normal flash and wireless flash For normal flash shooting be sure to set the wireless setting to OFF Master Unit Setting Long Press the SYNC button for 2 seconds so that is blinking Turn the Select Dial until the is displayed on the LCD panel which means the master unit ZOOM SYNC SLAVE SET 30 ...

Page 33: ... SET Long Press the SYNC button for 2 seconds so that is blinking Turn the Select Dial until the is displayed on the LCD panel which means the slave unit 2 SETTING GROUP UNIT S FLASH MODE ZOOM SYNC SLAVE SET MODE ZOOM SYNC SLAVE SET 31 ...

Page 34: ... Choose one of them as the flash mode of master unit Press the MODE Button for 2 seconds to switch to Multi mode 3 SETTING THE COMMUNICATION CHANNEL If there are other wireless flash systems nearby you can change the channel IDs to prevent signal interference The channel IDs of the master unit and the slave unit s must be set to the same 32 ...

Page 35: ...OM SYNC SLAVE SET ZOOM SYNC SLAVE SET Long press the SLAVE Button for 2 seconds until the channel IDs is blinking Turn the Select Dial to choose a channel ID from 1 to 16 Press the SET button to confirm 33 ...

Page 36: ...lave Unit MODE ZOOM SYNC SLAVE SET Master Unit Setting Attach a AP 305S camera flash on the camera and set it as the master unit Page 30 M A B C can be set as TTL mode independently Slave Unit Setting Set the AP 305S that to be controlled as the wireless slave unit Page 31 34 ...

Page 37: ...nd flashes as the picture shows Page 39 41 Check the flash operation Press the master unit s Test Button Then the slave unit will fire If not adjust the slave unit s angle toward the master unit and distance from the master unit The slave unit might be out of order or fire an unwanted flash due to the nearby wifi routers or other 2 4G equipments If in this case please adjust the flash s channel or turn o...

Page 38: ... shoot with a different flash output setting for each slave unit firing group Set all parameters on the master unit MODE ZOOM SYNC SLAVE SET ZOOM SYNC SLAVE SET Setting the flash mode to M Press the MODE Button to set the flash to M mode Setting flash output Turn the Select Dial to set the flash output of the groups 36 ...

Page 39: ...et flash ratio 6 MULTI WIRELESS FLASH SHOOTING WITH MANUAL FLASH MODE ZOOM SYNC SLAVE SET Setting Multi stroboscopic flash Long press the MODE button for 2 seconds so that Multi is displayed Long press the MODE button for 2 seconds again to exit 37 ...

Page 40: ...he slave unit by pressing the MODE Button Using a flash master slave with a radio transmission wireless shooting function makes it easy to shoot with advanced wireless multiple flash lighting in the same way as TTL autoflash shooting The basic relative position and operation range are as shown in the picture You can then perform wireless TTL autoflash shooting just by setting the master unit to TTL 38...

Page 41: ...Slave Master Unit s Positioning and Operation Range Autoflash Shooting with One Slave Unit Transmission distance is about 30 m 39 ...

Page 42: ...ng on the conditions such as positioning of slave units the surrounding environment and weather conditions Wireless Multiple Flash Shooting You can divide the slave units into two or three groups and perform TTL autoflash while changing the flash ratio factor In addition you can set and shoot with a different flash mode for each firing group for up to 3 groups 40 ...

Page 43: ...A B A B C Auto Shooting with Two Slave Groups Auto Shooting with Three Slave Groups 41 ...

Page 44: ...trast shooting environments the built in auto focus assist beam will automatically light on to make it easier for autofocus The beam will illuminate only when auto focus is difficult and will cut out as soon as AF is achieved The auto focus assist beam of the AP 305S functions only when attached to the hot shoe of the camera 42 ...

Page 45: ... natural looking shot This is called bounce flash To set the bounce direction hold the flash head and turn it to a satisfying angle 270 7 90 The auto focus assist beam of the AP 305S does function when used on Sony DSLR cameras e g a99 a77II etc The auto focus assist beam of the AP 305S does not function when used on Sony Interchangeable Lens Mirrorless cameras e g ILCE6000L a7RII etc 43 ...

Page 46: ...derexposure The wall or ceiling should be a plain white color for high reflectance If the bounce surface is not white a color cast may appear in the picture Creating a Catchlight With the catchlight panel you can create a catchlight in the subject s eyes to add life to the facial expression 44 ...

Page 47: ...ahead and then upward by 90 The catchlight will not appear if you swing the flash head left or right For best catchlight effect stay 1 5 m 4 9 ft away from the subject ZOOM Setting the Flash Coverage and Using the Wide Panel The flash coverage can be set automatically or manually It can be set to match the lens focal length from 24 mm to 105 mm Also with the built in wide panel the flash coverage can...

Page 48: ...ly Using the Wide Panel Pull out the wide panel and place it over the flash head as shown The flash coverage will then be extended to 14 mm If you set the flash coverage manually make sure it covers the lens focal length so that the picture will not have a dark periphery When the low battery indicator is displayed the ZOOM can not be adjusted it will constantly be 24 mm 46 ...

Page 49: ... wide panel the ZOOM will constantly be 14 mm The ZOOM button will not work Low Battery Warning If the battery power is low will appear and blink on the LCD panel Please replace the battery immediately When the low battery indicator is displayed the ZOOM can not be adjusted it will constantly be 24 mm 47 ...

Page 50: ... unavailable custom functions of this flash Custom Function Signs Function Setting No Settings Description ST AF BL Backlighting control AF assist beam Auto sleep standby ON OF ON OF 10 Sec OF ON ON OFF ON OFF Off in 10 Sec Always off Always lighting C Fn Custom Functions 48 ...

Page 51: ...n menu is displayed Turn the select dial to select the custom functions Press the SET button and the setting No blinks Turn the select dial to set the desired number Pressing the SET button will confirm the settings Press the ZOOM button to exit 49 ...

Page 52: ...llow a rest time of at least 10 minutes If you fire more than 30 continuous flashes and then fire more flashes in short intervals the inner over temperature protection function may be activated and makes the recycling time over 10 seconds If this occurs allow a rest time of about 10 minutes and the flash unit will then return to normal When the overheating protection has started is shown on the LCD pan...

Page 53: ...7 1 64 0 3 0 7 1 128 0 3 0 7 30 40 50 60 100 200 300 500 1000 Power Output Times 1 1 1 2 0 3 0 7 1 4 0 3 0 7 1 8 0 3 0 7 1 16 0 3 0 7 15 20 30 40 51 Number of flashes that will activate over temperature protection Number of flashes that will activate over temperature protection in high speed sync triggering mode ...

Page 54: ...uct to a maintenance center A failure occurs on the recycling system so that the flash cannot fire Please restart the flash unit If the problem still exists please send this product to a maintenance center Prompts on LCD Panel E1 E3 E9 Meaning Other Protections The system provides real time protection to secure the device and your safety The following lists prompts for your reference 52 ...

Page 55: ... official website USB connection line is not included in this product The USB port is a standard Micro USB socket Common USB connection line is applicable Checking the version Press the MODE Button and the turn the flash on Then the firmware update version e g Version 1 0 will read U 1 0 will be displayed on the LCD panel ...

Page 56: ...lash coverage set automatically to match the lens focal length and image size Manual zoom Swinging tilting flash head bounce flash 0 to 270 horizontally and 7 to 90 vertically 1 350 to 1 20000 seconds Model Type Compatible Cameras Guide No 1 1 output 105 mm Flash Coverage Flash Duration t0 1 TECHNICAL DATA ...

Page 57: ...ave groups Transmission range approx Channels Auto Focus Assist Beam Effective range approx TTL autoflash and manual flash Manual FEB 3 stops in 1 3 stop increments Manual FEC can be combined High speed sync up to 1 8000 seconds first curtain sync and second curtain sync Provided up to 90 times 90 Hz Master Slave Off 3 A B and C 30 m 16 1 16 Center 0 6 4 m Periphery 0 6 2 5 m ...

Page 58: ...ttery Ni MH batteries recommended or 2 LR6 alkaline batteries 0 1 2 2 seconds eneloop Ni MH batteries of Panasonic Red LED indicator will light up when the flash is ready Approx 210 2500mA Ni MH batteries Power off automatically after approx 90 seconds of idle operation 60 minutes if set as slave Hotshoe optic triggering 140 62 38 mm 200 g ...

Page 59: ...d in the wrong direction Install the battery in the correct direction The camera flash s internal battery is exhausted If appears and blinks on the LCD panel replace the battery immediately The Camera Flash does not fire The camera flash is not attached securely to the camera Attach the camera s mounting foot securely to the camera 57 ...

Page 60: ...ok effect if the flash is set as master Press the shutter button halfway or press any flash button to wake up After 60 minutes of idle operation the flash unit will enter sleep mode if it is set as slave Press any flash button to wake up Auto zoom does not work The camera flash is not attached securely to the camera Attach the camera flash s mounting foot to the camera 58 ...

Page 61: ... displayed You used Manual Flash mode Set the flash mode to TTL or modify the flash output Photos have dark corners or only parts of the target subject are illuminated The focal length of lens exceeds the flash coverage Check the flash coverage you set This flash unit has the flash coverage between 24 and 105 mm which fits medium format cameras Pull the wide panel out to extend the flash coverage 59 ...

Page 62: ...els A7 A7II A7III A77II A7R A7RII A7RIII This table only lists the tested camera models not all Sony cameras For the compatibility of other camera models a self test is recommended Rights to modify this table are retained A7S A7SII RX10 I IV ILCE6000L ILCE6300 ILCE6400 ILCE6500 A9 A58 A99 ...

Page 63: ...essary Maintenance of the flash must be performed by our authorized maintenance department which can provide original accessories This product except consumables e g flash tube is supported with a one year warranty Unauthorized service will void the warranty If the product has a failure or is exposed to water do not use it until it is repaired by professionals Changes made to the specifications or de...

Page 64: ...t to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation FCC Radiation Exposure Statement This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment This transmitter must not be colocated or operating in conjunction wi...

Page 65: ......