Bolt VS-510P, User Manual

Page 1: ...VS 510P WIRELESS TTL FLASH User s Manual Inspiration strikes Inspiration strikes ...

Page 2: ...Introduction Copyright 2012 Gradus Group Bolt and other names of Bolt products are trademarks of Gradus Group Other product and corporate names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective holders ...

Page 3: ...ong the benefits you ll enjoy Full compatibility with Pentax and Samsung s TTL metering systems Wireless TTL control with multiple flash units and groups Automatic and manual zoom from 24mm to 105mm Tilt and swivel head 90 up 120 right and 180 left 1 8 inch backlit LCD Six manual flash levels full to 1 32 power Autofocus assist for low light photography High speed sync Rear curtain sync Built in r...

Page 4: ... 14 16 Turning on the Flash and Firing a Test 16 17 Using the Automatic TTL Flash Mode 18 19 Using High Speed Sync 19 20 Using Red Eye Reduction 20 Using Flash Exposure Compensation 20 21 Using the Manual Flash Mode 21 22 Controlling Flash Coverage Zoom 23 25 Using the Autofocus Assist Light 26 ...

Page 5: ...g Your VS 510P as a Wireless TTL Slave 31 33 Using Your VS 510P as a Wireless Manual Flash 33 36 Positioning Remote Flash Units 36 37 Upgrading the Firmware on the VS 510P 38 Troubleshooting 38 39 Specifications 40 41 Guide Number Chart 41 FCC Notices 42 Limited Warranty 43 Customer Service 43 ...

Page 6: ...6 Overview MODE ZOOM OFF ON OFF S READY TEST OK 45 60 75 VS 510P 1 2 4 6 9 16 12 11 17 3 5 18 7 8 10 15 14 13 ...

Page 7: ...al 6 Wireless sensor TTL 7 Mounting foot 8 Mounting foot lock 9 Mode button 10 Zoom position button 11 Ready light Test button 12 Power switch 13 Slave sync mode switch 14 Automatic exposure confirmation light 15 Flash head position indicator 16 LCD 17 Firmware upgrade socket 18 AF assist Wireless ready indicator light ...

Page 8: ...8 Overview 19 23 24 25 26 20 21 22 27 ...

Page 9: ...ync status 21 Manual flash output level Slave group and channel Slave mode 22 Recommended maximum flash to subject distance in meters and feet 23 Zoom mode 24 Zoom position 25 Power saving Camera or film ISO ASA setting 26 Camera aperture f stop 27 Stand Tripod mount ...

Page 10: ...our flash unit please wait for at least 10 minutes after 20 continuous flashes at full power Do not disassemble or attempt to repair this product yourself There are high voltage components inside that can produce a hazardous electric shock Keep this product and its batteries out of reach of children Use only the power sources specified in this manual Always switch the flash off before changing the...

Page 11: ...w humidity and general moisture Should the VS 510P get damaged do not touch any exposed interior metal parts If touched they may generate an electric shock or cause a malfunction Promptly remove the batteries and take the product to an authorized service center for repair If you detect excessive heat smoke or a burning smell coming from the flash immediately stop operation and remove the batteries...

Page 12: ...functioning properly Contacts may be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab Dispose of used batteries properly Never heat them or throw them into a fire as this could cause the batteries to leak corrosive liquids generate heat or explode Installing Batteries The VS 510P can be powered by four AA batteries of several types Lithium 1 5V Nickel metal hydride Ni MH 1 2V Alkaline 1 5V Note For...

Page 13: ... the battery compartment cover and slide it in the direction of the arrow to remove it 2 Insert batteries in the orientations indicated by the illustrations inside the compartment 3 Replace the battery compartment cover by pressing and sliding it into place in the opposite direction of the arrow on the cover 1 2 3 ...

Page 14: ...t mix battery types or brands or use old and new batteries together Mounting the Flash To mount the flash on your camera make sure the VS 510P is turned off and follow these steps 1 Turn the mounting foot lock counter clockwise to loosen it MODE ZOOM OFF ON OFF S READY TEST OK 75 1 ...

Page 15: ... overtighten To dismount the flash from your camera make sure the VS 510P is turned off and follow these steps 1 Turn the mounting foot lock counter clockwise to loosen it 2 Slide the mounting foot out of your camera s hot shoe LOCK MODE ZOOM OFF ON OFF S READY TEST OK MODE ZOOM OFF ON OFF S READY TEST OK MODE ZOOM OFF ON OFF S READY TEST OK 2 3 ...

Page 16: ...flat surface or to attach it to a tripod head light stand or clamp that has a compatible 20 screw mount Turning on the Flash and Firing a Test To turn the flash on simply slide the power switch to the On position When the flash is ready to fire the Ready light will glow red If the flash is mounted on your camera a flash icon will also appear in the camera s viewfinder To fire a test flash press th...

Page 17: ...0P simply press any button on the control panel or tap your camera s shutter release button During long periods of inactivity it is recommended that you use the power switch to turn the flash off completely LCD illumination When a button is pressed the LCD will be illuminated for about 5 seconds Important Make sure that the slave mode switch is not set to the S position when the flash is mounted o...

Page 18: ...e indicator on the LCD If the flash has been set to another mode press the Mode button repeatedly to cycle through the flash modes until TTL is shown on the LCD 2 Make sure your camera is set on a programmed or automatic mode or on a priority mode such as aperture priority 3 Select the appropriate curtain sync mode see Using Rear or Second Curtain Synchronization on page 29 4 Press the shutter rel...

Page 19: ...ure was attained Note The ISO and aperture indicators on the VS 510P provide readouts up to ISO 800 and f 11 in full stop increments The indicator will display the ISO number and f stop closest to your current camera settings Using High Speed Sync You can use shutter speeds higher than your camera s top flash sync speed with the VS 510P by activating high speed sync in automatic TTL mode High spee...

Page 20: ... show that the mode has been activated To turn high speed sync off press the Mode and Zoom buttons again H and Off will flash three times on the LCD to show that the mode has been turned off Using Red Eye Reduction The VS 510P supports red eye reduction mode which is set automatically by your camera Consult your camera s manual for more information about this feature ...

Page 21: ...djust exposure with the exposure compensation function on your camera To apply flash exposure compensation press the flash exposure compensation button on your camera and adjust the flash exposure level up or down with your camera s controls The flash exposure compensation range and controls vary between different camera models Consult your camera s manual for more information about this feature ...

Page 22: ...icator show on the LCD Continue to press the Mode button to select the desired flash output level 2 Set the exposure settings you want to use on your camera The highest shutter speed available will be your camera s flash sync speed To use higher shutter speeds switch to automatic TTL mode and activate high speed sync see Using High Speed Sync on page 19 3 Make sure that your subject is not farther...

Page 23: ...ating and damaging your flash unit please wait for at least 10 minutes after 20 continuous flashes at full power The flash will automatically shut off if it gets overheated Controlling Flash Coverage Zoom The VS 510P s angle of coverage can be adjusted zoomed to match the focal length of your lens so that your image is evenly illuminated from edge to edge When the flash zoom setting is adjusted th...

Page 24: ...be displayed on the LCD If you zoom your lens the flash zoom setting will change automatically When the flash head is angled up or swiveled to the side the zoom position is set to 50mm The 50mm indicator will flash on the LCD and the zoom can then be manually adjusted see below Note Older cameras that do not offer digital data transmission with the flash do not support the automatic flash zoom con...

Page 25: ...on your camera you can use the built in diffuser panel to give the flash an angle of coverage equivalent to that of an 18mm lens To use the diffuser 1 Pull the diffuser and reflector panels out of their slot in the flash head 2 Push the reflector back in and let the diffuser lay flat against the flash lens The diffuser also softens the light providing an alternative when no surface is available fo...

Page 26: ...ll then be able to autofocus by locking onto the projected light Note that the autofocus assist light is only available when your camera s autofocus system is set to center or multi point autofocus It is not available when single autofocus points other than the center point are selected Bouncing Your Flash Using flash to directly illuminate a subject often creates harsh unnatural and unattractive ...

Page 27: ...e larger surface before striking your subject providing softer more natural illumination The VS 510P flash head can be tilted up at 45 60 75 and 90 degree angles to the lens It can also be swiveled horizontally 180 degrees to the left and 120 degrees to the right 45 60 75 45 45 5 45 60 60 0 6 75 75 5 7 ...

Page 28: ... colored surface will not alter the color of the light while bouncing off of a gold toned surface can give portraits a warmer look Other colors while usually not desirable can be used for creative effects Creating catchlights Catchlights are the reflections that appear in people s eyes in photographs Without catchlights eyes can have a dull lifeless look To create catchlights in your subjects eyes...

Page 29: ...th a slow 1 30 second or longer shutter speed and a flash the flash will freeze the moving subject and the long exposure will cause motion blur and light trails to appear in the image especially in low light This slow sync flash technique also referred to as dragging the shutter can be applied in two different ways The flash can be synchronized with the camera s shutter release so that it fires at...

Page 30: ...ar behind moving subjects That means rear curtain sync creates a more realistic impression of movement Use your camera s manual or shutter priority mode to control the amount of blurring and light trails you capture by varying the shutter speed 1 To set the VS 510P to front curtain sync set the slave sync switch to the middle position 2 To set it to rear curtain sync set the switch to the far righ...

Page 31: ...learn how to work with multiple wireless flash units Master This can be the camera s built in flash a flash unit mounted on the camera or a dedicated wireless controller The master controls how the slave flashes operate in wireless TTL mode Only one master flash is allowed in a multiple flash photography setting Note that not all cameras and flashes offer master capability Slave or remote flash Fl...

Page 32: ...gered by the master unit of another photographer working with the same type of system nearby Setting the remote TTL flash units To set a VS 510P flash unit to function as an automatic TTL slave follow these steps 3 Make sure the master flash or controller on your camera is on and set to automatic TTL mode 4 Select the appropriate group and channel on the master unit Consult the master s manual to ...

Page 33: ...et the third as a fill light on 1B 7 If desired adjust the flash coverage angle by pressing the Zoom button repeatedly 8 Make sure that the red light on the front of the flash is flashing This indicates that the unit is ready to fire in wireless TTL slave mode Using Your VS 510P as a Wireless Manual Flash For even greater creative control you can set the output levels of your remote flash units ma...

Page 34: ...gle by pressing the Zoom button repeatedly 4 Move the slave mode switch to the S position 5 Set the slave mode as desired see below 6 Make sure that the master flash on your camera is on and set to the appropriate mode If you don t want the master flash to illuminate a subject in front of the camera tilt the head upward Setting the slave mode Depending on your camera and flash settings the master ...

Page 35: ...on 2 Press the Mode button repeatedly to cycle through the slave mode options on the LCD A In mode 0 the flash will fire on the first or only burst of light Use this mode when the master flash is set to manual B In modes 1 and 2 the slave will ignore either one or two pre flashes respectively Use these modes when the master flash is set to TTL or automatic modes Whether the master emits one pre fl...

Page 36: ...you avoid using red eye reduction when using the VS 510P as a slave Positioning Remote Flash Units You can create a professional lighting setup by positioning remote units singly or in groups to function as main fill accent and other lights Metering your scene with a handheld light meter and setting your light ratios to achieve specific looks will give you a professional level of creative control ...

Page 37: ...nt light The flash head should not be aimed directly into the camera lens The wireless TTL sensor is located on the side of the VS 510P while the optical sensor is located on the front Make sure that the correct sensor is facing the master flash and that there is no obstruction between the two units When photographing outdoors or in bright ambient light the sensors can be overwhelmed by ambient li...

Page 38: ...be updated This can be done to ensure proper communication with new cameras or to add new features Visit www boltflashes com firmware to check if a new firmware version has been released Follow the online instructions to upgrade Troubleshooting Problem Solution The flash is stuck in the camera hot shoe Make sure that the mounting foot lock is released Page 15 ...

Page 39: ...e of sight between the two Page 37 The ambient light may be too high Page 37 The flash is set up as a manual optical slave but the light is not noticeable in the picture Make sure that the flash is set to the appropriate slave mode Page 34 The edges of images look dark Make sure that the flash zoom setting corresponds to the focal length of your lens Page 23 There s a whining sound coming from the...

Page 40: ...4mm 105mm 18mm with diffuser panel Flash duration 1 1 000 1 20 000 second High speed synchronization Yes Flash recycle time 0 5 9 seconds in automatic mode Manual mode power output 1 1 1 2 1 4 1 8 1 16 1 32 Wireless transmission method Optical pulse Wireless transmission range Up to 33 feet 10 meters Wireless channels 4 Controllable wireless slave groups 3 Slave timing modes Instant sync skip one ...

Page 41: ...º 120º Left 0º 180º Dimensions Approx 2 5 x 3 9 x 4 7 inches 65 x 100 x 120 mm Weight Approx 9 2 ounces 260 grams without batteries Guide Number Chart Zoom Position GN Meters GN Feet 24mm 34 112 28mm 36 118 35mm 38 125 50mm 43 141 70mm 45 148 85mm 47 154 105mm 50 164 at ISO 100 ...

Page 42: ...instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communications However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause harmful interference which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on the user is encouraged to try to correct to the interference by one or more of the following measures re orient or re locate the r...

Page 43: ... contact your place of purchase Seller to obtain a return merchandise authorization RMA number and return to Seller the defective product along with proof of purchase and the RMA number This warranty does not extend to damage or failure which results from misuse neglect accident alteration abuse improper installation or maintenance EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN BOLT MAKES NEITHER ANY EXPRESS WARRANTIE...

Page 44: ...Copyright 2012 Gradus Group www boltflashes com ...