Bolt VS-560N, User Manual

Page 1: ...Inspiration strikes Inspiration strikes VS 560N WIRELESS TTL FLASH User s Manual ...

Page 2: ...pyright 2014 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 2 Introduction ...

Page 3: ... flash Among the benefits you ll enjoy Full compatibility with Nikon s i TTL system 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 Seven manual flash levels full to 1 64 power Autofocus assist for low light photography High speed sync Rear curtain sync Built in reflector a...

Page 4: ...the Flash 14 16 Turning on the Flash and Firing a Test 16 Extended Interface 17 Using the Automatic TTL Flash Mode 18 19 Using High Speed Sync 19 20 Locking Flash Exposure 20 21 Using Flash Exposure Compensation 21 Using the Manual Flash Mode 22 23 Controlling Flash Coverage Zoom 23 26 ...

Page 5: ...chronization 29 30 Using Your VS 560N as a Wireless TTL Slave 31 33 Using Your VS 560N as a Wireless Manual Flash 33 35 Positioning Remote Flash Units 36 37 Upgrading the Firmware on the VS 560N 38 Troubleshooting 38 39 Specifications 40 41 Guide Number Chart 41 FCC Notices 42 One Year Limited Warranty 43 ...

Page 6: ...45 60 75 1 2 4 17 19 18 8 16 12 3 5 20 6 7 9 11 15 14 10 13 VS 560N 6 Overview ...

Page 7: ...ng foot 7 Mounting foot lock 8 Mode button 9 Up button 10 Down button 11 Zoom position button 12 Ready light Test button 13 Power switch 14 Automatic exposure confirmation light 15 Flash head position indicator 16 LCD 17 External power socket 18 PC sync socket 19 Firmware upgrade socket 20 AF assist Wireless ready indicator light ...

Page 8: ...8 Overview GROUP B GROUP A GROUP C TTL EV M S EV 27 28 29 30 21 22 23 24 25 26 31 ...

Page 9: ...Slave mode 22 TTL mode 23 Wireless TTL mode 24 Manual mode 25 Manual flash output Slave channel 26 Slave group 27 Zoom mode 28 Zoom position 29 Flash compensation value 30 Camera aperture f stop 31 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 560N 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 560N 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: ...n 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 illustration 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: ...me time Do not 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 560N is turned off and follow these steps 1 Turn the mounting foot lock counter clockwise to loosen it LOCK 45 60 75 1 ...

Page 15: ...unting foot lock clockwise until snug Do not overtighten To dismount the flash from your camera make sure the VS 560N 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 75 LOCK LOCK 45 60 75 2 3 ...

Page 16: ...w 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 the Ready light Test button Automatic power saving function After 3 minutes of inactivity the flash will automatically enter power saving mode to conserve battery life The LCD will display a single OFF indicator and the Ready light will turn off To reactivate the VS 560N...

Page 17: ...perate PC Sync You can synchronize your VS 560N with a camera by running a PC cord between your camera and the VS 560N s PC sync socket This lets you position the flash away from the camera thus giving you more lighting options Note The PC sync socket on the VS 560N is only for synchronous signal input and not output To access the extended interface follow these steps 1 Pull back the contact cover...

Page 18: ... be in automatic mode This will be confirmed by the TTL mode 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 Press the shutter release button on your camera halfway to ensure...

Page 19: ... the VS 560N provides readouts up to f 11 in full stop increments The indicator will display the f stop closest to your current camera setting Using High Speed Sync You can use shutter speeds higher than your camera s top flash sync speed with the VS 560N by activating high speed sync in automatic TTL mode High speed sync lets you use shutter speeds as fast as 1 8000 second This is especially usef...

Page 20: ...ports balanced fill light and red eye reduction modes both of which are set automatically in your camera Consult your camera s manual for more information about these features Locking Flash Exposure In automatic TTL mode you can lock the flash output level that is optimal for specific elements of your scene by using the flash exposure lock FV Lock on your camera To lock flash exposure follow these...

Page 21: ...xposure lock feature consult your camera s manual Using Flash Exposure Compensation In automatic TTL mode you can use flash exposure compensation to adjust the VS 560N s flash output incrementally just as you would adjust exposure with the exposure compensation function on your camera To apply flash exposure compensation press the up or down buttons on the flash to increase or decrease flash expos...

Page 22: ...modes until M and the flash output level indicator show on the LCD Press the up or down buttons to set the desired flash output level The output level will cycle through in both directions 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 s...

Page 23: ...ing 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 560N 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 M ...

Page 24: ...ress the shutter release button on your camera halfway to initiate communication between the camera and the flash the flash zoom will adjust to match the lens focal length and the closest zoom setting will 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 ...

Page 25: ...also be used to achieve special effects such as using the 105mm setting with a wide angle lens to produce a vignette Using the flash with wide angle lenses When you have a lens wider than 24mm mounted 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 th...

Page 26: ...n have difficulty locking onto a subject in dim light When the ambient light level is low the VS 560N will emit a red autofocus assist beam when you press your camera s shutter release button halfway to autofocus The camera will 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 AF A or ...

Page 27: ... to aim your flash at a large white or neutral colored surface such as a ceiling a wall or a reflector The light will bounce off of the larger surface before striking your subject providing softer more natural illumination The VS 560N 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...

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: ...h the diffuser back in while leaving the reflector extended Using Rear or Second Curtain Synchronization When you photograph a moving subject with 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 ...

Page 30: ... flash sync and the latter is called rear curtain or second curtain sync Front curtain sync causes motion blur and light trails to appear in front of moving subjects while rear curtain sync makes them appear behind moving subjects That means rear curtain sync creates a more realistic impression of movement The VS 560N supports rear curtain sync modes on cameras that offer the setting Consult your ...

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: ...u can assign remote flash units to any one of three groups A B or C and set the mode and power ratio for each group Setting the remote TTL flash units To set a VS 560N flash unit to function as an automatic TTL slave follow these steps 1 Make sure the master flash or controller on your camera is on and set to automatic TTL mode 2 Select the appropriate group and channel on the master unit Consult ...

Page 33: ...ticular light position For example if you are using three VS 560N units you might want to set two as a main light on channel 1 group A and set the third as a fill light on channel 1 group B 5 If desired adjust the flash coverage angle by pressing the Zoom button repeatedly 6 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...

Page 34: ...nd down buttons to select the power output 1 through 1 64 2 Press the Mode button once to enter Slave mode 3 Set the slave mode as desired see below 4 If desired adjust the flash coverage angle by pressing the Zoom button repeatedly 5 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 camer...

Page 35: ...s 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 flash or two will depend on the camera and settings always take a test exposur...

Page 36: ...essional 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 16 23 33 ...

Page 37: ...may vary depending on the ambient light The flash head should not be aimed directly into the camera lens The wireless sensors are located on the front of the VS 560N Make sure that 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 light which will lower their sens...

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: ...sh duration 1 1 000 1 20 000 second High speed synchronization Yes Flash recycle time 0 5 9 seconds AA Ni MH Manual mode power output 1 1 1 2 1 4 1 8 1 16 1 32 1 64 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 pre flash skip two pre flashes Power sourc...

Page 41: ...nge Right 0º 120º Left 0º 180º Dimensions Approx 2 5 3 9 4 7 65 100 120 mm Weight Approx 9 2 oz 260 g 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: ...t cover damage or defect caused by misuse neglect accident alteration abuse improper installation or maintenance EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN THE WARRANTY PROVIDER MAKES NEITHER ANY EXPRESS WARRANTIES NOR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE This warranty provides you with specific legal rights and you may also...

Page 44: ...www boltflashes com GG1 ...